Science Project

I am not a big fan of the month by month photos although if I had a blog and a digital camera (how crazy that when JT was born I was still using film) when I was pregnant with JT, I probably would have done it. And really despite what people say, who wants a photo of themselves at their largest? All of that said, I have lots of people who have asked me what I look like, how I feel, and is being pregnant with two that different.

So let's get the first part over with quickly, here is what I look like (note it is 9 PM hence the glasses and tired look):

I am officially 38 weeks here. A medical miracle according to mu OB who can't believe that someone my size can carry basically 12 lbs of baby. Now I am a wee 38 weeks but that belly there measures at 44 weeks. So basically I am on track to have the appearance of an elephant's gestation period. And note that I am limited now to the ever cozy yoga pants as maternity jeans/pants just can't stand up to a 44 week belly.

How do I feel? At this point I feel like a science project. For the last month, I've gone to the doctor once a week and every week I start with an ultrasound, which can last up to an hour and then I see my doctor and we check to see if I am dilated, double-check my blood pressure, measure me, and then listen to the heart beats. Heart beats can take a while as well as my OB has to find a baseline and if they move, she has to restart. The last two appointments, my doctor checked my blood pressure multiple times in hopes that if it spiked at all, she could admit me to remove the babies but of course, I have "perfect" blood pressure and little to no swelling.

I am obviously a wee bit uncomfortable. Sleeping is tough. I also have giving up on bending over. I've been driving Rick crazy by sweeping around the house and leaving little piles of debris to be scooped up. I think the first time he thought there was some ghost in the house as he couldn't figure out how such nice piles of dirt appeared; he quickly caught on to my ways. I have some awesome acid reflux, which I've had pretty much since late summer. I also impressed my OB b/c if my freak show prego way, you can feel my Xiphoid sticking out, since the girls ride so high and have basically pushed by sternum out as far as it can go. This makes wearing a bra pretty much the most painful thing. I can go an hour or so and then it just gets uncomfortable.

Letter I is your Xiphoid:

I am not sure how much different being pregnant with two is than one. I am definitely more tired although some have argued that it is because I am older now than I was with the boys. For about the last month I am physically done by late afternoon and I definitely enjoy the nap. I told Rick there are days that I feel like hibernating. It has really been a blessing to work at home; I am not sure I would have been able to to work in an office for this pregnancy. I think the other big difference is the whole movement of the babies factor. Trying to determine who is moving and if both are moving. Having weekly ultrasounds has helped because I know where they are sitting (which right now is one on top sideways and one trying to be head down but she moves back and forth to being sideways as well). The other noticeable difference is just how much sooner you have to slow down. I am positive that at 30 weeks with the boys I wasn't worried about bed rest or moving slower. This time around it has been all about making each week until at least week 34 and then after that to have everyone on alert that they could arrive at any moment. I think I have some very sweet friends who are just as ready as I am to have these girls out and stop wondering when it will be! The odd thing, is that while my stomach is definitely bigger I have gained less than with both boys although truth be told, I started out weighing more than I did with either boys. I am keeping my fingers crossed for some successful nursing and good calorie burning.

And so here we are with 2011 almost to an end. I've given up on guessing their arrival. Clearly these ladies are asserting themselves early and ensuring we know they want to run things. They obviously don't care that I've met my deductible (there is a difference - twins are expensive!), that I could use them as a tax credit for 2011, and that I had some time off at work I would have liked to burn before using my 2012 time. So we look to January 3rd as their official date (since that is the day I am scheduled for c-section). I think at this point we are all beyond ready and not ready at the same time.

12/26/2011

Rick's first question to me this morning was what my plan was for the day. Oddly I have no plan, which I think he is struggling with since I typically have at least one "to do" item mapped out for the day. Outside of finding some way to get the chickens to flee the coup, the first thing that came to mind was removing my Christmas tree. I know it is just one day post-Christmas but here are my thoughts:

1. The tree is dry and losing needles
2. I have a sneaking suspicion that one small cat is doing dirty deeds under the tree and now that she doesn't have presents blocking her access she is back to her shenanigans.
3. I imagine going in to labor any day this week and then having to deal with tree take-down post-chickens
4. I imagine not going in to labor and having to take everything down prior to my 1/3 scheduled appointment and the mood I will be in at that point.

Since I messed up my Christmas day  photos, I snapped a few this morning (yes, I fixed the settings on my camera) of this year's favorite ornaments. The Anthropolgie octopus from Chandra that feeds my secret octopus obsession, homemade ornaments from both JT and Zach (although Zach's is much cuter in person), and the fabulous ornament that my Fall Carnival co-chair's mom made to help commemorate our successful adventure this fall.

Packing up all these ornaments makes me think about what will be next year. Of course there is no way to know except that we will be a house of 6 (yikes!) that definitely wasn't what I was thinking about 12/26/2010.

Merry Christmas

In true Meghan form, I managed to do something to my camera that is causing my light levels to be off which means all my Christmas photos look like this:

Who needs to see the faces of their kids?

So needless to say, rather than spending time trying to figure out what my first Kindle book will be (thanks to some little boys who gifted me with my own Kindle), I am going to bust out the owner's manual and figure out what I need to do to get normal photos again. Technically, I know that I did it when I was trying to capture my Christmas light photos, I mistakenly messed with my auto-settings rather than my manual. Ugh!

Anywho, enough complaining at Christmas. We had a wonderful day. It is always a little sad to not be at Pete's and Jude's house but we've enjoyed our time hanging at the house and honestly being extremely lazy. No new word on the chickens. They opted to ignore Lucas tradition and not arrive on the 24th, which I have to say I was a bit happy about because despite the fabulous support from friends, I felt bad about my kids having to spend Christmas at someone else's house (not only for the boys but also the friends). And honestly, I was feeling sorry for myself if I was going to spend Christmas at the hospital. So we will just continue to wait.

JT's highlights from Christmas:

• Telescope 
• Ticket to Ride game (especially since he just learned that his uncle Gavin is a huge fan)
• Circuits set

Zach's highlights from Christmas:

• The Black Pearl lego set 
• Star Wars monopoly
• Lego Idea book

I am giving big kudos to Rick who surprised with some fabulous Kendra Scott earrings. He definitely out-did me considering I gave him a controversial London Rippers baseball t-shirt.

