One of the best parts of the long holiday weekend was having Jeff home for 5 days.

We had a ton of fun hanging out with the babies. We had movie night with popcorn, m&m’s, and Finding Nemo.

We had date night (thank you Mom and Dad for watching the babies). We went to a movie (Yes Man), which was pretty funny and had some yummy PF Changs.

We took the babies sledding for the first time at Lee Canyon which was super fun. Who knew a mountain full of snow would be 45 degrees. Sweet!!!

Perfect end to a perfect weekend. Thank you baby for making it so wonderful!!

The big Christmas Eve Party at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.

For days I had been hyping up the PARTY at Grandma’s house. Shenzie is a little sketchy of new situations and people so I had high hopes this would help her ease into the big family Christmas Eve party. We talked about all of their cousins, Aunties, Uncles, and maybe even Santa (who was a no show, mean old Santa!).

We talked about all of the yummy food we would eat,

the cookies we would decorate,

and the presents we would open.

Our (new) family tradition is pj’s for the Christmas Eve Party. I love this tradition!!!

We played the White Elephant game and once again I took home the greatest prize ever!! Sorry Kristy =)

The babies had a great time (so did Jeff and I). Yummy food and dessert, presents, family, fun….what more could you ask for!!

Christmas Morning!!!

Since it is also my birthday (best Christmas present my Mom ever got!!!!), I got to sleep in a bit. I’m sure this is the last year that will be possible since next year the babies will totally know whats going on and be awake at 5am ready to open presents. After my leisure lounge in bed I got up and we let the babies open the rest of their gifts.

By FAR Heaten’s favorite gift is his new computer. He hasn’t put that thing down since he got it. He LOVES his new computer! Of course Daddy is proud, computer geek that he is.

Shenzie really didn’t have a favorite. She loved all of her gifts, the new hat, bows, and bracelets from cousin Haylee, her computer, puzzles, books, play doh and all of her other goodies were equally liked.

Later that afternoon we made the drive to Pahrump to have dinner with our entire extended family (too bad none of them showed up). The weather was horrid and in the end I really wished we had stayed home. We drove 2 hours there in pouring rain and SUPER heavy winds and two hours home in the same conditions. There was even more snow falling. That’ll be the last time I ever tell Jeff that Vegas doesn’t feel like Christmas because it is always so warm in December.

All in all it was a wonderful Christmas and I know next year will be even better!!!

For more Christmas pictures you can visit here. *All of the pictures are a bit orange, sorry guys.

This year the babies finally started to understand (a little bit) the concept of giving gifts, receiving gifts, opening gifts, the tree, santa, and all of the rest. They “helped” me wrap presents, bake cookies, icing cookies, and eat cookies. YUM. We made Daddy some gifts and cards as well:

Shenzie’s is a tree and Heaten’s is a wreath for those of you who haven’t been schooled in the world of Children’s Art. =)

We started opening our presents a few days early since there were so many and I didn’t want them totally overwhelmed on Christmas morning. Their Grandma’s in Saskatchewan spoiled them crazy (like usual). The babies LOVE their new rolling backpacks as you can see. They drag them everywhere and Shenzie even sleeps with her new bear.

The puzzles and BIG book were also major hits this year. Thank you Grandma’s for everything!!!!!

Jeff took a few vacation days for the holidays so we spent Christmas Eve Morning together. We let The Crazies open a few presents including an Ice Cream Parlor for Play Doh. I don’t know who had more fun with this thing, the babies or me!!!

They made ice cream cones….boring.

I took play doh to another level!

I present Playdoh Bloody Mary complete with celery and pepper:

Cranberry Martini complete with olives:

And Jeff’s favorite, Rum and Coke:

Shenzie thought the Rum and Coke was pretty tasty (apparently we start drinking at a very young age at the Barr house). =)

After some cuddles and kisses under the tree we were ready for Part 2 of Christmas 2008.

Spinning Edition:

Team work!

Taking a little break for a little kiss

We hope you all have a Wonderfully Fantastic Christmas!!!

Dear Santa,

Last year we were too little to quite get the idea of Christmas and Santa. This year we know that we get presents and we love ripping the wrapping paper. We know who you are and we know you say “Ho, Ho, Ho”. We like you, but only from far away. Please do not get too close to us or we might scream (not kidding). We think you are a pretty cool dude and wanted to get you a little something to say thank you.

We proudly present our homemade peanut butter cookies:

What? You don’t like burnt cookies?!? Ok, Mr. Pickypants, how about some of our yummy Chocolate Cookie Bark:

What? You don’t like burnt chocolate?!? Sheesh, what does it take to please you? Ok, Mr. Super Pickypants, how about some of your super yummy candied pecans:

What? The bag is empty?!? Ut oh. Our Mommy made 3 pounds, after giving one pound away she had a HUGE bag full. She must have eaten an ENTIRE TWO POUNDS ALL BY HERSELF! Good thing it is her birthday tomorrow or she might be in BIG trouble!!

