The Paynes were here!!!!!

We just had the most amazing visit with some of my favorite people on the planet.

You know the type of friends that you make that are once in a lifetime, and if the stars weren't aligned perfectly, you might never have met them but since everything was in place - you did and you're life is so much better for it.

You're very similar to each other (she's crafty, he's a musician) but also very opposite each other.(Christian Republicans, versus non-religious hardly ever even vote types - avid swearers - versus well, good christians) But you get along and can literally talk about anything without getting upset or angry even if it's on opposite sides of the argument. You spend a year or so together before you start having kids and you play board games and watch movies and make pot luck dinners, and decorate your Christmas trees at the same time (cause you live next door and can do so with your doors wide open.) Their kid says Titi before he says lots of other words and walks up the stairs to his house - but knocks on your door first EVERYTIME just to say hi:)

The type of people you will cat sit for for a whole MONTH- even though you HATE cats. (we became buds) and who you will travel via 2 flights to celebrate their first borns 1st birthday with - yeah those people!

So, they surprised the hell out of us and flew up with their 2 beautiful kids and spent 4 nights with us.
I can't believe I didn't take a picture of their accomodations!!!  - we turned Katie's room into a suite with a queen sized air mattress, a crib and a twin bed and she bunked with me for those nights.

4 kids and 4 adults in this teeny tiny house and it worked. We went to NYC, Irvington to visit our old park and a favorite restaurant we used to eat at. (pre-children) We had a big old birthday party for BaBa cause I thought it would be nice that all the kids could celebrate a birthday together since we always miss out on birthdays since we all live so far away. We laughed - made fun of each other - drank and realized that the size of our bunch warranted an entire birthday cake gone. (well, Auntie Steph pointed that out!)

2 couples - turned into 3 couples - turned into 2 couples with 2 babies and then 3 couples with 5 babies and now 3 couples with 7 babies - all in a matter of 6 years since we've known each other! It was awesome - we all had a blast and I'm just sad it's over but can't wait until we all get together again! Plans are in the making for building a compound down south A la Big Love - only each husband will only have 1 wife - but we will all share our backyards and live together;)

 3 Strollers - 4 parents - about 80 city blocks walked = great day in NYC

 Emergency McDonalds stop to avoid afternoon crankiness

 First date at the Red Hat - fruit plate, french fries and go gurts!

 Lunch at the Red Hat

 Uncle Jeremy was 'on duty' while the moms talked in the kitchen

 me with the littles

 Ben swimming in the sand at the Irvington park

 The dads playing with the Bigs

 Uncle Jeremy and the littlest little

 8 adults and 9 kids at a bar/restaurant... we like to keep people on their toes

 Watching Curious George at night to settle down

 Happy Birthday Ba Ba Pinata

 The Original 6

The current 13!!!! well (Lucy was sleeping - so if she had been in this pic - it would be 13!)

We're still going!

Wow... so... we are still dealing wit having someone sick pretty much all the time around here. The kids just aren't getting used to all the germs at daycare and it's really taking it's toll.

The latest was an ear infection in Katie that made her throw up all day long (poor thing - we had no idea ear infections could do that and she never once complained about anything not feeling right)

That's the other thing about our kids being sick - it's always SO HARD to tell because they aren't whiny, sad, grumpy or anything really when they are sick. Bronchitis, ear infections, coxsackie and each time we had to take them to the doctor because we had a feeling something was off - not because they were sad and miserable.

They are both getting insanely big and they are both so so smart. Katie continues to knock us off our feet with her quick wit and charm - Dinner conversation one night...

Me: Katie - This is cantaloupe, I want you to try some.

Katie:I don't like cantaloupe

Me: Do you know who loves cantaloupe? Mo Mo and B (we were going to see them the next day so I ingeniously thought this would be a good motivator to try it)

Katie: Well, maybe we can take this cantaloupe over to their house and they can eat it because they like it

No attitude - just matter of fact - makes total sense cause I'm not eating it  - Touche

Ben is alarmingly smart for a little boy who doesn't really talk. He understands almost everything we tell him and can answer simple yes or no questions - he can identify animals and characters in books and loves reading before bed.He follows instructions like take your shoes off, put this in the garbage, etc... and they are starting to interact with each other more which makes me SO happy!

He's a critic of his books too - if we pick the wrong one - he will stare at it- think for a second and then push it away while emphatically shaking his head - then you pick up another one and he thinks about it (like he's remembering what's in the story and if he wants to hear it) and then will sit back and nod and go UGH - which means - yes, you may read this book to me now.

Bedtime is becoming a bit of a challenge for us with Katie - she's stalling and arguing and crying and yelling if she doesn't get everything she wants. We kind of created that issue since we used to always give in so she wouldn't wake Ben and now we are paying the price for it and it's AWFUL.

Our new bootcamp plan includes waking her up earlier in the morning - telling her daycare she can't nap anymore and starting bedtime at 8 instead of 7:30 - which means she ends up going to be like, an hour before I do - which is CRAZY!!!! Fingers crossed this works because the past few weeks have been stressful! So far the putting her to bed later isn't really working in our favor as it's 8:50 and Dave is still up there arguing with her.... fingers crossed

What else, we haven't gone to Sesame in awhile because someone is always sick so we are planning on taking them this weekend which I am already regretting because end of summer is the WORST time of year for that place - the people get nasty - the park gets dirty and it's gonna be crowded - but - the kids won't recognize any of that so I am putting my big girl pants on and we are going to take them because they have been so good lately (except bedtime) and they deserve a little play time:)

Dave and Katie went to a Wiggles Concert a few weeks ago and we just had an amazing visit from our very good friends the Paynes from Mobile, Alabama. (that will be it's own post as there is WAY too much to write to include here)

Work is going AMAZING for me and we have all adjusted to having two parents working full time.
We have even figured out how to both get some time to get to the gym a few times a week which is great. ( I go in the mornings before work and Dave goes after the kids are sleeping at night)

Other than that we are just trying to survive every day. Who knew that by adding one little kid to the mix - you would literally lose all quiet time you ever had a chance of having and all ability to do ANYTHING that isn't about them.
Good thing they are SO Darn cute!!!!