Super duper exciting news!!!

Our Memorial Day weekend was filled with homemade M&M ice cream, naps, pool trips with friends, funny movies (seriously, go see Bridesmaids peoples!), lots of humidity, family pool trips with cocktails and sparklers.

And.... Alex got his deep end confidence back. They both learned when you're in the front of the toboggan when sliding, you are the one to get hurt.




We also did a super quick photo shoot trade with a photographer friend. It was a great way to cap off the first weekend of summer, with one of the best family photos we've ever had taken!




BUT THAT IS NOT ALL!

We have other news! It's taken a ton of work by me at night and on weekends. Jon has been supportive, been my cheerleader, and helped me achieve this dream. The boys have sacrificed time, put on smiles, and helped me become the photographer I am today. I'm happy to announce....


LAURA CASE PHOTOGRAPHY IS HERE!!!


Please:

* check out my website
* like me on Facebook
* follow me on twitter
* add my photography blog to your google (or feed) reader

So happy that summer is here!

Best quote ever from Your Five Year Old

One of the things mentioned in Ames' five year old book is this age is marked by lack of confidence. We are definitely experiencing lack of confidence with Alex and swimming. He KNOWS how to swim but does not think he can swim. Last night was the first night we got him to go in the deep end and we only got him to do that by getting in with him and taking him past his comfort zone.

Let me remind you of last summer!




OY.

At least the weather has been hella hot so the pool is warming up quickly.


While I'm in the topic of Your Five Year Old, let me share my favorite quote. From the epilogue:

Five may be one of the nicest ages you ever encounter. Your time with your Five year old may well be one of the most rewarding periods in your entire relationship with your son or daughter.

What is so glorious about the typical Five year old is that to Five, you, the care-giving parent, are the center of the universe. He or she wants to please you, wants to be good, wants to do right.

This pinnacle of affirmation, this peak of perfection, may in all likelihood be never met with again. So enjoy it while it lasts.

FINALLY PEOPLES!

Two more reasons to love Jon

1. Last night he not only got me udon noodle soup for dinner since my throat hurt, he also went out after the kids went to bed to get me ice cream. He brought home Reese's Cup Ice Cream Bars.

2. When Alex did the following last night, he let me take a picture with my phone before going out to get Alex down.

What is more badass?

At the beginning of the half marathon, I felt really really hot. It was a really humid day and we were running fast on hills so I figured that's why it felt hot. I never could quite cool down all day after the run. I drank some Gatorade along the race, which I normally do not drink, and my stomach was not feeling good the rest of the day. Again, this is completely to be expected after a long race so I didn't think much of it.

Then my throat started hurting last night. Then I woke up and it was hurting super bad, my lymph nodes are swollen, and oh btw, strep is going around Nate and Alex's classroom.

So I have strep.

And apparently I ran a half marathon with a fever. Which would sound badass except Irene ran a full marathon while pregnant but didn't know she was pregnant yet.

What do you think? What is more badass? Full marathon while pregnant or half marathon with a fever?

A summer weekend, a la Instagram

How many times have I said summer is my favorite? I LOVE SUMMER.

Friday night: packed radlers and mummy dogs for dinner at the pool. Water is still cold so the boys get out frequently to warm up.




Saturday: Got to Be NC Festival at state fairgrounds. Lumberjack show, tractor parade, animals, tons of rides. Nate and I rode a roller coaster together. Kid was sad he was not tall enough for the adult rides.




It was the first hot humid day of the year so we needed tons of fluids. The boys were skeptical of their first slushee until they tried it and they sucked the whole thing down.




Saturday night: Irene and Milo came into town. BBQ!

Sunday morning: Irene and I ran the Inside Out Sports half marathon. Irene killed it at 2:05, me not so much. But I had a great time running on some of my favorite trails and I fell back in love with running.




Sunday afternoon: more pool. Alex sums it up right here:

Show Me the Mommy! Production release edition

Last night, my team released code to production. To keep software systems running smoothly, software minions have to upgrade systems when everyone else is sleeping or people get super cranky (see Blogger outage outrage from last week). I worked from 1:30-4AM and didn't get to sleep until 5AM. The house cleaners showed up early, right at 9AM (NOT complaining about that).

I was haggard this morning. Despite the lack of sleep, I love being a working mom.




This photo is also notable for two other reasons.

1. My iphone was dying a very quick death (it was a refurbished iphone1!) so I upgraded to iphone 4 last weekend. Why did no one tell me about the awesome feature where you can see pictures you're taking of yourself???? That would have been worth the upgrade!

2. I'm finally on instagram as user lauracase. Finally.

PS. I am running a half marathon on Sunday morning with Irene. Wish us luck!

Things I love right now

This post written by fellow twin mom Brooke made me jump out of my seat and scream YES YES YES! I sent her a follow up email saying I think it's just as important to set this example for boys to raise men (like Jon) who expect strong women (she agreed).