Well, we got nothin’. Oh wait, how about a super cute picture of us together:

What? Funny dude in a fuzzy pink hat and supergirl isn’t your thing? Since our Mom didn’t take a Christmas picture this year you’ll have to make do with some oldies, but goodies:

2006

2007

See ya next year, Bearded Fat Man!!!

Love,
Shenzie and Heaten

We have been VERY lucky as far as sleep is concerned at the old Casa de Barr. The babies started sleeping through the night (term used loosely) at around 7 months. That is not to say we didn’t have to get up with them at that point. To say that would just be silly. I would say around one year sleep got really good where we didn’t have to listen for every sound and worry whether the babies would need us. It also works to my advantage that Jeff is a night owl and stays up until 2am so any early night wakings fell on his “shift”. At two years old the babies never (and I really mean never) wake up and need us. I can count maybe one time in the last 6 months I’ve had to get up in the middle of the night and that was only because Shenzie threw up and Jeff needed help changing her sheets. Shenzie slept in her own vomit and didn’t even cry out. Jeff found her lying in bed fast asleep covered in ick. When they are sick with colds they sleep through the night. When they are overtired, undertired, crazy, growing, not growing, sick, healthy, they sleep through the night. I LOVE sleep so this is a true miracle.

From the age of four months we have had the same nap and nighttime routine which has helped more than I can ever express. Even if the babies are running around like lunatics at 7:59 and we pick them up at 8:00 for bed most times they lie their heads down and settle right in. Some nights I can hear one or the other in their rooms singing softly or talking to themselves for up to an hour, but they never need us.

Naps are also a breeze. After the dreaded FROM HELL nap transition from two naps to one (which seriously took like 2-3 months to fully happen) life has been good. At 12:50 I let the babies know that they have 10 minutes to nap. Most days Heaten will sit on my lap and drink milk while watching Elmo while Shenzie runs around like a crazy person. At 1pm I take Heaten to his room, close the door, sing him his three songs, give him a drink (that he isn’t allowed to take in his crib), kiss him night night, and walk out. I don’t usually hear from him again until 3:30, sometimes even 4 when I have to wake him up. Same thing with Shenzie although she tends to wake earlier than Heaten.

The other thing which helped their sleep TREMENDOUSLY was giving them their own rooms. As much as I didn’t want to separate them and as much as I hate my “office” in our bedroom it was really for the best. They both sleep so much better apart from one another. And when they are older I think it will be nice that they have their own space (especially since they are boy/girl). They are together all day long so I don’t feel bad about them getting a little break at night and naps.

So there you have it, sleep is wonderful. Why then you ask would I even question mixing things up?!? Recently I have read on several other twin mommies blogs how their kids go to bed covered with blankets, sippies, many toys or books, pillows, etc. My babies get their one lovey and one cuddle blanket. We don’t cover them with a “real” blanket, they don’t get drinks in bed, no pillows, nada. So maybe I am the mean Mommy who keeps things from her kids and then I worry. And then I slap myself in the face for worrying. If they are sleeping good with none of those things they (my babies, not yours) obviously don’t need them so why rock the boat. It’s not like we live in cold snow territory where they might be cold so they really don’t need a blanket for warmth. And then of course I think that maybe a pillow would make them more comfy or a blanket would keep them warmer or what if they wake up thirsty or or or. And then I read the moms who have to go in their babies rooms 3-4-5-6 times a night to replace the drink, recover the feet, put the animals UNDER the blanket, and then put the animals OVER the blanket, and and and. And then I stop worrying again, because really, the last thing (and I mean LAST THING) I want to do is miss out on sleep. Spoiled rotten is what I am and loving every minute!!

My wonderful husband is redesigning my entire photography site and photography blog (poor him, lucky me). I have come up with a few mock logo designs that he really doesn’t care for, but I love so here is where I need your help. Like it? Love it? Hate it? The only real difference is the placement of the three little flowers and font. If you like the font in #4, but a different design please choose both the design as well as #4 Different font. Any comments/feedback/advice are greatly appreciated.

Pissed at Christmas Edition:

I’m not even going to attempt a Santa Picture.

Or as I like to call it the gubernasher.

The Glockenspiel (German, “play of bells”, also known as orchestra bells and, in its portable form, bell lira or bell lyre) is a musical instrument in the percussion family. It is similar to the xylophone, in that it has tuned bars laid out in a fashion resembling a piano keyboard. The xylophone’s bars are wooden, while the glockenspiel’s are metal, thus making it a metallophone.

Did you all know what a Glockenspiel was? Because if you did then you are all much smarter than I. I had never heard of one until this morning, while watching Sesame Street. I should probably be embarrassed that I didn’t know what a gubernasher was and Sesame Street had to teach me, but whatev. Now I know, and knowing is half the battle!!!

And for anyone interested in seeing a beautiful five day old newborn and her two equally beautiful older sisters you can visit here. And after you get done oohing and ahhing over the tiny bundle of perfection scroll down and see my beautiful sister Stacey, her handsome hubby Jimmy, and my adorable niece Haylee. You’ll get your cute fill for the entire week with those photos!!