Throwing Caution to the Wind

A few Sundays back Rick had the boys, which meant the girls and I were left to our own devices. We had maxed out our adventures at the grocery store and park and the weather was too nice to not want to be outside. It just happens that I had a large canvas sitting around - doesn't everyone? - and thought I'd throw caution to the wind and let the chickens paint. Full disclosure here, I usually don't have large canvases laying around but this one was left over from the TV show. One of my top 10 annoyances with the show was that they wouldn't let me use my artwork in the house. Everything I had was replaced with work that was (hastily) created for the show. Ironically you see more of my actual "stuff" in the pilot episode than you do throughout the rest of the show but that doesn't make up for me having to stare at it for 6 months.

So this is what throwing caution to the wind looks like.

Kit Kat definitely enjoyed painting more than Lulu. In the largest photo you can see her singing while she paints. Lulu eventually got worried about the amount of paint she had on her body more than anything else but also kept adding paint to her body. The boys came home while we were still painting and JT jumped in to lend his touch. Below is what they ended up creating. I am going to leave it as for now and hang it in my room although it was so much fun that I may take it down and repaint it with all four kids or maybe we will just get some new canvases.

'tis the season

Despite the abnormal and miserable cold weather and a record number of snow days (without snow), we have been playing baseball for almost a month. JT started trying for teams in early December and we finally settled on a team that we really feel good about and we have great hopes that this will be an enjoyable season and more importantly a long term relationship. I'll talk more about the team in other posts I am sure. Zach is playing league ball again this spring since he has yet to feel a strong desire about the sport. We will focus on encouraging him to try something else.

The whole intent of this post though is that with baseball season arriving that means that life gets more complicated than it already is and two kids need to be in two separate places (aka opposite ends of Austin) at the same time, one parent needs to be at meeting, and this all conflicts with the bedtime routine of the chickens. That meant I took JT to practice and I took the chickens. His practice was at the indoor facility which is great because it is cold outside but it is a very small facility and along with our team's 12 kids, 4 coaches and slew of parents there are other people using the cages, which means the chickens and I sat in the car for the majority of the practice.

I tried to capture this moment of the two of them on the kindles. KitKat is watching Fetch (a pbs show) and Lulu is watching a Barbie movie. And yes to those that asks me if their personalities are different - their viewing options perfectly illustrate their different interests.

life with the chickens

I think I have mentioned how people always love to tell me they wish they'd twins and I have to clench my jaw and smile and try to say something kind like "yes, it is a blessing" or "there is never a dull moment." I remember once meeting a pregnant woman at JoAnn's while chasing the chickens around and quickly losing my patience and she told me she was a few weeks from having twins herself. I don't recall what I said but I am certain it wasn't pleasant and there is a good chance I made her cry. In fact, I think my head spun around three times and spoke in tongues and ended with something like "this is the hardest thing I've ever done." I still obviously feel bad. I mean this is a woman I spoke to for maybe 5 minutes and I am wondering if I ruined her miracle of having twins. I really wish I could meet up with her again and apologize and maybe also have her tell me it is ok because it really is hard.

Anywho, a friend sent along this article and I think to everyone who asks me what it is like with the chickens, this woman captures it perfectly. Here is the link to the entire piece: http://twiniversity.com/2014/02/i-love-having-twins-no-i-really-do/ and I've pasted the piece that describes life here the best but insert that the girls do bite each other and if you aren't careful when breaking up the fight, you too will be bitten.

Speaking of awesome parenting strategies (like “using television in totally inappropriate ways”) let’s talk about time-outs, shall we? In my profession as a marriage and family therapist, I have often recommended “time-ins” instead of time-outs to parents struggling with their children’s behaviors. When a kid is struggling to self-regulate, putting them in an isolated time-out may diffuse things, but actually staying with the child in time-out (hence, a “time-IN”) is recommended because the parent can then help the child learn to calm down and self-regulate. In addition to time-ins, therapists will often recommend that the parent give THEMSELF a time-out rather than removing the child if things get too heated. It’s a great way to break the shame of a child who is always being “banished” and sets an example that “mommy is human and has emotions and needs breaks too.”

