We had a wonderful day today. Because the twins are identical, we were asked to assist a search and rescue team in conducting an experiment to see if their scents were detectable by the dogs. So, in the drizzle, we loaded everyone up in the car and headed to a park in Benbrook. As we arrived, the children started getting excited at the sight of 2 bloodhounds in crates in the parking lot. They piled out of the van and went strait for the dogs. We were meet by Jennifer Potts and she showed the kids that not only were there 2 in crates, there were 4 others in the back of trucks. G.L. Potts "scented" the twins (rubbed cotton pads on their faces and clothes). He took all of us to a baseball field and had my husband and I walk with the twins up the middle of the field and part going opposite ways with each of the girls. G.L. took the big kids back to the truck to be "scented" and head to the playground with Jennifer.
Then the dog's work began. G.L. brought his dog first. He told me ahead of time he was going to give the dog Lily's scent. I stood in amazement as I watched the dog run across the parking lot and into the field. He had his nose down and was on the trail we all had walked together. Then, he turned and headed strait for us. He came running strait to Lily! She was a little freaked out. The dog was excited and he was the same height as her. We praised the dog and gave him a treat. G.L. was so happy his dog was able to tell a difference. He went back to the truck and another handler brought her dog. He was scented with Elizabeth's scent. He had a little trouble finding her as we also had some of her scent on us, it was raining and the trail wasn't as fresh. He was able to find her and I could see across the field how excited he was. Then another handler brought her dog to find Lily. Success! All of the dog handlers were so excited the dogs were able to tell the difference in the girls. It is amazing that they live together, share DNA, share clothes and are always together, and the dogs can still tell them apart.
After all that excitement, it was time to find Grace. The dog led us to the playground, where Grace and Wesley had been playing for 30 minutes. They had been all over the equipment. The dog ran all over smelling her scent. She was hiding up at the top of a slide. The dog found her within a matter of minutes. Wesley was next and he did puppy training. He had to hide, run, scream and then hide again. Then the puppy was given his scent. The puppy was so excited he found Wesley twice. Wesley loved giving him treats and hugs. He was so proud of the kiss the dog gave him on the cheek. All of this great experience and both of my camera's batteries were dead!
I am so grateful for all the people who voluntarily take care of and train dogs to do this. They are a blessing to parents and family who's child or loved one is missing. My family will gladly give up a Saturday morning, or any day, to help train and rehearse them.
Thank you G.L. and Jennifer Potts (members of our church) for inviting us today!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
One week back
Okay, I've been back to work for one week now. The kids have been back to school for a week. The house is back to being the disaster it was before the holidays. I have got to do something about my energy level. When I get home, all I want to do is sit on the couch and hold the kids. The girls are getting so big so fast and they are my babies. I just want to hold them and carry them around. Don't get much done doing that.
We hit a huge milestone this week. The girls graduated to toddler beds. They have only been in them 2 nights. They had no trouble last night and at nap today. Tonight was a little harder getting them in. They have figured out that they can get themselves out of the bed. They have not figured out how to open the door to their room.
I have a wonderful friend who let me borrow her fancy camera this weekend. I have loved taking pictures with it. I hate that it has been so cold we could not go outside. Maybe tomorrow. I think I may have to get a new camera for my birthday. I have posted some of the pictures on the post.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Back to Life
Well,
Everyone has to go back to work and school tomorrow. My dad, who has been working in Montana for the past 4 months, has to go back tomorrow too. He has to go back to very cold weather and tons of snow.
All the children were pretty good today. That is because the oldest wasn't here most of the day. The twins were in a really good mood and played most of the day in their kitchen. The house looks like a tornado hit it. I did not manage to get the Christmas decorations down. So, with that and all the presents everywhere, it is really a mess. I need another week off so I can get it cleaned up while the kids are at school.
We met my dad to get our oldest tonight. As soon as we pulled away, she and my son started fighting immediately. I don't get it!! They almost cannot stand to be around each other. I know they love each other and my son tries really hard to make her happy with him. She just starts in with him anytime he is around. I know my brother and I fought when we were young and now we get along really well and love each other very much. I pray this is what happens to my children. I try to teach them that family is the most important thing and they will always have each other to rely on and love.
So, as far as my resolution I made in an earlier post. I have taken some wonderful advise from a dear friend and decided to have quarterly meals. I am still working on a guest list. The first dinner may be artists and theologians I know. I am going to mix it up and not invite only people from Mansfield. I need to pick a day and a menu.
