Memorial Day Weekend

Whew - us Parkers had one heck of a fun Memorial Day Weekend - I need a weekend just to recouperate!

On Saturday we enjoyed a wonderful BBQ with our dear friends Abby and Alex, who will turn six in a few short weeks! Great food, great friends and great times!

Ella is such a great eater....

....while Aidan refused to eat anything except a plain hamburger bun!

Mike had to work on Sunday, so we spent the afternoon at the pool with Grandmommy and Grandaddy. I do have to admit that it is tough managing the tots when 35 weeks pregnant, but I refuse to deny Ella and Aidan any fun, despite my personal exhaustion. 

After a long afternoon in the sun and pool, we enjoyed a wonderful cookout at the Parkers. It was a wonderful day spent with family!

Monday evening we met up with the boys for some more pool time.

Let's just say that having Mike around to help out at the pool made a HUGE difference! Not only is is easier to keep track of the kiddos, but it also affords them the chance to do things that I just cannot do right now....

....like take them to the diving board....

....or the water slide!

Yep, our little man decided to give them both a try, and he was thrilled with himself - see what I mean?

Ella preferred a little less action, and stayed with me on the sidelines....

....but not without a few breaks for hugs with her favorite boys....

It was a memorable day filled with firsts for Aidan. Not only did he conquer the diving board and water slide, but he also swam without his floaties for the first time, and became quite good at diving for objects.

Flashback Friday

Wednesday was Ella and Aidan's last day in the M/W/F 3's class.  It is so bittersweet to see them growing up so fast.

The good news is that they will once again be in the same class next year with most of their friends. A few are heading to TK instead, but the T-F 4's looks to be a fun group of little friends for Ella and Aidan.

We celebrated the end of the year with a little splash party on the side lawn. Complete with a baby pool, slip-n-slide, sprinklers and a water table, the kids all had a blast! Everyone loved the feast of pizza, fruit and chick-fil-a, followed with homemade cupcakes!

A little flashback comparisson to the first day of school back in September:

September 2010

May 2011

September 2010

May 2011

September 2010

May 2011

Watery Wednesday

We spent a wonderful day yesterday at the pool with the boys.  

Non-stop water-filled good summer fun!

On a side note - it is amazing how good it feels to put a huge pregnant belly in the water....not so great when you have to get out, but oh-so worth the wonderful "weightless" feeling while it lasts!

Twin Talk Tuesday

After playing in the park and walking the long way around the neighborhood back to the house:

Ella: It sure is hot out here!

Aidan: It's like a desert - where are the camels?



Upon entering the house once we arrived home:

Ella: Wow, that was close. I almost started sweating!

First Money Lesson

Since Ella and Aidan were little, we have been putting coins into their piggy banks every now and then.

At about 3 1/2, we started working on teaching them a little more responsibility for things that they are able to help with around the house, such as cleaning up the playroom at the end of the day, helping to make their beds each morning, putting laundry away, etc.

They are both wonderful at helping; however, Ella is much more eager to please and loves to tell us all about her accomplishments - "Look what I did! I did it without even being asked, Mommy!". Aidan, on the other hand, will drag his feet and often needs the threat of me telling him whatever he does not pick up will be going into the trash or into the stuff to be sold.

Along with these new "duties" they have also been learning about the coins that they get to put into their piggy banks. They love to indentify the quarters, nickels, dimes and pennies, and while they do not earn an actual allowance, they do earn coins at random intervals.

They are beginning to understand the concept of money (as well as a four-year old can), and got their first real taste of spending that money this past weekend.

They were both begging for a certain new toy - Aidan, a certain Iron Man and Ella, a Mulan princess.  So, we told them that we were not going to buy them any new toys, but if they wanted to spend their own money, we would take them to Target and let them do so.

Mike helped them count out $10 each, primarily in quarters, and off to Target they went....

....and came home with their chosen items!

They were both so proud of having saved their coins, and of how they bought the items all by themselves!

33 Weeks

There is so much that I do not remember from the twins' pregnancy. I honestly do not recall being this perpetually tired, or in any actual real discomfort from the weight of the babies'. This time, I am definitely feeling it! 

At only 33 weeks, I am finally admitting to myself and others that I need to slow down a bit. I am still doing photo shoots, but I feel that coming to an end very soon.

On a more fun note, her nursery is 99% complete, and we have narrowed down the name options to roughly four top contenders. 

Pregnancy Highlights

How Far Along:

33 Weeks

Baby Stats: 

She weighs about 5 pounds and should be around 18 inches long by now. She is currently head down and I have definitely started waddling!

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 

Around 8 pounds (as of last Wednesday)

Movement: 

Her movement is still pretty much limited to the evenings, though the movements now feel more like rolling around as opposed to kicks. She also tends to get the hiccups fairly frequently.

Sleep: 

Still cannot sleep well at all. I now have huge bags under my eyes as a result of literally only sleeping in roughly 1 hour increments.

What I miss: 

Sleeping on my stomach. WINE and sushi!

Cravings: 

Crushed Ice, Watermelon, Orange Gatorade, Unsweet Tea with lemon

Sunday Showers and Swimming

Opa and Grandma Shushi came into town over this past weekend to spend some time with us and the kiddos, and we had a complete blast!

First, my Mom and I attended a wonderful shower thrown by our fabulous sitter, Mrs. Paula and my dear friend Teresa. It could not have been a more perfect affair - gorgeous weather, amazing food and quality time spent with family and my closest friends. I was insistent on not having a shower this time around, but Paula and Teresa would have it no other way, and they certainly outdid themselves. 

It is a special thing to have such wonderful friends - true friends that will be around for years to come. I am grateful beyond words...and apparently also beyond pictures, as I completly forgot to take a single picture!

That afternoon we took the kids to Opa and Grandma Shushi's hotel to go swimming. Mike and I were both anxious to see how much they may have retained over the winter and were thrilled to see them jump right in like little fishes!

It was a fabulous weekend, and everyone was in tears when Opa and Grandma Shushi had to leave to head back to Atlanta. 

Strange to think that they next time they come it will be for the arrival of our newest addition!

Wordless Wednesday

Mother's Day

Not everyone can say that they shared Mother's Day with their sweet twins' Birthday! I wouldn't have had it any other way - what a better way to celebrate such a wonderful day!

Mother's Day kicked off on Friday, with Muffins for Mom at preschool. The kiddos had all decorated flower pots complete with flowers and wonderful cards with their handprints and flower pins with their pictures....

....served us muffins and juice....

....and sang us the sweetest song....

Mother's Day was really more about the kids, but Mike did take Ella and Aidan shopping and let them select what they thought I needed most. 

I received a giant bag full of all sorts of "necessities" - paper towels, sunscreen, new socks, exercise pants, chapstick, soap and body lotion.

Ella and Aidan's 4th Birthday

Once the excitement of their party on Saturday began to wear down, we had a nice and relaxing evening, but with quite an extended bedtime.

Ella and Aidan typically go right to sleep. After baths and books, we always talk about the day, give goodnight kisses and snuggles, and out the door we go. Typically, they are both sound asleep after talking to themselves and reading a few more books for about 30 minutes.

Not Saturday night. It was after 9:30 when we finally heard the last "Are we four yet?".

At any rate, they had a wonderful birthday!

Most of the day was spent riding their new bikes!

Followed by playing with the hose in the front yard, where we all got soaking wet....

....and finally, the long awaited Rapunzel and Spiderman cakes!