Merry Christmas to all...

And to all, MANY toys!

Happy Birthday Buddy!

The newest member of the 7 year old club...

Nathan had the "greatest birthday EVER!"

A chocolate, whipped cream covered Army soldier birthday cake.

Friends and family.

Cool presents, video games, go-karts.

Crazy uncles that make you laugh until you cry.

No much can top that.

I can still see you!

Brandon. Russell.

This is said many, many, many times a day. And every time I say his name in that "mommy is not happy" voice he covers his big brown eye's with his chubby little hands. I know what he's thinking...if I can't see her, she can't see me.

Sorry buddy, it doesn't work. But it does make me smile.

Top 20 list of things needed to grow a boy

These are a few things you will need to grow a boy...

1.) Patience
2.) Superhero knowledge
3.) Stain remover
4.) Popcorn
5.) Patience
6.) Lego's
7.) Cars, trucks, airplanes, trains, boats
8.) Sunshine
9.) Dirt
10.) Water
11.) Soap...lots and lots of soap
12.) Patience
13.) Band-aids
14.) Fireworks
15.) Root beer floats
16.) Books
17.) A huge imagination to keep up with their imagination
18.) Glue, in a it's forms, super, wood, Elmer's, for all things broken
19.) A low gag reflex (boys are gross)
20.) Lots and lots of love, hugs and kisses

That's pretty much it. And if I forgot to mention it before, patience.

Fun times

The boys and I have been very busy this past week. School's out, our poor Charlie Brown Christmas tree was carefully put up, ornaments needed to be made, some presents were bought but most have been made, and yummy goodies have been baking away, so many bowls and spoons have been licked clean. We love Christmas time. The boys always make a new ornament for the tree every year. This year we were ambitious and made two, candy cane's out of pipe cleaners and beads, and foam cutout ornaments decorated with glass beads and tons of glue. With the exception of garland and a few selected ornaments, the boys made everything else on the tree. It looks absolutely beautiful! I tried to get a picture of the boys in front of the tree but that didn't work out so well. Nathan stood at attention with a perfect little smile across his face the entire time, but Brandon, well he was just being himself. Every picture he either had an ornament in front of his face or he was a complete blur. He doesn't stand still for more than a second. So, if you are not fast, you are not going to get a good picture of that boy.
Nathan's birthday is in two days. He is going to be 7 years old. Today we picked out an Army soldier birthday cake and finalized birthday party plans. He doesn't know it yet, but we are taking him to a new pizza place here in town. They have indoor go carts, bumper cars, video games galore, bounce house's and of course an endless amount of pizza. Brian and I can't wait to surprise him!

Independence

This word should not exsist in my children's vocabulary. I know that is a horrible thing to think or even say out loud, but, dang! Why do my little boys want to grow up so fast? Nathan will be 7 yrs old in a few short days that cannot come fast enough for him. Baby Brandon will be 3 yrs old one month later. I know I sound like a broken record. I'm always wishing and hoping I could just freeze time so they'll stay little forever. But as hard as I try, they keep pushing foward. I guess I should be happy and proud that they are finding thier own way in life, it just hurts. Nathan has now decided that we don't have to tuck him into bed anymore and that he needs an alarm clock so he can get himself up in the mornings. Everything Brandon does, he has to do by himself. Don't dare try to help or WWIII will break out. Believe me. I've seen it for myself. It's not a pretty site!
Nathan knows our normal daily routine and has it down. I don't have to tell him to brush his teeth after breakfast or put his coat in the closet when he gets home.
I don't have to tell Brandon to put his underwear on under his pants anymore or not to brush his hair with his toothbrush. They do what they are suppose to do when they are suppose to do it.
Most days anyway.

Papaw, Pinkeye and Pancakes

All week long, Nathan has been so excited for today. This morning at school he was going to have breakfast with Santa with Papaw as his special guest. He wanted to show Papaw his classroom, his teacher, where he hangs his jacket and book bag. They were going to have a fine dining experience at his schools cafeteria and feast on cinnamon rolls, fruit cocktail and runny eggs. Papaw was even going to drive him to school. It couldn't get any better than that.
Then the unimaginable happened. He woke up this morning with the dreaded pinkeye. Oh the horror! His little heart was broken. No school today. No breakfast with Santa and Papaw. No cinnamon rolls. Tears started to stream down his face. Think fast mom, whatcha gonna do?
To fix the tears Papaw and I decided we could take the kids to McDonald's for breakfast and eat inside. They never get to eat inside, that's reserved for special occasions. Like today.
After eating three pancakes, some sausage, half of Papaw's biscuit and a big orange juice, Nathan's tears were all dried up and a huge smiled was plastered across his face, along with some syrup. Nathan declared this was a lot better than eating at school and we decided we need to do this more often. Brandon was a pretty happy camper too. He tagged along, ate three pancakes himself and guzzled an orange juice. He also has pinkeye. I'm sure we all looked pretty special this morning.
Thanks for the great morning Papaw. You helped turn a very bad day into a special treat for the boys and I.

Aaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Yesterday was too good to be true. Brandon brought me right back down to reality this afternoon.

Busy, busy bumble bee

I love having a purposeful day. Yesterday was one of those days. Bright and early I woke up before children stirred in their warm blankets. I packed a field trip brown paper bag lunch for Nathan and an extra one for Brandon even though he couldn't go. They decorated their bags the night before with stickers and markers. Nathan even swiped Samson on the butt with a green marker. He looked like he belonged on the Fruit Stripes bubble gum wrapper.
I let the dogs out before their bladders burst then got all fancied up for an interview. Painted my face and put on something other than raggedy jeans and a stained t-shirt. I woke the boys up, got them dressed and packed Nathan's book bag. Brian finally got up to finish the morning off with toaster strudels and o.j. I bounded out the door after many hugs and kisses. I haven't had a ''morning drive to work'' in a very long time. One forgets how frustrating traffic can be when the only place you go in the morning is less than a mile from your home. I arrived to my future place of employment and met my future boss (hopefully), went through a very good interview and walked out of there with a little spring in my step.
Next on my list...field trip. I met up with Nathan's class at the Children's Museum and played for the next four hours. I love watching kids explore and discover. What is better than watching a child's imagination flourish?
After watching the kids load back onto cold yellow school buses, I headed home to my other two guys. Stopped to get us some Korean food, dropped it off at home so Brian could get it ready for the boys, and picked up Nathan from school. After dinner, Nathan, Brandon and I snuggled on the couch for a quick little power nap and then we were refreshed for the rest of the evening to play, read and watch cartoons.
Yesterday was a great day. Plus the kids were on their best behavior all day long! What else could I have asked for?

