3 year old stats

We finally had the boys' 3 year check-up. And due to a last minute scheduling conflict, I was going solo! No small feat!

So, I need to give a HUGE shout out to my blogging friend, Lisa and her daughter Sophia (my future daughter-in-law) who had given the boys some surprise gifts awhile back: Race cars that were also games! The boys had not played with them (because like a true blogger, I wanted to snap pictures and document the whole event for blogging purposes, but surprise, surprise that didn't happen and it turned out to be a HUGE blessing in disguise because...) WooHoo - the cars were a BIG hit keeping the boys occupied. HUGE! Thank you, thank you, thank you Lisa and Sophia!

And my big boys did amazingly well. Where they used to scream and cry on the scale, getting touched, having anyone (doctor/nurse) walk in the office netting high pitched screaming (I think all the adoption related trips to the embassy doctor and then home to the adoption specialist and the lab for blood work and then the "catch-up" shots all in a manner of two months was just too, too much for them and left a lasting impression) - this year they were cheerful, helpful and eager. We also had bought a doctor's kit and played doctor right before the last 3 doc visits - so I think the fear is gone for the most part.

Anyway, they charmed and performed like their usual little selfs. The doctor was once again blown away by their speech - usage of big words, proper pronouns, big sentences, etc.

And we finally made it out of the 35% range! Can I get a whoop, whoop!?!

Logan: 30.5 lbs and 37 inches tall (40%)
Austin: 31.5 lbs and 37.5 inches tall (50%)

I think it's hysterical that this one pound, 1/2 inch thing has been consistent for three years now! Every update we ever got from Guatemala reported the same thing - Austin heavier by one pound and taller by 1/2 inch. Wonder if that will always be?

So - overall, good clean bill of health. No problems, no concerns. Oh - and no pictures!

Atta boys!

Ugh!.....I was gonna end the post there, but I wouldn't be doing justice to their online scrapbook if I didn't document the "lab/shot" portion of the visit. I just feel that the whole me getting overrun and butt kicked by the twin thing has been so overdone on my blog, but it is what it is! lol

To his credit, Gary did say he would bring the boys back for shots so I wouldn't have to go it alone on top of an hour long visit, but things were going so well....I just thought we could handle it!

In true doctor's office style, there was like 5 hours down time between the doctor and the calling out of our names for shots. Yes, it could have been shorter, but my Lord, not by much! And at this point, my boys aint no dummies! They KNOW what's going on. So those five hours were "No Mom - lets go. We don't want shots." But alas, it was our time and (for some reason) Austin always goes first.

I walk into the lab room with Austin, thinking fear of being left alone would be enough to motivate Logan to follow. Not. But he does stay outside the room, on a bench coincidentally sitting next to a Mom and Dad each holding a very quiet 18 month girl twin in their lap who were each eyeing me and my solo-ness with a bit of awe...even after I assured them it could not have been done at their girls' age. Anyway, I deducted that Logan would be semi-safe out there.

Austin's first poke was a finger poke. Yep, I hated those too, Austin!! So, go right ahead and cry little buddy. Logan now hears Austin in trouble and decides to conquer his fear of shots and come in to support his bro.

"Is that blood, Mommy?" Yes, dear.
Austin's blood?" Right again, dear.

Finger poke/blood draw done.

I cringe, here comes the arm shot. Austin is on my lap, we've played doctor's enough that he doesn't even tense when she cleans his arm and brings out the needle - and then, I felt it in every part of his body and what gets me the most is his cry is so "Oh my goodness, why? Why would somebody hurt me like that?" Oh - it just breaks my heart!

Logan stuck around long enough to continue supporting Austin, but at those two little worlds, "All done", that boy (realizing what comes next, his turn) grew wings and flew out of that room faster than a rocket ship taking off for outer space!

At this point, I was pretty exhausted and still comforting Austin and just figured sooner or later somebody would catch him and bring him back to us. And they did. Apparently on one of his turns around a corner our very own, Dr. Lara (a twin Mommy herself) scooped him up and brought him right back around to the lab!

Of course, he only made it to the couch. And there he sat, behind the wall, very quietly, very still and willing himself to be invincible!

Austin and I were still in the lab room (he was getting his much deserved stickers) so I tried to get Austin to entice his brother to come back in.

"LOGAN? Logan, come in here!"
The nurse, speaking to Logan - "Your brother wants you."
"What."
"Your brother, he's calling you."
"What."

"LOGAN!?!"
Nurse: "See?"

Logan gets down off the couch, comes to the doorway.
"Austin?......You calling me?"
"Yes."
...little pause, then still from the doorway,
"What?"

My boy aint no fool! So, I looked at the nurse and said, can we do this the kickin' and screaming way?
"Absolutely."

;-(

No fun. For Momma or for Momma's baby.

Austin stood by. That helped me, at least.

And then - it was all over. Everybody had stickers and tear streaked faces. But they had earned back all their lost privileges from a bad visit to Nonnie's church. Their basketballs, their scooters and their bikes! And we even got milkshakes on the way home!

Sh-woo! So glad that's only an annual thing!

I'm a Grandma!

Gary and I just found out we have our first Grandpup!

