Random pictures from the last few months

This is a huge amount of pictures, so I hope you have a few minutes to look at them all! The pictures are out of order and are pretty random. I'll be brief with my comments. Everything's going well here at home. I've been very busy studying at every spare moment. Matt's hard at work watching the twins and at work. Oh, and our neighbor is cancer-free!!!! Yay!
Here are the boys after bath time brushing their teeth. They're getting better at it.
I decided it was time to put the boys to work, so here they are at Kmart. They got fired after they ate all the office candy...and didn't do any work. The nerve.

With Uncle AJ at Red Robin for their birthday dinner.

Jonathan

This is Kaylee and Shelby on the left(the daughters of Terri at the far right), and Sara. I work with Terri and Sara. This is after we worked at the Chicago Cares Serve a Thon.

Matt painting over 50-year-old lead paint at a Chicago elementary school.

I went to a Bears pre-season game with some coworkers. Go Steelers!! It was fun.

The boys petting our cat, Pepper.

Here's a map of all the countries represented in the elementary school we painted for the serve a thon. I think there were over 30 countries represented!

Matt, me, and a bunch of friends went to a Sox game this summer. This is after the game. We lost to the Yankees and it was hot, but we had a great time.

Jonathan

Pepper

Bryan giving a crab a high-five

This is how the boys spent some of their birthday - in the basement because of a threat of tornadoes. It's the midwest...

Can anyone explain to me the why the twins MUST touch cars that they see?

Wait, that's not a fish!

Here's my attempt at landscaping. I pulled out a bunch of old bushes that were ugly and replaced them with peonies. I got the urns from Matt as a gift and I put a bunch of annuals in there, then planted some more annuals in the front bed. It's a work in process/progress.

There was a stage at that elementary school and I couldn't help myself. I had no idea that my hat was so low on my head the whole day. Ugly!

Yeah, this is what the twins do when other people aren't looking. I asked for them to stand next to eachother so I could get a nice picture of their hats. Didn't happen.

This is just a miracle. We got to visit him ever-so-briefly this summer during a golf outting. Miss ya big guy!

A couple of weekends ago, I took the twins to a fall picnic at a park hosted by the local twins club. They had a blast running around, decorating little pumpkins, and getting their face painted. I was tired!










We did a walk for the American Heart Association. McGladrey was a contributor along with funds raised from employees. As heart disease affects/affected many (too many) members of my family, I thought it would be nice to spend some time remembering them and getting some exercise.




Lucy and her parents, Aunt Amy and Uncle Shane came for a visit in September. For some reason Jonathan didn't like to be anywhere near Amy, but they both loved Lucy and Uncle Shane.




At the beginning of the fall, we visited Edwards Apple Orchard. I can't wait to make this an annual event. There's so much to do and the apples are amazing!


We love boxes!!


And post-it stickies!

Here are some more pictures of us at our birthday bash and at cousin Ross's Wedding Party


This is our cousin, Carter. So cute!

This is our other cousin, Ethan. A magician! (and the best soccer player on the East coast!)






Cuteness in a bathtub.

That's all I've got for now. I hope this makes up for the long wait. I hope to be better. I always do!

Happy Birthday Bryan and Jonathan!

The twins are two today!!! It's so hard to believe my little boys are already 2!! I feel incredibly guilty for not updating this blog in such a long time. Most of the procrastination stems from the amount of information that I want to relay. I've decided to just try and update you on the most recent happenings, then throw in a few older items here and there when I get the time.
So the boys are doing great! They're talking up a storm and even talking in sentences some times. There are still quite a few language barriers and the twins have their own "language" that they use occasionally, but it's not enough that I need to worry about it. The tantrums occur frequently so I'm now reading 1-2-3 Magic to learn some discipline strategies. Matt's onboard with this one too, so I'll let you know how that goes.
We've recently taken a couple of trips to PA to visit family and friends. We may have even visited you! I have to apologize, all I have loaded on our home computer (what I am using now) is the pictures from my iPhone. I will eventually download my camera pics and get those posted too.
Matt and I are doing fine. We've got a lot on our plates here at home, but every time we turn around, it seems there's another trip to plan for or take. I am going onto a reduced work week schedule soon which should ease some of the time-crunch-feelings that we've got. I'm sure a lot of you parents out there can relate. There just never seems to be enough time! Where did our relaxing summer go?
After long and painful deliberations, I have decided to go after the CPA exam again. I'm signed up and will sit for the first of the four parts in November. For those of you that don't understand what I'm talking about, this is an exam that I've taken twice before and failed. It was previously a vigorous 2-day written exam that tests your knowledge in everything accounting in a four part test. There was traditionally a 30% passing rate. The exam is now offered electronically and you can sit for one part at a time. If you take it one at a time, the average passing rate is now about 50%. I'm going to start studying before the end of this month every day until I sit for the exam. It's tough. I've got 18 months to pass all four parts. Wish me (and my family) luck!!
After all this, our plans are to have Matt go back to school to get his Masters. Lots of studying going on in the Bevevino household! Hopefully we set some good examples for the boys.
Below are some pictures of some recent events:
Kraft had a picnic for the employees and their family members that volunteered for the Chicago Food Bank. Matt and his Dad, Mark volunteered during the day and I met up with them at the picnic after I got done with work. Here, Matt is sliding down this massive blow-up slide with Jonathan. If you can see, Jonathan has a look of pure joy on his face. If he could, he would've gone down that all afternoon. We got Bryan to go once, but that was it and he wasn't too happy.

