Anastics pictures...FINALLY

Isabel barely containing her excitement at, once again, being in public in her leotard and tights.

Finally! Some "anastics" pictures. I was worried about class this week because I'd worked a 12 hour shift the night before and Spencer couldn't take the kids to class. It was all me. I was having visions of me drooling in the corner and slurring my speech. Nobody wants to be known as the drunk mom right? No need to worry, Mrs. Marsha (aka My Hero) had us moving and sweating in mere minutes! This week the kids did the balance beam, the high beam, parallel bars (bear crawl across the top of them), the single bar (practicing holding themselves up with their arms and swinging from it like a monkey), and--drum roll please--the rock wall!! I thought Milo and Issy were going to bust with excitement at the prospect. The wall has been taunting them since we started (something about "needing the right mats" before we could start using it.) Well, Monday was the day. Issy made it to the top on her second try (with me spotting her) and Milo made it to the top too (with some support). It was so cute and they kept saying "Mom, do I look just like Daddy?" I didn't get any pictures of them actually doing anything because we were so busy/active. Next week!

Milo doing pre-class stretches and warmups.

Showing some love on the balance beam after class.

Hussy Bear and The Artist

This week Isabel did a nice job of busting me. See the hideous article of clothing on her bear above? When we were in San Diego this fall, our diaper bag/backpack was inadvertently left at a train station. This left Issy and Milo without bathing suits. The ONLY girls' bathing suit that was even close to Issy's size in the entire mall was the little number above. It didn't even have a bottom. She had to wear the top with some 99 cent clearance shorts. It's seriously awful. It hasn't been worn since--and will never be worn again. It's what you would have your daughter wear if you wanted her to fit in on the Vegas Strip--or worse. Somehow, Isabel found it in the back of a drawer (I thought it had been thrown away) and put it on her bear, along with a sparkly headband number. Her bear looked like a hussy. Being in a rush to get out the door, I didn't even notice what the bear was wearing. Don't worry, I was forced to recognize and explain by several members of my family and by Sage and Porter. "WHAT is that bear wearing??" For good measure, Milo piped up with "Mom, that bear is NOT being very modest today." as we were driving home. I was busted for a.) even buying the hideous/trashy thing b.) not paying enough attention to the toys that come with us when we leave the house and c.) not regulating the modesty of the stuffed animals around here.
Milo has come up with some great drawings in the past, but this one is my favorite by far. This is his rendition of himself "in my tummy". How cute is that? Notice how large I am and that my head is detached. Both are pretty accurate portrayals of my twin pregnancy. :) This one's getting a frame folks.

Tag, you're it

I've been tagged (by Abbie), so here goes!

7 things you don't know/maybe do know about me:

1. I am the oldest child of the oldest child of the oldest child of the oldest child. Think it shows? ;) Ha ha. Yes, it does. In a big way. I've been known to be bossy, overscheduled, and to have ridiculously high expectations of myself. While it has it's baggage, I am proud to hold my place in the family line. My dad is a great brother and son, as is (was) my grandpa, and my great-grandma was an amazing everything. Family is something that holds such great value for me and my family and being the oldest child of the oldest child of the oldest child of the oldest child feels like a special place of honor (and responsibility of sorts).

2. I have a nearly pathological affinity for odd numbers. Love 'em. I have a particular love for 3s and 5s but I'll take a 7 if necessary. This little penchant shows up at work (in the form of stickers on pictures I scrapbook for patients, the number of blankets I use in a patient's bed, and, even, the number of pens I have in my pocket) and at home (in the form of all decor, place settings, and even bathroom shelf arrangements).

3. There was once a warrant out for my arrest. It's a long silly story but, in a nutshell, I had an outstanding ticket in Wyoming (because of a clerical error) and was not aware of it. I didn't show up for the court date and a warrant was issued for failure to appear. Two years later, I was sitting in a police car (after my car died on a deserted country road at 1am) waiting for a ride and making small talk. The nice officer was showing me how the computer in his car worked (new-fangled at the time) and looked me up as an example. There I was, in all my red alert glory, a citizen with an outstanding warrant. Embarassing to say the least.

4. I have been blessed to have some terrific and long-lasting friendships. I won't name names, for fear of leaving someone out but I really really have been blessed. I feel so fortunate to have some of the funniest, smartest, fiercest, and most supportive friends. Some friendships have weathered years (and years) while others have come about as answers to prayers or for reasons even greater than I could have guessed. I feel like every person comes into your life for a reason and each of these friends is in my life for a different reason--hopefully, they feel the same!

