Let's talk, shall we?

Hi friends and family,

Thanks to Michaela for pointing out in a comment to my last post how pomegranate seeds can be eaten along with the juicy part. That makes the experience much less like shelling sunflower seeds. :)

Today's post will be bookmarked in my list of favorites because we reached a milestone. One day Layla will ask, "when I start talking? I mean, not just a few individual words, but when did I really start talking?" Well, today was that magic day. To say her ability to communicate took a leap forward is the understatement of the year.

Each morning the twins wake up before Kendra and I. I know to be true because I can't remember the last time (if ever) when we woke up and walked into their room to find them sleeping soundly as the sun breaks through the slats in the window blinds. No, that isn't the way things happen around here at the Casa de Webbs.

The reality is this: Kendra and I agree the night before (usually) who will be the one to wake up with the twins so the other person can ease into the morning by sleeping in and leisurely waking up. I highly recommend this "agreement" if as a couple you like to sleep in more than your kids.

Layla usually wakes up first. I know this because she talks to Easton and wakes him up. The two of them proceed to read the pre-staged books in their crib and drink from the pre-staged leak-proof sippy cups. Between the books, the cup, and each other they carry on happily for 30-40 minutes before either of us are coherently awake enough to go change their diapers, which are bloated and heavy from all the water they drank.

Usually I can hear Layla clearly spouting off words: "cup... Easton... eat... window... outside..." and during the day she and Easton throw together some multi-word combinations such as: "look at pictures?", "train coming?", and "Oh my goodness!" However, this morning was noticeably different.

Kendra drew the short straw and I slept in a few extra minutes. She went in to greet the twins and change diapers as usual. I vacillated in and out of consciousness while my brain fought accepting the fact that it was time to wake up. Then I heard Layla and Kendra carrying on a full conversation. Layla used complete sentences and her words weren't merely parroting (or echoing) Kendra. I finally realized what was happening and it felt like one of those "twilight zone" or Alfred Hitchcock story lines. Out loud I said, "Is my baby conversing with my wife?" (my subconscious hasn't caught up with the idea of referring to the twins as "toddlers" yet)

As with all situations in life, I did not focus on the immediate impact of the situation. My thoughts are usually towards to future and thinking, "what does this mean for tomorrow, next month, next year, etc.?"

This means we will have fewer quiet moments in the Casa de Webb from now on. The house used to be filled with Kendra's voice and the occasional cry or noise from one of the babies. Now it is like walking into a cocktail party when I come home from work. :)

Today I walked in from the garage and asked, "what did you see at the zoo today?" Easton and Layla both fired off a list of animals they saw and even followed each name by imitating the sound they make. Oh, and Easton even threw in "tractor" because there was a tractor moving dirt for a construction effort by the elephants.

Easton is becoming more adventurous, creative, and organized with each passing day. He is standing on the rear wheels of the dolly stroller and attempting to ride it like a Roman chariot. All he needs are miniature horses to make it work.


He also uses the stroller as a shopping cart for organizational purposes. He regularly tosses baby Grace out of the stroller to make room for more important things like his Thomas the Train and sippy cup.


Layla wanted to be like Daddy so she brought the toy watch over to me saying, "watch on?" I was more than happy to oblige and as you can see she was excited to wear it and show Mommy!


Layla is also starting to be a big help in the kitchen. Well, she thinks she is helping...


That's a skillet with a lid and inside is a plastic hamburger patty. mmmMMM tasty!

See you soon!

Playmates and Pomegranates

Howdy folks,

The 4 Webbs hit a few practical limits over the past few days, which led to a variety of enlightening moments.

Now we know the practical limit for occupancy of the cardboard box Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is 2, not 3. No matter how small the people are... Our friend Daniel came by to hang out for a while with the twins and as you can see he and Layla play well together.


But adding that third person in the clubhouse means arms and legs are tangled everywhere. It's unclear who is encroaching on whose space because everyone is guilty at this point.


However, kids are excellent when it comes to forgiveness so there were plenty of hugs to go around.


Daniel is 6 months older than our twins so I am always interested to observe him. He is a benchmark for what I expect to have double the pleasure of when Easton and Layla reach that age.
2:00 PM is a practical limit for how long the twins can bounce, hop, and jump in their cribs before wearing down enough to sleep at nap time. Easton has his pillow, blankey, and thumb. That combination should be the magic potion for sleep, but not today.


