QOTW: Dear Pregnant Self

Everyone,

This week's question on the Multiples and More blog is not a question but a writing prompt.

For this week's question of the week, write a letter to yourself- your newly expecting, have-no-clue-what-you-were-in-for self.

Dear Pregnant Self:

Look at you having two!  And be relieved it's not three.  (Haha...nice rhyming there.)  First off, you will love having twins.  Twins are amazing, wonderful, and your kids are even more so.  Both of them are healthy, active, funny little boys.  Yes, boys!  

But right now, at 7 weeks pregnant, there are a few things to prepare for.  Like, being sick and tired all day every day again.  Don't worry, you won't be as sick as you were with Butterfly.  You won't be throwing up 7 times a day every single day until 32 weeks.  But you won't be able to eat at all.  Which will cause your doctors to urge you to do something about it.  Ha, as if.  

I can tell you right now, stop reading the internet.  Stop reading blogs about high risk pregnancies and twin pregnancies gone bad.  While you were lucky and this didn't happen, you also didn't need to shed all those tears about it either.  Seriously, step shuffle away from the computer and do something else while you can.  

This is your 2nd pregnancy so you kind of understand what's going to happen.  Be thankful that Butterfly came so fast and you weren't able to have an epidural with her.  (Yes!  Something to be thankful for!)  Because this time, the epidural wore off and you had both your boys vaginally with all the pain of a miss medicated birth.  You will feel every little thing.  You survive, though.  And not to worry...it's something to totally brag about now.  :)

And that yoga that you vowed you'd do when you were pregnant with Butterfly and didn't?  Vow to do it again.  But this time, actually DO IT.  Otherwise your hips will ache for years after.  Believe me, they do.  Also, stop complaining about your doctor's office.  If you don't like them that much, switch!  You can switch.

Enjoy this time you have with just Butterfly.  Life because a flurry once the boys are born.  She is one special little girl to be a big sister to these boys.  She is always your Empress and will continue to be so.  

These boys were meant to be in your family.  You were given these children to be their mother and you will be a great one (most days).  Have faith that it will all work out how it's supposed to and enjoy the ride!  

Safire

PS- Update that blog more often!  I don't care that you are sick and tired ever day.  This will end up being the only record you have of this pregnancy and you will forget if you don't write it down.

Brain Fried

Everyone,

This morning I got up super early to help bag and receive my share of food from Share DC.  I always love going because the people are so nice.  I always get a good feeling after going there.  Today, another member of my church and I were in charge of the vegetables.  He put in the potatoes, the onions, the carrots, the lettuce, and I put in 4 apples and 2 grapefruit.  I also moved the full bags to the pass out tables.  We seriously rocked the time.  The vegetables got done before the meats did which I think is a record.  The other workers even commented on it.

On my way out, I talked to the guy who was in charge of this share.  We were joking around and I asked him if he ever thought of turning the order around.  Basically I got tired of walking from one end of the room to the other with full bags of groceries.  I thought if he started on the other side of the room, the bags would end up full right next to the pass out tables, instead of starting there.

A light came on in his face and he asked me really loudly, "Are you a brain surgeon?!  Because you are smart enough to be one!  Why didn't I think of this before!"

I can have some few good ideas in my life.  I guess this was one of them.  So by the time I got home this morning I was flying high on feeling good.  We rushed off to the hardware store and the grocery store.  They were having a grand re-opening with a bunch of samples at the grocery store.  Turns out my kids love brie, steak, bread dipped in olive oil, soup, chocolate (we knew that) and the little toothpick flags they stuck in everything.  I also got about $100 worth of groceries for $25 dollars.  I love coupons sometimes!  (Plus I won a $25 dollar gift card!  It was a very cool shopping trip.)

The rest of the day I felt buried in my computer.  But not just surfing the Internet like I normally do.  I'm helping out my brother with some kind of research project and I have a bunch of companies to look up for him.  Ouch this makes my head hurt!  It's due soon so I'll be spending all my free time in that.  It's not too bad, although I do start to have problems with the i's and the l's looking the same.

