tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-112189372010-01-01T20:49:22.094-08:00Our journey through life with the twinados, adopted from China in 2006.M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.comBlogger835125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-71562925188888020022010-01-01T19:27:00.000-08:002010-01-01T20:01:48.113-08:00

Ro and Ree are party animals I tell you. Crazy girls. Around 3pm yesterday, TubaDad and I decided that since we weren't going anywhere and no one was coming over (just in case we were contagious) we'd have a private little family New Year's party. So, while the girls were napping, TubaDad snuck out to the store and got some party supplies.I took the girls for a short walk while TubaDad decorated,

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-53768391855400490912010-01-01T13:34:00.000-08:002010-01-01T13:35:47.764-08:00

Happy New Year! LStewart was chosen as the winner in the Hershey's $100 giveaway. Read all details here.

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-91616212491763276492009-12-31T13:16:00.000-08:002009-12-31T13:25:09.634-08:00

Yeah, nothing special about this picture at first glance, right?But it gives an awful lot of clues about what a typical morning looks like around here:And typical is pretty darn nice, if you ask me. No one's sick (yessss!), everyone is happy, and we're about to sample the chocolate-chip-bacon pancake mix* that I got TubaDad for Christmas. Mmmmm. Have a great New Year's Eve. And speaking of, does

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-29321503229055247942009-12-30T18:22:00.000-08:002009-12-30T18:59:49.873-08:00

Ugh. No pretty pictures today, but we're home safe and sound, which counts for something!TubaDad and Ree got a nasty stomach bug last night and no one got any sleep. They were feeling better (although exhausted) by this morning, and we figured we had a really short window of time to get home before anyone else came down with this. The thought of getting it while en route was kind of horrifying to

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-77869737281530957352009-12-29T20:25:00.000-08:002009-12-29T20:57:47.463-08:00

Big day for the little peeps. Actually, big day for everyone. The fun started last night with a late-night walk in the snow. We were originally planning to drive around the lake and show the girls all the Christmas lights, but then BobBob and Wela tried to sneak off on a walk, so we crashed their party. Probably put a little damper on their smooching and handholding, but the girls sure enjoyed it

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-71209478090213660192009-12-28T17:49:00.000-08:002009-12-28T18:49:54.669-08:00

TubaDad and I poked around this morning and found a funky little place that sold bearskin rugs and t-shirts and had kid-sized ski equipment to rent. So we got the girls all measured up, signed the rental agreement (it was so cute, Ro and Ree actually wrote their names on the signature lines—I bet my dad is going to have that little paper framed), and walked out of there with four tiny little

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-38262183124029616262009-12-27T19:08:00.000-08:002009-12-27T20:18:25.223-08:00

TubaDad and I are tired (oh so tired) after all the Christmas merriment, but the girls were dying to see some real snow, so we sucked it up and drove to Tahoe.We didn't pack until this morning, but we did think ahead enough to rope my parents into the plan (yes we have flashes of brilliance even when we are dog tired).The girls were so excited that they climbed into the van and strapped

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-33465850602736187162009-12-24T09:48:00.000-08:002009-12-24T15:17:22.241-08:00

The excitement was palpable, eight tiny reindeer (times 3) were ready to fly (musically speaking, of course):First glimpse of mama and daddy in the audience:Wheeeee, this just calls for a sisterly hug!Ro's hat was slipping down and she could barely see, so I tried to pantomime that she should push the hat up. She saw me and yelled out in the middle of the program "Mama, what were you doing?!"

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-999041317058222492009-12-23T22:36:00.000-08:002009-12-23T22:51:00.341-08:00

Was heading up to bed, when I stopped in to check on the girls, as I do every night. Ro was slumbering peacefully. Ree gave me a mild panic attack when I found her bed empty. After glancing around rapidly, I realized she had dragged her chair, blanket pile, and bucket of books over to the opposite corner and was sitting there gazing adoringly at her Christmas tree.After laughing with her, I

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-87514553162947187082009-12-22T14:30:00.000-08:002009-12-22T21:02:28.879-08:00

We spent the day baking with the cousins, and I am excited to report that we now have homemade cookies to leave out for Santa on Christmas eve. (Don't judge, but I've been known to leave out a plate of Oreos in the past, and I even forgot the cookies completely the first year we were home with the girls. Shhhh...)The girls wore their festive Christmas outfits and sparkliest Christmas grins. They

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-40626130599512087922009-12-21T09:07:00.000-08:002009-12-21T09:27:53.368-08:00

Usually TubaDad is the only one who cares enough to bring in the mail. If he's away on a business trip, the neglected stuff just piles up in the mailbox. Sometimes he gets home and can barely pry the lid open it gets so crammed. Oops. But not at Christmastime. It's the one time of year I can't wait for the mailman to drive up. Sometimes the girls and I even meet him at the box when we hear the

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-25810982048493767112009-12-20T09:02:00.000-08:002009-12-20T16:05:56.227-08:00

The girls have had quite an adventure with the man in red over the years. They haven't always loved him, but they have always had strong feelings about him. Heh. We've got all of these pictures hanging in a row on the fireplace, and it is without a doubt my favorite Christmas decoration. Lots of memories in these little mall snapshots. Mouseover any photo to see who's who.2006 ~ 1 year oldThe

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-77707625992254378692009-12-18T09:49:00.000-08:002009-12-18T21:10:42.432-08:00

