Birthdays, Babies and Blood

Ok. So last Thursday I finally overcame my party block and got cracking on thinking of something to do for the twins. Friday I worked like a little beaver to order food, cake, buy party supplies, etc. Plan A was to have the party in a park, but the park was booked, so plan B was my mom's. We had a backyard bug theme (for my Kenna bug) and it turned out well. Charles and I made hanging bugs out of paper lanterns and bug antennae for all the kids out of pipe cleaners and headbands. We made the cutest treat bags that were little honey bees. So I got all Martha at the last minute. The cakes turned out cute. I got a mini cake for each child and a big cake for the rest of us. We lit a candle and sang to each of them. I think it's a shaft to have to share everything--it doesn't take that much to sing to each kid. I think we had about 18 people or so. I forgot my camera (!) so had to use my mother's. I need to run over there and abscond with it to get my pictures, since anything I take on that camera goes into the great black hole of never downloading to anywhere.
Sunday we had a relatively quiet day. I went out and bought some new running shoes. My feet and my chest changed sizes with the babies, not in a good way. I've got to start working out at the gym we joined since I've been eating like I'm on vacation for three weeks. We went over to Mom's for dinner and I had to have the discipline discussion with my dad again. He thinks my children are unruly. Honestly, my kids are sort of pesty (at home--they are usually quite good in public). Disciplining children is a tough thing and I'm sure I need to do a better job of it. Or at least figure out how to do it well before I have two more toddlers! Yikes.
The babies have been a little cranky. Kenna was sick on Sunday with a fever (and was awake allll night) and Griffin is still leaking from the nose at an alarming rate. I finally bit the bullet and took him to the doctor today. The doctor says that some kids are just snotty, but that he might have allergies. He suggested a blood test to figure out what the boy might be allergic to and possibly treatment with Singulair eventually. So we went for a blood draw. Turns out that taking blood from a tiny baby arm is not really that easy and Mr. No Nap was not happy. He did ok until the needle was removed and then he had a hissy. During the hissy the little piece of gauze got dislodged and he started squirting blood all over the place. Acckkk!! Once we got that taken care of he calmed down (basically so he could smile and wave at all the people in the waiting room).
I met a woman in the waiting room who was expecting twins as a surrogate. It's her second time as a surrogate. How cool is that? I admire most deeply anyone who can go there for another woman. Twins though.... wow. She says that she has very easy pregnancies. But I'm here to say that having a single baby is a whole different ball game than having two at a time. The upside for her is that after a grueling pregnancy she doesn't have to spend the next six months with two new babies. I hope it goes well for her (and the new parents/babies).
We also went over to Dana's today to play in the garden and check out the latest bunny and chicken additions. It was muddy but fun. Though I hate weeding out grass. Grass is a pain in the ass. I will be returning to weed and clean her house for her since she volunteered to watch my kids when we go rafting in July. After we went there and prior to the doctor I had to take my children to WalMart to buy bottle sleeves. I went in there with mud all over me with my children looking like hell all covered in snot and dog hair and dirt and ketchup. I walked really really fast to get the shopping done. Though, in a way, I sort of blended. Sadly.