Usually they are fast asleep by 1:15, but today they pushed mommy to the limit by staying awake while playing happily in their crib until 2:00. I'm sure Kendra will miss nap time when they no longer require it.

I was able to spend some time with my friend Eugene and as we strolled through the strip mall we ended up in Sprouts, the local organic grocery store. Passing through the fruits and vegetables I noticed the display of pomegranates. Having never eaten one I engaged in a long conversation with Eugene and produce guy about the health benefits of eating pomogranates. I'm always up for an adventure so I placed one in my basket. The produce guy handed me a brochure and unfolded it like this:


He didn't get into details, but said, "it's very easy to eat pomegranates, you just have to know how to do it". I don't know about you, but I've never bothered to eat anything which required pages of instructions and pictures. At this point I almost gave up on the idea, but went ahead and purchased the expensive difficult fruit.

Here is where the practical limit comes in for me: If it takes more hands-on time to prepare a piece of food than it does to eat it, then I don't bother. Kendra assured me it wasn't a big deal and luckily she was willing to follow the instructions this morning while I changed diapers for the twins.

Yes, the pomegranate tasted good, but not only was it difficult and messy to get to the edible seeds, it took some coordination to eat the good part and spit out the inedible seeds. I added this into the same category as artichokes (Not worth my time). Good experience, but I probably won't bother again any time soon with pomegranates even if they go on sale!

I had to discipline Layla and that experience was dramatically different than I expected. She knowingly disobeyed after repeated warnings and promises of punishment if her behavior didn't change. Unfortunately she chose poorly and I had to follow through with the discipline. That was one of the most emotionally difficult things I've ever done and I hope to never do that again. Please, Layla, just obey your parents! She made it sooooo hard to follow through and actually discipline her because she stuck out her pouty lip and repeatedly said, "I sorry daddy, I sorry daddy!" even as I carried her into their bedroom. I swear it felt like my heart was being ripped out as I fought back tears of my own.

I thought I would look forward to correcting and making sure Easton and Layla are headed down the right path of life, but I'm finding it really requires is for me to be the best role model I can be and a man of my word to follow through as Kendra and I set boundaries for them to develop within.

I'll have to write more on this successful, but difficult milestone. It is only considered a success because Kendra and I provided a unified, consistent set of boundary conditions.

My old friend, who I've heard through the grapevine is expecting triplets, is planning to bring them into the world this week. God bless him! God never gives anyone more than they can handle. Because of this universal truth we only have twins and not triplets.

See you soon!

Artists in the Making

Hello friends and family,

Kendra managed to give Easton and Layla the chance to bring out their creative side with water color paints. I should have saved this for What Works For Me Wednesday, but oh well. We unzipped their pajamas so their legs and tootsies wouldn't get cold from the chilly morning air. Then placed them in their high chair with a big sheet of tablet paper wrapped around the high chair tray. Then Kendra demonstrated how to dip the paint brush in the water, in the paint, then draw away on the paper!


Easton chose the blue and green whereas Layla chose the pink and red. That was not due to anything we did, they just chose those colors. I wonder why they chose pink and blue??? They both applied water and paint liberally to the paper and the rest of their bodies as well.


Layla was probably thinking, "oh, did I do that?" Layla put the finishing touches on her masterpiece and declared, "all done!"



The collateral damage of paint on Easton's hands and face was not a big cleaning chore. We are just happy he didn't lean over and try to eat the paint. At least it is non-toxic paint even if he had!


All I can say about the next picture is: "This cardboard box window ain't big enough for the two of us!"


Easton took advantage of Layla's decision to sit and play with the pretend kitchenware. He played peek-a-boo with us several times before Layla realized she was missing out on the action.


Tonight while Kendra was playing soccer I had a chance to spend some quality one-on-two play time. I asked Layla what song she wanted to sing and gave her a few choices. She thought for a minute and said, "twinkle, twinkle!" very decisively. I was more than happy to oblige so we did a full duet including choreography.

Easton isn't the least bit interested in singing, but he continues to find enjoyment from playing with planes, trains, and automobiles. Watching him play with my personal collection of matchbox cars is very satisfying. The busted orange clunker car I hand selected as my favorite back in the 2nd grade is the exact same car Easton picks out of a pile of cars. That's my boy...

