My Little Super Heroes!

Introducing Captain Underpants. . . . . .and his loyal sidekick, Miss Panty Waist!

Together they fight crime and keep their nemesies, the Wicked Wedgie Woman and Senor Skidmarks, at bay.

OK. . .seriously. . .what am I going to do about this? I thought it was just a phase, but it has been going on for months now. Every time Andy or I need to take a shower or get ready in the master bath/bedroom the twins immediately go to the dresser and start emptying our "drawers" from our drawers! They pull them over their heads, wear them like backpacks, move them from the dresser to the night stand, and sometimes even throw them in the tub. I am so sick of picking up underwear! We can't put the child locks on our dresser because of the way the drawer is. Does anyone have any brilliant ideas to prevent this?

Christmas Fun

Christmas was a lot of fun this year! There were so many memories, but I will just share a few. Santa brought the twins this cute picnic table. They got to eat their breakfast at it and thought it was pretty cool that they didn't have to get strapped into their high chairs. When you turn the table over it becomes a rocking bench. They have had many hours of fun playing on it together and with their cousin Ember who is visiting from Texas.

Makenzie got a cute little purse with a doggie in it. She played with it for a few minutes and quickly ditched it to play with Brayden's new racecar. True to form, Brayden decided the purse was pretty cool.

Andy's fellow managers gave us the best gift of all. They texted him Christmas morning and told him they would cover for him so he didn't have to drive all the way to South Jordan in the snow. It took them a lot of convincing, but Andy finally decided to stay home. He felt a little guilty because the theater was still so busy, be we all enjoyed having him home and spending some quality time together as a family.

My side of the family after Christmas Brunch.

The Sounds of Snow

Is there anything cuter than "ffwt, ffwt, ffwt" sound that you hear when little kids walk around in their snow suits? Probably just the kids themselves bundled up like a scene from A Christmas Story and ready to play in the snow for the first time.

"Ffwwt, ffwt, THUD! Aaaaah!" Brayden's fallen and he can't get up!

"Shswooooosh." We decided to take the kids for a test drive on the sleds we got for snowshoeing. We can't wait to traverse the trails near Snowbasin!

"Fweew!" That's me breathing a sigh of relief after we come inside. I think it took Andy and I longer to bundle the twins up that we actually stayed outside for. But it was worth it. . .we all had fun!

Ring Around the Rosie

At least once a day, the twins and I play Ring Around the Rosie. They are so cute when we play! I normally wouldn't post something that shows just how big of a dork I am (I have no idea why my sweater is tucked in my pants. . .I guess I should just be greatful that I don't have TP stuck to my foot) but the twins cuteness outweighs my dorkiness.

Anyhoo, without further ado I present Ring Around the Rosie for your viewing pleasure!

Balls, not dolls!

Balls, not dolls! That is the mantra that Andy is trying to teach Brayden. He doesn't care what kind of a ball. Basketball, football, even a ping pong ball. Much to Andy's chagrin, however, I don’t think it is working.
Meet Iris. Iris was my favorite Cabbage Patch Kid when I was a little girl. A few weeks ago I got her out for Makenzie to play with. Kenzie wasn’t all that impressed. But Brayden took an immediate liking to Iris! He squeals when he picks her up and hugs her. Then he turns back into a typical boy and drags her around the house by her braids. So one might think that there is no need to worry.

But worry Andy still does. Why you ask? Because Brayden also loves to play with my purses. So there you have it. Two of my son’s favorite toys are dolls and purses!

Note: I intend to keep these pictures readily available for blackmail purposes in the years to come!

Found It!

Today I went to hide a Christmas present that I ordered for Andy. Guess what I found stuffed in the back of the closet? Bamm Bamm's club! The sad thing is I looked in that closet 3 times for the club! I moved stuff around and took stuff out. How did I not see it?! Anyway, now I have to go find a new hiding place for Andy's presents because if he reads this he'll know where to go snooping.

Odds and Ends

What have we been up to lately? Well, not much this past week. The twins got sick earlier this week and after 3 days of wiping their noses, I got sick. What can I say. . .at least they have finally learned to share. :)

Prior to that, we tried playing in a big pile of leaves that my Dad raked up. Brayden cried and cried. He did not like it, which is weird considering how much fun he had playing in the leaves while we were hiking.

A couple of weeks ago I took the kids to Andy's theater for lunch. They love visiting him at work! I wish we could do it more often, but it's too far away. There is a place called Cookie Cutters right next to the theater so we also took the twins to get haircuts while we were there. After the mess I made of Brayden's hair when I tried to cut it I decided some things are better left to the professionals. This place rocked! The stylists were so good with kids and Brayden and Makenzie thought it was pretty cool to sit in the car and the airplane.

Makenzie showing off her cute new doo.

And finally, a shameless plug for myself. TWINS magazine is going to publish another one of my articles in their January issue. It's not a huge publication, but kinda fun nonetheless. It's nice to have an accomplishment other than mopping the floor and managing to keep it clean for an entire day!

