Best birthday gift!

Our Thanksgiving trip/birthday gift was wonderful.  It was great to get back to the Upper Valley.  I would really need an entire month to see all of the places and people that I wanted to.  But nonetheless, the Bean home was just what I needed.  We all needed it.

The flight to Boston was quite horrendous.  We had to keep swapping babies.  The baby on my lap was always still and quiet and I would watch Andy struggle with the squirmy baby he had.  So we would switch and as soon as  that baby, the baby that was once still was now squirmy and vice versa.  In the end, they really did quite well considering the amount of time they were kept from walking, running and playing.  The trip back to Cleveland was redeeming.  They both slept the entire time. 

The kids learned the word "hot" while at the Beans' house.  They have two Woodstock Soapstone stoves (my former employer).  But they equate the word hot to hot food.  So when they got too close to the stove someone would yell "hot" and they would blow - as if to cool it off.  So now back at home, while cooking dinner this evening, I opened the oven and said "hot" and what does John do?  He blows on it. 
Here are a few pics from the weekend.
Here are a few pics from the weekend. 

Olivia giving Elinor wagon rides

  

Andy and John

  

John loving the Italian dinner

Thanksgiving bellinis

 Gracie the entertainer

Licking the plates clean.

Off to Olean this weekend to see Peter and his family in town.  Cannot wait to see my nephews.  It's been a while.

One last photo of my  very pregnant sister-in-law (which you cannot see) with her niece and nephew. 

 Great picture!

Thanksgiving trip

Tomorrow we leave to see these special people...  who I am so thankful for.

This picture was taken ages ago.  I know Jamie's hair is a bit more salt & pepper these days. 



The travel day will be long but I know that we will be welcomed with open arms at our destination.  

The diaper bag will be stocked with all  kinds of snacks and toys and books.  I am hoping that I can keep whichever baby I have on my lap, still and quiet for 1.5 hour flight.  So, if you are on a 3ish flight from Cleveland to Boston tomorrow.... I apologize in advance for any unpleasantness. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Expressing Dislikes

They don't especially like their new winter hats.. and they do not like being confined in the car seat while wearing their new winter hats. 

Night Owl

I absolutely love this little one with all of my heart... 

but I wish she would quit waking at 2 am for a couple of hours.  We are at our wits end when this happens.  She won't come to bed with us.  Sometimes she wants to walk around for a bit.  She likes to be rocked and does fall asleep that way... but as soon as we put her back in the crib, she starts to cry ... very hard.  By the time she finally does fall asleep, neither Andy or I can get back to sleep.  Needless to say.. it was another short night of sleep last night. 

Best line of the day

Andy to the twins: "Hey guys, there isn't a thing that I don't like about you."

Poor John John

So I am not going to beat around the bush ....

John has some fierce diaper rash!

The poor boy wouldn't even sit down in the tub. He just cried and cried. I let him run around naked for a while, thinking that the air might do it some good. Oh my gosh, I feel so terrible. I could feel the burn while putting the diaper rash creme on. Any suggestions on a quick treatment or soother?

So while I was attempting to make John feel better, Elinor was fooling around with the bathroom door and slid the door over her little toesies. So she started screaming too. I had her up on the bathroom sink running cold water over the piggies.
So needless to say... bath time this evening was a bit challenging.


Andy is away helping his dad who underwent an angioplasty this morning. The procedure was a success and Dr. White will be back to running within the week.
Andy will be back tomorrow. I was away last week for work. Dad & Wendy came in to town as backup for Andy. (Where's my backup this week?) Just kidding. The kids have been great. The morning went very smoothly. I am grateful.


I just finished a bowl of homemade lentil soup. I don't know where I got the recipe. I have made it before. I cook it all day in the slow cooker and then it calls for balsamic vinegar and olive oil at the end. So good. You know me... I do love a bean.

Here are a couple of random pics from last weekend.