But once the nurse walked in carrying four syringes in each hand, their smiles faded and the color drained from their faces. I tried to prepare them for what was in store, and we talked about it for a long time the night before. It still sucked.

I have to say, though, that those girls were much braver than their older brother and sister were at their 5-year-old physical. I remember having to HOLD DOWN Mallory while my sister rounded up everyone out in the hallway. Mallory’s screams drowned out every other sound in the building! The little girls conducted themselves with far less drama! Lots of tears were shed, but they calmed down pretty quickly. It helped to know that we were meeting Daddy for lunch immediately after:

Hot wings at Hooters: makes everything all better, even when you’re five. Now all I need to do is dig out the birth certificates and fill out some paperwork, and these girls will be ready for kindergarten!

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• December 9, 2008 — I haven’t heard of THIS Sonic flavor…
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• January 30, 2009 — Hey, I did it!!
• November 7, 2008 — Haircuts and Physicals!

Mallory’s car did not do so hot in the race. I believe she came in 20th place, out of like…26 girls. So, at least she wasn’t dead last – but now we know some tips and tricks for next year. One of the engineers Paul knows from work was actually running the race – he’s the “keeper” of the track for the boy scouts, and Paul picked his brain as to what makes for a winning car. He gave Paul the enginerd explanation as to why you need to add weight to the car, and what to do with the axles, and all of that. I have a feeling next year, we’ll start working on that little car BEFORE race day.

Here are our cute girls with their cars – such a fun event!

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• January 12, 2010 — Is there a tutorial somewhere?
• September 25, 2009 — Fall Break!
• September 24, 2009 — No TV Saturday – Worldwide Day of Play!
• February 4, 2009 — We <3 Story Time.
• October 24, 2008 — Presenting: The Justice League.

Pablo’s progressed to where he speaks pretty well, but he’s still really not verbal enough to tell me what hurts, whether or not he ate something he shouldn’t have, or even if he’s feeling a little bit better. This is by far the most frustrating thing about autism – not being able to communicate back and forth when it’s extra important.

Poor punk! He’s playing with Legos, so maybe we’re on the up and up!

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• April 1, 2009 — Reactive Airway Disease SUCKS!
• October 7, 2009 — Meh.
• April 10, 2009 — Shouldn’t I be losing my mind right about now?

At the hospital, we settled in and got ready to meet our newest babies. We were at a brand new hospital (Good Sam, up in Lafayette!) and we were the 13th delivery there and the very first twin delivery. As the OB was doing the ultrasound, preparing for the delivery, we got some unexpected, fabulous news. Both babies had turned head-down. Just days before, at my final appointment with the perinatologist, we were told that a c-section was the only way to go – we had one baby breech and the other transverse. To hear that both babies had turned completely around in just a couple of days was the most wonderful news ever – I cried because I was so relieved!

The c-section was canceled. The OB broke my water, I labored a few hours, and Lexi and Nikki were born that evening. They were born at 4:43 and 4:47, just four minutes apart. It was my fastest, most painful, scariest delivery, but damn if I didn’t birth some beautiful, healthy, big babies.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t exactly thrilled to find out I was having another set of twins – but now I cannot even imagine them not being here. I’m so lucky.

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• August 29, 2008 — 5 years ago.
• January 18, 2008 — Happy 3rd Birthday, Little Girls!
• August 30, 2009 — Pablo and Mallory turn SIX.
• August 2, 2009 — Cake Assault, Drunk Karaoke, and wait, there’s more…
• May 11, 2009 — Bye Bye, Quad Stroller!

Yesterday, Mallory went on a little impromptu playdate at our neighbor’s house. The little girls were seriously miffed over this! Nothing is ever fair when you’re a kid. So, while Mally was off having fun with her friend, Kayley decided to do something fun with Nikki and Lexi. She took them into her bathroom and gave them a mini-makeover! They got manicures and pedicures, got their hair did, and although you can’t see it in the picture, they’re wearing eyeshadow and lip gloss!

I had to snap a picture. Aren’t they cute? Don’t you love their funky outfits that they put together?

Mallory came home and complained that she NEVER, EVER gets her nails painted. EEEEEVER. Life isn’t fair.

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Yes, those are some solemn-faced little girls right there, wouldn’t you say? That photograph was taken after we got back from getting a couple of emergency “fix it” haircuts after the two of them played beauty salon. They cut each other’s HAIR. Lexi had hers pulled up in front into two piggies, and Nikki shortened each by about four inches. When I took the piggies out, she had a straight-up mullet! Lexi did less damage to Nikki’s hair, since I intervened in time. (Busted them in the act! Holy cats, I was mad. There was a lot of finger wagging and head bobbing going on.)

But to let you in on a little secret, I’m not as pissed as I’m letting on. Kids do these things, it’s just hair, and actually, I was seriously considering going back to the cute little a-line bob haircuts anyway. But we aren’t telling THEM that.

