True Colors

From the twins' birth, people have asked us if they're similar in their personalities. In some ways, yes, but in many, many other ways, they're as different as night and day. Larkin and I feel very blessed to have two such different children; they are teaching us so much more by being unique than we would have learned if they had been so similar.

For example, Anna has always been fearless. She must get it from Larkin because I am NOT that way. I don't like doing things that will possibly end in pain, but that doesn't stop Anna from anything. Just today, she stumbled down the stairs twice while wearing my high heels - apparently the first time didn't teach her anything. Will, on the other hand, has always been cautious (not wussy, as Larkin sometimes lovingly refers to him). He loves to play and wrestle with you, but he isn't the daredevil that Anna is.

The kids were "jumping" off of their toy baskets today. The difference in their personalities is completely exemplified in their approaches to this jump.

This was nothing compared to the head-first leap Will took off the couch yesterday. I wish I had been able to catch it on camera because replaying the scene in my mind makes me laugh. He decided that he could jump across the couch - something we discourage because of previous injuries sustained by doing just that. He started at one end and bounced all the way to the other end . . . and then right over the arm of the couch onto the floor. His fall was cushioned a bit by a pile of blankets at the end, but he did hit the floor. He wasn't hurt, but I think it scared him a little. The poor boy didn't even receive any sympathy from his mom after such a terrifying ordeal. I was laughing so hard it hurt. Maybe that is why Will was so careful when jumping off the baskets today. . .

Life As a Musical

I've always wanted my life to be a musical. Cheesy, I know, but I've always wanted to be somewhere and have people around me spontaneously break out into a choreographed song-and-dance routine to which I knew the lyrics and steps. It hasn't happened yet, but I'm still hoping for it.

Needless to say, there is a lot of singing that goes on in our house. Since most of it is done by me, it is not quality or pleasant to hear, but the twins seem to enjoy it. They've learned the songs and motions to a lot of Primary songs, like "Popcorn Popping," "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes," and others. They'll make a pouty face to ask to sing "If you chance to meet a frown. . . ." We've changed the words in the "I love sister, she loves me" song to include the names Will, Anna, and Daddy (or Momma, depending on who is singing it). We call this the "I Love the Babies" song. The other day William got in trouble for doing something - probably for antagonizing Anna, something he's learned to do well and enjoy doing. He had to come sit down by me for punishment, and to make it a more severe punishment (and because I was bored), I told him that he needed to sing the "I Love Momma" song. Mind you, there isn't an "I Love Momma" song. At least, there wasn't until this day. Then Anna got in on it too, and it was so darn cute that I had to record it.

My favorite part is Will's Stevie Wonder-head-swaying imitation. Classic.

There is also dancing that happens in our house. Again, it's usually from me and usually not worth watching. But this does translate over to the kids who get a kick out of dancing. Just tonight they were watching one of their favorite cartoons, and the main character pretends to join a marching band. The twins went through their toys and picked out their own instruments to join the parade. (That is until they saw the camera.)

So, you see, I'm getting closer to my goal of spontaneous song-and-dance! I'm inadvertently training the twins well. I just hope they don't get picked on too much in school later because of it.

Chocolate Heaven

Larkin and I were given two different fondue makers as wedding gifts. (One of the two is aptly named "Chocolate Heaven.") We've used one of them once, and after moving both of them across country, we figured we needed to put them to good use. We invited Ethan and Lindsay's family over for dinner and enjoyed a buffet of better-when-covered-with-chocolate foods sandwiched between a milk chocolate fondue and a white chocolate fondue. Yes, it was as good as it sounds.

Alyse, Lindsay, and the Spread
Sophie and her marshmallow with "colors" (i.e., sprinkles)
Whitney enjoying her strawberry
Me showing how it's done

I'm proud of that last one. I only wish Larkin would have handed over the camera so that I could have gotten good pictures of him.

Best Friends

Delayed post - but we're in our house! It's been hectic trying to move in while Larkin starts his new job, the kids adjust to a new house, and I continue to work from home. We're settling in, though, and pictures will be posted as soon as we can take pictures that don't include cardboard boxes.

Something about the move has made Will and Anna such good friends. It's amazing to watch them play together now. They've always played near each other but not necessarily "with" each other. Watching them interact these past couple weeks has been wonderful. Here are examples:

Will is usually pretty good about everything. He'll let Anna push him around and sit on him and jump on his back waiting for rides from her "horse."


Yes, Anna can get a little rough. She has always been spunky.

If you listen closely in this next one, you can hear Will reading to Anna.