5. I try to do (at least) one thing every day that makes me feel alive! That one sounds a little silly but it's true. I gave a dear friend a card once that said "Do something every day that scares you." I love that saying so much and, while I don't think I do something every day that scares me per se, I do try to do something every day that helps me to feel alive and helps me to remember to ENJOY life. Whether it is a run, a workout at the gym, a really good meal, a bath, a walk with my kids, a bike ride with a friend, or laughing really hard, I try to do something every day. Today it was trying a new class at the gym at 6 am!! (For the record, it was a blast.)

6. I am terrible at "name that song". No seriously. Embarassingly awful. Want to beat me in Cranium? Send all the humdingers my way. I couldn't even get the Stars Wars theme. Or Born in the USA. Embarassingly awful. Don't ask me to hum a song either. Even more embarassing.

7. My most embarassing moment was flying off the back of a treadmill at the gym. Embarassing enough regardless of when it happens. Extra bad that it was during peak hours as a tour of about 10 people walked by and the personal trainer was saying "Hey Erin, how's it going?" Not cool. But funny now.

I tag Melissa, Sage, and Season!!

Dance Party!

Christmas Dance Party. Yes, Kiana is doing The Robot. That girl has some serious moves. Get her a piece of cardboard and some parachute pants and she'll show you what it's all about.
A little break in the Princesses and Spidey dance numbers. Notice how flushed Isabel's face is. It's hard work bustin' a move in sweaty polyester fluff.

We are all about dancing around this house. My kids have an unhealthy (says Spencer) obsession with Dancing with the Stars and have been known to spend hours (literally) dancing in our office with the music blasting and the door closed. They will even clear the office chair etc. out to give them more room to boogie. When we go to Grandma Kim’s they put on some pretty sweet performances with Kiana and insist that we all sit on the floor to watch. The girls dress up in the variety of princess dresses that Grandma has on hand for just such an occasion. Poor Milo is forced to dance around in either the Spiderman costume or his Chinese ensemble that I brought him from San Francisco. In the clip below, he was feeling a little bit Asian and Isabel said she was "Princess Isabella the Dancer".

Can you imagine if we owned “didder”? I’m afraid that if we did a.) Sage and I would never get anything done because we’d be too busy making all of our teenage dance dreams come true b.) my kids would grow up to be like the kid in Jessica’s post (seriously follow the link) and c.) Spencer would die of embarrassment. He can’t handle the dancing. I would just consider it payback for the 758 hours of Guitar Hero that I had to endure when we stayed with his brother over Christmas.

Allergies?

The cutest nonallergic girl around.

Isabel’s hypochondria is worsening. Sad but true.

Maybe hypochondria isn’t quite the word for it…Isabel was fortunate enough to inherit my lactose intolerance. For whatever reason, she feels the need to go into great detail about this whenever we enter the dairy section of a particularly bustling store. It usually goes something like, “Mom, I cannot have cow’s milk. If I drink cow’s milk I will get diarrhea. It will be really bad diarrhea mom and I will get a rash on my bum. I don’t like rashes on my bum Mom.” You get the idea.

Well, it went a step further today at lunch when she put the crust of her peanut butter sandwich down on her plate and very solemnly told Milo, “Milo did you ever know that I am allergic to peanut butter sandwich crusts?” Milo looked at her like she was crazy and said “HUH?!” She proceeds with, “Yes, Milo I am. I am allergic to them…(pause for dramatic effect)…and that is why you will NEVER EVER see me eat one. Because, if I do, my tummy will hurt and I will get diarrhea…(again, pause for dramatic effect)…and that is why I am allergic to them.” Once again, we can thank Arthur for that little gem. Refer to the episode where some kid at Arthur’s school has a peanut allergy.

Anastics and Staying Little

Once again, no pictures. This time, however, you can thank Spencer for the oversight. I sent him (rushed him out the door in my blurry state of exhaustion would be more accurate) out with both kids and the camera so I could sleep after work and he came back with no pictures and no good excuse. Woops. They, allegedly, had fun and did great. He was, allegedly, so busy helping them do "bear crawl" on the parallet bars that he didn't have time to take a single picture. Not one! How can I know this to be true if I have no photographic evidence??

Milo, staying little.

On a totally different note, Milo currently has a mortal fear of getting older. He tells us several times a week that he doesn’t want to get big and that he never wants to die. It is so cute and sad all at once. He used to be satisfied with me saying, “That’s okay Milo. It’s so fun to be little isn’t it?” Now we’ve progressed to him following up with, “Mom, but HOW do I stay little?” Awww…what a sweet boy.

