Molly Piper

My husband’s uber-talented cousin Sunny has a very informative step-by-step post about how to make this homemade tent.

I think this is so adorable, and totally want to make one. I was thinking it might have to wait until Christmas, but it’s somewhere on my radar, at least.

I just LOVE this thing!

What crafty projects are on your wish-I-could-do list?

If you jump over to Abraham’s latest post, you’ll see a very short video he edited last night of Morrow doing his latest trick.

Morrow is 20 months tomorrow, which means he’ll be turning two after the twins are born. Lord have mercy…

For those of you who guessed these:

You win!*

Ahhh, Marshmallow Peeps. I eat them once a year, mostly for nostalgic purposes. I was always a fan of Peeps as a child, the fresher the better. My sister liked hers stale, and I can’t remember how my brother took his Peeps.

And for those of you interested, I thought I’d link to a series of photographs showing how Peeps are made (in my home state of Pennsylvania, thank you very much).

*Contest rules: 1.) Eligibility is restricted to those living in the continental United States 2.) Contestants must be present to win. 3.) Prize is to be determined by contest author and subject to change for any reason, including acts of God. 4.) Prize has no monetary value and cannot be exchanged for any amount in any currency. 5.) The prize is having the satisfaction of guessing correctly.

A few weeks ago we played Name that Movie. Now let’s play Name that Candy.

Last night, as we came home from a day of friends, family, fun, and food, Orison asked:

“Can I have one of those sparkly penguins before bed?”

What was he asking for?

Thank you, thank you, thank you ALL for blessing my life in the last two days!!! I’m surprised my blog didn’t just go up in smoke or something–it has never seen so much action! I haven’t even been able to read all your comments fully (because I’m still on the phone all the time). I have no idea how some bloggers have traffic like this every day. I mean, it’s amazing, but I feel like I can’t catch up!

So this is kind of a brain-dump, because that’s literally all I can do now:

• We had NO idea that there could be 2 babies. I’d been to the doctor 3 times and the doppler always seemed to indicate one heartbeat, as did my fundal height measurement (the size of my womb).
• The babies are in two very distinct sacs (which wasn’t terribly obvious from the picture I posted). This probably means they’re fraternal sisters (66% chance), but there’s still a possibility of one egg splitting very early (which would mean identical). We have absolutely no preference on that issue.
• Just when you think you’re getting the hang of something (pregnancy in this case), God decides I need to learn something else new. It’s kind of overwhelming to be honest.
• My 40 week due date was supposed to be August 16. After looking at the babies (saying the plural still freaks me out), my doctor bumped my due date back 10 days. The babies seemed a little small for 18 weeks.
• My doctor said to prepare for early August. I pray they stay in there that long. PLEASE pray for them to remain healthy.
• I’m still fielding phone calls like crazy. The whole day Wednesday was so exciting, but by the end I felt like I had just had my wedding reception or something equally crazy. I was relationally exhausted (and I’m a true extrovert). If I skip your call, it’s probably because I’m trying to sleep, which leads me to the next thing….
• PLEASE pray for me to sleep at night. I feel completely exhausted when I go to bed, but then my brain starts going a million miles an hour and I can’t sleep. I think I slept 4 hours last night–not good for a woman in my condition.
• Some of you asked about Orison–he’s excited! Though mommy doesn’t look super pregnant yet, so it’s not as in-his-face as it will be (literally!).
• Morrow has NO idea, which is wonderful. He’s just as happy-go-lucky as ever and cracking us up at every turn. He’s a nice reminder to invest in the now.

I’m hoping to have some time to write a few reflections this weekend on how things are going below the surface. I hope to be able to bring you along, if you want to come.

Recently, Orison has been asking to watch “that movie where the man jumps into the water and swims around.”

WHAT?!?!?

I tried to get the name out of him, but he couldn’t remember. I started going through his movie-watching history (a very short list), and remembered that one time he saw a portion of the A&E Pride & Prejudice.

“Do you mean ‘Pride & Prejudice?’”

“Yeah! The man jumps into the water and swims around!”

Anyone know what part he’s talking about? That’s right, Mr. Darcy is trying to cool his jets over Miss Elizabeth Bennett and dives into the pond at Pemberley, only to meet with her face-to-face as he’s walking back up to the house, soaked to the bone.

