1000 Words

So I know it's been quite some time since I've posted a week in pictures.  But I apologize for nothing.  I have twins and a full time (sometimes more than full time) job.  I'm a busy dad.  I mean my daughters are both crawling now which is a full time job in and of itself.  So instead of trying to give you excuses, I'm going to post pictures of my adorable daughters and make you forget all about not seeing them in weeks.

As per usual, I'm linking back up with Kim's Grab A Beer post.

My brother got married last weekend, and we definitely had a blast.  I love weddings so much.  I love them even more when I get to dance and have fun with my wife and celebrate my family getting bigger.  And look how beautiful my wife is.  She is so lovely.

As has been written my girls are crawling and getting into all sorts of mischief.  This is them crawling all over me.  It is a blast because at least their in one place, and I don't have to chase after them.

Here is Ana the technophile discovering that she can stand and reach the electronic devices.  This is a new wrinkle in trying to keep her out of trouble.  I'm all for playing Wii because at least it will keep them active.  Of course at this point they will just eat the controllers.  No perfect games in Wii bowling coming from them.

And here is Ana in her glass case of emotion a.k.a. the sliding glass door.

Erin had the day off this week and brought the girls down to visit me while I was working.  There is no better lunch date than your wife and your daughters.  Of course everyone at my office loves my girls and think they're the cutest.

We went over to my sister and brother-in-law's house this weekend.  It was a great barbeque and a relaxing day with my family.  The girls played in the grass and tried crawling after my brother and sister's dogs.  We also learned a game that my brother-in-law played back in Ohio.  It was called French Darts or Frisbeer depending on who you talk to.  Basically the point of the game is to throw a frisbee and knock a bottle off a pvc tube.  There is a point system that I'd rather not go into at this point, but it was pretty damn fun.

Grace is my sunshine.  And her shirt says it all: I do adore her.

Grace loves watching the Giants game with me.

Seriously.  This is what I see whenever I go into their room in the morning.  Grace wakes up with a smile on her face.  How did we get so lucky?

We're in a real pile.

Guest Post on Becoming Supermommy

I know that I wrote earlier this week that I'd be discussing the joys of two crawling babies.  Well I did.  You just won't be reading it here.  I actually wrote said article as a guest post for Becoming Supermommy.

She has a great blog and was kind enough to ask me to contribute to it.  So head on over and read what I had to write.  I hope you like it.

Twitter Machine Tuesday

It's the one thing I always come back to every week no matter what.  Twitter Machine!  You know you've been missing it over the last seven days.  And why wouldn't you?  You get to be as lazy as me.  There's no story.  No character development.  Nothing challenging whatsoever.  And you better believe that it isn't challenging for me either.  Basically my Twitter Machine posts are the reality tv of the internets. Only with more cartoon birds.

Enjoy!

-I just want to start going to random weddings to tear up the dance floor. Can I get paid for that?
-It will be like Wedding Crashers except instead of trying to get ass, I'd be going simply to cut the proverbial rug.
-Hanging out with friends and drinking rum and cokes after day drinking at a wedding is a recipe for disaster. And good times.
-Luckily I listened to @erinsgirls and stopped drinking after my third rum and coke otherwise I would have certainly been sick.
-@erinsgirls had Chick-Fil-A for the first time on Saturday night. So delicious.
-Why is it that the time you want Chick-Fil-A the most is on Sundays…when they're closed? #hangoverfood
-Being a parent of twins got a lot more interesting now that they're both crawling. More to come on that topic in a full post.
-Already burnt out on the NFL and the lockout and it has only been over for a day.
-Is anyone actually surprised about Amy Winehouse dying? I was more surprised to learn she was only 27. #cocaineisahelluvadrug
-@erinsgirls mentioned Winehouse on Saturday and not knowing what happened I actually said "She's probably dead in a hotel room somewhere".
-She made her fame looking cracked out and singing "Rehab". These are what we call "warning signs"
-I don't care about your politics going to the White House and meeting the President would be so cool.
-You know what I hate? Racism.
-We saw the girls interact with other babies on Sunday. Little glimpses into the future.
-Is Chris Evans becoming a big star with Captain America? I loved him in Not Another Teen Movie and always thought he had star potential.
-Weeds has made my wife suspect everyone of dealing drugs. I'm sure that wasn't the show's intent.
-I need a vacation.  I haven't had an extended period off since the girls were born. I get one in August. Finally. -People being so angry with Netflix makes me laugh. It's $6. Bitching about it will change nothing.
-And now Ana has taken steps while holding onto the couch. #uhoh
-I've often wondered what the "real" Abe Froman, The Sausage King of Chicago, looked like. #saveferris
-If I've never said Happy Birthday to you in person, I'm probably not going to do it on Facebook. Unless you're really cool.
-Went to get Grace the other morning. She was in her crib, holding her stuffed bear and "talking" to it. Adorable.
-Was flipping through the channels the other day and @erinsgirls literally LOL'd at Jimmy Nuetron. #kidschangeyou
-I want to write a pop song with a random iPhone incoming text or voicemail tone. Just to screw with people.
-Are there any blogs that I should subscribe to on Google Reader? I love the blogs I follow. Just expanding the horizons.