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• March 31, 2008 — She’s going to have a mullet.

Mallory had one of her front teeth come out a few days ago. It didn’t come out on its own, though – nope! Mama had to rip that sucker right out of her skull. At least, that’s what you’d think I did, based on her reaction! So many tears, so much drama. Her tooth was dangling by a thread, and flapping around in her mouth so much, I was afraid it would fall out during the night and she’d choke on it. She was starting to become pretty bothered by it as well, and finally asked me to pull it for her. It came out SO easy, but it bled quite a bit, which freaked her out. The tooth fairy brought her THREE BUCKS for all the trouble it caused her.

But look how cute she is! I love little kids with gap-toothed smiles! One of my favorite, framed pictures of Kayley is her smiling, toothless, 6-year-old face. I have it in black and white, hanging up in the dining room. Now we’re just waiting on the one next to it! It’s pretty loose, too. I anticipate we’ll have more crying, drama, and whistling S sounds in our house, very soon.

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• October 20, 2009 — Apple: 1, Tooth: 0.
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He was trying to make himself feel better – he started swinging again, really high – but crying the whole way. He kept hollering, “I need ice! I’m sorry, tooth! I’m sorry!” It was kind of heartbreaking and funny all at once. Poor kid!

The tooth fairy visited our house and brought a Lego set for Pablo. Just a little one, with a few people, a traffic signal, and several signs. It’s adorable, and exactly the sort of thing he LOVES. That tooth fairy, she just knows exactly what to bring! He was sad to leave it behind when it was time to go to school!

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• November 17, 2009 — Score another for the Tooth Fairy
• May 31, 2009 — Lost a tooth! Then REALLY lost it.
• February 26, 2010 — My daughter: MADE OF AWESOME.
• October 2, 2009 — Bendawhat? Bendawho? Bendafan!
• August 2, 2009 — Sign of a Good Party: Finding People’s Teeth!

So I wasn’t surprised to see Pablo creating this fine work of art on the door of the study…

Yep. It’s a fan. Made out of Bendaroos™! I love that kid.

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• May 28, 2009 — Fish oil, fish oil, eat it up, yum!
• April 24, 2009 — Pretty house, huh?
• April 23, 2009 — And autism continues to f-ing puzzle me.
• April 20, 2009 — Pablo on Autism 151
• April 20, 2009 — Swingset Mamas Autism Video

LEARNED TO RIDE THEIR BIKES WITHOUT TRAINING WHEELS! zOMG!

Well, the big kids, anyway. The little girls are giving it their all, though – I have to give them major props. They’ve been tooling around, sitting on their bike seats, pushing along with their feet, trying to get the feel of being on a bike without training wheels. I don’t think they’re quite ready, at 4 1/2.

Pablo and Mallory, though – well, they kicked ASS. I asked Paul to remove Mallory’s training wheels and he was hesitant at first. But within 20 minutes, she was off and pedaling on her own. Within an hour, she was RACING around the cul-de-sac, standing up to pedal.

After Mallory showed off for Pablo, he approached Daddy on his own, telling him, “No training wheels Pablo’s bike now!” I thought he’d be a little afraid, but he wasn’t. I literally ran behind him for about two seconds to give him a good push-off, and he was pedaling on his own. Like he emerged from the womb knowing how to ride a bike, and I never realized it until now. He still has trouble getting going up the hills, but for the most part, he’s doing fabulous. I’m so proud of both of them!

Besides the bike riding thing, we had another milestone reached in our house on Sunday. Lexi FINALLY learned how to pump on the swings! Nikki has known for over a year now, so I was starting to get a little antsy, y’know? But she figured it out! I think the problem has been not having swings right in our backyard. At the old house, Nikki learned to swing like a champ, and then the weather got cold, and then we MOVED! To a house with NO swingset, next to a park without swings. Poor Lexi! What was she supposed to do, learn at the school playground where we spend probably 2 hours every week? In front of everyone?? I guess not. Now that we have the play structure in place, everyone’s a MASTER swinger.

And the weather has been nice enough for the kids to really enjoy fall – except for today, with the 50 mph winds whipping everything around. Daddy put a pirate flag up on the playground, and picked up a bunch of pirate hats, hooks, gold coins, and clip-on earrings at the party store, so we’re in full-on PIRATE MODE around here. Arrrr!

I’ve been working on painting the kids’ bathroom, slowly but surely. I know there are folks out there who really love crisp, pristine white walls – but I am not among those folks. I like COLOR, dammit. So that’s coming right along. Hopefully I’ll finish most of it today. The walls are going to be a nice blue-green color, and I’m adding some fun stuff for the kids, too. I’ll post pictures soon.

P.S. Can you even READ this? I know most of you are just reading my RSS feed, so it doesn’t matter anyway, but I’m really sick of this font size. I’m in the process of putting together a new blog template, so bear with me.

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• October 2, 2009 — First character complete…it’s Muno!
• October 1, 2009 — Things to come!