Off to bed for me!

Safire

More Fun With Syrup

Everyone,

Joining Lolli for pictures this Friday!

Butterfly and Lolli's little boy, AJ, really enjoyed eating pancakes out for preschool.  We have such a fun time with these kids and school.  I can't believe that summer will be here in a few short weeks and then these kids will go to school.  Not only will I loose Butterfly to school all day, I'll loose my excuse to hang out with Lolli every single week.  Oh we'll still get together...never fear!  Just we won't have school to do together.  I've enjoyed it.  I think Butterfly and AJ have too.

  They are such fun kids!

Safire

Eating Out

Everyone,

This week was free pancake day at IHOP. Yummy! We had juice and free pancakes. And all the syrup you can eat. Which, is apparently a lot for Pirate. Check it out:



Still it was an enjoyable morning out and free food!

That evening we also went out for dinner (a rarity for us but Juice was dead set on doing some fundraiser) at a diner. Between Butterfly crawling on the floor and getting in major trouble, the food taking forever, the check taking even longer, and Professor dumping his dinner in my lap not once, not twice, but three whole times, I made the declaration that we are never. eating. out. again. Ever.

Luckily I came to my senses and Butterfly apologized for her behavior. Besides, eating out is one of my favorite things. I'd hate to give it up forever.

But after Tuesday, I may not want to eat out for a long long long time. At least, until Juice's birthday next month.

Safire

PS- Easter Egg Roll tickets are open for all you locals! Lottery this year. Hope we all get some tickets. :)

What a Day!

Everyone,

Professor woke up super early this morning.  They are normally not up until 7:30am or even 8am.  Today he was up at 6:30 ish.  Ugh.  Juice brought him to me in bed because he was headed off to work.  Professor smiled behind his binkie and pulled it out to talk to me.  He looked like he had been eating chocolate.  Guess he had a bloody nose in the middle of the night and it got caught between his face and his binkie.  Poor kid!  He was not happy to be washed off.  But I was not happy to be up so early!

Once everyone else was up, I changed every one's sheets.  The kids thought it was so fun to be in their beds after they had been pulled apart.  But changing 3 sets of sheets is exhausting.  I think it's worse because I am getting a cold and I am tired. 

I thought we could all use a day at home.  I had a ton of laundry to do.  I had a house to pick up.  So I get going with all of that.  Then I notice that I had not seen Pirate in awhile.  Huh.  I wonder where he is.  I sent Butterfly upstairs to see if he was up there and he wasn't.  So I went looking through the house.  No luck.  I start calling out his name.  I check outside.

No luck!  Now I start opening closets and checking under beds.  No luck!  I sent Butterfly outside to check and see if he got stuck out there.  Nope.  I am starting to panic!  What if he went outside and somehow got out of our fence?  What if he went outside and someone took him out of the back yard?!  What if he's stuck some where, hurt, bleeding, and unable to come when I call him?  As I'm standing by the back door looking around I heard a noise.  In a tiny tiny corner.  There he was!  He found a coloring book of Butterfly's and was quietly playing there all by himself.

Talk about giving me a heart attack!

In other good news, today is my Dad's birthday.  We got him a bendable tripod for his camera.  We had a good time talking to him on the web cam too.  I had to run off because of a church meeting, but it was good to see him.  Happy Birthday Dad!

Now I'm going to take some decongestant and go to bed.  Ugh...I hope this is not going to be a bad cold and I hope everyone doesn't get it!

Safire

Girly Music

Everyone,

Saturday night I had the most amazing experience with my friend Lolli. She was given tickets to a concert in Baltimore. And since her in home babysitter was out at a party, she couldn't take her husband to the concert. So she invited me! I had no idea what kind of music we were going to listen to. But anyone who knows me well knows I'm up for an adventure. So off to Baltimore we go!

Lolli was able to pick up the tickets despite having lost her wallet (see her blog...she dropped it in the parking lot at my house and found it after...whew!) and we were usurer to our seats. In the Grand Suite. First row center of the balcony. I don't think I've ever sat in such good seats before. Oh, and because we were in the special box, we got to use the special lounge and bathroom. Talk about a fun and special girls night out.

Lolli and I talked a little about who we were seeing. I had never heard of them before. They are called Celtic Women. They are AMAZING. From the first song I was amazed at the quality of their voices. Each song made me like them more and more. By the end of the concert, I'm a huge fan. Let me show you why:



Now that video is just an overview of each of the women in the group. I was shocked at the violinist. How does she do that?! Turns out Mairead has been the solo violinist to several big singers like Sting. She also plays the violin in the Tinker Bell Movies which Butterfly LOVES. What a treat to see her live! (As an aside, there was a group of men in matching jackets at the concert. They lept up and gave her a standing ovation every single song she played. It was too funny at first. But then I thought it was sweet. She really does deserve a devoted fan club.)

There were 2 songs that stand out to me from Saturday night. Enya sings a song called "Orinoco Flow." I happened to be listening to that song when Juice asked me on our first date. Memories! They did a beautiful job of singing it on Saturday. I was taken back to being just barely 16 and going on my very first date. The other one that stuck out at me was called "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears." I just kept thinking of my Mom and all the genealogy she does. How this puts history into real life! Here Mom, this one is for you! (Pooh...can't embed it in my blog. Have another really great one instead...but be sure to listen to that link!)



The women are amazing. But you know what else I found amazing? The musicians they play with. Each one of these people could play at least 4 instruments. I just sat and watched them amazed. I also loved the 2 big stands of percussion. One of the percussionist had a big bucket full of different drum sticks and he would fling them when he was done with them. So fun to watch!

Lolli loaned me her cd of them that night and I've been listening to it ever since. Butterfly keeps asking me why we're listening to the "girly music" and the "loud noises." I couldn't figure out what the loud noises were until she pointed out this in a song.



Ack, my daughter has Scottish blood and doesn't like the bagpipes?! Better fix that one! I loved hearing them. I took this video after the concert. He was playing everyone home. Loved it!

Is it sad that I liked them that much that I'm considering coming to Utah this summer a week early so I can catch their show there? Yes, they were THAT good!

Safire

PS- If you'd like to have a CD of your own, Lolli is giving away one on her blog! If you win, I expect to borrow it from you for awhile though!

Instead of...

Everyone,

Instead of forcing the boys into clothes this morning, I let them run around the house with just their diapers on while I exercised. They brought me clothes because they were cold (the scrunch up their arms next to their bodies and rock back and forth...that means cold) and happily got into them.

Instead of saying no to a movie this morning for Butterfly, I said yes. I also explained to her that she did not get a nap time movie and she agreed. There was only a few minutes of pouting when I reminded her of that at nap and she willingly had quiet play time in my room.

Instead of trying to hustle everyone out to the car as fast as possible, I allowed them to make snow balls and throw them. I clapped over every one. I oohed and aaahed as they smashed the snow under their feet. I let Butterfly run through the snow in mary janes and no socks. She came back very quickly.

Instead of ending the fight at the grocery store as who got to sit where, I let them work it out. Butterfly is very smart and knows her brothers well.

I wish I could say that instead of hissing at Butterfly when she dropped our lunch on the ground because she was too impatient, I took it all in stride. But I didn't. She got in trouble. The food was saved (by still being wrapped up) but she moaned and whined while we ate. She told me "I am NOT going to EAT! I will STARVE FOREVER." And I answered her, "Fine." In my head, I thought "I'm not going to cry at your funeral. You did this too yourself." Then I felt guilty. Then I probably realized that I would cry at her funeral. And instead of stewing over it like she was, I gave her a big hug and kiss on the head and she started eating.

Instead of saying no to puddle jumping, I let everyone get their feet wet at the glasses repair place. (Juice's glasses broke and this place is amazing! He fixes your glasses for a very reasonable fee and you don't have to get new ones. Awesome!)

Instead of listening to the radio on the way to Butterfly's dance class, I listened to her. I answered her questions about the rain (yes! rain!) and her plans for the future. (She's going to marry Vinny and live in Utah next to Nana.)

Instead of dragging everyone out after dance class, Juice and I stayed home. We could have gotten a free scoop of ice cream at our favorite place because it was raining. But we figured it was cold and wet and we'd rather not.

Instead of blogging, I sat and watched Super Bowl commercials with Juice. We laughed some, but mostly shook our heads over them. I really liked the Clydesdale one. Very cute. We then spent 45 minutes talking about the kids and the cute things they've done lately. We wondered about Butterfly's future ourselves. We chatted about our future and upcoming birthdays. It was nice to reconnect with no other distractions.

So...tomorrow do something out of the ordinary and then come tell me about it! I hope it changes your day for the better like it did mine.

Safire

Question of the Week

Everyone,

This week's question on the Multiples and More blog is all about travel.

What are your best tips for traveling with multiples?




Hm...a good question. And not one I'm sure I can answer easily. We did a cross country trip (from Maryland to Utah) in a car last summer. Butterfly was 4 and the boys were 15 months old. You can read a little part of that trip here. Basically we had the 3 kids, my dad, me, and the dog on the way out. It took us 3 days to get to Utah on the way out. There was screaming. There were messy diapers. There was a lot of Kung Fu Panda. On the way back to Maryland, we had my dad, the dog, the 3 kids, me, and my 15 year old niece Flower. It took us 4 days this time and it was a lot harder. I'm not sure why 3 days was better but it was.

We've flown a lot to Utah to visit our families who live there. We've gone on a few over night trips to Pennsylvania. Butterfly is such a great traveler because she's done it so much. She loves sleeping at hotels. I bribe her with tv and cartoons (which we don't have at our house) if she sleeps well. She will sometime ask when we are going to sleep in a hotel again. That girl is born to move!

We don't travel as much now because it's logistically harder. Plus, I really don't think (at this point) I can deal with all the boys and Butterfly by myself. Juice is not a big traveler.

Last month we flew to Utah for a funeral. Juice was able to come with me and that was a big help. Because of the shortness of our visit, I decided we were NOT going to check any bags. That was hard because we had to get all of our stuff, plus all of our trip stuff, into 3 small duffel bags. We made it. Juice really doesn't ever want to do it again though. But we will because we love and miss our family.

• Did you find it helpful to travel at night?

No, I didn't think traveling at night was more helpful. Mostly because we got tired driving. There were a few times when the kids did not transfer to their beds after sleeping in the car. My good friend Lolli swears by driving 24 hours straight to get to Utah so I guess it works for some people.

• Did you bring a pack'n'play for each child? What were the sleeping arrangements?

For our big road trip, we took one pack and play. The boys started out the night in them but ended up the night in bed with me. Then Butterfly too. It was cute but I got no sleep. At my mom's house, she has a pack and play of her own. Last summer I had my own. The summer before that I borrowed my best friend Mink's pack and play. In January, I borrowed it again. Butterfly sleeps in my old bed. They are growing out of their pack and plays, though so I'm not sure what to do for the future.

• Did you try to preserve your kids' schedules as much as possible?

Yes and no. I loosen up quite a bit on vacation with bed times. But I still am pretty militant with their naps because it brings everyone some sanity. There are days when they don't get them on vacation and sleep on the fly. It works out.

• Any tricks for getting your kids to sleep in a new environment?

If they have a lovie, bring it! My boys love their blankets made by their Auntie Lisa so we bring those every time. When Butterfly was little, she had a night light that she loved. My mom bought it for her house so we wouldn't have to lug it around.

• Do you have any "special" toys that you brought with you to avoid a meltdown?

I would let Butterfly pick out her few toys and take the toys the boys are most interested in at the time. Sometimes I would get new toys from the store, but I find that a little unnecessary. They will play with what you have.

• Are you more lenient with your kids on trips than you are at home?

