Button Cute

Well, we've reached another milestone in twin parenting. I have now successfully kept them alive for 3 months! *bow, bow* It's amazing how time flies. I can't say I have 'newborns' anymore... they are officially just babies. These little guys are just sweet as can be, and dare I say, Cute as buttons.

At their two month appointments, Miles had reached 13lb 1 oz, and Dex was up to 12lb 9 oz. They are growing and growing. I'm wondering, if they eat me out of house and home now.... how will I cope when they are teenagers? I hear teenage boys pretty much send you to the poor house. (Unless they are wrestlers like my brother.... my mom had to plead with him to eat a rice cake..... so maybe these guys will be wrestlers?)

They are really, really good babies. This past week, they have slept the majority of the night; including the past 4 nights, where they actually slept for 12 hours solid! Can I get a Woot, Woot?

These boys have a few favorite things that they both agree on:

~ Maggie. She is their huge source of entertainment. She is constantly in their face saying loud and goofy "Hi babies!!" or "Hello" or just tickling their chinny chin chins.
~ Dad. He always is making them laugh. How is it that mommy, being their chief source of food and love and cuddles gets instantly turned into chopped liver as soon as daddy comes down and squishes the laughs (or toots) out of them?
~ food. They never get enough. These babes can chug down 8 oz and still root for more. What piggies!
~snuggles. They always want people to hold them and tell them how cute they are.
~laughing. It's hilarious: Both boys get really bad hiccups when they laugh, but they still love to do it.
~diapers. They both immensely dislike getting their diapers changed. It makes you wonder why they keep pooping if they know the end result? (food+poop=discomfort)
~vibrating stuffed animals. These make the biggest smiles known to man appear on these little cherub's faces.
~Alli holding them. For some reason, no matter if Alli is making them shake like a bobble head doll- these boys delight in Alli holding them.

Here's some Miles facts:
He doesn't like being in a room by himself. He doesn't like feeling like he's in a room by himself. We can't lay him in the crib while he's awake to just chill out- he wants to see what's going on, so he prefers to be laid down on the floor to check out what everyone is doing. He loves to snuggle and puke on your shoulder. He also is becoming a pro at grabbing hair. Nothing seems to scare him. He giggles are pretty much everything that dad has to say. He loves to be sitting up or standing- no laying this boy down while you are holding him, unless he is eating. He also eats less than Dexter, but still weighs more. Odd.
Overall- he's just a sweet little man.

Nicknames: Mr. Miles, Big M, Smily Miley, Mr. Kilometer

Dexter facts:
He's more of a laid back guy than Miles. He loves to be held, but is content to chill by himself. He is my super thumb sucker extraordinaire. I've never had a thumb sucker before, so I guess I was due for one with child #4. I hate that he's doing it- but I must say, he's awfully cute to watch. I have a feeling this will backfire on me in 2-3 years.A huge milestone: The week before these boys turned 3 months- Dex was reaching for his thumb with such great intensity, he rolled over. It started him... and us. It hasn't happened again since. Dexter is also the sensitive one. He doesn't appreciate loud noises, and Chip's weird high pitched noises make him super sad, a lot. He has big crocodile tears when he gets sad. He also doesn't like cold things touching him. It also makes him cry. (He must get this from Grammy.) Dexter prefers to just be sitting while he's being held- he doesn't like standing that often- it's just too tiring. He's just my cute little snuggle buddy.

Nicknames: Dex-Mex, Dilly Dex, Dex-a-million, Dingle Dex


P.s. It was their sweet sister Maggie who offered up her princess blanket for this photo shoot. Such a nice sister.

Second Grade

Our adventure into Alli's second grade year started with our traditional back to school shopping trip with Alli's best friends Zoe and Allie Kat. It was fun to watch the girls get all excited and giggling over silly things like leopard patterned scissors, kitty folders, mechanical pencils with a glitter finish, and the all important lunch box. It was so cute watching them do the 'monkey walk' down Target's isles. If only we could all get away with doing the monkey walk in Target.....

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On Wednesday, August 25- the big day arrived.

I officially have a second grader *sniff, sniff*

Alli was so excited and nervous to start the new school year. I think we were all one big ball of nerves. I was extremely nervous to meet the new principal. (Remember this post?) Our new principals name is Shawanna. I wish I were joking. I kept thinking that the school would be put into another downward ghetto spiral again.

