Well, friends, it’s been nearly a month since I’ve posted. I know, I know…what’s UP? You know it’s been too long between blog posts when folks are starting to email to see if everything’s alright. (Ok, I’ll admit, it’s nice to be missed.)
The truth is, we’ve been hit by a hurricane. A brown-eyed wind and a round-bellied water have unleashed their toddler fury on our house, and I’m holding on for dear life.
What can I say? I thought my plate was full the minute these dudes arrived…twice the breastfeeding, twice the poopy diapers, twice the pureed carrots. And then one day I woke up and they were 2 1/2, and I realized that everything up to this point has been a trip to the movies. Literally, I’m pretty sure I thought I was braving the trials of motherhood, but in actuality, I was sitting in a movie theatre eating buttered popcorn and watching Will Smith save the world.
So I thought I’d share a few fun photos from this past week. I wanted to include the 2 occasions where I entered a room to find 1/2″ of standing water on the floor, but water doesn’t photograph well. C’est la vie. I think you’ll still get the idea…
Aw, yay! I love how “shocking” this first marker photo seemed on Instagram this week, but how it was really only about 4% of the actual destruction. Good times.
Sooooo….markers. Crayons. Pens. Pencils. Any writing utensil, really, is out to get me…and my walls, and my furniture. I try to hide them! I keep them on the top shelf or locked away, but one way or another one always finds it’s way into these devious (cute, yes, but also devious) little hands. Let’s just say Mr. Clean and I are besties at this point. Those Magic Erasers…do not attempt parenthood without them.
And then there’s food.
If we go 12 hours without a box of cereal, or a bag of chips, or a box of crackers completely spilled on the floor (I mean, like, a full box of Cheerios turned upside down), then I start to get scared that I’ve mistakenly wandered into the neighbor’s house. I know…um, CHILDPROOF THE CUPBOARDS! We have! Apparently the locks are just “child” proof, not “children” proof, and that little piece of plastic doesn’t stand a chance against two 28 pound boys boys who won’t take no for an answer.
Hmm, what else? Mud yesterday. Snow’s melting so lots and lots of mud.
And you know what? I can’t complain about mud. In fact I love mud. I adore mud. I would take mud any day of the week over this week’s highlight…
Yes, that is exactly what you’re hoping it’s not. Time to dust off the hazmat gear because it just got real up in here. And by real, I mean completely and utterly disgusting. Beds, walls, mattresses, linens, curtains, clothes. Nothing spells a lovely Sunday afternoon like me, 2 hours, and a tub of Clorox wipes.
But you know what?! I’m just laughing. Laughing cause I know if I don’t, I’m gonna cry.
Anyway, I’ve missed you. I’ll try not to stay away so long again. Things are good here in Dock land. Stinky, but good.
XO
HI Amy, I can so sympthatise. My boys are 2,5 as well life is crazy and full but good. All the more kudos for deciding to home school your oldest 2. And warm felt appreciation for sharing this side too.
O Amy, the best attitude is to laugh, it seems like you are someone who has finally gone crazy, but it actually keeps you sane ! It does pass, eventually, but whilst you are in the midst of it just go with the flow and give in to it . The look on your boys faces in their cots, so cross with whoever has messed up their beds, priceless X
Holy Crap!! Lol (sorry ) someone needs to rescue you!!
OMG AMY! ACK! Well, you can just take heart that one day, their children will do that to them and then you can really laugh. And the best part is you can be laughing while you and Russ are driving away to your clean, tidy home. Just keep telling yourself that children are a gift to be treasured. At least that’s what everyone keeps telling us right? Bless your heart. (hugs!)
Oh, Amy! Even having seen some of these on IG, I still laughed and cringed my way through this whole post. I hope this is a better week!
Amy–enjoy every day because one day you will wake up and they will be off to school, college, and life!! The memories will still be there, along with these fantastic pictures.