They had a relay race set up where you take a huge rubber macaroni and run it down a path to a tub then repeat about a dozen times. The boys Loved this! I could see the competition in them immediately. Oh boy!

They also had a giant bouncy castle set up. Again, Jonathan LOVED this, Bryan didn't even try it.

One day recently, we went on our annual trip with friends to a Sox game. It was the Sox vs. Yankees. It was really hot and we lost, but we all had a great time.

On one of our trips to PA, Bryan found the most perfectly sized lounge chair at Grandma Bryan's house behind the pool.

We stayed at the Miller abode (as usual - thanks Grandma and Grandpap!) for this trip to PA and a great place to play was outside. The weather was awesome the whole time! Here, we had Klondikes and read books before night-night. Ever read the 5 croaking frogs? Yeah, they're pretty loud at 6 in the morning.



Grandma and Papap Bryan took the boys and their cousins Ethan and Carter to Chuck E Cheese...on Matt's birthday!

Ethan and Carter were very generous to share their motorized cars with Bryan and Jonathan. They were in love with them as soon as they sat in one of them. Great. Matt and I actually broke down and decided to buy them one each for their birthday. I'll have pics of that soon.


So for their birthday today, we took them to Red Robin and we tried to feed them ice cream sundaes, but they didn't even want to try. What is up with that? They did, however, enjoy looking at the carousel horses and tiger that they had displayed. When we got home, we unveiled the cars and let them play in the garage. It was pouring outside, so there wasn't much room to play in. After a few minutes, the tornado sirens went off, so we took them down into the basement. Pepper (our cat) feared for his life, so he hid behind an old microwave immediately. Poor thing! Nothing happen weather-wise, but we handed out presents and played down there until bath time. We had a small birthday party for the boys last weekend in PA when we were there for Ross and Liz's pre-wedding reception party in Clarion. It was so great having so many of the twins' cousins all playing together. I'll have to post those pictures at another time. We had my parents, my grandparents, my sister Lori and her kids Ethan and Carter, Matt's sister Amy, brother-in-law Shane and their beauty Lucy, Matt's parents and his Grandpap Bevevino. We we lucky enough to have the party at Matt's Aunt Jane's boss' house. That's confusing, I know, but there's no other way to say it. I hope to update you some more by next week. Take care!

Sleeping Arrangements

So in the beginning of Spring, our little monkey, Bryan, decided to climb out of his crib. Since this scared us to death, we ended up taking off the front of the bed to make it a day bed. The boys loved it and every time I would take them into their room to get dressed after a nice bath, they would jump up on the bed like it was the most favorite thing they could do.
In the days following, Bryan then learned how to climb from his crib to INTO Jonathan's crib that sits next to his. Why? Just to be funny, I guess. :) He would do this over and over again and now the bed frame has worn out and comes undone easily. Not to mention that Jonathan didn't enjoy having his brother jump into his crib and take his blanket in the middle of the night. Ugh!

