Only works on the German Shepherd

We were eating dinner tonight and Katie and Abbey were playing in the tupperware cabinet. (they had eaten earlier).

Jeff: "What are you girls doing"?

Girls: Giggling at daddy.

Jeff: "That is not a hat, Abbey, please put it back".

Me: Laughing.

Girls: Squealing and laughing at daddy.

Jeff: "Katie, you can not wear that bowl, it is not a boot"!

Me: More laughing. They totally crack me up.

Jeff: "Please don't put the dog food in that dish". "No, no, no, don't put that away now"!

Jeff: "Why doesn't any one listen to me"?

Me: "Um that only works with the dog sweetie"!

Here's to you Miss Katie

Katie is our child who lives out loud.



The world is one big giant stage for her...... She gets the biggest kick out of herself. Little Miss Independent.
It amazes me how she has blossomed and grown.


When she came to us a year ago she was a frightened scared little baby. Now she is my little performer. She loves an audience....hmmm...like mother like daughter. Sad, but true...



She is such a little chatterbox. We often --- every morning---hear her babbling away to herself in her crib.

Jeff and I crack up laughing.

We've considered keeping the baby monitor in their room--forever--figured we'd out smart them.. *wink* I remember the crap I use to get into..

She will sing and count and scream for Abbey to wake up when she tires of entertaining herself! She is my oh-so focused child. Katie can play with a toy or a game for hours on end. She likes order and wants everything clean. She is constantly cleaning,stacking and organizing........She did not get that from me.




She is a real girly girl.

If I forget (nah, me?) to put her barrettes in her hair she is rainmain on steroids, "barrettes, barrettes, barrettes". Ok,Kate we get it. You want your barrettes? Princess in training. Help me lord....

Today she pretended the cord on my sweat pants was lipstick. She kept putting it on over and over with a huge grin and big lip smacking grunts of "mmmm mmmmmm.



Her most favorite thing is announcing to anyone and everyone when she's wearing anything new. 'New shoes, new hat, new dress, new socks'. And of course letting everyone know when mommy is drinking her "duice". Busted!



Katie is my snuggle bug and a kissing bandit. It is nothing for her to plant a big fat kiss on Abbey. She is also perfectly content sitting on my lap all day and singing. The sweetest words to my ears are when she says "mommy, mommy" in her Freddy Kruger voice. Ahhh, how sweet it is?

Katie is the obedient one. Makes my heart sing like a canary. She comes when she is called... the first time....Yea, it's true. Not necessarily the case with my other twin....who will stop.... listen... and run in the opposite direction laughing the entire way! Me running behind her screaming... Get back here...and when I catch you......

Katie too can count to 10. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the Guantanamo interrogations, but dang she can count!! She also knows basic shapes, circle, square, star, sun, and moon. They both seem to think everything is purple which is oddly funny because we don't have a purple thing in our house nor do I like purple.But baby do we have the pink covered....Poor Jeff, so out numbered....

I find myself laughing out loud at her antics and her sheer cuteness. I love you little Katie bug.

Better than paradise?

Relive high blood presurre?! AND sleep... restfully. without any sleep aide help? How I wish I had known. I doubt dh will agree to paint the house. A third time. Especially since the other two times were perfect. *wink* But sleep.... well maybe he might buy that one.

You Should Paint Your Room Blue

Peaceful and soothing, blue rooms have been known to reduce blood pressure. Your blue room will encourage deep rest and great sleep. A blue room is the perfect oasis for a stressful life.

What Color Should You Paint Your Room?

Do you live here?

I was running late story of my life from work yesterday and decided to get dinner on the minute I flew through the door. I have this (not for long however) painful commute of 1 1/2 hours each way five days a week. Grueling. Anyway, I asked dh if he wouldn't mind getting the 'yung uns' ready ready for bed and I would be up to tuck them in. We normally both put the girls to bed in the evening. Bedtime has always been our special time with them. No interruptions just us.