This is one time in my life that I am glad that was wrong with my first impression. She (so far) is awesome! She made the school into a wonderland. She had multi-colored balloon arches around the hall ways, Mylar star balloons lining the ceiling, and each teacher had hats and party horns that said "Happy New Year!" Talk about blowing me away! The old principal wouldn't even allow the students to bring cupcakes on their birthdays or have any sort of holiday party. I'm crossing my fingers that this year is different.


We got to meet Alli's new teacher. She is new to the school- and from what I've seen of her, I really like her. She is firm but sweet.

I have to say, that even though Alli was excited to go to school- there were some sad faces around the house, missing her. (Seriously- if Miles can do this now, and melt me with that cute little pout lip- how am I going to handle it when he's older?)

When Alli got home from her first day of school she said that her new shoes helped her out run all the boys that were chasing her at recess. Lucky thing that she got new shoes.

Welcome to your new year in second grade, my little Alli girl. May it be a good one (for all of us.)

Colorful

This morning Chip woke me up and said "We have a child who's a different color." I didn't know what was in store for me. When I looked at my floor, I had to die..... laughing.

I knew that Maggie came into our room last night. She came in around 2am, I helped her make a bed on my floor, and then I laid down and went to sleep. Apparently.... she didn't follow my example of falling asleep. Instead, she found the box of Crayola (non-washable style) Markers and stealthily decorated herself.

Her Back and legs. Lovely.
She had gone the distance and outlined each and every toe and finger. Made sure to take painstaking care to make pretty designs on her knees that were different colors than the rest of her legs. What can I say.... she's an artist.

Chip said, "All done in the dark... if she had a little light, I bet she wouldn't have missed a spot." I think he's right.

When I woke Maggie up she had a HUGE smile on her face. Huge. She was so proud of her artwork. She was showing all her little details that she made. Then she realized she was a mess and said "I need to take a bath time." My thoughts exactly.

She was impressed with all the color that she turned the water. Pretty.

I asked her why she colored herself and she said "Cause I want to have a tattoo!"

I think the gods are punishing me for watching Miami Ink and LA Ink on Netflix while I'm nursing the twins. In my faith, we believe that our body is a temple and should be respected and treated as such- which means, only one ear piercing, no other body piercings, and as you can guess.... no tattoos. Even though I know I'm not supposed to get tattooed, I didn't think it was a sin to watch other people get it done.... I was obviously wrong. Now Maggie is obsessed with getting some 'ink' done.

I scrubbed and scrubbed this child. I think under the pigments her skin was probably rosy pink (we'll never know for sure.) I scrubbed her for probably 30 minutes. I'm pretty sure that she will need about 45 more secessions in the tub to get a little whiter and less blue/green/black/brown.
This is the Maggie after. (I think the bows help distract, right?)

Oddly enough- this is probably the cleanest that Maggie has ever been in her life..... but you'd never know it.

So here are the overall lessons that I learned this morning:
1) All Crayola markers that enter this house from now on need to say the word "washable".
2) I will no longer be watching tattoo shows.
3) Laughter saves a child's life.
4) My children help support my blogging habits.

City Kids Meet Farm

Do you want to know what makes my city kids squeal with delight?
Chickens.
Yep. Chickens.
It's like they've never seen a chicken before. They were so pumped! I guess it doesn't take much to make them happy.

This is at Slate Run Living Historical Farm. It's part of Columbus' Metro Park network. Aside from the Library network (#1 in the NATION), Chip and I will miss the metro parks the most once we leave Ohio. This farm is an 1880's farm, and everything is ran exactly like it was back then. They have some hired workers and volunteers that run it. They have to dress in the time period too. It's just amazing.

One of the entertainments that they had back in 1880 was stilt walking. I got to pull out my big guns and walk like a pro. Yeah- it's one of my many talents. My grandma Adah taught my brother and I how to walk on stilts and then my Grandma Bonnie bought us each a pair. It took us countless hours of leaning up against the house/garage/wall/everything- but we can say that we are 'Stilt Masters' (If you say it in a big echoing voice- it's so much more impressive). I could probably walk on them for a few hours if I needed to. (Which begs to ask: When would that situation arise?... "Needing" to walk on stilts for hours.....)

Anyway- I tried teaching the kids how to do it. I forgot how many hours it took for me to master the stilts- needless to say, none of the kids mastered it in the 5 minute instruction course/practice time they got.


Another of the joys of the farm was pumping water at the well. It makes me want to have a well with a pump. I would make the kids pump it for hours- It kept them so occupied!

