the twins have it the terrible two's.

Well it has gotten hard again. It was so hard in the beginning and then around 6m it got easier. We've hit a few rough spots along the way, but I felt I could handle it. I mean, look at John and Kate plus 8...if they can do it looking fresh and fit (most days) and still apear very much in love, then surely we can do "twins" with 2 older helper, right...

We've been so blessed with healthy kids! But these "little" virus's, colds, ear infections, strep throat...while I'm thankful that they are not life threatening and are over in less than a week...it gets very exhausting to have someone in the home sick...for what seems like forever. Let me clarify, someone has been sick every week since Christmas (we may have missed one, but I don't think so). Even cole and quinn, who haven't been to the MD except for checkups in years have both been to the MD twice since Christmas. We have had 2 stomach viruses go through the family (and while I'm thankful that I didn't have 2 toddlers vomitting and shooting out diarrhea at the same time...it is much harder on your sleep to deal with them back to back. We have had strep throat, pink eye, ear infections, fever, fatigue, vomitting, diarrhea, ear infection again, vomitting again. and the times we were well, our sitters twins had the flu and RSV, which meant calling in sick to work again or beggin sitters. We did have much needed help from my step mom and the young sitter that comes to our house (K and E cry when they see her...) Before Christmas I had maybe called in sick to work 2x in the last 5 years...I've called in sick 3 times since Jan.1...and Beau has missed a few days as well (and he doesn't have paid time off). The copays add up and I found out after I took K twice and E once that the new urgent care clinic around the corner isnt one of my preferred providers...so that mistake will cost us over $500. All of my copay went up Jan 1, my regular rx now cost an extra $20/m and taking both twins to MD the same day will run my $50 now (that seems like so much more than $40). Though I am thankful to have health insurance.

On a positive note, the twins are doing very well with speech therapy. We got a new therapist in Jan and in 6 weeks she has been seeing them they are saying 20-30 words (up from about 4 with the old therapist). We are now moving on to trying to get them to start putting 2 words together.

Kade has started biting Elizabeth. We are talking bad bites that break the skin through clothes, he generally goes for her back, shoulder, or finger...she just cries and gets so upset. Then when you fuss at K, she comforts him and signs she is sorry...she is such a sweet baby girl.

Kade has started throwing very impressive temper tantrums. I thought cole was the tantrum King as a preschooler, but Kade not only throws himself to the floor screaming, but he slaps himself in the face...

It is so nice to bring them to a sitter where they love to go, they are very happy and love the routine. But because of illness with ours and hers, I'm not sure we have actually gotten to go an entire week... I'm working more to pay for the daycare, but haven't found the extra money for a maid...

I'm trying to implement the flylady's model for getting your home out of chaos and maybe in another few months I won't need a maid. the twins make a constant mess!!! so I sweep the kitchen/dining area several times a day, doing that and keeping up with the laundry pretty much takes all my free time...but I'm hopeful that her method can work for me too, even though it means I have to get up a little earlier and can't go to bed until I have a shiny sink.

I haven't found the time to download the full memory cards from Disney, but I'm hopeful that I'll be able to post pictures soon.

It is hard to believe that my babies will be 2 this Friday...time has flown and the kids have grown. Quinn is now 10, and cole will soon be 14...parenting a teenager is even harder than 2 toddlers...i so don't envy John and Kate Goselin...i hope they are still on the air in 10 years...