Memories. someday you will muse over these pictures and will sigh,,cry and laugh. Boys are so different from girls. Your husband must be taking credit…?
That is so funny! I was thinking that exact thing! We were blessed with a daughter first, and 18 months later a son. As they were growing, an aunt asked our firstborn what she thought about a little brother, and she summed it up nicely with a polite “boys are messy”!
oh my word, I have never laughed so hard, wow, that last photo of the boys in poop-land sent me falling off my chair. I love reading your blog Amy and catching up on your life, and have to say, this blog post is your best ever. Keep your great sense of humor, oh my gosh, I am still laughing.
Fustrating, exasperating, exhausting are just a few words to explain Motherhood. I use to say to my friends that I could see God saying, “I give you a gift, a baby”, as he turns he laughs and says, “Let’s see what she can do with that!” Thank God we receive these beautiful children as sweet little babies. One day, I had anger on my face, running for one of my kids and my friend yelled out to me, “Remember how beautiful he is when he’s sleeping!” You gotta laugh…but really it’s the hardest job I ever had! And the most rewarding!
Oh my dearest, lovely Amy, once I got past the OMG, then laughing, it dawned on me…..they are extraordinarily creative….like their mother and sisters just using a different medium. Hugs to you. Keep the sense of humor. It sounds cliche, but before you know it they grow up and are gone. Not that I’m missing the poop smears or wall crayon art mind you. :)
Rosemary B here:
One day you will look back and laugh. I remember these days, but girls are easier…. somehow.
They respond to our sobbing, and try to be careful.
Boys are more exuberant.
Their faces in these photos are remarkably impish.
Two year olds are a handful, TWO two year olds…. frightful. :-D
Rosemary B again:
Oh, and …. there is indeed a special place in Heaven for mothers of twin boys
I can’t help but laugh with you. Mine did the same things but are now 28 and 31. Enjoy
these times, and the stinky ones too, for they pass way too soon.
Ahhhhhh Lololololololololololll the joys of having boys, seems harder after girls, boys will be boys.
Bless you! That’s why God made them so cute. I only had one child but he is 19 and away at college and that day will be here before you know it. They are such a gift. If your house were pristine clean and quiet you would probably be alone. Enjoy the twins good and bad. Love to you and yours.
Oh Amy – you took me back in time…..:)! Believe me – when the grandma years come and your kids will tell you stories of their own – you will REALLY laugh and say – “Been there, done that” (and think – “Payback” He, He). But really – I would love to come and give you a day or two break and enjoy your little ones, and help clean. Honest!!
Hang in there Mama! You are doing a fantastic job and literally, before you know it, they will be graduating from college! Just keep smiling and snapping pictures…
OH DEAR LORD! I had a friend years ago who had twins who said the first six months were the hardest but then again hers were girls. Hang in there! You will laugh with sincerity years down the road and now you have pictures to share with the future daughters-in-law! HAHA!
These are darling and bring back my memories. My daughter took colored pencils and drew all over one dinning room wall. She was so proud and got me to show her beautiful picture. And said, “you told daddy you needed a picture on the wall”. It stayed there for 2 days, could not wash if off, so sweet they can be.
I feel for you. None of mine ever did that. A bit of wall art but with markers…
Thanks for the chuckles. It has made my morning.
Oh wow ~ you’re my hero!
Adorable post!
“Mama said there’ll be days like this….” Oh my goodness. Praying for no more hurricanes any time soon, but I am glad you have the sunshine of laughter! <3
My 21 year old niece is expecting twin boys in July. I forwarded this to her! Fun for me to watch and smile…… One day you will miss all this, believe me!
Oh my goodness, did this bring back memories!! My “kids” are all at the age where they are getting married and will start families of their own one day. And I will smile when their children do some of the same things that they did when they were young.
