Same Time, Same Place, VERY Different Experience

If you would have told me as a student at Notre Dame that, some day, I would spend St. Patrick's Day pushing a stroller around campus instead of partaking in more traditional holiday "splendor", I would have told you had one too many green beers! And yet this was the situation I found myself in yesterday with three other moms taking seven children on a tour of campus, duck feeding and picnic lunch. Impressively, all ten of us festively adorned green shirts (no pinches for us)! We laughed as we watched the college students walking by us with green beaded necklaces, crazy hats and cups full of beverages. We sat and ate lunch as Irish music belted from dorm windows. I must admit that a part of me missed those carefree days and, let’s face it, the BEER! As we sat on the blanket though, my friend commented, "This is what I pictured when I decided to stay home with my kids". I agreed with her as I looked around at the kids laughing, all of us basking in the unusually warm and sunny day, enjoying one another’s company and reveling in the fact that we actually made it out despite differing nap times, random earaches and lingering colds. Beyond that though, I was happy to have, if even for only a few minutes, a little perspective. That we are in a good place and blessed for it, blessed for the opportunity and the friendships, blessed for family. I knew that soon temper tantrums would ensue, nap times would come, dinner would need to be made and that ever present question of, "should I really have given up my career?" would resurface. For a moment though, as I watched my girls and looked around at my friends, I didn't want to be anywhere else (no, not even somewhere drinking a beer on Saint Patty's Day). So thank you to the ladies in my life (my daughters and my friends) for a truly wonderful St. Patrick’s Day. I know that this year, even more than other years, I am truly blessed with the Luck O’ the Irish!

Double Trouble

Claire started crawling last week! She was quite tentative at first but has been practicing and getting quite good. This morning, she decided to crawl over to Lucy and try to pull up to see her. She bumped her head (don't worry, it was just a light tap) which sent them both into fits of laughter. Thank goodness the camera was handy!

Two Little Monkeys, Jumpin' on the Bed

The girls' new favorite pass time is playing in our bed..... we may be sliding down a slippery path for which there is no return!



That's right Papa Bear, Goldie Locks is in YOUR bed!


Where is Claire? There she is!

Laura's picks

This is just a short post. I had to share some new pictures. These are my current favorites!

Lucy, just waking up from her nap



Claire doing one of her favorite things, rolling around on the ground



Needs no explanation!

The Nature Channel

As a kid growing up in a science family, a great deal of our television time was spent watching the Nature Channel. During these long winter days (when let's face it, bears have the right idea to hibernate), I find myself being reminded of those nature programs while watching our daughters. Let me clarify; no, not the scenes of predator versus prey when I always made my dad change the channel (although I hear from my friends with twins that the two year old stage may resemble that). Instead, they remind me of what was always my favorite part of these shows; when the baby animals would roll around and play with one another. Inevitably one of the siblings would take it too far and the mother bear, lion, tiger, etc. would eventually have to intervene, Mama Laura not being excluded from this group. The scenes were always quite entertaining up until that point, however. Here is some evidence of our little animals in action.........

"We'll be good, we promise Mom."


All in good fun


Going in for the Kill


Five, four, three, two.......


"Mom, she pulled my hair!"

New Tricks

Claire and Lucy both have new tricks up their sleeves these days. Claire sat up by herself for the first time on January 10th. Lucy followed on January 26th. They are very proud of themselves and thoroughly enjoying their new view of the world. Claire loves any game in which she can be wild. Watch the peek-a-boo video to get a glimpse of this! Lucy is our TALKER!!! Whether she is in the car, in her crib supposedly taking a nap or it is 4 AM, you can hear her happily repeating her favorite word "da-da-da-da". She must be up to over a thousand times a day. She gets quite a kick out of herself, as does her sister!

"That's right, look at me, I am awesome!"



Lucy, taking a time out from talking to smile for the camera.

Rice Cereal

We decided to give solid foods a try.... the girls were a little skeptical but we are not giving up yet. I mean, they have Judd's and my genes, they are bound to pick up on the wonder of eating sooner or later, right!?

I think that Claire wants to try this first........

You can keep giving it to me, but I am going to keep spitting it out.... how long should we play this game?

I can do this all night long

Are you kidding me with this!?

I am not so sure about this!

Can I just have a ba-ba, mom?