Baby And the Tramp.

The first thing visitors always ask me about when they come up to the second floor of our house is the trampoline.

"Is that a...trampoline?" they say, pointing at the blue and red contraption that sits in the corner of the master bedroom.

"Why yes. Yes it is." I always reply.

And then there is that moment of confusion and embarrassment, when the visitors are curious as to why we'd have a child-sized trampoline in our bedroom - but maybe, they wonder, the answer is something that shouldn't be talked about in polite conversation.

So they avoid eye contact with me and look down at the lint balls rolling across my carpet floor.

It's kind of funny.

But I have a good reason for having a trampoline in my bedroom. It's actually one of my sanity-savers. And I'll tell you why.

It's because when my kids get on that trampoline - I can actually get things done. 

 I can fold laundry without people "helping".

I can vacuum the gigantic lint balls off of the carpet - which Nissa does not enjoy, but she tolerates from the relative safety of her trampoline perch.

(Though she still yells at me when I'm vacuuming. But I can't HEAR HER! Haha!)

I can even take the trampoline into other rooms as I putter away, in golden precious SILENCE (these pictures were taken with it in Nissa's room).

(Well, silence except for the boingboingboingwhee! Of the trampoline and it's occupants)

It gives the term "bouncing off the walls" a whole new meaning. For twenty glorious minutes, nobody is mad at me, everyone is happy - and the kids are actually having fun.

 They're even getting tired from all the exertion it takes to maintain that trampolining momentum.

Bonus.

So that's why I have a trampoline in my bedroom. Try to resist bouncing on your way out.

Mama! Is it time to fold more laundry yet? Pleaaaasseeeee?!?

The Girls Have An Announcement.

 

Hellllllloooo...is anyone out there this morning?

We just wanted to hijack our Mama's blog for a moment, to tell you about something REALLY IMPORTANT. 

You'll have to come a little bit closer...closer, closer, still....that's perfect. 

My Mama says she gets lost in my eyes at this exact distance. By the way, I know what the words "exact" and "distance" mean. I looked them up in the dictionary. 

I'm hoping that you get lost in my eyes when I tell you:

TODAY YOU CAN READ MAMA'S POST AT HER NEW BLOG!

How exciting!

We really  hope you like it. She's kind of nervous right now, and she really wants you to like it. So you should probably just say that you do. Trust us. 

I'm not laughing at Mama...I'm laughing at her post! 

Okay, maybe I'm laughing at Mama just a teensie weensie bit too. She's funny when she's nervous. 

We hope you have a great day, and we hope you liked our post. We're going to go back to our regular jobs now, but before we do we just wanted to show you how growned-ups look when you're reading blogs in the morning:

 

You guys really crack us up sometimes.

Have fun reading Mama's new blog post! We love you!

Thank you times a hundred trillion billion million and four,

xoxox

Inara & Nissa

And So The Student Becomes The Master.

Yesterday, in a fit of 80's-induced insanity, I decided to wear legwarmers.  Madness, I tell you.  Pure madness:

I even channeled my inner Olivia Newton-John for a couple of very scary moments (although I'm sure Yousuf was majorly impressed with my  rendition of "Let's Get Physical"):

Later that evening, as I made dinner (my legs still toastily encased) - I heard a familiar bouncebouncebounce behind me.  That's the sound Inara makes as she moves through the house. She doesn't really walk, she kind of flits and jumps from place to place.  Bouncebouncebounce. Bouncebouncebounce:

Hold up.  What's that she's got over her leggings? I paused in mid-veggie-chop for a closer look.  But she just giggled and bounded away. Bouncebouncebounce.  Bouncebouncebounce:

So back I went to chopping up veggies.  A little while later she was back, bouncebouncebouncing her way through the first floor:

"Inara...what are you wearing on your legs?"
"Heeheeheeheeeheeeeee"
"Are you wearing legwarmers?"
"Yep.  Just like you!"
"But we only have one pair of gray legwarmers.  What are those on your legs?"
"Heeheeheeheeheeheeeeeeheeeeee"

Upon closer inspection, what looked like normal legwarmers in the front:

Turned out to be my beloved arm warmers in the back!!!

Sigh.  You've got to give her credit for creativity, I guess. What a little fashionista.  Strike a pose!

Clearly, Nissa was not impressed.  Everybody's a critic when it comes to fashion. 

If only babies could talk: "ooooooh, Inara.  You're gonna get in BIG TROUBLE when Mama sees!!!"

I can't wait to see what the teenage years are going to look like with these two.  Sigh.