A Yabba-Dabba-Doo Time!

(To the tune of the Flintstones)

Rho-odes. Meet the Rho-odes.
They are all dressed up for Halloween.

From the town of Uintah.
They are ready to go trick-or-treating.
Let’s get a fun photo to commemorate.
Nope! The twins don’t want to cooperate.
When you get free candy,
You’ll have a yabba-dabba-doo time.
A dabba-doo time.
You’ll have a gay old time!

Thanks for singing along.

Now to answer all of your burning questions:

YES! I know I am a gigantic dork.

No, I did not make the Pebbles and Bamm Bamm costumes.

No, I never found Bamm Bamm's club.

Yes, Andy fashioned him a new one out of newspaper and duct tape.

No, Brayden would not hold the club.

Yes, I made the Fred and Wilma costumes.

Yes, Andy & I will probably eat alot of the candy the kids got.
No, my scale will not thank me for that!

And finally,

YES! I hope you all had as much fun as we did!

15 Month Stats

Brayden

33" (90%)
23 lbs (25%)
Big fat punkin' head (95%)

Makenzie

31-1/2" (75%)

20 lbs (10%)

Matching punkin' head (95%)

Black Holes and Polar Bears

No, I'm not talking about the latest conspiracy theory from LOST. I'm referring to the thing that every house comes equipped with. The “black hole” that swallows single socks and other small items. And once you have kids, the size of that black hole multiplies exponentially. It becomes a vortex of missing toys, keys, cell phones and anything else they can get their sticky little hands on.

When my twins were younger I kept a mental list of everything that was missing. One blue ball. Three magnetic letters. The remote control to our master bedroom light/fan. A plastic polar bear. I stressed about the missing items---especially the remote control---and scoured the house to find them. I quickly found one of the letters pushed under the stove, but the others remained a mystery.

Over the next few weeks, the other items started to surface. The polar bear had been wrapped in a blanket and stuffed in the closet. (Apparently, said polar bear needed to hibernate during the dog days of summer.) I found a magnetic letter when I got out a mixing bowl later that week and yet another when I put on a pair of shoes that I hadn’t worn in a while. Unfortunately, the remote control was still no where to be found.

One trip to Home Depot and many hours of manual labor later, I had a new remote control and a light/fan that I could turn on and off from the comfort of my own bed. Two days later I discovered that the new remote control had gone missing. Now I'm convinced the universe is just taunting me!

Most recently one of the accessories to Brayden’s Halloween costume has been added to the magnetic force field surrounding my house. I have looked in every nook and cranny that I can think of. And still. . .nothing.

I am confident that one day this black hole will collapse and the bright shining star that was once my home will re-emerge. Until then, I will stop taking inventory on the twins’ toys every evening (as they are probably right where the kids want them) and start being more careful with everything else. I’m sure Brayden’s costume accessory will turn up on November 1. And maybe if I’m a good little girl, Santa Clause will bring me a new remote control.

Our Motto

Of all the paths you take in life,

may some of them be dirt! We LOVE the outdoors and hope that as the twins grow up they will enjoy and appreciate nature as much as we do. We have strapped them on our backs and taken them on weekly hikes throughout most of the summer. Now that they can run around a little bit they seem to enjoy the mountains even more. And when we are at home and you ask them, "Do you want to go outside?" they grab their shoes and go to the back door. So far, so good! Leaves are so much fun!

This is my Dad. We drug him along today to help us take pictures. He was awesome! He did a little bit of everything. . .manned the camera, shook trees to make the leaves fall on the kids, and helped us entertain them. Thanks, Dad!

So Happy Together!

The twins have been full of "twinspirational" moments lately. If Brayden is laying on the floor, Makenzie likes to go lay on him and then they both giggle. She also likes to give him hugs. But she is a bit over zealous and instead of hugging him she ends up tackling him. This makes me giggle. Makenzie LOVES her twin brother. And it goes both ways. The other day Brayden went ker-splat on the cement and scraped his nose. After I got it cleaned up we all sat on the couch to watch a DVD. Brayden climbed over top of me and sat as close to his sis as he possibly could to seek comfort. Aaawww. . .my mommy heart swelled three sizes at that moment.

This is how Brayden Rolls. . .

. . .and how he unrolls.

Good or Evil?

MAKENZIE: Look at me! I am soooo stinkin' cute. . .

. . .there is no possible way that I could be the evil twin.
BRAYDEN: Oh pa-leeease! What a load of crap!
MAKENZIE: Wait just a minute.
MAKENZIE: That's MUCH better. Now I don't have that stupid bow on my head. Ooooh, look at the shiny camera. It has lots of buttons that I can push. Must. Have it. NOW!
BRAYDEN: Aaaaaaaah! I wish I could walk too. Wait for me!

MELINDA & ANDY: Thanks Brian & Jen for the cute t-shirts!

We're Ba-ack!

