M.I.A.

Don't be alarmed - yes, it's a real live blog update from the Riggs Family. Yes, we've neglected blogging for quite some time and have probably lost a few fans, but you must understand how busy it's been! Here's a quick update on what's been happening the past few months:

Jack and Jedidiah have started occupational therapy once a week, infant stimulation (one-on-one play) twice a week, and Jack has physical therapy once a week. We started our homeschooling the last week of August - Jonah in 2nd grade and James in pre-K/K. From when we awake to when we sleep, we must juggle the needs of each child and prioritize who needs what and when. Oh, and we have to eat and nap (except for mommy) throughout the day, too. On Thursdays we meet with our homeschooling group and have "school," where the kids are put into classes according their grades and the moms teach various subjects - I teach science to the 3rd-8th graders. Wednesday is the only day of the week when we have nothing other than school scheduled - hence my hurried attempt to catch up on this blog.

My temper is short and my desire is not to be a complainer (1Tim 6:6), but right how I have two babies whining for my attention, a 6 year old begging for breakfast and a 4 year old trying to climb into my lap. I pray that the Lord continues to reveal to me all the blessings around me, and that what I seek is His glory and not just another cup of coffee.

Jonah into the "Arts"

Jonah is a child with many gifts. He loves to draw, sing and plays a mean game of Dodgeball on the Wii. A couple years ago he tried to play soccer but was more interested in his shadow than the actual goal of scoring on the opponent. Over time Josephine and I have tried to steer him in certain directions to build on his strengths. This summer he attended a couple art classes at Thematic Attic and loved them (especially the snacks). Yet he struggles to grasp the intricacies of swimming (like not drowning) after several lessons. He wants to play the piano and loves riding his bike. So as we continue our search for activities to strengthen his mind and body, we attended a Tae Kwon Do lesson at a local studio. Jonah was interested but not exactly chomping at the bit to sign up.

Well, the Lord has shown us that there are certain experiences Jonah needs. He needs to learn self-control and perseverence (Don't we all!). So Mom and Jonah are returning from his first lesson and he enjoyed it. Yay! or should I say HIYAHH!

Strangers Have The Best Candy

What started as a pre-planned (as in babies fed/diaper bag fully stocked/boys' bladders empty/checkbook ready) trip to Costco turned out to be a lesson in wisdom. Just as all 6 of us were rounding the last section, ready to tackle the snack aisle before heading for the checkout, we were stopped by a nice old man's declaration: "I'm a twin, too!" He came up to me and stated "I believe there's a special place in heaven for mothers of twins." I liked him already. As Justin approached, he yelled "There's the FOT (father of twins)!" and gave him a big hug. He offered Jonah and James some gum, adding the disclaimer "I assure you this gum is fresh from the grocery store. I don't deal drugs." His name is Don, he told us his twin brother's name is Ron (which affirmed my decision to alliterate all our kids' names rather than rhyme them), and he was so full of energy. In a matter of 1 minute he gave us advice on keeping memories of the twins as they grow, emphasized the importance of piano (he plays at the local senior center, where he could very possibly reside himself), and gave Justin more hugs than I have in the past 10 years. After a short "Goodbye" and "Have a nice day", he danced away (at least I think we said goodbye - he was still talking as he left). Really, a breath of fresh air. Maybe someday Jack or Jed will be that old man twin that you run into at Costco, dancing in the aisles, talking about the sweet things that can be found in a piece of gum and in life.

Resident Evil

Merriam-Webster defines "evil" as morally reprehensible, sinful, or wicked. I define "evil" as Trader Joe's All Natural Dark Chocolate-Covered Joe-Joe's with Vanilla Bean Cream. And when they're frozen (thanks for the extra evilness, Tracy), they are even more devilishly delectable. So, since misery (of the marvelous kind) loves company, go out to your local Trader Joe's and sample one - if you can stop at just one. If evil was round, these Joe-Joe's would be Satan himself.

Father's Love

So I 'm a little late in wishing all you dads out there a Happy Father's Day! We celebrated with my brother and his family and my dad with a very informal barbeque, watching all our kids play in the pool. Justin had last Saturday "off" to do what he wanted to do , which was sleep until 10am and watch movies on his laptop - in peace. Later that day he took Jonah and James to see Kung Fu Panda. For one of his presents, I made him a slideshow, and due to technical difficulties, I am unable to post it, but here's the song I used: "Father's Love" by Bob Carlisle.

So thank you, Justin, for being a faithful and loving father to our Fantastic Four.

"Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!" 1John 3:1

$150 Ahead

Yay, yay, yay! We just started saving about $150/month in a matter of minutes. Jed and Jack just finished their LAST can of formula! Many of you know the story - I nursed both of them as soon as they were born but 1)this Bessie just didn't produce enough milk for the calves and 2) since the babies were preemies the doctor instructed us to put them on high calorie formula to supplement the breast milk. Well, they had reflux and despite emptying out their stomachs on our favorite t-shirts time and time again, they still managed to grow. I think I was about to throw myself off Suicide Bridge in Pasadena, up to my ears in baby vomit, when the GI specialist finally recommended this formula, and they finally stopped all the throw up (HELLO, could Dr. Tran have mentioned this MONTHS before every piece of clothing I owned had inadvertently been acid-washed??!!). So, the twins had been on this formula and, mind you, feeding two babies ain't cheap, even when you get this stuff at Costco! Anyway, they're on whole milk now. Since we prefer organic and there's still two of them to feed, I hear my bubble bursting as I write - that $150 in formula just might turn into $ for organic milk, with any change to spare going toward gas. Well, so much for new clothes - let's just hope that 80's acid- wash look comes back real soon.

Happy Birthday, James!

Another milestone in our family - James turned 4 years old yesterday! His birthday party last Saturday was a long time coming. We didn't celebrate his birthday last year because the twins had just been born and life was SO crazy (not that it isn't now) since we were adjusting so many new things. No, we didn't actually forget the day last year, but he didn't get a chance to celebrate it. So this year his request for a "Speed Racer" party was fulfilled, complete with a custom car craft and race car races. Here he is holding his very own Mach 5. He also got a tower of racer-decorated cupcakes, way too many Speed Racer Hot Wheels, and a little bit of a tan from playing outside. I think he's forgiven us for not celebrating last year, but, knowing this little guy, he'll bring it up when we least expect it as leverage for something he REALLY wants. Happy Birthday, Minis!