I finish up in the kitchen I like to think of myself as Martha Stewart always creating something new and exciting -- anyhoots-- and head up the stairs. I could hear them laughing and carrying on in the girls room. I think to myself great daddy is getting them all wound up before bed-time. Don't be upset. I step into their room and there they stand bundled up in fleece footie pajama's! Not to mention the sweat pouring down their little faces. You would have thought it was 30 below instead of 80 degrees outside.

I asked very casually "why didn't you put them in their other pajamas"? Meaning... spring. He looked at me with this glazed over look and said very slowly -as if it were a trick question "what other pajamas? And then continued by saying "you said their pajamas are in the bottom drawer". Oh, you mean you actually listen to me? I guess I do hold a little clout after all. Ok, so he had me on that one. But I had told him numerous times that we only kept the winter jammies there however and the spring in another drawer.

I'm not upset or even shocked about dh not knowing where we keep these things as the real irony is he has no idea where he keeps his own sock, t-shirts, and underwear. I have to snicker as I watch him each and every morning slam the drawers in clear desperation looking for them. Like they walked off in the middle of the night! There is always a little sigh when he finally hits the right door like he just discovered the mother lode. I have to chuckle.

Did she really say that?

Do I think our girls are the smartest ever? But of course. Regular Einsteins! Can't you see the wheels turning now? I hear Harvard calling their name.

Words that only a mother could say. *wink* At any rate the girls continue to amaze us with the things they say and do.

When I came home from work tonight Katie said to me "come here mommy" and then continued to repeat it a gazillion times. Jeff and I just looked at one another and burst out laughing.

They've recently started putting 2-3 words together. A complete sentence?

Well, almost. Where has the time gone? Just yesterday they were babies.

Daddy obviously did some serious "coaching" with the girls tooday as he later demonstrated

by saying "who loves daddy" to which Katie replied "me, me, me, me I love daddy". He seemed to be pretty proud of himself.

I took some photos of girls playing outside having a great time. I think spring has finally arrived!

There was no hitting or pushing and they were complete angels. Every neighbor that was within ear shot distance they screamed "new shoes" and "new dress". They thought they looked pretty cute. We did too. Not biased at all.

No, I don't usually let them play in the trash can, but they were so excited about picking every stick and stone up and throwing it away. Talk about keeping them entertained!

Whatever works.....

Lost touch

I'm an addict... Computer that is. I'm experiencing technical difficulties. Literally. My computer is on the brink. Thank G-d my friend was good enough to lend me one of her laptops. How many friends would do that?

I feel like I've lost touch with the world. To make matters worse I don't have a computer at work either. I'm in a new community and I'm not really functional yet. Talk about a long day...... I've actually had to be productive while at work instead of trolling my favorite blogger sites. *wink* (of course who in this day and age doesn't set up computers first)

I didn't realize how much I've grown to depend on my computer. Hopefully next week I'll be operational. Stay tuned.........................

Tribute to those who lost their lives at VT

Today is not about me or my children. However the horror and utter sadness that surrounds Virginia Tech.

I would like to pay my respects to those who lost their lives at Virginia Tech in a senseless shooting yesterday. Young people who had promise of hopes and dreams. Their whole lives before them. Snatched from us before had a chance to make their mark in life. Words turly can not express my deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those lost in the massacre.

Although we are not from Virginia originally this is our home now and where we hang our hat. We have so many friends who either went to VT or have friends or family currently there now. This is such a terribly sad time for all through out the country.

I can not imagine the pain and loss they must be feeling. Truly senseless...Tragic.

Aww --- The price of beauty

Does my hubby think I look like this effortlessly????

Smokin hot!

This is the way I usually greet him after a hard day at the office.....*wink*






Apparently though baby doesn't know it cost a kings ransom for me to look like I do.

