Mommy of the Year....right

It's been way too long.

2010-05-14T20:57:00.002-04:00

I'm not sure why I haven't posted to this blog in so long. Maybe because I didn't really think many people were reading it anymore. So here's a quick update in case you are still reading it:

We had another baby in October (October 1st to be exact). It took us three days to come up with a name for him. Mr. B is about to finish his Kindergarten year and BG...well, she's still our Baby Girl and is definitely the princess of the group!

We are crazy busy, barely keeping our heads above water in the time department, but I know its all worth it! I'll post some pics soon!

One week to go!

2009-09-20T10:25:00.004-04:00

So, It's been way too long since I posted anything here. We are all doing well. I'm due in 7 days, baby boy still has no name, no room but lots of love waiting for him. Mr. B can't wait for him to get here, BG is still up in the air. She's very much the "Mine-o-saur" these days, including My Mama, My Daddy....its gonna be tough for her to share I'm afraid. But I do think she'll love him when he does get here! Baby is big, according to my last U/S at 36 weeks, but so far nothing is happening. We are waiting and waiting and waiting. Guess I should count my blessings that I still have two hands to handle the two kids because that's all about to change! LOL.

This pic is for my mom and dad....because I totally understand why they took photos of me in the closet with Lipstick all over my face. Now, BG didn't find the lipstick, but she did find the ink pen. Not quite as easy to get off.

Here's Mr. B at Soccer practice. He's done really well this year. He's on his 4th season and is starting to really enjoy it!

Here are my cuties on the first day of school. BG thought she was gonna be a big girl and go with Mr. B! I think this is my fave pic ever of the two of them! They look so big! Kindergarten is going really great for Mr. B. He seems to love it and fits in quite well.

2nd Birthday Celebration

2009-08-03T13:37:00.001-04:00

Here's a short video of Carleigh's 2nd birthday.

Just a quick update

2009-05-20T15:45:00.000-04:00

Haven't updated in so long! I'm afraid to even look at the dates from my last post. Things are going well. We are having another boy! So excited! I'm about 21 weeks now, progressing well. Will post some new pictures very soon! Happy SPRING~

Looooong time gone...

2009-03-31T14:25:00.004-04:00

Hello all! I've not posted in so long. I haven't meant to its just that what I wanted to post I couldn't!!! So best to just keep away!

So here goes....we are pregnant! Expecting number 3 in September and a little terrified! LOL! In a good way. Mr. B decided last night that the baby is a boy, naming him Rex is a good idea and that he's gonna live in his room, so he can be close to me and Mr. B can keep and eye on him. LOL!

Mr. B also asked me if he had to go away to college? I think that is probably a great idea for the boy, but him....not so much. He asked "But who's gonna take care of me?" HOW CAN I BOTTLE UP THIS INNOCENCE AND KEEP IT FOREVER?! He also decided to be a Chemistry major because Dad told him he could make things blow up! He's crazy! Iasked him how he knew about college...his response: "Weeeeeeeeelll, on Hannah Montana....." OK, I get it kid. You watch entirely too much tv!!!

We are currently reading Beverly Cleary's The Mouse and The Motorcycle! What a fabulous throwback to my childhood. I can't wait to whip out the Beezus and Ramona books next! SO FUN.

Promise to post more soon. BG is dandy! She's a big girl with a big vocabulary. She especially loves reading to herself. You can hopefully see that here;

Just Registered!!!!!

2009-02-05T13:15:00.000-05:00

I am excited to say...I just registered for the Duck Duck Goose Children's Consignment Sale, April 2 - 6! What a great way to make some extra cash and move stuff out of the house! YEA.

Visit http://www.dkdkgoose.com They are accepting new consigners!

Brrrrrrr....Today in History

2009-01-21T23:17:00.004-05:00

Remember when it was 24 below zero here in 1985 on this day? I know its probably not true, but it's one of the only days I can remember that my Dad stayed home from work for a snow day. It was fun, if my memory serves me right. We huddled around the fire with lots of snacks and all of the blankets from every room around the house and huddled close together. We must have played cards and boardgames too, I vaguely remember that. What a day it was! I was 10!

So we actually had some snow this week...ok, yeah so -- that may not seem like a big deal to you, but here at home it's a HUGE deal, even though it was pretty pathetic as far as the amount...so don't laugh! So here are some photos from our fun day. Please don't mind BG's outfit -- LOL! I am cracking up and thinking, maybe that get up wasn't the best idea:

Stop and count your blessings...

2009-01-09T14:12:00.004-05:00

In a friend's blog today, her last statement is to stop and count your blessings today. I think that is a great way to start the weekend!

Here's a little of why:

So last night MB, Mr. B and BG went with me to the Waffle House for dinner, yes peeps, I love breakfast for dinner, and although we were planning to hit the nearest Chinese place, for some reason we chose the Waffle House. As we went to leave and pay, the waitress told us and the other family sitting next to our table "You meal has been taken care of." WHAT? MB and I looked at each other oddly...well ok. As we were leaving we asked the waitress about a certain older couple who had been sitting near us, and she said yes, that they had picked up the tab for our meal and the other family. Why... I asked her, to which she replied "She's in here a lot and does this sometimes." So for whatever reason, we were picked to receive a little blessing last night. I have a dear friend who's going through some troublesome times, who loves to tell me that angels are everywhere and favors, or gifts, should always be considered a blessing. I've learned to accept that the hard way.

