Hiking

So, I have a few friends that are very outdoorsy. Me? Not so much. I'm not big into the exercising, movement, nature, etc. You know what I mean? I like to lounge, drink, eat, lay in the sun, get pampered, and generally act like a sloth.

But now with the littles, I want to have a more active life. It's better for me, and it's better for them. I don't want them to grow up playing outside with Dad while mom sits around like a slug. I want to ride bikes with them, play ball, etc. So I am trying to make a concerted effort to do more stuff outside together as a family.

So, hiking. It's a misleading thing to say we are doing, as the kids move pretty damn slow. So it's more like a REEEAAALLLY slow stroll, especially with Moop stopping every 2 inches to point out yet ANOTHER ant! Yes, that really does happen! So it's not like we are power walking, burning a million calories and rock climbing. But it's a start, and the kids are REALLY enjoying it.

Our first hike this season was at a place called Duke Island Park. It's a park surrounded by the Raritan River, so there is water everywhere and the kids love walking around there. They also have a pretty good playground for the kids, post walk.

Dad and Boots & Mommy and Moop.



Moop walking down the trail. There is something I just love about this picture.


Throwing rocks into the river.


This past weekend we took them to another park, Hacklebarney State Park. It was really cool. All these awesome hiking trails, and beautiful scenery! It was slightly more challenging for the kids (ok, whatever, maybe us too!) because there were a lot of steep ups and downs. But the kids were total troopers! I was so proud of them!

Here are the three cutest hikers ever posing with their walking sticks.


Here is a smiling Boots throwing rocks in the river.


The Dude cleaning his hands.



And although this has nothing to do with hiking, I had a lovely Mother's Day with my parents, my sister, her husband, and her kids. They are getting so big!! Anthony has a billion teeth (or so it seems) and Sami just has the most bite-able cheeks EVER!

Here is my sister with her two favorite men, Moop and Anthony.


And here is Sami with her Daddy.


Moop and Little Ant, sharing a moment.


Alright, I think I'm all caught up now!!

Enjoy,
Caba

Playing Catch Up

Yeah ... I'm still trying to get all my old pictures up so that my mom can order all the ones that she wants ...

Plus, it helps me remember what the hell we've been up to!!

So, for the twins birthday this year we took them away from the weekend. We considered doing a big party again, but thought better of it. We just did something small with immediate family, and took them to see Disney's Princesses on Ice. I know, it sounds very girly, but it wasn't. Yes, it had all the princesses in it, but also all the boys ... the 7 dwarfs, Genie and Aladdin, all the princes, etc. Boots and Moop really really enjoyed it. It was playing at the Arena at Hershey Park ... so we made a weekend out of it. We went to see the show on Saturday, and then spent the day at Hershey Park on Sunday.

My friend Kelly came as well with her twin daughters, so the kids were able to have a blast all together.



The kids had a blast at Hershey this year. We took them last September, and Boots was willing to go on any and every ride. But Moops was slightly more cautious. But for the first time, he rode on a horse on the carousel!! We were so excited for him! Usually he wants to sit on the bench. But this time he went on everything with no hesitation! What a champ!


Here are some pics from our yard. The kids got the coolest birthday gift from Aunt Chrissy and Uncle Anthony! A bounce house!!


We also got to spend some quality time with little Sami and Anthony! They are getting so big I can't stand it! Here is Sami with Grandma.


And here is Anthony with his Daddy.


Enjoy,
Caba

It's been a while ...

I know ... I stink. I don't even know if anyone is reading ... but at this point I HAVE to put pic up, if only for my mother.

So much has changed since I last wrote! The twins had their 3rd birthday ... and we moved them into big beds! It wasn't nearly as traumatic as I expected it to be ... I think it helped that we moved them into separate rooms at the same time.

Pictures you say?? Well, pictures I have!! How awesome are these rooms?

Moops' Room - CARS Theme




Boots' Room - Princess Theme





The cribs were still in their rooms when I took these pics. They have since been removed. We had them there as a threat .... ya know "You better stay in your beds or you are going back in your cribs!". Well, that didn't work that well. The first morning after they slept in their beds, we went in to get Boots, and she was sitting in her crib, with the tent zipped up, reading a book. So yeah, the cribs are gone now. They also each got a cute table and chairs set from my parents for their birthdays.

Speaking of, we finally went low-key for their birthday. Nothing but immediate family. The last two years we threw these big parties, and I just didn't want to do it again. Here is a pic with their cousins on their birthday.



Easter was fun, and low-key. Just went to my parents house, dressed the kids up for like 5 minutes to get a few pics, and then went out to play in the beautiful weather! Perfect way to celebrate the rebirth that is Spring!!



What else? My parents took the kids to see the Circus! Awesome time at Madison Square Garden ... they had their first train ride into the city and they LOVED it ... And as great as the Circus was, I almost think their favorite part of the day was riding the escalator! Go figure!



