Today (Wednesday) was my morning with my boys.  Well, Ella was there, too, but she goes down for nap around 9:15am these days, and usually naps a couple of hours.  I tried to make an extra effort to really play with and BE with the boys today.  The past week or so they have both been a little more fussy and "TWO"-ish than they've ever been before.  Maybe because they are hitting the 2 1/2 year mark?  Or maybe because they have started preschool?  They are feeling a little more insecure?  Needing some extra attention and snuggles maybe?  Or are they witnessing some of this behavior at preschool and just starting to exhibit it more at home?  Probably a mix of all of the above  Also, they still aren't as verbal as most kids their age, I'd say.  They definitely understand everything and they do have words and are starting some sentences, but overall I think they speak less than their peers.  In fact, today I heard Eli say probably his second sentence ever.  It was "Mommy made a mess."   Thanks, Eli. (His first one was "Now it's Eli's turn" instead of the usual "Eli turn!  Eli turn!").  On another note, in case your wondering, I had made a mess.  So his sentence was a factual statement.  I was multi-tasking, as I like to say.  Was filling up Myke's iced tea pitcher with water in the wet bar sink.  While that was filling I went to rotate the laundry or take something out of the oven OR SOMETHING ...who knows....and forgot all about the water....until it overflowed and was going onto the floor.  Nice.  

As you can see, my blogging is all over the place.  That's how the flow of thought is in my head.  Now what was I talking about?  Oh, the boys. So due to their recent "terrible two" behavior, I wanted to really spend time doing something fun with them today.  So we did a cooking project!  It was for a pumpkin cookie recipe I found on Pinterest that sounded really yummy...so I thought we'd try it out.  

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Stirring and mixing!

Big FAIL!!

Ended up throwing them all away...not sure what went wrong here.  Oh well.  Boys didn't even notice.

Chloë feeding Ella A BOTTLE!!

This is her first official time taking a bottle!  

(she's had a couple sips a couple times when Myke and I have been on date nights and someone other than me puts her to bed)

Bottle, part II.  She guzzled the first one so fast that we had to go downstairs and defrost more for her!

Okay, my blogging window is closing...the kids are waking up from rest.  Myke is gone for the rest of the evening, meeting with tax people and then taking a CPR class at the local fire station (we have a pool, afterall!).  The class goes 5-9pm.  So I'm flying solo for dinner and bedtime.  Luckily, the neighbors invited us over for pizza!  Yay!!  

I'll leave you with some photos that I took of a friend's baby shower last weekend.  Her neighbor/friend held it for her and it was just beautifully done.  Seems like all parties are Pinterest-inspired and magazine-worthy these days.  The photos don't do it justice, but it was a beautiful affair :)

Sony, the mama :)

Let me just say that it's a good thing that I have "time off" on Monday and Friday mornings now (time off meaning I only have 1 child during that time...so not completely by myself) because if I didn't have that time, I wouldn't have created this:

Here's my creation-

Footprint ghosts!

Here's my inspiration from Pinterest.

I personally like mine better.

My very own Pinterest.com-inspired art project.  I RARELY get a chance to look at the Pinterest website, let alone even THINK about creating something that I find on there.  Maybe that will change a a little now.  Having those mornings gives me the time to get out to the craft store or to the grocery store to get any supplies/ingredients I'd need to try something new.  So I'm looking forward to that.  It's good for the soul.  It's good to have a couple hours that don't involve my latest role:  referee.  

Yup, the boys are at that stage.  They are starting to bicker over things, they always want the same toy at the same time, they always want whatever the other one has at that exact moment.  It's a blast, let me tell you!  One word they definitely know is "MINE".  "My choo-choo!"  "No, my choo-choo!" 

One other "role" that I'm trying to get back into is runner...maybe jogger is a better term?  I'm by no means a long distance runner, but I just love running.  It's my stress-reliever and it's my sanity.  The problem is that sometimes it's a challenge to do it regularly.  I have four kids, you know!  However, now Ella is going longer between feedings and is on a more regular schedule, so I've been able to fit it in more.  This past week I decided to set a goal to find the time to run 3x per week.  I wrote that goal on a piece of paper and hung it up.  That way I remember, and Myke will see it and push me to do it when I'm feeling lazy.  I put the goal up on Monday morning and I've already run 4x since then!  

The reason running is such a perfect workout for me is mainly because it kills multiple birds with one stone.  When you have a bunch of kids (or even one kid, for that matter), anything that kills more than one bird with one stone is a MUST.  If I went to a gym I'd have to get in the car and drive there, I'd have to have childcare for the kids or leave them with Myke (which would severely limit the opportunities to get to the gym at all...would be after 5pm or on weekends only).  With running I almost always take 50% of the children.  AND the dog.  So I get a workout, I get to listen to music, I get to clear my head, the dog gets a workout, and the kids always enjoy the ride...and it all takes less than 30 minutes at this point (I'm only running about 2-2.5 miles each time).  The kids really seem to like it.  When I take the boys I don't hear a peep out of them...they just sit back under their canopy and take in the scenery  On Wednesday I took the girls.  When I stopped to cool down / for Chloë to pet a cat on the sidewalk, we realized Ella had fallen asleep.  I guess my running pace was soothing to her.  

The girls!