So thanks to the dear couple who was kind enough to spring for our dinner last night...

Definitely Daddy's baby girl....

2009-01-04T22:01:00.005-05:00

Ever seen a child going through a Night Terror.....well I think I have. BG has always been known to have a feisty temper, and whether she gets that from me or her Dad is the subject of much debate. Well frequently the girl goes through this "thing" where she wakes up and nothing can console her, not her "bobee" (bottle), her "bee" (blanket), no rocking with mom, not singing or eating, N..O..T..H..I..N..G! I mean it, nothing at all.

So tonight is definately the worst night ever that I have experienced of this. She screamed for two hours or more. Mr. B and I were in her room singing Christmas carols at one point, to no avail. (althought in the middle of the chorus of Jingle Bells, she did give us a weak little "hey")I was chatting with several friends on FaceBook on my mobile when it was all going on, waiting patiently in her room for it to stop and someone suggested Night Terrors. But I thought those were in her sleep (literally eyes shut, but screaming...)...more on that later.

So I was about to give up on the kid, afterall the neighbors were probably hunkered down out front waiting to call the cops on me because it sounded like I was really neglecting my girl, or beating her for that matter. But I was right beside her the whole time, trying to console her.

The situation grows worse by the minute, here she is WIDE AWAKE, screaming bloody murder every time I come near her and God forbid I try to hold her....she would paw at me, push me away...and then start throwing herself all over the crib, banging her head here and there, kicking at anything that moved. Mr. B tried to play with her while she was in the floor and she cranked her head on the side of the closet. About that time, I noticed the look had changed in her eyes. She was still crying, but what had been clearly staring through us, was now looking at her brother and mommy like, what is going on?? I decided to try my last resort.....Daddy. I called and put him on speaker phone, and like a voice from the Gods, she reacted to him. She suddenly became interested, even holding the phone up to her ears, listening to hear his voice, making sweet babbly conversation, obviously a little shaken up.

Suddenly she looks at me all confused, reaches out and says, Bobee and hugs her bottle close, then bee, and tugs at her blanket. Then she looks at me as starts to tear up and says Mah-meee, and turns around and sits her tushy square in my lap, all the while talking to Daddy on the phone. What a relief. I swear she wasn't going to give in tonight and it had me a little scared for a while. Nobody wants to see their child react with fear towards them....

So once she and brother were settled down for the night, some two hours after the start of it all, I googled Night Terrors and it pretty much described what we'd been through. THANK GOD that she doesn't have them frequently, I do hope that she does grow out of them. I felt pretty helpless. Although, Daddy probably has the big head and thinks that all she needed was to hear his voice....hrumph. If you say so. It is sorta funny that she never has these while he's home.....

Ringing in the New Year

2009-01-03T00:02:00.005-05:00

We rang in the New Year very quietly with the kids. The boys played lots of Wii and BG went to bed early. Then Daddy took off to Wal-Mart before the ball dropped....LOL!

It's been great to have some time off and get a chance to enjoy being home. Seems like everyone is staying sick though, we've had someone sick in the house since about October....now BG has tonsilitis...and is pretty crabby. But she'll get better soon.

Happy New Year to everyone, I am hoping we will all get well soon. I'm also hoping for a brand new basement! YEA! Getting close...I'll post some pics soon. I'm hoping once that basement is done, I can begin the purge that will simplify our lives this year! FOR REAL THIS TIME! I'm looking so forward to having the space to spread out and to rid our family of so much STUFF!!

Merry Christmas...

2008-12-24T00:45:00.003-05:00

It's late, I should be sleeping...but I noticed I've not posted a blog in a while. I hope anyone who cares to read this is resting tonight with great plans to celebrate with family this joyous holiday, or whatever holiday they so choose. Looking forward to the New Year...I hope to begin the year much better than I am ending this one, hopefully re-evaluating that goal that I set for myself last year -- life simplified. Not done it yet, but getting there.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HANUKKAH TO ALL OF YOU....

xoxo

Some cuties

2008-12-10T23:24:00.000-05:00

Tough to blog lately, hope all are well! Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas from the Browns!

2008-12-05T14:52:00.001-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

So it's been a while...

2008-11-25T10:02:00.004-05:00

But I had to post this morning..... today is Mr. B's 5th birthday. I can't believe that my baby boy is 5! We woke him up with a big Happy Birthday song and let him open his gifts this morning because I have to be somewhere this evening. He was so excited!

When we arrived at school this morning, he looked disappointed and said, "Mama, where are all the decorations and my birthday presents?" We did have to have a little talk about how we don't expect birthday presents, that they are gifts and that makes them special. Hopefully he's forgotten all of that by now -- he ought to be tearing into the cookie cake I sent for Snack this morning!! Mmmmmm....