Workin' Out and Hidin' from Poppins

Isabel "doing' yoga" Sunday night...yup, that's a headband/sweatband.

Sunday night, Isabel went into the living room in a huff and told Spencer, "Ugh. Dad, I have to do my yoga tonight. Ugghhhhh, I wish I didn't have to work out tonight. " When he asked her what, exactly, she was talking about and said that she didn't really have to do yoga tonight, she said, "No dad. I do. I have to do my yoga tonight. I just haven't even worked out at all today." Too funny. (And for the record, we do not force our children to work out. She came up with that little gem all on her own.) So, here she is. Doing her yoga. She marched her little self out to the storage room, got my yoga mat, put on her headband (sweatband?) and did a little up dog.

Isabel and Milo. Not at "anastics class".

Bet you wish I had a really cute picture or video clip from gymnastics class. Well, so do I. My batteries died when I was prepping the camera before class! Bummer because it was so cute and funny and--did I mention--cute. I was so impressed with the facility--there were actual mats, balance beams, cheese wedges, mini tramps, a climbing wall, and a variety of other "legit" gymnastics equipment pieces. This was nowhere near the low-budget class that we took from the County Rec last time! The teacher was super professional and on her game. The kids worked hard and had tons of fun. Isabel acted like she'd been waiting her whole life for the chance to walk across that dang balance beam and Milo jumped farther and higher than I even knew he was capable of jumping!

During class they also did one of a parent's favorite embarassing things--asking loud questions like "Mom, why that boy doesn't listen to his dad?" or "Mom, why that baby won't stop crying? Does its daddy need to give it a nap or somefing?" Yup, embarassing.

Key elements for watching a scary/not so scary/maybe just anxiety-inducing movie: a.)blankie b.) thumbie c.) ability to run and hide whilst still being able to hear the movie in question

Milo does the funniest thing when he watches cartoons or movies. Today he was doing it during Mary Poppins. Anytime there is a scary part in a movie/cartoon, or a not-so-scary part, or a part that might just be a little anxiety-inducing (i.e. someone getting into trouble or being reprimanded), Milo must escape! He will either a.) cover his face with his blankie b.) suck his thumb and rub his blankie or, most often (and most favorite) c.) jump off the couch and run. He doesn't run far though. He runs just far enough to get the movie out of his line of sight but not so far that he can't hear the continuation of the movie/cartoon. This often entails running to the side of the entertainment center or just past the t.v. to the dining room. (This little habit makes watching Curious George almost impossible as Curious George is always misbehaving and frequently getting busted.) It's so hilarious to watch his face turn to near-horror and see him shriek and leap off the couch only to run 3 feet and stop dead in his tracks with his back to the t.v.. He did that very thing right after I took the picture above.

Hittin' the highlights folks...

After some serious mockery and some good-old-fashioned bullying, I offer my apologies. Never again will 5 days lapse without a post. Sheesh.

On to the highlights!

Isabel showing off a.) her pajamas b.) her "sparkle shoes" and c.) her art project from the Primary Pajama Party.

This morning this kids had a Pajama Party at the church. (It was a get-to-know-you-activity for all of the kids and teachers.) They got to eat cinnamon rolls and bananas and drink orange juice in their classroom--all in their pajamas! Milo seemed so bewildered by the fact that he was wearing his pajamas that he could barely concentrate. He told anyone who even came close to making eye contact with him, "I'm wearing robot jammies" while trying to stick one little pajama clad leg in the air.

Milo running away from me at the same party. He's in the "run away from you screaming every time you try to take my picture" phase.

Last Sunday was the official start of Primary (Sunday School) for the twins. Their little class of 3 and 4 year olds is referred to as the "Sunbeam" class. They've talked all week about how much fun it was to be a "Sunbeep" and how brave Milo was. When I asked Isabel how class was, she looked directly and Milo and said to me (in her best bossy/braggy voice), "It was great. I sat by Milo and I held his hand and he wasn't even scared. Were you Milo? Oh and when Milo was kicking his chair so I couldn't even hear the singing, I had to say very loud, 'MILO STOP KICKING YOUR CHAIR!' Please. I said please to him momma." (That please part was a total afterthought and probably not 100% true.) It was pretty funny. When I tried to ask Milo how it went, he said "Fun." Yup, that's it. Just "fun".

Isabel modeling one of the killer deals from the Old Navy sale. This shirt was $2! That's two dollars. A mere 8 quarters. 200 pennies. I cannot believe the deals!

