Show Me the Mommy, royal wedding edition

I got up at 5AM this morning to watch the Royal Wedding live. I have such vivid wonderful memories of watching Charles and Diana's wedding so I really wanted to see this modern wedding. During the time before the boys woke up, I had those little pangs that hit me occasionally, that I will never have a daughter. Then I realized, this is STUPID, why can't the boys enjoy the wedding as much as girls?

I heard them both rustling so I woke them up early. We cuddled on the couch and watched the wedding, blissfully tivoed so I could fast forward to the best parts for them. They loved every minute. Unfortunately they had to go to school before the kiss but I promised to record it and let them watch it when they got home. Sharing it with them was every bit as satisfying as I had imagined it would be with little girls.

Bonus is they asked a ton of questions about Jon and my wedding, so it was fun to tell them about it and reminisce about that perfect day. Being a mom (to boys or girls) is pretty sweet.

(Photos shot by Brandy from Mannly Mama, edited by me!)

A typical car conversation at age 4.9

Nate (seeing another silver Honda CR-V): "Look mommy, it's a twin to our car!"

Laura: "There are two kinds of twins. Identical twins look exactly alike - same hair, same eyes, same everything. That car is our identical twin. Fraternal twins do not look alike."

Nate: "Me and Alex are fraternal twins."

Alex: "Different eyes, different hair, fraternal."

Nate: "Well we have different eyes and different hair but everything else is the same. EVERYTHING else is the same."

Laura: "Wah wah what??? What else is the same?????" (noting to self: sleep patterns, eating patterns, extroversion/introversion patterns, not looking anything alike at all, etc)

Nate: "I TOLD YOU! EVERYTHING. IS. THE. SAME! Don't you ever listen to me?"

Alex: "Yeah mommy, you need to turn on your listening ears."

Saying no to doubt

I've been working hard to get my photography business launched. I've poured through thousands of photos to put together my portfolio and the nasty doubt demons have often reared their ugly heads. I start thinking I am not good enough or no one will ever hire me or it is too much work. I am, by far, my own worst critic.

I've been powering on for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, I absolutely love taking pictures. I love taking pictures of other people with their loved ones. Starting this business is a way for me to give to other people something that is important to me.

The biggest and most important reason is that I want to teach my boys by example. How can I teach them to follow their dreams if I don't follow my own dreams? How can I teach them to find what makes you happy and DO IT if I don't relentlessly pursue the things that make me happy?

When I start to doubt, I pick up the camera and remind myself I'm not just doing this for me. And when I see the results of those shutter clicks, I have faith again I am on the right path.

Reaping the rewards

Every April, we seem to have an uptick in craziness and insanity in our house. And so every April, I check out the next year's Ames' development book (Your One Year Old, Your Two Year Old, etc). I've already written about the awesomeness of these books. Let's look at the titles:

One Year Old: Fun-Loving, Fussy
Two Year Old: Terrible or Tender
Three Year Old: Friend or Enemy (YOU MUST READ THIS!)
Four Year Old: Wild and Wonderful

Wild and Wonderful accurately represents this last year. Jon and I have struggled emotionally this year with the "wild" part. Some days it is hard to remember the boys are not heathens and it is their age. But the wonderful part has been truly wonderful.

We've had a very calm April. Jon and I have been in shock because the boys get along so well and play together for so long, we almost don't know what to do with ourselves. I wondered what five would be like and I was SO INSANELY HAPPY to see this cover:

SUNNY AND SERENE???? Bring it, 5.

That was sneaky, huh?

Did you notice I was gone? I went to Phoenix for a long weekend to see my sister and her family. My mom and her husband also came out. Every time I visit my sister, I think she needs to move closer because 1 - RDU to PHX is a long flight and 2 - sisters need in person time as well as phone/email/facebook.




(I'm the only person in the above picture with their natural hair color! HA HA!)

It's pretty easy to take pictures of super photogenic families! Thank you Jamie for a great trip and I hope to see you again SOON.