If only I could bottle up this zest for life and learning and always keep it around to remind him as he gets older what its like to be excited about everything. He's a joy and I am such a lucky mom. I can't wait to watch him grow, even if it does mean he becomes 6....and 7....and 15....and 30. Ahhhhhh, what joy the future holds too. Kindergarten is just around the corner....I can't believe it.

Happy Birthday big boy....

GET OUT AND VOTE

2008-11-04T11:34:00.002-05:00

Because if you do, you too can have this.....

OH Yeah, and a new President!! That's just a little important! But this is good too. Free STARBUCKS Tall Coffee when you tell 'em you voted! And to beat it all you get a RED CUP! Do you know how excited I am about the red cups! It makes me want to sing "Christmastime is here...." but I won't because then I might scare people!

Favorite passtime

2008-11-03T18:46:00.002-05:00

Roll Tide...maybe

2008-10-25T21:24:00.002-04:00

Something was screwy with this post...so I will add some pics and repost later. :)

I don't think she realizes anyone is watching.

2008-10-20T14:35:00.005-04:00

Alright people, I hear you. Yes the car is moving, but in my defense, I held the phone over my shoulder in here general direction. In hopes for a CHANCE that she might be centered and thought maybe I would get something cute...well check her out. There is nothing better than dancing with reckless abandon!

This is the BG and Mr. B playing outside in the beautiful fall sun yesterday! I thought she was gonna plow me down!

Check them out racing!

Wordless Wednesday

2008-10-15T09:53:00.003-04:00

BG sure knows how to pick 'em...

Everyone loves a blue eyed girl...

2008-10-13T21:10:00.004-04:00

So before BG was born, my co-coworker & BG's Diva Coach gave her a tee that said "everyone loves a brown eyed girl," because you know, brown is the dominant color right....except in my house. And after 14 months, my fave color on BG is blue...you can see why:

And you can't forget Mr. B, his blue eyes were piercing too. Beautiful I must say. So even though he looks like me, his Daddy can claim his eyes...he's sort of grown into a gray color, but when they both put blue on...killer!

Happy Fall

2008-10-12T19:35:00.004-04:00

Here are some pics of the weekend. We visited a local Fall Fest today with one of my friends. We had to wait forever to get food, but had a great time just being outside under the trees. Thought I would share some photos. ....OK, and looking closely as the photo of Mr. B is lined up with his other photo on the page it makes me very very sad. Look at what a big boy he has become. Where did the time go?

My "I'm so excited Daddy's coming home today" face

2008-10-11T09:54:00.001-04:00

Yes folks...this is a DADDY's GIRL to the highest power! Can't wait for dad to come home today after a long week away for work! YEA!

Cutie Pie

2008-10-05T22:47:00.002-04:00

Carleigh's first updo. She pulled it out within the hour.

Girlfriend Getaway...

2008-09-28T12:23:00.002-04:00

So I have been in Beantown this weekend with my girl KP. We've had such a fab time...and yes, we DID got to the NKOTB concert on Friday night. OMG! It was so much fun. We laughed all night and decided that we felt like we were 15 again! It was a blast.

Although the rain hasn't stopped, we've been all over town enjoying this great city. My legs are aching from walking up and down the city streets but it has been wonderful...I should have been a city girl. However, I spot moms and their kidlets walking the streets, or catching the bus or T, decked in their rain coats, umbrellas and boots and think, could my kids do this? Probably not! KP's apartment is in Southie and is super nice, and the funny thing, her monthly payment is as much as my house payment! The unit below us is selling now, oh for about $100,000 more than what we paid for our house! So different!

We went to Hah-vahd yesterday, late, in the rain. Harvard Square is amazing and I found this wonderful Curious George store with all kinds of fabulous books for kids. All the favorites that I read when I was little were there: Ramona the Pest, SuperFudge, Neverending Story...plus all of my kids favorites GoodNight Moon, the Mr. Men series, and more. What a great place. Check out www.Curiousg.com. OH! And we so brought the IQ down while in Hah-vahd! Just like at home! HA HA.

I've learned the bus system and the T here, learned that in Boston, you just cross the street...because cars WILL stop for you, I've learned that everyone here is friendly...really they are!!! And I have also learned that there is nothing better than spending the weekend with an old friend...talking, laughing, learning her life here and meeting her friends, going to the places that she's always telling me about and enjoying the moments! It has been wonderful and I am so glad that I came.

So, I'm getting ready to get my stuff together and get to the airport. Can't wait til next time! KP - you have been a gracious host and I love you to pieces!!! COME VISIT SOON!

Where has the weekend gone?

2008-09-21T22:47:00.002-04:00

Well here we are creeping on Monday and I barely feel like the weekend has started. But...it has been a fun one. I had to work on Saturday, and really after a horribly sick week, it was nice to be in the office alone to focus a little. Had a fun outing with family Saturday night, dinner at Calhouns and Dairy Queen -- yum! Then drove up to Johnson City with the kidlets to go to the biggest and best 1st birthday party that I have EVER been to. Bounce house, balloon artist, DJ, Mickey Mouse...SOOOO MUCH FUN! What an exciting day for little Cash. Happy Birthday big guy! I am so glad that we finally got to meet you...and of course that we got to go to Pal's afterwards...he he!

