Fall

It's been a LONG time. The fall has been so much fun with the twins. They are totally into the holidays and they LOVED Halloween! They ask me every night if they can go trick-or-treating! It was a lot of fun. Gramma Mona was dearly missed. We always ended up at 1009 Russell and she would ooh and ahh over all the kids' costumes. And she would take special care to make sure she had good enough candy for everyone. My heart ached that day. But we went to Grandma Lois's house and the twins went trick-or-treating there, after we went to two "trunk-or-treats" with Bonnie at two churches. Enjoy the photos.

Snow in October

The twins woke up on Saturday wanting to make a snowman! It was so hard trying to explain to them that we needed more snow to make one. They didn't understand why I was being so mean....so when, finally, enough snow falls to make a snowman, I'll be the first one out there making a big one for the twins!
They are growing SO fast and saying the cutest things. Jackson is saying See you late crocodile (instead of see you later alligator). He's our cuddle kid for sure. He'll just randomly say, "I love you too mommy." LOVE IT! Addison isn't so cuddly. She is so independent and quite the little person. She can say her full name, Addison Zajkowski, very clearly, thanks to auntie shelly. And Jackson says, "Jackson A-cow-ski." It's cute. He's in love with Bob The Builder and he has a hard had and a "scoop" toy that he can't go anywhere without. The first week he had it, he even put it on the table when he ate. Eric and I thought, why not. He wasn't going to eat otherwise. Now he listens better and he puts scoop on the floor when he's eating. Too funny.
Addison is a princess and she must have a tea party each night. Sometimes she wants mommy and/or Jackson and/or Daddy to join her, sometimes not. It totally depends on her mood. She's two and a half going on 13.....YIKES!
Eric is working at Lifetime Fitness now, so the twins are going to Auntie Shelly's house four days a week and Grandma Lois's house every Friday. So far it's working out. Eric misses his time with the kiddos, so I think he's starting to feel how I do when I'm at work. Every minute I'm constantly thinking about them.

Summer

It has been a great summer with the twins. Lots of water....lots of family....lots of missing Gramma Mona.......(insert huge sigh). A day still doesn't go by that I don't want to call her and tell her this or that. Now that the twins are doing so many fun things, the urge is more intense. I just want to share everything they do with her. I can't. It's tough. Life goes on.

Jackson fell in love with a jet ski, a week after he fell, hit his head and required stitches! Yikes. Mommy didn't handle that too well. But he's fine. I'm fine. Daddy's fine. AddiLo is fine. She is so smart. Each day, she says, "What are we doing today?" So adorable. We took them to the State Fair and they got to ride a city bus, which was truly the highlight for them. Enjoy the photos.

Greased Pigs

So, Eric was a little groggy and still recovering from the marathon Monday morning, when, as he laid in bed, he heard something suspicious: “Jackson, get offa me!” There’s no reason Addison should say that because they are in their own cribs…or so we thought. Eric went into their room and found Addison in Jackson’s crib. But that wasn’t all. After Addison so very quietly climbed out of her crib, she went under the changing table and grabbed the vat of Aquafor and climbed into Jackson’s crib with it. By the time Eric got in there, the contents of the vat was all over the crib and each of the twins…there were globs of it everywhere!

I think they must have eaten some of it too, because they each pooped four times yesterday. When I got home from work, their hair was still greasy, after being washed – twice! They were the shiniest, greasiest kids around!

This morning, I got the following email from Eric: Addison did crawl out this am. I was trying to listen to catch her jump down. When I heard bump, "I did it," I made my move. Then I opened the door, and she said "Oh hi. Good morning daddy, I'm poopy" This is at 7:10 am.

I guess she’s going to be the daring one….for now.

Slip N Slide

I think these photos speak for themselves. We had a BBQ on Sunday and nobody was using the slip n slide, so I thought I would demonstate for everyone. To my surprise, it was really fun! But I was SO sore the next day.

Beach and Duluth

We had a great holiday weekend. We spend Memorial Day in Duluth with PapaBear. It was a tough, but good, day on the North Shore without Gramma Mona. We saw a boat come through the canal and the twins said "BIG BOAT" and "BIG WATER." It was SO cold and windy. It was 75 degrees in Minneapolis and when we got to Canal Park, it was 45 degrees. Good thing I packed sweatshirts and socks and tennis shoes and jeans. Eric said we'd be fine with just wind breakers for them. They fed the birds too...kind of. When we threw the popcorn to the birds, they would run, get it and eat it before the birds got to it...I guess we've taught them the value of food! We went to Grandma's for lunch, and Eric said the Gramma Mona was actually with us. He was afraid if he told me that, I'd get all emotional, but he was right. I felt her presence the entire day....it was a great day. And the twins were so wonderful in the long car ride. So that was a bonus.