I got home late Saturday night then was woken up way too early on Sunday morning by two boys who were super excited about the Easter Bunny. We had a fantastic, sunny day filled with candy and laughing. I failed to take any pictures so instead enjoy this representation of our Easter:

Well that was a new one for me

Last night at dinner, we were discussing where the Easter Bunny might hide eggs. Jon and I are convinced he will only hide eggs on the first floor. I said I didn't think it would be good for him to hide eggs in the pantry or in the bathroom. Nate and Alex came up with their own list of rules and I said I would send the Easter Bunny an email to let him know the rules of our house.

I said, "Dear Easter Bunny, please do not hide eggs in the bathroom because they might fall in the toilet." Apparently that was the funniest thing I've ever said because both boys started laughing uncontrollably. Alex laughed and laughed then choked and not only did milk shoot out of his nose, but so did some little bits of potato.

Did not know food could come out of such a tiny nose!

Lunchbox giveaway!

With the boys going to kindergarten soon, one of my biggest concerns is packing a lunch every day. This is all new to us as their current school feeds them a hot lunch. I want to pack them nutritious lunches with no packaging waste, but with little clean up. I love the bento lunchbox idea but cleaning 5-10 little compartments each night? Not going to happen.

My (real life) friend Gillian is supermom when it comes to lunches, and she recommended the Go Green Lunchbox. I bought a couple for us because we go to the pool a LOT in the summer and I wanted an easy way to pack dinners. I also want to practice packing lunches for the kids.


I am IN LOVE with these. The boys eat so much more when we use them. They are perfect for eating picnic lunches in the backyard because they do not spill and we can cover them quickly to prevent bugs from getting inside. They sit easily in the top rack of the dishwasher. The boys also love them, frequently asking to eat dinner in them.

You can win one! Gillian has started an AWESOME blog where she chronicles what she packs in her kids' (ages 5, 3, and 1) lunches, Twirl Next Door. She is giving one away, go enter at this post.

Saturday and Sunday = 180

Saturday morning, we woke up with a plan to stay at home and hunker down to prepare for the impending storm. A CRAZY storm rizziped through Raleigh, including a tornado that traveled 100 miles (!!!) across the area. We were glued to our tv and twitter to determine when to hide in the pantry. Having now been through hurricane, earthquake, and massive tornado scare, I will say tornado was the scariest.

In a massive 180, Sunday's weather was PERFECT. I took pictures for Heather's family at Duke Gardens and then Brandy met us to take our family pictures (which I will share on the boys' birthday, May 16!). Of course I had to go mamarazzi with the boys. How could I not, since I so painfully planned their outfits from head to toe?





What's that? Haters can hate on Duke but you secretly have to admit their gardens are amazing?




I could kiss you for that Duke joke! Although... mommy went to private school and has nothing but great things to say about the experience. And the gardens at Caltech are on par with Duke Gardens. Hmmmm.....




Our spring weather has been cray cray and I fear we will go straight from crap weather into sweaty summer. So I'm going to take advantage of every reasonable day in spring to take photos before we are deluged in sweat.

How could I not? These boys are ADORABLE! (New fave picture).

CLOSED

We went last night and said good-bye to the old house. When we got there, I realized there was no battery in the big camera so I just snapped a couple of quick pictures with my phone. It seemed fitting, to tell me I should not focus on the past but move forward.




My ALL TIME favorite video of the boys is from one of my favorite phases, when we had two babies crawling around chasing each other, before Nate could walk. Here it is again, but warning: it will make you want twin babies:



For the final photo taken in the old house, it seemed only fitting to take it at the kitchen island, on the floor, where we spent so much with our babies.



Good bye old house. Hello again one mortgage! Hello new house! Hello forever house!

A hard good-bye

Tonight, we're going over to our old house to say good-bye. If all goes well tomorrow (knock on wood!!!), a new couple will be living there in their first home. Just like us, five years ago.




When we moved away from Chicago and said good-bye to the coachhouse, I felt sad about leaving as it was the first place where Jon and I lived together. It was where we got engaged. It was where we had our infamous tiki party. It was our first home together. But we were moving to a warmer climate with a hope to start a family, so there was much more joy than sadness.

Leaving this house feels bittersweet. It is the first home we owned. It is where I did bed rest and anticipated life with twins. It is where we brought the boys home. It is where Nate and Alex grew from preemies into boys. It was a happy happy home filled with happy happy memories.