Let me show you how this looks when you have two children the same age. Let’s imagine they’re the lovely age of two and a half…

Child A has a yellow plastic giraffe that Child B decides she wants. Child B attempts to grab yellow giraffe from Child A. Fight ensues. There is pushing, there is bull-dozing, there is a weak attempt at choking (What the? Yes, they do this. It’s strange. Like a narrowly focused, exaggerated hug). There is screaming. There’s no biting, yet, but I’m sure they’ll eventually figure that out too. There is Child A escaping and running for her life while Child B throws herself on the floor screaming, clearly not regulated (in fact, let’s call it what it is: she is PISSED OFF).

So here comes mommy, she gently takes Child B by the arm to lead her to a time-in where she can calmly and quietly help Child B learn to self-regulate EXCEPT OH WAIT! That doesn’t work because as mommy tries to lead Child B to her room for a quality time-in, Child A (still upset about being bull-dozed and weakly strangled – relax, she was nowhere near being strangled) decides that the indignation of mommy giving Child B this attention must be rectified immediately, and follows mommy and Child A, screaming and clawing and OH LOOK, a new fight ensues.

Now mommy is Fed. Up. Mommy recognizes she is fed up and decides to give HERSELF a time-out EXCEPT OH WAIT! If mommy walks away to give herself a moment to calm down, these two toddlers are going to continue to claw each other’s eyes out, so mommy removing herself from the situation may actually not be in the best interest of anyone. So guess what mommy does?

TIME OUT!You! – Here!You! – There!Me! – WINE.

Electronic Ephemera

I was having an email debate the other day with a friend. I argued that I am a private person who doesn't let too many people in my life. He argued that this blog proves I am not private. I think in my mind, my mom is really the only one that reads this blog. So for everyone that isn't my mom, I still believe I am a private person but I will share some personal thoughts today.

Moving the bookshelf has involved going through the hundreds of books that we have. HUNDREDS! I am not sure it is a good idea to have two bibliophiles get married. During the bookshelf move I found a few books from college classes that while I should part with I can't because I have various personal notes and heart scribbled throughout. I also came across a small notebook that Jennie O had given me during high school. She went through the book and scribbled quotes that were significant to our teen-aged selves. After getting the notebook, I spent years filling it with quotes, ticket stubs, poems, and other ephemera. And so I stand before you and announce that I am a ephemera addict.

Some of my favorite items are my bulletin board that hangs above my desk with various cuttings, business cards, postcards, etc, a scrapbook of sorts with childhood mementos that my mom made me as a gift, and my grandma Ellen's scrapbook. Their common theme: EPHEMERA!

Small notebook from JO on the right and check out the photo in the book my mom made me - you can see my teen age room and all the ephemera I collected back then!

Early this morning, I realized that I've taken this addiction to a new level. Electronic Ephemera. I see quotes, sayings, poems, song lyrics and I write them down in my work notebook or copy and paste them on my computer. I am the reason Pinterest was invented.

A few days ago I came across the quote below that has stuck with me and in admitting my addiction to electronic ephemera I decided to share. (it comes courtesy of http://www.lilblueboo.com/)



I think this one resonates so much as my birthday arrives. I've taken to reviewing the past year during my birthday versus NYE and taking stock in what I've learned, what I need to let go, and what I need to work on. 2013 or Year 38 was a year full of lots of events and people. I met new friends, lost friends, had once in a lifetime experiences, felt frustrated, happy, sad...you get the point. A few months ago, I found myself beating myself up for some of my experiences/decisions but as I read this quote I realize that I can't regret decisions I made. I need to remember that whether they were good or poor choices they have helped me find joy; helped me realize the path(s) I need to take.

Year 39 is going to be a year of being more open to new experiences, new people, and not beating myself up for the choices I make. I am going to work on not being timid. Choices have to be made and I am doing the best I can to make the best choices. I am still learning to sail my ship.