The awesome thing about the cans of water you got to fill, was taking that can and bringing it to the garden to water the plants. It was so funny in the garden- the first 2 rows of veggies were fully watered and drenched- every other row was dry as a bone. I guess all the little kids didn't like hauling water that far- Maggie was no exception. She re-watered the row of carrots.

This lady was sitting on the back porch with a tomato grinder. She was making ketchup. After this step she would add vinegar, spices, and then boil it to make it, then she would can it.
The workers on the farm get to make (and eat) one meal per day using only food produced at the farm. They can a lot of food, so they can eat during winter time. The cellar is impressively stocked up. She wouldn't stop to pose for a picture, but she said I could snap one while she worked and talked to me.

The worker then told us it was a good thing we didn't come to the farm on the following day. It was Chicken Butchering day. I couldn't have been more thankful that our spur of the moment trip happened on the day it was on. Yeah- they do all the butchering in plain sight for the public (and children) to behold. It is a teaching farm, after all.

Then we got a bonus treat: She let us bring the tomato leftovers (skins/seeds) over to feed the pigs!

Holy Cow. I forgot how much a pig sty stinks in 90 degree weather. Let's just say that dry heaving did occur, and my friend Michelle finally had to do the dirty work of pouring the tomatoes into the trough.

The pigs apparently weren't disgusted by their filth- and dug right into their new grub.

Alli loved the work horses. I'm not a good judge of how many hands high horses are- but I'm thinking these were about 100 hands tall- at least! (okay, maybe 100 child's hands... but still.. they were HUGE. The Budweiser horses would be jealous.) {Alli had to stand on a 3 1/2 - 4 foot tall ledge to reach this horse}

Maggie didn't like the turkeys. One gave her the 'stink eye'- and it pretty much made Mags run to my leg in fear. She'll show this turkey what she's really made of come Thanksgiving time.
Due to the hot, humid, yucky heat- we didn't stay that long. The babies were extremely sweaty and cranky being out- and the younger walking children of our brood were no happier- so we only stayed about an hour and a half. I think it was good enough.

We'll have to go again soon.
Hopefully our luck will still be with us and we won't come on a butchering day.

COSI

So with our Natural History Museum family pass, comes a reciprocal benefit to COSI.
Lucky us!

So with a week left before school, I thought I'd take the kids for some fun times with science fun... (Who knew science = fun?)




We started up at the kid's space. Alli got to go into the big kid area, so Maggie got to run free in the little kid's area. I sat in a corner and took the boys out of their car seats for some stretching and feeding. The babies got lots and lots of attention. Lots of pregnant women came up and let me know of their excitement of only expecting one baby- and congratulated me on having two.

It was also an unofficial twins-day at COSI- as we saw about 11 pairs of twins within 2 hours. Good thing we went when we did.

I thought I'd treat the kids to something they have never had before. Dippin' Dots.
I chose my favorite flavor: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.
Maggie: Rainbow
Alli: Mint Chocolate
Guess what I got to eat? Maggie's Rainbow. I can't believe I paid $4 to eat something that gross. Never let a 4 year old pick out a flavor based on color alone. It never turns out well.


The girls playing with bubbles and playing in Poseidon's playground.


Finally- COSI was hosting the Titanic exhibit while we were there- We didn't pay the extra $$ (like 30 bucks a person) to go see it, but we sure enjoyed looking at the Titanic replicas. One out of Legos, One out of wood. It's sad that that luxury liner went down. It really was a cool looking ship- especially out of Legos. Hummm.... I wonder if Lego's would actually float if I made them into a boat. I must buy more Legos to find out.

Week Before School Adventure #1 officially blogged. Only 1 million left to do....

A post

I feel like a blog slacker- I haven't done a real blog post in almost a week! My mind is swirling with posts that need to be written.

This whole past week and a half we jam packed every inch of last of the Summer vacation fun into it. Zoo (3 times), COSI, Historical farm, Parks and more parks.