Have a great week and stop by again soon.

From the 50's

Hi friends and family,

Is your Halloween sugar rush still super charging your batteries? The 4 Webbs are hoping for a restful night in spite of candy intake. What a day we experienced...

Kendra's mom handmade her and Layla's poodle skirts and our costumes this year were based on the common attire from the 1950's. We are very grateful to Oma for taking the time to make them. Both of us were relieved about how well our costumes turned out.


The best, clearest picture of the night was taken by our friends, Nick and Marianne. We hung out in Aunt Mary's neighborhood with them since they have one of the nicest trick-or-treat friendly neighborhoods around.

We received many compliments as we strolled door to door. By "we" I mean Easton and Layla since they stole the show with their cuteness.


Here's a better shot of Layla's skirt. You can see the shiny Rhinestones in the collar of the kitty cat on Layla's skirt. Also, Easton's cool look with the leather-like jacket.


The twins were able to say "trick-or-treat!" right on queue when home owners opened their door. They survived about as long as we expected. About 20 minutes worth of door to door walking was all they could handle. Layla let us know she was done by doing her "limp noodle" act right in the middle of the street. Time to go home! Overall we had an excellent evening together and it was much more fun than last year when Easton and Layla were not yet walking.

One last picture of Kendra:


In the interest of keeping this as a G-rated blog: She looks especially attractive to me in that picture. It's NOT the full moon causing me to howl and pant like a werewolf...

See you soon!

Echo and Parrot

Hello friends and family,

The wind here in AZ is blowing dust like you can't imagine and it just so happens that I'm allergic to dust... kind'a seems like bad planning for a guy who is allergic to dust to move to the desert, huh? But then you have to understand I'm also allergic to mold so that eliminates rainy places. I'm allergic to grass and pollen so that eliminates areas with foliage. I'm also allergic to certain trees and animals so that eliminates tropical and wilderness areas.

The only place my allergies would not be a factor is... Alaska. and only during the winter. So there you have it! I'm in AZ and have to endure the occasional runny nose due to dust blowing around the valley.

Luckily I have Easton and Layla to copy me every time I sneeze, "aaaahhhh, ahhHHH, CHOO!" and they repeat just like an echo or a parrot. Maybe that is what I should call them. No longer shall they be known as Easton and Layla! I will call them: Echo and Parrot. They repeat almost every word we say with great articulation and the frequency is getting to be more consistent!

Kendra took Echo and Parrot to the zoo today in celebration of the 4 Webb's purchase of annual passes for the zoo. Kendra can take 1 friend + 4 children so feel free to contact her if you'd like to go along for the fun sometime. The annual fee was so expensive I thought it included the option to occasionally leave our twins in the zoo overnight with the real monkeys.

Here you can see Layla, Echo, Parrot, and at the top is a camel:


Kendra's friend April has a daughter named Layla also, for those of you who may be confused by the names... Kendra took turns cycling the three kids through the two seat stroller. I could have added one more word starting with the letter "T", but I think the alliteration humor only goes so far. Anyway, you can see the animals were out in full-force. As you can see, the puppy leash is still a useful tool when corralling youngsters. The zoo trip was well worth Kendra's effort and I'm glad she was able to enjoy spending time with her friend, April. Too bad I was stuck at work!

Easton, I mean Echo, is a smiley boy and it warms my heart to see him blissfully enjoying the zoo animals.


I like the way Kendra's hair looks in that picture. I'm also a big fan of Kendra's painted finger nails. Not sure why, but I've always been partial to her well manicured nails... They don't even have to be 3 inches long and fake. Just seeing color on them adds that extra touch of class to Kendra's natural beauty.

You may not be able to tell from the next picture of Layla, I mean Parrot, but she is jumping SO hard on the mattress that her body is up in the air.


She can easily be a gold medal olympian for those crazy people who jump 100 feet in the air on trampolines while doing flips and twirls. That girl can jump!

Yes, she still has her pacifier... We've cut it down to ONLY at night and during the afternoon nap so that is our current status. Next step will probably be to cut the end off the pacifier and tell Layla they are all "broken" so she loses the desire to suck on them.
Then we may as well tell her the tooth fairy, Easter bunny, and Santa Clause are all fake as well.