I'm taking Mondo Beyondo again, on the 2 for 1 special with Julie. Last time, I barely wrote publicly about it because I was at a crossroads in life and wasn't ready to share my feelings. This time, I hope to write more about the journey. Big things peoples!

Pinterest. Oh pinterest. I avoided you until you were an iphone app. Something tells me Jon's sister would LOVE this site. That's where I found my perfect summer outfit, some strawberry and peach sangria I want to try, a frame grouping for our master bedroom, and nutella cupcakes.

Fiber gummies. Not for me, for one of the boys. Mel wrote about them and having tried EVERYTHING ELSE for TWO YEARS, we gave them a try. Totally and completely life changing. Every time I think I might quit blogging, something on a blog changes my life for the better! Mel also did a cupcake recipe carnival and there are two I want to try.

We've had barely any humidity or heat yet this year so my hair still isn't insane (except for family photo day OF COURSE) and we've been able to keep the house windows open a lot. I love fresh air and the new house has so many windows!

So 5 is that age, huh? Thanks for warning me peoples.

Last night at the mall, me alone with Nate.

Nate, pointing at a bald man, in his loudest possible voice: "Look mommy, that man doesn't have any hair. Not a single piece of hair!"

Laura: "First, it's rude to point at people. And I think being bald is beautiful. Do you want me to shave all your hair off?"

Nate: "No. Bald heads are too shiny."

But no! That's not enough! Later we got on the escalator behind this guy.

Nate: "It's the bald man again! Hi bald man!"

So much excitement packed into one big weekend

We had Nate and Alex's birthday party on Saturday at a local play area. I was beyond thrilled when they said they wanted to have the party at this place because you can't bring anything in except cake. This means it was a super easy party to plan and execute. The only this missing was genuine smiles from the birthday boys:




I hired a local cake person to make an R2D2 birthday cake. When I told people there would be an R2D2 cake, they assumed it was a sheet cake with R2D2 on top. You are so sad this is not your birthday cake:




As if the party were not enough excitement, the pool also opened this weekend. We've already been three times, including one time with cocktails. And Jon and I have finally hit the holy grail of pool time with kids - we don't HAVE to get in. Which is good because it is freaking COLD right now. And I would hate for my delicious cocktail to get warm.

As if a party and the pool were not enough excitement, grandma Roxane was in town to play with the boys, take them to movies, cook us meals, and generally have fun. We could not get the boys to ever take a good picture together with her, but maybe this is a good age to start letting them take individual shots.

With Nate:




With Alex:




All in all, the birthday weekend was a smashing success.

Except that my babies are FIVE?!?!?!?!?!

Happy birthday Alex! Happy birthday Nate!

My sweet little Alex,

Holy crap. You are five. FIVE.




You grew up so much this year. You started off the year as a preschooler just starting to vocalize the thoughts in your brain and you grew into a full blown BOY.




From the time you could move, you were 100% energy. This year, you added vocal loudness to your physical energy. You jumped, you climbed, you ran, and you continued to amaze me with your boundless energy. You inspire me every day to stay active and enjoy life's physical pleasures.




You still wear your heart on your sleeve. You cry hardest when your feelings are hurt. You are a loyal friend and brother, and you stop me in my tracks with your sensitive, kind soul. Don't let anyone ever change that.




This year I fell more in love with everything about you. Your love of legos. Your frequent hugs. Your desire to lay in bed at the end of the day and chat about anything and everything. The way you smile with your entire body. You are quite possibly the sweetest boy I've ever met, other than your dad.





My sweet little Nate,

Holy crap. You are five. FIVE.




You grew up so much this year. You started off the year as a preschooler just starting to show your physical side and you grew into a full blown BOY.




From the time you were born, you have always done everything 100%. This year, your personality just got bigger and bigger. You shouted, you cried, you screamed, you showered us with affection. You continue to amaze me with your enthusiasm for life. You inspire me every day to go big or go home.




You are still such a boundless extrovert. You talk to everyone, everywhere - the park, the library, the telephone, waiting in line at the grocery. When something great happens, you want to call everyone and tell them your news. You have taught me how much better life is when you share it with someone, and share it loudly. Don't let anyone ever change that.



This year I fell more in love with everything about you. Your endless need to know the weather. The way your smile lights up a room. Your desire to lay in bed at the end of the day and chat about anything and everything. Your need to be the boss. You are quite possibly the most "in charge" person I've ever met, other than myself.





Alex and Nate,

This was the year your relationship took off. We worried you would always be at odds with each other but this year you grew into best friends. Truly and totally best friends. Because of that, it might always be my favorite year.

You make each other laugh like no one else can.




You *finally* love to do things together.




You are crazy together.