Ahhh, “Private Predges”–one of my favorite movies (and books).

So last week, when his Aunt Talitha was babysitting for the afternoon, he suggested they watch Private Predges. (She doesn’t take too much convincing to watch a Jane Austen flick.)

Later that night, this is what he told me:

“Private Predges” was way before cars.

Why did they ride horses all the time? And why didn’t they say giddyup? They just said “Drive on.”

Then, yesterday, he convinced our regular babysitter that they should watch some of it! Here’s what she told me in an email:

He asked for Pride and Prejudice. I laughed. I assumed it would be okay for him to watch, since he relayed the whole story to me. I said if he was a good boy, we could watch a little bit but not the whole thing. He was okay with that.

With an affinity for Jane Austen at 5, I think he’s going to make some lady very happy someday!

So, one of my minor goals for raising sons is being achieved! Perhaps someday he’ll be a man who happily sits through multiple screenings of Jane Austen movies throughout his marriage! He’s supposed to live with his wife in an understanding way, right?

Or maybe he’ll be Darcy-like: strong, level-headed, generous, kind…a mother can dream.

Orison is Morrow’s personal speech and language coach. Morrow’s got a pretty good vocab going already, but I’m expecting drastic growth if their regular sessions continue.

Here’s a lesson overheard recently:

Orison: Morrow, say Mama.
Morrow: Ma-ma!

Orison: Morrow, say ball.
Morrow: Bau!

Orison: Morrow, say Daddy.
Morrow: Da-dee!

Orison: Morrow, say baby.
Morrow: Bay-bee!

Orison: Morrow, say international.
Morrow (much more uncertainly): na-na-na.

A couple weeks ago, they had a routine with animal sounds that they did. And you’ll see from the video, Orison’s not the only one quizzing him on his words. (I’m a speech pathologist! And Abraham’s a word freak, alright???)

I love Morrow’s complete lack of self-consciousness. He’ll try almost any word, especially if it’s presented by his beloved brother Orison.

Time for true confessions: I don’t drink coffee.

[insert audible GASP!]

I know, I know, I know. Will you still be my friend? I can drink tea! Or even a chai tea latte (see… SEE? I’m getting closer, right?)

But seriously, all funny business aside, I’m at peace with my distaste for coffee. I can still be a grown-up! I can still do all the things that responsible adults do!

I figure, if I made it through college and graduate school without resorting to coffee, then I will probably do just fine for the rest of my life (with a cup of caffeinated tea from time to time). You know, they say “It’s an acquired taste.” I just chose not to acquire it. I love the way it smells, can’t stand the taste.

So, with that fumbling preamble out of the way, I had to pass on this adorable (yet informative) cartoon about… coffee!

I like this cartoon because:

• It’s so cutely illustrated.
• The points are short enough to keep my attention (that of a non-coffee drinker).
• So much useless information (but could probably be of use in Trivial Pursuit someday)!

So if you actually like the stuff, you’ll probably be doubly entertained.

(via Wesley Hill)

I know I’ve completely dropped off the map in 2010…

I know you’ve been wondering if:

• I ate so much holiday food that I’ve literally popped and vaporized?
• I got trampled when some post-holiday shopping madness went terribly wrong?
• There was some horrible glitch in the matrix and I’m frantically banging on the window of 2010, stuck on the other side, in 2009?

Truthfully, it feels like I’m stuck a few days behind, just waiting for the energy to officially enter into 2010.

Someone call Keanu.

You are warmly invited into my parents’ living room in Erie, Pennsylvania for…

Orison’s Christmas Concert 2009

It’s a little long, but trust me, this is the short version. The original was over 30 minutes long! The kid just wouldn’t stop singing!

So, hunker down with a mug of hot chocolate and enjoy! But drink at your own risk, because there are some laughs that might send it out your nose. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! I don’t want any Christmas lawsuits because of your burnt nasal passages….

Or, if you need to get dinner ready this evening, get your church clothes ironed, or get some last-minute gifts wrapped, plop your kids in front of the computer for ten minutes of family-friendly holiday entertainment! Just my little gift to you….

And for those of you who hang out until the end, Morrow makes an appearance as a Christmas dancer! He goes absolutely nuts anytime he hears Jingle Bells!

This is our joy-filled way of saying to all of you: Merry Christmas from The Pipers!