I'm off to squirt a half gallon of salt water up my nose to clean out the dust in hopes of a good night's sleep.

sniff, achoo... bye bye. See you soon.

picky eaters

Hello cyber cruisers,

Our pumpkins are carved and the Halloween costumes are in the mail. Right, Oma? She graciously offered to hand sew Kendra and Layla's costume for this year. I won't spoil the surprise for how the 4 Webbs plan to dress up this Saturday, but I'm excited to see how well our plan turns out.

Since the twins are 20 months old we are unsure how well they will do trick-or-treating. They walk, but don't obey commands. That is troublesome when wandering through neighborhoods with cars and people whizzing by. I put Layla down in the grocery store this afternoon and she took off like a wind up toy. As I raced to catch up with her she was almost squished by two separate carts. The grocery store patrons laughed because I said, "stop!" and Layla was screaming "STOP!" and repeatedly making the motion for the sign language of the word, "stop"... as she was running at warp speed.

I learned she knows what the word stop means, can speak it and sign it, but refuses to do it. The answer I've heard of is "time and consistency of parenting". Well, guess what? Kendra and I have all the time in the world so we'll keep on keepin' on.

Easton and Layla are always ready to sit quietly in our lap as we read their books. I am grateful for these times because they are calm and I can get a picture or two in without the blurring effect from their motion.


Easton is the ultimate cuddle bug. He takes his thumb out of his mouth long enough to comment on the pages of the book which interest him. He even curls his cup in close with his arms. That's my boy...

The make-shift Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is already starting to deteriorate as they slowly destroy it. The sign ripped off and the structural integrity is in question due to the twins rough-housing while inside. As long as the music is playing, we'll keep on dancing!


We entered the stage most experienced parents are calling, "the picky eater" stage. I didn't realize this, but at some point in a toddler's life (now for us) they become picky about what they will and won't eat. They cheered and made "yummy" noises yesterday, but today they dump it out on the high chair tray. So Kendra is caught in this guessing game of what to cook for each meal.

The twins are not old enough (i don't think?) to "go hungry" and skip a meal. But they are old enough to understand "if you eat xyz meal, then you get cake". So they give a meager attempt to choke down the main course knowing dessert is on the way.

It's not a huge issue, but it does cause extra stress on Kendra and she gets frustrated trying to guess an option Easton and Layla both will eat. I hope this stage passes soon... please...

Other than picky eaters, the twins are healthy and growing wonderfully. Easton is making huge advances in organizational skills. He removes 7 or 8 blue balls from the kiddie pool of plastic balls. Then he lines them up neatly. Layla sings all day long and appears to be picking up harmony and melody tones. She loves music and her piano so we'll keep playing the songs and helping her develop whatever area she wants to pursue.

Now, if we can just get figure out how to get her through the weaning stages for the pacifier???


Kendra and I should seriously start trying to figure out how to make it through that maze of emotions and processes. I'm convinced there is a right way and wrong way to kiss the pacifier bye-bye for good... The only advice I've heard is to throw them all away and go cold turkey. Maybe it is that simple.

As always, I'm very open to ideas and discussions so feel free to help me out with comments or emails.

See you soon!

expensive box

Hello friends and family,

Remember that $120 kitchen we bought for the twins? Apparently the coolest thing about the kitchen is the box it came in. Kendra is very resourceful and creative. She cut out a window, wrote "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" on it the leftover piece, and taped it to the front of the box. Then she cutout the shape of a door in the back and magically the corrugated material transforms into a playhouse.


Just like that we have the most expensive box in the world. We paid $120 to empty out the contents (the kitchen) and create the magical world of disney right in our living room. Go team Webb! They still occasionally play with the kitchen, but it will be a sad day in our house when the cardboard goes in the trash.

By watching parents interact with their kids through the course of my life I developed a sense of what to expect. Not because I assumed everything in my experience would be identical to others, but I noticed some patterns of commonality. One of the incorrect expectations is how "cuddly" babies and toddlers would be. I thought our twins would spend several minutes at a time just sitting in comfort with my arms wrapped around them. However, Easton and Layla have been completely uninterested in cuddling with us for any length of time during the day. We play and swing and hug and everything else related to interaction, but it is a rare situation where either of them wants to just kick back and rest in my arms. They both seem to be more interested in whatever the other sibling is doing so they go! Go! GO! together.