BG is changing every day

2008-09-20T09:32:00.002-04:00

This morning as I contemplated my need for morning coffee, BG made the world seem a little less vicious. We have this ritual at our house. Mr. B crawls in bed with us, BG has her morning Bottle (Ba-bee) with us in bed too until Mommy and Daddy can quit using the toothpicks to hold our eyes open. So, before mr. B got up BG decided to discuss the ways of the world with us...she's quite the chatterbox. She always pats Dad on the his face (nose, shoulder, whatevs) and smiles and says "Dah-tee". K...so she's not mastered the whole Mah-mee thing yet, which is a bit disappointing for me, but I AM a major Daddy's girl myself and wouldn't have it any other way for her...so it really is kinda cute. So...on to other vocal attributes:

Shuuuuuz - shoes (I had on a very girlie pair yesterday and she went straight to them and said shuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuz....go imelda!)
Ba-bee - Bottle
BEE - blanket -- which she has to point to and grab, while giggling
Doh - Dog
Wuh Wuh - Woof woof

Oh and the best part today is that every time she said Dah-tee she had to blow him a kiss. And even leaned down at one point to give him a big sloppy one on the mouth! SUPER ADORABLE~~

So sorry for not posting in a while, we are up to our eyeballs in sickness. Kids had strep, gave me strep, I went out of town, kids got sick with virus, i got back, i got virus...they feel great, i am kinda crappy feeling still. Getting better. So for about the last month or six weeks, we've been yuck o! I am ready for FALL and hopefully some rest!

HAVE A FAB WEEKEND!

My crazy kids.....

2008-09-08T16:36:00.001-04:00

Soccer practice 2008

2008-09-03T20:28:00.006-04:00

Mr. B has started soccer this year. It's not Upward Soccer so apparantly things are a bit more "serious." As serious as a bunch of 4 year olds can be I guess. I never really thought about it, because we are doing it for the fun of it, but man there were some very very persistant parents out there, insisting that their kids do this and that. And one was even a bit disgusted with mr. B doing his foward rolls in the field. He also scored on his own team after he switched to the white team, but I screamed loud for him!! I figure if his attention span lasts a full hour, he deserves a cheer!!! So enjoy the pics! There are also some pics from Labor Day. Mr. B had to try on BG's halloween costume. And he's also taken up vacuuming! YEAH FOR ME!

Couple of videos of BG...

2008-08-14T16:40:00.003-04:00

Finally some photos....

2008-08-05T17:05:00.002-04:00

I will post more, these are just huge files....

2008-08-03T23:57:00.001-04:00

Testing mobile posting!

Giddiness at giddygiddy.com

2008-08-03T23:31:00.002-04:00

Check out Carleigh on the top row, second from the right (not left as originally posted-- I'm tired people). Not the best photo, but the best I could find with her giddygiddy clip in!

How we found BG at naptime....

2008-08-03T22:58:00.003-04:00

pretty funny huh? She obviously didn't sleep well...

Have you ever heard of e-mealz? We have started it...it's $15.00 for 3 months (1.25 a week), and plans your meals for each week, both time efficient and cost effective. So far my kids and MB have gobbled up everything! It has helped me keep my sanity too, because I know what I need to prepare when I get home and I don't have to waste time on figuring that out. I can also plan accordingly to what MB's schedule is with crock pot dishes on his work days and so forth..... definitely check it out if you need a solution!!! Be sure to go through this link, because I get some credit when you do! I wish I had this five years ago when Mr. B was a little guy. It has saved me! I am on Weight Watchers and the plan I chose was the points plan, that has allowed me to make yummy stuff the whole fam will eat. But overall they have all kinds of plans for all kinds of families and grocery stores etc. So far so good! I will keep you posted.

We've been crazed, organizing fools this weekend ( I know...you don't believe me!). I spent 6 hours in Mr. B's room and in the "toy closet" sorting through all of the toys that we have accumulated over his short life and I can't believe the difference! We've not had the TV on at all for the last 48 hours...well maybe for two. It's been great. MB's closet caved in last week and it was a mess, so we knew we had to get something done or else it was going to be a long road ahead. I am ebaying a ton of baby stuff and getting ready for the big fall consignment sale that I do every season, so I am in clean out mode. We finally picked a tile for the basement and MB is going to give the go ahead to the restoration company this week! WE MIGHT HAVE OUR BASEMENT BACK BEFORE FALL!!!! YEA! I never really knew how much I would miss that extra space, but it allowed us to expand just enough to spread out and give Mr. B room to roam! It's going to be like living in a new house! I can't wait! As much as I am not a football fan, there's not a better spot to watch a fall football game than in our basement, well except sidelines, under the lights with a stadium hot dog, a warm coat and a pair of warm gloves....but really now, wouldn't you rather see the instant replay? So YIPPEE!!!

Check back soon...and are you on Facebook? HELLLO? Can anyone say ADDICTION? WOW! I am so addicted to it, and there are so many n ew people popping up each day it's just crazy...social networking! I love it!

2008-08-03T22:53:00.001-04:00

The festivities continue....