Amy – thank you for starting my morning with a laugh! It was more than a laugh, I was laughing so hard the tears were running down my face and I could barely read the text. You absolutely NEED to write a book! Not only are the pictures adorable, but your narratives are great. I am a grandmother and I could read your stories all day long. Please keep posting!! I love to see the creativity in your boys. They have certainly inherited that from you both!
My sister had twin boys, and you bring back so many memories (they are in their mid-thirties now). Thanks again for a wonderful start to my day – I will be smiling all day thinking about you – and feeling sorry for you cleaning that last mess!!
Ooo! Amy! Bless you for even thinking about posting. Laugh or cry? You are certainly in the midst of a hurricane. I do hope you get respite in the evenings and you have time to be creative – in a constructive way! When I selfishly think things are getting on top of me I will remember this post, tell myself to ‘get real’ and send up a prayer for you. :-)
Oh sweetie. Been there! The brand new white bedroom that exploded in a rainbow of ‘. Look mommy I made it pretty for you!’ Or the beautiful little brown haired beauty that looked at you and wrinkled her nose cause something was stinky on the walls curtains clothes and doesn’t poop make for good finger painting! But all in all laughing is better that crying because next week it could be baby oil all over the curtains and mud slime food poop lotion cat litter or even sticky kisses. And then they grow up and want gas money!
Sorry just wanted to add my joys of this sort were before magic eraser and wipes I had to repaint, and the finger painting was a bucket of bleach rubber gloves and sponges!
She has a two yr old of her own now with number 2 on the way!
Oh, Amy! My oh my – you poor soul! How in the world do you ever cope is beyond me. I’m glad my two sons are grown up and have children of their own. Now I can say – see what I told you; your children would be twice as bad as you. Just kidding! Their father told them that. Anyway, dear, I’ll say a prayer for you that you get through the next 16 years. Here’s hoping you have a fun-filled day without the mess. Take care!
Goodness! ROFL! That last picture had me spit iced tea all over my monitor! And instantly thought of Madagascar…”If you have any poo, fling it now!”
They are adorable and hilarious. You are an awesome mom.
Oh my! You need Calgon to take you away!
oh my poor Amy…. you need an extra set of eyes on those two!! You cant be everywhere. I guess the saying is true “Double Trouble”!
Oh, Amy! I raised three boys, who are now 30, 28 and 21. I always felt sorry for people who had girls before boys. That had NO idea what is about to hit them. I guess you now know!! Sorry! You WILL survive! Hang in there!!
OMG! What a riot! So funny the story behind the pictures but I am sure SO NOT funny when it’s happening. What a hilarious book it would make to have a compilation of their antics to pass along when they are older. Hang in there, You deserve some wine, a nice bubble bath, and a massage.
Bless your heart! I am sure you are counting the days till sew south! I am going this year and some spa time looks to be in order for you I know it is for me! Can’t wait to finally meet you in person. Just a few more weeks and you can have a little break! Rest up for the next crazy week!
Amy blessings to you. I did daycare for many years one of the girls did that at nap time. And our power had gone out so we had no water, so I had to wait to clean things up. My oldest son had also done that.Glad to here from you again. Hope this week is a little cleaner fun for you.
Oh Amy, my heart goes out to you. Being wa-aa-ay on the other side (my ‘baby’ is 26 and a daddy), I can only shake my head and laugh (with you I hope). I cannot imagine what it would have been like to have two of my youngest… probably what you are experiencing. Blessings to you.
I know what you are going through. I had triplets, and you know what I mean triple the mess, triple the poop, triple the crying and clinging on to me. But trust me this too shall pass… make a lot of pictures… in a couple of years you will be laughing hard and when they are teenager you can show them the “crib” picture!!! Sending good vibes and strength to clean!
Wow, and ok, sorry, I did laugh. Thanks for sharing a peek into your life. And being a twin I feel I need to go apologize for something to my parents!
Praying for you Amy. Prayers for strength, patience and continued joy and laughter.
