Makes My Monday: The Umpire Says....

"...and they're SAFE!"

Without too much detail, we were all downstairs---thank God (quite literally!)---when Hurricane Irene caught the top foliage of our heretofore-beloved "Smiley Tree" and brought her down through our house.

All Lages, Double Daddy, Mommy, He-Twin, She-Twin and Larry Dog evacuated to dear neighbors' home across the street where we spent the night. Now, we're staying with yet other dear, dear friends until some long-term, temporary (is that an oxymoron?) housing is determined.

The kindness of so very many, the love and lives of my family, and a house that can be rebuilt Make My Monday.

Feel free to play along/link-up with Makes My Monday!

[I apologize in advance for what will be limited reciprocal comments and posts in the next few days. Be sure and visit other MMM participants and be thankful this new week....I know I am!]

Whatcha, Whatcha, Whatcha Want?

With twins turning TEN (that's DOUBLE DIGITS, Friends) on September 5th, both have put pencil to paper---in efforts to ensure pleasing presents.

Yesterday, a glimpse of She-Twin's desired gift gamut; today, He-Twin's quest for "Quality Gifts"

1.) Lego Hogwarts
Ooof. The $130 set. So big. So many bricks. So unlikely.

2.) Hogwarts Lego add-on
Smaller scale...in size, price, and brick-quantity. A fair request...

3.) DS (I know!)
To repeat our parents of multiples manifesto response from She-Twin's request for the same: "Call us tyrants, we aren't doing them---or any console video games---in our house. At others' homes, A-OK."

4.) See Potter movies 2-5
A permission request. Creative. Appreciate the mindset.

5.) To read Harry Potter books 6 and 7
Again with a permission request. Well-played. Heretofore forbad (we felt they were simply too mature for age 9), he devoured 1-5. Pondering....

6.) meat hose
Ever since he learned Taco Bell's beef-like taco and burrito filling is dispensed via a literal hose of meaty deliciousness, he's wanted one of his very own. In his room. Who can blame him?

7.)

8.) something for #7
He knows humor works in his favor, and wisely plays to his advantage.

9.) Looney Tunes action figures
Since his earliest days, he's had an affinity for the off-beat. He asked for--and got--a Swedish Chef toy for his 4th birthday. Once he discovered The Muppet Show, Sweetums became a favorite. Think this line item would be far easier to accomplish than those wishes fulfilled.

(anything Harry Potter-y)

Thanks for making it easy, My Boy. We'll figure out some fun---for you, and your "Little Sister." (by seven minutes...)

They're Making Their Lists...

Beyond my comprehension, our two will be turning TEN---that's DOUBLE DIGITS, as I'm oft-reminded these days---on September 5.

Naturally, we're hoping to present presents to please, because after all, they're going to be TEN---that's double digits, you know.

In keeping things fraternal, as our two have done for nearly TEN years (that's double digits, and don't you forget it!), their wished-for items reflect their pronounced twindividuality.

Today, for your perusal---and amuse-al---behold She-Twin's lofty list:

1. William
Who's William? A sweet kitten from the SPCA. Double Daddy detests cats; not only that, She-Twin and He-Twin are allergic. Not going to happen. [FYI: William has found a happy home. Not ours.]

2.) iPod Touch
Uh, no.

3.) Cat (in general, if not William)
See #1. She's nothing if not tenacious.

4.) DSI
The pervasive, popular hand-held electronic game system. Call us tyrants, we aren't doing them---or any console video games---in our house. At others' homes, A-OK.

5.) million bucks
Suppose it never hurts to ask...

6.) Pomeranian
Not going to happen. Larry will put his paw down.

7.) Huskie Webkinz
Want to say this is a possibility, unless of course they've been discontinued and are available only via extortionists on eBay...

8.) a Faberge egg
Think the last one that went on the auction market sold for upwards of $18.5 million. Refer to #5...

9.) hamster
Not going to happen. Larry will put his paw down.


10.) bunny
Not going to happen. Larry will put his paw down. [FYI: Double Daddy and I had a much-loved She-Bunny named Dwayne for 8+ years. She passed in 2000, and a few months later, we learned we were pregnant with twins.]


11.) kitten
Repeating the same request over-and-over does not work. Hoping once She-Twin turns TEN (that's double digits, you know), she'll figure that out.


12.) iPhone 4
Hasn't she heard the iPhone 5 is coming out later in September? Not going to happen.

13.) cel phone
No. Not going to happen.

So anyone have any ideas for what might please a precocious, yet consummately precious, nearly ten-year-old She-Twin? Needless to say, we're open to suggestions....




TOMORROW: He-Twin's wish list. Be sure to tune in....

Way Back When-esday: Come On, Irene...

