Miller twins: 3 pts. Babysitter: 0 pts.

The first time I hired a babysitter here in our new town, we got home at 10:30 pm. "Owen still hasn't fallen asleep" she said. I walked back to their room and found that she had left their light ON and the door open.

We hired the same babysitter a few weeks later. This time, I casually suggested that when she put them to bed, "just turn off the lights and they should fall straight to sleep." When we got home, late again, Owen was still awake. She had left all the lights in the hall on and left their door all the way open, so it was still pretty light in their room. (Note to self- next time mention lights off AND door closed.)

Today, Kyle wanted to take me to New Moon. (Nevermind that I'm going tomorrow night with some girls. He still insisted on taking me. We had a fun time, but funny right?) We found a girl who home schools and was able to come over at noon to watch the kids. Her job was going to be an easy one because all she had to do was watch them for 1/2 hour before it was their nap time. Then she could just hang out.

We got home at 3:30 pm and she was outside playing with the kids. "hey kids! How was your nap?!" I asked them. "They didn't take one," the babysitter said. I was shocked. There's maybe been like 3 days in their whole lives when they haven't napped. They go down SUPER easy and never cry. All you have to do is physically put them in their cribs. "Were they crying in their beds or something?" I asked. "No, they just didn't want to take one." Kyle laughed and was like "oh man, you totally got taken!"

I felt bad for the poor girl. They played fine the whole time, but if she would have just told them they had to go to bed anyway she could've done the homework she had brought over, or watched some tv.

I'm really not picky about babysitters at all. I always just try to make it as easy for them as possible. But I'm starting to realize that as easy as I try to make it for them, if they are inexperienced, or nervous/insecure/unsure, they are going to make it harder than it needs to be! Poor girls. I'll just have to be more specific next time (again). Don't ask kids if they want to take a nap. Pick them up, put them in their beds, turn off the light, close the door. Maybe I'll make a list...

Tattling to a higher authority

Kate's prayers are usually pretty short and sweet.

"Heavenly Father, bless food today, Jesus, Christ, AMEN!"

Of course, Owen is praying at the same time, always. Maybe saying something different, maybe repeating after Kate, always ending at the same time. I can't get him to stop praying while she's praying.

But tonight's prayer on the food was different.

"Heavenly Father, Owen hit me, going night-night..." and then I couldn't understand the rest of what she said, but the prayer went on for a long time. It was like she was telling Heavenly Father everything about her day so far. I just turned around and started giggling and said to Kyle "did she just tell on Owen in her prayer?"

I just didn't want to forget that. That girl has a mind of her own. Apparently tattling just to me isn't getting her the results she's looking for.

Who they are: 2 years and 7(ish) months

For the past month (or two), Kate has been OBSESSED with the temple. I think it started when she found a framed picture of Kyle and I coming out of the temple on our wedding day. She pointed to me and said "princess!" So then I explained how Kyle and I had gotten married in the temple. Since then, she's been obsessed. Sometimes the first thing she says when she wakes up and last thing she says at night is "I want to go to the temple." When it's on her mind she'll ask me about it like 10 times in one day. I feel pretty horrible having to say, "I know you want to go to the temple Kate, but we can't go today!!" I just need to take them one day, but it's so far away- down in L.A.

As I am writing this, my kids just started fighting over a toy. Then I realized the toy they are seriously fighting/crying over is IMAGINARY. "My coo coo clock!" "No my coo coo clock!" Kyle just had to hand them each their own imaginary clocks. We are sinking to new levels at this house.

Lately, anytime Kate starts to be naughty and I raise my voice to her, she puts her hand up and says "Mom no be loud!" It's funny because she doesn't want to be in trouble so that's her way of saying "don't bust me!"

Also, anytime I'm bugging Kate to do something, she has started saying "mom, I want peace!" It's her way of saying "leave me alone!" It's slightly hilarious because that's what I've said to her and Owen when they are crying and whining at me for something. I tell her I need some peace! I also heard her say it to Owen one time.

It's super fun now that she's starting to really talk more. Owen is talking more too, but still not as cleary as Kate. He doesn't pronounciate as clearly as she does yet, so I'm usually guessing at what he's trying to tell me. Kate has always been a little more verbal than Owen, but he's always catches up a few weeks later. It's been fun watching them take turns as one will advance in an area, and the other catches up and surpasses, and it continues like that, going back and forth. It's always kind of been that way.

I actually don't really ever compare their "skills" too much, because their personalities are really different, and I think a LOT of it is personality. Kate loves to learn, she likes the attention that comes from obeying or doing something right. She gets her feelings hurt when she's in trouble. Owen is just kind of carefree. He laughs when he breaks rules, he never takes anything too seriously. He's just here for a good time. haha. He doesn't ever want to sit up and eat because he gets distracted with his toys. He makes the funniest noises when he's playing or when he's excited. Everyday he says to me a million time "mom, i want to GO!" Go where? I've never been the type to take my kids out every day. I don't know why he has that in his head.

They love Dora and Diego right now. When I sing them songs they always request me to sing the Dora song first. I love how they say "ohhh maaan!" like swiper the fox.

We're giving ourselves the spooks (hopefully).

Kyle got called to be the new Young Men's President in our new ward. So he was at an activity last night, and me and my kids were hanging out in my room. My kids were laughing and slamming the door, when all the sudden I thought I heard a man's voice coming from the hallway, right on the other side of our door. And my kids heard it too because they stopped in their tracks. I asked them "did you guys say something?" and they both looked horrified and ran to my bed saying "bad man in house." Um...hello! That freaked me out even more. I felt my face turning red and I had to gather my cool for a second because I seriously thought I was going to have a confrontation. I yelled out "Is somebody there?" And Kate yelled out "YES!" I grabbed the phone, then picked up a golf club and had to check every closet and every room in my house before I calmed down a little. I had left the garage door open so someone definitely could've come in, but I'm pretty sure it was just a figment of our imaginations.

