Happy Halloween!

Move over Hannity and Colmes -- there's a new political duo in town!

CNN Article on Moms of Multiples

CNN just posted an article on mothers of multiples. I have to say, it's pretty on target. We have a hard time with the scheduling concept, though, since our own schedules change on a frequent basis. Still, the girls have developed a "schedule" of sorts pretty much on their own. They are remarkable babies.

Here's the link: http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/05/19/multiples.parents/index.html

Ryan's Night Burn

Ryan's "Night Burn" was on June 6, 2008.

Evolution # 1:

Ryan kneeling, facing left, red hat, closest to the camera. [above]

Ryan kneeling between the engines, with "Rescue Randy" laying on the ground behind him. [above] He just completed the first evolution, and was overheated and exhausted. He was thrilled when they finally brought him a chilled towel to help him cool down. Rescue Randy does not have clothes because of the damage done to them during evolutions earlier in the week. Who cares about modesty -- At least he was rescued!

Ryan after the first evolution. [above] This is my favorite picture. He's completely beat, still had two more evolutions to go, and yet he managed a smile!

Evolution # 2

Tech II Taylor, left. Ryan, middle. Ryan pretty much hated having his butt kicked the first few weeks of training. Thanks to the pushing and, dare I say, shoving, by Tech II Taylor, Ryan started seeing results. His shoulders are a little broader, his stamina much better, and muscle definition became apparent after about a month. Some of the recruits have a new respect, and some new slogans, for Tech II Taylor: "Body by Taylor" and "Taylor Made".

Ryan, right. This is a picture of Ryan and his partner hardly working during evolution 2. Actually, they were serving a very important function, since they were the RIT team for this evolution. When a firefighter is down, it's the RIT team that performs the rescue. I guess we'd rather see them "hardly working" because that is an indication that all is well within the burning building.

While Ryan, his partner, and Tech II Taylor were standing under the tree during the second evolution, the announcer decided to have a little fun. "See those three under the tree, smiling and looking like they're doing nothing? They're our RIT team, and believe it or not they actually serve a very important function," the announcer explained. Just as he said this, though, all three were turned around and smiling. Later, when I asked Ryan about it, he said they hadn't heard the announcer's comments. That cracked me up -- they didn't have any idea we were all talking about them, yet their they stood, grinning from ear to ear.

Ryan really didn't want to be on RIT -- apparently he enjoys the physical torture of 90 degree heat, high humidity, 70 pounds of gear, and fire. He understands the importance of the role, though, and he happily filled it since he knew he still had one more evolution ahead.

The RIT team, under the tree.

Robby and Abby watching Uncle Ra Ra, still on the RIT team, help out with the low air tanks of his fellow firefighters.

One of the on-scene emergency vehicles.

Two firefighters head down the ladder to a truck. Look carefully under the second firefighter (on the right). You will see a little strap with a yellow center stripe, wrapped around the handle of an axe. That strap is called the "Kirk Strap".

The Kirk Strap, detail, above. A close-up of the "Kirk Strap". For an unknown reason during training, while Ryan was at the end of that same ladder, the axe dislodged and dropped to the ground. It nearly missed several people, and highlighted a crucial safety issue.

Ryan was not responsible for the drop. Still, it shook him up pretty bad. One of the instructors wisely fixed the situation by placing a velcro strap around the axe and the ladder, thereby securing it in its proper place. The strap is now known as the "Kirk Strap".

Ryan with Zoe and Sydney, before the third evolution.

Evolution # 3:

Emergency vehicles before the third evolution.

Zoe having fun during the third evolution. Zoe, Sydney and Abby did so well during the night burn. Considering the heat, humidity, and length of the program these girls were angels!

Sydney and Zoe.

Saving the Best for Last: Evolution # 4:

The fourth evolution was like the grand finale. The recruits and their instructors simultaneously tackled a car fire and a structure fire while saving "Rescue Randy" (he just keeps getting into trouble) -- and it was very late at night.

The fires on Simulation Way.

The structure fire. The practice structure is made of concrete, so the training facilitators are able to light it on fire over and over again. Each "evolution" is a different scenario. The facilitators light the fires and hide the "victims" -- a role usually filled by good old Rescue Randy.

The truck ladder and its lights above the house on Simulation Way. The lights from the ladder illuminate the smoke pouring out of the building.

The recruits battle the car fire. After the recruits attacked the car fire from the rear, the announcer told the crowd the car fire was out. Well, that wasn't quite the end of the story. While the structure fire simulation continued, the front of the car began to blaze, and the recruits had to put it out again.

Unleash the hoses! It was a spectacular sight when two hoses began dousing the house with water. One hose sprayed off of a truck to the left. In this picture, Ryan and his team are maneuvering a hose on the ground to spray into the second story. They were having pressure problems, which made it very difficult to reach the second story window.

A recruit opens a window. Standing on the overhang in front of the second story windows, a recruit re-opens a window. The forceful spray from the ladder hose closed the shutter on this window, so the recruit opened by pushing it aside with his axe. His flashlight highlights the thick smoke in front of him.

Ryan takes the hose up the ladder. Ryan's hard-earned new strength is apparent in this photo. He is carrying an extremely heavy hose up the ladder -- not an easy task. He was thrilled to do it, though, since this was the first time he'd had the chance.