I also thought about something I am going to do monthly. I am going to do one art/decorating project around my house. Since I have every Friday off, I will spend most of the day working on this project. My first project is to create an art room. I said back in July I was going to do this. Well, January is when it is going to happen. I have to decide which room I am going to use. I have a choice of 2. There is a small office downstairs off the entry and there is a larger "play room" upstairs next to the master bedroom. Right now the kids use it as a t.v./junk room. Sometimes they play in it, but it is always a mess. The office is also a huge mess with art stuff just thrown in it. So, do I take the kid's room and make it a room we can all use, or do I use the smaller room downstairs? Suggestions??
Everyone has to go back to work and school tomorrow. My dad, who has been working in Montana for the past 4 months, has to go back tomorrow too. He has to go back to very cold weather and tons of snow.
All the children were pretty good today. That is because the oldest wasn't here most of the day. The twins were in a really good mood and played most of the day in their kitchen. The house looks like a tornado hit it. I did not manage to get the Christmas decorations down. So, with that and all the presents everywhere, it is really a mess. I need another week off so I can get it cleaned up while the kids are at school.
We met my dad to get our oldest tonight. As soon as we pulled away, she and my son started fighting immediately. I don't get it!! They almost cannot stand to be around each other. I know they love each other and my son tries really hard to make her happy with him. She just starts in with him anytime he is around. I know my brother and I fought when we were young and now we get along really well and love each other very much. I pray this is what happens to my children. I try to teach them that family is the most important thing and they will always have each other to rely on and love.
So, as far as my resolution I made in an earlier post. I have taken some wonderful advise from a dear friend and decided to have quarterly meals. I am still working on a guest list. The first dinner may be artists and theologians I know. I am going to mix it up and not invite only people from Mansfield. I need to pick a day and a menu.
I also thought about something I am going to do monthly. I am going to do one art/decorating project around my house. Since I have every Friday off, I will spend most of the day working on this project. My first project is to create an art room. I said back in July I was going to do this. Well, January is when it is going to happen. I have to decide which room I am going to use. I have a choice of 2. There is a small office downstairs off the entry and there is a larger "play room" upstairs next to the master bedroom. Right now the kids use it as a t.v./junk room. Sometimes they play in it, but it is always a mess. The office is also a huge mess with art stuff just thrown in it. So, do I take the kid's room and make it a room we can all use, or do I use the smaller room downstairs? Suggestions??
Friday, January 1, 2010
New Year's Day- family day
Well, Happy New Year!
We rang in the new year with my very good friend of 10 years and her 3, soon to be 4, children. Now that we are boring parents, we have resolved to spend New Year's Eve with each other and the kids every year. Our husbands usually have to work, which they did, and our kids LOVE staying up late and counting down the ball drop. This year did not disappoint.
My 2 oldest stayed the night at her house this year, so we had to go pick them up in Euless today. Since we were up that way, I decided it would be a wonderful idea to take the kids to Rainforest Cafe for lunch. We had not been since my oldest was very young. I envisioned a wonderful family outing with the kids mezmorized by all the animals and show the restaurant provides. Well, do I live in la-la land!! We get to the mall around 2pm. By the time we get up to the elephant to put our name on the list, we were given 3pm to come back for a table and the twins had started in with "eat, eat". I knew we had some time to hold them off if we kept them busy. I have also been looking for a new side-by-side stroller and wanted to look at Burlington Coat Factory. So, off we went. Down the mall to the store. We went to the back and found a jogging stroller that I and the girls liked. We purchased it and wanted to start using it right away. The store was not very helpful with making that happen. So, my wonderful husband and I drug the huge box out into the mall and stood by an entrance and put the stroller together. Yes, a little embarassing for my 8 year old. She could not believe we were doing that. The twins were yelling "eat!" and by this time it was just about 3. We were able to put the whole thing together without tools except for the footplate. That required a phillips head screw driver. My husband ran over to the information desk, which happened to have a flat head screw driver. Who knew!!