We hope all of our friends and family members enjoyed Christmas. We send our love to each of you.

Christmas Crafting

Sometime in early November I hit a panic about having two new babies and two active boys at home during Christmas break and nothing to do. So while I was out, most likely panic Christmas shopping, I picked up a few Christmas craft projects that I thought the boys would enjoy.

The first craft we tackled, no photos, was painting ornaments. I envisioned family heirlooms but instead I got some haphazard ornaments (one is painted only in glow in the dark paint). Both boys had invited a friend over (girls) who took time and precision to make some very nice ornaments. I thought this would inspire the boys but they wanted to play, get some cookies and cocoa, and they had the added distraction of another boy that needed a place to hang while his mom ran a few errands. It probably didn't help that I was also in the midst of a project at work and was trying to monitor/help kids and work at the same. Basically a failed craft/play date and  project.

Of course that didn't stop me and the other day we broke out Christmas craft project #2. Painting Nutcrackers. Both boys have a thing for the Nutcracker so this seemed like a winner of a craft. The boys were ready, I was ready, queue up the holiday music  and watch fantastic Christmas creations emerge from the imagination and creativity of my kids. All started well until we ran in  to a small glitch, the guys have hair and while I tried to protect their beards, I couldn't think of a creative way to protect their hair and within minutes there was frustration about paint on the hair, which soon lead to melt-downs on both sides, and then lead to  some creative story telling and painting. Turns out both Nutcrackers got involved in battles, ended with eye patches and the following paint jobs.

The boys aren't the only ones experiencing failure with crafting. After reading several blogs about taking fabulous Christmas light photos, I convinced the Lucas/Largent clans to head down to Mozart's to get hot cocoa and see their Christmas light show. Needless to say, despite believing I had my DSLR settings done properly and taking 20 plus photos, I did not capture a single incredible Christmas lights at night image. I have to give props to the kids who patiently posed and reposed in cold rain while Lexy and I attempted camera super stardom. Hopefully she had better luck and got at least one good shot of the kids.

There is good news though. JT has successfully made two batches of Christmas cookies (for the most part on his own). I had cancelled Christmas baking because again, I thought I'd be sleep deprived. JT had asked if he could take up the challenge and made one batch of Grandma Jesse's thimble cookies and a batch of her Mexican Wedding cakes. We now have cookies for Santa (including our special treat of Polish cookies from Aunt Paula).

life at the house

I know it has been a while and for that I apologize. Life just seems to going so fast lately. Work is busy, babies are growing, kids have hundreds of activities.

So a quick update on what we've been doing. We had a quiet and relaxing Turkey Day at the house. I think it is the first that we have spent without company. After the long weekend we had lots of activities including Holiday Night at school complete with Zach singing and some bingo, the Voodoo played and won their final tournament of the year, class parties, and some Christmas crafting adventures.

We all spend a lot of time asking if the girls are going to come out but apparently they see no need. A few weeks back I had some decreased movement so that set off a flurry of activity that included a visit to the hospital. All ended well and the chickens are growing and thriving. At my last visit they were 5 lbs 12 oz and 5 lbs 9 oz. Needless to say having almost 12 lbs of baby is starting to get to me. The boys have all been helpful (including Rick) but I think they all want to stop having to pick things up off the floor for me. We are hoping for the chickens to come before Christmas so we can all be home but if not then I am scheduled for a 1/3 c-section.

Writers Workshop With Zach

At school the kids participate in a program called Writers Workshop. Each day they work on writing, editing, and illustrating short stories of their own creation. JT's process is obviously more involved as a story can take up most of the year, where as Zach works daily on various prompts.

I was reviewing his work that came home today which included several pieces from Writer's Workshop. He wrote a piece about playing baseball and ended his piece with the following:

"My broser (brother's) name of his teme (team) is Voodoo. It is a funy name if the V was D. Doodoo"

a small miracle

I was out at Old Navy the other day. Apparently I am the only parent that didn't prepare her children for the onset of the Texas winter; which basically means JT didn't have any jeans or long sleeve shirts. I tried almost every pair at Target and nothing worked. I decided to take a trip to Old Navy.

While in the baby department I saw a woman with newborn twins. I was giddy with excitement that I actually got to see new twins out in public. So giddy that I spoke to the mom. We exchanged baby talk at which point she mentioned that taking twins out was so much easier than taking out her older children. I learned that she her two "older" children were 2 and 3. I honestly have no clue how she manages but I at least feel at tad bit better that I finally saw new twins in public.

More Portland Cuteness

Welcome to the Family!

We are so dang excited to welcome a new member to the Flisakowski clan: June Harper Flisakowski.
I should have written down all her stats but I can tell you she was 6lbs (and some ounces) and was born at 9:50 this morning.

Not sure when we will meet up but we can't wait to see her. Hard to believe there will soon be 3 little girls who are just a month apart in the Flisakowski/Lucas family. It will be so much fun when we can get all 3 girls together along with the 1 big girl and 2 big boys.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from the Lucas house!

This year Zach had two costumes, the first was his favorite literary character for a parade at school. He then opted for some Will Turner/pirate character. He originally had a wig but ditched it for the rag covering instead.  He was more concerned  with his weapons, which included a sword and gun. JT went way outside the box and wanted to be Ra the Egyptian sun god. I think we got as close to his vision but he was definitely developing some angst as he left to meet up with friends.

a good night on the couch

Many a night we have a visitor or two come to our room and sneak in to bed with us. When they were little, little we didn't mind so much but now that they are big and our bed only a queen, it gets a little too crowded. Granted the two of them have really stopped coming in especially since most nights they sleep together; however every now and again someone sneaks back in.

Last night Z came in to our room. Normally, I would just stay in bed but being monstrously large and trying to share a bed, isn't always the most comfortable and truth be told I was wide awake when he came in (I seem to have developed a bit of insomnia although I have yet to take good advantage of it ala Martha Stewart style; I usually lay awake wondering how long I should try to fall back to sleep versus getting up). When Zach got in our bed, I sat up and drank some water. Zach in turn cuddled up next to me, patted by belly and said:

"Good Night Chip and Dip. Have fun sleeping out on the couch."