I'm also trying to catch up on cleaning. Ever since having the twins, recovering from the c-section, having EVERYBODY home ALL day long, every day- things have piled up. I know you mom's know what I'm talking about- just think about your weekend. Having your hubs home and having all the kids home, nothing gets done. Mondays tend to stink, because you are playing catch up. My husband just so happens to work from home. That means he never leaves. (not like I want him to.... but he still has the 'weekend' effect). People also seem to have misconceptions about him working at home. They think that since he's here- he can help out. WRONG. I actually see Chip less now that he works from home, then when he worked out of the house. He is strapped to the computer. He can't even step away for the many times I've had all four children crying and screaming and need help.... he is at work. The end. Frustrating at times? Yes. But hey... it pays the bills, and we save gas money from commuting. :D (We're an eco-friendly household now... lol)

I am also working on my many undone quilting projects. Do you know what a quilt-block-of-the-month-a-holic looks like? Just picture me, and then you've got yourself an image. I foolishly thought I was superwoman and signed up a few years ago for like 4 different quilt block of the month's at different quilting stores. I mean seriously- for just $2-4 bucks per block, and 12 blocks a year- that's a pretty cheap quilt with quality fabric, and you get to learn tons of different techniques along the way. I say... that pretty much rocks. So I kept signing up one after another. Now I just have lots of fabric everywhere.... and I need to Get-R-Done.

I also am trying to get some scrapbooking in. It's a constant drive.... kinda like blogging. I just feel the NEED to do it. What can I say... I'm addicted!

The boys have also been staying awake more and more. I have to say, I liked the whole sleeping 24/7 stage. I got so much more done. Now the babies seem to think they need held and played with 24/7. Silly boys.

I am also now Maggie's #1 playmate since Alli started school yesterday. Let's just say Polly Pockets, glitter, and legos are being used.

AND on top of all of that..... I'm in a baking mood. I've been baking something every day- Pizza, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough cupcakes, Cookies n' Cream cupcakes, Banana bread, Chocolate Chip Cookies, No Bake Cookies..... Yep... they've all been made in the past week.

Sigh.....
I'll get up a post soon with pictures. :D
Until then, I'll be playing with Polly's.

The Three little Winners!

Winner for contest #3- A sample pack: Rachel Holloway! (Are you doing a happy dance?)

Winner for Contest #2- A body care pack: Zaikea Velez! (I bet you're jumping up and down in your seat!)

And the grand prize winner for contest #1- $50 in free product or a skin care Trio: (drum roll)
Michelle Guy!! (You'd probably be jumping up and down if you weren't prego.... lol)



If you ladies can go to this link (CLICK HERE) to pick what your skin type is, and then e-mail Kezia at kezialee.lbri@yahoo.com. to let her know. Also if you didn't e-mail her your address please do so, so she can get your products to ya...... otherwise, they go to me, and I'll enjoy them for you... haha!!

P.s. This is straight from the horse's mouth (Kezia) "You know--everyone sent me such wonderful emails--and they were so willing to participate--I am going to give everyone a sample pack---I just can't turn people away who truly want to try out this amazing product!!"

Super cool huh?!? Pretty much everyone who took the time to e-mail wins!!! Thanks Kezia for being so generous with your product!!! (So all those who did e-mail, please follow the instructions above, find out your skin type, write your address, and e-mail Kezia with those details.)

P.p.s. You guys are going to love this stuff.

P.p.p.s. Congrats to everyone!!!

p.p.p.p.s. I really like saying p.s.

Reminder:

Today is your last chance to sign up for this awesome give away from Kezia- for her super cool L'Bri products.

I'm not lying- You'll be hooked.

Your skin will tell you thank you...... Okay, maybe not literally talk and tell ya thanks, but it'll give you a nice glow. :D

Click Here for the give-away.

Good Luck!

Sleeping Princes

(Dexter on left, Miles on Right- 13 weeks old)

Last week Dexter got his first hickey. Don't worry... it was just on his arm.

If you are ever curious to know how twins sleep when they are put in the same crib- just look at the picture above. When I first put them down, they are put about 2 feet apart from each other, and yet- every night they end up like this. Snuggled up to each other, like little squishy faced sardines. (Only a little more edible.)

It's the funniest thing in the world- but they actually start sucking on each other. Arms, heads, hands- whatever is available on their brother is fair game. I guess Miles just needed a little soothing- and Dexter's arm was the best option.

I thought it was a good option too.... I mean, it kept Miles from waking me up. Sleeping mom = happy mom.

Too bad it happened at Dex's expense.

I have a feeling there are more of these experiences to come. I'm pretty sure I'll be paying for the therapy too.

Dino Goodness

Way back at the end of June we decided on a whim to go up to Cleveland to see the Natural History Museum. Alli is a HUGE dinosaur buff (she wants to become a palaeontologist when she grows up)- so we wanted to make her dreams come true to see some 'real live' dead dinosaurs.

Like the lovely prepared mom that I am, I had everything on the table ready to just grab and go. Guess what fell out of my purse? Yeah. My camera.