Chloë stopping to say hi to the kitty

My big girl 

Ella's not crawling yet, but she gets into EVERYTHING!

Including the recycling bag that I hung on a drawer handle the other day. 

So, yes, the bickering between the boys has been driving me a bit nuts.  Eli seems to be really getting into the "terrible twos" the past couple weeks.  We've always said that he wants to be an only-child, as he is happiest in a one-on-one scenario or when he is center of our attention.  I can't say I blame him.  Hey, I don't know what it's like to have to compete with 3 other kids for the attention of your parents, but still.  That's his life and he's going to have to get used to it eventually.  Anyways, the "terrible twos" thing is him fussing and crying every single time he doesn't get his way.  Today:  Chloë is painting.  Eli wants to paint.  Eli doesn't want to wear the smock.  Eli has a tantrum.  Owen is playing quietly with a train.  Eli wants that train.  Now.  Eli has a tantrum.  Eli wants "up" while I am in the middle of making breakfast, hot things on the stove.  I tell him I can't pick him up right this second.  Eli has a tantrum.  Two is such a fun age.    

Smoothies!  Don't they looks so precious and sweet?  

(Ella is in the stroller...can't see her)

Tuesday and Thursdays I have all 4 kids.  All day.  The bickering and Eli fussing started early so I loaded up the kids in the car and got the heck outta dodge.  This might sound crazy (taking 4 kids under 5 out in public when they are being fussy), but really they LOVE to get out.  As soon as I say "put on your shoes", the fussing stops and they run to get ready. Eli especially LOVES going places in the car. He is always excited to jump in his car seat and go somewhere.  I took them to the huge shopping center across the street.  We got smoothies for snack and then walked around a department store and finally hit up Barnes & Noble to play on their train table in the kid section.  You get a lot of looks when you are out with 4 small kids.  Sometimes comments (the main one being "You have your hands full!!"  I hear that EVERY. SINGLE.  TIME.  I.  GO.  OUT.  with them.  Without fail.)  The kids were all great though.  Angels.  Until it was time to say goodbye to the train table.  Then Eli had a tantrum.  :)  

Date with Owen

Now that things are "settling down" a little and we are starting to fall back into a routine, Myke and I are trying to re-incorporate our "date nights" with the kids.  That one-on-one time with them is so important, and SO rare.  Today, I got the pleasure of taking my oldest son, Owen, on an outing.  Just the two of us!  I decided to make the day all about something he would love...so I picked a train-theme date!   

We checked out a "Totally Thomas" toy store!

Owen (like many 2-year-old boys) is VERY into Thomas the Train lately!

Train tables!

The mall had a train in it!!!

Owen picked the yellow car.  He was a little nervous until I boarded.

Choo-Choo!

The train 

We had lunch at Panera Bread and then headed home, cookie in hand!

Some Other Photos:

The boys' class.  Lunch time.  Owen is next to the teacher. 

Eli was at another table.

Myke and the "littlest Hines"

This is what my couch looks like when we don't have my or Myke's mom in town to help us with laundry!  A mountain!  (Okay, only sometimes...)

Karmin (friend from college came out to visit)

Chloë and her favorite food: pizza!

The kids at Legoland water park

Eli

Aprill (in green) and her son Mark (I'm holding) visiting from MA.

Aprill used to live out here back in the pre-kid days!

Owen showing his playground climbing skills

Chlo-bear

The boys

The boys again

Really beautiful cloud photo at sunset last week

Another shot

Attempting a Video Upload

Owen & Eli at the park.  Love this video :)

Chopped!

It has been pretty darn hot here lately.  We don't have A/C in our house...usually you don't need it...but I would definitely enjoy it if we had it right now!  September and October are usually the warmest months here in San Diego.  The summer had been pretty mild, but the past week the temps really jumped up there...complete with HUMIDITY.  YUCK!   When I say "jumped up", I mean the temps went into the 80s.  That's hot without A/C!  

Around 11:30am today I decided it would be a good idea for Chloë to get a haircut.  She's NEVER had a "real" haircut.  She's been the the hair salon ONE TIME in her 4 1/2 years...and they only trimmed off about an inch and a 1/2.  So I don't think that counts as a "real" haircut...though I'm sure I posted on here about it as her first real haircut.  Anyways, I called Kids Kuts and they said they could take her at 12:15.  So she and I (and Owen) headed over there while Myke was on his lunch break.  

Let me just give you this background in case you don't know Chloë well:  she REFUSES ponytails or hair clips on a regular basis.  I can sometimes talk/bribe her into a hair clip or bow for a formal photo...but a ponytail or a braid??  That would give her a panic attack.  Forget about it!   So her long hair is hot on her neck...and a couple of days ago I noticed a red rash on the back of her neck while washing her hair--a heat rash.  So that, on top of the fact that brushing her long hair was becoming more and more of a chore (tangles galore!), I figured it was time to cut it.  So we did!  

It looks GREAT!! I was a little sad to watch them cut off so much...and see all her baby curls drop onto the floor (the hair stylist warned me that those won't come back...her hair is growing in straight now)...but I am SO glad we got it cut.  She looks adorable..and it's much more "HER"....She looks like a big girl!   She loves it, too... so that's good :)  

pre-haircut photo outside Kids Kuts

Getting the cut

post-cut

side view

From the front