No. They still get in trouble for the same things. Our rules follow our family no matter where we go. There is still no hitting, biting, whining, or running away from me.

• What items do you find indispensable for travelling?

I love my wraps (see last post), a good bag, and a helper. Also, lots of diapers! A stroller is nice but we have worked around not having it...even in the airport. I have those baby leash backpacks and those are very handy to let them get some wiggles out while walking around. Also, my backpack that holds the diaper stuff, my computer, my camera, and tons of toys is a huge help.

What has also been super helpful is friends and family that are willing to loan us things while we are visiting them. We've borrowed car seats, strollers, pack and plays, etc. My mom has a lot of stuff for us now so when we go to see her, I know that I have things I need.

In the end, it can be done. Take your patience and your reserves. Don't be afraid to say no, ignore a screaming child, or ask for help. Hope everyone enjoys their travels!

Safire

Baby Wearing

Everyone,

This morning I was able to take Pirate on an outing. Just me and him. I rarely get to spend time with each kid by themselves that it was a real treat to be with just him. And only have one baby to look after and hold on my lap. I love that.

Someone in my twin group set up a meeting to talk about baby wearing. What is baby wearing? According to wikipedia, baby wearing is "the practice of carrying a baby or a child in a sling or other carrier."

My friend Lolli showed me how to put Butterfly in a sling when she was very young. She discovered it with AJ (who is just 8 days younger than Butterfly) and passed on her knowledge. Butterfly spent probably 60% of her time strapped to me while we were out and about. We used to go on walks every night and she was always in her sling. It made it easy to travel with her. We used to go to Utah a lot more with her and it always made it easy to deal with our bags with my hands free. I think she probably used the sling for the last time when she was almost 3. Juice carried her somewhere...I think we were on a hike.

When I was told we were having twins, one of the things I was excited about was being able to wear one baby in the sling and hold the other. I never thought that I could wear both babies at the same time! I wish I had gotten a picture of me with both the boys in my sling in the front but I didn't.

Still, I was able to carry both babies (one on the front, one on the back) a lot once they got big enough. I don't even have a picture of that anymore because it's in the pictures I lost when my computer crashed.

This morning I went to the meeting to let the other mother's know that it can be done. I even made a friend who has boys just the same age as mine. We're going to have a play date soon. It was fun to see all the different wraps and carriers and slings, and see who prefers what. My favorite is a moby wrap that Lolli made for me special. Juice even has his own sling. We STILL wear the boys all over. Here's a list of all the places we've been with the kids in the wrap.

- blueberry picking
- aquarium
- countless museums downtown
- the beach
- the inauguration
- airplanes
- hiking
- the county fair
- sledding
- the Renaissance Fair
- Philadelphia
- all over really

I never leave home without at least one of the wraps in my bag. The boys are bigger that I don't have to wear them in the wrap a lot but if someone is unhappy, it's easy to put them in the wrap and continue on with our day.

The benefits of baby wearing are many.

• Mothers' progesterone (mothering hormone) is increased through physical contact with the infant, leading to a more intimate maternal bond and easier breastfeeding and better care, thus lowering the incidence of post partum depression.
• Infants who are carried are calmer because all of their primal/survival needs are met. The caregiver can be seen, heard, smelled, touched, tasted, provide feeding and the motion necessary.
• Infants are more organized. Parental rhythms (walking, heartbeat, etc.) have balancing and soothing effects on infants.
• Infants develop socially. Babies are closer to people and can study faces, learn languages faster and be familiar with body language.
• Independence is established earlier.
• Attachment between child and caregiver is more secure.
• Decreases risk of positional "flat head syndrome" caused by extended time spent in a car seat and by sleeping on the back. Sleeping on the back is recommended to decrease the risk of SIDS. Cranial distortion resulting from non-vehicular time in car seats has shown to be more severe than in children who develop plagiocephaly from back-lying on a mattress.

It was fun to talk about all these things with the other twin mommas this morning.

One other things that was really fun this morning was to be alone with Pirate. He is SUCH a boy. He loves cars and the big machines they have out to clear away all the snow. He loves to be near me and pays attention to everything.