Recent Trip to the hair salon:

• Hair Cut $60.00


• Highlighting (ok... all natural) $120.00


• Glazing whatever the heck that is... $35.00


• Tip hairdresser $45.00


• Tip Shampoo Girl $5.00


• Hair Products instructed by hubby not to purchase--so defiant $94.00

Hubby getting the ransom note..... PRICELESS!!

Rules to live by--mommies rules

Everyone has a story and this is life 101 in our home or I like to call it keeping mommy happy....

• Just so we understand one anther Reality is merely my idea of how things should be.
• When I ask for your advice I'm merely looking for an accomplice. I don't need you to correct what I've said, just confirm.. kapesh?
  
• I'll do the talking---you listen. no it's not negotiable.
  
• I'm thinking... interpretation--- the answer is always NO.
  
• Just remember "I can see you at all times, don't embarrass me".
• Team effort-- do what I say.
• This is not a part I had to audition for.....I ain't acting
• I do not make mistakes... I like to refer to it as "experience.
  
• Don't judge me. I'm your mother.
  
• No need to look it up.. ask your father I know everything!
  
• The minority is always right. I'm the minority......
• Take your clothes off, no not you dear....er, well not now at least...
  

My Double--- It's all you Abbey

Abbey is my double-- a "mini-me". *sigh* Armed with an attitude. my luck--two in one family... Who said "paybacks were hell"? I don't doubt for a minute she will be the one to push me off the bridge and before she's two! Gads I'm aging in dog years......

She is a real free spirit. Constant motion. She never stops.... She'll keep me young forever...or kill me.. She can't take it in quick enough or fast enough. "The Destroyer". Anything she touches self-destructs. She is always trying to figure out how to take something apart or how it works. She rips up and tears up. She laughs loudest and unfortunately cries louder. We have learned we never miss Abbey's nap time, not on purpose anyway.




Abbey is all about the bows (although she never leaves them in) clips and hair accessories. She loves her hats and will plop it on her head and exclaim "hat, hat, hat". Whenever she sees someone wearing a hat she will repeat continually. Sounds like Rainman. She especially loves her "new shoes" as she squeals in delight every morning until we put them on. Only for her to take them off two minutes later. **sigh** story of my life. Dressing and undressing.









She is an extremely bright child and can (really Sen) count to 10. I don't say this because she's my daughter. Unfortunately I can't claim any of the gene pool. I'm thinkin I had no idea how to count let alone to 10 before I started school. My how times have changed. Right?! School with them should prove to be interesting for mommy....I'm guessing I may be spending a lot of
time in the classroom and not for their beneifit....

Passions, Virtues, and Vices

Got your attention. This is actually how I met your father. Before you silly little bugs it was just daddy and I. Ah, when life was simple. So simple. I want you to understand the nuances (right)that brought us together. No, he was not desperate--silly girls.... Yes, I remember him jumping up and down. That's before the newness wore off. It's true I had to move 12 states away to find your father. Or did he find me?

You remember me telling you about my very "glamorous" job working for the airlines once upon a time? You know little money only could afford happy hour with free nuts back then but a ton of perks free free free travel and great uniforms. Wow. Hard to believe I gave all that up. *wink* Fast forward 10+years. No longer with the airlines. Tired of being poor and single. *gasp*. I'm now in Atlanta working for a company in sales. Must have done something right or pissed someone off but the next thing I know I'm being promoted and moved to south Florida. Now when they said they were moving me I did not envision a U-haul with two guys moving my crap and me riding in the cab with them. No, I assumed it would be like all corporate moves and there would be professional mover's packing me and moving me. Needless to say I was a bit stunned when I learned my professional move would be a U-Haul truck courtesy of the company and me. Nice. At any rate I thought I had hit the lotto. Wait a minute I'm getting a picture rolling into Ft. Lauderdale with my car in-tow and me in the middle of two stinky truck drivers. Gawd! That was one long drive.....almost forgot about the break down before leaving Atlanta. Yea, it was a long drive.