About a month later, Jonathan wised up and he started to climb out of his crib via the side rails. This was easily done since we had a mini-fridge next to his crib so he wouldn't have to get down very far and he could climb back in if he wanted. Well, that was no good, so off went the front of his crib too. Again, it was like I bought a new favorite toy! The boys would run and jump into one crib then to the next in a flash. It was really cute, but it would always eventually lead to a fight with someone getting bopped in the head. Boys! They've also learned how to jump recently. Except it's not really jumping, it's more like falling. They start standing on their mattress, then we say "1 - 2- 3 - Jump!" and off they go onto the large pillow waiting on the floor. This scares me half-to-death because they go at the same time and they think I'm ready to catch them at all times when sometimes I'm not. We've all got a few boo-boo's from this game.
Then we started to have some problems with the twins escaping out of their room. We'd put them to bed and close their door then go downstairs. (we have a gate at the top of the stairs.) Inevitably, we would hear a rucous a few minutes later. When one of us would go up to investigate, at least one has escaped and is in our room, our bathroom, or in the hall banging on the gate. It was starting to get a bit out of control with both boys finding it hilarious to empty out every stitch of clothing that I had neatly folded in their dressor and dumping the clotes all over the floor of their room. (I have to take a deep-breath just thinking about the mess.)
Most mornings, Bryan would get up first and quietly jump out of bed, open the nursery door and close it behind him, open our door(that we don't close all the way) and close it behind him then says "UP!, UP!, UP!" until we obey and pick him up and put him into our bed with us. I have to admit, it's kind of adorable.
We tried the waiting game. We would put them to bed, then close their door with just a crack open for us to watch what they do. Once they get up, we rush in and put them back in their bed. I think this is the Nanny-911 method. It was hard not to laugh at this because we would lay Jonathan in his crib and pull the blanket up over him and he would put this half smile on his face like he was trying not to smile, but he couldn't help it. Sometimes he would even stick out his leg over the edge of the bed so he could get ready to jump out just as soon as we closed the door. The little stinker! As soon as we put Bryan back in his crib, he would pretend to sleep and even get into his normal sleep position and close his eyes. He hasn't mastered this just yet because he still cracks open his eyes to check if we're still watching him even when we're right in front of him. When he sees that we've caught him, he smiles and turns away in a bashful way. So darn cute, it's hard to be mad. Eventually, we get tired, not them, so that doesn't work so well.
Just this week, Matt came up with an idea that has worked so far to keep the twins in their cribs until we come to rescue them in the morning. This has to be a temporary fix since it's taking up all the space in the room. He's put both cribs together facing eachother.

Well, the twins don't like this toy so much! All their stuffed animals are inside (including their paci's) so it's a symphony of nagging until they get what they want from inside the "crib/cage" each time they get into their room. Double-Ugh! I'd love to hear some advice! (especially from the mommy of twin girls, Heather)

Some updates

Was my last post really April 7th? Geez that's bad. So here's an update on what's been going on. We had a freak snow storm shortly after that last post and the boys really wanted to see what was going on with all that white stuff so I took the boys out to see if their feelings about snow have changed. I figured my best chance was to have them play with the little tykes house first. Things were great until they want to play with that darn door! I've never heard of anyone wanting to open and close a door so much in my life! What I couldn't capture on film was the massive fight that happened right after I took this picture. I didn't even bother with the snow, we went back into the house so we could all have a good cry.
I don't think I've posted these pictures yet. In my Grandma Bryan's house was a small kid-friendly piano that I adored. Every child in the Bryan family got a picture playing with it and I decided that it was time to bring it out and see if the twins like it as much as I do.
I dread the day when I have to give it up so other "newer" members of our family can get their picture with it too!
Here are just a few pictures of them playing/eating. Lately, Bryan and Jonathan have been OBSESSED (I'm not exaggerating) with adults shoes! As soon as they see any laying around, they'll take off their shoes and start their fun. One morning while trying to get out the door, Bryan got a hold of my penny loafers and refused to put on his shoes. We got a video of him "clacking" in the hallway. Luckily Matt stopped filming before the real stuggle began. Jonathan was jealous that Bryan got the louder shoes to play with and there was a a short tug-o-war until we decided no shoes altogether. Good times.

This brings you almost up to date. We had some other good times that I don't have the pictures uploaded yet. This includes an egg hunt, a change in daycare, our first plane trip to Detroit, a visit from G-ma and G-pap Miller, a trip to the Shedd Aquarium, getting a new roof, and changes to the front flower beds. It's a lot, but I'll upload those and post the stories hopefully in the next week or so.
This weekend, we've got plans to plant our garden. I'll be sure to do a before and after. I expect success since last year's garden was our first garden ever and that didn't turn out all that bad.
I hope this blog finds everyone happy, healthy, and with a job if they want a job. Matt and I have been fortunate to still hold on to our positions as of today. Even with the "hard economic times", we still plan on taking a trip out to PA in July and also in December. If you'd like to meet with us, please email either Matt or I and we'll work it into our schedule. There's one thing we've leared over the years and it's that there's nothing more important than friends and family. We may not find the time to say it every day, or every week, or even every month, but we love you.

Bryan the amazing escape artist

While getting ready this morning, I went to put something in the hall closet. I heard one of the boys crying (not unusual) yet it was strangely louder than normal. When I opened the door to the twins' room, there was little Bryan wanting to escape. He got out of his crib! I thought that thing was escape-proof! If you've seen it, the rails are quite tall and the "rungs" are flat, not great for pulling up on. He wasn't hurt, but he was mad that he couldn't get the door open. Thank goodness he couldn't because the gate at the top of the stairs was open. That will have to change for sure now! It's only a matter of time before Jonathan catches on. Oh boy!