And then it happened.

Family said it would happen.
Friends said it would happen.
Strangers said it would happen.
My Mom said "don't blink."

I did not believe any of them. How could they be right? Everyday with twins is so completely consuming full on intense.

If life with twin boys was a color it would be a saturated candy apple dripping off the edges red.

Somedays seem so very very long. How could all of THIS MAYHEM just fly by? They were all just wrong, they just did not know about my reality, I figured.

And then it happened.

One day this.

The next day this.

In my mind they might as well be going to college tomorrow. I just can't believe it has gone so fast.

The realization started when they were invited to a friends party from school that I did not know. They have a friend that I have not pre-screened. A friend whom I don't know the Mum, Dad, Sibs, family history? They have a friend they met all on their own. They have a life completely outside of me. Could this be?

Then they had their birthday party and CM told us, "now I am a big boy Mommy." This is the same little guy who told us he wanted to be a baby forever, his favorite line was, "No, I too wittle."

Then the potty thing started to come together. Then they were carrying their own backpacks(CH), wearing size 5 slim cut jeans(CH) with no VDP(visible diaper puff) or elastic waist band and off to school to be with "their friends," who will, no doubt, invite them to wild parties in the homes of COMPLETE strangers.

In my 100% made up in my head completely unscientific estimation, this feeling must be the cause of at least half of all of the births of the second, third, fourth, fifth child. The remainder must be tequila related. Since I am learning my limits, and how to stay within those limits for a marked decrease in crazy, I think I may just go for a pet goldfish.

Thank you for indulging this marked increase in crazy.

As soon as I get over this crazy I will post a celebration of the beauty of the natural process of their growing and learning and maturing. On my to do list: get over this crazy.

We Are 3 (almost)

Today was a big day for our family as the boys celebrated their 3rd birthday with friends at Wizzy World. This was the best party ever, in my humble and completely unbiased opinion! To be serious, it was the best because the boys had so much fun with their friends. Watching them have fun is priceless. It was also the best because my one and only job was to bring the cake. The nice people at WW handle everything else, and they put on a great party!

All the hot parties require wristbands

Off to the races!

This must look like paradise to kids

It's good to be king

Ice Cream Cone cupcakes were one of my fav's as a kid,
they did not disappoint the younger generation

NO party is complete without some time in the disco

Or wacky glasses

Or cruisin' with a mouse (or as I have been corrected a KOALA) 
Totally is a koala and I can see it now! duh!

Surprisingly, he did not fall asleep on the horse

CM gave me the best thank you ever when he, unprompted, said,
"Mommy, I love you for making cupcakes." I cried. 

Their loot is patiently waiting for them
 to wake up from a much needed nap, lucky boys!!! 

Let the good times roll...

We Are 1

Happy Expativersary to my beautiful family! 

A favorite way to sign off of an email here is to say "cheers!" Saying "CHEERS" makes me think of toasts and drinking and commemorating special times. I just can not get behind it as a way to say goodbye on email. So, in honor of a word I can not seem to adopt I made up a rather lengthy toast to the last year!

Here's to Livin' the high life in B class, if only once. 

Here is to a year that was never dull, predictable or boring.

Here's to moving across the world with a broken arm, having your new fancy cast fly off on the train
  and the very early navigation of socialized medicine!

Here's to a year that was both excruciating and exhilarating, and sometimes both at the same time.

Here's to the fastest year of my life. Please please please make it slow down.

Here's to overestimating yourself and underestimating the challenge ahead.

Here's to peaks and valleys.

Here's to clawing your way out of a valley just in time to enjoy the majesty of the peak.

Here's to not knowing what you don't know.

Here's to buying a booze filled Thomas 2nd Bday cake
b/c you did not speak Aussie as a second language

Here's to now kinda knowing it.

Here's to never letting a bloke from Melbourne pick where you are going to live in Sydney. EVAH! I don't care who's money it is, once you are an adult unless you are incarcerated or on a really cool reality TV show, no one decides where you live but you. Period. Non-negotiable.

Here's to surviving almost 3 months without a friend. I pray I never have to do that again. EVAH!

Here's to sacrifices

Here's to wonderful people who never think they have enough friends, and always keep their friend circle open for new additions, no application needed.

Here's to old friends who are missed daily and dearly

Here's to new friendships that form fast and deep.

Here's to the myth that it is always bathing suit weather in Sydney and packing for your move accordingly.

Here's to knowing that a foreign accent is a badge of courage.
When you hear one assume that person does not know a soul and act accordingly.
When we were in Denver I met a French lady at the boy's school and was friendly at school with her but never really extended an invite to my friend circle. Shame on me. I will never make that mistake again. 