No...

Lately our home has been full of No's.
No! I don't want to go to bed.
No! I don't want to eat that.
No! I don't want to listen because I'm tired and hungry.
No. No. No!
My patience has been tested. Tested hard. Tested to the point I left the house as soon as Brian got home, walked around Kroger's for an hour only to return home with a gallon of milk.
Brandon is full throttle into his terrible two's even though he is almost three. And Nathan thinks that he is old enough to do whatever tickles his fancy.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. I haven't seen it yet, but I know it's there. I see the glimmer of compliance in Brandon's eyes every once in awhile. And Nathan figured out the other night that he actually does need me. You know for bedtime stories and root beer floats.

Shake it like you mean it baby!

My Nathan is a born entertainer. He loves to perform and last night he gave the performance of a lifetime. I laughed so hard my ribs hurt, I smiled so much my cheeks were sore and of course, I cried because my baby is growing up and I still haven't figured out how to make him stop.

Last night was his first ever school program.

After the introductions were done, the lights went dark and the kids sang Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World" while pictures they drew were projected onto a large screen. I'm so thankful the lights were out because I cried so hard. I love that song and hearing little voices sing it tugs at the heart strings. Then they "juggled" scarfs to circus music. Nathan was so serious. And after he caught each one he would look up to see if we were watching. They twirled ribbons to some an Asian themed music which was really pretty. And then, the best was saved for the very last. The kids put on cowboy hats and danced to "Cotton Eye Joe." Oh my goodness, that whole gymnasium erupted into laughter. Those little bodies shimmy shakin' to the music was so hilarious. Hula hoops were brought out to swing around necks and waist. I've never seen Nathan's little hips move so fast in my life. I've never seen any one's hips move that fast, not even hula dancers! They even got to do some free style dancing of their very own. Nathan has been waiting for that all week. He loves to dance so he made up some break dancing/West side Story snapping fingers/river dance routine. Oh my. I can't even describe how funny it was. Brian and I laughed so hard we both had tears streaming down our faces. All my mom could do was say "that's my boy!" And my dad had the hardest time taking picture's because he was laughing so hard he was shaking the camera. After they were finished and the applause died down, Brandon yells out "Yea Bubba!" Nathan had the biggest smile on his face I've ever seen. That was the best night ever!

How do you feel today?

A little silly?

Or do you have an attitude?

Ice cream as big as your head

Nana and Papaw treated the boys and I to a wonderful afternoon a few days ago. To celebrate a whole week of good school behavior we spent the afternoon eating, playing and going out for ice cream. Nathan got a root beer float that was seriously as big as his head and he inhaled it faster than I could tell him to slow down. I looked at it when he first got it, turned my head to get Brandon settled with his ice cream, looked back at Nathan and it was gone. His eyes were glazed over from all the sugar and a big smile was smeared across his face. Brandon took a little longer to eat his but he finished every single bite. He got one scoop of strawberry ice cream in a dish. He used his spoon, a straw and then decided it was best to just pick up the dish and slurp it up. It was way too much ice cream for one little boy, but he was determined and finished it all. After he was done he rubbed his belly, moaned and smiled like he was in heaven. After the ice cream was devoured we headed over to the other side of the parlor, looked at Christmas decorations, the boys talked us into getting them some rock candy and little wooden tops. It was a great time. My parents and I laughed so hard watching the kids eat/inhale their treats. I don't know who had more fun, the boys or us.

Here again

Our computer is acting up again, that's why I haven't been able to post anything lately. So, while it's working (for the moment) this is what we've been up to.

Halloween was a blast. Nathan was a special ops Army soldier and Brandon was a magician. Nathan was so serious and Brandon wouldn't smile because of his painted on mustache.

Nathan has had some trouble at school. His little motor mouth is the trouble. Talking and laughing and joking around seems to be more important than learning right now. So, he's been grounded and almost didn't get to go trick-or-treating. Oh the horror!

Brandon had the croup a couple of weeks ago. He woke up one night with a cough that sounded like a seal barking and he was clawing at his mouth because he couldn't breath. I wrapped him up and was going to take him to the ER but once the cool night air hit him, he was just fine. We went to the dr's office the next day for some medicine and he's right as rain now.

Brian has completely healed from having his appendix taken out and is back to work putting all those bad guys in jail.

And I'm the proud owner of a few more gray hairs. Lucky me.

That's been our life.

Oct 7th, D-day for Daddy

Brian turned 37 today.
No balloons or fancy parties. Just cinnamon rolls and handmade cards from the boys.
Brian doesn't like any fuss or attention directed toward him. If he could sleep all day long and not have anyone mention his birthday, that would be just fine.
But the boys could not let that happen. Brandon sang Happy Birthday over and over. Nathan kissed him and told him that he doesn't look old. He received phone calls and cards. His mom made him a great dinner and Kelila flashed her gorgeous smile at him. The guys that he works with even decided to have "man night" tonight in his honor.
Turning 37 isn't so bad, now is it honey? At least you don't look old!

