Happy Birthday Uncle Adam

Today is my brother, Adam's, 33rd birthday. Happy birthday Adam! We were somewhat close growing up, but became very close when he left for college. Now I consider his wife one of my best friends and our kids are close too.

As we try to do every year (last year was a bit impossible since I had one week old babies), we made banana bread (one of his favorites) and the boys and I went to his work (Deac.oness Hospital) and dropped in for a birthday "surprise." This year the boys were so excited they snuck up and SANG happy birthday to him. It was so cute! They just kept hugging him. It warms my heart to see the way they love him.

Happy birthday brother!

Cracking Up

Yesterday Thomas was helping Joshua work on something. Joshua looked at Thomas, "Thank you brother." Thomas replied, "Anytime, any day." Cute.

A Parade That Rains Candy?

Yesterday we took a little day trip down to St. John to view the stock show and parade. Basically a small towns yearly festivities. It's an easy way for me to see lots of my former students and some great friends including past parents and coworkers. Yesterday was W-I-N-D-Y! We peeked at the animals, jumped in a jumpy castle, and looked at the arts and crafts. Then we headed to my favorite part...the parade.

There is nothing better than a small town parade. I think it cracks Dan up a little since he is so use to the Spokane parades. This parade starts with the little kids...all dolled up on bikes and four-wheelers. The kids go up the street and back down, park their vehicles and line the streets to watch the rest of the parade. Then comes the firetrucks, the politicians, the horses, and anyone who wants to be in the parade. Up, to the end of the street, and back down. It's awesome. The best part though is the candy. Spokane doesn't really do candy anymore (except at St. Patrick's Day). Right before the parade started, one of my former students came over and chatted with me and the boys. Thomas immediately thought he was awesome and decided to join him (across the street) when the parade started. Joshua stayed on our side. He was really the only kid in like a 5 foot radius. All of the sudden, the cars were showering our side with candy. Joshua was just being pelted with handfuls. He was in heaven. Awe. He just stood there and looked around wondering what to do. I wish I could've gotten a picture. At one point, I ran across the street, grabbed Thomas and made him come help pick up candy with Joshua. It was awesome! Seriously, the best parade ever!!!

And, another awesome moment is that Thomas got a little independence. Seriously, letting your 4-year old go across the street to grab candy with a bunch of 7+ year olds is a little stressful. What if he gets too far in the street? What if he forgets to get OUT of the street? Well, small town, people. Not only do I have the comfort of any other adult, but the parade itself will stop. This was evidenced when about 3 little girls neglected to back up and kept going further and further into the street until they were picking up candy from the center of the road. The parade stopped, they waited, the girls got all their candy, got out of the way, and the parade continued. No one said anything, no one cared. We just waited (well, we picked up candy too). And Thomas got to be with the big kids and get candy all by himself. A neat moment for him.

The only picture I managed to take? Katie, realizing the boys were busy with candy collection, walked over to their lunch box and snagged an apple, sat down on the curb and ate it, so proud of herself. :)

How Far Does CUTE Carry You?

How far will cute carry you? How far can you go that cute won't cut it anymore? I think we found out today.

You see, today was the day to do the girls' one year pictures. We tried somewhere new, that was something I should have anticipated being more difficult. We have a picture taking routine. The boys are familiar with it; this is good. Today? Not so good. Katie was her usual self: attached, clingy, and whining. She was not thrilled with a stranger taking her picture. Molly, on the other hand, loved the camera and the attention. She would've posed all day long.

We DID get several pictures of the girls and some of the boys. The girls were obsessed with these little balls (a football, a basketball, and a soccer ball). So I had the boys take them to the side so we could attempt pictures without them. This meant Thomas lobbed them to the wall and caught them. He was doing a fairly good job, so I went and confirmed with him that he keep it under control and low to the ground. My bad. I turn back to the pictures just in time to hear the most horrific crash. That was the sound of a ball hitting a huge framed picture on the wall and the glass shattering upon hitting the floor. Are you kidding me?! Humiliated. Horrified. Nothing seems to cover the feeling at that moment. All kids were immediately removed from the vicinity (Thomas was placed in a chair for time out the rest of the session). We finished up photos and moved on.