Yes, I think Texas will be good for us. It has already been great, and we just got here.

Houston or Bust!

We're in Texas! Larkin has a job as the technology teacher at Kingwood Middle School for this upcoming school year, so we moved our family down to Houston over the weekend. Larkin's father and brother were so good to us and helped us get here by driving our U-Haul truck with all our stuff. Larkin and I followed them in our car with the twins. How was the 2 1/2 day car trip with two toddlers, you might ask? So much better than expected! The twins were great. We drove for 13 hours on Friday with two stops, 12 hours on Saturday with two stops, and 4 hours on Sunday with NO stops. How amazing are these kids?!

Highlights of the cross-country drive:
Driving through Colorado. Look at these gorgeous mountains.
This rest stop in Colorado. We didn't stop here, but the name intrigued me.
This almost made me wish we had waited a week before making the trip. Almost.


Anna enjoying the punching balls we got to entertain the kids on the drive.

This cloud that looked like a dragon's head.

Seeing billboards for the Oz Museum in Kansas. We didn't go, but had we not been pressed for time, we totally would have. (This picture is for Karen.)

Windmills next to small farmhouses in Kansas. Larkin said that this epitomizes what he pictured Kansas as looking like.

The casino in Oklahoma/northern Texas that looked like Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

Welcome to Texas!!!!

A rainbow after a nice Texas rain shower.

The sunset in the town where we stayed Saturday night. (Larkin fell in love with Texas at this point.)

The lone star of Texas in the handicapped symbol.

Waffles in the shape of Texas. (Honestly, you would think Texans would have a little more pride in their state.)

Someday I want to live on the corner of Timber Forest and Forest Timber. Just because I think it's funny.

The easiest part of the trip.

The hardest part of the trip.

The best part of the trip.
We're not in our house quite yet. Our loan is approved, and we're just waiting for the final paperwork to be finished so that we can close. We're told that should happen next week. Until then, Ethan and Lindsay (Larkin's brother and sister-in-law) have been wonderful to take us in and help us not feel homeless for now. We're so grateful to have family around while we make this major transition!

Pictures of the inside of our soon-to-be house:
Kitchen

Living Room

Game Room

Next time you're in Houston, give us a call!

Our "Angel" Anna

Let me describe our Anna to you. Anna is the self-appointed second mother in our house. She's extremely helpful - sometimes overly helpful. She is usually eager to clean up, and she reminds us that she needs to brush her teeth before bedtime. If William is doing something that he shouldn't, we can always count on Anna to let us know; we'll hear "Ooooh!" as she runs either to or from Will getting our attention. She's even been known to chew him out (in her gibberish) and spank his bum when she thinks he deserves it. I'll have to catch a video of that sometime. As annoying as it is to have to repeatedly say, "I've got it under control, Anna," it's pretty darn cute to watch.

However, there is another side to our girl. She has no fear. NO FEAR. She causes me mild heart attacks on numerous occasions, but she is undaunted by any height or foreign object. She will look at you while you tell her something and then turn and do the exact opposite. She will then look at you while doing that thing and give her "silly smile" - as if to say, "You wouldn't dare stop me. I'm so cute!" (That has never worked for her, I might add.)

This picture captures all of that. We typically move the monitor away from her crib during naptime so that she won't play with it. We forgot this time. Also, the pillow does not belong in her crib. She managed to pull that off of the chair close to her crib. How she fell asleep without losing her grip, I'll never know.


We love our Angel Anna, but we fear we're going to have our hands full with this Annamal.

Monkeys at the Zoo . . . and at Home

We took the twins to the Hogle Zoo today. We wanted something fun to do as a family, and the kids have learned to LOVE animals. We would point out the animals to them, and both kids would instantly start making those sounds. It was funny to hear Will "tweet" at the penguins and Anna "neigh" to the zebras. (If anyone knows what sounds a penguin, zebra, and giraffe for that matter make, please let us know. The kids are curious.) Will's favorite by far was the swinging orangutan; Will giggled, blew kisses, and waved to him. Anna loved the giraffes and the snakes. She went up to the glass, pointed, and "hissed" at them.

Will using his elephant trunkAnna admiring the giraffesWill making friends with penguinsAnna taking notes from the orangutanTwins enjoying kangaroo and giant turtle

When we got home, Will showed us that he learned a thing or two from the orangutan. After trying to somersault for weeks now, he has perfected the art.

Anna got mad that she wasn't able to do it on her own, and after a while, she refused to keep trying. (That's my girl!) She'll get it soon. Don't worry.