I am glad you document it all with pictures. When they see it when they are older- they say ” mom, why did you let us do all that stuff?” Or ” Weren’t you watching us?” You are handling it all so well – keep the pictures coming
OMG I feel so bad for you right now. I’ve been there my boys were not twins but close in age and shared a room and there where just like your 2. I have many a photo that looks just like the ones you have on here and the POOP ones too. (That was an everyday deal for at least a year) Oh the POOP stories. and the food ones too. Custard and milk poured all through my cupboards and floor and nutella and anything else you could imagine. So I can relate to everything you are going through right now. and I feel for you. For the cupboard locks I ended up using the ones called tot locks and they are a hidden lock that uses a large magnet to open them. They work amazingly so long as you keep the magnet opener hidden from little eyes. The Poop mess sorry I don’t have a solution for that I couldn’t get mine to stop until they out grow it themselves. Although it’s hard to cope with that stuff sometimes it is also so rewarding. Mine are now 15 and 18 and to replace that I have a little boy kitten who is almost as distructive. ( but oh so very cute) but I would have things any other way. Take care Amy and I hope the terrible 2’s ease up on you soon. Just remember they wont stay little forever.
Hang in there! I remember when my much younger brother did the same trick with his dirty diaper. Only he was able to reach the baby powder off the changing table next to the end of his crib. Poop is bad, poop mixed thoroughly with talcum powder sets like cement! Especially in his hair!
Thankfully that was one trick my son spared me!
oh my …look like they are on a mission to destroy everything !!! I could take milk and cereals …wall art and mud …but I think on the last one I will have to call someone !!!! Brave, Brave Amy !!!
And I thought I had it rough lately. …..lisam
The best part? You remembered to photograph it. Trust me. It will come in handy! My 4th child is now 26 and I use those photos (or the threat of using them) on occasion! He was not twins, so he had to do all those things twice!
Thank you for sharing…your blog is a delight!
I’ve only got one 2.5 year old and what a trip. My older two boys were so chill as toddlers and this guy, well, he’s done everything pictured but the poop this week. Good luck – you can make it through this!
I also had a “crappy” week here. It is a lot funnier at someone else’s house…thanks for the sharing! I have nine kids and six of them are boys. It does seem to get better…when they move out. :)
Amy, all I can say is hang in there. They don’t call twins “double trouble” for nothing. I had one of mine decide to make “poopy art” on my carpet, right after I had it cleaned no less. And those childproof locks for cabinets are a joke. We tried several and none of them worked. But, I can say it does get better as they get older. And a good cry never hurts!
Thanks for the preview of my future. My son just turned 5 months, so before long I’ll be battening down the hatches. I will try to remember to laugh and take pictures instead of cry!
Amy, as my grandmother used to say “It’s clean dirt and soap and water is cheap”
Who could resist the boys when they look at you
with those mischief filled eyes and bright smiles?
Hilarious!! Glad you can find the happy moments. Best wishes to you, dear!
I was laughing until I saw the last photo. What were those two mischief-makers thinking???? I’m glad that you are able to see the lighter side of all that chaos. Keep your spirits up!
I think you have two artists on board. They sure are cuties!
oh Amy, Hang in there! The twos will pass, and wall paint and flooring isn’t the end of the world. In a few years you’ll look back on these photos and laugh. They are mighty cute. The photo of them in the playpens is really funny. The criminals have been caught -muddy handed- and aren’t happy about the incarceration, thats for sure. I think I’ll by some stock in clorox wipes and Mr Clean erasers ;-)
I only recently started following your blog, but just wanted to send some hugs your way! My twin boys are 2.5 also and I TOTALLY empathize!! :D It’s a wonderful, crazy, busy, dirty, joy of our life! And I’m totally impressed by all you’re still able to do through it all!
I sent this to my daughter who has twin boys that just turned 1. I don’t think she enjoyed it as much as I did!