2008-07-26T13:35:00.004-04:00

OK folks....the fun hasn't stopped! Here are some photos from the most recent celebration!!! ENJOY -- check back soon for her birthday party pics - its tomorrow! We will post more soon.

More fun photos....

2008-07-25T16:17:00.003-04:00

It was Circus day at school and Mr. b was a lion. Check out the

cute photos below! MB and I attended, along with like two other parents...but it was great fun and he was really a good lion. MB overheard Mr. B's teachers cracking up because Mr. B had some good moves in the back row. I have a video too...gonna post it. It's horrible. But you can see in the back this big lion head. It is short only a few seconds....

Birthday festivities!

2008-07-24T11:45:00.002-04:00

Well, I would say BG has had a pretty great birthday! She got a cupcake at school yesterday and they said that she was very dainty with it and got just a wee bit upset when she licked all the icing off!!! Funny girl!

Gram was in town and she stopped by for a visit and to deliver BG's birthday gifts (a great loot of Eric Carle books) and took us Chick Fil A where BG was sung to, got a balloon and a cow! HA!! Funny! We had a great time! Here are some photos....

Not sure why this was a big deal to Mr. B last night, but he wanted me to take his photo with his Mickey ears on!!!!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl

2008-07-22T11:41:00.008-04:00

Happy Birthday Queenie!

-SIGH-

My dearest Carleigh -

I can't believe a year has gone.... July 23, 2007 seems like yesterday...

You are a sweet little girl who is the apple of mommy's eye.

I have loved watching you learn new things this year.

I love that you are my fabulous dancing buddy and

that you laugh hysterically at mommy, daddy and your brother.

I love that you are a lot like your brother and in many ways so different.

I love that you have come into the family like a bolt of lightening

and never cease to let everyone know it!

I love that silly smile with only half teeth coming in.

I love waving at you in the mornings while I make your ba-bee (bottle).

I love that you sing along with me "Dah -tee, da da da, dah - tee", when I sing your name.

I love that you are a tried and true Daddy's girl through and through,

just the way you should be.

I love the way you eat blueberries.

I love that you take your shoes off as soon as I put them on you.

I love that you look like me when I was little,

but have your Daddy's blonde hair and steel blue eyes.

I love the fact that you have hair!

I love the way Bryson sings you to sleep in the back of the car.

I love the way you needed to be a part of the "girls" at the beach in your own beach chair.

But most of all I am in love with the fact that you are mine...mine,

my sweet baby girl who I have long awaited for and am so happy to show the world to.

I love you, Mommy

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday COUSINS

2008-07-22T11:12:00.003-04:00

Lucky for us, we have twins in the family...and they are 12 today! Happy Bithday W and D! I know you are wondering which of these two are the twins...they really don't look alike. Here's a hint...The fella in the middle isn't 12...alas, we sometimes all wish we were. That's Uncle R!

Happy Birthday Boys! Have a great day!!!! XOXOXO

Back in the saddle...

2008-07-20T20:20:00.003-04:00

Hey all! The fam has been on vacation this week with my family. We had a great time, even played hookey a couple days once we came home. Will get some photos posted soon.

Mixed emotions about the coming week...BG is turning O.N.E. 1, ONE YEAR OLD! Can you believe it? I am just shocked that it has gone so fast. Both rugrats are tucked in their beds after a fun day at the swimming pool. I myself am gonna hit the sack early.

Have a great day!

kb

I got tagged....

2008-07-10T09:54:00.006-04:00

Stacey tagged me so I am going to tag four people I know: Random Ramblings; 5Rings; A Sophisticated Mess; and my friend tiff who has a blog but I don't know what the address is! OMG and if you have the time you have to look at the pics at 5Rings blog...they have one crazy cul-de-sac over there! TOO MUCH FUN FOR WORDS!!!!

Rules: You must answer the questions using only one word. Then tag four others.

1. Where is your cell phone? home
2. Your significant other? busy
3. Your hair? wet
4. Your mother? working
5. Your father? flying
6. Your favorite thing? kids
7. Your dream last night? none
8 Your favorite drink? coffee
9. Your dream/goal? simplify
10. The room you’re in? office
11. Your hobby? WHAT?
12. Your fear? death
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? further
14. What you’re not? evil
15. Muffins? blueberry
16. One of your wish list items? debtfree
17. Where you grew up? here
18. The last thing you did? print
19. What are you wearing? capris
20. Favorite gadget? treo
21. Your pets? stinky
22. Your computer? dell
23. Your mood? excited
24. Missing someone? Two
25. Your car? big
26. Something you’re not wearing? bracelet
27. Favorite store? gymboree
28. Like someone? everyone
29. Your favorite color? red
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? forget

Back to reality....work tomorrow...

2008-07-06T21:41:00.003-04:00

So here are the pictures that I promised you. We have a ton...so I am not sure how this is going to work, but you can see them here.

I hope all of you had an excellent 4th of July with your family and friends. We sure did. We are leaving for the beach this week with my family! CAN'T WAIT! We are soooo excited to get some sun and be lazzzzeeeeee bums! I can't wait to report on BG's newest escapades with the sand!

Here also is a video that shows BG's mad dancing skills...she's a character! Sorry for no sound but this was with our digital camera!