Oh sweet joy, this week was the Old Navy sale of the year. Seriously, if you haven't gone yet, you MUST go. An extra 50% off of all their clearance stuff. At least half the store is on clearance!! Sage and I went and nearly passed out. Not joking on that one. It was intense. We were forced to guzzle about 32 oz of Diet Coke afterwards to recover. The highlight for me was definitely my kids following me around the store saying, "Mom, can we PUH-LEASE get these shoes for our baby from China? PLEASE????" Now, before anyone zips off to email me about a possible Chinese addition to our family (they even had Sage confused), let me explain. There is an episode of Arthur (our second favorite show, behind The Berenstain Bears) wherein Arthur's friend, Binky Barnes, goes to China with his parents to get a baby sister. So, you can see, why my baby-obsessed children are now desperate to go to China. May I clearly state, we are not getting a baby from China. Still, it made for some pretty sweet looks from all of the other delirious shopper moms.

This is one of the few ways you can trick a 3 year old into letting you take their picture when they are in the previously mentioned phase. You take mommy's picture and she'll take your picture!

The anticipation of our very first ever gymnastics class may actually induce seizures in some children in this house. Isabel can hardly believe that she will actually be allowed to wear her leotard (thankfully, she no longer mistakenly calls it her "like-a-tard") in public and it's not even part of a costume!!! She has also asked me about 578 times if and/or when she will get to go on the balance beam at "anastics" class. Milo, on the other hand, is a little more cautious about this whole adventure (shocking, I know). He told me yesterday that he doesn't "even know how to do a cartwheel yet" so how is he supposed to go to "anastics" class?! Don't worry, we've explained that the whole point of the class would be to learn how to pull off one of those suckers. Also, no worries, Milo does not have to wear a leotard to class--however much Isabel may wish that he was. First class is Monday, we'll keep you posted.

Watching Arthur--also known as Figuring Out How to Embarass Our Mom in Public and Make Others Wonder.

Some of the mom and dad highlights for the week were: climbing (Spencer), running (me), eating dinner with Grandma Kim and Grandpa Manuel, having the always hilarious Girls Game Night (with an Asian theme) (me), seeing the hilarious and cute movie Juno (both) with the Pierces, and feeding our Biggest Loser addiction (me and, secretly Spencer, even though he says he hates that show and, most especially, Jillian Michaels so much that it makes him want to inflict self-harm).

Braggy, Bossy, and other funnies...

Around our house, life stops for The Berenstain Bears. We watch it on PBS Kids, we rent DVDs from the library for our trips to Utah, we play with mom's awesome metal Berenstain Bears lunchbox (circa 1984), and we read Berenstain Bears books every day day before nap and/or bedtime. We are obsessed. When we're not reading or watching them, we can often be found having lengthy discussions about the whys of Berenstain Bears. Why did Brother and Sister get the Gimmies? Why do Brother and Sister live in a treehouse? Why do they eat honeycakes and salmon all the time? What's a honeycake anyways?

It would only make sense that our latest and greatest insult would be straight out of The Berenstain Bears. If someone (Issy) is being a little too bossy (Issy) or treating their sibling like their employee (Issy) then the other person can now be heard shouting "LIZZY BRUIN YOU ARE BEING TOO BRAGGY AND BOSSY!!!!". For those who aren't familiar with The BB, that little insult is courtesy of The Berenstain Bears and the Trouble with Friends. (Sister Bear's friend, Lizzy Bruin, helps them learn the perils of being too braggy and bossy.)

Isabel is currently perplexed by joints. Example, "Dad, why does my elbow keep disappearing every time I straighten my arm?!" (Said with much alarm.) Once she felt like she had mastered the reasoning for that one, she moved on to "Mom, what is up with my knees? Why do they keep disappearing too?" (Said while she's lying on her back in her underwear straightening and bending her knees over and over again.)

This funny picture is from a day of rock climbing with Dad. When Spencer goes climbing (outside or inside) he often takes the kids with him. They play on the rocks around him or the mats around him (inside) and cheer him on while he climbs (alone or with their best bud, Rob).

Recently, when they were at the climbing gym, there was a little boy climbing in a harness with a Spiderman costume on. Needless to say, the kids were mesmerized. Since that blessed occasion, they (mostly Milo) have been asking for harnesses so they can climb too. For whatever reason, Milo popped out of bed this morning, and ran right out to our climbing wall and asked Spencer if they could puh-leeeaase go to Walmart today and buy a harness. He promptly burst into tears when Spencer tried to explain that a.) Walmart doesn't sell harnesses and b.) Milo's not quite big enough for a harness yet. Took us a good 30 minutes to get over that heartbreaking news. So cute that he wants to climb with his Daddy. :)

An Animal Lover and Zoo Lights

On Saturday, Milo and Issy were lucky enough to go to Zoo Lights at the Denver Zoo with Spencer, my parents, my sister, her friend, and their cousin Kiana and her friend. Zoo Lights is one of my mom's favorite things and the kids were all big fans too. There are giant light displays all around the zoo and heated stopping points with hot chocolate. Before Christmas, there were even Christmas Carolers.

