Vacation Starts Now

Right now we are flying high above the clouds on the kids', and Rob's first trip to Seattle. This is our first time flying with them, and so far things have been good. Better than I expected them to be.

It's a sign we'll have a safe flight and see Matt soon!

We made it through a 3.5 hour drive, baggage, security, potty trips, and our ascent to cruising altitude with no tears and very little whining.  Brooke is sitting next to me coloring on her new Wonder Wow cards. Harrison and Rob are sitting in front of us and Harry is quietly coloring in his Elmo dry erase book. We still have 3 hours of flight time left, so things could get worse, but that's what Kindles and Frozen are for.  

I think our biggest challenge today will be adjusting to the three hour time difference. We're planning to keep them up as late as possible to hopefully reset their clocks a little bit. They've only napped 30 minutes or so all day, so this could be fun. And by fun, I mean not at all. With how great they've done so far today, maybe they'll surprise me in the sleep/time change department too. 

If you want to follow along on our vacation, I'll be overgramming on Instagram. (@jennpargeon) And of course I'll be sharing full updates on the blog after we get back and recoup from 11 days away from home.  TGIF everyone!

32

To celebrate 32 years of life, I thought I'd share 32 things about me. I've seen this on a few other blogs, and I love the idea. 

1. I am the 4th out of 5 siblings. There are 17 years between my oldest sister and younger brother. We now live all over the country.

2. I love "So You think You Can Dance." I am so excited the top 10 perform tonight with the all stars. I love Twitch! I think Ricky will win this season. He and Emilio are my favorites.

3. I rarely wear any make up. Most mornings I just put on moisturizer after washing my face. Occasionally I use BB cream and mascara. A full face of make up is a rarity.

4. I always have my toe nails painted. ALWAYS! On the same note, I rarely paint my finger nails.

5. I met two of my best friends on the first day of sixth grade. I'm beyond thankful for the 20 years I've had them in my life.

Senior pictures

6. I love video games. I don't think I've played any since the kids were born. While I was on bed rest with the twins, I wasted my days playing Super Mario Galaxy 2.

7. I am a huge "Veronica Mars" fan. Loved the series, and the movie, and the book. I am in love with Logan Echolls. Not the actor that plays him, just the character. Sorry Jason Dohring.

8. Is my lucky number.

9. I have a rather sizable heel collection that never gets worn. Rob is 6'4" and I'm 5'6", so 6" heels were a wardrobe staple before the kids were born.

10. I started getting migraines when I was 19. They are primarily hormonal. One of the best parts of being pregnant for me was no headaches after the first trimester.

11. I was in show choir all 4 years of high school. Jazz hands were my life. 

12. I played soccer from 3rd-10th grade. I decided not to try out for the school team my 10th grade year because I was so worn out from travel soccer all summer. I look back now and regret that decision.

13. I hate cleaning but love cleaning tools. A couple of my favorite gifts ever are my Dyson and SpotBot.

14. I didn't go to college right after I graduated high school. It was 4 years before I decided to start my business degree.

15. I lived with my parents until Rob and I got married. My parents are saints for putting up with me that long.

16. I worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years. Long after I stopped being a server, I would still cater and bartend on the weekends. My last catering job was the summer before I got pregnant with the twins.

17. As it says in my bio, I love summer. August is my favorite month of the year, and not just because it's my birth month. I have fond memories of sharing a bench seat at the lake with my grandpa eating grilled sausage and corn on the cob to celebrate our August birthdays.

18. Boating around Hamilton Lake with a drink in my hand, is my idea of a perfect day. 

All of the siblings, plus a few extras at the lake circa 2009.

19. I love a good dress or cute shirt, but most days you can find me in jeans and a t-shirt.

20. I could watch "Pitch Perfect," 3 times a day every day. It never gets old. See number 11 above.

21. When we moved to Fort Wayne there were 6 of us living in a two bedroom apartment while our house was being built. We watched "Uncle Buck" every night when my dad got home from work. I can quote the entire movie. I can also quote all of "Spaceballs," and do it regularly.

22. I have a ridiculous love of cupcakes. I have paid to have Georgetown Cupcakes shipped to my door on multiple occasions. The $29 shipping fee on top of the price for the cupcakes is totally worth it.

23. My favorite album is John Mayer's Continuum. I've seen him in concert 4 times. It should have been 5, but he canceled a tour we had tickets for. 

Battle Studies Summer Tour

24. Seeing Phantom of the Opera on Broadway is at the top of my bucket list.

25. I hate to snuggle. Unless it's with H and B. Sorry hubs.

26. I have a huge fear of falling, but I love roller coasters. The taller and faster, the better.

27. Rob and I met at work when he was 18 and I was 20. I don't know that I believe in love at first sight, but it was pretty close for us. Maybe love at first conversation.

One of our first pics together

28. I am good with numbers and love math. Calculus however was enough to make me consider quitting college.

29. My guilty pleasure is period romance novels, but only if they're written by Lisa Kleypas. I own all of her books and have read them all multiple times.

30. I saw my first scary movie at 7 years old. It was "The Lost Boys." I've loved vampire movies ever since. I also thoroughly enjoy werewolf and zombie movies, or TV shows.

31. My dream job is currently held by Jeremy Clarkson. I would also settle for Richard Hammond's job.

32. In high school, and for a few years later, I was obsessed with *NSYNC. I've seen them in concert 5 times. I'm still hoping for a reunion. 

So there you have it. To celebrate another year, I'll be indulging in a huge birthday brunch with my parents and the kids. And then packing. Happy hump day, everyone!

Hello August

Hello August! My favorite month is here. We had another fun weekend just doing things around The Fort. You can read all about our Friday here. Saturday morning the kids and I needed to make a run to Meijer to grab a few things for dinner. On our way, we stopped at a local organic farm to grab a few veggies. While there, we checked out the goats and chickens. The chickens clucked up a storm, and H and B clucked right back. Our Meijer trip was a hot mess, but it ended with a ride on Sandy, so all was right in the kids' world.

After naps, a few friends came over for dinner, drinks, and games.  We had chicken fajitas and Mexican style corn on the cob. It was my first time doing corn on the cob with the kids, and Harry loved it. Brooke couldn't be bothered to eat dinner, but when it came time for watermelon, she was in!

The kids played on the dirt while we sipped beers, and then it was time for baths. Judging from the picture above, I'm pretty sure Brooke ate some dirt too. We knew there were going to be fireworks in our back yard at dusk, so we let the kids stay up late for s'mores and fireworks.  It was their first time having s'mores, and they were fans. Although, who isn't? I saw fudge stipe s'mores on Instagram, and we gave it a try. Ah-amazing!

The church put on a great fireworks show. It lasted about 10 minutes and as soon as it was done, H and B handed out hugs and kisses and they were off to bed. We stayed up for a couple more drinks and a few rounds of Guesstures. 

Sunday was a quiet day all around. Even though the kids went to bed an hour late, they were still up at their usual time.Once we were all awake and had breakfast, we headed to the gym to work off the s'mores and beers from the night before. We all took a nap in the after noon and then went out for ice cream after dinner. A quick walk after ice cream, and our quiet Sunday was over.

Boom! Another weekend in the books. Pretty much our whole week will be spent getting everything in order before we leave town for 10 days. We've been counting down the days with the kids. We'll be at three days until "plane day" tomorrow. I think I may have to make a countdown calendar for the last few days. I'm hoping all of the excitement we've created over going on a plane makes our flight a breeze. Fingers crossed!

A Day in the Life

I've been meaning to do a day in the life post since I started blogging. I'm just now getting around to one, but I wish I would have done it earlier. I think it's neat to be able to look back and see what the kids' schedule was like and what your days looked liked at a certain stage. So here's our day in the life at 2 years old.

7:45am - My alarm goes off and I turn on the video monitor. I check emails, message with Carolyn about a few work things, check the weather, and browse my social media apps.

8:02 Brooke's awake. I get her out of her crib and take her to the bathroom right away. She gets a sticker and big girl panties. Once she's done, I feed the dogs and let them out.

8:15 I turn on Disney Junior for Brooke and say goodbye to Rob. Since Harry is still asleep, I decide to jump in the shower

.

8:30 Harrison's awake. I get him out of his crib and ask both kids whether they'd rather go to the zoo or go berry picking. They both say zoo, and I decide we should invite my mom to come along. I decide a wash and go hairstyle will have to do for today.  I get us all dressed and ready to go.

8:55 We are loaded in the van. We take off and head to pick up my mom. 

9:13 Hit up the Starbucks drive thru. Iced coffee for me and bacon sammies for the kids. Convince my mom to split and almond croissant blossom with me.

9:35 Arrive at the zoo. Load the kids in their stroller along with their waters, trains, and bacon sammies. They'll graze the entire time we're at the zoo. 

On days we don't go to the zoo or have some other activity planned, we would have breakfast at home and run any errands that need done during this time. This is also when we would go to the gym. I try to get everything done in the morning and leave our evenings mostly free.

9:48 First potty stop of the day. Harrison runs circles while Grandma takes Brooke to the bathroom.

10:30 Feed Jelani the giraffe. Today is his 16th birthday, but we're not staying for his cake. Too much of a crowd for my liking.

11:04 Second potty stop of the day. Ride the carousel after B's done and then keep moving.

11:46 Burn off some energy running around like crazy and playing peekaboo with grandma. Ride the train and decide to skip the Australian area of the zoo.

12:10 Third and final potty stop at the zoo. Brooke ruins her sunglasses by scratching them along a cement bench. Toss sunglasses and venture towards the goats.

12:35 Adios zoo. Brooke falls asleep 5 minutes after we start moving. She sleeps until we get home.

12:58 We walk in the door, let the dogs out, and get around a small lunch for the kids. Yogurt, kale chips, and bananas. While they eat lunch, I unload the dishwasher.

1:30 Head to the kids rooms to read books, say prayers, sing songs, and tuck them into bed. It must be done in that order, otherwise Brooke is not having it. 

2:01 The tot clock is blue. I have 2.5 hours until it turns yellow, meaning the kids can get out of bed. I close the door to the kids' room and head to the kitchen to make myself lunch. I catch up on Facebook, Instagram, and e-mails while I eat.

2:19 After listening to Brooke whine about her Minnie sticker for 18 minutes, I go in and promise her a new sticker after naps. I tuck them back and and close the door. I curse myself for buying organic ranch and vow never to make that mistake again. I finish the rest of my salad and then eat a banana to get rid of the bad ranch taste. 

2:45 This is my me time. I usually either clean, nap, catch up on the DVR, or do any work on the computer I need to get done. I start cleaning the bathrooms. I listen to Harrison talk to himself and wonder if he's ever going to fall asleep. I think about worst case scenarios and imagine him being an absolute terror all afternoon. 

3:04 The monitor is finally quiet and I look to see that Harrison is finally asleep. I breathe a sigh of relief and get to work on the toilets. 

3:10 I consider taking a nap, but decide I really do need to mop the bathroom floors. Send a few texts and then get back to work. 

4:09 Bathrooms are cleaned and mopped. Laundry is started. I let the dogs out and then sit on the couch to scour Pinterst for dinner ideas for tomorrow nights get together. 

4:40 The kids are still asleep which isn't a surprise since it took them so long to fall asleep.  They are usually asleep within a couple minutes of me leaving their room and awake as soon as their light turns yellow. I enjoy the extra quiet time, and work on this blog post.

4:50 Harrison's awake and angry.  He rolls around in his crib for a few minutes before finally standing up. After I get him, he and I play cars and snuggle. I love when we get one on one time. B is still snoozing.

5:26 Brooke's awake, but not ready to get up. We turn on the light and she lays in bed for 5 minutes before finally getting up. I take Brooke's diaper off and we head to the bathroom to sit on the potty.

5:40 I give the kids the option top watch TV or play on the Kindles. They choose the Kindles, so I get them set up and then start on dinner.

6:12 I change the games their playing for the 487th time and wish I would have just turned on Mickey.

6:25 I pull dinner out of the oven and off the grill. I take away the tablets since it's time for dinner. Tantrums ensue.

6:30 Rob gets home right as I am putting dinner on the table. We have grilled chicken, roasted broccoli, and tater tots for dinner. The later was at Brooke's request.

6:48 The kids head to their room with Rob. They read stories while I clean up, switch over the laundry and feed the dogs. 

7:00 I join them in their room. Harrison has zero interest in stories, but he is interested in jumping out of his chair.

7:15 Time for a potty break for Brooke. Harrison gets a fresh diaper and they both get shoes on.

7:22 We walk out the door for an evening walk.

8:03 We get home from walk and start baths. B hits the potty one last time before hopping in the tub.

8:29 Vacate the tub. We all pile into their room for vitamins, jammies, stories, prayers, and songs. Our bedtime routine goes in the same order as nap time, only this time daddy is along for the ride. While they read stories, I straighten up their room.

9:02 Lights outs. White noise machine running. Tot clock on blue. H and B asking for more hugs and kisses as we leave the room even though they've already received 89 of each.

9:11 Working on this post while watching an episode of Hollywood Game Night on the DVR. I can hear Jules playing with her Lamb Chop toy in the other room.

10:03 Start a second episode of Hollywood Game night.

10:49 Posting this. Letting the dogs out. Heading to bed. I'll play games on my phone for 20 minutes until I'm ready to pass out.

A Laid Back Weekend

Our weekend was pretty laid back compared to the last few weekends which was a nice change of pace. On Friday morning we headed out for Harrison to get his second hair cut. When we got to the salon, I took Brooke to the restroom right away and came back to find Harrison sitting in the chair talking to Sam about Mickey Mouse and not caring at all that someone he'd only met once was trimming the hair around his ears. As soon as I came back he started whining and wanted down. We made it through the rest of the hair cut, but next time B and I are just going to hide in the bathroom the entire time.

The many faces of Harrison and his blue tongue. 

They both got a sucker and we were on our way. We stopped at Fresh market to grab a few things, and the nice lady at the deli counter informed me that they give of free cookies at the bakery if you ask. So, FYI to anyone with kids, free cookies at Fresh Market, all you have to do is ask. Suckers and cookies meant these two were in a grand mood, so we headed home for a mini photo shoot.

After naps, and an outfit change, we unloaded some boxes of hand-me-downs sent from our cousins in PA. In the box was a Bumbo they were sending back, so we had to break out the other Bumbo and now H and B have new seats. I remember at 6 months their chubby little legs wouldn't fit in there anymore, and now they're back to loving them.

The rest of our Friday was quite chill. Saturday morning we woke up and headed straight to the lake. Aunt Chrisser and Uncle JT were in town, so we went to visit with them and participate in the Hamilton Lake Poker Run. My sister's dogs came with them, and Harrison was instantly in love with Dozer. Dozer loves to play ball and is great about bring the ball back and dropping it at your feet, unlike our dogs who chase it and don't bring it back.

We got our drinks, poker cards, and supplies ready and headed out on the boat. We had a great time blowing bubbles, drinking margaritas, taking Jell-o shots, eating snacks, and just cruising on the lake. My pair of 7s was a pathetic hand, and not anywhere close to being a winner. A great time was had by all, and we finished off our morning/afternoon with a swim.

Poker stop #1 - Christmas in July

It started raining while we were swimming which was perfect because it was nap time. H and B had other plans however and refused to lay down. Even after I told them if they didn't lay down we would pack up and leave, the refused to lay down. So home we went. They both snoozed on the way home and then were in terrible moods the rest of the day. I was tired, they were tired, we were all over the day. We started baths an hour early, and were all in bed by 8pm.

Sunday is usually Daddy Day, but Daddy was headed to the Brickyard for work, so the kids and I were on our own. After breakfast we got dressed and headed out for a nice walk.

We snapped a few phone pics while we were out, and I happen to love the above picture. Brooke is cheesing it up, and it looks like Harrison is taking a poop in the roses. Toddlers are the best.

When we got back from our walk, the kids BFF and one of my BFFs stopped by for a little play time. Bubbles, snacks, and stories followed. Harrison is not in any of the pictures because he lost his cool over the bubbles and then went to play with his mower. Typical Harry.

Rob got home about an hour after the kids woke up from naps. In one of my best mom decisions ever, I decided we needed fries and ice cream for dinner. We went to BK so the kids could run around in the play place, and then we hit up the DQ drive through on our way home. Once the kids were in bed, Rob and I watched an episode of Top Gear to close out the evening. A blizzard and Top Gear are the perfect end to any evening as far as I'm concerned.

We are back to the grind, and back to the gym this week. After almost a month off thanks to Plantar Fasciitis, the kids and I are pretty excited to be back. I hope you all are having a great start to your week too.

Random, Fun Facts

Now that we aren't doing monthly updates, it's been a while since I've posted what the kids are up to developmentally. I thought it would be fun to do a post with a few fun, random things about each of them. It's also been a couple months since I've used my Nikon, bad mommy, so we did a little photo shoot today.

Harrison

• is talking in two word sentences
• if he really wants your attention he will grab your shoulders and get his face half an inch from yours to make sure you're listening. 
• loves tickles. Both getting and giving them.
• is obsessed with lawnmowers. Anytime we walk past an open garage, he points out their mower. He also loves his bubble mower.
• always wants to watch Frozen. 
• lets his sister take the lead, but is showing us more and more often that he knows his letters and numbers. 
• favorite color is yellow
• always wants his shoes off while eating.
• loves walking around with his hand in his pocket.
• loves pasta. He always wants pasta for dinner.
• chases the dogs around with toys. He's often a little too rough, so we're working on this. Thank goodness they're so tolerant. On the same note, he also loves to give them hugs.
• has started singing the alligator song we learned in swim class and throws himself into the pool.
• looses his cool over bubbles. Every. Time. He pours out the bubbles and then the tears ensue because he doesn't have anymore bubbles.

Brooke

• refers to every heart as a "frozen heart." 
• repeats 4 or 5 word phrases when you're talking to her, but only talks in 3 word sentences. 
• is a full on hoarder. She has to have a collection of toys with her at all times. 
• loves being naked and telling you she's naked. She even screamed to the barista at Starbucks, "mommy, naked," while we were in the drive through. 
• always wants to watch Mickey. 
• can count to 15. When you asks her what comes after 15 the answer is almost always 18,19, 20. 
• can tell you any letter in the alphabet, except E. E is F and doesn't exist when she says her ABCs. 
• favorite color is pink. 
• wants to hold my hand all the time. If I'm not holding her hand she'll chase after me saying "Mommy, hand," until she catches up and grabs my finger.
• had a potty training regression. After a few weeks in diapers, we are back to big girl panties again.
• is still my laid back girl, but she has started throwing tantrums for ridiculous reasons. Today she threw herself on the floor and cried for 5 minutes because her plate was blue and she wanted an orange one like Harrison.

They Both

• love cottage cheese. If you ask what they want for lunch the answer is always cottage cheese.
• have a new found obsession with playing in the dirt. It may be time to invest in a sandbox so they stop digging up the yard.
• love pine cones, clover, and mail boxes. Our walks are full of them picking clover and running from one mailbox to the next.
• love their trains. We can't leave the house without Rosie and Thomas.

Another Weekend Recap

With this post I will finally be caught up on all of the fun, busy weekends we've had going on. One of my oldest and bestest girlfriends and her daughter were in town visiting from Baltimore. We headed up to the lake Friday morning for a fun day trip. The water was perfect when we got there, so we headed out for a late morning ski.

A picture attempt with toddlers. Real life.

The lake was still pretty quiet, so we decided to take the kids tubing. It was the first time for all three of them. H and B both went with me. Brooke was over it pretty quickly, so she hopped into the boat. Harrison and I kept going and I'm pretty sure he would have tubed the whole lake. Every time I asked if he was done or if he wanted to keep going, he would say "going."  I finally had to tell him it was time to let A go. She thoroughly enjoyed it too. I see many years of tubing together in their future.

We decided the kids could skip naps and we headed out to The Cove. We docked the boat so the kids could play in the sand and we could have a few beers. We had a family of ducks that visited us while we were swimming. They convinced us to feed them half a bag of popcorn. I even got a few of them to eat out of my hand. When we got back into the boat, the kids all passed out within a matter of minutes. Once they woke up, we called it a day and headed back home.

I worked at the daycare this weekend and was battling day 2 of a 5 day headache, so our Saturday morning was pretty quiet. Saturday evening we had some of our besties come over for a hot dog bar and game night. H and B gave the chiminea a makeover and played in the dirt while we ate hot dogs and chatted. I sent the kids to bed after a long shower, and I'm pretty sure they still had dirt in their hair. Once they were snoozing we attempted to play a round of Cards Against Humanity, but mostly we wound up talking and catching up all night.

Poor Lori. This is what Rob subjects Ravens fans to when they enter our house.

Sunday was my father in law's 60th birthday. His brother hosted a lovely potluck and pool party. I was in headache survival mode pretty much all day, so keeping up with the kids is about all I was able to do. They were jumping of the diving board, swimming from the deep end to the stairs and then getting out and doing it all over again. They had a blast swimming and were not pleased when I told them it was time to get out. Until they had cake and ice cream, then they were ok with it. I wish I had pictures, because they were a sticky, chocolatey mess.

Brooke's face kills me! Celebrating the big 6-0 with PawPaw.

Having my bestie in town was amazing. Monday and Tuesday felt like the weekend too. Pool days and Mexican dinner dates are what great days are made of. I was sad to see her leave yesterday, but my headache finally left and life got back to its normal flow. Now we have just enough time to recoup before next weekend gets here.