We stopped for milkshakes and he loved it. He even made sure I had a taste of his and was so pleased with himself. What a cutie.

Safire

Give Me Your Best Shot-Rock Star!

Everyone,

Pirate found our Wii guitars today. He pulled it out of it's hiding place behind the couch. There was a lot of effort being put into it and I was enjoying his concentration. Once he got it out of the couch, he put the strap around his neck. By this time, Professor had seen it and wanted his own. He is not as strong and patient and determined as Pirate so I had to help. I missed Pirate walking over to the tv, turning it on, and walking back to the couch. Once Professor was situated, Pirate was in the corner pretending to play. It was really adorable for them both to be trying to rock out on fake guitars. I got a few pictures of my rock stars!

Hope you can play along with my good friend Lolli and share your great pictures this week!




Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

Butterfly (as always) refuses to sit in front of the camera for a picture. Stinker.

Safire

PS- I also had a question answered by Swistle today! I just love her!

From Butterfly's View

Everyone,

Last year for Christmas Butterfly got a kid camera.  It eats through batteries like you would not believe.  Sometimes she takes a lot of pictures, and sometimes it sits in the bottom of a drawer for months.  The past few days she's taken a lot of pictures.  I finally downloaded over 200 of her pictures today.  They span from Christmas till this afternoon.  She was THRILLED to see what she took.  And she kept telling me how much she likes that picture.  Even if it's just a black picture.  Or if her finger is in the way.  She thinks it's a work of art.  These are some of the more interesting pictures I think she took.

Look at those cute cute feet!  We had a lot of feet pictures but I like this one the best.

There's a whole series of pictures where she is making different faces to see what she looks like.  This is the only one that is clear (ish). 

I find it interesting to see how she views her brothers.  And also how they view her!

Cooking day!  We made bread together and she took pictures of every step.  Very Pioneer Woman of her.  :)

Safire

A Day Like Any Other

Everyone,

The day progressed like any normal Wednesday would go. I was doing my half of the babysitting trade today so I got up a little earlier than normal so I would be ready when Mimi came over. I got up and started doing my exercising (pilates this morning...ouch my poor stretched out belly) and Butterfly got up. For some reason she MUST pee in my bathroom in the morning. So she busts out of her room, busts into mine, and stomps into my bathroom, grumbling the whole time. (She is not happy in the morning unless you let her have some space.) So there I am, doing these weird poses. Her door is wide open. So is mine. Our rooms are down the hall from each other. Professors crib (still in her room) is right up next to the door. So Professor can hang his head over the side and see down the hall. I had about 7 minutes left on the dvd so I figured I would go get the boys when I was done. Well, I kept coming in and out of Professor's sight because he kept screaming "Mammy! Mammy!" around his binkie. It was too funny.

And why is it that my children can't call me just Mommy or Mama? Seriously.

Pirate only went out the dog door twice today. Both times with me in the room. He just slides out so fast. They also have rediscovered the dog's food and water. But this time, with tools! They love my kitchen spoons and measuring cups so they were trying those out on the dogs stuff today.

Our parking lot is a mess. Everyone has dug out just enough spaces for themselves. So if there is someone visiting, it throws the whole balance off. We do not have assigned parking in our court. I normally love this. But since the snow, people have been saving spaces with cones, chairs, kid's toys, even a tall lamp. While I normally don't agree with saving spaces (either everyone has saved spaces or no one does), I get this saving after you've shoveled.

There's a sign on one of the spaces at the far end of my court that says, "Did you spend 4 hours shoveling this space out? No? Then get your a** outta here!" I think it's a little extreme but funny.

We have been saving our spots with a garbage can. Well today, someone MOVED the garbage can and parked where Juice was parking. Now, when there is no snow and people are saving spaces, I will move their cones and park there. No one has the right to save it since NO ONE has assigned parking. But today...I was highly annoyed. Did they not know that we have spent at least 6 hours keeping these spaces clear of snow the past 2 weeks? Of course they did, because these are our neighbors that we're on fairly good terms with. I think they took our spot because they knew we are nice and wouldn't put up a stink.