Aside from missing all of the cool shots discovering a new place- We also met up with some old friends, The Holloway's from Idaho, who just so happen to live in Cleveland. (Click here for Rachel's blog post on our visit.) They are seriously the best people ever. Good laughs, fun times, great food. Maggie has decided that their son Kaden is her boyfriend.
(Thanks Brandon, Rachel, Travis and Jenny!)

The Natural History Museum was so cool that we ended up buying a family membership (which also has reciprocal benefits with COSI- the science museum down here in Columbus... SCORE!). We figured that since now we have the membership- we would go back and take pictures later.

A week or so ago we got our chance to revisit the museum when we went to visit Chip's brother at the Ronald McDonald house.

Chip's bro, Jeff has had many health problems along this journey that we call life. This 'kid' (I really mean studly man-ish person) is such a great guy. We love him to death- In fact, the Friday that we went up to Cleveland, I was at the store and the check-out lady looked at the two boys and asked Alli and Maggie if they liked their brothers- Alli said "Yes, But I like my Uncle Jeffie better". So Jeff was in Cleveland to have his large intestine removed. Yeah- Talk about tough stuff. He's doing so much better now since he's had the operation.

The real reason we went to Cleveland was to actually see Jeff and visit with him, not to see the museum- but we got to do both. :D

One awesome thing about Cleveland's museum is that they have a mini-zoo right in the back of it. It has local animals- Raccoons, bobcats, hawks, otters, etc. It's so fun to see them up close and doing their thing. I'm trying to talk Chip into letting me get a raccoon. Those buggers are so flippin' cute.

This Bald Eagle was so majestic! You forget when you only see them high in the tree tops how big they are when they're close to the ground! This 'little' birdie was totally giving a show. It's okay, we rather enjoyed it!

They also have a few deer to look at. As we were standing there watching them, two deer came up to the fence and were nose to nose with us. Oh my goodness- these ladies (they were all girls) were so graceful and beautiful. Their eyes were so deep and thoughtful- you could tell how kind they were. Alli and Maggie stuck their finger up to the netted fence and the deer stuck their nose up to it to give the girls a sniff- and both deer licked Alli and Maggie. The girls were tickled to death that they have been licked by deer.

Chip and Jeff with a mammoth behind them. Poor Jeff was about 7 days out of surgery- and he was still in a tremendous amount of pain. He took it all like a champ.

Alli thought this bird was like the bird from the movie 'UP'. That bird's name was Kevin- so we named this bird the same.

It's so funny to be around dinosaurs- because Maggie was walking around the whole time going "Rawr, Rawr, Telesaur" in a sing-song manner. I'm sure people had no idea what kind of dino a 'Telesaur' was.... but no worries, by the time we're done- EVERYONE will know what Telesaur is! Yay!

So sweet!
After the museum we went back to the Ronald McDonald house to chill and hang out. Miles was in the mood to snuggle with Uncle Jeffie- I'm so glad that I caught this picture. Adorable! Makes me wanna pinch both of their little cheekers! :)


This month has been a good one for the Kohrman Family.
#1- Jeff was able to get this fabulous surgery that will improve his quality of life 100x over.
#2- This is the last week my dad-in-law has of Chemotherapy! Yay!!! It is hard to believe that he started his chemo when I first got pregnant with the boys. He is getting rid of his cancer, while I have these two leaches for the rest of my life.... hehe.
#3- Chip is in the final stages of testing for Telesaur- which should hopefully launch like... in just a matter of a few blinks. :D
#4- The twins are trying to laugh... it's hilarious watching them figure out their bodies.
#5- Alli goes to school next week. What? I have a second grader- That's right.
#6- I have found my 3rd gray hair. Maybe that's not a good highlight.... but it's one.

Give Away Time!!

Okay my lovelies- I recently had the most AWESOME experience. I need to share:

My cousin, Kezia called me up and told me that I needed to try this facial cleansing stuff from a company I had never heard of before, L'Bri. She said it worked miracles and that I wouldn't be disappointed. I have to say, I had my doubts. Even though I wasn't ecstatic about my current skin care system (the same Clean and Clear I've been using since high school), it was what I used and it was more or less a habit. I finally decided to bite the bullet and order a free sample pack of the L'Bri products, all I had to to was pay shipping and handling. I thought if I tried it and hated it, I could possibly shove it in her face and razz her for life.... as all cousins do to each other. (Don't worry- we truly do love each other... so it's all in good fun!... lol!)