I moved into this sweet boutique apartment right on the water. Boy oh boy, I had arrived. Or so I thought. Great place, great people. Actually when I think about it now there were a lot of misfits! But this is where I met your daddy. He was so darn normal. Well, for misfits.

I don't know how it really happened, but the next thing I knew I had wormed my way into daddy's pad and had seduced him into buying a place together. He thought it was his idea. We bought a little place that was nearly perfect With the exception of the kitchen. It needed a mini face-lift but daddy convinced me he could do this. Flashing red beacon. Jewish men don't do manual labor. Yes, I'm generalizing but my Jewish man doesn't do manual labour. I should have known better. (He said he had....) I didn't think we would survive the wedding after the kitchen. Err, well we did learn what Jeff's short comings were. Thank goodness one of Jeff's buddies came to our rescue and finished the job.

I may have "hinted" *wink* that I wasn't going to "hang" around forever which translated to get off your butt and marry me buck-o! He just needed a little push. I'm thinkin he was afraid he might loose such a catch. Now Jeff being the romantic that he is had been planning for weeks the "big moment". Me, who had no clue came home from work one night running through the front door at a million miles a minute. Normal speed for me. I stopped dead in my tracks. There were rose petals everywhere. From the front door to the living room and there on the coffee table was a big fat vase of roses. Gorgeous. I truly didn't have a clue. I found myself asking, "what is this for"? I really didn't have a clue. Jeff was beaming and said "just because, but look at the roses". When I did that's when I saw the bling. It was tucked inside one of the rose petals. The rest is history.....


For the record, daddy does not do manual labour at the house. We can't afford the damage he causes.....Ouch.

Thank goodness for the Chinese

We were lucky today that the Chinese restaurant was open. Where else would we Jewish (me the wannabe--husband authentic) people and our children eat on Easter?! We had the entire place to ourselves!! We have built quite a friendship with the owner of the restaurant during our adoption wait and and she was there today with her little girl. We felt like "rock stars". We got the royal treatment.




Katie and Abbey were both wearing new shoes and repeated it about 100 times. "New Shooooooes". Sophie, the owner's daughter took turns feeding Katie and Abbey. We didn't have the heart to tell her that they eat by themselves or that they were little girls and not boys. She kept saying "he really likes that". It was soo cute.. Katie kept begging for more soup.

Happy Easter to all of you who celebrate!!

Mommy and girls

Girls and I decided to venture out again this week. Wow. Twice in one week for me. Yea, yea I know other's do it, I'm just not so inclined to. A record at any rate. The truth of the matter is the girls are flower girls in one of Jeff's college bud's wedding in a couple weeks and I needed to purchase their dresses. His friend obviously has no idea my girls do not always preform on demand... like never....and are very unpredictable. Oh, how I pity them... Oh, back to the story, Anyway I quickly slapped them in their car seats in record time and took off bat out of hell. Only had a small window of opportunity before one of them started touching the other one and pissing her off. They always do. But do they have to wait until I'm driving and can't do a damn thing about it?!

We set off to purchase the dresses and I decided as a treat(?) we would stop at the germ infested play area at the mall for a little play time before returning home. They went crazy as we cruised by earlier. I thought they were going to climb right out of their stroller. You can imagine when I pulled up and parked my "ride" I barely got their shoes off and can't wear shoes at this place they were off and running. Barely gave me a backward glance. Mommy who." This was my first time alone at the play area but I felt pretty confident as there was only one escape door! Girls not even fazed by the big kids who were pushing and shoving the little kids. Katie is into picking up and tossing things in the trash and since she couldn't find a trash can she brought me a nasty snot rag!! eeeewww.... thanks Kate.

After an hour they reluctantly allowed me to strap them back in their strollers so we could head home. Wanted to beat rush hour traffic .I got them loaded up without incident in the car and headed home. Not a peep out of them. I looked in my rear view mirror and I grinned to myself. They were out like a light! Awww there is a G-d.