He then kissed my belly, adjusted my pillow to his liking, and fell fast asleep.

Chip, Dip, and I did have a nice night on the couch along with two cats and a dog. Maybe it is time for a new, bigger couch.

the chickens

I went to the doctor today to check on the chickens. Turns out they are doing well. They are both head-down and weigh almost three pounds each. A little scary to think about the possibility of lugging around 10 lbs of baby. It doesn't really seem humanly possible or at least no possible on my short torsoed body.

True to form, the chicken on the left side decided to be uncooperative when the tech was looking to get a face shot. She turned her head face down to avoid the paparazzi. The other one of course was more than willing to strike  pose. The image didn't come across super clear but clear enough to see some chubby cheeks.

9

Birthdays are getting bittersweet at the Lucas house as the boys get older and older. Today is super sad because JT is 9, which is a year away from 10 and then 3 years from the teen years! This year is especially odd because he didn't request a party this year and we have been super busy with the school carnival so it feels a bit anti-climatic compared to his previous birthdays. To celebrate he is taking his dad and brother to WWE for some wrestling fun.

JT is a fabulous little boy. He is constantly curious about everything and is a sponge with information. He is also very sweet (maybe not always to his brother) but he is super considerate of other children. His teacher is always talking about how helpful he is at school especially with a child that has been struggling. He of course has his moments and because the two of us are so much alike we battle it out more than he and Rick. All-in-all he is a fabulously sweet child and we are super proud of him and continue to love watching him grow.

a rare event

Not only does tournament baseball suffer from  lack of players in the fall but so does league ball. Every once in a while a friend from the Spring league team calls and asks if JT can play because he is short players. JT has played a few times but it is coach pitch with kids he doesn't know as well so he isn't too thrilled to play.

On Friday JT got the call and Rick accepted but later that evening JT had a bit of a meltdown about it. Zach on the other hand offered to play despite never having played coach pitch. Long of the short, Saturday morning rolled aorund and both boys got uniformed up and both boys played and Rick even got to coach since they were also short a coach this week.

All in all it was a great outting. The Hutto Red Sox won by one run with Zach playing a big role in the win. He batted three times (2 singles, 1 double) and with those three at bats brought in his brother each time. Rick loved that for perhaps the only time in his coaching career he got to have both boys on the same team. I don't think we will be moving Zach up in the Spring; he definitely wasn't ready for the speed or the agressiveness that comes with coach pitch but it was a fun experience.

idle threats

On Monday the boys convinced me that we should go to Target to get a birthday present for a party JT was going to but what they were really interested in was seeing how they could spend their combined $9.
So long story short, upon realization of what we were really at Target for, I informed the boys that I thought it was best for them to look around and then they could work on saving more money to buy something. I also stated that no one would be getting legos since we are in a lego transition right now and need to focus on moving legos from one storage unit to another. The task seems to be taking longer as the boys get sidetracked and build things.

Fair warning, when you combine 1 tired child who has $4.50 and who believes that if he looks hard enough there is a lego set that costs just that, you get a cranky, Target meltdown. This meltdown was especially fun because we found ourselves in the baby aisle so I could look at car seats (I guess you still have to put newborns in car seats - go figure!). The shelves are arranged to hold the large toddler seat boxes, which means with a box missing from the shelf there was a nice spot for Zach to crawl in and hide while yelling the following:

"Fine! I am just going to stay here and live right here at Target and when you come back to shop if you are going to let me buy legos I will go home with you but if not then I will just keep living here until you say I can buy legos."

What was even better was the poor grandmother that was in the aisle with us and who initially couldn't see Zach and therefore she had no clue where the yelling was coming from. She seemed overly confused especially when I accepted Zach's offer and started walking away. He met us at the exit and then while in the car, between hysterics of crying he made the next comment:

"You  just don't trust me. Whenever you drop something, you ask JT to pick it up. I never get to pick up anything you drop!"

When we got home, he went straight to his room, took an hour long nap and then had one of his best t-ball games ever which included the following performance:

• throwing out a runner at first from third base
• hitting a home run
• getting all three outs in one inning while playing at the pitcher position
• and throwing a ball from (short) center field to home and almost getting the out

He was awarded game ball for his outstanding effort but he has yet to get any new legos. Poor kid.

the world is not designed for twins

I went to Costco today (more on that in a moment) and while I was there I saw this woman pulling two carts. First I paused because I was truly amazed at how she was navigating what turned out to be not so nice kind of a place with two carts. And as I stood staring and she turned her carts, I discovered that she had two carts because one cart was occupied solely by twin boys (probably about 4 years old). And then I sighed and looked at my over sized cart that was filled to the brim and realized Costco alone with twins may not be in my future. It would definitely be a 4 person trip.

I love Costco or maybe it is the memory of Costco. It is just one of those childhood hold-overs. I remember when my parents got their account and at the time the apparent exclusivity of it. And all so we could buy lots of toilet paper at once! Rick and I don't go as often anymore (although I imagine that changes with our new need for diapers) but today I went to get treats for the teacher in-service days next week.

I will acknowledge that I am hormonal and therefore I have less patience than most people and these hormones may also cause me to add a bit of hyperbole to my adventure  but I found almost everyone at Costco rude (with exception of the check-out guys). It just seemed that people (some not all) felt that the rest of us were a nuisance to their Costco shopping and had no problem cutting us off, blocking aisles, or pushing at the sample stations ( I swear I was not at any sample stations but I am always amazed at how crazed people get over them).

The worst part of my adventure came in the parking lot.  One of my top pet peeves is people who wait for you to load your car just so they can have your spot. And what made it worse today was that by the time I made it to my car, it dawned on me that this was why Rick told me not to go alone. I think it probably took me an hour (ok that is hyperbole) to load up the car and all the time this woman sat in her car with her turn signal on, waiting for my not so prime parking spot. When I finally pulled out, she was sure to give me a scowl for making her wait. Part of me wishes I would have just told her to get her butt out of her car and help the pregnant load her car but I didn't instead I drove away and was met with an awesome line of traffic and about 5 cars that refused to pause those two seconds to allow me to get in line to exit the parking lot. I guess they all had far more important things to do than be nice to someone.

