Adventures in Road Tripping (aka Happy Easter!)

We loaded everyone into two cars on Friday to make the trek North for the holiday weekend. After two years of making everyone come to us for holidays it seemed like the right thing to do (although every time we take B&K somewhere we realize how much easier it is just to say home, but I digress). It was SOOO nice to see everyone. We were able to spend a little time with Grandma Z & Uncle Mark on Saturday (as well as get a tour of Aunt Anna Marie & Uncle Jim's new house -- very nice!) -- Grandpa Z was fishing, but we saw him for a bit on Sunday. Sat. night Tim & I were able to sneak away for a little bit to visit some of his high school friends at a local bar (we drank all night and our total tab -- including appetizers -- came to $31. I LOVE that place!). Thanks to Nana & Papa W. for hosting us & planning a delicious Easter meal. It was wonderful to see everone -- including Aunt Nanci & Uncle Ted up from Florida -- but it was a short dinner for us as we needed to get on the road to head back home.

The car ride to & from was hell. I had the car with B&K on the way there -- I was super excited because Tim gave me the honor of driving his new toy and it has a kick-ass sound system, which included songs he loaded on the car's hard drive (yeah!), our i-pod and XM. But instead I had the pleasure of listening to K scream at the top of her lungs the entire way there. I tried to hand her toys from the driver's seat, but she just kept throwing them on the floor (and then B, of course, would start screaming because he wanted a new toy, too). So I spent a lot of time singing "The Wheels on the Bus" and screaming right along with B&K. Tim was stuck with our car-sick dog, so I guess that wasn't too much better. Same routine on the way home, except we switched cars and the dog didn't puke for me. Good times.

I didn't really get a chance to snap any good pictures. Here are a few of B&K looking through their Easter baskets:



Papa snapped this one of the four of us after church:



And here is my attempt to get a picture of B&K before they changed into their "comfy clothes":

Pay it Forward Arrived!!

A HUGE thank you to Monica for my Pay It Forward gift!! It arrived today, just in time to display for the holiday!!





And to those who "won" my Pay It Forward . . . I'm still mulling over what I am going to make, but I am determined to get it out before the start of summer. :)

Chomp (for real this time)

I have mentioned here more than a few times that Kendyll can be a bit of a thief. Ok, that is an understatement. Basically any time Bennett (or me or Tim) picks up something - whatever it is - she immediately struts over, grabs it out of our hands and starts playing with it herself. It is one of her sweet, endearing qualities -- I like to think she just wants to make sure the toy or object is safe before someone else tries to use it. :-) If we are not around, Bennett will often take whatever it is back (and screaming ensues - ironically by both parities involved). Or if I (or Tim) witness the take-down we will grab whatever super-rad-must-have-it-item away from K and give it back to B, listen to K scream at the top of her lungs (something she does quite often and that I need to get on tape) and then hand her something new, all while she is still eyeing whatever B has. Fun times.

Well B-dude has learned a new form of self-defense -- biting. I've seen him lunge after her (and us) a few times with his mouth open, but I foolishly thought that was his way of giving kisses. Ha. Remember my post about a week ago with the cell phones? Yeah, that was our first biting episode. Then one day last week he left HUGE red teeth marks on Kendyll's arm (over what I don't even remember). I tried to snap a picture of it, but miss on-the-go wouldn't sit still long enough for me to snap it (she's too busy trying to grab the camera out of my hands - ha!). Bennett has also bit Tim's finger so hard it broke the skin. Yeah. . . So right now we're in the "no bite" and redirect mode. I'd love any tips if you have them. On the one hand he is just trying to defend something wrong that is happening to him (i.e. stealing) but I don't think the right answer is to put teeth marks on your sister. *sigh*

Toys

Tim has a new "toy". It is a 2009 Infiniti G37 (or the "G-unit" as I like to call it). It is very similar to a car that I checked out when it was my turn to look into new vehicles in 2007 (we like to lease around here) . . . but alas the looming 2-for-1 pregnancy and fear of the unknown led us to a bit larger vehicle. Tim's new car is fun and sexy and I am soooooo jealous (my bitchen red Pacifica - which you can see in the background in the one picture - is like a Nova compared to this car!). Here are a few pics for us all to drool over . . .

What? Monday again??

Yeah, that is how I feel . . . how can it be Monday again already??

Let's see . . . what is new?? Papa Sam came to town for a work conference last Wednesday. Tim was in Nashvegas for work, so Papa treated me & B & K out to dinner. Fun times! Thursday I stayed up WAAAAAY too late waiting for Tim to get home (his flight was big-time delayed due to tornadoes in Nashville) and I somehow got suckered into watching the ER farewell stuff. I haven't really watched that show in a couple of years and watching the finale made me feel really, really old. I'm pretty sure it premiered when I was in college -- geesh that was a long time ago!!

Friday Lauren took B&K to COSI. They are a bit little/young for it, but they still had a blast (photo evidence below). Thanks Lauren!! Can I just say once again how much she rocks?? :)

Saturday was a busy, busy day. The awesome plaza by our house throws an "April Fool's" pancake breakfast every year. It is free (!!) and so so good. Last year it was one of our first "outings" with B&K and this year we were even more excited because like me, pancakes are B&K's favorite food group. They snacked on a powered donut from the "Goodie Shop" while we waited in line to get in and then chowed down on pancakes & syrup (yes, we loaded them up with sugar galore). It was a little cold and the line was a bit long, so by the time we got into the tent serving the pancakes B&K were BEYOND ready to eat, but it was still fun. Then I had big lunch plans, too. My good friend and former boss-lady Vicki came to town and we had lunch with the group we used to support. It was super yummy and so great to catch up with everyone. Thanks guys!!

Saturday night my mom, her twin sister (Aunt Anna Marie) and their younger sister (Aunt Regina, in town from Georgia) came down to hang with B&K. We saw this as a great opportunity to get out and Tim & I headed to dinner and then out on the town with friends. Very fun. And thanks mom & aunts for helping out!! Yesterday we basically spent the day lounging and doing a few chores & errands. Nothing too exciting.

Ok, this is getting long enough. Watch for updates this week about Tim's new toy (read: car) and Bennett's new trick (read: biting).

B & K at COSI:

I won! I won!!

If you haven't been over to check out the new Multiples & More blog you gotta go check it out!! They are having awesome guest posts on the blog and even more fun they are doing some awesome give-aways! And I won this one!! And if you love handmade stuff, be sure to look around further on that etsy site! The prize is very timely . . . first given my lengthy entry earlier this week over my love of bags and also because this is my 200th post!! Super cool!

Thanks Lani & Amanda -- you have made my week! :-)

This is how we do bath night

Ha! Seriously, I think B&K's first real words are going to be "Tabasco, no lick!!!" since we seem to say it about 700 million times a night. They do love each other . . . tonight Basco was rolling around playing with one of his toys and Bennett was belly-laughing so hard I thought he was going to pee his pants (tee-hee).