Mason and Lory rescued him from the pound. He is a beautiful 2 year old, sweet, sweet loving adorable Alaskan Malamute.

World: I give you - Ni'cko (pronounced Nee-ko)



Isn't he a beaut! Poor little thing is currently very underweight, but Mason and Lory have already been outstanding parents to the little guy and we're sure he'll be thriving in no time under their care!

Welcome to the family, Ni'cko!

Their First Power Outage

Sorry - there will be no pics accompanying this post because I was way to busy and too "in the dark" to snap any.

However, I just wanted to record it for the boys! ;-)

The scenario: The boys and I were sitting on the couch one evening eating chicken fingers and a salad. It was around 7ish and I had just gotten home from my new job (The new job is great! More pay and flex hours. Still part-time, but the last few weeks have netted some very long days as I am still very much in the "learning" phase of new job.)

So, I should say I was scarfing down my dinner and letting the boys eat in front of the TV b/c it was so late and I, at least, was so hungry! We were watching their favorite show, Backyardigans on the DVR.

All of this is basically just background information to add emphasis to the following statement: I had NO IDEA, no IDEA that a major frickin' storm was on the way!

(Luckily) Nonnie had just walked in the house to drop off some items. We were visiting and chatting and then it started raining. Then. It got a little windy. Then it got really windy. And really raining.

Then.

All the lights went out.

And there we were. Sitting on the couch. With TV trays and dinners. Two dogs (scrambling for the food in the ongoing chaos). And two boys who, we already knew did not like darkness!

Thank God, Nonnie was there!! Her job quickly became "be the anchor and hold onto the kids."

My job - to find a flashlight. Nay - to find a working flashlight! Those that know me well, know that thanks to my Dad and a certain aunt - I personally own 9,746 flashlights - book lights, camping lanterns, heavy duty parking flashlights, pocket flashlights, keychain flashlights. Apparently my father and his sister's motto was "never be caught in the dark!"

And thanks to my "never throw anything away hubby, we also own about 9,532 batteries: watch batteries, Triple A batteries, rechargeable batteries and 3 battery testers.

Okay, back to the scene: lights out. Food now being picked up by the dogs. Children somewhat "secure" wrapped around Nonnie's face and head, chanting, "Don't like no lights. Don't like no lights."

It was still dusk and I had a little bit of outside light to help me navigate towards Flashlight Storing Place Number 1 - Kitchen. No flashlights found (even those "plug in the walls ready for a storm flashlights" that I know we own TWO of!). Okay, up the stairs to Flashing Storing Place Number 2 - the laundry room. Three flashlights found. Two don't work, one works enough that I can just barely see the actual light bulb. Other than that, it's useless. Move on to all three bedrooms - and net 4 more flashlights - not a one of them workin'.

While upstairs, I look out the window and see all of the trees in my front yard are now touching the ground. The rain and the wind are coming down in sheets. Correct that - that would be rocks. Hail, that is. I have actually never seen hail. This particular hail was a about the size of a marbles. And it covered the yard like snow! Seriously, I would have snapped a picture if I could have found the camera.

I check on Nonnie and tell her, really, really - I'll be right there with a flashlight. Back to the kitchen. I now have two candles. Search the cabinets in the dark for matches. The matches we put up really high and in the back so the twins wouldn't find them. Turns out, neither can I! I am now using my cell phone as a light as the darkness has settled in more.

I'll skip the next blow by blow of the following 10 minutes, but in short - I gathered 9,405 of our flashlights (from various parts of the garage and the house). I also gathered about 4,987 of our batteries and remarkably all three of the battery testers. My kitchen table looked like a hardware store that had come upon hard times...

...because I kid you not, NONE of the batteries made ANY of the flashlights work!! Well, okay we got about 3 barely workin' illuminating light not farther than 5 inches away.

Candles! In my pre-twins' days I was known as quite the candle lighter (perhaps a rebelliousness linked to my overly cautious father and aunt?). So - another 10 minutes I had candles streaked throughout the house with the two matches that I found up in the cabinet thanks to the handy dandy cell phone light.

We have a few minutes of fun as we watch the "snow" on the front yard. And then, it's back to survival mode as Armageddon sets in. Literally the thunder is so LOUD and the lightning is so bright it's like bombs going off all around us. (And just so you know, my neighborhood did loose about 5 trees near us - either struck by lightning or wind damage.)

Austin and Logans' mantra now becomes "Stop the boom-booms!!"

Nonnie steps in explains that the thunder is just God having a good ole game of bowling.

"MommEEEEEEEEEEEEe - MAKE God STOP playing bowling!! NOW!!!!!!!"

So - Nonnie and I sat on the couch surrounded by candlelight and reprimanding God for playing bowling.

And just to give a shoutout to Hubby who comes home hours later after making sure the restaurant is secure (insert huff) and after disregarding the country of Yemen's supply of non-workin' flashlights on my counter says, "Okay, next time during a storm Donna, you're gonna want to make sure that the garage door has towels in front of it to prevent the water seeping in, because we took on a little water on the garage floor." Gee, thanks hubby. What would I ever do without you!!

We've got swimmers!

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