Based on recent observations it appears the tide is turning.


There was no boo-boo or problem causing Layla to rest against Kendra like this, but the length of time was enough for me to grab the camera and take a picture! I'm looking forward to getting in on those cuddle times as they occur more frequently. :)

Kendra turned Easton into a superhero by adding a blanket as a cape and a sippy cup full of Superfood.


we aren't sure what to name our little superhero, but it can't involve the thumb sucking. Otherwise the name will follow him through life with a negative connotation. No need to introduce a complex... Kendra is using one of her hair scrunchies to hold the cape on, but every superhero is really held together with bobby pins from the women in their life. Didn't you see The Incredibles?

There are so many concepts which are impossible to explain to a 20 month old toddler. Earphones and digital music players are one such example. Kendra gave each of them one earphone with an explanation of how to put it in their ear.


It was like showing fire to a caveman. They were astonished to find music comes through the earphones. Easton put it in his ear, then out, then in, then out (repeat 20X). Layla was less interested in figuring out the functionality. She just wanted to dance her little feet off and sing along.

Last night was "date night" for Kendra and I. We went with three of our good friends to see Phil Wickham in concert.

Other than the failed attempt to subdue my Szechuan beef breath resulting from our chinese dinner together, it was a great success. The concert was amazing. The most stressful part of the evening was leaving the twins with our first official baby sitter. This is Casey and Kendra, who is reacting as "the happy mom returning home to find everyone well".


I was not nervous about her, but rather the entire concept of leaving our babies, I mean, toddlers with one person. I'm almost 3 times as old as her and I KNOW how difficult taking care of twins can be. She is extremely capable and I am very relieved at how well she did. When I was her age I was barely smart enough to keep my shoes tied and nose free of boogers in public. She, on the other hand, made the task of caring for twin toddlers look like a piece of cake. I wasn't a nervous wreck during the evening, but there's just something about leaving kids with a baby sitter for the first time.

Other people and couples like David and Tam have watched Easton and Layla for an evening, but that's a no-brainer considering how well-adjusted they are and familiar with Easton and Layla as individuals through other gatherings.

Needless to say, Casey did an excellent job and I will gladly invite her back to our house. She'll be number 1 on our list of baby sitters.

Time to get ready for the work week kicking off tomorrow morning! See you again soon.

Not babies any more?

Greetings,

Tonight for dessert we broke out the lollipops and butterscotch was a big hit!


They are the cutest twins in the world. After kindly sharing a few licks with me, I had the same look on my face as they do. It is good practice for loving the simple things in life.

Kendra and I believe it is never too early to start teaching and training. It took 14 months of showing the twins how to sign the word "more" before they got it, but once they did our lives as parents were much easier. I'm not sure there is much argument against teaching babies and toddlers how to read, sign, count, and sing. What else are they going to do with their time... stare at the walls? Don't know where that came from, just felt defensive for some reason. :)

We invited our friend's children, Ben and Trinity (who are also twins) over for dinner and they were chaperoned by Anita, who is watching them while the parents go on a cruise. Kendra cooked up homemade spaghetti and we hung out for the evening. Anita gladly read a book with Layla before bedtime. Layla's request was to read "Potty time with Elmo".


As I said earlier, "it's never too early!" Potty training is just around the corner for us at the Webb house. I couldn't be more proud of Kendra for growing Easton and Layla into wonderful toddlers.

Today is a big day of change for me as I transition from using the word "babies" and start calling our twins "toddlers". I've been calling them babies since they were the size of tadpoles in Kendra's belly (27 months ago) so this is a monumental shift in mindset for me. The thought of them NOT being babies is a little sad. We don't have any plans for more kids so we only get to experience the baby stage once. Knowing this as the plan from the beginning has allowed us to completely cherish every second of their life stage. Although I'm sure I will look back and wish I had spent more time with them. All fathers probably feel that way.

As I close out this section of sentimental thoughts, here's my Way Back Whensday photo. This is in my top 5 favorite pictures from their first year of life. What can be better than babies in sleep sacks hanging on to daddy and showing a bit of their blossoming personality through facial expressions (even back then).