Getting Braver

I've been getting a little more brave and decided to take the girls with me *gasp* today to meet some friends for lunch. Normally I wouldn't be so inclined to take them anywhere without my traveling entourage. But, I figured I can do this. Right? And I flew without a safety net. NO STROLLER. Yikes.... My biggest fear was that they would run in two different directions once we got inside the restaurant. They didn't. Surprise, surprise. Maybe it was because it was a new place or was it that stern talk I had with them before we got there? Hmmm.....




But before we got to the restaurant we did have to jump through a few hoops. I knew we needed to leave the house by 11:00am (knew this was never going to happen on a good day...) if we were going to make it by noon. I went upstairs to change and thought it would be perfectly ok to leave the girls unattended for a few minutes. I mean, how much damage could they do in just a few minutes?! I dressed hurriedly and ran back downstairs. There the girls were standing naked down to their diaper and laughing. Aaaah. You ever have one of those feelings like you just can't move quick enough? And to top it off Abbey had a major poo which meant another delay. I finally got them re-dressed and in the car.













I had a great time with my girlfriends Crissy and Heather and little Ashley. Believe it or not the girls were almost perfect. My girlfriends wanted to take pictures as this was not a Rony they once knew. ha ha... The girls followed me in the restaurant as I said "follow the leader". Crissy and Heather thought that was pretty humorous. Like I'm really in charge?! Katie and Abbey did share with them what mommy says, "no, no, no" and they even shook their little fingers like I do. We all got a big laugh out of that.




An elderly couple stopped by the table to comment on how well behaved and adorable they were. They shared with us that they had adopted twin daughters from Japan as babies and they had just turned 21 and were finishing up college. I felt so much compassion towards this couple that I did not know. I know what we had to endure to finally have our family I can't imagine what it must have been like so many years ago.


We managed to finish up before there were any real explosions or melt downs from the girls. I was holding my breath and saying a silent prayer. We had a quiet ride home. Katie caught a couple zzzzz's and Abbey was on her cell phone all the way home. Who was she talking to?

















They have been entertaining daddy this evening which always cracks me up.......

Schmartey Pants......Yep, that's my girls

We knew from day one they were schmart (insert braggart here). We warned everyone "no need for testing" we already know they're gifted. Would hate to waste the money for a professional (no offense Dr. Marie..)to tell us what we already know. **cough**cough** But dang are my girls schmart....I walk into their room this morning and Katie says "mommy, stinky". Yep, that's right she had a smelly. Abbey kept pointing at Katie's bum and saying "poo-poo". Sure enough she does. Of course the smell waifing through the air was a dead give away. Anyway I changed both girls and told them to go to daddy's bathroom. They get such a kick out of watching daddy in the shower. I'm sure they're wondering about the "plumbing"..... Daddy can only take so much of them saying "hair, hair" (he was shampooing--I felt the need to clarify)and he jumps out of the shower and starts toweling off. The girls were giving him a play by play account of everything he was doing. Katie kept hugging herself and saying "cold, cold" which meant daddy needed to wrap up in the towel. When he put on his deodorant the girls mirrored his every move and used sponge Bob as their deodorant. When he started brushing his teeth they kept saying "teff, teff". I was laughing my butt off.

They have started using the potty, well no not really. They carry it around over their heads as if they were Olympic world heavy weight champ. They drag it into the family room and sit on it like a bean bag chair and watch T.V.! Totally grosses Jeff out. Thank goodness the thing has never formally been christened. When they do sit on the big potty they go through an entire roll of toilet paper....and not even tinkle..where do they learn this stuff?!


Now when I put lipstick or gloss on the girls want some too. Rare for me... So I apply my lip gloss on the girls and now they are using my sweat (yea, yea I know... I don't sweat) pants cords as their lipstick. They will pucker up and make the same sound I do. Mmmmm, mmm. They are funny little girls.