I Spy

Nathan has always loved to play I Spy. He has some I Spy books, he has watched the cartoon and we play it in the car, at home or on our walks around the neighborhood. It's how I taught Nathan his colors, shapes, numbers and letters. Now Brandon is starting to fall in love with the game. He hasn't quite grasped the concept of it though. He understands when I ask him to find something blue, he looks for something blue. But when it is his turn to ask me to find something, he blurts out what the object actually is. He'll say "I spy my white socks" or "I spy my red cup." It cracks me up. At least he knows his colors and shapes. Now if he could just identify his letters and numbers we'd be golden. I spy with my little eye future geniuses!

Finally, the weekend!

This week has been a little hectic. Tuesday Brian woke up and didn't feel that great. He went to work anyway but a few hours later he was on his way to the hospital. Now, if Brian goes to the doctor for anything, it's because he thinks he may be dying. So when he called and said he was going to the hospital I was sure he was a goner. He told me he thought it was his appendix but wasn't sure so he was going to go get checked out. Four hours later it was confirmed that his appendix was the cause of his tummy ache and surgery was scheduled for sometime the next morning. I hate when they say "sometime" the next morning. That's a twelve hour period! At 6am the next morning Brian called to tell me they would be taking him back for surgery within the hour. The boys and I were out the door 15mins later (everyone dressed, hair combed, toys and snacks packed, and waffles in hand) and on our way the hospital. We get there, race up to his floor just to find out we missed him by two minutes. But the lovey nurse called the other lovey nurse and told her to wait so we could see him for a few minutes. We got to see Brian before surgery, kissed him, hugged him and told him we love, love, love him. 45 minutes later the doctor came out to the waiting room and told us Brian was just fine. He appendix did not burst, it was just a little inflamed and he should be able to go home the next day. Sigh of relief and a hallelujah was heard around the room.
While Brian was in recovery, the boys and I raced back home. I got Nathan ready for school, fed the dogs and let them out, took Nathan to school, then Brandon and I went back to the hospital to welcome Brian back from la-la land.
A day later with a few stitches and pain medicine in hand, we were bringing Brian back home. He's a little slow on his feet and a little cranky (that's pretty normal for him anyway!) but feeling better.
Brian has some of the greatest friends and family on this earth. They called me to make sure the boys and I were ok, the guys he works with sat with him at the hospital when I had to go home to take care of the boys, my parents and our neighbors offered to watch the boys or take Nathan to school for me if needed. I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to know that we have such amazing people in our lives. Thank you all!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn

It is always bittersweet to say goodbye to summer. No more long days to soak in the sunshine. No more playing outside in the warmth from son up til son down. (heehee, get it? Sun/Son. I crack myself up!). But I absolutely love, love, love autumn. The crisp cool weather, leaves changing colors, carving pumpkins for Halloween. Love it!
Nathan is also torn. He hates that it's getting dark earlier outside but is so excited for Halloween. G.I.Joe is all the rage with him right now so of course that is who he wants to dress up as for Halloween. Brandon says he wants to be that too, but Iron Man keeps coming up every now and then. I'm sure he'll change his mind a hundred times before the big night comes around.
We will be making Fall/Halloween decorations this weekend to welcome the change of season. Ghost and skeletons will be lerking around our front yard. Bats and spiders will dare you to ring our doorbell. And a fat pumpkin will be proudly plopped on our front steps saying "two crazy kids, a mummy, mad hatter, and two devil dogs live here. Would you like some candy, my sweet?"

Tooth Fairy

The tooth fairy paid a visit to Nathan last night. He lost yet another tooth. I told him we won't need to get any pumpkins this year for Halloween, I'll just sit him outside with a flashlight and he can be our jack-o-lantern. He didn't think that was very funny.
Anyway, when he woke up this morning under his pillow were two crisp dollar bills, two shiny quarters and one rough looking half dollar coin. He promptly put the dollars in his billfold, the quarters in his piggy bank and the half dollar in his treasure box. Boy, oh boy, does that tooth fairy know exactly what my jack-o-lantern looking child loves.

Monkey in the tree

Three branches high.
There must be courage in those leaves.

Road Rash

When we were on our neighborhood safari with our lovely neighbors the other night, Brandon decided to trip and fall on perfectly imperfect pavement. He actually did this two days in a row, the same exact place, almost the same exact time but not the same outcome. The first time he fell, no little hands reached out to brace the fall. This is the result of that fall...road rash. His forehead, nose, cheeks, chin, elbow and little hands are all scraped up.

The second time he fell he reached out to catch himself.

A little giggle followed.

A lesson learned.

Fun fun fun

It's only Saturday and this weekend has been an all out blast. Friday before Nathan got out of school, Brandon and I put up a small tent in the backyard. It's still amazes me how easily amused my children are. As soon as Nathan got off the bus Brandon was dragging him to the backyard to see their new man cave.( Sampson thinks it's a deluxe doggie bungalow and drags his toys in there to play with the boys. )

So last night we invited our neighbors out for ice cream and by the time we got home it was just starting to get dark. We all piled into our backyard with flash lights, glow sticks, a "camp" fire and we also had a safari hunt around the neighborhood. The kids ran around the backyard with their lights, they hunted for crazy yellow birds (Brandon's big bird chair) and played red light, green light. They ran for 2 straight hours. They were sweaty, dirty, exhausted and ready for root beer float popsicles. And of course they had to eat those drippy popsicles in the already steamy tent. Oh well, what's a little mess among friends anyway?

Today the boys slept in a whole hour and then they were ready to go outside for some more fun. They played in their tent all morning then Brandon took a two and a half hour nap to recharge and was off again like a speeding bullet. I wish I had their energy. Maybe if I took a two and a half hour nap I would.

Take me out to the ballgame

Last night my dad and I got to go to a baseball game all by ourselves. Shhh...don't tell the kids. Nathan would probably blow a gasket and Brandon would pout all day. We usually take them with us but I was ready for some alone time with my dad. The air was crisp, we ate hot dogs and popcorn, we sat in cold hard seats and watched foul balls zip over our heads. It was great. I love baseball but usually only make it to one game a season. And then we never stay for the whole game. Either the kids get restless or it gets late and the kids get tired. Even last night without the kids we only stayed until the 8th inning, I wanted to get home so I could put them to bed. That's pretty sad. But my dad fully understands.
I don't even know who won last night but I had a wonderful time just sitting beside my dad in those cold, hard seats saying nothing at all.