I remember the day when I could put them down in one spot and come back 5 minutes later to find them in the same spot! Now they are like wind up toys now. When I put one of them down, their feet are running in mid-air just waiting to touch the ground so they can take off running.

Easton is excited about all things related to transportation: Airplanes, cars, boats, and trains. He even points out the space shuttle in one of the many books he favors! He loves playing with his Thomas the Train toy. Easton is finally strong enough to push down the conductor's head, which acuates the wheels to propel it across the floor. Hours of fun for him.


Here's one word of caution to prepare anyone having a child or a laugh with those who already have children: Kids pee at bath time.

You're options are: 1) strip off their diaper and plop them in the water, which results in peeing in the tub. 2) strip off their diaper and stand them next to the tub while you fill it with water, which results in peeing on tub and floor.

There may be an option 3: stand them next to tub in their diaper and toss some warm water on their backs hoping they will pee in the diaper. Yes, it does work! They pee in the diaper" The bad news is... Once they are placed in the tub they pee again. :( None of the options are appealing so take your pick.

See you soon!

alphabet posting

Hi friends and family,

Today's blog will contain topics in alphabetical order starting in the middle. Occasionally Layla will burst into song with the "Jesus ABC song" (thanks GG and Oma for introducing it to us) and start somewhere in the middle, so this post is dedicated to you, miss ABC singer.

O is for Octopus - Layla knows the entire alphabet and counts up to 20. She knows many words beyond any 20 month old I've met including Seahorse and Octopus. Seriously, how many kids under 2 years old do you know who understand, recognize, and can say, "seahorse"? Here's one of the reason's she is so well versed in the ABCs: The letter puzzle...


She is constantly learning, soaking in everything around her and repeating verbatim every word uttered in her presence. This includes Kendra's regular emphatic "Oh my goodness!"

P is for P90X - I'm officially done with the P90X fitness program. My goal was to gain weight. Unfortunately, I lost weight. and I mean a lot of weight. I now weigh LESS than when I graduated high school 13 years ago. I hadn't weighed myself since starting the P90X program until today. Here are my key learnings:

1. You can do anything for 90 days if you commit to it 100%. I am proud of myself for completing it even though the results weren't what I expected.

2. Hind sight is 20/20. From what I can tell, my inability to gain weight turned into a weight LOSS because of three failures on my part:
- dumbbells weren't heavy enough. I did a ton of reps with too light of weight.
- I didn't eat the quantity necessary to sustain and build. I ate TOO healthy and not enough quantity.
- Too much other activity added on top of P90X. I ran and went for walks occasionally, rode my mountain bike for 2 hours weekly, 6 hours of martial arts training weekly, and chasing twins around during non-work hours.

3. I am more flexible than ever and my core is stronger than ever. I attribute my lack of back pain to increased flexibility and core strength. It was like a magic pill... my back problems disappeared completely.

4. As with many things in life, adventures don't always turn out like we plan or expect, but you never know until you try. What did I have to lose? (besides 15 lbs. of muscle)

5. It doesn't matter why we are where we are. The catalyst and purpose of why I did P90X is immaterial. It only matters what we learn from situations and how to make the most of it.

In summary, a better plan would have been to eat cheesecake, watch TV, and do P90X as my only activity besides couch sitting. I'm not back on MY routine including weight lifting in the gym. I'm excited to see what I can do in the next 90 days.

Q is for quasi - Easton still loves to play on the slide and in the plastic pool of balls. He recently discovered a love for "diving" into the pool and I call this the QUASI belly flop:



R is for Rebellious - Layla is learning obedience through a different path than Easton. At times she does the limp noodle trick and whales as if she's being flogged with a cat of nine tails. Kendra went with her friend April to the park and when it was time to go Layla wanted to continue playing. Easton happily responded to Kendra's "go to the car" command. However, Layla had to be forcefully removed from the slide along with her puppy backpack.


You can mask it as "strong willed child" if you want, but I prefer to call it what it is... rebellious.

S is for slide - You can see by the next picture why it was so difficult to leave. Looks like all three of them are having a blast on slide!


T is for terrible - Last night Kendra played soccer, which meant daddy daycare duty was in full effect. I bathed the twins and prepared to stuff them into their pajamas. This time of night is frantic because Easton and Layla both run around the house screaming, "I'm naked! I'm naked!" There wasn't much time to locate pajamas and I didn't know Easton's were in the clothes dryer. Since I couldn't find a single set of his I begrudgingly grabbed a spare set from Layla's drawer. I feel terrible for making Easton sleep in hearts... just terrible.


I know there are worse things in life than a father putting babies shoes on backwards or dressing a boy in hearts. I just find it humorous to point out the funny things about being a parent that others are willing to expose.

Good night, see you soon!

kitchen remodel

Hi folks,

We spent Friday night doing a kitchen remodel in our house. You know... The usual stuff: Granite counter tops, crown molding, stainless appliances. I think it turned out really well!


What do you think? Not bad craftsmanship for just my power drill and a box of prefabricated plastic pieces! I'm thinking of going into business as an independent contractor and making a name for myself as a kitchen remodeler. Check out this happy customer!


Easton is commenting on the quality of granite used as the counter tops and how level the cabinetry is.


Layla can't get over how smoothly the new faucet operates. Yep, we aim to please here in the Webb household and if something is worth doing, then it's worth doing right!

The 4 Webbs experienced much enlightenment over the past few days. For example, I couldn't figure out why one particular chair on our back porch had bird dookie all over it. The chair sits directly below our big outdoor thermometer, which appears to be a new loitering spot for a local bird.


The only reason that silly bird is still alive is because I didn't purchase the silencer for my Glock 9mm pistol. Lucky break for him.

Also, Layla has a propensity to put shoes on the wrong feet... Even Kendra's running shoes! Layla is OVER 20 months old and STILL puts her shoes on the wrong feet (sigh). I can't figure out where she gets that from.


Oh, wait. In reviewing pictures from last weekend, I notice her shoes are on the wrong feet!


And upon further review it was determined that Daddy dressed Layla for the pumpkin outing. What is the world coming too? I hope they don't call CPS on me for such negligence.

I also discovered that if you put a camera in front of Easton while taking a picture of Layla, he will grab the camera even though his hands are wet. That big smudge across the top left of the picture is Easton's finger.


Cameras and water don't mix well together, but luckily it dried out with no damage. On the plus side, the lens is really clean now.

See you soon!

mornings

Every morning I look forward to opening the door to greet the twins. Easton tells me he heard the choo-choo train (M-F) then on the weekend he asks me why he didn't hear the choo-choo. He points to his ears and says, "Hear choo-choo!" The trains (plural) slowly chug by our house at 5:30, 6:00, and 6:30 with some regularity each morning. Not exactly a peaceful way to wake up, but it's also not the end of the world.

Layla on the other hand has earned another nickname based her wake-up activities. I call her Tigger (from the Winnie the Pooh adventures) because each morning she holds the railing of her crib with both hands and bounces vigorously up and down on her mattress. Not once or twice, but continually until I take her out of the crib. We should probably get her a mini-trampoline because, just like Tigger, she LOVES to bounce.

The most difficult part of my morning is leaving for work. They are all fired up from the trains and the prospect of eating breakfast. I wish I could stay around for the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show and watching as they dump cereal and milk all over the high chairs. Just look how cute they are!



There they sit in the "nook" between mommy and daddy's pillows smiling, hanging out in their pajamas and occasionally smothering me with hugs. The twins are starting to pose more when I ask them to stop and smile. Many pictures are during meals when they are in high chairs or bath time because it is the only scenario during the day when both of them are a captive audience. The rest of the time they wonder around the house independently.

The next big purchase for the twins is a play kitchen set. When Kendra takes them to visit friends who have kids, they love to play with the friend's kitchen. We are having a tough time finding anything useful on Craigslist and these things are outrageously expensive in the retail stores. yikes! Besides, I'm hoping they can start cooking their own meals in the real kitchen within the next few months... All I need to figure out is how to teach knife safety. OK, on second thought maybe that is a few YEARS away. I barely trust them with a spork right now.

One of the things I discovered about the iPhone is that without a flash and a decent quality of picture, posting a photo from my iphone to the blog is a little disappointing. Now I know why all of those pictures of UFOs and Big Foot are so blurry!

Pushing Grace

Hello friends and family,

This is our sweet daughter, Layla, climbing all over the couch as she does every day.


