...but I'm sure most of you are familiar with the age-old "The Black person is always the first to die in movies" bit, right? Well apparently, this theory holds true in the world of children's literature as well! I was reading this book (Class Two at the Zoo by Julia Jarman) about well, a class field trip to the zoo. The kids are noticing all the different animals in their cages, but they fail to see that this gigantic anaconda is rising out of the water and planning to devour all these little children one by one. I'm probably making it sound a little worse than it really is but the bottom line is, kids go on a field trip, kids get eaten by an anaconda. But that's not even the problem. The bigger issue here is that the first victim is none other than Kyle. Little brown, kinky-haired Kyle. Why? There are 9 other non-Black children in Class Two so why him? Terrible book. Why did I pick it you ask? For one, because I could read them the Declaration of Independence and they'd giggle jut the same. And two, because after all the effort it took to get the munchkins dressed, out of the house, into the car, into the library, apply for my library card (I know. What am I, 10 years old?) and maneuver the limo stroller to the kids section, I was too exhausted to actually hunt for the 'perfect' books. I just blindly ran my hand along the shelves and swiped up whatever books extended past the rest. Lesson learned.

I just looked at the date of my last post and gasped at how long it's been! I've noticed that as each month with the boys passes, the amount of "free" time I have continues to dwindle. They are awake for most of the day and have discovered the joys of PLAYING! They can't get enough of the stuff. They want to be bounced, tickled, kissed, thrown in the air (and caught of course), and just about anything that does not involve reclining of any sort. There's been much action around here so I will try my best to recall the big things.

1. STARTED AND ENDED SOLIDS: The boys made their first attempts at rice cereal last week. Not only did the experience lack any nutritional value, but it was a bit anti-climactic for the parents as well (at least for me). The image I had in my head was fit for Disney channel but in reality, it was more like public access TV. I thought there would be food all over the walls, belly laughs, and pictures galore. All I got was sticky hands and a couple of blurry photos. The whole thing lasted all of 8 minutes. Boo for cereal. We haven't tried anymore since then; not because I'm lazy, but because it's just not necessary before 6 to 9 months. I only tried it because I can't escape the "when are you going to give them food?juice?formula?beer?cigarettes?". It's amazing that I'm a 28 year old mother of two and still succumb to peer pressure. So heeding the American Academy of Pediatrics' advice, I will attempt the food thing again at 6 months.

2. TOENAIL UPDATE: Some of you may have heard (or seen) that Braxton was suffering from a grotesquely infected ingrown toenail. I'm exaggerating but that's what it felt like. I was afraid to even take him in to the doctor for fear that I would be greeted by CPS. Fortunately, our new pediatrician passed no judgement and assured me that 1) his toe was not going to fall off and 2) it was not my fault - I was given incorrect cutting instructions by my former pediatrician...hence the word FORMER. So...I've been giving him antibiotics and Epsom salt pedicures 3 times a day and his toe looks fabulous! Hooray for Dr. Wolens!

3. TAKE THIS HOUSE AND...Sell it!: Yep, we're putting our house on the market. It's a bittersweet feeling, but I'm certain we're making the right decision. Our house is just not physically or financially practical for two growing, soon to be mobile babies. It's just so hard to think about leaving behind the home I barely left for 4 months straight. There were just some really amazing memories made in this house and in such a short amount of time! The past two moves we've made have been very emotional for me but with each one, life has just gotten better and better so I can only expect the same from this one. Please keep us in your prayers regarding this situation.

4. STEVIE'S WRITING: It has REALLY taken off! He has been given several assignments for the Houston Press and Envy magazine! At the time he began this endeavor, his goal was to have something printed in one of these publications and here it is just a couple of months later and he did it! So I believe he is officially a "writer". How crazy is that? Make sure you all pick up a copy of the Houston Banner, Houston Press, the Examiner, and Envy magazine and check out his work!

Okay, I've been rtying to add images for 20 minutes and it's not working. I'll try again later.

Thursday afternoon we paid a visit to my Uncle Aubrey and Aunt Brenda's house (my great uncle/aunt AND godparents). Rumor has it that my uncle has special baby-calming powers, and judging by the events of the day, it's true. It's been a while since I've seen them sit with anyone for such a long period of time without a whimper. Both my aunt and uncle were even able to put them to sleep! We were amazed. Being at their house made me remember how much fun my sister and I would have visiting them when we were children. I guess they've still got it:)

...was quite a success! Two months ago I started brainstorming costume ideas and browsing for patterns to make them. By the time October arrived, I had decided that Old Navy was probably a lot better at making costumes than I was. By last weekend I had come to accept the fact that even getting the boys to Old Navy was going to be a struggle in itself. So without further explanation, I present to you.....the "My First Halloween" Onesies!

I love how Caleb's "peeking" out from behind me:)