And here are a bunch of miscellaneous shots ... a bunch of my sister's cuties ... They are getting SO BIG!!



Ok, that takes care of me playing catch up ... I have more to post tomorrow!! And Mom, all the pics are links to like a BILLION more pics ... so enjoy, and happy buying!

Enjoy,
Caba

Are you freaking kidding me??

More.DAMN.SNOW.

Seriously. It is enough already. I'm snowed out at this point. We are supposed to be up to 2 feet tomorrow. Do you realize how annoying that is??


I am looking forward to just hunkering down, watching movies with the kids, making popcorn,etc. But really, it's just too much at this point. Where the hell is spring??

And now, the ABCs of me.

• A is for Atheist. I'm an atheist. Yup. That's the truth.


• B is for Bitch. I'm also a bitch. And I'm very proud of it.


• C is for Chrissy. That's my sister. She's my best friend and my favorite person.


• D is for Days of our Lives. I've been watching this show since I was like 12. I still record it every.single.day.


• E is for Eggplant. This is one of my favorite veggies, and I make a mean Eggplant Parm.


• F is for Freethinkers. It's my forum that I run with some friends, and it's an awesome group of people that talk about everything. F is also for my friends, who rock.


• G is for German. I'm half German. My Dad moved to the US from Germany when he was like 19. My husband and I went to Germany with my Dad a few years ago, and it was just an awesome trip.


• H is for Hawaii. I went here with my DH on our honeymoon, and it was just one of the most beautiful places in the world. We definitely want to go back one day together, hopefully with the kids too.


• I is for Ice Cream. My favorite flavor is probably Mint Chocolate Chip. But I do also enjoy some soft serve vanilla with rainbow sprinkles. And no, I'm not 5 years old.


• J is for jewelry. I do enjoy it. I work for an awesome jewelry company, not that I can afford to buy most of their stuff. But I do enjoy pretty stuff. I just tend to buy cheapy costume stuff. I have a lot of it.


• K is for kittens. I don't like them. Or cats. I'm not a cat person.


• L is for Lake George, NY. Love it there. We go there every summer with DH's family and that's where DH proposed to me. Once of my favorite places.


• M is for money. I wish I had more. I need more. I hate not having enough of the stuff.


• N is for Naughty Monkey. It's a brand of shoes that my friend Keri introduced me to. I order them from Amazon.com and LOOOVE them. Cute and trendy and fun. I usually wait till they are on sale and can get a good deal.


• O is for Orange Soda. Diet Sunkist to be precise. It's like my crack. I'm thoroughly addicted to it. Anytime I'm drinking something my kids now ask "Is that orange soda, Mommy?". Yes. Yes it is. Now stay away from it!


• P is for Percocet. I love it. I got it after my C-section and held onto it like it was gold. DH found a few pills in his drawer the other day that he had from something, and I grabbed it like it was worth a million dollars. It almost is.


• Q is for quiet. I don't get enough of it anymore. But I really enjoy it.


• R is for rice. Ya know, I used to not really like rice. I mean, I didn't hate it, but I would never opt for it. I would rather have any other card side dish than rice. But lately, I've been really enjoying it. We switched from white to brown, and it's yummy.


• S is for Stern. Howard Stern. I love him. I'm a total groupie. I listen every day on the way to work, I listen online all day at work. Seriously. I will cry huge crocodile tears if he leaves Sirius at the end of his contract.


• T is for tolerance. I pride myself on it. And I wish that more people had it.


• U is for underwear. Yup, the bane of my existence. My kids don't want to wear it. I asked Moop the other day if he wanted to try underwear like a big kid, and he told me "No Mommy, I like my diaper." GREEEAAAAT.


• V is for vegetables. Another problem. Moop won't eat 'em. We joined a CSA for the summer, and I'm hoping we get a lot of cool new veggies to introduce the kids to.


• W is for Wet Hot American Summer. Super funny movie. If you haven't seen it, Netflix it.


• X is for X-Ray Vision. No, I don't have it. But I would like to.


• Y is for Yankees. I HATE the Yankees. Yes, I live in the NY area, and I hate them. I am a fan of the Mets and Red Sox. And I repeat, I HATE the Yankees.


• Z is for Zoe. That's my pug that lives at my parents house. I love the name Zoe, and I always wanted to name my daughter Zoe. Unfortunately, the pug came along first, and we named her that, and it kinda ruined the name for my kid.

Enjoy,
Caba

Hi ICLWers!

It's been a while since I particpated in ICLW. From Mel's blog:

"Welcome back to IComLeavWe. It stands for International Comment Leaving Week, but if you say it aloud, doesn’t it sounds like “I come; [but] leave [as a] we”? And that’s sort of the point. Blogging is a conversation and comments should be honoured and encouraged. I like to say that comments are the new hug–a way of saying hello, giving comfort, leaving congratulations."

