Terrible 2s continue & Grandma's visit

The twos are trying us as parents. Truly. I now believe that the terrible 2s occur in order for parents to be able to let their little ones go to preschool and therefore start the process of emptying the nest.

You'll find a picture above of Jack sitting in our master bathroom sink. In a two minute time span (J and I both thought he was with the other), he climbed up on a chair, sat himself in the sink and turned on the water. A little bidet experience, if you please. We're just glad he turned on the cold. This picture really doesn't do the situation justice, as the water splashed down the cabinets and covered a great part of the bathroom. There are no words. We are now blocking the bedroom part of the house off with a safety gate while we are in the kitchen/great room area. I could continue with our Jack stories, but there are really so many! I am reading "The Happiest Toddler on the Block," which suggests that Jack is a Happy Spirited child and the best bet for us is to keep him terribly busy and run him around outside as much as possible. Good news is, he seems highly intelligent and will probably rule the world. Just have to get out of the toddler years.

Grandma visited this weekend and had a good time with her grandkids. We took Jack to see Elmo LIVE! He cried when it was over, so fun was had by all. Caroline and Brooke are enjoying their new mobiles in the pictures.

Week 6 with the Twins & Why I Hate Monopolies

Like most American cities, we have but one electric provider. This practice originally began with the concept that whatever company invested in the infrastructure to light a city then had the ability to charge its citizens for the service. This my elementary knowledge garnered from a lobbyist acquaintance who works for the electric devils. Needless to say, this practice does not provide for good service. Our city's company does not maintain its lines, causing entire areas to go dark for days on end, in storms, in heat, or any regular day. It is an outrage. And where I live, they just received a rate increase, resulting in an astronomical bill for me this month. Apologies to my journalism professors, this is a ridiculous lede.

We lost power on the coldest day of the year thus far on Thursday. The excitement began at 4:30 a.m. and was resolved by 3 p.m. While this would be a problem for anyone, with preemie twins who are not supposed to be exposed the elements, this was quite the drama. We spent time at J's office, Jack's godfather's house and Nana's boyfriends. Nomads, we were. (Made me check the box for the Heat Up program on my bill this month, though.) Electric companies should have to bid out and they should have to do it regularly. I don't know what I'm talking about, as I'm sure there's some sort of process, but there really should be more accountability. I know, I know -- parts of the world are surviving on oil-powered generators, yes, I know. Still irritating.

The twins are 6 weeks old this week and are doing well, nearly 8 lbs. each. We went to the doctor's today, everywhere we go we are celebrities. It's weird to have all this attention, I'm not sure I like it. Jack is getting used to the twins and has been very sweet. He is headed to preschool hopefully in April, but it's definitely time. J and I are surviving. In the pictures, Auntie Carrole visits and assists on a Monday, the twins nap together, Jack and I play outside in the leaves.

One week down.....

Today we celebrate the twins' first week anniversary at home. Things are going pretty well, though we all feel as though we are running a marathon. Aunt Emmy described twin baby care as Groundhog Day, feed, wash, change, do it again. She's right! Saturday marked Aunt Emmy's departure home, very sad for us, but we're thankful she was able to stay with us for so long and help us get settled in.

Jack is acting like a 2 year old, a bit worse than normal, but he has been very sweet to his sisters. A little too sweet, as he tried to feed Caroline a green bean the other day, but we're working out the boundaries. The babies are eating pretty well and learning when nighttime arrives. Overall, we're holding together! In photos, Jack sings to his sisters, Brooke is pretty in pink, and Caroline decides that she hates Tummy Time.