Here's to living out of boxes.

Here's to occasionally having to give the "ugly American" right back to an "ugly Australian," Here's to their reaction when you do! Here's to discovering the secret hiding place of all those warm friendly Aussies that guide books wax on about, oh I know, they are actually Kiwi's!

Here's to 3 year olds well on their way to Platinum Status with their preferred air carrier, the Kangaroo Plane.

Here's to achieving goals that once seemed unachievable.

Here's to parents who "give you wings to fly but also roots to find your way back home."
(quote courtesy of Brenda Montaigne, 2003)
 I pray I can do the same, kinda, perhaps not so effectively, I mean do I want them so confident in their wing strength that they move so far away? Not really! Just kidding of course!

Here's to a husband that always makes me feel like the best Mom and Wife on the planet even when I am totally stuffing it up at my new job.

Here's to my beautiful babies. The sun rises and sets with you. Thank you for being polite enough to not mention my enormous learning curve this year.

Here's to long blacks, flat whites and babycinos and irrational fears about having to drink Starbucks Coffee.

Here's to knowing all of the accents of The Crown, and how to best use this info, for example, if it is a S.A or Aussie at the local watch out, pace with water accordingly, Kiwi you have a new bestmate, Brit don't make any overly familiar jokes , like, "Hi how are you?" unless you have known each other 25+ years. Most importantly, NEVAH EVAH guess the wrong Nationality!

Here's to the "local" and still not getting the CYO concept.

Here is to a life less ordinary.

Here's to the most beautiful city in the world, Sydney, Australia.

Most importantly, Here's to God for making it all possible.

My celebrity blog followers

Aunt C and Uncle J,

 LK hit the Aunty and Uncle lottery with these two! They are so wonderful! And...she claims she is one of my blog's biggest fans! She was also the first of M's family to EVER  comment on the blog!

We were lucky enough to make the quick little 7487 mile, 14+hr, journey back to the promised land for a much needed trip home. It had been almost a full year since we left and that is just a wee bit too long!   The really lucky part was getting to see friends and family. The other really lucky parts were the shopping and massive amounts of Mexican food eating. 

The amazing looks/acts 15 yrs younger
than her age Aunt F.

Seeing family and friends and having them mention stuff I put on the blog was an odd reminder that occasionally someone actually does read and according to them, enjoy this blog. I promised them I would make them all stars, BIG BIG stars, for their continued support! In exchange for all of this free publicity and fame, they have agreed to actually post comments. (you thought I forgot your end of the deal, huh? oh no...) Aunt C has already held up her end of the bargain which is why she is top billing! For everyone else the order is just the order in which I took the pics! Maybe next visit you can flatter your way to the top?

The groom

The beautiful bride.
The boys thought the chairs said their names,
lucky for them I did not name them both San Juan!

The amazing, wonderful, now has the internet, GI. 
please note I am not wearing a side pony
or worse some sort of side french twist
just a bit of couture styling courtesy of the wind

The Super Fun Uncle B.

Gma S and the best book evah! 
Which she reads tirelessly!

The heroic Paaaa Paaaa!

The Dairy Queen and King! We should 
all be so lucky to have and Aunt and Uncle
like these two!

The Amazing Momo!
They do not make women like Momo anymore.
They should. The world would be a MUCH better place.
I could do a whole Momo post but then everyone
would be WAAAY jealous of my awesome Mom! 

Two very very special guys! I could also do a whole post about my
AWESOME Dad, but then people would really really hate me!
This picture makes me smile from ear to ear!
It should be said it was NOT Big Daddy's idea to sit on the stationary not so very fun bench
 in lieu of a fancy carousel horse. That was all little man. Drum on little man!

It can not be confirmed that anyone in this picture actually reads the blog!
The ones who can read have sworn to change the errant ways!
It can be confirmed they are all members of MY FAVORITE PEOPLE club!

Our BFF charms have been around a loooooong time! Since preschool! Believe it!
She may turn her charm in after she sees I posted a pic of her in a swimmy
4 days before she had her baby(I know, I know,  you can not even tell she is preggo).
She is always 110% GORGEOUS to me!
The thrill of my trip was meeting her baby girl 3 days after she was born!
 I am kicking myself for not getting pics of baby B!

Hopefully, the next generation of life long BFF's.

Blog reading status on the C family can not be confirmed or denied!
But, as card carrying members of MY FAVORITE PEOPLE CLUB,
they get free pics on the blog!
It sure is nice to have such gorgeous family members to post pics of!

This post has made me miss EVERYBODY! 

Terribly! 

Can't wait to see you ALL again soon!