After trying the product, I was a little disappointed- It was so awesome that I can't razz Kezia at all! (Kezia: 1 - Breezi: 0)

In fact, the product works SO well and is just entirely incredible that Kezia actually signed up to become a consultant. She believed so much in the healing powers of the products- that she wants to bring it to the masses. A L'Bri missionary of sorts. :D
(If you know my family- we need proof that stuff works before we buy into it. We got the proof on this stuff!)

So let me tell you a little bit about these fancy products:

#1- Aloe Vera is the first ingredient in all of L'Bri's skin care products.
#2- L'Bri skin care products do not contain waxes, harsh chemicals, mineral oil, drying alcohols, synthetic fragrances or artificial dyes.
#3- All of the products are formulated with a specific pH-balanced range, blending ingredients that complement one another resulting in smooth, vibrant, healthy skin.

Before you order the sample pack, you need to determine which one will work best for you. (Click Here). I happen to be combo skin- Nice and greasy forehead and chinny chin chin, with large porous cheeks and lovely puffy under eyes. I know... you're jealous aren't you. So I got sent the Oily sample pack.(I feel so.... labeled... haha!)
When my little sample pack arrived it was almost like Christmas. I will admit, I got giddy. It comes in a sweet little case all together (Who doesn't like little cute things?). It comes with a ton of stuff too! Let me list it out:
*A three step cleaning system-
~ gentle cleanser
~ freshener (toner)
~lotion
*Rejuvenating facial peel
*Facial masque
*Exfoliating face and body scrub
*Smooth n' firm eye repair gel
I couldn't wait to try it all out. Me.... the non-night time washer ... hopped into the shower as soon as the kids were in bed, so I could try out some fun products!

I was a little nervous at first: The face wash doesn't suds up. How can a product not work if there are no bubbles? As it turns out bubbles = bad when it comes to your face. It leaves behind soap scum. Yeah- the stuff stuck to the side of your tub is left stuck to your face. Happy thought, huh? The freshener made me feel fresh (so it has a great name), and the lotion- ohh man the lotion. Because everything is so concentrated (when they say dime size- they MEAN dime size) it has no water in it. When you put the lotion on your skin feels awesome- but then to hydrate it, you have to dampen your fingers just a tad bit and rub it all over your face. I kid you not, your face sucks it all in- and looks amazing. It FEELS amazing. Even with the first application you feel a difference. Dare I say- you even glow.

Let's get to the facial peel. This stuff is SICK (As in the good way). I think if I were to only buy one product- this would be it. It's awesome. It's this little jelly like stuff and you think to yourself- "This will do nothing.. it's jelly". WRONG! You put just a small amount and rub it all over your face. Wait 30 seconds and then rub. You want to prove this product wrong- that it actually does nothing..... and as you rub, not only does your face feel like it's getting hydrated, but your dead, ugly, fish scales of what you call your skin comes rubbing off in large amounts. The more you rub- the more it comes off.... THERE IS NO ABRASIVES IN THIS STUFF- no nitty gritty sand rubbing your face raw- it's just magic. I was using it, and showing Chip what it does and he was quite impressed...... that I had that much crap that could come off of my face. He wouldn't let me try it on him. I think it would have ruined his pride if it took all manliness off and he had fresh "pretty" skin. Lol!

The facial masque: Schikies! This is off the hook. It's a clear gel that you put on, again... you think this stuff won't work- I mean, how can a masque work when it's made mostly of aloe- but again, it proved me wrong. When you put on the masque- it takes about 10 minutes to completely dry. I'm telling you this now: do it at a time when you are expecting no phone calls, no children will bug you, you can just lay down and chill for those 10 minutes- I say this because it dries so firmly that talking is almost impossible. You can't move your face- it's intense! It's like a face lift in a little bottle. LOVE IT!

Exfoliating body and face scrub: Again- you glow. This stuff does have nitty gritties in it, and your skin looks awesome (and feels awesome) after you use it.

Smooth n' firming eye gel: AWESOME. You use this on any area of your face you have large pores or puffiness. For me it was under my eyes, on my cheeks, and a little on my chin. You can feel a difference and see a difference within a day or two.

This sample pack says it has enough for 10 days, I got a full 14 days (night and day) out of it- without skimping. The eye gel says it's one application, I was able to use it for about 5 days (10 applications) before it was gone- The sample of the facial mask- I got 2 full masks worth- Facial peel- I got 3 uses out of it- and the face and body scrub- I was able to do my whole body with one little pack. They really give you the bang for your buck.