When I first found out I was having twins... THIS... this is what I imagined. I never get tired of hearing your conversations, hearing you laugh together, and seeing your relationship blossom and grow.




I know I have a camera in your face a lot but one day, hopefully you will look back at these photos and see us, as we were. A happy family.




Happy birthday Alex.
Happy birthday Nate.

Thank you for five of the best years of my life.

I love you,
Mom

Why I gave up morning caffeine

Roughly around the time I turned 28, I started being unable to eat certain foods in the mornings. If I tried to eat them, I would gag and sometimes vomit. The older I got, the longer the list of foods became. Normally this is a not a problem as I could eat my breakfast later, but race days are a challenge.

Let me speak for Jon for a moment. He can tell you how much he hates race mornings, as I try to jam enough food in my mouth and constantly gag while trying to get enough energy in before a long run. Training runs are similar - I have to be up for many hours so I can get enough food in.

I chalked all of this up to aging and getting older. But then I started thinking about what changed when I was 28 and that's when I started drinking a big cup of coffee with milk in the mornings. I used to NEED the caffeine in the mornings with newborn twins but now I don't really need it so I decided to give it up for a week to see what happened.

After a week with no coffee in the mornings, I woke up hungry and ate first thing in the morning. No gagging. No vomiting. IT IS A MIRACLE! And now I don't need to worry about how I'm going to get enough food in for the half marathon I'm running with Irene next weekend.

Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy a morning coffee every few days but it is refreshing to no longer need caffeine.

And unfortunate series of basketball events

Nate likes to play basketball on the full sized hoop at our local park.

Too bad his dad is 6'4" and likes to block shots. Jon can even reach from behind Nate to block shots.



Nate shoots! Jon blocks from behind!


And the ball hits Alex square in the face!

Alex looked stunned but not injured.

Laura laughed so hard she was almost hyperventilating.

Differences between Cubs games and Bulls games

When I first moved to Chicago, I lived one block north of Wrigley Field. The Cubs stadium is in a neighborhood, surrounded by condos and bars. This means people drink heavily before games, during games, and after games. I thought the location was great when I first moved in, then I realized HOW MANY home baseball games are in a season. 81 days of drunken idiocy right outside my front door!

On Saturday, the weather was perfect so our family went to their first ever (minor league) Durham Bulls baseball game. It was a wildly different experience than Cubs games.

(Eating their first Cracker Jacks.)




Cubs game: Stadium packed as soon as it opens.
Bulls game: Barely anyone sitting in their seats until the 2nd or 3rd inning.

Cubs game: Only hot ladies in tank tops on the jumbo tron. Bonus points for wearing a pink Cubs hat.
Bulls game: Lots of kids and some rednecks on the jumbo tron.

Cubs game: Wild public drunkenness from cheap Miller Lite, including plenty of public urination.
Bulls game: The standard local microbrews come in size SMALL???????

Cubs game: Parents move seats to shield their young children from drunken idiots.
Bulls game: Parents take their kids to the playground if the game is slow.

Cubs game: Can't see too much from the nosebleed seats so you may as well drink.
Bulls game: Not a bad seat in the house!

Cubs game: The best entertainment is drunken idiots and/or the drunk celebrity who gets to sing at the seventh inning stretch.
Bulls game: Between EVERY SINGLE half inning, there was some kind of entertainment. I was so impressed. Nate was sad we didn't get a shirt from the hot dog cannon, or get on the jumbo tron, or get a shirt thrown to us.

When I was in my mid-20s, Cubs games were wild, fun, and perfect. Now that I am a parent in my late 30s, Bulls games are calm, fun, and perfect. All four of us loved the experience and and we look forward to a lifetime of Bulls games to come.

(Taken with our new point and shoot. No more lugging the huge camera to things like this!)

My sixth Mother's Day

My very first Mother's Day in 2006, I was miserable. 36w 1day carrying 12lbs 4 oz of twin boys. On strict bed rest on terbutaline, with contractions every 10-15 minutes. Ravenously hungry. MISERABLE.



I don't know if I can ever accurately describe that day. Joy because I made it to 36 weeks. Physical pain in every part of my body. Anticipation to meet my boys. Depression because I'd been inside for so long. Anxiety about being a new mom to twins. All mixed up with the excitement of hoping to meet my babies soon... but not too soon.

Trying to describe how I felt then is as impossible as trying to describe how I feel now, with these two boys in my life. Joy. Blessed. Happiness.




Jon really went above and beyond this year with Mother's Day, letting me take off by myself for hours when the weather was not cooperative with my hopes for a picnic. Laundry, groceries, cooking, cleaning - he did everything to let me have a truly indulgent Mother's Day.

He also helped me corral the boys on Friday evening for a guerrilla photo shoot in an empty lot near our house. I had been wanting to take photos there while the wildflowers were in bloom. Can you see why?