Thankfully the photographer was very understanding. Thomas will be writing an apology letter tomorrow and delivering it himself. Man, that kid. At least he's cute, right?!

Bonding

I've been snuggling Molly a little extra the last couple days. At night we just sit in the rocker and cuddle. You see, one year ago, I had two babies. Unfortunately only one got to come with me. Little Molly spent her first few days of life in the NICU. Those first days of her life, I didn't get to snuggle. I didn't get to bond. So, one year later, I take back those moments. It was the first April 21st that Molly and I had together. So we snuggled like it was the first night of her life. I listened to her breath. Smelled her little baby smell. And reveled in the fact that this was my baby. We bonded. I love that little girl.

One Year

It's amazing to think where we were one year ago. Amazing. I was ready to beg my way out of pregnancy only to find that I was in active labor. Almost this time exactly, my doctor was telling me to go home and come back later for a c-section. The nerves, oh the nerves!

Molly Joanne, born at 9:20 at 5#7. Now, nearing 19 pounds and walking nearly everywhere. She's a singer and a dancer. She talks constantly. She has at least 4 teeth with more on the way. Molly enjoys playing outside, eating all night long, and reading. She is a daddy's girl. Daddy can solve all her problems. If she's happy, she's the life of the room. If she's mad, you can't hear anything but her screams.

Kaitlyn Ruth, born at 9:22 at 6#14. Now, nearing 20 pounds and not only walking but attempting running (unsuccessfully). This girl figures things out quickly. She loves to climb but has figured out how to get down safely. Her hair makes everyone think she's a lot older than she is. She loves to talk and her newest word is 'bider' (spider). She is very capable of communicating her needs and wants to be in the middle of all the action.

Can you believe it's been a year? I'd like to say I'm sad, but that first year is soooo hard. We are just entering my most favorite stage! As I sit here the girls are roaming around the playroom playing with potato head pieces and chasing the boys. They are independently playing, happy, and smile at me constantly. I love it. I miss the small babies (a little). I miss what we hoped having a small baby would be like, the idealistic part. I miss the few quiet moments of snuggles and loves. But I wouldn't go back to that for the world of me. These one year olds are pretty incredible. They melt my heart with loves and hugs.

Happy birthday baby girls.

Katie and Molly's First Birthday Party

Today we celebrated Katie and Molly's birthday (which isn't actually until next week). We originally had planned on a park, then it rained and we changed it to a pizza place, then the pizza place let us know they had 3 other birthday parties at the same time with 100 people, so we changed it back to the park. The weather held out and it was beautiful!

The girls had a butterfly cake and butterfly cookies on a stick.

They had their one-year informal pictures.

They ate cake.

They opened presents. And just generally had a great time.

Thanks to everyone who came. We are so well-loved!

This Is It

In the last few months, I've really felt my age. What? I'm getting older? How is that possible? And I start to wonder if I'm living my life the way I should. So I started asking some family members who have mastered the art of living life (or rather those a generation or two above me) and have come to this conclusion.

This is it. THIS is the best time of my life. I'm living it right now. I will never live this moment again. Never again will I have babies. Never again will I try to make dinner with a baby in my arms and another on my leg. I will never get naptime snuggles. I will never get to nurse another baby to sleep. These are the moments.

And, as for the next stage. I will say to myself. THIS is the best time of my life. You see, every stage is the best stage (if you are living it). The key is to actually live it. Actually enjoy the moments. The next stage will bring great moments as well. Moments I will never get back. And those will be the best.

