Thursday, January 29, 2009

The Best Part of Waking Up...



...is a smiling child. Or two.

Mornings have been rough - really, really rough - at the Reynolds household. Nate leaves for work before the rest of us get up. So I'm left - totally outnumbered - to get two temper-tantrum-minded toddlers ready, feed the dog and stray cats, and get myself reasonably presentable for another day at the office. I am habitually 5-10 minutes late every day. Thank God I don't have to clock in at my job.

Out of desperation, I created a chart on which the twins can earn stickers that lead to ice cream at the end of the week. And, so far, it's working! We instituted the chart almost two weeks ago, and I've had almost two weeks of wonderful, peaceful mornings. It makes me thankful for these great mornings when shoes get put on dutifully, animals are happy (because it's quiet!), faces are smiling, and I have plenty of spare moments for the important stuff - hugs, conversations, laughs.

Plus, as most people know, I'm a morning person. So I really like things to go smoothly in the morning so I can continue with the happy mood in which I awoke.

So, cross your fingers, say a prayer and wish me luck that the ice cream chart will continue to motivate the twins and keep me from pulling my hair out.

Friday, January 2, 2009

For Those About to Rock


Nate and I got each other a Wii for Christmas. So did Jenni and Brian. That escaladed into the wonderous discovery of Rock Band.

Oh, Rock Band, how we love you. We spent hours and hours rocking out New Year's Eve, trading instruments and fighting over who had to sing the crappy heavy metal songs. Even the kids got into it with their own guitars (thanks, Kelby!), drums, keyboard - you name it, we were representing into the wee hours of the night. The kids were thrown so far off schedule they didn't know what day it was. But it's worth it every now and then.

Happy New Year!

Learning a Thing or Two


I'm in the marketing profession, and I could never in a million years come up with the catchy slogans and phrases the twins throw around.

I could learn a thing or two, because they're on to something. Their phrases either get our attention or woo us into doing what they say.

That's marketing at its finest.

My favorites:

"I want to hold you!"

"There's a chicken in my ear."

"Oh, Jesus." (Part of a song we sing at church.)

More to come when I remember them.