Otherwise shopping for 70+ teacher and staff members at Costco was fun; who doesn't want to have a cart filled with 6 dozen muffins. I just hope they all enjoy eating the things that I was craving while shopping! It might not be good to have the pregnant in charge of Hospitality for the teachers.

The Halloweenie Quilt Experiment

I bet you thought we weren't going to do it? You thought Chandra and I would buy our fabric and it would be well past Halloween before either of us completed our projects. Well, we impressed ourselves and got our quilts done. Now that isn't to say they are perfect but I am excited to have my first holiday quilt.

Chandra remained true to our original design whereas I got a bit panicky when first cutting the fabric and went with a very similar (ok maybe exact) design as the one I made for Judes last year. As Chandra mentions, she isn't thrilled with the binding (I talked her in to the method from Amy Butler) but I am pleased to have completed it that I am ok with perhaps the less than  professional binding. My only complaint is that I think the batting is too fluffy (that is amateur quilter talk for too thick) so I think I will experiment with other batting for the next quilt. Yes, Chandra and I are in negotiations for the next quilt. Actually we have two we want to try: a Christmas quilt and then a very long-term investment in a hexie quilt.

JT helped me pick out the backing and I have to admit, I think it makes the quilt even better. And just like Chandra's (although we weren't together when purchased) mine has glitter!

Note: the quilt is folded over but it ended up being just shy of a full size quilt. Basically the perfect size for taking naps on the couch.

Baseball With Zach

Things That Make Us Happy

I am sitting at the kitchen bar this morning watching JT cook french toast including his new experimental PB&J stuffed for everyone. The chickens and I are opting for original french toast but it is fun to watch him cook. Zach is hanging out with  legos (big surprise!). And Rick is exposing us to some new tunes that he has been listening to. Not too shabby of a Sunday morning.

Zach's teacher is always talking to us about excited Zach is for his sisters and that during Writers Workshop he writes a lot about the girls. Recently they had a project where they talked about things that make them happy and drew pictures.

In case it is hard to decipher, from left to right, Zach's bike, me on the ultra-sound table getting the announcement that we are having girls, and a swing set.

I hope everyone is getting to do something that makes them happy to today. After breakfast, I am sneaking off to Jo Anns!

the speed of life

I was doing a little online banking the other day, a task that always causes angst, and I saw that a check had cashed for the amount of $72.60. It caused me to pause not because it put us in the hole (just yet) but we seldom write checks and if we do they are typically for smaller amounts like lunch money or paying a sitter. When I clicked on the check, I saw that it was a check for our lawyer that we wrote back in April. My initial reaction was to scorn him for holding my check for so long but then I paused and thought about how life has changed so much in year. This time last year we were knee-deep in a frivolous law suit that consumed our lives, put Rick in a dark place, and had both of us asking lots of questions about the/our future. So here we are now a year later and in another uncontrollable situation albeit a happier one. I think this time around it is more me that is struggling. I got through highs and lows (go ahead and blame the hormones). I like control, I like to plan, and there is just so much that I can’t control and I can’t plan. Part of me wants to go out and buy a bigger house, a bigger car, and every baby item ever made but realistically it isn’t possible or necessary at this very moment. I need to focus on patience which has never been my strong suit. And even more than patience, I need to focus on keeping these girls in belly until at least 35 weeks. I keep reminding myself that everything will work out but sometimes even I question my own mantra.

The girls and I had what we hope is our last appointment at the prenatal specialist where we reviewed only the hearts. Turns out they both have them and they both are in good shape. I get to stick with my doctor from here on out unless she notices one of the girls not growing. Right now they are 1 lbs 10oz and 1lb 8oz (although I can’t tell you which was which). They did switch positions, so Dip who had been head down this entire time is now head up and Chip is now head down. I asked the tech if it was possible for them to change sides and she explained that it is all based on the direction of the membrane. Mine is positioned so that they have to stay on their designated side. I admit that I questioned her expertise until she moved the ultrasound wand-thingy to the Chip (on the left) and the appointment suddenly became much longer as Chip, true to form, refused to cooperate. Each time the tech would focus on the velocity of blood flow, Chip would move, which required the tech to start over. Funny to think that already they are starting to develop personalities. It will be interesting to see if this obstinance continues once they move out of  their studio apartment.

I am trying to pick a room color right now, which is tough. I pulled about 7 shades of pink but I am having a hard time committing to an entire room of pink. And I am in a mad dash to clean out closets and hopefully make enough room for their stuff.

The boys are doing excellent. They are both knee deep in school and doing well. Right now they are both on a reading frenzy and you really can’t complain about that. Zachy started fall ball and has had two games so far. He is doing fabulous. He has always been far more relaxed at games compared to JT but this season he seems to be taking things a bit more seriously (in a good way). I think it helps that we have some excellent coaches that are really taking the time to work with the boys and helping them learn the game. JT hasn’t gotten to play a tournament yet with the Voodoo as we have several players that opted to play football this fall and unfortunately two sports is just too much to juggle even for the best. There is a handful of boys (parents) that are committed to the team and continue to practice and work at pitching. Hopefully the team will get in a game or two in November/December and then back again in full swing for the Spring.

So for the most part all is well and despite how I feel some days, I know that everything will work out.

Roadtrip - Charleston

I am ashamed that I have yet to finish our road trip chronicles and even worse that I have not documented from our final destination and visit with Pete and Judes. Prior to getting to Charleston, almost everyone we spoke with talked about what a fabulous place Charleston is and we have to admit, they weren't wrong. For me it is almost the perfect city, not too big, lots of fabulous dining, and you are maybe 30 minutes at most from one of multiple beaches. I am not sure really what the downside is to Charleston; maybe there isn't one? Maybe hurricane season?

