BES Wax Museum

Feel free to go back through my blog and count how many times I've made this statement but I seriously can't believe how quickly time flies. Just recently this adorable little guy was making his way to kindergarten and today we attended the Wax Museum, which is one of those final 5th grade rite of passage type events.

The gist of the Wax Museum is that each student draws a historical figure from a hat and then they are responsible to research that person, write up a brief speech, and then participate in the wax museum as that person. This means for 2 hours they have to stand as still as possible (in a very hot gym) and wait while people push their "buttons" at which point they recite their brief piece about who they are and why they are famous.

Here I am trying to get William Penn to laugh. I figured since he had been booted from Oxford, he was a guy that likes to have fun. Apparently not when fun is his mom is embarrassing him.

And I don't know what is going on here but this was Kit Kat on her way to school to visit William Penn.

And this is Lulu fearlessly tackling the big slide with the big kids. 

Aubrey

I vaguely remember having sitters when Gavin and I were younger specifically during the summer although I am certain my parents went out at night every now and again.
Finding a sitter is definitely a tough job if you don't have family in town. There is no real guidebook on how to locate and then you get in to the whole trust area and what age is the right age. We never really used one with JT and it wasn't until Zach was past 2 that we actually started looking for a sitter. There were two sisters that lived on our street that would help occasionally before they left for college.
Then we hit the jackpot when JT became fast friends with Alexa. Not only does Alexa have two older sisters but both families enjoy hanging out. It also just happens that Aubrey was looking to earn some money and we were looking for someone to hang out with the boys. The boys loved Aubrey and it got the point that they would beg us to go out.
When the chickens arrived, the entire Mitchell family was a huge help with the girls but Aubrey has always been their favorite. Of course, Aubrey had to leave us for college but thankfully she came home for the summer and just in time for a baseball conflict with Zach having a game and JT having practice well past the chickens bedtime. The girls spent their entire day asking for Aubrey and were happy to see us all leave once she arrived. And based on Aubrey's report, they were perfect angels and didn't show a hint of being the normal terrors that they are.

weekend

I am long overdue on several gifts including Mother's Day. As I was telling my sweet mother, I have great ideas just little to no time or money. Part of one of my many ideas is photo related so I dusted off my camera this weekend. Here are a few shots (that I don't anticipate using) as a teaser.

Kit Kat at the playground.

Kit Kat talking to Zach

Lulu watching JT.

The Chickens listening to coach talk about the game.

my tubes

When you meet another parent of twins, especially one that has similar aged twins you instantly have this bond and if their kids are older, I try to glean whatever tips, tricks, knowledge I can especially how to survive. Typically I am not one to warm up easily to others but there is just something about meeting another parent of multiples that makes you willing to share and gather.

Last week during Zach’s baseball tournament, the girls and I were hanging out at the park while the team warmed up. My go-go-gadget eyeballs immediately spotted another set of twins that were similar in age. The mom and I started chatting about our twins. And of course one of the first conversations you have is “how” did you have twins. Outside of the obvious drunken night story, I am more than happy to tell the tale of my misread ultrasound. I honestly feel like sharing this story is my own PSA to other parents everywhere that think they may be done with kids but haven’t taken those next solidifying steps to ensure they are done and I always close with adding that despite the Pope not being a fan, I tied my tubes. It may seem like a bit much especially for me but when you are talking to another mom about your pregnancy, labor, etc these details are easy to share. After my story, she tells me hers, which basically went, we were done having kids because we only wanted one kid but then my son begged us to have another and even though my husband said no,  I convinced him and that is how we had twins.  Of course I don’t want to pass too much judgment, I mean it isn’t like my story doesn’t have questionable choices associated with it but really? Her son wanted a sibling? I mean JT and Zach want a lot of shit but I don’t give in on everything. Can you imagine if the boys asked me today for more kids? Ha! Fools! Sure when you are married and have your own.

Anywho, we chatted some more about differences with twins versus a singleton especially twin girls. Her girls (fraternal) were a year older than the chickens so it was great to hear that the destructive nature of the chickens is not only normal but won’t last forever.  We chat. It feels nice to have bonded briefly with a stranger. She won’t be my new BFF but that is ok. As we wind down our chat,  she decides she has to tell me just one last tale about another friend of hers who is “older like you, I think she is 42 now” (yes that is a quote and yes she is still alive) and has twins. It appears this friend was working out a lot but her stomach kept getting bigger despite her efforts so she goes to the doctor and learns that she is having twins. No biggie right except she adds the puncher that this friend had her tubes tied when she got pregnant. I kid you  not, she dropped that bomb and then as she called her daughters to leave the playground, she said good-bye and added “so you should really be careful because you could have more twins.”

I am certain, ok I know, that I have mentioned before the things that you should never say to a parent of twins but I am now adding a new one to my list.

·         Oh they are identical, I can tell them apart.

·         I always wanted to have twins.

·         I am exhausted and I only have one child!

·         Are those twins?

·         Did you know you can still get pregnant when your tubes are tied?