So, I now realize that I need to live my life more, to a fuller extent, and enjoy the moments. So what if my house is a mess. So what if I don't answer my phone. I'm enjoying my moments. I'm building memories. Then I'll look back and realize that my life was full of 'best times.'

This is it.

11 Months

Whoops! 11 months just flew right by! The girls are now 11 months. Almost a year already!!!








-Katie is now a walker. She can walk nearly anywhere but still chooses to crawl. She can say: dada, mama, 'oshua, hi, spider. She is quite the climber and can now safely get down from things as well. She has 3 teeth. Katie is quite fun and loves to sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider."














-Molly can stand forEVER! She will take up to 3 steps before collapsing. She is a daddy's girl through and through. She has 4 teeth with many many more poking through. She loves music and can dance dance dance. She says 'dada' and could probably say more but who needs more than daddy?! Molly is already obsessed with shoes and likes sparkly ones.













These girls are growing before our eyes. And we are loving nearly every moment!!!!

Good Friends

When Dan and I first met, we were part of a small group of friends that worked together. Somehow, over 10 years later, we are still very close. Kim and Greg have always been a part of our 'family.' They had kids first (Maliya- nearly 12, Kyler- nearly 9) and we got to be a part of their lives with young kids. Now it's our turn and they are involved just the same! We meet up as often as possible and remain close. Here is a picture from when the boys were little and then another from this week.

Violin Lessons Round 1

Round 1 of violin lessons complete. And what a neat experience it was. The violin is so small it looks like a toy. Ms. Renee was neat and taught Joshua the fundamentals of violin. He learned how to hold the violin, what the parts of it are, and the names of the strings. Thomas watched the lesson for about 2 seconds, got bored and played in the corner with the girls. You would think he wasn't listening, but we got home and practiced a couple hours later (ok I neglected to make dinner so I made Dan take me to Spaghetti Factory for dinner instead) and both boys remembered the lesson pretty well. Here are a few pictures from the lesson and practice at home. And a picture with Dan and the boys to try and show how small this thing is!

A High Note in Life

Joshua has been asking for violin lessons.He started asking when he was two years old at this symphony petting zoo. I'm now realizing that he's serious. After researching some establishments, Joshua is signed up for two trial lessons this week. He's stoked! Thomas will come along to the lessons and see if it's something he's interested in.





We went to Hoff.mans and rented a violin this weekend. This violin is so freakin' small! It looks like a toy. I'll try and take pictures during lessons this week if it seems appropriate.

Blogger won't let me add the November 2007 picture of Joshua's first violin experience...darn!

Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail

Happy Easter dear family and friends! What a fantastic weekend. Saturday was spent at an Easter Egg Hunt (the best Easter Egg Hunt we've ever been to) and then we took on the challenge of attending a 2 1/2 hour Mass starting at 8:00 PM. We survived Saturday in fairly good spirits! Hooray!

Today (Easter) started with the traditional breakfast at the Domrese household consisting of Cinnabons (my favorite) and Hollandaise sauce on eggs (Dan's favorite). We both left completely satisfied and happy! After a naptime, we went to my parent's house and had a great dinner and watched the cousins play.

What a fun-filled weekend!!!!

Easter 2007 (boys are 18 months old)

Easter 2008 (boys are 2 1/2 years old)

Easter 2010 (boys are 4 1/2, girls are 11 months)

Dying Easter Eggs 2010

Tonight was the night to dye Easter Eggs. A friend of mine showed me the brilliant technique of dying the eggs inside of wire whisks. BRILLIANT! The kids didn't drop any and it was a huge success! And fun to watch Dan (who can sit with one egg for hours making it absolutely perfect) watch the boys dip the egg in every color in a matter of 30 seconds and then move on to the next egg.

Strawberry Madness

It's happening at our house. Strawberry madness. The girls have discovered that they can feed themselves mass quantities of fruit in general, but strawberries? An all-time favorite. Costco is gladly a place I visit frequently.