I am relying on the slide show again, this time with captions to highlight some of our fun.  I think for me this trip was perhaps our most educational. There is just so much history in the city and so many places to visit. The boys really like Fort Sumter and JT loved (although I have no photos) the ghost tour he and Rick took where they learned all about the pirates. Sadly (at least to me) we only hit one of the historic homes but hopefully next time at least I will be able to see some of the plantations and other homes in the area. I am a little sad that we won't be able to be there for Christmas as I was told the homes are truly fabulous then.

sometimes it is best not to ask

Best Friend Betrayal

We all have that best friend, the one who knows more about you (even more than your spouse0, the one that you trust beyond anyone else in the world, the one you call when you foolishly take a pregnancy test at work and get a positive. So you can no doubt imagine how it feels when this friend sends you a text to tell you about this:

At first I ignored it but after one bad day, I couldn't ignore it anymore. I have three obliging sidekicks who were not going to send me to Sonic alone and so we journeyed yesterday after school to check out this magical Pumpkin Pie Shake. It was after that first sip that I knew I was in trouble. After I finished my first cup of yumminess, I seriously spent the rest of the evening wondering how I could justify a second one. (No, mom I did not go and get a second one.)
After I got over my desire to have a second one, I started to ponder the relationship with this so-called best friend. Why would she do this to me? She knows I am in a state of weakness, she knows I love fall treats, she knows I am not in her same obsessive workout routine. Is she really a friend or an enemy? And so I am declaring revenge not only on this friend but on Sonic in general.  It has started slowly by me telling everyone else I know about this new treat. I will not suffer alone. And for that special best friend who opted to tell me about this treat, she can't hide from me. I am formulating a plan and she will suffer come Christmas-time (fair warning!).

The Social (Quilt) Experiment

Chandra and I are kindred spirits for many reasons including our excitement for Halloween and our commitment to crafting despite our many setbacks.
So when Chandra purchased her sewing machine and started checking out various quilt designs it seemed kismet that we would combine our Halloween love with our craft-can-do-(who cares how much we get mocked by our husbands)-spirit. It also helps that Chandra discovered this image:

We took this inspiration, spent our summer searching for fabrics, and now we both have identical piles with the intent goal to create Halloween quilts. The obvious idea being here is how we will both use what we have.

I really like the original design inspiration but admit to feeling intimidated that I don't have a pattern to work from. So with my goal to start cutting my fabric this morning, I am instead online cheating to find a pattern. And I am terrified that we don't have enough fabric and after a panic buy yesterday Chandra and I are questioning one of our fabric choices but we shall see what happens. Really, I just hope that we both get something done before Halloween!

Road Trip Frustration

As if it isn't obvious, I love taking photos. I usually make my people suffer by posing but rarely do I get to actually post those photos because in the midst of each photo taking event there is one member of the family that has to get some smart-aleck remark in, which means he tends to ruin photos. Below is my evidence of such photo shenanigans from Fort Sumter.

Roadtrip - Savannah

Our original intention was to sail in to Savannah, hang out for a bit, go to a game, and then leave town. We all found Savannah fascinating and we definitely regretted that we didn't research the city more and make better plans for our day. Despite that, we managed to roam around and see some of the Savannah and definitely put it on the list for a return trip.

I've broken the photos in to two groups for this one. I did my usual collage of the baseball game (hint: if you click on it, it will open larger) and the other is a slide show.

The Sand Gnats ranked as every one's favorite game. It is a tiny ballpark with more of the old-time feel. The ballpark is tucked away in a neighborhood and part of a large city park. When we went to purchase tickets, we requested (as is our usual request) to sit by the home team dugout. The park is so small and friendly that the ticket lady politely warned us that there is a season ticket holder who would be sitting near us and that some people don't like being close to him. We opted to risk it and took the seats. It turned out to be a fine choice as the season ticket holders we were sitting by were actually really nice and although there were some loud moments, we have definitely experienced worse.
The best part for the boys was that upon entrance to the ballpark, they were recruited to play some between innings games.JT got to run the bases with the mascot and Zach played let's make a deal; opting between 4 tickets to a game or what was in the box. He took the box option and ended up with a contact sheet of the season baseball cards.

Keeping with our dining on the local ball-park delicacy, Rick and JT dined on waffles and chicken and gave it two thumbs up.

We changed our plans at the last minute and stayed at a hotel rather than driving through to Charleston on the same night. Since we stayed the night, I convinced the boys to stop by the Bonaventure Cemetery after reading the following:
The site was purchased for a private cemetery in 1846 and became a public cemetery in 1907. This charming site has been a world famous tourist destination for more than 150 years due to the old tree-lined roadways, the many notable persons interred, the unique cemetery sculpture and architecture, and the folklore associated with the site and the people.
The cemetery provides a walking guide and we wandered freely looking for the various points of interests and learned about some of Savannah's most famous dead people. Of course I took a ton of photos. I typically try to avoid loading a slide show but there were too many to make a collage (this also gives you the option to skip them altogether). We did use the cemeteries grave site finder but we could not locate any Flisakowskis (odd I know) and we found a Lucas but couldn't locate their exact site.



There is one photo that is not from the cemetery and that is from the Flannery O'Connor child hood home. We stopped by the day before just before the house was closing and didn't have time to get a full tour.  I would love to go back to Savannah sans kids and get to see more of the city especially take advantage of some of the house tours.
And if you do view the slide deck, you just may catch a shot of my big basketball belly courtesy of JT.

The First

Today is the first day of school. Hard to believe. It was a bit abnormal morning for us as Rick was asked to sub for the first two weeks and he had to be out the door earlier. The boys and I managed to pull it together with just a minor hiccup but my photo taking definitely suffered and it didn't help that poor Jet had no clue what was going on and wanted to be in every photo.

A disclaimer here for Nana - JT's hair was combed out before he left. He had used some water to wet down his bed head.

