Here are two recent pics that I just love.  Happy Wednesday!

I’m so behind on my blogs.  Way behind.  So I’m just going to type random bullets and see what I remember…

• The week was crazy.
• We were at the farm last weekend for a baby shower for Eric’s cousin and his wife AND the surprise 60th birthday party for Eric’s dad.  Both went well.  
• Tuesday included Bible study in the morning, Megan’s 6 month appointment in the afternoon, and a girls dinner in the evening.  
• Wednesday & Thursday were spent doing laundry.
• Thursday night was another dinner out…all the way to Polaris.
• My parents came up on Friday for a few hours, and my grandparents came down in the early afternoon.
• They left about 3, and I started packing.
• And we spent the weekend at the farm for Easter.
• Megan’s 6-month appointment went well.
• She weighs 17 lbs. now.
• She barfed all over everything while we were there.
• We got bumped up to Prevacid for the reflux.  Seems to be helping, though giving dissolving tablets to a breastfed 6-month old has been a bit complicated.
• Easter at the farm is good times.
• My kids LOVE hunting easter eggs.
• We went to the Bunny Brunch at my in-laws church: kid-friendly brunch, games/activities, easter story, egg hunt, candy and prizes galore.  Good times!
• The Powell side was over for Sunday dinner, and we had a lovely time chatting with everyone.
• The twins thought playing out in the rain and the puddles was super-fun. 
• I ate way too much chocolate…and enjoyed it all!
• Kid Update – rough stuff
• I should start the not-cute stuff with (shocker) we’re not sleeping again.  This time, though, it’s been mostly Megan.  I have no idea why.  Last night was the first night everyone slept though the night in weeks.  I’m hoping for another night like that tonight because I am tired!
• Oh, and poor Alex had a virus last week that gave him a 102 degree fever for 3 days.  NOT fun!
• Megan is a master of finding things she should not have.  Paper is a huge draw.  Power cords.  Rubber bands.  Which she then puts in her mouth and gags on.  She can even find these things after I’ve checked and okayed a space for her to be in it.  I have no idea how I’m going to keep ahead of her on this one…
• Kid Update – cute stuff
• Erin wore a purple dress with pantaloons for Easter.  When I opened the van door at the church, she had pulled the pants down to her knees…and her new socks (with lace, of course) up to her knees.  It was quite a look!
• Megan has been working on crawling for a couple of weeks.  She could get in position, but go nowhere.  And she would get MAD about it.  Apparently, she’s got my anger issues.  But she did actually crawl tonight while Eric was reading the twins their bedtime stories!
• Alex is actually talking more and more these days.  There’s still a lot of guessing about what he’s saying (his word for “white” sounds nothing like “white”), but we are definitely making progress!
• Erin has started apologizing for things.  I bumped into her when opening the door for her tonight, and she said, “I sorry, Mommy.  It all my fault.”  No, sweetie, it was actually MY fault.  I think we’ll have to work on when apologies are necessary.
• Alex loves to throw things.  We’re trying to keep the “things” limited to balls.  But even with balls, his aim is…well…less than stellar.  So it’s always a crazy guess as to where the ball will go when it leaves his hand.  Thankfully, he’s only hit Megan like twice. 
• Megan is saying “Da-da” and “Ma-Ma” these days.  She also shakes her head “no”…so cute!
• Oh, and I finally found a baby food she didn’t hate at first bite.  Any guesses?  Peas!  Go figure…

Okay, so I’m sure there’s more, but I’m tired, and I’m going to end this long post.  Hopefully, I’ll be back before another 10 days have passed!

And this time, I’m talking about my mother-in-law.

Seriously…this woman is beyond awesome.  First of all, she helped raise my more-than-fantastic husband.  So…that earns her major kudos.  But then she’s giving and godly and thoughtful.  A true servant.  A prayer warrior.  Really…she’s that good.

And on top of all of that…she sews.  And I mean seriously sews.  And I am so thankful that my children are the primary beneficiaries of her creativity and talent.  This weekend, we came home with quiet books.  And they are freakin’ amazing.  

Check them out…

Some of the pages are the same for both books.  Like these ones:

(There’s an “old woman” tucked inside that shoe which, obviously, ties.  The flowers come off the buttons.  The beads go up to 10.  The kids can put things in the train cars.  And the black page is a chalkboard.)

Some are similar.  These are in Alex’s book:

These are in Erin’s:

(The bug/bee hive unzip and have bees/ladybugs inside, the barn opens with velcro animals, the kitty ties, the puppy buckles, the clock hands move, they can put their hands into the glove, the shapes snap onto the page, and the pictures are magnetic with matching magnetic pictures inside the hidden pocket.)

And needless to say…we LOVE them!

Thanks, Pam!!!

Dear Megan,

You are already six months old.  And what a big, sweet bundle of joy you are!  You have a low, grunty laugh that cracks me up.  You’re starting to anticipate when we’re going to tickle you.  And your smile still lights up your whole face.

Of course, you are starting to make a wider range of sounds, too.  Not all of them happy.  Your “buzzer” cry (as Daddy calls it) is a sure sign that you have reached your limit, and I should come and get you RIGHT NOW.  You can get really angry when things don’t go your way or when I take a toy you aren’t supposed to have.  And man, do you have a talent for finding toys you aren’t supposed to have!  Of course, with two older siblings, there are lots of toys you shouldn’t have within arms reach, pretty much at all times.