For being such a good little guinea pig- Kezia sent me some amazing product as a thank you:
Shampoo and Conditioner set: I got this 3 days ago. I didn't tell Chip I was using anything different (he didn't even know it came in the mail)- I wanted to see if he noticed anything. The first day I used it, He told me how soft and shiny my hair was! (and I put it in a pig tail... and he said it without me prompting him.)- Normally with my hair in this humid climate- I am using tons of non-frizzy hair care product in order to tame the mane. I tested this product to the max: I did nothing to my hair after using it. No anti- frizz anything. Guess what? My hair didn't frizz. My hair is so shiny, so soft, and so not frizzy- it's amazing. With most Shampoo's and conditioner's I am using palm size amounts of the products- with this it's down to quarter/half dollar size- so it certainly cuts down a lot.
She also sent me body wash. I was thinking that all body washes were equal. Again- I'm amazed. I haven't lotioned my body after showering for 3 days now- and yet my skin is just as soft as when I do. My skin is noticeably clearer too.

Bottom line: I have yet to be disappointed with a single product. This stuff has the 'wow' factor!

So now comes the good part: Kezia wants you to have a chance to love this product as much as I do. So exciting, huh?!
Even better: THERE ARE THREE (yes, 3) things you can win!

Entry #1- go to Kezia's website - http://www.kezialee.lbri.com, pick a product that you would LOVE to try. Then e-mail her at: kezialee.lbri@yahoo.com. Put your name, shipping address, and phone number so she can make sure that you get sent the right product for your skin. (No worries- she's not a crazy stalker- she's actually pretty flippin' awesome... of course she is related to me...so it makes total sense.)What will you win to do this: $50 worth of product or a full size skin care trio (value: $52).{The trio will last about 3 months}
Yes, I said FIFTY DOLLARS in free product! You can get some fun stuff with that!

Entry #2- Become a fan of Kezia's L'Bri face book page (Kezia Lee with L'Bri Pure n' Natural). This will enter you in a chance to win a Body Care Pack (Shampoo/Conditioner/Body Wash value: $40)

Entry #3- Simply leave me a comment telling me what is one thing you'd love to change about your skin or a problem area you have- You will be entered to win a Sampler, like the one I tried (a $6.50 value).

Each time you do an entry- be sure to leave a comment (A simple: "Hey I did #1 or #2"- etc... or you can do something like "Hey, I think you're awesome.... and I did entry #1", which would also suffice... lol).


Contest will be open until midnight (EST) on Sunday Aug 22. All winners will be chosen by random.org, and will be posted Monday morning.

{If your comment doesn't link to your blog- please leave your e-mail address so I can get a hold of you if you're a winner.... otherwise you forfeit your prize, I just don't have the time to hunt you down.}

On your mark. get set. GO!


*I've decided I use the word "awesome" way to much... but then again, I like that word... so why change it?*

Night Time

(Miles in brown, Dexter in blue- Pic taken 8/9/10- on their 12 week b-day)

Night time with twins is a lot like night time with any new babies.
A whole lotta not sleeping.

Fortunately for me having two babies keeps the entertainment going all night long.

I'll give you a little glimpse of a typical night:

The first time the babies wake up is around 2am. Once this first feeding is done, it's like the dam is broken and the flood of hunger happens. These babies wake up about every hour. Well... one of them each hour to be more precise.

Around 4am with 3 feedings under my belt and me at about 30 minutes of sleep- things start to get muddy.

"Waahh Waahh Waah....." comes the noise from the crib in which the two babies still share. I decide to make a bottle as I'm feeling a little dry from the 2 nursing secessions I have already done. Stumble into the bathroom to get the bottle ready. "One........ Two......... Two...... Five....... crap... how many scoops of formula did I put into this? Was it three? Was it five, I remember thinking I said five.... but this bottle only holds 4 scoops of formula. Crap. Ohh well." I stumble back into my room and look into the crib. Both babies are snoozing. I KNOW that one of them woke me up.Which one was it? Which one ate last? Ohh man. I think to myself, "I'm not going to lay back down, go to sleep, only to be woken up 2 minutes later" so I just grab a baby and start feeding him. I realize about 15 minutes into the feeding that I grabbed the wrong one. I know this because the baby I currently have is not eating (I dozed off, so I wasn't paying attention if he was still eating or not) and the baby I do not have in my arms is screaming at the top of his lungs as if I haven't fed him in about 12 hours. This is usually the time that I throw a pillow at Chip to have him lend a hand.

This process is repeated about 4 times each night.