The walk to school was interesting. JT who is usually more like me, shy and nervous in new situations, was full of energy and excited for the first day. Zachy on the other hand, who is normally very gregarious like Rick, was silent and obviously very nervous this morning. And to make matters worse, we didn't notice before we left the house that he had his sock on too low so while we walked to school he was complaining that it was hurting. And of course since I am quickly losing my ability to bend down and didn't realize what was going on, I asked him if he could make it to his classroom. By the time we dropped off JT and got to his room he had developed a blister. Poor little bug. He was trying so hard to be strong but was also so nervous. It just broke my heart. Luckily his teacher had some band-aids so we got one on and she said she would check on it later in the day.

This next photo is not  first day of school related but it is a first. A sweet friend stopped by on Saturday with my first baby gift (no I am not counting the diapers that I have been given although those are welcomed). Check out these two fabulously cute outfits! I have to admit that these two cuties have helped me get just a little more excited about the girls. Just look at those little coats!

Cagney and Lacey

Well, it is official, there is a god, she is a woman, and she has a sense of humor. That is the only way I can explain the news that Chip and Dip are going to be Chipette and Dipette or as Rick now prefers Cagney and Lacey.
It hasn't all sunk in just yet, and by all I mean the fact that we are having a third (and a fourth) and now to know that they are girls. The Lucas household is definitely not one to be boring and this kicks it up a notch for sure.

In a few weeks I will be heading in to see a specialist (since I am old with twins) so we will get more details about their growth, organs, and any other concerns (like how can someone who is 5'2" with virtually no torso even have twins). We will also get confirmation as to whether they are identical but for now it definitely appears that they are.

And for added cuteness factor, unlike the last ultrasound where they were kick fighting each other (a sign for me that said they were boys) this time around they were holding hands. They still sit head to foot but perhaps that is because of the aforementioned lack of torso.

We are taking name suggestions so start sending them our way.

Road Trip - Warner Robins

Originally I had planned to keep this updated as we traveled but by the time we hit WR, GA, I got accustomed to relaxing, eating ice cream, and logging in only as needed to take care of work stuff. But we are officially home so now I will collect the 1000 of photos I have and get some postings done.

So after our stop in NOLA, we trekked to Montgomery for baseball, and then we found ourselves in the town of Warner Robins, who has several claims to fame (Little League championship baseball team, Air Force base) although our sole reason for stopping was so that I could get in some girl time with Lexi. This was even more important since our girl trip for this year had to be postponed because someone had to go off and get pregnant.

While Lexi and I enjoyed girl time the boys enjoyed swimming, running through the house, and rotting their brains on video games. To totally bum out my boys, school in WR started that Monday so while Joel and Patton were off at school Rick was sweet enough to take the boys to the local Aerospace museum, which ended up being a huge hit for the day. Lexi and I did what we do best, ate, drank coffee, and stopped at a few stores. We also ate enough ice cream to ensure Chip and Dip had enough calcium while in-utero (at least during their time in Georgia).

Road trip - Montgomery Biscuits

Our first official game of the road trip  was the Montgomery Biscuits. We got to the ballpark early for an autograph session with the players.The highlight for JT was getting to meet and fist bump Tim Beckham who he saw play on TV in the Futures Game.

Our seats were right in front of the Biscuits bullpen so we got to watch as the pitchers warmed up. The Biscuits ballpark definitely ranks as one our of Top 5 favorites. I didn't get the greatest shots but one of the unique features was that they built the ballpark using existing buildings including one that was used as a Confederate jail that held over 700 Union POWs. The gift ship and admin offices were part of that building and then the suites were all included in the other building. The ballpark also gets high marks as having some of the nicest employees as moments after JT got his soda, he dropped it, which prompted an employee to escort JT to the concessions stands to get a free refill. Zachy somehow managed to get a free sausage wrap in the 7th inning. And of course the whole family dined on biscuits (what else are you going to eat when you are at a biscuits game?).

Road Trip - enroute to Montgomery

On our way to see the Biscuits we stopped by the check out the Mobile Bay Bears ballpark and the Hank Aaron museum. We didn't get to see a game but we may try for one on the way home.

The museum was Hank Aaron's house that they relocated to the ball park and filled with baseball memorabilia as well as items from his childhood. We were the only ones there, which was a treat. The boys were a little shocked by the original size of the house, which was 600 sq. ft.

Roadtrip - New Orleans

Our first official stop of the 2011 road trip was New Orleans for some quality Lee and Rebecca time and a Zephyrs game. The bad news, it is monsoon season in NOLA, which meant no baseball and not too many outside activities.

We managed to find some fun which included a trip to the New Orleans Museum of Art, which had an impressive collection and the traveling exhibit of Madeline Albright's pins. I know it doesn't sound so thrilling but it really was fascinating to read how she decided to wear the pins she did and where some came from.

Our final night, Lee and Rebecca treated us to a crab and shrimp boil. JT got to be Rebecca's sous chef and hopefully some day soon he will be recreating the fabulous dinner for us.

Roadtrip - Day 1

We made it to New Orleans save and sound with only one major incident involving puke. We won't be going back to the Dennys in Baytown, Texas anytime soon and we left what may be the largest tip known to any Dennys employee.

We are all now bothering Rebecca while the two of us try to get some work done and we wait to see if it is going to rain. We head out later for a Zephyrs baseball game.

just like old times

It has been 4 years since the Nguyen family moved to Minnesota but now they are back in Austin and we were lucky enough to get in a family dinner before our roadtrip. The boys are all older, the Nguyens have a new address, but it is like we haven't missed a beat. The kids rans around and did their thing while the adults got to hang out.

Welcome back Nguyens! We are so excited to have you back and to have many more family dinners.

Birthday Photo Blues

Zach had one simple request this year for his birthday, a bowling party.  And that is exactly what we had last night at Mel's Bowling Alley. Zach invited 7 buddies (his brother made the cut) Rick and I took them all out the alley where they had an hour and half of bowling fun, hot dog bar heaven, unlimited drinks, and an awesome party hostess that waited on them hand and foot. She was replenshing french fries and corn dogs before the kids knew they needed more. It was really a great experience.

Now what wasn't so great was that I took tons and tons of photos but because of the lighting (fingers crossed it really is the lighting and not something wrong with my camera) only one photo actually turned out. The rest of the photos are blurry and miserable. I am really sad about the lack of photos but love that that one photo that turned out is of Zach and one of his best buddies Izzy (although adminttingly as I stare at it, this really isn't the greatest quality photo either but better than the others!)