If we were different people, we probably would have knocked on their door and asked them to move their car so we could park there. But since NO ONE has assigned parking, that wouldn't be very neighborly.

Instead, Juice parked the car in a different space and took his snow shovel to a non shoveled space. It took him probably an hour to clear that space with the help of the guy whose space he parked in. He then moved his car to the newly cleared space so the other guy could have his space back.

At least now there is a space for visitors. Juice wants to take this weekend and shovel out several more spaces so there will be enough for people to actually have visitors. Any chance he gets to shovel, he takes!

Safire

Just for Fun

Everyone,

Sunday was Chinese New Year. I looked up every one's Chinese zodiac animal and had a great time reading them out loud to Juice and Butterfly. Butterfly agreed with everything they said, but Juice and I laughed over a few bits. I thought you'd enjoy a laugh as well.

Me: Monkey!

Monkeys are intelligent, witty and possess an overall magnetic personality. They are sociable and easy to communicate with -- Monkeys love to talk. Fast learners and quick on the draw, they can be crafty opportunists, and can adapt to many situations. Some people love the eccentricity of the Monkey personality; others mistrust their restless, sly, inquisitive behaviour. Monkeys indulge in deceit -- just for the stir it causes -- and shrug it off as a joke. Despite an exceptional brightness, they cannot imagine themselves in other people's shoes, rendering them unsympathetic and unintuitive. Possessing a wide range of interests, Monkeys can perform well in many jobs, but are to restless to work from 9 - 5. A bit of a tease, Monkeys need partners that can keep them stimulated. Persuasive, Resourceful, Good-Humoured, Ingenious, Versatile, Imaginative ----------------- Superficial, Restless, Impudent, Sly, Mischievousness, Untruthful

The following occupations best suit the Monkey personality. SCIENTIST ¤ JOURNALIST ¤ EDITOR ¤ FILM DIRECTOR ¤ JEWELLER ¤ ACTOR ¤ WRITER ¤ AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER ¤ ENGINEER ¤ MARKET TRADER Some notable Monkeys in these fields include James Stewart, Joan Crawford, Bob Marley, Leonardo Da Vinci, Julius Caesar and Elizabeth Taylor.

We thought the whole deceit thing was pretty funny. If anyone knows me really well, they know that I just don't get into that.

Juice: Sheep!

Except for a knack of always getting off on the wrong foot, Sheep can be charming company. Sheep sometimes hold back their emotions, and are not fully appreciated for their true nature. Still, they are first to complain about discomfort. Naturally pessimistic, mild mannered and even shy, the Sheep person is a sympathetic voice. Lovers of art and nature, they tend to spoil themselves. Still, they are creative, cultured and well-mannered -- A civilizing influence on others. Some Sheep are timid and easily upset, while others can be adaptable and sure-footed when the need arises. Either way, Sheep prefer to live and work with other people, and find emotional satisfaction with partners that provide them security in life. Intelligent, Artistic, Gentle, Kind, Cultured, Sensitive ----------------- Fussy, Insecure, Ingratiating, Self-Indulgent, Dependent

The following occupations best suit the Sheep personality. ARCHITECT ¤ CARTOGRAPHER ¤ TOWN PLANNER ¤ ART HISTORIAN ¤ ILLUSTRATOR ¤ ACTOR ¤ MUSICIAN ¤ DAYCARE WORKER ¤ FLORIST ¤ PEDIATRICIAN Some notable Sheep in these fields include Michelangelo, Buster Keaton, Laurence Olivier, Jane Austen and Mark Twain.

Does Juice always get off on the wrong foot? Probably. We thought he's obviously mismatched with his occupation though. He should give up his good engineering job and become an art historian. Because we all know how much he love art AND history. Perfect job for him.

Butterfly: Rooster!