ALOHA! We just got back from our trip to Kauai. I was looking forward to this vacation forever. I wanted to sleep in, lounge on the beach, and hike in the rainforest---most of which I got to do. Here's how it all went down.

Tuesday, August 5

9:00 pm We just dropped the kids off at Grandma & Grandpa Rhodes house. Our house seems strangely empty and quiet now. I'm not sure what to do, but Andy sure does. He wastes no time throwing in a Metallica album and cranking up the stereo. Our packing party begins. . .

9:30 pm The party abruptly comes to a halt when my vase full of rocks comes crashing down off the top of the entertainment center. Apparently the vibrations from the sub-woofer were a bit too much.

Wednesday, August 6

9:00 am We haven't even been away from the kids for a full day and I already miss them. Much to Andy's chagrin, I have been oohing and awing at all the cute babies I see in the airport. Then I see a double stroller and my heart melts faster than a delicious Fudgesicle on a hot summer day.

Thursday, August 7

4:00 am Sleeping in? HAH! There are about 10 roosters outside our condo that have other plans. Apparently, the things run rampant on the island. And they are EVERYWHERE. I hate roosters!

8:30 am We get an early start on the day and head up Waimea Canyon to do some hiking. We stop at the visitors center and are greeted by this. . .

. . .I vow right then and there to eat more chicken! We take a couple of disappointing hikes and then drive to the lookout point at the top of the canyon. Spectacular.Friday, August 8

4:30 am What a surprise. My friend the rooster is outside making noise. I! Need! Sleep!!


4:00 pm We are on boat tour up the Na Pali Coast. I wouldn't mind being stranded on a beach like this (as long as there weren't any chickens on it).

From the boat we saw bottle nose dolphins, spinner dolphins and a Hawaiian monk seal. We went snorkeling and saw all kinds of cool fish. It rained on us for a few minutes, but what an amazing sight the rain brought.

Saturday, August 9

4:12 am YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! I am soooo glad we are staying somewhere else tonight.

9:00 am We drive up to the north shore and hike to Hanakapiai Falls. There are no words to describe how beautiful this hike. From start to finish I am in awe.

Sunday, August 10

8:34 am Wahoo! Once upon a time I considered this getting up early. Now it's sleeping in and quite a luxery.

1:00 pm Today we are just taking it easy. We are just finishing up at the beach where we lounged around, read and swam. Despite the fact that I applied SPF 50 twice in just over 2 hours, I'm afraid my porcelain skin still got sunburned.

3:36 pm Back in the hotel I grab a bottle of aloe vera and rub all over my legs. It feels kind of sticky. That's weird. I take it out in the room and ask Andy to put some on my back. He just starts laughing and informs me it's actually his hair gel.

Monday, August 11

11:45 am We are back in SLC. I had a lot of fun on the trip, but it's good to be home.

1:00 pm I just found out that Brayden took his first steps yesterday. I can't believe we missed that! It's a good thing I didn't find that out until now or I would've spent my last night in Hawaii crying.

2:00 pm Andy is still laughing about the hair gel incident. He's going to get some mileage out of that one. (Sigh.)

1 Year Stats

The twins finally had their 1 Year Checkup today. Brayden weighs 21 lbs 5 oz (10th percentile) and is 32-1/4 in tall (95th percentile). Our petite little Makenzie weighs 18 lbs 6 oz (10th percentile) and is 30-1/4 in tall (75th percentile). They both have GINORMOUS heads in the 95th percentile. It is amazing that they can even remain upright with such big heads. But, as you can see in this picture, they can and are in constant motion. Makenzie even took her first unassisted steps last week!

Confessions

Yesterday after we went hiking in the Uintas, we stopped at Dick’s Drive-In for some dinner. Brayden refused to eat his banana and promptly threw his pieces off the floor. We didn’t have anything else to feed him, so I ended up feeding him some of my shake for dinner. That’s right. I fed my son ice cream for dinner! Something I never thought I would do. In just one short year I have found myself saying or doing many things out of necessity that I never thought I would do. They range from things I’ve done in the privacy of my own home---making my son wear fuzzy purple pajamas adorned with flowers and kittens---to things I’ve done in public---using the bathroom in Macy’s with the door open because even in the handicap stall, the double stroller wouldn’t fit!

Now it’s your turn to ‘fess up. I want comments from everyone (yes, even you Sonya!) telling me what kinds of things you have found yourself doing that you never imagined you would do.

Birthday Recap

Today was our first birthday! Look at the cute shirts Mom bought us.







Mom and Dad took us to the zoo to celebrate. The rides were LOTS of fun. The animals were OK, but kind of smelly. Maybe they should have taken us to Lagoon instead.





We LOVED our presents! The paper was just as fun as the toys inside. We even played together for a while. We can't wait to wake up in the morning and play with them some more.





Mom worked really hard to make these things, whatever they are. We didn't really groove on them too much. That's why Brayden immediately threw his on the floor. Mom didn't look too happy. She should've mashed them up for us. Cake tastes much better when it's mashed and smeared everywhere. Wouldn't you agree?