Regular scheduled programming

What a week!
Some of Brian's family flew in this past weekend and it has been a whirlwind on fun! His brother and niece came in from Connecticut and his dad came in from Minnesota. We ate great food, went to the state fair, ate more food, played games, talked, ate, laughed, and oh, did I mention we ate some really good food!
I love it when family comes over, we always have such a great time.
The boys already miss everyone. They loved waking up and having Grandpa here for big hugs first thing in the morning. The loved having Auna here to play with and Uncle Rick to make them laugh. We also got to see other family members like Uncle Joe, Lauren and Kelila, Harmony, Uncle Eric and Chris. We made new friends with Kim and Gail and their lovely children. Nana and Papaw even made an appearance.
I think the best day was Saturday. We got to go to the state fair in the morning and ride some crazy rides, play games, and some of us ate tons of fair food. Then that evening we had a cookout at our house. The guys made some awesome food. I love it when the guys cook. Mainly because that means I don't have to cook but also because I don't have to cook! I just have to clean up the mess, which is a great trade off.
We are back to our regular normal life now. Brandon woke up asking for everyone today, Nathan didn't want to go to school and Brian didn't want to go to work. My morning coffee wasn't as enjoyable without Brian's dad telling me a story. We were a pretty pitiful site this morning!
Thanks for visiting us everyone, we really had a wonderful time.
PS...Penny, you have until next spring to heal up and join us! We missed you!

I big boy

Brandon is growing up and changing every single day. I love watching him discover the world through little boy eyes. Crickets amaze him, beetles make him scream, pooping in the potty is the funniest thing ever and fire alarms are out of this world. Yep, fire alarms. He set one off at Walmart yesterday. My face turned every shade of red as I tried to turn it off , but of course that can't be done. You have to talk with someone who works there, let them know what happened, glare at your child with the "just wait until we get home" look and then gather you belongings and head for the closest register as fast as possible. Nathan thought it was hilarious since he wasn't the one in the hot seat for once.

Don't let his big brown eyes and chubby little cheeks ever fool you into thinking he's a little angel. What lies beneath that sugar coated face is this...

Knot-head

Question: What happens when your phone rings and you see that your sons school is calling?



Answer: Beat your husband to get the phone out of his hands so you can answer it with pure panic in your voice.





Friday Nathan had a little accident on the playground at recess. He's ok but had a black and blue goose egg on his forehead. Apparently he tripped and went flying into the jungle gym. When I arrived at his school to check him out, he was sitting in the nurse's office holding an ice pack to his forehead. No tears or sniffles for my little trooper. That was until the nurse and I decided that he should go home so we could keep a close eye on him. Then he starts wailing because he wants to stay at school and play with his friends. I felt like such an over protective mom! It's not the first time I've felt like that and I'm sure it isn't going to be the last either.

So after convincing him that we would have fun he reluctantly came home with me. Brian strapped an ice pack to his head and they played a few video games. I made peanut butter surprise cookies, we ordered Korean food and watched a movie and ate popcorn.

Today the goose egg has went down but a large bruise in every shade of nastiness is splattered across his head. Nathan has also decided that he needs to pick up his feet when he runs.

A letter to Nathan's first grade teacher

Dear Mrs. White,

Today you get to keep my son all day long. His little hand may reach for yours today because he sometimes gets nervous around new kids and needs a hand to hold. Please hold it as I would.
For his lunch, I packed something nutritious and yummy. I put a little letter in his lunch box to let him know that I'm thinking of him and love him so very much. He may need help reading it. Please help him and read it with love in your heart.
At recess today he'll probably look for his friends from Kindergarten and play cops and robbers. If he falls and scrapes his knee, can you wipe his tears and let him know that everything will be ok.
And, if by chance he gets teased by a classmate, would you beat the snot out of that little brat like I would if I were there.

Thank you and have a wonderful first day of first grade!

Sincerely,
Nathan's mommy

Happy Birthday Papaw!

Yesterday was my dad's birthday. We had such a great time. The kids really enjoy celebrating birthdays and since it was Papaw's big day it was even better.

We had a weenie roast, blew out birthday candles (a few times), ate key lime cheesecake, swam, roasted marshmallows, ate popcorn and ice cream bars and hugged and kissed him all day long. It was a great day.

Happy birthday dad! I hope your 57th year is the best one yet! xoxoxo

Life's questions

Why is climbing up the slide almost as fun as going down the slide?


Why do skinned up knees look worse when they are healing than when they happen?

Why do mosquitoes think my boys taste so freaking good?

Summer is now complete

The ice cream truck is no longer a fictional character to my children. We actually saw it and purchased two melty ice cream sandwiches from it today. According to the boys, they were soooooo good. Brandon wore most of his all over his face, down his arms and on his shirt. Nathan ate his so fast I almost thought he dropped it and didn't tell me we left it down the street. Here one minute and gone the next.
All summer long we missed the darn thing. Either she would drive around our neighborhood on cold rainy days when no one wanted ice cream (or mean mommies wouldn't let their kids out) or she would just not come around our neighborhood at all. But now that the kids actually know she exists, summer can now come to an end.

Summer break for Nathan is almost over anyway. He starts first grade in six short days.
First grade.
I'm not ready for this. He'll be gone all day long. He'll ride the bus home.
Can you hear that?
Shhh...listen very carefully.
That's the sound of panic setting into my heart.
Nathan is excited though. We got him a G.I.Joe back pack and lunch box. New tennis shoes and clothes. He's armed with all the first grade equipment...sharpened pencils, new crayons, fresh markers.
I've got six days to ready myself to let my baby head off into the world of all day school. There's no turning back.

Favorite Things...