And yep - I think I've worked in birthday talk to the last few blog posts. Oddly I haven't gotten very many cards or flowers.

Changing a Few Things

Life moves quickly here at the Lucas house and although I am open to change, there are some changes that I am just not sure I am ready to tackle.

The easiest change going on right now is a name change.

No one in this house is safe from a nickname:  JTizzy, Biscuit, Zachfu, Zachnado, Splat, Lizard, Rickterd... Since the girls have started talking more, they've also developed their own names. When looking for JT and Zach, they combine them in to "boys." Although actually it is said more like boyz. They have just recently starting using names for each other and that has led us all to adopt Kat's preferred name for Lizzie. Officially Lizzie is now Lou Lou. No idea how Kat picked this one although occasionally we would call Lizzie, Lizzie Lou but not as often as we call her Lizard or just Lizzie. Regardless we all love it and for now it is sticking.

The other change we are working through is moving the girls out of their bed. They can officially climb out of the crib. We are still pondering what bed to get them so in the mean time we turned their crib in to a toddler bed. We are slowly establishing a bedtime routine although it results in the girls tearing apart their room and sleeping where ever they drop. They've made it back to the bed a few times, they've blocked the door so we can't open it several times, and yesterday Rick went in the room to check on them but could only locate one. He admits to having a bit of a panic attack until he turned to walk out and found Lou Lou.

The most difficult change at the moment is JT getting ready to move to middle school next fall. We've had to commit to classes (he selected all pre-AP classes) and a fine art already (he picked the trombone). I can't believe my baby is going to middle school.

My birthday celebration week started off last night with a surprise night out for dinner with the Ace Gang. Not sure how my birthday has rolled around again but I am ready to celebrate the final year of my 30s.

Happy Friday!

After the boys did a few rounds of snow dancing we woke to this:

The photo is courtesy of Lizzie who insisted on taking a photo. It is from her level at the back door and that white stuff is ice or snow if you are the boys. It basically sleeted most of the night. 

Aside from that if you are like me you are wondering a few other things about this shot:

1) the chair is knocked over because the winds we insane last night 

2) the blue tarps in the background are for my garden - Rick is helping by killing the weeds so hopefully I can plant in a few weeks (hopefully more on that soon)

3) Rick doesn't know it yet but it is time to repaint my chairs just need to figure out what color this time around. I am in a blue and gray phase so maybe a turquoise.

So school is canceled but oddly not work. We are all home and enjoying a quiet day. I am trying to focus on work but I have a million projects, plans, ideas in my head and sitting at my desk with little desire to work means I may spend too much time looking at websites that only give me more ideas.

Right now I am trying to finish this one.

Rick built this bookshelf when we first moved in (see not so fabulous photo of a photo below). They lived in the then guest room, turned nursery, turned office, turned chicken room. Rick moved them for me to our bedroom. And of course that meant I had to paint them. As you can see I am still missing one shelf because it needs to be fixed and that big blank space in the middle is where I hope to move the TV. Big surprise I somehow have too many books (truth be told to relocate said shelved, Rick had to cut them which meant losing one shelf) so I am negotiating the building another shelf.

Hoping to wrap this project up this weekend. It seems so simple but in between work, kids, and life it seems like these types of activities move at  a snail's pace.

DoD Put an End to Baking and Popcorn

I don't usually cook but when I do it is to make popcorn and of course I often bake. And when I do either of these things I use one of my favorite Williams Sonoma items, the melamine mixing bowl. I love them so much that I have two sets of them.

The Daughters of Destruction also love these bowls especially to use them as a stellar accessory.

Sadly though we learned the hard way that while they look stunning they are a very fragile accessory.

I am now down to just two bowls. Not sure how all 6 bowls survived two boys for the past 8+ years but they barely made it through 2 years with the girls. To be perfectly fair, I think we started the morning with 4 as one had broken over the weekend (by the hands of a chicken) and another one had been broken a while back without assistance from a chicken.