They Said It Would Get Harder...And Now It Has!

Yesterday was one of the most eventful days I've ever had with the twins! Here's what happened, in no particular order:

1. They were in The Octagon (which we now don't set up as an octagon. We prop it up around the couch and love seat so they can "walk" around.) The purpose of The Octagon is to keep them safe so I can go to different areas of the house. Well, I went into their room to help Ricky get some stuff to pack up and when I came back I only saw Emma. I looked all over the room for Olivia! Finally, I looked behind the couch, and there she was, chewing on the fan outlet plug! Needless to say, I freaked out a little bit. We no longer put The Octagon up like that when we do other things.

2. As I was setting The Octagon up, I picked Emma up and put her in it, and when I turned around to grab Olivia...she was gone. Gone to the kitchen to eat some kitty food. By the time I grabbed her, she had already eaten a few pieces and swallowed them and had her hand in the bowl for more.

3. We were in their room playing before bedtime and Ricky left to go to get a book for them from the living room. When he left and closed the door ('cause they have a bad habit of crawling off down the hallway now) and Olivia crawled over to the door, stood up on her tip-toes and was reaching for the doorknob to follow her daddy! She couldn't quite reach it, but it was nice to know she knew what to do with a door! LoL!

4. All day long Emma has been loudly saying, "Dadadadadada!" I keep telling her "Daddy's at work", but it doesn't do any good. :)

5. Both twins have finally started saying "Mama" and "Dada" albiet in their own little ways, and Emma a little more clearly and often, but they're still doing it! Yea!!

6. While we were playing on the floor, Emma crawled over to Ricky's X-Box controller, picked it up, unpaused his game and started moving his character around the screen. I know it was all a coincidence, but it was still pretty funny!

7. While we were in their room before bed, I stood Emma up (she's gotten really good at standing up by herself, but only when I stand her or she lets go...she can't sit and stand without touching something/someone yet...) and then she took a step! Over the course of a few stand up, take a step, fall down...she managed to take five steps one time before falling! I'm so happy! We got Olivia to take one step, which is really good! She usually does things a few days/weeks after Emma so her taking a step today is awesome!!

8. While playing in the living room, I look over and Emma is standing on top of a stack of boxes three boxes high! I don't know how she got up there, but she did and was headed for the window.

I kept hearing from different parents that once they're "mobile" it would get harder, and the other day I was thinking, "Eh, it's not that bad. They're mobile (crawling) and they're not getting into anything. I've got the best kids ever!" Yeah, right! haha!

In other news, Ricky and I are moving in 3 days. We're moving in with my dad, until he moves out sometime between October and December then we're going to buy his house (the house I grew up in). We've been packing for almost a month and still have so much left to do. All the things that are left out are things that we're still currently using, like the television and the computer. We've packed up our dvd collection and have been watching the same box of movies for a straight month. If I have to hear that VeggieTales theme one more time I'm going to shoot myself. The other day Ricky and I went to Best Buy and I got the twins a few (*ahem* ten *cough*) new movies to watch.

Oh, I almost forgot. Ricky and I went to the flea market on Saturday (we do *heart* our dirt malls) and there's this guy that has a booth there that we've purchased stuff from before. I got a couple Disney vinyls to frame (I like to frame records) and Ricky found me a New Kids On The Block cd from 1994. We've purchased from this guy before, but sometimes his merchandise isn't exactly what you thought you were buying. For example, one time Ricky got a cd and when he opened it, it wasn't in there. Another time, he bought a cd and there was two copies of it in there. For two dollars, it's not a huge deal that it happens every once in a while. But, when we got to the car, I had Ricky open it up to check to see what was actually in there. When he did, he looked at the front cover (on the inside of the case) and it was autographed! For two dollars, I got NKOTB's autograph! :)

On a completely different note, do you ever wish you could look at someone and tell them exactly what's on your mind instead of sugarcoating it all the time because you don't want to make them mad at you? 'Cause I do all the time.

Britney Marie

It's Been A While

It's been a long time since I've posted. I didn't realize that. Hmmm....