Nathan and Brandon are constantly changing their minds about what their favorite things are. One day Nathan can't get enough chocolate milk, the next day he only wants white milk. For the past 2 years Brandon had to eat oatmeal every single morning, but now if he doesn't have yogurt the world just doesn't spin right.
I like consistency so having two little mind changers around puts a little spice in my life. It's fun, sometimes frustrating, and always interesting.
Brandon usually likes bubbles in his bath but a few days ago he decided that bubbles are evil and will eat him alive if he got into a tub full of them. Then last night he screamed bloody murder because there were no bubbles in his bath. Nathan use to like cherry yogurt, but this morning he decided that it's the nastiest flavor ever. I agree, cherry yogurt is pretty gross, but I just bought a bunch of it at the grocery store last night for him. It makes you want to say "What the hell?" But I don't. Brandon would surely repeat my little phrase in his not so little voice while it's really quiet at the doctor's office or something.
Lego's are cool, sidewalk chalk not so much unless it's 3D. GI Joe and Buzz Lightyear are awesome but Barney has been kicked to the curb (thank goodness!).
But that's just this week. Who knows what they'll like tomorrow.

7 years ago

7 years ago today Brian and I got hitched in Las Vegas. It was a blast. And it has been a blast ever since. We've bought a house, had two kids, changed careers, laughed, loved, cried and everything else in between. It's been great and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us.
Brian had to work today so we haven't been able to celebrate as we would have liked (and when I say we I mean me). So this weekend my parents are watching the kids (overnight) for us. It will be the first time that both of the kids have spent the night away from us. I'm kind of excited and nervous all at once. Silly, I know! But I'm excited to have Brian all to myself for an entire day and night. No little monkeys hanging on his leg while I try to talk to him, no pitter-patter of little feet running into our room at 3am to snuggle with us, no fights to break up at dinner. That's what I'm excited about. We could stay home and sleep all day for all I care. I just know a quiet evening with Brian is all I want.

According to Nathan...

How cute is that?

Need a paw?

This past weekend Brian had a little project. He was to install a kitchen faucet. Unfortunately Brian needed a lot of help with this project. So look who came to his rescue...

Samson helped a whole bunch. He stole the flashlight, nibbled on Brian's legs, climbed over his belly and gave him kisses of encouragement. Big help!

Good times

Fajitas on the grill, baseball in the backyard, snow cones made on a brand spankin' new snow cone making machine and a blackberry vanilla custard pie. Summer afternoons with my parents make for good times.

And getting the sillies worked out of you by papaw aren't too bad either.

Thanks for the fun.

...and the snow cone machine!

Views from our back door

We have seen so many things from our back door. The boys and I will pull up the kitchen chairs, grab a snack and watch what is going on in our back yard. These past few months have been really good too.
We've seen men swinging from limb to limb in our neighbors trees, pruning it back. Kittens have lived under our shed. We got to watch them play and grow. Now there are two baby bunnies that have taken up residence under there. We've seen fireworks and fire trucks, raccoons and opossums, and crazy squirrels chasing each other around the trees. The fireflies have been lighting up our backyard lately, playing peek-a-boo with the kids. Now you see me, now you don't.
I've let the kids play outside by themselves. It's funny watching them play "unsupervised." They think they are big stuff, running and jumping off of their jungle gym. Chasing each other like little madmen. All the while they both keep sneaking peeks at the back door to see if I'm watching. I am, of course, but I'm hiding. They think they're getting some much deserved independance from mommy but I'm still watching like a hawk. Those two can get into a lot of trouble in no time at all.

Quiet night

It's 12:53am.
All is calm and quiet.
The kids are snuggled in bed, dreaming of new ways to torment each other.
Brian is off enjoying "man night" with his buddies from work.
The dogs are snoring and chasing bunnies in their dreams.
And I'm being serenaded by B.B. King.
Oh, how I love Mr. King and his lovely Lucille.
Let the Good Times Roll, The Thrill is Gone, Rock Me Baby, If I Lost You.
I love these quiet nights.

Happy 4th of July

The 4th of July is always so much fun. The fireworks, food, family, fun in the sun, there's nothing better. We actually have been celebrating for the past week. Last Sunday we watched the fireworks display at a near by church, we've watched the neighbors let off bottle rockets all week long and yesterday we spent the afternoon with my parents. We played, went swimming and stuffed our bellies with hot dogs. And to be extra patriotic we bought an American Bulldog, Samson. Today, for the actually big celebration day, it is raining. Raining, pouring, drizzling. Pretty yucky. So, tonight we are going to pop popcorn and enjoy the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on tv.
This weekend is also a great weekend for birthdays. Ryan is turning a year older today. My brusin'-in-law is turning the big 4-0 tomorrow and my good friend Maggie is turning 29 (again) tomorrow too. Happy birthday all, hope you have a great birthday weekend.

New bundle of joy

Meet Samson.

He is the newest addition to our family. At 7 weeks old he weighs in at a solid 15lbs. Nathan and him are going to be great buddies. He follows Nathan around every where and if Nathan sits down on the floor, Samson is jumping on his lap. Brandon still isn't too sure about him yet. Samson loves to kiss Brandon's toes though.

He's a good baby. And I can see that we are going to have tons of fun with him.

Kool-aid smiles

You know when summer finally sets in when all the kids you see have kool-aid smiles. You know, the stained upper lip every color of the rainbow. My boys are no exception. Today theirs were red. Red lips, mustache, teeth, t-shirt, the whole nine yards. I think it's so cute.
This week we have spent pretty much every minute outside. It's been hot, humid and sticky. Perfect for kool-aid and popsicles. The ice cream truck has been teasing us endlessly too. We hear it in the neighborhood behind ours but never see it. That drives the boys nuts! So, I have to break out our own popsicles or ice cream to hold back the tears of frustration. Stupid ice cream truck. How mean is that anyway? Drive through one neighborhood but not any others. Seriously.

Even though...

I love my dad.