Katie will say when we're going up or down the steps "Cmon". That means get the move on.. And they both say Nooooooooooooo and mean it!! Ha ha... The funniest to me is when they stand in front of the T.V. with their cell phone and point it at the T.V. like it were a remote! aaaah....









They both can count to ten and they're not even two yet!! I think that's brilliant... Come to think about it they know animal sounds and animals too. They know their colors and shapes. Everyday is a new adventure and I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring........stay tuned..............

Words your social worker should not hear....

"Do you want to go back in your cage"? Now that would've been real awkward explaining to the social worker . You can check out anytime you want but you can never leave... You're our little prisoner's now girls!! kidding. The Eagles wrote the song specifically for us. *wink*



No, we don't have a cage for the girls, although....well I won't go there... hee hee. We do have gates set up to keep them out of certain rooms.. Like the dang wine cart. It never fails when we let them "out" they are always over playing with my wine bottles. Hmmm.



Anyway they will stand and hang over their "cage" and yell "mommy, mommy, mommy" until they have my full attention. Music to my ears, unless they're crying. Where is daddy when you need him?


I was in the kitchen last night trying to come up with something new to throw together for dinner. You know, keep it exciting. (or is that in the bedroom??) Anyway, girls were fussing in the other room with one another and about to push me right over the edge. So, the solution , er well I thought at the time was to let them out and into the kitchen (gasp) with mommy. I thought it would be big fun for the girls --what a mistake---to play in the kitchen while mommy started dinner. Under normal circumstances this would've been ok. BUT Jeff had gone for a quick (secretly escaping the three of us) run so I was all alone. Really alone. Must have had a temporary brain lapse as anyone who knows me knows my kitchen is NOT child proofed. (we really are going to get around to proofing it...must find time). Girls were in all the cupboards and drawers, one was in the dog dish (typical) and the other in the pantry or under the sink. It was serious comedy central trying to keep them out of everything. I was perspiring heavily counting down the minutes until Jeff would miraculously walk through the door and rescue me. The girls were totally unfazed by my ranting and raving arms flailing and talking to myself. Which seemed to only encourage them to laugh, and wrap themselves around my legs and beg for "juice, juice, juice" as if it were a cocktail. ha ha. We taught them to "click" their juice glasses and say "cheers". So, guess what they do now every time they have juice?! We've created manamals...













Prince Charming walks in the house all smelly and sweaty unprepared for the scene we had in the kitchen. As he saunters in and asks why the girls are in the kitchen he casually hands me the final post placement report. Be still heart of mine. I swear my heart skipped a beat. Did I think they would take them back? I mean, they are our girls. I don't think they've(Katie and Abbey) called China lately asking to be re-matched. They do spend an ornate amount of time on their cell phones. Of course speaking a language that only they understand. Should I be worried?








We must have passed the parenting test or fooled our social worker. Which is more likely the case. They were on their very best behavior. But of course. They had a new audience member and preformed the performance of their life. Academy award winning. *wink* Julia Roberts you got nothing on these two!! Seriously...








For the record I am their real mommy and I'm about as "real" as they get.. cough cough.... but they are mine. I'm the one with my darling hubby too who crawls out of bed at 2am to rock them or give them cough medicine when they're chocking or just plain don't feel well or need a hug from mommy. I'm the one who loves them , bathes them, feeds them, and who will make sure they are educated. Even when they might not want to be... But, dammit I will put up a good fight trying. I hope they always know how much they were wanted and loved. Cause, I'm their mommy.

Always the Bridesmaid never the bride

Well, sad but true the "Gator's" cracked the "nut". AGAIN. Ok, no I'm not gloating, but nuf said the proof is in the puddin.








Here's the number one fan after the big win......he was operating on sheer adrenaline after working in DC yesterday and getting up at o-dark hundred to join the other commuters traveling into the District. He crawled in late last night tired but smiling...He wouldn't miss the big game if he were chained to a desk. I don't know that I'm that committed to anything.

The Gator's should be lucky to have him as a fan.