Just call us lazy bones...

2008-07-06T00:23:00.003-04:00

Well after a crazy but fun-filled holiday, the Brown clan (minus dad) slept LAAAATE and laid around all day today. What a day! Both kids woke up by 8:3o and were back asleep till well past 11:30 -- MAMA WAS HAPPY!!! That never happens anymore with BG who is our little morning glory! She's up between 6:45 -8:00 like clockwork.

I hope to post pics from our day yesterday, but I have to get them from the grands...We started the day off at the great-grands picking beautiful juicy blackberries from their patch. What fun! Even BG got in on the action! Mr. B had a blast and is going to take some of the pictures on his share day this week for people to see. He was very proud of himself.

BG was a trooper. Dinnertime is always tricky, obviously because the kiddos don't have patience to sit as long as us. But other than that, she was wide awake until we got to the car after the fireworks. HOLY COW -- could the OR fireworks have taken any longer?! We were cracking up because we know the guys who was shooting them off...and literally there was so much delay between them, he must be exhausted today because it seemed like he had to run for place to place to light them all...but we had fun. SO ANYWAY, BG was my biggest worry all week long. I was pretty tempted to keep her at home because I was afraid that it would be too loud or that it would scare her... she sat mesmorized the entire time, until the very end finale when everything went off at once.

So -- I am wide awake at well past midnight because I have had too much sleep..and been on laundry duty all day...yuck. It's rare that I feel so rested, but I do! YEA FOR ME!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed the fireworks if you got to see them!

XOXO!

A Southern girl at heart...

2008-06-29T23:27:00.003-04:00

My BG apparantly loves pimento cheese sammies! YUMMY...Mommy's favorite! I was eating one and she (with Poppy's help) waltzed her way right over to me and took a couple bites out of mine. May sound silly to you, but this is my vice...I can't live without pimento cheese...homemade like my grandma's. Although I did live without it for about a year when prego with Mr. B (and after) because it made me want to vomit (niiiiiiice). Anyhoooo...So, I had to share her pics...and apparantly if you are from the north you don't know what this is and probably prefer not to know....

As you can see, Miss BG is growing up folks. I am sad to say that this past 11 months has gone quicker than any I have ever lived through. Although I love this age and the coming ages ahead, I still shake my head in disbelief when thinking about where the time has gone.

BG is a speedy mess...she can crawl anywhere and really has no fear. Mr. B was so timid and a whole lotta tied to the apron strings (still is) but BG is miss independent. Just tell her a stern NO one time and you will see what I mean. They are such good buddies though, Mr. B loves to entertain her in the car and make her dance (which she loves to do as well!).

I promise in the coming weeks we will try to do better and posting pics and showing how she's grown. We've got a beach trip planned, and of course her first July 4th celebration...lots of summertime fun to be had by all! Can't wait!

And now I am off to bed, because this week is "Take BG to Work Week..." Her school is off this week so we are alternating between mommy, daddy and grands. She's going to be rotten by the end of the week!

OH! AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! It was so great to see you this weekend! The house will be ready before you know it! (right gram?). Thanks to all the help that Grammy gave us this week while Mr. B was at Swim lessons and Daddy was out of town. It was a very tiresome week I know, but we always love spending time with you! See you at "Nertle Beach!"

Partying at the Secret City Festival

2008-06-24T11:04:00.000-04:00

me....on tv

2008-06-17T10:32:00.001-04:00

OMG...that's the most annoying video in the world! It played automatically so I had to take it off...sorry.

Very late update...

2008-06-06T15:34:00.002-04:00

OK, after getting criticized :) for no new posts, I figured I would do so today with some new pics! I have been super busy, as this year is the craziest time for me. My computer at work is shot and I just got a new work computer so I thought I would update you!! Here are some recent photos...

Wordless Wednesday

2008-05-07T21:16:00.002-04:00

AGR--for your enjoyment....me in all my glory!

Party Time!!

2008-05-05T21:40:00.003-04:00

Carleigh chatting, give it a sec to get into it:

So this weekend, BG was asleep in her crib napping so mommy and Mr. B decided to rest too. B apparently found BG awake before I did and decide it was a GREAT idea to get in her crib with her to play.

Here is the scene of the crime......all rescue heroes that one crib can hold, along with two kidlets..

And here is one of the most beautiful things to wake up to in the morning!

I am possessed by a 15 year old girl.....

2008-05-05T13:31:00.001-04:00

I just scored tickets to New Kids on the Block!!! OMG! It's time to pull out the pegged jeans, big hair and buttons!

Melancholy

2008-05-03T00:39:00.002-04:00

Sometimes things happen that you just can't explain....

I have been very melancholy lately, maybe I'm trying to find the meaning of my life, or what I am really doing with the present, am I happy with the way things are, do I make changes with my life's path? all of these "deep thoughts" have crossed through my mind lately. Partly because when MB is out of town, I have a LOT of time to ponder the meaning of life.....

But I read this blog Bring On The Rain, now mind you it is a very sad story. When you, if you choose to, read it, start from the beginning. It will make you cry-- if you are a woman, a mother, a sister -- it will make you cry. So, reading this blog put some things into perspective for me, while making my heart hurt for this family as well.