As a mother to twin boys who are now 25, I promise you it will get better. I will skip the part about feeding teenage sons…
Oh yeah I remember the poo painting days. Now I get to tell my grandchildren about the disgusting poo painting their mom used to do. Love the looks on their faces. They look at their mom like she is a monster. Gotcha.. So the point of this is.. Someday you will get your day too. A
Takes me back Amy. My son never did this, but my daughters? Booyah!!!!! It was poop, lipstick, hand lotion, soil from my pot plants, you name it! Never did get any pics though, these were a classic! Amazing what they can get up to so quickly, if they’re quiet, you know it can’t be good :)
I only have one word for your post: YIKES!!!
Oh my heavens! I just laughed reading this. My little guy is 20 months now and he just got into the crayons today and started writing on the walls while I was sitting right there doing schoolwork with his older 2 brothers. And I’ll tell ya, the 5 seconds it took to get to him and wrangle the crayon from his surprisingly strong little baby fingers, major damage (I can only imagine x2). The poop… so far I have been lucky (and I totally just knocked on wood). Anyway, I always enjoy your posts and your “real life” blog style. (Still chuckling).
Oh my goodness, I apologize but I did a little more then giggle at this one. lol Made me feel happy for a minute that my kids are almost 36 and one is 32 and the youngest grandchild is almost 10. ;)
We are enjoying our first great-grandson and I was remembering the other day a morning such as you have just experienced. My 2 1/2 year old granddaughter had “decorated” her bed, walls, herself and anything within reach with the only medium she had available. Can’t wait for her little guy to present her with his art work. Will just be laughing. As far as the marker walls go, I think we all experience that. About 3 years ago we were getting our house ready for sale and were stripping the walls of old wallpaper. Suddenly I was reminded why we put the wall paper up. Behind the paper were the remains of my sons creativity. He is now 39. In those days we did not have the miracle cleaners you have now so we had to cover them up instead. Enjoy these years; they go by too fast. Hugs!
A college roommate of mine recently had twin boys. Obviously I can’t tell her about this post but it made me say a prayer for her (make that two) and two for you
That last photo had me bursting into laughter and wanting to cry with the good memories it brings. Well, kind of. I have a picture of my son (thankfully not his twin sister, too) reaching out to me with poop covered hands with the poop smeared behind him. On the crib, on the wall, on everything he could reach. Shortly thereafter the twins gave up their naps. I still kept trying to get them to take them but had to give in when I went upstairs to find one asleep on top of the dresser and another one lying on the floor, thankfully asleep. Then I would just drive places with handwork in my car so that when they fell asleep I’d have a few moments to do something on my own. And the coloring of the walls–fun times. My older daughter never did that, but then I found where she decided to play teacher by writing out lessons on the walls, with their scribbles beneath her writing. People think I am joking when I say that I don’t remember much from the twins’ birth till they were in kindergarten but it’s the truth–I have tidbits of memories here and there but know that we got out of it alive. Hang in there and enjoy. It goes much too fast.
All I can say is YIIIIIIIIIIIIIKES!!!!
Amy, wow! You’ve had quite a string of little boy crazy times there! I have three boys aged 2, 4, and 6, and we’ve had a lot of those same things! But I think having the two 2-year-olds at the same time means you deserve a medal! Hang in there, and know that all us toddler moms are feeling your pain! The little guys sure are cute, though!
Ahhhh…this post did me so much good! I have been missing my sewing machine, mostly because I am trying to keep up with my own little hurricanes and not feeling real great about my efforts. I don’t know what I have been thinking – it is real life and I need to just accept that! Kudos to you for handling it well and thanks for that bit of reality!
I used to call my nephews partners in crime — they were holy terrors when together which was all the time. One is an engineering consultant now — the other is about to gratuate college with an engineering degree then he’s off to grad school. It’s amazing how they grew up to be such charming responsible young men. So hang in there — there’s light at the end of the tunnel!