Always room for one more...

The 4-year old twins just finished potty training before I arrived for my visit. So, for them, the bathroom tends to be another place for social interaction. They love to come in to talk during a shower and often follow me in when I have to take a quick potty break. At first I tried to explain that I was using the bathroom---but this didn't make sense to them. They came in anyway, and since there isn't a lock on the door...

Most the time, one of them will play in the sink and the other will stand right next to me while continuing the conversation we're having. I try to pull my shirt down and be as discreet as possible---but they are 4 and have no interest in anything other than chatting.

I was surprised one day, however, when I felt a small hand reach from behind as I made a quick potty break. I screamed, completely stunned! "What are you doing?" I asked Tim who stood innocently behind me, with a smile on his face and a wad of toliet paper in his hand. "I'm wiping," he replied, still smiling.

Instantly, Ben finished at the sink and stood in front of me. "You pooping? I can help wipe too," he offered, grabbing at the toliet paper. "No---I'm good," I assured them both, trying to decide whether to be mortified, humiliated, or if I should just start laughing. "You just tinkeling," Ben asked, eyeing me to make sure his services weren't needed. "Yes, I'm just tinkeling and i'm done." I promised---the whole time cursing the diet pop for making me have to pee so much...

Don't mess with the unstable crazy lady...

Today we went to the park for an Easter egg hunt. Before the hunt the kids played games and we played at the park. There was a giant jungle gym type thing Monica was climbing on. It looked interesting...

There were some older kids at the top who were shaking the jungle gym while I climbed up to the top. "Please stop," I called out politely. Yeah right, that worked. They started shaking it more vigorously. They were doing it on purpose.

"Stop shaking it, or I'm going to come up there and beat you up!" I threatened in the meanest voice I could muster (really, I wanted to laugh, when I saw the shocked look on the boys' faces.) It worked. The shaking stopped and one of the boys even climbed down and showed me the correct way to climb up to the top. Actually I was relieved. Not that I didn't think I could totally take them---2 smallish boys---not a big deal. But while climbing the jungle gym, they might have had the advantage. Plus, their moms were sitting down below watching.

One of the boys started hanging upside down and of course, to prove I was no whimp, I had to try it myself...at least I didn't fall and kill myself! Although now I'm feeling a bit sore...

I have the power.

I have this shirt. I wear it whenever I need a little extra boost or am feeling a little down. I woke up this morning with a sore throat. Can you believe it? I take it as a personal affront to get sick while i'm on vacation---It's unacceptable! I've decided to completely ignore it and not give it the satisfaction of slowing me down. It will not ruin my time in Switzerland with my sister.

So, anyway, I put on the shirt this morning. I don't wear it very often, just in case it loses some of it's power when I wash it. I came downstairs and the boys went crazy! They absolutely loved my shirt and have been stroking and caressing it all morning. "It's so pretty," they tell me. And it is. It's bright with every color swirled together. Tye-dye.

"You had this shirt in your suitcase this whole day (time)?" Ben asked, touching my sleeve lovingly. He couldn't believe I hadn't been wearing it every single day. "You have more of these pretty shirts in your suitcase?" Tim wanted to know if I've been holding out on them. Nope this was the only one, and between the shirt and the massive amounts of drugs, I was feeling much better.

I bent over and felt a whap on my behind. "Big," Ben yelled out. "Big," (another smack,) "Booty!" he ended with a final whack, followed by a chorus of laughter from the boys. I stood there wondering if I should feel insulted. But I had on the shirt. Any other day, maybe I'd have felt self-conscious. But today, in my shirt---me and my big, big booty are feeling fine.

Maybe I'm really a four-year old in disguise.

Ben and Tim think i'm cool. I kept them entertained for a half an hour on the train blowing bubbles with my gum.

We have the same conversation everyday. I don't even mind. They all start out the same, "What's your name again?" and they include questions about whether or not I have a car and a house somewhere. We never tire of this game. Tim wants to drive my car and Ben wants to visit my house.

I think it's funny when they burp.

When they get hurt, I can kiss them and make it all better. This no longer works with my teeagers at home.

We love gummy bears and sour worms. We ate a whole bag last night. Don't tell Julie..

When I wear my sunglasses, we always share. One of them will reach out and say, "It's my turn to be cool now." It's only fair.

I've decided to take them with me when I leave. I'm wondering if Julie will mind too much...but I feel like they are the only ones who really understand me.

A walk around Wettswil.

We have snacks, water and everyone ready to go for a walk!

James and George found a great bridge. They also found several places they want to build their secret fort...

Next to the pond was a huge marshy spot filled with reeds. I didn't want the boys to go into it---I was worried it would be swampy and they would sink in. Julie called out, "Don't be scared, go see if you can walk in it..." Then she looked at me and said, "You're not much of a 'boy' mom, are you!" It was a statement and it was true. I was freaking out much of the trip as the boys went from danger to danger. But they were fine, and Julie was right. With 3 girls, I'm not much of a boy mom...

Ben and Tim were more my speed. They were happy to stay in the stroller eating snacks on "horse poop" patrol. They made sure to let us know where it was, so we wouldn't push their stroller into it...Very helpful!

And behind curtain number one?

So i'm taking a shower this morning and enjoying the beautiful scenery outside the window when it hits me: if I can see out this window...EVERYONE CAN SEE ME! AACK! I take a few calming breaths and do the only thing I can in order to rinse out the shampoo in my hair and get out of the shower as quickly as possible. I pretend i'm invisible. Hey, don't mock me. It works for me.

Needless to say, we are putting up curtains today. I didn't think it would be an easy task. I mean, after we started this morning, I saw that my sister had perfectly legitimate reasons for putting off this task for so long. Personally, I would be content to give my neighbors and passers-by a free show for the unforseeable future if I had to overcome the curtain-hanging obstacle we faced today.

First we unscrewed the old rods---not too bad. But then Julie had to cut new rods to size. Holy cow---this is so a man's job...


Notice Julie is using the power tools...

Screw in new rods which coincidentally were the perfect size. And we think it was more luck than skill...we tried to use the power drill to screw in the tiny screws but ended up having to do them all by hand. bummer.

Final product: Room number 3 completed! The rest of the rooms will have to wait until after lunch. Our arms are killing us. Don't they look lovely? Julie sewed them!!!

trampolines and rooftops...

The last time I visited my sister Julie, it took several days for Tim and Ben to get used to me. They would look at me and watch me---not sure who I was and why I was there. This time, they have taken to me quite nicely and almost immediately. It is awesome.

Last night after dinner Ben came and stood next to me with his coat and shoes on. "Where are you going," his dad asked. "I'm going with HER." Ben replied, pointing to me. Well, I wasn't going anywhere, and when I told him that I was sleeping up in Monica's bed---he got very excited. "So you can come jump on the trampoline with me," he decided, taking my hand. I guess I could.

I've gotten hundreds of kisses and hugs, they crawled into bed with me this morning, and they came into the bathroom to talk to me while I was in the shower. The older kids are friendly and welcoming, but they are, well, older, and not as free with their love as the twins are. I absolutely can't get enough of it! I'm already dreading having to say goodbye to them when I leave.

"The sun is already awake," Tim tells me as we snuggle under the covers. "We can climb onto the roof and show you," Ben offers, putting his small feet on the wall like Spiderman. I smile thinking of the three of us sitting on the roof and the looks we would get from the cars driving past. Now that would be fun.