I love my dad even though he drove me to school in a hideous baby-poop-brown Pacer that would smoke and backfire. Causing me to never to miss the bus on purpose again.

I love my dad even though he would push me head first into huge snow piles.

I love my dad even though he would tease me until I was so mad all I wanted to do was cry. Then he would make me laugh, which would make me even more mad because I didn't want to laugh...I wanted to cry and be mad.

I love my dad even though he would wake me up by squirting water up my nose with a water gun.

I love my dad.

I love my dad because he would wake me up early so we could drive to the park and watch the sun rise over the trees, then go pick up breakfast for mom.

I love my dad even though we wouldn't catch any fish, we had fun sitting in the boat talking about nothing but saying everything.

I love my dad.

I love that my dad taught me to laugh at myself, to smile at rude people, how to get even and how to tease my kids. I love that he taught me how to be a good listener, a good friend and a great parent.

I love that my dad loves my kids and they love him.

I love my dad. Happy Father's Day, Daddio!

Not much goin' on

It is hot and humid here in our neck of the woods. So to beat the heat we cloud gazed and ate popsicles.
That is all we wanted to do.
So that is all we did.

Happy Birthday Nana!

Today my mom turned 39 years old...again. I won't say how many times she has turned 39 because that's a secret.

Nathan picked out some lovely sun flowers for her.

We had a wonderful steak dinner that my dad made for us. He makes one heck of a steak!

The boys and I made a super special birthday cake in the shape of a heart, complete with little finger swipes from taste testing. It was our version of a banana split cheesecake. Nummy num num, as Brandon says.

And the boys loved and kissed all over her, fought about who was going to sit next to her at the dinner table and begged for her to play in their bedroom.

It was a pretty good night to turn 39 again.

Love ya mama!

The weatherman lied!

Nothing really went according to plan today. First we were suppose to go to a strawberry festival but it turns out that it closed yesterday. So we turned around and decided to go grab lunch. While we were having lunch the sky opened up and let loose. It rained and rained and rained. Nathan blurted out "the weatherman lied to me! He said it was suppose to be nice and sunny today!" I tried to explain that in Indiana it really doesn't matter what the weatherman says, mother nature kind of has a mind of her own. We finished our lunch and made a mad dash for the car. Nathan splashed in every puddle and Brandon buried his head in my chest as we ran. We were all more than a little soaked, to say the least. So since our plans of sunshine and strawberries were washed away we made our way back home.
Once we got home I asked the boys if they wanted to play outside. Nathan looked at me like I was crazy "but it's still raining outside." "So" I said "are you afraid of getting wet?" And off we went to slosh in the mud puddles of our backyard.
It was awesome.

Po Po

The kids love the fact that daddy is a policeman. Brandon use to have trouble saying policeman so we taught him to say po-po. He would run around the house yelling "daddy po-po! daddy po-po!" all the time.

Yesterday we had to go pick up Brian's police car at the garage so he would have it for work today. I think it rattled louder than the sirens blare! The boys got to climb all over the car, inside and out, turn the lights and sirens on and act like cops and robbers. (In the above picture Nathan was arresting Brandon.) I just hope that neither of them actually become a cop. But sometimes I think it's just in the cards...

ps...did you notice Brandon's new t-shirt from Gampa (Brian's dad)? It's Bam Bam! Sooo appropriate!

Busy Bee's

We've been busy, busy, busy this past week. Well, not really busy, just enjoying the summer. This is what we've done:

• Nana and Papaw let us come down and swim in their pool, fed us yummy food and stuffed our faces with the best desserts ever! (I made the desserts, so of course they were great! Just ask me, I'll tell you!)


• Uncle Rick was in town so we got to hang out with him. The boys fought over who was going to sit next to him, he took them out for ice cream and played baseball in the back yard.


• We also got to see Uncle Eric and he taught the kids how to "pull his finger." Thanks Uncle Eric!


• Harmony (Brian's mom) took us to the Korean store and loaded the kids up with every snack possible.


• We have also been to the playground a few times and spent countless hours in our back yard playing in the sprinkler, sandbox and picking our neighbor's flowers.


• I've taken Nathan to our public library for story time and we've signed up for their summer reading program. So far we have read three books.

That was our week. Now it is raining and we are stuck inside. Brian is off for the next three days and I think we are going to try to take the kids to Uncle Eric's fire station to see the fire trucks, maybe the Children's Museum and possibly bowling. Fun, fun, fun!

Summer Checklist

Sprinkler...Check

Sandbox...Check

Root beer Floats...Check

We are off to a good start.

No more pencils, no more books...

Summer vacation is finally here! My little man is now a first grader. Holy cow, where did the time go? It seems like just yesterday we were packing Nathan's back pack for the first day of school. Unopened boxes of crayons, a new Incredible Hulk notebook, sharp No. 2 pencils are now replaced with broken crayons, the notebook is filled will little Nathan stories and the pencils are dull and the erasers are worn from correcting misspelled words. So much has been learned this year. Not only by Nathan but me too.
He has learned how to solve math problems, read, spell, make new friends and become an independent young man. I've learned to let him do his own thing and that he doesn't need me to hold his hand every second of the day. My lessons were a little harder to comprehend and accept but I've finally let them soak into my thick skull and just go with it.
I'm so proud of Nathan. He is smart, kind and very determined. I couldn't be any happier.

What's in your pocket?

Boys love putting their treasures in their pockets.
Here's a list of things I have found in Nathan and Brandon's pockets this week.
Rocks... both boys
Baseball card... Nathan
Lady bug (dead)... Brandon
Bar of soap... Brandon
Earth worm (still alive)... Brandon
Leaves... both boys
Dirt... both boys
Gum (chewed)... Brandon
Money ($1.03)... Nathan
Toothbrush... Brandon
Flashlight... both boys
Hot wheel car... Nathan
My cell phone... Brandon
My keys... Brandon
Candy... both boys
Can you guess what stuff belongs to which kid?
Check back tomorrow and I'll let you know...
So, did you get any right?

Cheese and Dirt

My kids are filthy. So filthy that there is a ring around the tub.
Since Brandon eats like a champ, there was macaroni and cheese behind his ears, in his hair, up his nose and matted in his eyebrows. I don't even know how he does it.
And Nathan plays like it's the last time he'll ever get to play, he had dirt in every nook and cranny.
It's pretty bad that I have to scrub the tub after I bathe my kids.

Unwelcome visitor

I dropped Nathan off at school, put Brandon down for a nap and I was going to spend some time outside by myself doing yard work this afternoon. The key word is suppose to be "by myself." Someone else had plans of their own to ruin my alone time. That someone was a slithery little snake that scared the snot out of me and froze my feet to the ground. I don't like snakes. I don't care how they eat bugs and mice. I don't believe it when someone says that the snake is more scared of us than we are of it. I just don't believe that. And if you could have seen me this afternoon you wouldn't believe that either.
I was putting up some new hanging flower pots on my front porch when I noticed how shabby my shrubs looked. As I took a closer look at the shrub I thought that it was dying because it was brown right in the middle. But as I leaned even closer I realized that brown stuff had a head and beady little eyes. That when I screamed, jumped, shivered and just about wet myself. Of course Brian isn't home to rescue me so I had to figure something else out. That's when I saw my neighbor. The poor man was just washing his car, minding his own business when I stroll up bug-eyed and asking him if he is afraid of snakes. Thank God he isn't a sissy like me! He chased my unwelcome visitor away and I got to finish my yard work.
I don't like snakes. Nope. Not at all.

sniffle...cough...sniffle sniffle

We are sick. By "we" I mean the little ones and me. Brian doesn't have what we have...yet. I'm just waiting for him to wake up one morning yelling because I gave him cooties. I know it's not nice to laugh at someone when they're sick, but it's seriously funny when Brian gets sick.
When the boys get sick they still run around like little bunnies bouncing off the walls until every ounce of energy is spent. Only then do they crawl in my lap and beg for me to rub their back or tummies.
When I'm sick, I still have to get up when they get up. Make breakfast, do the dishes, mow the lawn, play outside, blah, blah. I don't get to call in sick. There's no such thing as "sick days" for mommies. Nope. Not in the job description. I checked, twice.
But if Brian gets sick the world must stop. Hold the phone, big daddy needs a tissue. He gets to stay home from work, sleep all day, tell the kids they have to be quiet because daddy doesn't feel good and I get to go get him medicine. Big sissy.

Happy Mother's Day

Five random things that I love about my mom...

1. Laughing together about the stuff we've done in the past is my absolute favorite thing to do with her
2. She tells me that whatever I bake is the best she's ever had...even if it isn't.
3. My boys are totally in love with her and she with them
4. She'll tell me how great I look, even when I look like a ragamuffin
5. She understands me better than anyone else

Love ya mom!

Shh...shh...secret agent

Nathan has always been very fascinated with spy's and anyone who has to sneak around to catch the bad guys.

When he was three years old he started sneaking around the house saying "shh...shh...secret agent" and spying on us. It always cracked me up because here he is trying to be sly and quiet but he's making so much noise by singing this little theme song.

He has recently recruited a number 2 for backup and recon missions. Nathan taught Brandon their theme song yesterday and today they have went on a few missions together. Now I hear "shh...shh..secret" in Brandons little but not so quiet voice followed by Nathan finishing up their phrase "agent".

I love it.

Bubbles...bubbles...pop...pop...pop

Brandon loves bubbles.

Blowing bubbles in the backyard.

Blowing bubbles in his chocolate milk.

Taking baby bubble baths are his favorite evening activity.

He loves everything that looks like bubbles too.

Balloons.

The fuzzy dandelions that blow in the wind.

Bubble gum bubbles.

Rain drops racing down the windows.

Everything reminds him of bubbles.

His perfectly round cheeks remind me of bubbles.
Both sets of them!

10 Things

10 things I know to be true:

1. Life is better with kids
2. Love takes on another meaning when you have kids
3. Belly laughs are the best
4. Wet fish lip kisses make me smile
5. Baking with my boys takes twice as long, but is twice the fun
6. Watching kids discover new things makes me feel like a kid again
7. There is no such thing as "quiet time" in my house
8. Grandparents rock
9. Dandelions look fabulous is crystal vases
10. The dishes can wait until tomorrow

Bowling Balling

Nathan's first field trip was yesterday. They got to go "bowling balling" as he calls it. I tagged along as a chaperon and had such a blast. Nathan and 3 of his friends were my responsibility. I didn't loose anyone and no one got hurt...mission accomplished.
After getting everyone laced up in their snazzy neon bowling shoes off we went to launch a 6 pound ball down a slippery lane. Nathan was the first one to figure out why we said "don't go past this line" pointing to the line at the beginning of the lane. He took a few steps past the like and busted his butt. "Wow, that is slippery! You weren't joking!"
All of the kids had their own technique of getting the ball down the lane. One would walk up to the line and gently push the ball. It would slowly roll and barely tap the pins hard enough to fall over. Another one of the girls would toss it like a basketball and it would bounce a time or two. Nathan tried a few different ways and finally decided that if he would stand sideways and throw it he could knock down the same three pins every time. And the other boy in our group would run and scream then launch the ball like a rocket down the lane. I laughed so hard I cried.
We all had such a great time bowling balling the afternoon away.

My Futures So Bright...

Wasup?

Like my new shades? I'm rockin' the latest Power Rangers line and my lil' bro is chillin' with Mickey Mouse.

Mommy really hooked us up this year. Last year I had to squint all summer long while we cruised the hood. Neighborhood that is.

Well peeps, it's my bedtime and I need to go wash behind my ears before we read our bedtime story.

Peace!