We made a mad dash, the girls in their new stroller and my husband pushing the big kids in the old one, back to Rainforest, just in time to make our appointment. As soon as we walked through the store and walked up to the fish tank entrance, one of the twins lost it. She was tired and hungry and did not want to go into a dark room with loud music and wild animals. She became a spider monkey attached to me. She would not look at anything. I could not get her to drink anything or put her pacifier in her mouth. She just screamed and cried. And I mean screamed! Luckily the place was so loud no one could really hear her. Her sister was wonderful. She loved looking around at all the animals. My son, the middle child, was also whining and put his coat up over his head and would not order anything. So, between one child hiding her head in my chest and screaming and one pouting, we were up for a wonderful lunch. Finally, the food came. All the children ate, and the child who was upset finally sat in her chair and ate. I usually split a meal between the twins and there is plenty to eat. Well, not this time. There was hardly enough for one to eat. As soon as they ate, the cranky one started in again. Nothing on anyone else's plate was what she wanted. So, we went on eatting and trading the baby until we were done. The other twin sat happily in her highchair dancing and eatting.
As, we came out, my husband took the twins out and I had the pleasure of helping the older two make Build-a-Bears (and spent a fortune for stuffed animals). This was the first time either of them had made one. They were very happy and I was just glad to be out of there. We left the mall with the cranky twin crying all the way. We probably should have left with her from the beginning, but I felt like it would have really dissapointed the other kids. They had fun dispite the screaming and I did manage to get a few good pictures. They all fell asleep in the car as we headed off the Gran and Papa's.
So much for a fun family day...
We rang in the new year with my very good friend of 10 years and her 3, soon to be 4, children. Now that we are boring parents, we have resolved to spend New Year's Eve with each other and the kids every year. Our husbands usually have to work, which they did, and our kids LOVE staying up late and counting down the ball drop. This year did not disappoint.
My 2 oldest stayed the night at her house this year, so we had to go pick them up in Euless today. Since we were up that way, I decided it would be a wonderful idea to take the kids to Rainforest Cafe for lunch. We had not been since my oldest was very young. I envisioned a wonderful family outing with the kids mezmorized by all the animals and show the restaurant provides. Well, do I live in la-la land!! We get to the mall around 2pm. By the time we get up to the elephant to put our name on the list, we were given 3pm to come back for a table and the twins had started in with "eat, eat". I knew we had some time to hold them off if we kept them busy. I have also been looking for a new side-by-side stroller and wanted to look at Burlington Coat Factory. So, off we went. Down the mall to the store. We went to the back and found a jogging stroller that I and the girls liked. We purchased it and wanted to start using it right away. The store was not very helpful with making that happen. So, my wonderful husband and I drug the huge box out into the mall and stood by an entrance and put the stroller together. Yes, a little embarassing for my 8 year old. She could not believe we were doing that. The twins were yelling "eat!" and by this time it was just about 3. We were able to put the whole thing together without tools except for the footplate. That required a phillips head screw driver. My husband ran over to the information desk, which happened to have a flat head screw driver. Who knew!!
We made a mad dash, the girls in their new stroller and my husband pushing the big kids in the old one, back to Rainforest, just in time to make our appointment. As soon as we walked through the store and walked up to the fish tank entrance, one of the twins lost it. She was tired and hungry and did not want to go into a dark room with loud music and wild animals. She became a spider monkey attached to me. She would not look at anything. I could not get her to drink anything or put her pacifier in her mouth. She just screamed and cried. And I mean screamed! Luckily the place was so loud no one could really hear her. Her sister was wonderful. She loved looking around at all the animals. My son, the middle child, was also whining and put his coat up over his head and would not order anything. So, between one child hiding her head in my chest and screaming and one pouting, we were up for a wonderful lunch. Finally, the food came. All the children ate, and the child who was upset finally sat in her chair and ate. I usually split a meal between the twins and there is plenty to eat. Well, not this time. There was hardly enough for one to eat. As soon as they ate, the cranky one started in again. Nothing on anyone else's plate was what she wanted. So, we went on eatting and trading the baby until we were done. The other twin sat happily in her highchair dancing and eatting.
As, we came out, my husband took the twins out and I had the pleasure of helping the older two make Build-a-Bears (and spent a fortune for stuffed animals). This was the first time either of them had made one. They were very happy and I was just glad to be out of there. We left the mall with the cranky twin crying all the way. We probably should have left with her from the beginning, but I felt like it would have really dissapointed the other kids. They had fun dispite the screaming and I did manage to get a few good pictures. They all fell asleep in the car as we headed off the Gran and Papa's.
So much for a fun family day...
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