The girls are revving up for Christmas and you can practically feel the jollies in the air. The holiday cards have been sent (I need to post those pictures, we set up the Salsa Garage Studio again and got some really neat photos), most of the presents have been bought (hm, I also meant to do a post on what we're getting the girls), and we've wrapped about 75% of the things (Ro has been a big help

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-45430535184323943432009-12-16T20:37:00.000-08:002009-12-17T09:53:10.882-08:00

We picked up a couple of you-paint-it plaster ornament kits at the drugstore today and the girls could not wait to dive in. They both loveLoveLOVE painting, I think it must rank up there with candy on their list of favorite things. And the messier and more permanent the paints the better—they scoff at sissy washable watercolors. Anyhow, I velcro them into their Hazmat suits (uh, I mean smocks)

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-16543734475385984912009-12-11T08:34:00.000-08:002009-12-19T11:05:51.259-08:00

It's Fashion Friday, time to check in on the looks that make the four-year-olds (and me) smile. Today the outfits they chose were so bright and happy that I swear they look like the kids in that Gap Kids Cheerleading commercial that's running right now (have you seen it?).Ro picked a blue fleece top and pink scarf and shoes, and Ree chose a Christmassy red and green ensemble. She wasn't quite

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-39294330605460365432009-12-10T15:32:00.000-08:002009-12-10T17:25:00.284-08:00

The girls and I put on our pajamas the other night, then hopped in the van and drove around looking at Christmas lights. At one point, Ree kept trying to say something and Ro kept interrupting and trying to tell her what she should say or how she should say it. I told Ro to please let Ree finish her sentence, that she could say whatever she liked, and that in general you couldn't really tell

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-67856174163101553862009-12-08T22:49:00.000-08:002009-12-10T20:58:58.937-08:00

Ro and Ree have been humming, singing, and doing the moves to some new Christmas tunes that they didn't learn at our house. I am fairly vibrating with excitement -- because this is hard evidence that the preschool is going to put on a bonafide Christmas program. (squeal!) All information has been kept top-secret, TubaDad was actually shooed out of the classroom this morning after dropoff, and

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-17277854163104855222009-12-07T22:20:00.000-08:002009-12-08T08:36:42.325-08:00

We woke up to snow on the nearby mountains, but had a doctor's appointment this morning, so we couldn't just head for the hills. We kept an anxious eye on the thermometer, crossed our fingers that it wouldn't melt before we could get up there, and ran to the girls' four-year checkups.Turned out to be the most thorough appointment we've ever been to, we were there for well over an hour. The girls

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-29791542883613604682009-12-05T20:58:00.000-08:002009-12-06T21:56:54.379-08:00

TubaDad is still hanging in there, although his head has really been hurting today and his ribs are still terribly sore. Things have been so hectic lately, there is simply no way to catch up on the blog. So, here are a few quickie collages that give a little peek into what we've been up to (I just point my FotoFusion Lumapix program at the pictures I want and click "auto collage").1. Thanksgiving

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-5778250886809868862009-12-04T21:28:00.000-08:002009-12-05T10:20:47.490-08:00

The girls and I were recently asked to test out three recipes using Hershey's Kisses. See how we did and what exactly the girls did with those kisses (not super sanitary, but they sure had fun). And while you're at it, don't forget to enter the holiday giveaway to win a $100 Visa gift card.

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-40220456680475752002009-12-04T10:16:00.000-08:002009-12-19T11:06:02.036-08:00

TubaDad isn't moving very fast today. (If you don't know why, read the accident post below.) I had to go downstairs and get him two Percocets before he could even get out of bed. Yeesh. The pain has really set in to his rib area in particular. The eye area is looking nastier by the minute with the weird reddish bruising, but it's not too sore. He says his forehead is still kind of numb, it feels

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-16268973637959044942009-12-03T15:19:00.000-08:002009-12-08T09:11:12.028-08:00

TubaDad was supposed to get home from his latest business trip Wednesday at lunchtime, but Tuesday night, around 10pm, I got a phone call from him that started like this: "Hi it's me, don't freak out, I'm fine, but I'm riding in an ambulance on the way to the hospital right now..." What??!! I don't think I did so well on the "don't freak out" part.Turns out he had been riding in a cab near the

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com117tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-19438470720220431382009-12-01T19:55:00.000-08:002009-12-01T21:00:23.063-08:00

I can't even watch this without cracking up. These girls just kill me.This video would have been even longer, by the way, but my arms got tired of holding up the camera. They kept at it for another 15 or 20 minutes. I can't decide what I like best, the way that Ree's songs go on and on and on forever, the fact that she kills off the bee in the first mermaid song, that neither girl is thrown by

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-29060905668466897172009-11-25T16:13:00.000-08:002009-11-25T22:21:31.469-08:00

If your kids are anything like ours, the idea of a day centered around eating and talking is a yawner. So we spice up our Thanksgiving with some kid-friendly activities. We make and decorate gingerbread houses (that was our new tradition as of last year) and also do some kind of Thanksgiving crafty thing. This year we're going to have everyone at the table make and wear turkey-drumstick hats.

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11218937.post-9199486376726877252009-11-24T16:37:00.000-08:002009-11-24T17:07:19.724-08:00

I am so insanely behind, and really want some of this stuff documented for the girls later on, so I'm just going to have to grit my teeth and throw up a bulleted post. Let's pretend they're somewhat-related "Big" things, K?♥ Big Girl: Ro suddenly decided to keep her pull-ups dry at night, and furthermore wanted a sticker chart (with a prize of her choosing) to chart the progress. And I'll be

M3http://www.blogger.com/profile/13775708069296721624m3.email@yahoo.com17