But it truly made me realize how blessed I am with my children. Even with all the turmoil/chaos that I tend to have around me (usually brought on by myself) these are perfect, sweet children who I know inside and out, and love deeply, more deeply than I have ever experienced before, nor ever will. And I know them because they are mine....little replicas of me....Mini-me's, I am touched by them every day and I am blessed to watch them grow and become the little people that they are meant to be....

So on to my next melancholy moment. I had a childhood friend who touched me greatly. She moved right after I started high school and we eventually lost touch. For some reason, today I had this deep urge to google her, this weird tugging at my heart to do whatever it took to find out what she was up to. I did find her, but unfortunately it was through the obituary of her father. I thought, wow, how sad, her dad passed away since she and I last talked (about 6 years ago). And then I found the Obituary...it was from Monday. This made me terribly sad, my heart began to ache and I felt this strange sense of disconnect.

You know, we go through life everyday, the same old routine, the same people and places cross our paths...but have we stopped to think about those who may have passed earlier in our lives and what is going on in theirs now? To think that since October, her father had been suffering with cancer, her family struggling but keeping spirits up and supporting each other. And I....someone who considered myself a friend to her hadn't enough care in my heart to wonder earlier about her, or keep in touch with her all of these years.

I am truly one of the worst of these people. In fact, so much so that one of my friends from high school actually guffawed at the thought of me keeping in touch with one of my best friends who has moved to CT. Obviously, to her this must have been ridiculous since I couldn't even keep track of the girl who lived across town....

Anyhoo...I don't mean to sound down on myself. What I hope you will get from this is to take a moment and think about someone in your life who may have slipped out for a while. For me, I was able to find this person via the Internet, and hopefully when the time is right I will reconnect with her. For you, it may be picking up the phone, or googling, or perhaps driving past the house that you think they still live in...or for one of my friends, it was writing a letter to a deceased friend's mom who is still grieving several years later.

Time is precious people. And I see it everyday through the kids...and so many people have said this to me before...but it slips by so quickly. Where does it go? And are you truly meeting the needs of yourself to live your life to the fullest? Are you checking in to the lives around you or do you check out because what you have to do is so much more important than spending time with your friends and family or reconnecting with an old friend....trust me, I am guilty. Put an X by my name......

So I just want to say thank you to all of you who "check in" with me and are a part of my life. Those of you who love my children and make them part of yours...each of you who has said a little prayer for me, MB and the rest of my family. THANK YOU. I don't say it enough...THANK YOU.

My how fast time flies....

2008-04-25T11:20:00.003-04:00

2008-04-14T22:41:00.008-04:00

Here are some fun pics from the weekend. We celebrated Earth Day (early) with a fun festival with lots of animals and cool music and fun. It was a beautiful day out, mommy got sunburned a little. I have made a promise to myself that me and the kiddos are going to go "exploring" at least once a month around the area. There is just so much to do around us and it is great to get out of the house. And lots of stuff is free! Mr. B ran into a friend at the playground and had a good time reaking havoc, but he also lost his Spiderman (like we don't have enough!).

Check out the bath picture. Ms. C looks hysterical! I don't know if you can see it or not, but she loves hanging with her brother and was pretty pumped about taking a big girl bath.

Do you like this??? Really

2008-04-14T14:24:00.003-04:00

I was so bummed when I saw that Starbucks changed its logo cups from green to brown. Honestly people, I can deal with the red holiday cups (ok, you all know how much I love the holiday cups...gets me all tingly), but changing my comfort cup from green to brown...I'm so sad...

Oh, and I stoled this image from le petite blog.

I just have to post this...

2008-04-14T13:47:00.001-04:00

http://www.folduscandidate.com/

Enjoy!

Video and Photos from Phone

2008-04-09T22:18:00.003-04:00

Apparantly she gets her love of "woo-woos/Daddy Go's" (that's how mr. B referred to them) and her head banging skills from her Daddy! She's quite the pip!

Thought(s) for the day...

2008-04-08T09:26:00.002-04:00

Bryson is still saying some funny stuff...here is a nugget for your enjoyment:

Bryson told me that his friend J (older brother of C) told him that girls were hot. (Imagine my feeling: heart in throat...I look at MB panicked...I look back at Bryson...back at MB....back at Bryson...WHAT IS MY CHILD SAYING?). He calmly says "I told J that girls were cold, not hot, boys were hot so girls have to be cold." Well hallelujiah! I let the air out of my chest with a big sigh of relief!

Mr. B actually likes his sister, much to the surprise to those of you that know him, I understand. Many of you have made comments that he totally ignores her when she's around. OK by me, at least he's not stuffing blueberry muffins in her mouth while mommy is in the other room (ahem, yes, I speak from experience -- thanks older brother). So the other day
B says: "Mawm(because that is what MOM sounds like in Brysonspeak), Mr. J says that I can't marry my sister," again I begin to freak out inside wondering where this is going.
Mawm says: "Mr. J is right B, you can't marry her, you won't always get along with her anyway, you'll eventually find someone you love a whole lot more than her."
B says: "But MAWM, I love Carleigh." (alright everyone -- AHHHHHHHHH)
Upon telling that story to one of my friends, she calmly says: "Guess you're moving to West Virginia!" HA HA HA I for one think he'd fit in quite well here in TN.