Milo is, quite possibly, the biggest zoo fan EVER. He was super excited to take his new National Geographic for Kids magazine (thanks Sagie!) and cards to the zoo. He was so cute--trying to find the animals to match his magazine and cards. (Or so I hear anyways, I was home napping and getting ready for work!) Milo goes back and forth between wanting to be a "zoo person" when he grows up or "a baseball player and a nurse". Right now, he's leaning toward "zoo person". What does that mean you ask? We're not really sure--I've tried to get him to nail down what a "zoo person" does or what their duties entail but he's pretty noncomittal. So cute and funny. Especially cute and funny if you know that Spencer loved animals so much when he was little that he actually aspired to be a cow when he grew up. Yup, that's right. A cow.

All of the kids under one of the light displays.

Kiana and Milo in front of the scary tiger.

Milo was SO excited to see the new baby giraffes. We got a "birth announcement" from the zoo a few weeks ago and he's been asking to see the babies ever since.

I don't know. Seriously. What is going on here?

Milo and Issy on the giant hippo sculptures. In the summer these things are usually too hot to touch--let alone sit on them!

Milo demonstrating the pure joy that goes along with being on the giant 2.2 minute carousel ride.

Better late than never...

Christmas this year was a whirlwind adventure including a harrowing drive through Wyoming and visits to all of our Utah family. We spent Christmas Eve with Grandpa Terry and Grami Tami (Spencer's dad and stepmom) and Christmas Day with Grandma Cathryn and Kurt (Spencer's mom and her boyfriend). We also spent Spencer's birthday with some of our very best friends, the Loveridges who were in town from Vegas. We visited Temple Square with them and marveled at the massive crowds and the beautiful lights.

Milo and Issy reaffirmed their complete adoration for all of their grandparents and their cousins Royan, Olivia and Lyla. Milo got a lesson in eating nuts from the shell by Great Grandpa Manuel and Issy immersed herself in girl-heaven at Grami Tami's.

It was such a fun trip but too short, of course. We missed Abbie, Forrest, and Eli too much for words! We also got to spend a fun afternoon with my mom's side of the family and ate ourselves sick on all the yummy food.

Some of the highlight of the presents this year were the puppet theater (with billions of puppets too!), scooters, babies and more babies, a tea set, books, new childsize pillows, a computer game, doll clothes, a stuffed dog with a carrier, a train whistle, new trains, a toy computer, a keyboard and a dollhouse. Whew. What a year!

Here are some of the pictures. We took about 8,907 with our new camera so, you're welcome, for sparing you the scrolling time and only posting a few. :)

What kind of friend...

First question of the blog:
What kind of friend creates a blog for another friend who has repeatedly pronounced their refusal to blog?
First answer of the blog:
The kind of friend who...
1. Creates a password for you that is a variation on the love theme of our favorite t.v. couple Jim Halpert and Pam "Vanilla" Beesly. Seriously. I almost snorted Crystal Light out my nose, I was laughing so hard. (Don't be tryin' to bust into my blog folks; the password has been changed.)
2. Loves your kids so much she wants to know what they are up to every single day of their living life and is probably sick of getting emails with GIGANTIC picture attachments that take forever to download.
3. Has a rockin' blog with the most incredible pictures and hilarious posts. That is some serious pressure. How am I supposed to measure up??
4. Has such cute and hilarious sisters that I officially consider myself to be a "Thibault Groupie". Let the stalking continue...
5. A friend who know that, even though you protest, you really do want to keep some sort of journal for your kids so that they will know your voice even after you are gone and knows the importance of documenting all of the quickly-passing childhood funnies and adventures.

We won't even discuss the ethics of making your adorable niece comment on the bandit blog, professing her joy and excitement at said bandit blog with a promise to check it often and comment frequently.

Thanks Sagie. Let the blogging commence. :)

I have finally started a blog!!

I decided it was DEFINITELY time to start a blog page so that I could show off our beautiful kids, and so that all of my friends and family could FINALLY enjoy pictures and updates on our family.
Enjoy!
(I will be posting a lot...so keep checking!)

*It should be noted that this post is the original "bandit post" created by the lovely gal pictured above with her adorable son and husband*