So, I welcome you new readers to my blog!! I'm Caba. I have almost 3 year old twins (Moop and Boots) after conceiving via IVF/ICSI. I also gave birth to my niece and nephew in Aug 2009 for my sister and her husband. It was both an honor and a priviledge to be a gestational carrier for my sister and her husband ... and she is currently in the chaotic bliss of 6 month old twinfants.

Thanks to my sister, I got my 15 minutes of fame. A Baby Story chronicled our journey, and you can see it if you'd like! We put it up on youtube. Here is a link to the blog post where I put the clips. Enjoy. I apologize in advance for making anyone cry.

So yeah, now this blog is in a kinda weird place. I still talk about the kids, but that's not all. I don't really talk about infertility, since my journey is over and our family is complete. I am outspoken, brash, and very stubborn. I like to talk about being a liberal, atheist, kick ass kinda girl. And I certainly don't apologize for it.

Hope you come back to visit again soon!

Caba

Can you kiss my nose?

So, I was sitting here contemplating a blog post, and listening to screaming/laughing/yelling/etc through the monitor. Boots is yelling for her monkey, Moop is singing "Bippity Boppity Boo". You know, just a normal night in the nuthouse. I try not to go in there that often once we say goodnight. I don't want to become a slave to their every whim. So I'm watching Chopped, DH is cleaning out his dresser, and we are ignoring the kids.

But then Boots switches to a non-stop mantra of "Mommymommymommmymommmymommmymommmy". One long extremely grating word. It never ends. It could on on forever. And in the background you hear "Mommy, Boots needs you!". Yeah, thanks Moop. I *never* would have figured that out on my own.

Here is the exchange when I enter their room.


Boots: "Mommy. Where is my tiger?"
Me: "I don't know, Boots. It was in your crib before. Maybe it's hidden amongst all the crap in your crib."
Boots: "I can't find it".

Mommy turns on the light, blinding her children and herself. Finds tiger hidden amongst 10 books, 1 enormous monkey dressed in a tutu, 3 princess dolls, Dora, Bert, and Prairie Dawn. Hands Tiger to Boots.

Boots: "Oh, THERE is it. Thanks Mommy."
Me: "Ok, everyone go to bed now. If I have to come in here again, I am talking away your books."
Moop: "DON'T TAKE MY BOOKS!"
Me: "Moop, go to bed now. I love you both. Good night"

Silence from Boots.

Moop: "Mommy?"
Me: "Yes, Moop?"
Moop: "Can you kiss my toes?"

Really? Really? This is what my life has become.

Me: "Ok Moop, stick your feet out." I lean over and kiss both feet through the slats of the crib.
Moop: "Can you kiss my nose now?"
Me (laughing): "Ok, let me see that nose." Kiss his nose through the crib slats.
Moop: "Can you kiss my cheek Mommy?"
Me: "I sure can." Kiss his fat little cheek through the crib slats.
Moop (turning his other cheek) "And this one too Mommy?"
Me: "Yup". Kisses his other fat cheek. "Ok, bub, go to bed now".
Moop: "I love you Mommy."
Me: "I love you too."

Boots (quietly from the other side of the room) "I love you too Mommy".

And then I realize, I'm ok with what my life has become.

Enjoy,
Caba

Friday Five: Warmth

I stole this from Delenn

It's Friday and time for Friday Five!
Want to play along? You can either leave your answers in the comments or leave a comment that you've posted it onto your own blog.

Today's topic is things that keep you warm. So, here goes!

What is your favorite blanket like?
DH got me a pink snuggie from Brookstone. It is so warm and cozy and I just LOVE it. ummm, snuggie.

What was the last thing you baked?
Last night I baked Brownies to bring into daycare for the kids Valentine's Day Party.

What television personality gets you most hot and bothered?
Hmmm. Don't make fun ok? I've had a crush forever on Freddie Prinze Jr. Also LOOOOVVVVE Bradley Cooper! He's super hot ... and I do consider him tv as I first noticed him on Alias.

When did you last burn yourself?
Wednesday morning morning while making chocolate chip pumpkin pancakes. I put a little bit of chocolate chip in my mouth straight from the griddle and it was freaking HOT!

What are your feelings about hot sauce?
I have a serious problem when it comes to hot sauce. I've been putting it on EVERYTHING at work. Like, seriously, everything. From eggs to my chicken wrap to dipping french fries in it. I have no idea why. It's a disgusting hot mystery.

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We ordered big beds for the kids! Nothing exciting ... just two twin beds. The plan is to set up their rooms, split them up and move them into big kid beds for their 3rd birthday in April. I'm very excited, and sad a the same time. My bubs are growing up!

So, we forgot our camera at my sister's twins Christening a few weeks back. Which means we didn't get any cute pics of the twins in their fancy outfits. Little Anthony didn't even make it to the party afterwards, because he had RSV prior, so my sister didn't want him around all those people.

Here is a picture of me and Sami. Everyone says she looks like me!



Here is a pic of me and my grown up little Miss Boots.


And here are my three favorite people in the whole world!


Enjoy,
Caba