I consider myself a tiny bit anal when it comes to cleanliness and I am a very organized person. Does this mean that my house is extremely clean, my mail goes out on time, my closets and cupboards are organized? Not even in the slightest! I clean my bathroom 3 times a week, yet I can manage to avoid paying bills until they actually call me asking where the payment is. It is never that we don't have the money for them, I am simply not motivated to do it. Does this make me lazy? Considering I spend all day every day running around after two 8 month old babies, doing laundry, dishes, vacuuming, grocery shopping, feeding, bathing, picking up and putting away, I hardly consider myself lazy. I simply have an extreme problem with procrastination. I procrastinate about anything and everything. I cant help it. I have tried. I have made New Years Resolutions, taken courses, read advice books and I still procrastinate. If people can call themselves big boned instead of overweight, or ADD instead of admitting to a lack of focus, then by rights I should be able to call my issues with procrastination a "condition" right? And, being that I have a "condition" shouldn't there be outreach programs for me? Group meetings I can attend? "Hello. My name is Annalise and I am a procrastinator."
No, there is no community support for me. I have to just continue living my life with the bills being paid late, the dust accumulating on the top of the cabinets and the bathroom extremely clean. Right now I should be off my butt organizing the linen closet, then vacuuming and washing the floors. Then, when the boys get up from their nap, we can walk to the mailbox and send the cheque for the hydro bill. Instead, I am sitting at my laptop, typing this absolutely useless blog and wondering whats coming on HGTV at 3:00. Besides, the organizing, vacuuming, mopping and bill paying can wait until tomorrow....

Are They Twins???

Seriously, I know that there are people in this world that aren't up to par in intellectualism. I am also aware that there are times that we are all guilty of speaking before we think. Lord knows that has gotten me into trouble a time or two. I also know that not everyone is at ease when it comes to smalltalk and stumble for the proper things to say.
HOWEVER, when people see me, or my hubby, out with two babies that look exactly the same, are the exact same size and wearing similar clothes, do they really need to ask if they are twins???
The first trip out of the house was to Wal-Mart. 2 hours and 3 items later we were leaving the store. I don't mind that everyone stopped us. I am the first to agree that my babies are friggin' adorable (perhaps I am a little partial *wink*). I just wish they wouldn't ask, "Are they twins?" I have a pretty good natural filter, but I just cant always control the sarcasm that tends to ooze from my mouth....
"No, they are just really close to the same age."
"No, I just like this one so much I got him cloned."
"No, this ones his and that ones mine."
"No, we found this one in the parking lot and thought it was neat that they looked so similar."
OF COURSE THEY'RE TWINS!!! LOOK AT THEM!!!
The best part is when you use any of these lines and the person who asked looks at you for a second really confused. Then a smile slowly crosses their face and they tell you that they know they are twins.
Then why did they ask in the first place???

What is a Bugalug??

When Grady and Linken were born, they were long and skinny. There was no meat on their bones at all and you could count their ribs. They swam in any clothes we put on them, no matter how small it was.
This didnt last long. They knew what food was, and they wanted it all the time. They quickly filled out and the bones were covered in all the perfect little rolls that make up adorable plump babies. They suddenly were stretching the material around the belly on all their onesies, shirts and sleepers. Their necks quickly disappeared and their cheeks became full and round. Every day there was more and more of them to love.
They started smiling with an uncanny resemblence to a budda. Their utter lack of gracefulness was quickly apparent as they tried to manuever the round little bodies over onto their sides, and eventually their tummies, grunting and groaning all the while.
As a mother watching them and loving every little bit of it, I had started calling them each Bug-A-Boo. As they grew, Bug a boo switched to Bugalug, and it stuck.
Before they were born, my husband had read in a book that you should never refer to your two babies as "the twins." Therefore, I call them my Bugalugs. I cant think of a word to better describe my perfectly round bundles of joy.

The Vacuum Cleaner

My boys have never minded the vacuum cleaner. We have no carpet in our house, so a simple canister Wal-Mart special does the trick. It isn't too loud and the boys have always been perfectly happy watching the bright yellow machine follow me around.
Yesterday, they decided they didn't like it. This also happened to be the day they decided it was fun to throw their entire lunch, piece by piece, onto the ground. After lunch, there was a plethora of whole wheat bread, cheese and chicken strewn across my dining room floor. I let the dogs have the first chance at it and then took the vacuum cleaner to the remaining crumbs. When I started it up, Grady and Linken got a little upset. I simply moved them to the living room and put on Treehouse.
I started up the vacuum again. This time they got downright mad. I wasn't too phased by this. I was going to be quick, and I could hardly hear them yelling at me over the sound of the vacuum. As I continued on, I realized the kitchen floor also needed a quick once over and next thing I knew I was on my hands and knees vacuuming under the kitchen cabinets.
Suddenly, the vacuum stopped. I turned to make sure it was still plugged in and found two little boys had crawled over and each had a hand on the power button. I moved them back to the living room and started to vacuum again. This time it only took 30 seconds for the vacuum to turn off. There they were again, leaning on the power button.
To my dismay, they had it completely figured out and were smiling quite proudly about it. I tried 3 more times before giving up. Persistence paid off for them. Looks like I will be vacuuming while they nap from now on....

12:38 AM

WHAT is that sound?? Is it the TV left on in the background? I sit up straight in bed and wonder briefly what is going on. Its one of the boys crying at the top of his lungs. I jump out of bed, completely naked, and run into their room. Its Linken. I quickly pick him up, hoping he wont wake Grady. I sit on the edge of the rocking chair that is overloaded with stuffed animals in an attempt to soothe him back to sleep. I hear a giggle and look over to see Grady smiling at him. I cant help but wonder if he is laughing at my disheveled look, or complete lack of clothing. I am suddenly self conscious and trying to hide myself under Linken's blanket. I have got to remember to keep my housecoat hanging by the bed.
Linken is calmed down enough and I put him back down. They sleep side by side in playpens so that they can push on the mesh and touch each other. They have never been apart and always look to one another for comfort.
I go back to bed hoping going back to sleep will be easy. Eventually I drift off listening to the two of them humming to each other. I still cant believe there is two of them....