As I laid on the couch in pain five years ago, I wish I had been able to see this smile for one nanosecond to know it would all be worth it.





(And obviously see this smile the next nanosecond.)




Yep, it was worth every single contraction (for WEEKS peoples). I'd do it again in a heartbeat, knowing I was growing these two amazing beings who've brought so much into my life.




I was so very blessed this Mother's Day, and hope that you were too.

Friday gumbo

* Kindergarten orientation for the parents last night. I *almost* started crying when I envisioned myself saying good-bye to two little boys getting on the school bus for the first time in August.

* Did you notice I said August and not July? After I took the time to write that super long kindergarten explanation post, our school was underpopulated so they decided to move everyone to Track 4. They will now start school in August and track out in October, January, March, and July. This means one more month of day care payments for us, BOOOOOOOOO.

* Mariah named her kids Monroe and Moroccan. I knew she'd do that.

* I've been rocking my recent photo shoots for other people, getting me even more excited about my website launch.

Exhibit A:




Exhibit B:




Exhibit C:



I've got some seriously special shoots scheduled for May and June, including two in Boston that are going to be legendary.

* I'm making Pioneer Woman Knock You Naked Brownies for Mother's Day. I'll report back on whether they are the most delicious brownies ever or not.

I'm not ready for this kind of stuff

Last night one of the boys had a complete meltdown when I said they were taking a shower instead of a bath. He was so out of control that I put him in his room and told him he could come out when he was done crying. He was sobbing a little when he went to the shower, and then continued to cry and sob and fight over every little thing through the shower.

I put him to bed early with no story and he just could not stop crying. I put the other boy to bed and then I heard boy #1 cry, "No one likes me! Everyone makes fun of me. I don't have any friends! "

I rushed in to his room and asked him to talk to me. He said everyone makes fun of him all the time, people say they hate him, and no one likes him. A truly heartbreaking moment.

I asked him for more specifics. He said, "Well xxx always punches me in the face." I said, "They punched you in the face a long time ago, did they punch you again?" He said, "No, he is nice now. He used to be mean." Then he said, "Well yyy said they hate me." I said, "Did they say it today?" He said, "No they said it a long time ago."

As we talked through every single example of his hurt feelings, he realized all those things happened a long time ago and that almost everyone is nice to him now. I told him sometimes kids say mean things but if they play with you and are nice to you most of the time, they are your friend. He was calm and happy when I left, but I can't help but wonder how many more times we will have to have similar conversations.

Advice/similar stories welcome because this is new territory for us!

Oh tumblr, you got this one wrong!

I think America would be shocked if we added up all the time people have wasted creating Tumblr sites and perusing them. Yet when I find an awesome Tumblr site, I am truly amazed at the creativity that goes into them.

My first brush with Tumblr was This Is Why You're Fat. This site is so popular they've got a book deal. While I'm disgusted by half the entries, I want to eat the rest. Peanut butter Oreo balls anyone? (Joanna??)

Maria introduced me to Bake It in a Cake last night and I am truly inspired. After the success of brownie covered oreos, I made Mel's cookie dough cupcakes last week. Delicious.

By far, the most inventive Tumblr site I've seen is Chicks with Steve Buscemeyes. Pretty sad this one is over.

But the one I check every day (via my google reader) is My Bad Parent. I never get tired of the photos in this one. However, they got one entry TOTALLY WRONG:


At first glance, I might judge this woman too. Upon closer inspection, the woman is at an AIRPORT ALONE WITH TWIN TODDLERS. I say, if you need to leash them, leash them. Whatever it takes lady, because I've flown with twin toddlers and one of those flights goes down as the worst flying experience I've ever had.

Plus, this is a classic twin toddler moment. Two insane children, going in completely opposite directions, even if it means they'll get hurt.

This is why, even though my heart hurts a little that time is flying so quickly, I am so glad I will NEVER EVER have twin toddlers again.

What is the point of being a boy mom....

if one of the kids is going to wake up with a raging case of PMS?

Worst morning scramble in a long long time. Why oh why did I give up morning caffeine last week????

Exactly what the doctor ordered

This weekend, Jon's dad grandpa Lloyd came for a visit. After tons of rainy weekends and multiple tornado scares, it was as if the universe knew we needed gorgeous weather. It was one of those perfect southern spring weekends - sunny, low humidity, and tons of outdoor things to do.




This weekend was Cary Spring Daze, the first festival of the year that kicks off the arrival of summer. Each year, we enjoy it more and more with the boys. They enjoyed a pirate show and a magic show while we enjoyed picking up some art work for the house. We also played tons in the backyard and put in the first of some typical southern plants (hydrangea, dogwood tree, azaleas).

May is going to be crazy with Mother's Day, the boy's birthday, a half marathon, and Memorial Day, so it was nice to have a calm weekend before summer truly kicks off. Thanks Lloyd for a great visit!