My Kids Are Official!

It has been a good week.  We were sad to see Maureen ("Mom-Mom") leave to head back to Philly on Monday but we were glad that Thom ("Pop") was here to stay on as our own personal "manny" for an extra week.  As I recall, he did this last year, too, since I was on some form of bed rest or another and he stayed on to help us out.  This year, however, he is actually RETIRED so he didn't have to take any time off from the job back home.  It has definitely been nice having the extra set of hands around.  I've gotten to get some errands done, some of which I had been putting off for years...

Like getting my children's birth certificates!!  Yes, my kids are OFFICIAL now!  I had never even gone to get Chloë's either.  Am I lazy?  Maybe.  But did I want to haul 2-3 children downtown to the County Clerk's office to wait in long lines for pieces of paper?  No. I imagined that I would be looking for meter parking, pulling out my huge double stroller, piling everyone in, walking blocks upon blocks, not being able to find an elevator, waiting for hours in a line while my toddler ran around the office like a wild-child, , etc.  Did I want to hire a babysitter and spend extra money to pay that person while I went downtown and waited in long lines?  No.  I could have done it via mail, yes.  However, each request form would have had to be notarized and that in itself would have cost $30 extra dollars on top of the $21 charge per certificate.  Over $100 for birth certificates?  I think not.  That's almost 4 pedicures right there!  And no one likes ugly toes!  Anyways, I just didn't see a need to really get these things until finally I had no reason not to.  So I went yesterday while Chloë was in school and the boys were down for naps and Pop held down the fort.  I went in and told them I needed 3 birth certificates.  The guy kind of looked at me weird and asked if they were all for my own kids?  Yes.  I guess most people don't wait 3 years?  I'm not sure.  Then within 3 minutes I had all the certificates in my hand and was done.  The entire time in the office was under 5 minutes.  No line.  And on top of that the building had free parking and I found a spot right in the front. No problem.  Easy peasy.  I could have done this 3 years ago!  But then again I would have had to go again now anyways so good thing I waited, right?   The only thing I found to be odd about this was that they didn't even look at my ID to confirm I was who I was saying I was.  They just gave me the kid's birth certificates.  Thom/Pop wanted me to ask them for President Obama's birth certificate while I was there, but that's a whole 'nother story....

Speaking of Pop, like I said it has a been great having him here.  Myke and I even got to go see a movie...at a THEATER last night!  I don't know when the last time we have done that together was.  Ages ago.  We saw "A Separation".  Apparently it won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.  I thought it was ok.  Didn't like the ending so much.  I feel a little cheated that I used my "movie pass" for that and now am unsatisfied with my annual theater outing and want to go again.  Anyone know of any good flicks?  Maybe Myke and I can get one more movie night in before Thom/Pop leaves.  That's another thing, I just cannot justify paying a babysitter to watch the kids while Myke and I go to a movie.  Especially with the cost of movie tickets being $21 for the two of us.  You end up spending $60-$80 for the movie, a babysitter, and a small drink.  Not worth it unless I KNOW the movie will be amazing...and even then...yah, not worth it.   We have a big screen tv and Netflix.  I can deal with that.

So we've gotten a few date nights, we've gotten some errands done, I went to the grocery store BY MYSELF this afternoon, I've done some non-grocery/non-Target shopping (fun!), I've gone out with some friends, I've been able to take the boys to their Gymboree class,  take Chloë on a play date with our good friends without Owen & Eli tagging along, etc.  It has been nice.  Also, Pop has taken the boys on walks, taken Chloë to the aquarium, and not to mention his "projects".  I could do an entire blog called "Pop's Projects" when he visits :)

Chloë in "time-out" at the aquarium 

This visit we have acquired a mini roof-top garden.  I need to take a photo of it.  Thom heard about hydroponics and started looking into it.  Basically, it's growing (certain) plants without soil.  There is a hydroponics store within walking distance from our house.  My guess is that most people who visit this store go there to get set up to grow marijuana in their basements.  Just a guess.  Thom was probably their more innocent customer to date.  After visiting the store a few times...probably more than a few because he even took the boys with him on occasion and one time when he went with just Owen the store clerk asked "where the other one" was...meaning Eli.  My babies are apparently regulars at the pot-growing store.  Anyways, after visiting the store a few times Thom came back with these fabric pots that you can plant things int.  They are actually pretty neat.  In the end we are not going the sans-soil route but instead planted a variety of veggies and herbs (not THAT kind of herb) in these "pots" and put them on our roof deck.  Hopefully, we'll have some yummy peppers and tomatoes sometime soon.  I have no green thumb (even managed to kill my cactus in college) so we'll see what happens.

Planting the veggie & herb plants in their fabric bag "pots"

Pop's other recent project was to re-organize our refrigerator.  I was a little surprised when he first mentioned that he was going to do it.  I didn't think it was THAT bad looking- but there were a lot of jars of things that were almost done, so it was getting cluttered.  He waited for me to go upstairs one day and he went to town.  When I came back down he had thrown stuff away, put labels on the shelves, and put out the "almost done" stuff on the counter and made us finish/eat all of it that day.  "We're pushing pickles here..who wants to eat this last pickle?".  That last pickle had been sitting alone in that jar for a very long time in the fridge.  It was time to get rid of it.  I didn't eat the pickle, but I did my fair share of finishing up the ready-to-drink margarita bottle that was almost gone.  Such a big bottle after all...takes up so much room...might as well drink it...so we can have space for other things...like maybe another (fuller) margarita bottle.

We'll see what other projects he will fit in before he leaves next Tuesday.  Until then, a few random photos:

bad quality pic done with my phone- 

dinner with a couple friends at a very odd restaurant downtown.

Odd in that it only had weird meats served and I had to special request a vegetarian dish (which, by the way, was absolutely amazing, to my surprise)

This may sound not-so-odd to some friends & family back east and the midwest...but this is California...not having a vegetarian option listed on a menu is pretty bizarre/rare for out here

This restaurant had antelope sliders, bone marrow pasta and...

Quail!!

...no I didn't eat it...but a friend did.

iPhone in photo for scale.

Another low-quality iPhone photo--but Chloë digging into her Easter basket.

Her favorite thing?  The Spiderman bandaids.  

Coloring eggs on Easter

....in a swim suit

More later...and I need to post some Eli & Owen pics next time.  My baby boys are turning 11 months next week!  How did this happen?  I can't believe they are almost one!  I know everyone says that kind of thing about their kids at probably every birthday they ever have...but I really can't believe it!  Where did my little babies go?  I don't feel ready for one-year-old-twins.  They have just been awesome though.  I honestly couldn't ask for better little boys.  They are truly a joy in our lives and so much fun to be around.

Okay, goodnite.  For reals this time!