Our family will be moving back to Panama City, in 9 days (that's next Saturday for those of you who can't count days). I'm really excited. We'll be living with my dad and step-mom until probably Christmas, but that won't be bad. They said we won't have to pay rent or utilities while they're there so basically we'll get to keep Ricky's entire paycheck.

The only thing I'm really going to miss are our friends we've made here.

BritneyMarie

"We Will Be What Is Up New York..."

As per usual, not a whole lot has been going on over here. I didn't realize how long it had been since I have posted a blog, so I guess I'm about due.

I got my midterm grades back today. In my "Drugs in the Justice System" class I got an infuriating 89. Man, I hate that grade!!! One point away from an A!!! And in my "Law, Society and Administration of Justice" class, I got a 90. So, all in all, I'm doing fairly well. 'Course I have been studying my ass off!!

Graduation is in less than one month too! I'm so excited to be done with college!!

Emma and Olivia's first birthday turned out better than I could have expected.

Speaking of Em and Liv, we noticed yesterday that Emma has two new molars and a third one popping through any day now. So, that makes Emma's tooth count 10 and working on 11! I think Olivia is teething as well, she's been kinda fussy lately and drooling a lot, so we'll see what pops through in her mouth soon enough.

Well, I've got dishes to do and some dinner to eat!

Book Meme

I'm bored and since I saw this on Hollow Squirrel, I figured I'd do it.

Here are the rules:

1. Pick up the nearest book
2. Open to page 123
3. Find the 5th sentence
4. Post the next three sentences
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you

The book is, Drugs in American Society.

"Sedatives are general depressants; they retard signals passing through the central nervous system."

"As such, then, their effects are contrary or antagonistic to the stimulant drugs."

"Sedatives also slow down a number of functions and actions of a wide range of gorans of the body, as well as general activity, or "behavioral output.""

I'm tagging Sheena, Jessi, Gen, Heather, & Steen.

Reassurrance

As I look around and see other people's kids (not other twins, though they certainly are doing this as well) doing so much more than Em and Liv, I can't help but wonder if it is because I'm not giving my girls enough attention. I try very hard to make sure I'm teaching them everday how to do things, but I wonder if because I'm having to do things for two, instead of one, that it is more difficult. Surely, it has to be easier to work one on one, than one on two (or more) right?

Please tell me that Em and Liv will catch up. Please tell me that they'll start walking and talking. Please!!!

Britney Marie

Almost All Wet

The other night Ricky and I were outside talking to our neighbors (the ones right next to us). And all of a sudden we hear this big splash behind us. Our new upstairs neighbors, who I affectionately call "Smokey McSmokerson") dumped his cooler, garbage water, or something down through the slats of his balcony...directly onto our porch. He made no effort to try to dump it over the side into the bushes. Now, normally, when we're outside talking to our neighbors, Ricky and I are standing on our porch and they are standing on theirs. This time, however, we were all on their porch, which turned out to be quite lucky! The guy didn't even look! Ugh, I hate them already, and they haven't even been living there for a month yet!

The day "Smokey McSmokerson" moved in our entire apartment smelled like cigarette smoke. It was so bad in our kitchen that I couldn't go in there for more than five seconds without getting a horriffic headache. The maintenance man came by and sealed up some holes under our cabinet then went upstairs and did the same to their apartment. It smells a whole lot better, until we run the dryer, then we can smell it again. I've told the maintenance men, but they haven't come by to fix it again.

Dancing Through Life -- Wicked

The trouble with schools is
They always try to teach the wrong lessons
Believe me, I've been kicked out
Of enough of them to know
They want you to become less callow
Less shallow
But I say: why invite stress in?
Stop studying strife
And learn to live the unexamined life

Dancing through life
Skimming the surface
Gliding where turf is smooth
Life's more painless
For the brainless
Why think too hard
When it's so soothing
Dancing through life
No need to tough it
When you can slough it off as I do
Nothing matters
But knowing nothing matters
It's just life
So keep dancing through

Dancing through life
Swaying and sweeping
And always keeping cool
Life is fraught-less
When you're thoughtless
Those who don't try
Never look foolish
Dancing through life
Mindless and careless
Make sure you wear less
Trouble and rife
Woes are fleeting
Blows are glancing
When you're dancing
Through life