Sometimes it changes up a little bit. Sometimes instead of the baby sleeping and not eating, the little man is too busy smiling and coo-ing at me to eat. How can you get mad at that? He's so cute!

And sometimes the boys like to surprise me all together and sleep from 10pm-6am, like they did last night. Those are the happiest surprises- not for my sheets which are drenched from my milk- and not from my chest which is more perky than someone who recently visited a plastic surgeon- but it's certainly the happiest mental surprise that they can give me.

Finally around 6:30am the boys peter out and sleep until 9:30. Unfortunately this is also when I get my best sleep and when my girls are waking up for the day. Luckily for me Chip is able to get them breakfast (one perk about him working from home.) and the girls are old enough to eat, get dressed, and chill out a little bit before I get up. Usually they don't get into to much trouble, but sometimes I come down stairs to Alli's version of feng shui and the chairs, ottoman, lamps, books, and dvd's are all rearranged in wacky places or Maggie's version of art- with a most beautiful rainbow picture drawn on the walls with chalk. (Yes, both of those things happened a few times this week alone.)

I'm a little nervous to see how things will change up in a week and a half when Alli starts school up again, but for right now- this is what works.

Let's hope tonight the babies want to surprise me again.

Happiness is bought

Just like Maria in Sound of Music- I too have a few of my favorite things (at the moment, anyway). I thought I'd share what makes me giggle all over, feel all delicious inside, and lovely outside:

This is such an old school song. I have a dirty little secret: I LOVE old school country. Give me Mel Tillis singing Coca Cola Cowboy any day of the week. I know, I know... lame, but it's true. These songs are the ones that I grew up with. I have many fond memories in the back seat of my grandparents car on any one of the many road trips (I was the favorite grandchild that they always took on vacation with them.... hehehe) singing at the top of my lungs along with Mel Tillis with my grandpa joining me in between puffs of his cigarette or pipe (whichever was favored that year). Anyway, This song by Don Williams is also one of those songs that was played on those trips. For some reason I've been playing this song over and over lately. It just makes me happy. (Don't worry, modern songs also make me want to shake my bum... like this one by Michael Franti & Spearhead)

(Image curtosy of Magdalena at http://cosme411.blogspot.com)

Happy colors make me happy. Bright in-your-face-bold colors of nail polish make me SUPER happy! Right now my toes are electric blue... but that will probably change tomorrow when I paint them florescent yellow. I think bright toe nails in the summer are one of the happiest things ever. Just looking at them makes you feel happy!

Okay, you all know me, right? You know that I don't do granola, hippy chick, all natural, earthy type of products. It just doesn't seem natural (Obviously, as everything needs to be over processed for it to work right. Mother Nature is so 1890). Ha! Anyway, I went out of that small comfort zone bubble and tried a sample pack of this L'Bri facial care. Holy Awesome Batman! My hormone riddled, pubescent wanna-be, pizza face o' zits were zapped and went bye bye. I guess Aloe has something in it that works.

Haribo Gold-Bears. Need I say more? Okay, don't twist my arm- I will.
When I lived in Germany with my grandparents, I got hooked on these little sweet cuddly bears. They were fresh from the factory, soft, slid down my throat, super yummy delicacies. There is little satisfaction in the world better than biting off one of their juicy heads.
This is my current favorite adhesive. I used to be a strictly Herma/Dotto adhesive type of girl. Then Archiver's turned me over to this. It is the same price as the refills of my Herma/Dotto- and I don't have to clean up the gummy residue left on my cartridge, because once it's all gone, you simply toss it in the trash. No refill needed. Ta-Da!

This is my favorite Summer time make-up product. Mary Kay Eye Primer. Hello! I learned about it last year from a friend who's a consultant. I was complaining to her that by noon all of my eye make up was gone anyway, so what's the point of putting it on. She let me try some of this stuff. Guess what? My eye shadow stays on until bedtime.... sometimes even till the next morning (I'm not really a night time face washer.... It's too time consuming). In the humidity that Ohio has (ya know... the 189% humidity all of July/August) this stuff is just amazing. I praise the person who invented this pasty concoction.

So there ya have it. Just a few of my favorite things.

Ooohh... Guess what?

Someone is going to be hosting a give away on my blog next Tuesday..... and the give away will be something in my favorite things list!!! I know, squeeeeeeeal, right?!
So you too will be enjoying something that I've enjoyed. Exciting, no?

(Don Williams wasn't available to give away. Sorry. Hate to ruin that for ya)


*All images not cited come from the companies website from whence it came.