Ryan with the hose on the second story.

Ryan, left, with his instructor, right. Ryan's instructor helps him battle the blaze from the second story window. When the water was exposed to the extreme heat, it released powerful steam.

Ryan's instructor on the second story. Ryan's instructor moved to the left-hand window on the second story while Ryan knocked down the fire. Apparently, the steam was making things difficult for the facilitator, who was still inside the building. Ryan's instructor moved over to the other window, and asked the facilitator for more details.

Ryan, in a second story window at the end of the fourth evolution. As we were heading home, Dan shouted to me, "There he is!" Ryan had tried to work out an effective signal system for us before the night burn, but I missed it every time. Luckily, Dan understood, and when I turned around there was Ryan, pumping his fists in the second story. I unpacked my camera as quickly as I could, and was able to capture this picture. He was so excited about the night, and he had every right to be.

The smouldering structure at the end of the night burns.

It was an exciting night. It was a really hot night, too. Though I tried not to complain about the heat, considering the recruits were working in far higher temps, I couldn't help it!

We had a great time meeting Ryan's fellow recruits and his instructors. What a great group of people! It's amazing what they have already done, but it is phenominal that they are going to continue doing it! They are fighting their basic fight or flight survival instincts to save others. I left that evening with a far higher respect for firefighters than I ever had before.

More Pictures:

Hooray for Bethany!

Grandma Kirk just told us that our cousin, Bethany, particpated in the Special Olympics in Utah. She had the opportunity to carry the torch during the opening ceremony. Below is a picture from Deseret News of her carrying the torch.

Congrats Bethany!

New Developments: May 2008

Sydney:

• Syd's began saying "What's that?" this month. It sounds like "Wath at?";


• Syd's dance moves have become even more creative. She wiggles her shoulders and sometimes, when she's really excited, she will do the twist.


• Sydney now sings "A, B, C, D, E" of her ABCs. It's the only time she repeats the letters. [Updated May 29, 2008]

Zoe:

• May 22: Zoe says "There she is!" when we play peek-a-boo;


• Zoe has begun dancing more this month;


• Zo Zo now mimics animal sounds. Elephants seem to be her favorite.


• Zoe now says "Where Momma?" for "Where's Momma" when we play peek-a-boo. It comes out perfectly clear, and is so much fun. [Updated May 29, 2008]

Recent Pictures

Graduation! (Almost ...)

Well, if not for many life changing events mostly beyond my control, I would have graduated on Sunday, May 18, 2008. I get the pleasure of another year of classes, and will now graduate in 2009. So, I packed up Sydney and we went to Bender Arena to see my fellow evening students graduate -- and to hear Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer speak. It was a great event. Plenty of parking, ample seating, and a crowd of parents pacing behind the bleachers with their kids.

Justice Breyer's speech was honest, humble and inspirational. One point he made hit me hard -- he essentially dared the grads to become public servants and have
families, and to change the culture of the legal world by demanding reasonable pay and a work-life balance. Kudos, Justice Breyer!

Sydney completely enjoyed every minute of the graduation. We cheered for Uncle John, Aunties Jen and Miriam, and the rest of the grads, and walked around almost the entire arena. Then we ran to the car in the rain, singing our ABCs and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider". You couldn't wipe the smile off of her face!

Eating out ...

The girls and I went out to eat yesterday. It was a big special day at ... MCDONALD'S! It's great that the little things in life seem like heaven to the twins. They treated a day out with Mommy at a cheap fast food restaurant like it was a personal invitation to the White House. Sydney kept saying "Uh Oh". Zoe kept making faces at the camera.

We laughed hard, made an incredible mess, and took lots of pictures and video. Nothing can beat apple slices, milk, chicken nuggets and over an hour of fun for $3.00.

My biggest complaint about McD's is that they have these healthier options for Happy Meals (apple slices instead of fries, milk instead of soda, etc.), but they will default to the bad stuff if you don't specifically ask for something else. They also give you a caramel dipping sauce for the apples, which is an unnecessary addition of sugary calories, not to mention a waste of plastic. Well, we know better for the next time we "dine out" in style.

The best thing about McD's: The place is kid-friendly. That's especially important with twins. My cashier helped me set up the highchairs (which are the best I've seen in any restaurant), and get my soda and condiments. It's always stressful when Ryan and I decide to take the twins out to a restaurant. Servers tend not to think of childproofing the table, and its hard to keep TWO happy at the same time. But McD's has a bright, energetic atmosphere -- which kept the girls happy and entertained. It was a lot of fun.

Here's a couple of videos of Sydney having a good time:

What a blast! I'm so lucky -- these kids are my life! Law school, schmaw school. Being a Mom rocks.

Congratulations Auntie Jodi!

Auntie Jodi graduated from a very difficult nursing program earlier this month. We are so excited for her. What a great example for Abby, Zoe and Sydney! Congratulations Auntie Jodi!




Abby found her niche in the art world -- as a photographer! Not even three years old yet, and all I had to do was take a minute to explain how to work my camera. The following are some examples of Abby's Art:








Here are some more pictures from Jodi's graduation: