Best of Both Worlds G.N.O...

For all you non-Hannah Montana-ites out there that's "Girl's Night Out", and we had a great one, the "Best of Both Worlds": free and fun! My sweet friend Kyla totally hooked us up with some free tickets to the 3-D Hannah movie! Check out the girls sporting their 3-D shades ready to "rock out the show."

Ashton and her BFF Chloe. We decided Ashton is Miley and Chloe is Hannah, and it totally fits their personalities!

Here are we mommies "Pumping Up the Party Now!"

"Who would've thought that a girl like me could double as a superstar?"

This movie made me feel old and young at the same time. I felt young because I totally remembered that feeling of being at a concert for someone I loved (though mine was more like Poison and Aerosmith-yikes!). It also made me feel old because I've seen the fashions of my childhood come back around. The Jonas brothers got their wardrobe from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" days and Miley was sporting the one glove look! I also am probably the only person to cry in this movie because Miley wrote a song about her grandad that died. If I had the ability to write a song about my grandfather, it would be that one. I cry every time I hear it because she talks about him calling her Angel which is what my grandad called me. Anyway, it was sweet just like my pretty girl...who really is "the other side of me :)"

Get a theater full of girls together, and they can't stay in their seats long. By the end, the girls ran down front and were dancing!

Pretending to be "famous can be kind of fun when you're the you that nobody discovers ." Can you tell who these 4 pop princesses are striking a pose, in the rain, no less!

Anyway, thanks Kyla and Chloe for a super fun G.N.O. that my girl and I will never forget. If you don't know Hannah's songs you probably thought this post was crazy, but those like me who know them all by heart, should get it. Gotta sign out now, it's time to "chill out, take it slow till I'll rock out the show!"

Happy "Freezing Rain on the Western Side of County" Day...

So, we didn't get out of school when this happened...

but we got out today due to freezing rain on the western side of the county? Oh well, we're enjoying it.What hormone laden food have we been feeding those Dodd boys? Mustaches and goatees at their age? Or as Jackson suggested I write (my little blogger in training), " Here's the cowboys and the sherriff."

This post is dedicated to Daddy who passed his Microsoft certificaion test today, despite the fact that he had to work all night! Yeah, smart Daddy we're so proud of you!!!!!!!!!!!

New Pictures

Don't let the smile fool you, homework time is usually not full of smiles around here! Of course, it's always a party around here! I can do an entire scrapbook of costumes Ashton puts on the babies!

I LOVE this picture, but how big do my babies look? I came downstairs and found the boys like this. Jackson carried them to the couch to snuggle with him!

Will and I are going to go lay down now and hope he falls asleep minus the screaming!

Junie B, Auntie J, and Chip Off My Block...

I had the honor (?) of accompanying Jackson on his field trip to see Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business. I even got to ride the bus! Jackson's teacher blind sided me with "You can even ride the bus with us." I was on the bus before I realized what was happening. Hey, I'll do anything to have a little one on one time with one of my kids. It's a gift these days! Needless to say, I got a souvenir: a HUGE headache, but had fun playing car (bus) games with my boy... Where were the other 3 you ask? Don't worry they were having fun with their aunts, Donnie and Jessica. They really enjoyed hanging out with my baby sis, and she enjoyed playing Jackson's Guitar Hero and spending all Jon's money he was saving for a tour bus-on the game obviously! Ashton helped Jessie get in touch with her inner princess...

When I walked in I saw this and knew that Aunt Jessica had picked out Wesley's outfit. He carried off the retro look really well I think! We all hope Aunt Jessica comes back to play soon, especially Jon who wants to be paid back!

I had an awesome scrapbooking weekend. This page below was one of my favorite ever (it looks better in person with inked edges and such) mostly because it features some of my favorite pictrues ever of my snoozing cowboy and solemn indian!

I also loved this page showing off my sweet spooks. How crazy is it that showing one pic of each my kids' costumes takes a 2 page spread!

And then in one of my life's happy moments, my baby girl started her first scrapbook! She did a great job and is now asking me 10 times a day if she can scrapbook.

So much for my new scrapbook desk and chair which has now been taken over!

I gave her this princess scrapbook for Christmas-perfect! It's really awesome because now I can give her pictures I wanted to scrapbook and let her do it! I'll be caught up in no time!

I'm posting at 11:30. Jon is at work, and I hate going to bed when he is gone. Don't worry, I'm not alone. Will is wide awake, as usual! I need some help with this child! He is up EVERY night until at least 11:00 usually 12:00. Even then when he gets to sleep it's after screaming a while. I'm tired! I know he needs to just cry it out, but how do I do that when he wakes Wesley up? We've tried naps earlier and naps later. I don't know what to do. Please give me some suggestions! I need to sleep so I can get energy back for scrapbooking!

December Cuteness

I just realized that I never got to share the family pictures we had taken in December because they were gifts for family. I wanted to share them because they were our first pictures as a family of 6. Plus, I thought they were really great. You be the judge...

Random Photos

I downloaded some photos, and thought I would share some random cuteness.

Look what huge developement we had at our house- the babies held their own bottles! You don't know how huge that is until you've had twins. How cute are Wesley's feet? Understandably, I'm pretty excited! This could be a whole new world for me as soon as they can hold them for more than 30 seconds.

Not to brag, but aren't my babies beautiful?

Silly faced Will, this picture doesn't do his beautiful eyes justice.

No, this picture isn't upside down. That's how I took it to show how they twisted around to see me. They look at you and their eyes light up, and you feel like the most special person in the room. Then, big brother or sister walk in the room, and they forget all about you!

Everyone wants to know, what's it like to have twins? Here's one small aspect that's different. What do you do if they both need to eat at the same time? One on each leg, and when their bellies are full you get double the happy smiles!

They both LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their jump up and can go to town bouncing, espcially Wesley. Here he is where he's bounced so mnuch it wore him out, and he fell asleep. Too cute!

Nothing profound, but fun to share! Now I'm going back to finish scrapbooking. I did one of my favorite pages ever today. Maybe I'll take a pic and share it...

Random Thoughts

In an effort to avoid folding more laundry, I thought I'd post things I realized about myself while folding laundry:

1. Update: I am doing as some of you suggested and washing every person's laundry seperately. It is SO much easier, and I highly recommend it. It saves the sorting time. However, while folding my laundry I was depressed by the fact that they were ALL pajamas! Apparently, that is all I wear! What a change from my working days of skirts and sweater sets (you teachers out there will appreciate the sweater sets)!

2. I have lost my inner child: I can't play dollhouse for more than 5 minutes! I used to play for hours and now after 5 minutes in which I more reorganize furniture and brush doll hair rather than use my imagination, I'm done. Of course, it doesn't help that when I do get into it and use my imagination Ashton says, "No, say this..." Regurgitating imagination is really not fun. As Jon put it after having a Daddy-daughter day Saturday, "Playing dollhouse is hard! When will you be home?" My daughter will make a good wife someday because, aside from being bossy, she can guilt trip with the best of them. "Mommy, why can't you spend some time with me and play dollhouse. You never pay me any attention." Seriously, she tells me that, and I fall for it!

3. Remember on Willy Wonka when he invented gum that had a 3 course meal? Or have you seen the spaghetti noodles with 7 grains and Omega 3's added? Why can't someone do something like that for Goldfish crackers? That would solve most of my dinner struggles and unhealthy food guilt. Not to mention solve the unmentionable bathroom troubles!

4. I love Ashton taking ballet and visiting with the moms there, but I dread Thursdays. It is a logistical nightmare for me! First it takes me over an hour to get everyone dressed and ready for a 1 hour class. I know that sounds like a copout or laziness, but it is so HARD to take the twins out. They are too heavy to carry and what do I do with them for an hour? If it wasn't for my savior Pamela who holds/feeds/carries 1 every time I don't know what I'd do, and now she's had the nerve to create her own baby and leave me high and dry! Just kidding! No wonder I only have pajama laundry, I'd much rather stay home than go anywhere. I know some of you are thinking I'm reverting to my introvert tendencies, but it takes me at least 3 trips to the car to get us all loaded and then again to unload, and it's cold! Sorry, done whining now!

I have to go now! It's within an hour of ballet time, and now I'll be pushed to make it. Besides, ringing in my ear over and over as I type this, "Mommy aren't you going to watch me play dollhouse?" Sorry for the boring post. Thanks for giving me an excuse to avoid laundry, dollhouse, and outing preperation.

You Know You're a Mom Who Grew Up in the 8o's If

First, a little background. I'll do ANYTHING to get Jackson to do his homework with minimum griping or to make it a little fun. I wish I had a camera on me. More than any other time of day it is when I feel the most frazzled or like the biggest super mom on the planet! I am usaully sitting at the kitchen table with at least 1 baby in my lap bouncing or taking their bottle, talking to another baby in his exosaucer so he knows I'm around and praising Ashton for her "homework" or begging her to be quiet for 30 seconds so Jackson can think! Anyway, back to the title. I got so tickled at myself last night when I realized, you know you're a mom who grew uo int he 80''s when you find yourself singing rewritten Poison (I'm pretty sure) to your 6 old to help with his spelling. After having bribed him with gum (don't knock it until you have kids in school!) to get him to the table, he spelled first without the I. Last night we had already talked about every word needing a vowel. So, I came up with a song, "Every word has a vowel, just like every q has a u" (They're learning q's this week.) sung to the tune of "Every Rose Has a Thorn". Please pause here and sing it yourself, you know you're humming it anyway! As if that wasn't desperate enough, I wasn't singing it but rather Will was with a little help from me moving his mouth. This was Will's follow up to his Billboard hit duet with Wesley to help Jackson remember on his spelling test sentences, "Capital letters and Punc, punctuation." I need to publish an album, obviously. It would include other great hits like "The Address Rap" and after he used 100 Legos to build SpongeBob Squarepants for 100 day celebration, "Who lives in a shoebox on Jackson's desk, SpongeBob lego pants, who's made of 100 Legos is he?" Well, you get the idea. I guess I should sign off now. I'm sure I'll soon be getting numerous calls from record producers now that I've revealed my secret song writing genious! Or, Will and Wesley will be getting calls for bookings in kitchens throughout the Hill!