Dateline: September 2003
Twins' Age: Barely 2
Home's Age: Nearly 80

From the picture above, one may not be able to readily discern the sidewalk and roadway in front of our beloved Dutch Colonial home. Why? The greenery bludgeoned from the trees the night before, thanks to a sassy li'l hurricane by the name of Isabel, obscured the paved aspects of our neighborhood. Our home? Without power for days, but mercifully, unscathed.

This weekend, we're bracing for yet another fearsome "I"-name, She-Storm Irene.

Our twosome---and their mom and dad---warmed up for the weekend's weather antics mere hours ago with an unexpected 5.9 Richter-scale registering earthquake.

Staring down storms past and present (and shoring up against the "shakes!") warms my heart this mid-week!

Why don't you dive into your digital files and play along with Way Back When-esday?

Seek out an overlooked snapshot or scan a scrapbook find...share an image you might not otherwise. Tell the tale and place a post on your blog. Be sure and link back to participate in the web-wide reverie...and please leave a comment when you do!





Sticklers for manners, peek at our post feature on RichmondMom.com---and please leave a comment when you do!

Makes My Monday: Peek-A-Boo

She-Twin getting a feline fix during her volunteer shift Makes My Monday.


[*By the way, if you are seeking a sweet furry friend, the Richmond SPCA has an abundance of affectionate animals just waiting for someone special to take them home.]

Play along with Makes My Monday!

Post some positivity and link up! Visit other celebrants, and don't forget to leave a comment when you do; comments are always joy-bringers.

Eat Your Veggies

...even if, thanks to an artful He-Twin, they're smiling back at you.

Admittedly, I consume far fewer vegetables than I should, but am often inspired by the beautiful, bounteous blog of a dear friend, A Midlife Vegan+. Go check her out.

Way Back When-esday: Bracing Ourselves

Dateline: August 17, 2007
Twins' Age: 5

Four years ago today, She-Twin had lost only two of her "baby" teeth...sweet little teeth that were oh-so-straight.

This afternoon, along with He-Twin---who'd lost no teeth four years ago today---we venture out for an initial consult with the orthodontist. "Creepy Creepy Crossbite Kid"(as She-Twin has dubbed herself, likely with a He-Twin assist) may need some dental re-design.

Her excitement then, and her excitement now, warm my heart this mid-week.
[As an aside, no butterflies were harmed in this week's WBW image. Following its photo op, the beautiful bug winged away.]

Why don't you dive into your digital files and play along with Way Back When-esday?

Seek out an overlooked snapshot or scan a scrapbook find...share an image you might not otherwise. Tell the tale and place a post on your blog. Be sure and link back to participate in the web-wide reverie...and please leave a comment when you do!

Grow On, Grasshopper

Nature or nurture---or both, He-Twin has long demonstrated an adept affection for wordplay. This week, the apprentice surely surpassed the sorcerer.

She-Twin (who enjoys a surprising non-sequittur): "My favorite book of the Bible is Deuteronomy."

He-Twin (before I could even pursue She-Twin's Pentateuchal preference): "Larry's favorite book of the Bible is NEUTERonomy!"

Well-played, Little Word Wizard.

Makes My Monday: Mixed-Media Multiples

Yarn. Ribbon. Buttons. Cloth. Crayons. Bet you can readily determine our twosome!

Darren left his for this week's display; Sarah's is now home with us, and even more recognizable in detail (right down to the hair feather for which she's been making a play)...

Self-portraits of the artists as young twins Make My Monday.

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Semi-Spiritual Sunday Snippet: Pulpit Passion

This morning, following an incredible week of church-based arts camp, He-Twin reminded us all to consider the lilies.

If you missed He-Twin's emotive recitation, here's a worthwhile, snippet-ized reminder from Matthew 6:


Why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet  even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  If God clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you?
Do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?' or "What shall we drink?' or "What shall we wear?' 
Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.  Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Brother. Bear.

Sporting goods store or impromptu amusement park?

Either way, Daddy and He-Twin are pro-Bass Pro Shops.

Name Your Bag

Darren thought he was "Senor Donut Bag."

Sarah declared him "Senor Doufle [sic] Bag."

Me? I was alarmed by the first three and last three letters of his surname...

Way Back When-esday: Daddy's Darling Duo

Dateline: October 2007
Twins' Age: 6

She-Twin and He-Twin are now nearly ten, and are keenly aware of their web presence on the blog. With growing frequency, requests are made Mommyward. "Don't put that on the blog!" or "Ooooh, you should really put that on the blog!"

As such, I asked how old they should be for this week's Way Back When-esday installment. Darren made the choice: six. Six it is.