That's all for this week's edition of Real Househusbands of Random County.  See you next week.

It's Wedding Season

This past weekend my brother got married.  So for those of you keeping track at home, I've watched my sister and brother both get married within the last two months (or 45 days if I'm being accurate).  I love the people that they've both married.  They both seem to understand our family, and they didn't even run away screaming.  Instead they've jumped right into the fray and bring sharp wit.  My brother-in-law treats my sister with so much respect and adoration.  He loves to have a good time and brings out the fun in her.  My new sister-in-law keeps my brother focused and gives him purpose.  They are both just what my sister and brother need.  They both accentuate and foster positive attributes that they already possess, and they fill in the gaps on the things where they need work.  Basically both these newlywed couples bring out the absolute best in one another.

To me that means they get "it".  They already understand that husband is his wife's biggest advocate.  A wife supports her husband and pushes him to be the best man he can be.  They don't love each other in spite of their differences, they love each other because of those differences.  A family needs the foundation of a loving relationship, and that starts with the parents.  Children need to see relationships that work, and their parents will always be the best example for them (or at least the most prevalent).  In that regard my brother and sister knocked it out of the park.

They're going to be great examples for their children because they so obviously love the people that they've married.  But it goes beyond that.  Their children are also going to see that we should seek out someone that makes us better.  They'll know that a spouse (or significant other for those that don't believe in the whole marriage thing) should not only love you but also challenge you.  He or she should make you laugh every day because what is life without laughter?  You should constantly be reminded of how wonderful life is because you found that someone.  They'll know that you should never be afraid or ashamed of your love.  These are examples you give to your children, and I can tell that this will never be an issue for my sister and brother.

I'm glad to welcome the newest members of our family.  I welcome cousins for my little ones to play with and grow up together (no pressure).  I love that our family continues to grow.  I grew up with one brother and two sisters.  I now have three brothers and four sisters.

I've got to tell you, I love weddings.  I can be my normal sappy self.  Good food.  Seeing family and friends.  Usually drinking a little too much and staying up way too late.  And dancing.  Lots and lots of dancing.  So much dancing that the drinking is more about replenishing fluids and less about getting drunk.  There is no doubt in my mind that the people at The Men's Warehouse hate when I'm renting a tux.  Not because it will be returned on late.  More because I'm going to sweat from all the dancing.  It's really a shame at the end of the night when it's time for the goodbye hugs because I wouldn't want to come near me.  But I just can't help myself.  I love to dance and have a good time that much

You Down With OCD?

I always give my wife a hard time for all the things that make her crazy.  I don't think I'm being too harsh.  She has even written about it in the past, so it's not as if this is some undiscovered country or secret shame.

While I don't hesitate to point out how nuts she is from time to time,  I know that her craziness isn't an affliction that affects her and her alone.

As a side note, here is a pro-tip from a husband that knows better: Never drop a "You're crazy" or "You're nuts" on your wife or significant other during an argument.  You'll never win once you go that route.  It is up there with "Calm down" on the list of things to never say to your significant.  You may think it all day long (and trust me you will…often), but never utter the words.  Because then whatever you're arguing about takes a back seat to you belittling her.  It is classic misdirection.  I sometimes think women are emotional and crazy during arguments just so we'll say those words and open ourselves up to having to defend what we said instead of what we were arguing about in the first place.  Not only that, but you better be ready for her to continue to bring it up constantly.  I don't know what the statute of limitations is for women letting go of stupid stuff you say, but it is somewhere between 20 years and an eternity.

The point of this is to not kick knowledge to the newlyweds and men of the world.  It is more about examining my own OCD tendencies and accepting that everyone is a little bit crazy.

So on to my ticks:

• I bite my nails while watching TV or reading something interesting.  But I hate when my nail is little bit jagged, so I bite away until it is as smooth as I can get it with my teeth alone.  Why not just use clippers and file them?  Pretty inconvenient to do while holding a book, laptop or Kindle.  Stupid question.
• I've noticed that I almost always start this process with the pinkie finger on my right hand.  I can stop without taking care of the nails on all my fingers, but I have to make sure the corresponding finger on my other hand has been taken care of before stopping.
• I always (and I'm saying ALWAYS) put my socks and shoes on the same way.  Left sock to right sock to left shoe to right shoe.  That is the order, and I may not deviate from it.
• There is system to how I load the dishwasher.  It bothers me when it is not done my way.  To the point that I will complain when someone else does it for me incorrectly and will undo their work and reload it myself.  Yes, you read that correctly.  I complain when someone else has done a job for me, and I'll go back and redo it to get it right.  This system is a way to help future me do the unloading my way.
• Every time I drive into San Francisco, I hold my breath through the tunnel on Treasure Island.  It helps the Giants win, right?
• I always set my alarm clock for even numbers like 5:20am.
• I also hate the volume on my car stereo or tv to be anything other than an even number.  For example a Spinal Tap concert wouldn't work for me since it goes to 11.

These are just a few of my OCD tendencies.  What things do you do either consciously or subconsciously that others might consider crazy?