Zach is besides himself with excitement about getting have a party and as if it couldn't get any better, he received his birthday money from Nana Juju and Grandpa Pete along with Aunt Paula and Uncle Ed, which meant he was able to go out today and purchase  the long awaited Nintendo DS. He was especially excited that Aunt Paula sent a check that he got to trade in (according to Z) for real money (a couple of twenties and a ten).

legos and other stuff

Note: I tried posting this a few days ago but I guess it never made it! Lucky you, two posts in a day!

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I am remiss on posting some photos. I won't go in to details but I am still just coping right now. Rick is busy planning an addition to the house while I am trying to figure funding. working and getting ready for our road trip.

Over the fourth of July weekend there was a lego convention in town. It was a Texas group (whose name I forget) but basically a bunch of Lego geeks lovers. The focus of the event was MOC (my own creation) so everything built was from imagination not based on a kit. The boys came home with tons of ideas and as usual legos dominate our family room.

 We also had a one day tournament over the 4th weekend and one team had the cutest bat boy ever. He took his role very seriously.

The Hutto All-Star team participated in the 100 year parade in Hutto. Check out JT's awesome parade wave.

As I mentioned we are gearing up for our Southern Road trip. I think I've been so busy and overwhelmed that I haven't realized that it is here (and may be our last for a while). I hope to get more excited in the coming days. Tonight we kick-off a busy last week in town with a birthday celebration for Zach. Pictures and details to come.

Coping

We are still trying to absorb the twin news. I admit to having a few breakdowns. We went back in on Friday to redo the ultrasound testing that looks for downs and indicates whether we should look for other genetic concerns. We won't have results until next week

We have temporarily opted to name the twins, Chip and Dip so we stop referring to them as Twin A and Twin B. JT will be responsible for Chip (formerly A) and Zach will get Dip (formerly B). No word on the sex of either just yet (and I promise we will find out) but my entire OB office staff is hoping for girls.The ultrasound tech said she felt like they were girls, which gives me a little hope because I think she secretly knows more than she lets on to when she is searching and looking at the babies. But  until I get the official confirmation, I will stick with boy names (I think I have one in mind).

I appreciate every one's well wishes. It is hard to feel blessed and that all of this will work out just yet but I know it will eventually. I did have one well wisher who pointed out that with the age difference between the boys and Chip and Dip it will be a blessing because the twins will have each other rather than a 3rd child that feels left out. That thought definitely helped out as when these guys go to enter kinder (in 2016  if I did my math right) JT and Zach will be in middle school.

life lesson

This morning I learned an important life lesson: Ultrasound technicians do not like to joke around.
About a month ago Rick and I learned that we were unexpectedly expecting a third Lucas child. It has taken a good month and lots of ice cream to process this news. Since I am advanced maternal age, I went in today to have the ultrasound that measures for downs and based on results they decide whether to do additional genetic testing. Since I didn't have this with either boy, it has been causing me a bit of angst.

My appointment didn't start well as I had the times messed up. The ultrasound tech took me in despite being late and she pulled up an image of a cute stretched out sleeping baby. My immediate thought was that he was enjoying all the room he had but what I said to the ut was "Still just one in there right?" The ut immediately turned off the machine and said she couldn't continue with today's testing. I thought she was disappointed with me being late but she turned back on the machine and told me that there actually were two babies in my belly. Yes, twins. I tried to cry but all I could do is laugh. I think I asked her at least 10 times if she was sure and then the only thing I could think to ask was "Are they conjoined?" (they aren't)

We got some shots of the babies, both sleeping in identical positions. I will go back in on Friday to do the testing on both babies to ensure everything looks good and then we will move on from there. These little guys will come in December instead of January (new baby doctor rules say you keep twins in for 36 weeks instead of 40).

Good times ahead for the Lucas clan. Zach is excited that he gets his own baby as he firmly believed JT was going to hog the one baby. I will keep you posted on how things go but I will have to admit that I don't plan on taking photos of my weekly growth especially since it will be hard to tell how much is due to ice cream.

lazy sunday

Since we are on a brief baseball hiatus we have time on our hands to relax and catch up with other activities.

We explored our cultural side by going to see JT's and Zach's buddies Rhys and Griffin (along with their sister Avery) perform Hamlet with some of their home school mates. It was truly impressive what this group of kids were able to accomplish. Rhys played Horatio and I couldn't help but wonder if he spent time in center field rehearsing his lines. Griffin stole the show as the actor who plays the king  in Hamlet's play Mousetrap and his stellar poisoning scene. JT has taken the challenge of finishing the Phantom Tollbooth before Rick finishes his book. Meanwhile Zachy has taken up hand-stitching a Tooka doll from his Star Wars craft book. And of course I am supposed to be busy cleaning up my office so I can temporarily relocate for an upcoming guest

Happy Sunday to everyone.

Let's Ride

Someone in the Lucas House is coming up on his 6th birthday and ever since a friend mentioned he looked like a Shriner Clown on his old bike the only thing he has requested is a new bike.Since we didn't have baseball on Sunday we took a family trip to Ozone Bikes where Zach locked in immediately on a red Redline bike. Even luckier they had one with coaster brakes in box, which meant Zachy fell asleep talking about picking up his bike and woke up Monday asking how soon until he could leave to get his bike.
He spent the greater part of the morning riding and then also requested a night time bike ride. He is up again waiting for Rick and JT to go on a ride.

Getting Crafty Jedi Style

A couple of weekends ago Zach and I were out and about having some serious Zach and Mom time when we serendipitously came upon a gem of crafting book that was just too good to leave behind (especially since I couldn't seem to find a second copy).

Our first project is underway although I noticed today that he isn't aging just right and we are getting some mold. There is a warning about humidity that I pretended like it didn't apply. We may have to scrap this one until the fall and move on to one of the many others that he is interested in.