Over 30

I'm now considered "over 30." I don't like that. Turning 30 did not bother me at all, but now that I'm over 30 it is starting to sting.
I'm 31...ouch. See it hurts a little, like taking off a band-aid.
Even though this birthday hurt a tiny bit it was still a good day. I made the most yummy oatmeal cookie pancakes that I slathered in butter and drowned with maple syrup. Brian gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers every shade of pink. The boys sang Happy Birthday all day long which was really cute. I got calls from friends and family wishing me well. And my parents treated me to a steak dinner and strawberry shortcake for dessert.
It took the edge off.
Tomorrow I will be 31 years old plus 1 day. I'm going to wake up early, run off the pancakes, steak and strawberry shortcake, smell my flowers and kiss my kids. Life goes on but I think next year I'm going to turn the clock back and turn 30 again.

Goodness

Patience is a virtue.

So I've been told.

Mine has been tested this week. Tested beyond it's limits.

Deep breath.

Sigh.

My oh my.

Back home again

We are back home from Vegas. Actually we have been for the past few days but we are finally back to our regular scheduled programming. We are unpacked, laundry somewhat caught up, Brian is back to work and Nathan is back to school, I'm back to being "just a mommy" and not a jet setting diva and Brandon is back in my arms.
We had such a great time in Las Vegas. Nathan loved all of the glitz and glamour that goes with Vegas. He was amazed that you could see everything from flamingos to pyramids in one town. Plus as an added bonus family that he doesn't get to see that often was there. He was one happy little man.
We went out there for Brian's step-brother's wedding. It was so beautiful. Nathan thought that Jen looked like a princess and couldn't wait to give her a hug. And once he got his hug he didn't let go. I think he has a little crush on his new aunt. It was a great wedding and a very fun weekend.
It's nice be home though. It was extremely hard being away from Brandon. I don't think that is going to happen again for quite awhile. I only cried once but I had to call at least three times a day just to hear his voice. My mom and dad had a lot of fun watching him but he wore them out. Once Brandon wakes up he doesn't stop moving until he goes to bed that night! He is a handful to say the least. So even if I did want to get away without him, I don't know if I would have my same babysitters! It may take them a full year to recoup.

Vegas!

Nathan and I will be leaving tonight to meet up with Brian and some of the Harvey clan in Las Vegas. Brian's step brother is getting married to a wonderful young lady tomorrow. I love weddings, especially Vegas weddings.
We decided to take Nathan along with us for this trip. All the lights and crazy hotel themes are perfect for him. He is so excited he just can't stand it anymore. Plus this is his first time on an airplane. Double the fun!
Brandon is going to stay back here and hang with Nana and Papaw for the weekend. (Thanks mom and dad!) He doesn't sit still for more than 3 minutes at a time so a 4 hour plane ride is out of the question. I've never left Brandon with anyone for more than a few hours before so this is going to be interesting. I know he'll be just fine, Nana and Papaw's house is like Vegas in it's own right to him. I'm the one who is going to have the problem. My stomach has been doing flip-flops this past week just thinking about it.
We get back on Sunday and I'll let you know how everything went.
Have a wonderful Easter!

Play dough

Kids and play dough go really well together, for the most part. My boys squeal with excitement when we pull the colorful containers out to make everything from pizza to worms, and sometimes worm pizza. Last night we had a pretty hefty thunderstorm and to keep their minds off the thunder and lightening I got out the trusty old play dough. They played through the storm and then some.
This morning my kitchen floor looked like rainbow confetti, even though I swept up the mess last night. I enlisted Brandon to help me pick up the little pieces, which turned out to be a bad idea. Brandon decided to make little play dough balls and stick them in his ears.
Play dough balls in the ears.
Hum.
Crap.
Call the doctor.
After the nurse stopped giggling, she told me to come in. So off to the doctors office we went.
Turns out the play dough fell out before we got there so all is well. I'm going to put the play dough up for awhile though.

Happy April

April is here! I love April. The flowers really start blooming, trees sprout their leaves and I get to turn another year older. The only day in April I don't like is April 1st, fools day. Appropriately named for me I believe. I'm gullible to the core. I like to think of it as more trusting than naive, but heck, who am I kidding? If you tell me something I'll believe you. My BS sensor isn't as highly tuned like my dads but I did inherit his since of trust. Trust someone until they give you a reason not to. That has bit me in the butt a few times, though.
Anyway...April. This month is packed with excitement for us. We have birthday cards to send out, Easter eggs to color, flowers to smell, a Vegas trip to pack for and wrap up Nathan's Spring Break.
So much fun, so little time!

Daddy's Home!

Last night the kids were so excited that daddy was coming home from Minnesota. They had been bouncing off the walls all afternoon, so much so that Brandon completely wore himself out and just couldn't keep his big brown eyes open any longer. As soon as I put him down it wasn't 3 minutes and Brian walked through the door. I ran back into Brandon's room, snatched him out of his bed and whispered that daddy was home. That perked him right up. "Daddy ome! Daddy ome!" (he doesn't say his h's very well yet) Nathan and Brandon were on him like glue. They love their daddy. And as an added bonus they got to see their Uncle Joe too. What a night!
Brandon has been so tired today. I thought he was just tired from a busy weekend at Nana and Papaw's (thanks for a great weekend mom and dad!) and staying up late with Brian but I believe the little man is getting sick. After taking a 3 hour nap this afternoon I woke him up so we could go out to eat with Uncle Joe, Lauren and Kelila but he had rosy cheeks and a hot heat. His fever was hitting around 101.5. So, he and I will be staying in tonight while Brian and Nathan enjoy Korean food at Mama's House. Brian has strict orders to bring me back some Bebeem Bop though.

Letters to Heaven

Brian left this weekend for Minnesota. Grandpa Pittsley past away and today was the memorial service. The boys and I didn't get to go, a combination between a too long drive for two little boys and one little 6 year old with a very sensitive heart. Since we didn't get to go say "goodbye" to Grandpa Pittsley we decided to send letters to heaven for him to read. We got two purple balloons with purple ribbons and drew on purple cards just for him.