Introduction

Well, I'm gonna give this writing thing another shot. I tried to write when the boys were younger but it was just too hard to keep up with. They are quite a bit older now, and I've always got people on my back about keeping a record of our journey, so here goes...

A little about me- I love to write. I'm obsessed with pictures. I love being a mother more than I ever thought I would. I just wish God had made enough coffee to keep up with the beautiful children he gave me. There is never, ever enough coffee!

A little about Jon- He is a true child at heart and the best husband and father in the whole wide world. Most of our journeys start somewhere in the depths of his brain, a place no one will ever understand nor should anyone attempt to understand! I promise you it is a dangerous place! For awhile, I tried to be the voice of reason in this family, to temper his spirit and his wild ideas so that we all lived to see the end of each day. But now that the boys are a bit bigger and sturdier, I've given up and thrown caution to the wind. When Jon has an idea, I've learned to say "Why the hell not?!" because as my mom likes to remind me... "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thorougly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming-- 'Wow! What a ride!'" Sometimes I'm not sure we're even going to arrive alive, but gosh are we having fun along the way!

A little about the boys- Not sure how to summarize here. Our boys are brothers and best friends. All of a sudden they are no longer little babies, but boys. Wildly creative, unbelieveably happy, smarter than we are able to comprehend, full of giggles and laughter, make you laugh 'til you cry, adorable, huggable, loveable little boys. Most all of the time. They are two after all. At times they are clingy, crabby, fussy, and worst of all, irrational. But luckily, those days are few and far between. (Or at least they will be when the last of these two year molars are in!) The boys have a sense of humor and a spirit of adventure that has made raising twin toddlers MUCH more fun than it is supposed to be. Most days, we laugh until we cry. Our hearts swell with pride, so much so that it feels as though we'll explode. Then we laugh some more. Every day, we think we know them. And then they surprise us all over again. Lately we've spent a lot of time wondering what goes on in those brains of theirs. Their bodies are easy to understand- they both have unbelievable gross motor skills that have allowed us to enjoy adventures msot toddlers couldn't dream of. But their minds- we simply can't grasp what is happening in there lately. The boys have a curiosity and love for learning that I've never seen anything quite like. So we fill our days with their neverending quest for knowledge. Some people must look at us and wonder if we strap them to desks for hours each day and force them to study and memorize, but I promise you, and if you know our boys, you will believe me... we just play all day. A smart kind of play. A happy kind of play. A love, learn, laugh kind of play.

Matthew- Matty gets to go first by virtue of being the "oldest"... by a whopping three minutes! My Matty is such a sweet, old soul. We've come to the conclusion that he is arboreal... he has some desperate need to see the world from as high up as his little arms and legs can carry him. Much to my dismay, he is also smart as a whip and despite my best efforts to keep his feet planted safely on the ground, he can devise the best of plans to get himself to where he wants to be. Sometimes I wonder if he's half monkey, half Mexican jumping bean... he's just a climbing, bouncing, whirling ball of fire :) We like to think he has highly advanced problem solving skills that will carry him far in life. Its the only thing that gets me through most afternoons when I'm plucking him off the top of the refridgerator for the 8th time each day!

Caleb- Caleb has earned the nickname "Peedie" in honor of one his favorite storybook characters and short for P.D.- Programming Director! He simply loves to narrate life... he's constantly explaining what is going on, telling the story of our lives in the simplist of ways. He makes sure everyone has what they need, where and when they need it, then he announces the fun as it happens! The kid opens his mouth and we just laugh. His understanding of language is wise beyond his years and if you hear him speak, you'd think he was ten, not two. He is also more laid back lately... a go with the flow, entertain himself, easy going kind of kid. Though are definitely days he joins his brother on that curb :)

And Rigby- we couldn't forget Rigby, our eight year old German Shorthair Pointer pup. Jon and I credit Rigby with teaching us how to be parents. Jon always jokes about writing a book titled "Everything I Need to Know About Raising Children, I Learned From Raising My Dog". We laugh, but its not really a joke... Rigby prepared us to be the parents we are because lets face it, raising kids IS much like raising a dog! Rigby has developed a beautiful bond with his brothers, and while he still gets nervous when THEY are around HIS food, he's happy to sit between them at the table and wait for his share of breakfast, lunch, dinner, or whatever snack the boys may be enjoying. Rigby tags along for each and every one of our adventures and then at the end of the day, snuggles on the couch with the boys while they drink their night time milk. Life wouldn't be life without Rigby, so yes, I just gave our dog his very own section in our introduction and I promise you'll see a great deal of him as you follow our journey!

So... here we go! The adventures of the Paddock Family! Sit back, buckle up, and hold on tight!