You are already fully mobile.  Your army-crawling skills amaze me on a regular basis.  And I suspect you’ll be crawling before another month passes.  Right now, you’re just content to rest on your hands and knees for a few seconds.  But I’m sure that will change soon.  Still, sweet one, it’s okay with Mommy if you don’t rush on to walking any time soon!

So far we haven’t seen any teeth.  But we have discovered that you LOVE cereal.  Rice cereal.  Oatmeal.  Doesn’t matter.  You love it all.  Sadly, your forays into other food options has been less successful.  Both green beans and applesauce have gotten only shudders and tortured faces.  But don’t worry…we’ll find something else you’ll find worth swallowing!

Sadly, you’ve had a cold this week.  So you haven’t been sleeping well.  And you have needed Mommy to stay right by your side for most of the week.  But I think we’re finally getting well again.  And on a happier note, we’ve finally gotten to spend some time outside this week.  And you LOVE to be outside.  We take wagon rides (you go in your carseat) and you sit in your stroller and watch the twins play with chalk and run all around.  Don’t worry, little one, you’ll be running with them soon enough!

You are getting bigger by the day.  You love your Daddy with everything in you.  He calls you MegaBaby or Meggles.  The twins still love talking to you, and you are starting to talk back to them.  Of course, Mommy thinks you are sweet and smart and fabulous.  Happy six months, little one!

I wish I didn’t work so hard at keeping people from seeing my warts, mistakes, meltdowns, and other personal catastrophes.

I wish I was a better friend.

I wish there were easier answers to the problems out there.

I wish grace was a more consistent part of my life.

I wish I wasn’t such a coward.

I wish I could figure out how to find a deeper sense of connection.  And contentment.  And confidence.

I wish Megan didn’t always ignore the 20 toys she can play with to find the ONE toy on the floor that she’s not supposed to have. 

I wish I was better with the details.  Especially where house cleaning comes in.

I wish I had more time to read or knit or swing.  Or maybe I wish I took more time to do those things.

I wish I could bottle up my kids’ laughter.

I wish that I would learn to take more time to pray.

I wish I knew how to love my husband.

I wish the laundry would do itself.

I wish I would learn to be less critical, in thought and in word.

I wish I could figure out what real obedience looks like.

I wish I could play the piano.

I wish I had a better sense of my purpose.

I wish I was better at telling the people I love how much they mean to me.  

I wish I looked a lot more like Jesus than I do right now.  (Hey…at least this last one is a wish that will come true someday!)

1.  Alex broke my glasses last night.  I got them in January.  I never liked them that much.  But still…to be out the cost of the glasses after only 3 months.  Drat!

     UPDATE:  I took my broken glasses to the optometrist’s office today, and they are ordering the part needed to fix them.  And it’s under warranty.  NICE!

2.  My children are living in Contrary Land these days.  I guess it’s just ’cause they’re two.  But just about everything I ask gets a “no” in response (even, “Do you want yogurt for breakfast?”) or some other form of negative.  These are sometimes accompanied by fits.  Oh…such fun.  

     UPDATE: Yep…this is still where things stand.

3.  And of course, everyone keeps telling me that 3 is worse.  Something to look forward to, I guess.

     UPDATE: Someone actually told me they liked 3 way better than 2.  Maybe there is hope!

4.  Alex also ran into the corner of a doorway last night, leaving a monster lump on his forehead. It’s better today, just going to leave a lovely bruise for a week or so.  Glad we didn’t plan to have pictures done this weekend!

     UPDATE: The bruise is now purple, but healing nicely.  And it didn’t slow him down for a second.  He’s definitely my boy!

5.  I got Megan’s new-found mobility on video last night.  She is after everything she sees now.  And of course, Erin is trying to “protect” stuff from her grasp.  So…I guess it begins…

     UPDATE: Today, Erin was actually tossing things towards Megan, whether she “should” have them or not.  Obviously, we’ll have to work on what toys are Megan appropriate.  As well as why we shouldn’t throw things at Megan.  I know…good luck with both of those things…

6.  The twins did have yogurt for breakfast this morning.  Alex is eating it with his fingers.  While holding the spoon in the other hand.  *shrugs*

     UPDATE: Okay, no real update.  But this morning, Erin didn’t eat a single piece of Kix from her bowl.  I asked if she’d rather have toast.  Yep.  She ate 2 slices all by herself.  

7.  I actually have found time for the current writing project recently.  Not sure if the revised deadline (it got pushed WAY back) gave me the breathing room I needed to really focus on it or if it’s just been a good week for writing.  But I’ll take it!

     UPDATE: Didn’t get to much writing today as my children’s sleeping schedule got all out of whack.  Oh well.  I probably jinxed myself by writing this!

8.  In a shocking turn of events, I actually got the ironing done yesterday.  Go me!

     UPDATE: I got the garbage out before the garbage truck came today.  Other than that, I accomplished nothing!

9.  Megan gets really fussy in the afternoons these days.  I’m hoping she’s actually teething or something.  And she’s been getting up too early in the morning to eat (4:55 am on Wed. morning, 5:40 today).  I hope she’s just growing and will go back to her 6-7 am feeding time soon.

     UPDATE:  Not teething.  Not growing (that I know of).  Nope…it was a ginormous poop.  Yep, that would explain it, too…

10.  Erin figured out this week that she can leave her room when she wakes up.  So this morning, she appeared in the bathroom just as I was stepping out of the shower.  Surprise, Mommy!

     UPDATE: Also, nothing new here.  I managed to be drying my hair (dressed even!) before 2 little Munchkins appeared in my bathroom this morning.  So I guess that makes the score: Twins 1, Mommy 1

And you are now caught up on (some of) our lives.  Happy Friday!