Conversation with My 6 Year Old...

J: "Let me teach you something about life."
Me: "OK? Teach me."
J: "People say there's no such thing as super powers, but that's not true. I mean, can you climb a tree if you needed to?"
Me: "Uh, maybe. I guess if I needed to."
J: "See, people can climb trees. Not all animals can do that. That's a super power."
Me: "What's my super power?"
J: "Maybe being speedy? (He didn't say at what?) My super power is seeing through things. If you were behind a mirror I could see you. Ashton's super power is definately yelling!"
Me: "What do you think Wesley's is?"
J: "Wesley's is pooping and Will's is pooting."
Me: "Well, at least they make a good pair."


A few months ago I actually asked Jon how would we know if Jackson had super powers. How did Clark Kent's parents first discover he wasn't just imagining? Jackson about had me convinced that night that he could see through things. He was telling me what was behind my head and seemed so sure of himself and his super power. I was really starting to wonder...

After having this nice long converation with him tonight (I edited a little where he went into his techinical explanation of how he does his eyes to see lines of different colors) I realized that his REAL super power was getting out of bedtime since I had already sent him to bed and he came down to get milk and "teach me something about life", and I fell for it!

3rd Post in One Day!

Yes, this is my 3rd post. That is becaue I'm tired and don't feel like doing anything else. It's not just because Jon was gone this weekend. In fact, I was asleep by 7 last night! Then at 10 on the dot Will woke up. He keeps doing that, wide awake at 10 and won't go back to sleep. We tried to get him back to to sleep. He'd fall asleep in our arms and as soon as we lay him down start screaming like crazy. We were up until 1. Then he woke up again at 1:30. I finally just held him all night. I know that's spoiling him, but I had to sleep. So, today I'm in the recliner with my laptop watching a Monk marathon and blogging. Nice and relaxing, but the big kids will be home soon so relaxing time almost over- boo hoo!

Still, I want to tell the funny conversation I had with Jackson last night. While we were eating last night he said, "Mommy is dang it a bad word?" I said it wasn't the worst word but not one I wanted to hear my 6 year old saying. He calmly replied, "Yeah, it's not as bad as damn I-T." He said the bad word and spelled the word it! When I almost choked he said, "Well, if you can't spell damn just say it!" Definately not my proudest parenting moment, but my funniest! And no, he didn't hear that from us!

I know this is a little late, but I just downloaded the cutest pictures of what Santa filled (and I do mean filled) my stocking with:

Hi, My Name Is Tonya Dodd and I'm Addicted To...

Webkinz! For those of you who don't have kids old enough to be into Webkinz yet, they are cute stuffed animals that come with a code. When you enter it on their website, they become a virtual pet. You have to feed it, decorate its room, play games, oh the fun never ends! Unfortunately, I'm addicted. After the kids go to bed at night, I am usually playing their Webkinz. It's gotten so ridiculous I even planted a garden and water and weed it every night. OK, actually I planted 3! Jon says I have a real problem when I'm up playing past 11! My kids love them too. The most effective punishment in our house right now is to put their Webkinz in time-out. Sadly, when they can't play their Webkinz I get online to feed and care for their pets. Why should the innocent pets suffer just bc/ the child misbehaved? So, now you know my guilty pleasure (I know there are more moms out there lurking in Webkinz world. It's not kids logging on at midnight with me). See the cute picture with me and my 14 grand-Webkinz!
Ashton even dresses in her best attire to play hers: Sharpay dress, Wonder Woman gold belt, Ariel crown, Easter bunny socks, and pink lay. Can my girl accessorize or what?

The sad part is addicts pass on their addictions to their children. In this case at 4 months! Hey, the babies need more tummy time so what better way than hanging out with sissy and bubba playing some games! They actually like this. Usually they cry during tummy time.

The kids racked up at Christmas. Ashton got 6, so now she has 7! Do you think she likes them?

Jackson got 5 and couldn't be more excited. Added to his previous 2, he now has 7.

Thank goodness, they now have the same number! All kidding aside, Webkinz are really great. They have really learned a lot from the games and having to take care of soomething. Not to mention, budgetting their money. It's funny to see how a boy and a girl play differently. Jackson mostly wants to play the games. He hoards his money and won't spend anything if it makes his total go below 3 thousand! He also is really learning math by adding up his totals and subtracting it from his amount, all in his head! He's learning to save up his money for something big. Then there's Ashton. As soon as she gets 1 dollar, she spends it! She only wants to decorate her house and shop for new clothes. She really wanted to buy a yard, so I tried to earn her some money. She kept spending it and couldn't grasp the concept of saving up for something! She has really learned a lot too. She can manipulate that website like nobody's business. I think she can use the computer better than a lot of adults! Any way, we love our Webkinz. Jon and love that they are the cheapest toys they got and what they love the most!

Let the crazy fun continue, and I'll try to work on my addiction, maybe!