Layla has two (yes, only two) dolls. They are both equally creepy to me and neither of them have a shred of clothing left because Layla is a little... um... rough on the dolls. She wouldn't win a mother-of-the-month awards because she carelessly smashes the doll on the ground and runs it over with the dump truck. Anyway, I asked Layla, "What is the name of your dolly?" She was speechless, which usually only happens once per day during her nap. So after staring at the dolly for a bit she realized the dolly had no name.

Being a logical, analytical engineer I wanted to choose a name that would foster pronunciation of her own name. The only name that came to mind was, "Lily". So I told her the name of her dolly is Lily and ever since then she calls her car-bound dolly, Lily.

Today I came home and found Layla doing this:


Smiling so happily and pushing her dolly stroller. I asked her the name of the indoor dolly and she said, "Baby Grace!" I don't know why the dolly is named Grace. Possibly because the dolly must have a lot of grace to forgive Layla for falling out of the stroller continually? Guess I'll have to ask Kendra, but I thought it was funny to see Layla pushing Grace.

Just an FYI: Her favorite book is the Mickey Mouse clubhouse "matching" book and she asks for it by name. Easton is consumed with his love affair for all things related to planes and trains. I read the train book and the airplane book at least 5 times per day for the past week. Here's Easton
with his favorite book about airplanes.


The next picture is from the pumpkin adventure and I've been saving it because some explanation is required:


Imagine this: The 4 Webbs are walking through a farm with animals, people, and pumpkins up to our eyeballs. In such a stimulating environment Easton stops in his tracks and looks skyward. Any guess why? He heard an airplane. That is why his hand is placed up to his ear. He announces the fly over and sounds like Tattoo from Fantasy Island by repeatedly saying, "Airplane! Airplane! I hear it!" until everyone notices and acknowledges the airplanes existence. That boy has excellent hearing and eye sight. I'm certain because he is always the first to hear the faint rumble of the jet as the distant airplane approaches. I get a kick out of his consistency of locating airplanes.

He also is practicing for the role of "Wilson" (The neighbor on Home Improvement):


WFMW (Works For Me Wednesday)

This morning I was awakened just before 5:00 AM and had the following conversation with Kendra:

K: You need to go to Lowe's
B: OK, what for?
K: The light bulbs in our ceiling fan need to be changed.
B: OK, now what?
K: Replace the light bulbs! I think you can reach if you just stand up on the bed
B: OK, the light bulbs are changed. Is that better?
K: Yes... (snoring and heavy breathing)

You see, Kendra was ASLEEP the ENTIRE time and apparently dreamed about the light bulbs needing to be replaced in our ceiling fan. It was pitch black in our room, totally silent, and I had the wherewithal to play along with Kendra during this lovely conversation. It was a gut reaction because if I woke her up to tell her she was dreaming, she would have stayed awake for an hour tossing and turning as she apologized for waking me up.

I laid there wide awake sounding like Bevis and Butthead as I tried not to laugh. I got an early start to my day and that was beneficial, but I'd much rather wake up to the air horns of the local train rumbling by than to "pretend" to go to Lowe's for light bulbs.

The moral of the story is: Unless there is a moral dilemma, just go along with your spouse when they talk in their sleep! That's what works for me this Wednesday.

Random fact --> I kept count in my head yesterday to identify the most frequently used words during my time with the twins: "Share" and "no". You would think two 20 month old babies understand the concept of sharing by now considering they've shared everything from a womb to a room since they were conceived. Unfortunately that isn't the case and it's a daily effort to reinforce the concept of sharing. I have to keep in mind it took us 10 months of demonstrating the sign language for "more" before they started doing it themselves, but eventually they did get it.

This is what happens when you give protective head gear to a curious little girl:


She puts it on her head! And this is what happens when you give a pair of heavy bag gloves to a curious little boy and girl:


They hit the heavy bag! Wonder where they learn this stuff from?


Makes me think of that cheesy anti-drug commercial from the 80's where the kid angrily shouts at his dad, "I learned it by watching YOU!"

I'm heading to bed now so add us to your list of prayers. Pray that I remember to pro-actively change the light bulbs so I can get a full night's rest.

I hope Grace the dolly makes it through one more day of thrashing from Layla. I hope Easton hears and sees a multitude of airplanes and trains tomorrow. And I hope you have a wonderful day.

Bye bye, see you soon!