How appropos this image was one of the first discovered diving back to that year; this Wednesday, we fully expect to receive the way-wonderful reassurance from the amazing, melanoma mashing research team at the National Cancer Institute/NIH that Double Daddy remains cancer-free. [UPDATE: CLEAN SCANS!!!! Thanks to all for thoughts and prayers!]

Full family focus warms my heart this mid-week.

Why don't you dive into your digital files and play along with Way Back When-esday?

Seek out an overlooked snapshot or scan a scrapbook find...share an image you might not otherwise. Tell the tale and place a post on your blog. Be sure and link back to participate in the web-wide reverie...and please leave a comment when you do!

Makes My Monday: Minor League, Major Kindness

Just last weekend, our twosome beheld their first major league game. Amazingly, it resulted in a bottom of the 9th home-team win with a massive fireworks display to conclude the night.

This weekend, we ventured out with a crew of dear friends to our Richmond Flying Squirrels' home game. Sadly, it wasn't a win for the team, but it felt like one to us.

We saw no less than THREE rainbows (it pays to ride out the fleeting storm!)...

Got to run the bases at game's end...

And just look what Darren came home with...

A foul ball nearly caught by Double Daddy bounced from his surely-to-be-bruised-tomorrow hand to the row directly in front of us. With generosity to spare, the man seated there---who ended up in possession of the superlative souvenir---immediately turned around and passed it to He-Twin.

An Americana-filled evening and the unforgettable kindness of a stranger [pictured above, in the floral shirt] Make My Monday.

Play along with Makes My Monday!

Post some positivity and link up! Visit other celebrants, and don't forget to leave a comment when you do; comments are always joy-bringers.

Play Misty for Me

Earlier this week, our neighborhood observed National Night Out.

There were Sno-cones. Gelato bowls. Cookies. Popsicles. Root beer floats. A marching band. Policemen. Firetrucks. 90+ degrees, with an unhealthy dollop of humidity. Thankfully, there was also a misting tent.

Now, for nearly 10 years, more often than not, our twins have done more to dispel the twin mystique than to validate it. They spoke no twin language. They felt not each other's pain. Yet somehow, in the heat of the summer street, He-Twin and She-Twin unwittingly mirrored each other's appreciation of the cool.

Call me twindulgent, but I'm appreciating the cool of this fleeting moment captured.

A Sweet SITS-uation

Indulge me if you will, I ask---
As long as your patience permits.
I've been a fan for ever-so-long,
And today's my day at SITS!

The support and e-friendship are a such plus,
Blogging advice, just one of the benefits--
If you haven't before, check 'em out now,
The lovely sisters of SITS!

Your first time here? Please come back often--
Be warned, the wordplay rarely quits.
The continuing tales of parenting twins,
Resume after my day at SITS.

In the meantime, poke around a while,
Read a few posts and some silly bits.
Enjoy what you see? Stop by daily!
You're welcome here; thanks to SITS!

Seems almost like a fairy tale,
The slipper, my gosh, it fits!
Feeling a bit like Cinderella today,
'Cause it's my day at SITS!



In all seriousness, so many thanks to the amazing Angie and the superior SITSterhood for featuring Twinfatuation today.

Thank YOU for coming by and I do hope you will come back soon.

Please take a quick moment to leave a comment---it is the SITS way, after all!---I'd love to visit your blog and learn what gets you posting!

Way Back When-esday: Beach Babies

Dateline: August 2007
Twins' Age: 5

After an incredible getaway this weekend past, we still have a beach weekend to look forward to before school resumes in early September. Peeking back at our sandy sweeties in years gone by warms my heart this mid-week.

Why don't you dive into your digital files and play along with Way Back When-esday?

Seek out an overlooked snapshot or scan a scrapbook find...share an image you might not otherwise. Tell the tale and place a post on your blog. Be sure and link back to participate in the web-wide reverie...and please leave a comment when you do!

Cleveland ROCKS!

What Made My Monday? Telling it this Tuesday!

A whirlwind, wonderful four-day weekend to a phenomenal American city.

Sandwiched between full-day drives to and from (which were pretty darned fun on their own)...

Perfection. Right down to the kids' first major league baseball game ending with a home team win in the bottom of the 9th, followed by massive fireworks synchronized to rock classics provided by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (where Darren discovered an affinity for The Kinks earlier in the day). As the smoke settled, the fans in front of us turned around appreciatively--- declaring She-Twin a rock genius; she had been citing enthusiastically the artist of each and every song excerpted during the pyrotechnic display.

New memories Made My Monday. Made My Month...and beyond!

Play along with Makes My Monday---Make it a Terrific Tuesday!

Post some positivity and link up! Visit other celebrants, and don't forget to leave a comment when you do; comments are always joy-bringers.