Roosters are hard workers; shrewd and definite in their decision making, often speaking their minds. Because of this, Roosters seem to boast. They like to put all their cards on the table and respect those who do the same. Roosters love to mix socially -- They are dreamers, flashy dressers and extravagant. They love to attract attention and admiration, and and get angry when someone steals the spotlight. Despite being melodramatic, they are exceptionally practical, logical, and have excellent powers of discrimination. This leaves them with high standards of excellence which at times frustrates others. Although they attract many suitors, they are loyal, level- headed partners make a commitment. Passionate, Resilient, Patriotic, Industrious, Courageous, Protective ----------------- Conceited, Blunt, Rude, Bossy, Aggressive, Impatient

The following occupations best suit the Rooster personality. ACTOR ¤ DENTIST ¤ DANCER ¤ INSURANCE AGENT ¤ OPERA SINGER ¤ ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL ¤ FINANCIAL ADVISOR ¤ MUSICIAN Some notable Roosters in these fields include Eric Clapton, Dolly Parton, Rudyard Kipling, and Katharine Hepburn.

We laughed over the bossy, aggressive and impatient. All things that Butterfly is! But she is also loyal, level headed, and a hard worker.

Pirate and Professor: Rats!

Rats are imaginative, charming, and truly generous to the ones they love. However, Rats have a tendency to be quick- tempered and overly critical. At ease with company and groups of people, their intelligence and observation allows them to quickly grasp a situation from multiple perspectives. Rats know how to spot opportunities and seize them, but their opportunism, ambition and restlessness can lead to too many commitments. Don't be fooled -- although shrewd in business at times, Rats are passionate lovers, with a depth of feeling that is seldom recognized by others.

Charismatic, Sociable, Intelligent, Affable, Quick-Witted, Popular ----------------- Exploitative, Calculative, Secretive, Greedy, Acquisitive, Devious

The following occupations best suit the Rat personality. WRITER ¤ BROADCASTER ¤ ACTOR ¤ LAWYER ¤ POLITICIAN ¤ RACE CAR DRIVER ¤ ENGINEER ¤ RESEARCHER ¤ MANAGER ¤ ENTREPRENEUR Some notable Rats in these fields include William Shakespeare, Amadeus Mozart, Gene Kelly, Winston Churchill and George Washington.

Boy are we going to have our work cut out for us. ;)

We got our information from the website HERE. Find out what you are and leave me a comment. I'd love to see what everyone is!

Safire

Snow and Chocolates

Everyone,

Hey! Look what it did today!

SNOW. Again! Seriously, we've had a run with the snow this season. This has been the most snow Maryland has seen since 1899. And you can bet no one had plows back then. Or central heating. And probably rode around in sleds with tons of robes on their laps. The sleigh ride sounds fun, but not the other things.

Despite the snow, Butterfly had dance class today. We also met some friends at Tarjay for shopping and lunch. Yay, I feel like we're slowly getting back into normal life. At the store, I bought some Valentine's day candy and light bulbs. I was excited to have a big heart shaped box of chocolates all to myself during nap time.

I think I had 2 or 3 pieces (out of 12) and shut the box so I could enjoy a few more each day. Then the phone rang and I talked to my best friend Mink in Utah until I had to get Butterfly ready for dance class. Then we rushed out the door and got there on time.

About 6pm I get a call from Juice. He asks if I bought a heart shaped box of chocolates at the store. Why yes I did! Did he want some? Uh, no. Apparently, I left it on the couch in my rush to get Butterfly out the door. Juice brought the boys down from their nap and started to play on the computer. They were playing so nicely and quietly! But when he turned around...Professor was covered from eyebrows to chin in slimy black goo.

Guess who found my chocolate?! And ate it ALL? And guess who decided to drive their cars through what they smeared on the couch? Sigh...

Now I have to figure out how to get it out of my couch. And I have no chocolate to console myself with.

It's a sad, sad day.

Safire

PS- Also, I can't even go to the bathroom without Pirate climbing over the child gate and slipping outside via the dog door. I just keep putting him in time out in hopes that he'll get it and knock it off!