But then the kids were scared. I had to turn on some cartoons and sing some songs to calm them down. Owen was kind of spooning Kate on my bed, and if I wasn't too freaked to go get the camera by myself from the kitchen, I would've taken a picture. I was pretty freaked out myself.

Then a few different times today the kids were too scared to go to certain parts of the house without me, saying "bad man" or "monsters." Heavens. Then they kind of freak me out too, but I just have to act cool and nonchalant and promise them no one is here. I think Halloween kind of backfired on us this year. I'm hoping the kids forget about it by tomorrow.

Happy Halloween

This Halloween I had a hard time finding and deciding on some costumes. I finally went for a staple in the twin world, mostly because it was the best deal I could find, and picked Raggedy Ann and Andy. I have to tell you, the costumes turned out pretty adorable.


This picture is out of order, but it's my favorite shot- Halloween 2009:


This is definitely one of those times when having twins is especially so so much fun.


Friday night we went to our ward's Trunk or Treat. Owen was in a really sad mood and he wouldn't let me put the makeup on his face.



But he would pose for a picture. Hilarious right? His wig was my favorite part. Do you think he's going to hold this against me?


Kate's wig was homemade out of yarn when I bought it, so I went to the store and bought a headband and hot glued it to the headband. It turned out pretty darn cute.

Kyle took the kids around while I passed out candy. I didn't even think to decorate my car... Owen lasted about 5 cars before he got totally freaked out by the scary costumes and trunks. He ended up sitting by me the whole time eating candy.

I thought they were the funniest and cutest two things I'd ever seen.


Halloween night was mostly a BUST. The first house we went to across the street had scary music and a monster outside and both of my kids ended up crying. I couldn't believe it. Last year they walked up to a million houses and weren't scared and got tons of candy. This year, I think we went to a total of 8 houses or so before we called it a night. They kept saying, "There's a monster in there..." as they walked (or we shoved them) up to the door. And then they'd say "okay, let's go home." It was pretty pathetic, and they hardly got any candy.

On the plus side, I was able to hold Owen down long enough to put some makeup on his face. He was pretty resistant, but I'm pretty stubborn.

This is a little fuzzy, but Owen kept trying to throw me this pose so I had to post it.

Random extra pictures- proof that we carved a pumpkin this year. On Halloween day.

Kate at the trunk or treat. She had a great time.

That's it. I hope everyone had a happy Halloween.

Creation

This may sound weird, but when I moved to California I made a list. A list of things I wanted to learn to do sometime, or at least try once or twice. Garden, try canning something, maybe try a simple quilting project. (I know I should just start with something small, like making my family real meals at dinnertime... don't worry, I think that's on my list too.)

I am just not really a homemakery (meaning: crafty) kind of girl. I'm just not really good at it, and really not too interested enough to try to become good at it. But last year Pres. Uchtdorf's talk at the General Relief Society meeting on Happiness and creation really touched me. I liked how he talked about the inherent quality of creation inside of us and how we don't have to be "crafty" to create. (Go here to read it. I especially like the section "The Work of Creation.") I don't need to become good at any of the things on my list, but now when opportunities arise, I've started taking them. Just to try things out, you know? Because I have realized that I really do like to create. Just not necessarily crafty things.

That's all just a side note though, a background, because this post actually IS about a crafty thing I've made. My first week in Relief Society here, a lady stood up and spoke about a quilting class she was going to teach. We were going to make rag quilts. I got all the information, and while visiting my inlaws, we went to the store and did what I knew would be the hardest part for me to do alone, picked out all the fabric.

Then I had no excuses not to do it. I made a rag quilt for Kate and a rag quilt for Owen. I am so proud of them. It's the craftiest thing I can ever remember doing that turned out cute. The reason why they were perfect for me is that nothing had to be exact like in most quilting. It's a very forgiving project because the rag on the one side hides everything!

Here is Kate's:

This is what it looks like when it's flipped over. The rag side.

Here is Owen's:

This is to show the rag and the smooth side.

And my kids love their new "special" blankets.
Kate wanted to pose like Owen.

Anyway, it was super easy and didn't take me too much time. And I feel like I finally found one "homemakery" thing I can do that is easy for each new baby that comes.

P.S. The lady that was in charge of the class even came over one afternoon and spent two hours with me helping with the mundane stuff. And then one day the Relief Society President called me and said, "Samantha, apples are on sale and I'm going to can some applesauce today. If you want you can go buy some apples and cans and I can come do it at your house so you can learn how." So nice right? People can say what they want to about California (I know I have), but so far I've only encountered the nicest people.

New Boundaries

There are 3 wards in my little town, Newbury Park. Today for church, all 3 wards met together for a 2 and a half hour sacrament meeting. Everyone in all the wards were released from their callings, including the bishops, and the wards were dissolved. Then they passed out maps and showed us our new ward boundaries and our new ward names and called the new ward bishoprics. I went from the "Newbury Park 1st ward" to the "Los Robles ward."

I am excited to be released from nursery and hope I don't get the same calling again. I don't think it's great for my kids when I'm in nursery with them.

My two favorite families that moved in at the same time we did are both in different wards. It made me teary-eyed for a second. It's slightly exhausting moving somewhere, meeting people, finding a few girls you connect with, and then getting separated in a ward switch. But there are families I'm excited we got to stay with, and I'm excited to see what happens next.