Moving was the absolute right decision as we know we are in our forever home. And truly, wherever I live with Jon and the boys will be a happy home.

But it will still be hard to lock the door for the last time and say good-bye to such a happy place.

Daily gratitude

Way back on Thanksgiving, before eating we had everyone hold hands and say what they were thankful for. The next day before we ate, the boys asked to hold hands and do this again. Since then it has been a daily ritual at dinnertime.

Recently Jon was gone so I set the boys up with a picnic dinner in the backyard. I went back inside to cook myself a different meal. I looked out to see the boys sitting together, holding hands, and giving thanks together before eating.

These tiny moments that I can't capture with a camera are usually the ones I want to remember forever.

This would have been good to know in advance

Part of our neighborhood looks like a slice of pie. Rather than try to describe it to you, I have used my amazing drawing talent to create images for you:



Last night as I pulled into the garage after school pick up, we heard an ice cream truck. Nate, Alex, and I ran out into the driveway to see where it was. We could see it fairly close to our house but it was moving away from us with no way for us to catch up.



Nate was upset. I said, "Don't worry! It's going to go around the circle then come back down our street. I will get money and we will get ice cream." The boys jumped up and down as they heard the music blaring through our neighborhood.



The ice cream truck got to the corner and instead of driving down our street where there were kids jumping up and down screaming for ice cream, he turned the opposite direction and left our neighborhood.



I have a firm rule that I always buy ice cream from ice cream trucks and always buy lemonade at lemonade stands. But after this ice cream man left me with this 30 minute disaster, I am going to think twice about giving him my business.


(Alex cried for a minute then happily played with water guns in the backyard while Nate screamed and cried over the missed ice cream THE ENTIRE TIME I made dinner. What can I say, the kid has my sweet tooth.)

Finally... 2011 theme

When we first saw the new house, did I fall in love with the screened porch or huge shower or open floor plan or mud room? No, I fell in love with the second floor office and the natural light there. I could clearly see myself taking pictures there.

This weekend I made a small part of my photography dream a reality by setting up some space for myself to take pictures in my office using all natural light:




There are so many different skills required to photograph people. Obviously there is mastering the camera, mastering light, and mastering photoshop, but there is also learning how to draw a photo out of your subject. A white background is one of the hardest photography experiments I've undertaken because it's just me, my camera, and my subject. There is an art as to when to click the shutter. I'm no master at any of these but I can see definite progress in my work.




Alex's pictures were taken on a super gloomy Sunday morning, while Nate's was taken immediately after sunset. I can't wait to see how it looks when there is a ton of natural light coming into my office.




I've given a lot of thought as to what 2011's theme is. When I came out of Mondo Beyondo a year ago, I had a dream to start a photography business. That dream seemed so far away and so impossible for so many reasons. What about my other job? Am I really an "artiste"? Who's going to pay ME to take pictures? How am I going to learn something massive like Photoshop? Isn't 36 too old to have crazy dreams?

I decided to say NO to all the negative thoughts and YES to that dream.

One short year later, I can produce the above shots in 5 minutes with my boys. While they're still in their pajamas on a lazy Sunday morning. And my website, Laura Case Photography, will be officially launched later this year.

2011 = DREAM BIG

An equation

Lots of sun +
highs in the high 70s and low 80s +
no humidity +
front porch furniture +
unbreakable outdoor (full) wine glasses +
piles of sidewalk chalk +
new house being built that you can watch from your own porch =

perfect spring for the entire Case family

Dear Mariah Carey,

Well, it's been a long time since I've written a letter to a celebrity twin parent. It's not that there haven't been any celebrity twin parents worth writing (still waiting for your call Brangelina!!), it's that it seems like everyone who is anyone is having twins. Carrie Bradshaw, check. NPH, check. Singletons are so "2000 and late" in the celebrity world, am I right???

Anyhoo I saw your Life & Style cover. Sweetie, we need to talk.


I admit, I have always thought you were cray cray. Remember that Cribs episode where you got naked in the bathtub while they were filming? CRAZY. How about the time you were in the mental hospital after the disaster of Glitter? Cray to the cray.

Dang it girl, you OWNED that cover picture. I don't care that it's insanely photoshopped to make your skin glow and make you look thinner, more twin bellies need to be on the covers of magazines.