Summer

Summer has officially started although it feels like Texas has been in summer since March with temperatures in the 80s-90s and little to no rain. Any attempts I had at gardening have died a slow, dry death. I am trying to adjust to working from home with everyone else home and with one week under my belt, I think it may be doable. Rick has been good about getting everyone out in the mornings, which is when the bulk of my work happens.

Our summer this year is broken in to four phases: 1) All-Stars Baseball, 2) First two weeks of July, 3) Zach 4)Vacation

All-Stars - JT is ending his league ball career by playing on the Hutto All-Stars. It all gets very confusing with the various teams we have played for this Spring but this group is made up of all league kids, some of which will go on to play select with us. All-Stars basically takes up our entire month of June with practices two days a week and games on the weekend. I have some shots of this weekend's events that I will upload once we finish our last game on Monday.

First two weeks of July - Once All-Stars ends we go full swing with JT's next phase baseball, select baseball. The Voodoo team and family will be hosting a tournament on the 4th of July weekend. If things go well, we will raise enough money to cover our expenses for the fall and maybe even part of the spring season. Once all of our tournament efforts are complete, the Voodoo then hosts tryouts to fill a few open spots.

Zach - Not to be overshadowed by baseball or vacation, Zach will celebrate his 6th birthday. Unlike his brother, Zach makes very few requests for his birthday but this year he specifically said he would like to have a bowling party. He and I have been working out details and I think we have a good plan coming together. It is nice that his requests are so much simpler than his brother's. JT usually has grand ideas that involve me making baseball uniforms for 20 kids, feeding 20 kids, and then a portion of these kids spending the night.  The only request that I haven't figured out how to work in to Zach's birthday is apple bobbing. Perhaps we can do that at home with some buddies.

Vacation - Summer wouldn't be complete without a Lucas road trip and this year's is shaping up to be good fun. Our final destination will be Charleston, SC the new home base for Pete and Judes. En route we will of course stop in NOLA for some time with Lee and Rebecca and a Zephyrs baseball game, we will then see a game in Montgomery, stop for some time with my bestest bud Lexi and her family in Warner Robbins, head to Savannah for a Sand Gnats game, and finally cruise in to Charleston. We will make brief overnight visit to Myrtle Beach before heading back for some more time in Charleston. We don't have an official route home yet but I imagine we may try to squeeze in one more game.

Round Rock Express

We had tickets to last Friday's game and lucky for us two Rangers (Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz) were both making rehab debuts with the team. Since there was rain predicted, the crowd was thin which meant the boys spent their night sitting behind the dugout.

the end

Hard to believe but we have reached the end of league baseball for JT (not including a June filled with All-Stars) and the end of the school year for both boys (it is officially on Friday).

Our June is booked with baseball, then the first weekend of July we are hosting a tournament to raise money for the Voodoo, someone turns 6, and then we start our annual baseball odyssey (more details on this year's adventure soon).

Here are some shots from award ceremonies from baseball and school. JT got all sorts of awards this year at school: all As for the year, meeting his reading goals, and the metal was for Social Studies Student of the Year for his class.  Zach got an official certificate saying that he is ready for 1st grade.

And speaking of ends, here are JT and  I finishing a 5K this weekend. JT wasn't supposed to run but stepped in and took Rick's number since Rick hadn't been training for the event. I admit I was hesitant about letting JT run with me as I really wanted to complete the full race and thought JT may not make it pas thet first mile. JT promised he would run 2 miles and he did it. We walked for the next half mile and then he finished strong for the last half. JT was a great running partner and is already making plans for "our" next race. We also had my friend Lexy running with us, which was nice for me since I am a codependent exerciser. My goal is to get Lexy and I into a 1/2 marathon.

random plug that i dont get paid for

For the first time in my online shopping career I used the website Zappos.com. Ok, really I used the website about a month ago for two purchases: present for grandpa Pete (he needed Charleston flip flops) and new shoes for JT.

Let me just explain one thing. JT and I had been to basically every store I could possibly think of to look at new sneakers for him. It was just a bit frustrating.  Unlike his brother who was drawn to the first pair of shoes that were green, JT hemmed and hawed over multiple shoes. He got upset that I wouldn't splurge $80 on a pair and at one point fellow shoppers may have thought about calling CPS as JT and I battled it out.

And then, on a whim I logged on to Zappos.com (I should really get paid for this plug) and oh! what joy! After I browsed to the appropriate kid, sneaker, sport, whatever section, I walked away and let JT put as many pairs of sneakers in his cart as his little heart desired. I then returned, we edited the cart together, we purchased (3 pairs), they arrived, he tried on, he debated, and then he picked a pair.  And then, this is the good part, I needed to return the two unwanted pairs.  The box with the remaining two pairs has been sitting in my office waiting for me to return. I hit a mild panic the other day when I realized that it had almost been a month (sad huh?) but then I logged on and learned that I get 365 returns and even more awesome Zappos pays for it. I don't know what took me so long to find this place. I logged in, selected the item I was returning, requested the packing slip be emailed to me, and it magically appeared in my in-box.

And a random show related note, JT ordered a pair of Roos Yes the same ones I had as a kid with the zip pocket (except his were navy not pink). Who knew the Roos were making a comeback. He didn't end  up picking those but Zach has already put in his request for a pair of Roos. I should see if they make them in my size.

More non-shoe updates soon.

April

Somehow I missed the month of April and Easter altogether. It was so bad that I didn't even dye eggs with the boys this year (not to worry, they have a fabulous babysitter that dyed eggs with them).

Easter weekend was actually fairly quiet. Friday I took the boys to meet up with Jennie and Abigail at a park. The boys were hoping that the water park would be open but I guess the parks department hold firms to the June opening even when we have had record heat for March/April. Easter Sunday was spent with all the crazy characters at Apache Shores, which is always a good time and something the Lucas clan loves to do. So why you ask do I even both to give you this mundane update of events that occurred weeks ago, well because I have a few cute photos worthy of your viewing.

 Zach and Abi are fast buddies and spent their time playing in the water.

 

 JT fakes out Craig and doesn't jump into 60 degree water at the count of 3.

Slade hanging out in the golf cart the Easter Bunny brought so our voyages from house to beach are just a little more fun when visiting Apache Shores.