We have strep throat... YUCK!

We've been so lucky to not be sick very often for our first year of life... it just seems to have all caught up with us over the past two weeks!

Harrison was diagnosed last night with strep. He also has been throwing up for the past day, with diarrhea and fever. What a combination! We're going back in to the pediatrician (who we LOVE!) this afternoon.

What advice do you all have for sick kids? Any methods of keeping his twin brother from getting sick, too?

Our Baptism

This past Sunday the boys were baptized by their Uncle Daniel. It was such a special day! So many of our friends and family came to witness the service... it was such a blessing. I got very emotional during the service thinking of all the baby baptisms I've witnessed over the past 5 years, and how I've longed for it to be my baby. I never would have dreamed it would be two at once! We are so blessed to have Daniel in our family. He made a special day even more memorable for us. Here are a few pictures from my camera... when the good pictures come in I'll try to post them, too.

Fly Lady

If you're here to see pictures of the boys, you can skip this post. This one is all about ME!

So here I am on a Tuesday morning... up to my elbows in Ajax. Why, you might ask? That would be because today is day one for me of learning to FLY! If you haven't met the Fly Lady... go to www.flylady.net and please introduce yourself. I've joined her group several times, and I don't know why I think I'll stick with it this time, but I am going to give it my very best.

So back to the Ajax. Day one of my Fly Lady babysteps is to shine my kitchen sink. It is now 10:14 am and I've been working on this sink since 8:00 this morning. First I had to do all the dishes in the sink. YIKES! Then I had about 50 bottles to sterilize. We've quit using bottles except at night, so I haven't been as good about sterilizing them as often this week. Finally, I scrubbed that sink with a TON of Ajax. Just picture me in my rubber gloves (pink, I might add!) scrubbing that sink to pieces! It isn't perfect, but it made a world of difference. Amazing how such a small task can make you feel so good.

Having a shiny sink is Fly Lady's claim to fame. If you can keep your sink shiny, you can do anything. If I can keep my sink clean and shiny for a week I'm going to treat myself to some new dishtowels. Palmer and Harrison have cooperated VERY well today... they are both napping right now. All of this was brought on by my teary eyed confession to myself this morning that my boys deserve better. My house is a WRECK. Being gone three days a week is CRAZY, but being home two days a week is ever CRAZIER. I love being at home with my boys. I am SO blessed to have a job where this is possible. We play ALL day... but I get nothing done around the house, except maybe changing out a load of laundry. I'm sure if you have been to my house you're thinking "Gee, what took her so long to come to this realization?" (I know my MOM is thinking that!) My answer is... I have no idea. I grew up in a clean house... as a matter of fact, my grandmother is the Lysol QUEEN... so why did I end up this way?

Carter is a huge help... he does so much around the house. It just seems like we are always coming up with some excuse. My top list of excuses would have to be:

• I have twin infants at home (OK, this one has some merit... but I know there are twin moms who keep their houses clean!)
• I work 3 days a week (Give it up, girl! Working moms have fought this battle forever!)
• My husband's work schedule is crazy (So why does this keep ME from working?)
• I'm SO tired (aren't we all?)
• I don't have a dishwasher (so BE the dishwasher!)

I guess my reason for blogging about this EMBARASSING problem is that it will keep me accountable for sticking with Fly Lady. I really can do this through baby steps! My house did not get dirty overnight, it will not get clean in a day.

So to my cyber friends... bear with me as I turn a corner in my cluttered life. :) Keep me accountable, encouraged, and let me know I'm not alone. And if you come to my house... remember that this is a work in progress (Ok, Mom?).

We are ONE!

Today is our BIRTHDAY! Mommy and Daddy can't believe how fast the time flies... but here are a few pictures from our birthday party.











Palmer in his Party hat!

Harrison

Here we are... about to blow out our candles. Mommy is holding down Palmer's arm because he reached for the flame. Really... how smart is it to set a flame down in front of one year old boys? :)

And here is the classic icing all over the face picture... Palmer was having trouble holding his sippy cup with all of that red icing!

Considering this is where we started, we've come a long way, BABY!