We went to Elm Creek Park Reserve and took the twins swimming. Jackson took off and ran right into the water....NO FEAR! Eric said he could hear the Baywatch music playing cuz mama was just about the go in after him. Then we realized that the man-made pond was only 3 feet deep...so everything was OK.

TWO!!!!

Wow. It's been two wonderfully crazy years since you've been on this Earth with mommy and daddy. You are each your own little people now. You've both had ear infections, Addison leading the way, as you normally do...and Jackson following a few weeks later. Jackson, you always seem to want to be doing what your older sister does. But now that she counts from one to ten in not only English, but Spanish...to the surprise of mom and dad...you are letting her get away with that. You are happy enough knowing your numbers in English. Jackson, you love to golf. It's so cute. Everyday when we pull into the garage, you go to daddy's golf bag, take out a club, get a ball and head to the backyard. Addison, you love bubbles, and princess stuff and your bee-ankee (blanket). Jackson, you've started to use a blanket too. You, like your uncle Marcus, just chew on the satiny edges, but it comforts you nonetheless. Jackson, you also let mommy hug you right after I change you and before I put your jammies on. I look forward to that part of the day. It refuels me. Addison, whenever I'm sad, you come over, put your arm on me and say, "You OK Mommy?" Thank you for that.

Oh kiddos. You amaze me everyday. It's so bizarre how the world seems to change when you have kids. I seem to see things with an entirely different perspective....yours. I continue to thank God that you are healthy. Jackson, you love PapaBear and look forward to seeing him, especially in church when you run to his pew. You both still ask for Gramma Mona, and it breaks my heart, because I wish she was here too. Some days, I think we could all use a great big Gramma Mona hug. I hope you always know you can come to me for hugs and hopefully they will cure your ills for a bit like hers always did.

I love you. Daddy loves you. We pray for you and talk about you constantly. May you continue to grow into the people God intends you to be. Be confident that God loves you. We love you. Always remember Who you are and Whose you are.

We love you to pieces and all together!

Easter

Pick your battles

Yesterday we went to Como Zoo with the Kirsch kids and their parents. It was a glorious day, so we decided to just put spring jackets on the twins. Well....Jackson had a FIT because he couldn't wear Addison's pink jacket. He threw the same fit on Saturday, but somehow, Eric got him into his own, brown coat. Well, yesterday, Jackson was NOT having it and he needed to wear the pink jacket....so, we let him and he was the happiest Zoo goer there! People were confused about his gender before the pink coat, because of his "cool hair." But with the pink coat, and the crazy legs walk, it was pretty funny watching people watch him. But, like Auntie Lena said, "Real men wear pink." He is SO his dad!

Mona

This is from a party at the Yakesh home. Jackson is clearly in a trance. ..he's eating unlimited chips...his nickname is going to be "tank" soon. He hasn't met a chip he doesn't like...some less than others, but he'll settle for the plain ones if that's all that's available.

I miss my mom today....more than usual. Addison and Jackson saw PapaBear and then said, "Mona, where go?" It just broke my heart. It's so hard to honor my mom's request to not have our children grow up in sad houses. But, mom, I'm trying! I just don't know how to answer that. But PapaBear is so good for them. Jackson and my dad are such good buddies. I think it's good for both of them.
They are growing up so fast. I miss them so much during the day and it seems like they learn new things everyday. Jackson has got to be the happiest child ever. And Addison learned to scowl today....to funny. Just like Mama. I better learn quickly that she'll copy everything I do. They are still so wonderful.

Moral Compass

Ahh....today was tough. Each of us have someone in our lives that we know as our "moral compass." We probably don't ever give that person that title, but you bounce ideas and thoughts off them and their answers give you a gauge....
For me, that person was my mom. I'm feeling quite direction-less without her. I have dialed her number several times, and today I called my dad's home number and the answering machine came on with her voice. That was hard. I just miss her.
I don't intend to replace my moral compass. I just think I'll have to grow up and use my own sense of direction, that she helped me develop.

Pitty Princess

Addison is such a little princess. I walked in the door last night and she had a beautiful princess dress on! She kept saying "Pitty!" This means pretty and she would walk up to Eric and say "Pitty Daddy!" It was so adorable...until she wouldn't take the dress off for her jammies...and she screamed and screamed. I came home tonight and she has a different, beautiful dress on. She's such a little girl. Eric said, "How did you and me get such a little girly-girl?" Guess I could learn some things from her!

New Normal

For some reason, I've been compelled to start the blog again....not sure why, but I'm sure it will come to me. Writing has always been therapeutic (sp?) and I need some therapy right now.

Gramma Mona died last Monday and it's been tough, to say the least.

The twins had almost two years with her and I hope they remember something wonderful about her. They still see photos of her and shout "MONA."