But where you really got me was this quote: "Now I have so much respect for mothers everywhere, especially those who’ve had difficult pregnancies or given birth to multiples. We need to have Mother’s Day once a week!"

Mariah, J Lo and I could never be twin mom friends after her twin newborn photo shoot but you get my twin mom seal of approval. I NEVER thought I would say this to you in my entire life, but call me. We can be besties. I will give you all the twin advice you will ever need and all I ask is to borrow your nannies frequently. Also I'd like to soak in that big tub. Maybe borrow some jewelry? Fine, just the nannies.

Please don't screw up this friendship by giving the kids cray cray names.

Love,
Your New Best Friend
Laura

MOMENTS OF PANIC

99% of the time I am calm and rational about the upcoming changes in kindergarten. The other 1%, my brain goes into overdrive with questions:

Are the boys going to do okay separated at kindergarten???

Will they be there for each other on the school bus????

Are we making the right decision????

Are they going to hate us for forcing all these transitions on them at the same time???

Will this hurt their relationship???

Are they too little and too young to start kindergarten now??? Should we have red-shirted them???

Who thought it was a good idea to give me two babies, I have no idea what the hell I'm doing!!!

More deep thoughts from Nate Case

The whole family, riding in the car on the way to get the boys' hair cut last night:

Nate: How come some people don't talk so much?
Laura: Some people don't like talking so much. Who in our family likes to talk a lot?
Nate with NO hesitation: Nate and mommy!
Jon laughs out loud.
Alex: Not me, I don't like to talk so much.

Sometimes it strikes me as odd that Jon and I each have a mini-me kid. Rationally I know Nate pushes my buttons because he's so much like me. It still doesn't stop from driving me crazy on tough days.

When we have rough patches, I have to remember there are many ways I'm glad he's like me. His endless enthusiasm. His bossiness. His excitement over trying new and crazy things:




How can two kids have my heart in such different ways?

Being a boy mom

Being a twin mom, I generally avoid crowded parks in our area because it's too hard keeping track of two crazy kids when there are tons of other children around. But this weekend the Bond Park boat house opened, which means duck food to feed the ducks, so I took the boys there while Jon did a bazillion chores. Much to my surprise, we were the only people at the playground.

Bad news? You're no longer allowed to feed the birds there. Maybe because the lakefront is covered in bird crap and the birds are mostly domesticated because of the constant feeding. Good news? The boys went crazy jumping off the swings.




Nate is a daredevil when it comes to jumping off swings. He jumps off swings when it is swinging higher than he is. The first few times, my iron stomach quivered but now I just laugh and take pictures with my phone.




Alex has been taking it more cautiously than Nate but he does earn more style points.




And in the haze of birthdays last week, I forgot to mention we went roller skating on cold, wet, rainy afternoon. To say the boys busted their butts falling down would be a serious understatement but they had such a blast. Filthy carpets, falling down kids and the hokey pokey - how can roller rinks not change one bit in 30 years?



In hindsight, I can't believe I ever wanted girls because I will take jumping off swings and Star Wars and ripped up pants knees any day over Barbies and tea parties.

Growing up

No one told me that as the boys age, we would find such joy in teaching them simple things. Recently we taught them the punch bug game and every car ride is now filled with shouts of "punch bug!" and punches.

Although since they are 4 year old boys, we had to explain that you can't really punch people, you can only tap them very lightly because punching is bad.

But when I see a punch bug, I still punch Jon really hard but pretend to the boys that I just tapped him.

This morning Jon's gone so I drove through Biscuitville and Starbucks with the boys. I ordered a caramel macchiato and they said they were out of caramel sauce. I was like WHAT THE WHAT???? then they said "April Fool's Day!" I laughed and told them that was hilarious but internally, I was all "DO NOT mess with a single mom's caffeine peoples!"

The boys were super duper confused so I explained April Fool's to them. Nate loved it, Alex hated it. Alex really hates lying. We made a plan that Nate would play an April Fool's joke by telling the teachers we were moving to Florida. It worked on their teacher this morning and Nate was super excited.

The moral of this rambling incoherent story is that I am less mature than a 4 year old when it comes to punch bug and Nate likes to lie. The end.