OH, and by the "weigh".....I have joined Weight Watchers! Just got back from my first big weigh in and lost SIX pounds! YEA ME! Ok, it is the first week and I don't expect to get much farther next week....But I need support and encouragement, because with all the birthday parties we attend, it sure is hard to pass up the cake!! I LOVE ICING!

Have a great DAY!

B.G. Private Eye

2008-04-06T21:21:00.009-04:00

So I was on the phone with one of my dearest friends in crisis...trying to be serious and helpful. I looked over and saw this...

just makes me want to laugh. She's definitely got a career in criminology someday....

Notice all of the drool....she's still only got two little chiclet teeth (which I think are adorable & i don't want her to get anymore). She's been drooling like Niagra Falls for several months now, ruining a perfectly good outfit most days...so when are the teeth gonna poke through and which ones are coming in? BEATS ME! We will let you know.

I go to many blogs to find new and unique items for the kids. Many of you have seen the adorable trumpette socks BG wears. So when I run across something I love love love, I may add it here just to share with you!

My new fave place is http://www.robeez.com/. I'm having a rough time finding sandals for the girl because we need closed toes for school this summer. So I went with these super soft leather booties:

We also have these gems....so darn cute!

I also finally got a pic of Mr. B for a change. He posed, but didn't smile...you'll see where I have been sneaking up on him trying to get something! I feel like he's got plenty of photos from his life, but since BG got here, he's in very few -- by his own choice.
Have a great week! Enjoy the beautiful spring weather! I pray it stays that way!!!

My new favorite website

2008-04-04T15:38:00.003-04:00

I am so excited about this Scrapbooking website http://www.howfasttheygrow.com/. I am such a fan!!! I have done a few pages (remember Carleigh in Bloom, and the bath page). I thought I would revisit some of the others that may not have been posted. I love it! Such a great concept. The last time I scrapbooked on paper was Bryson's coming home pics! He's 4 1/2! THAT's TERRIBLE!!!! So here are a few! ENJOY.

Posting pics...

2008-03-24T22:33:00.004-04:00

Hi guys, everyone asked to see pics of the kids from Easter, so I am posting some. I didn't realize how weird I am until I had a girl and Easter started creeping up on us. I remember as a kid, all of us got brand spanking new clothes and shoes, maybe even a hat to wear for Easter Sunday. I have pictures of myself on Easter as a baby in bonnets and handmade dresses. It was quite the deal at my house to dress up in "Sunday best" for the occasion to go to church.

I also remember shopping for "school clothes." And no matter how freakin' hot it was on the first day of school, we always wore our favorite NEW school outfit, even if it was a sweater and jeans! IN AUGUST!

I have a friend who scoffed at the idea of BG wearing an Easter Bonnet this year...my response was "why? Didn't you??" So we spent the next hour laughing about the clothes that we wore growing up and comparing notes as to who had what. I remember my Dad had some jeans for me that I hated more than anything, they had hamburger and french fries embroidered on the pockets. It never failed, every time I wore them, I was called on to make a delivery to the office or go to the board or something...

Clothes were the common bond for my sister and I, and the common fight between us too...ask my sis about her infamous "white jeans." They caused quite the raucous one day. But we also shared a lot of clothes in harmony.....here's a trip down memory lane KTM -- remember Outback Red. The one sweater that we had in like twelve colors, with the matchy matchy mock turtleneck (also in 12 colors) and the pegged riding pants, all coordinating of course. Too much! And who made those striped button downs that we had that were sewn inside out? We were quite the fashionistas!!!! Oh, oh oh!!! Do you remember the red dress that the three of us wore for Christmas? We really looked pretty, but were we really big dorks? ;) That's what memories and families are for right? And it made a memory!

So hopefully my kids will fondly remember someday the experiences that their mother put them through. One day, they will sit around during the days leading up to Easter Sunday and crack up at the fact that mom put BG in a Bonnet and Mr. B in seersucker shorts!!! I DON'T CARE!!!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-22T12:27:00.004-04:00

Hope everyone is doing well! I've been fighting a computer virus for several weeks and haven't been able to post...I do have some new pics today for you....hopefully they will work because the last time I tried to post pics, something wigged out with the website and they wouldn't upload.

BG will be 8 months tomorrow...wow how time flies! I can't believe what a big girl she is. She's growing leaps and bounds .... She waves bye bye now....she looks like she's screwing in a lightbulb. Very cute, if I do say so myself.

Mr. B is doing well too. Enjoying the spring and getting to play outside a lot. He loves to dig in the flowerbeds. Now if you know me, you know that our flowerbeds are empty, so he's not bothering anything at all, he's probably helping!!!! He's growing so much too!

We are all great. Just trying to keep our heads afloat and make it through each day one at a time. We do our best! This is MB's busiest time of year (although it seems all year he's busier and busier), so he's been out of town a bunch. I've had friends and family in during that time, so it has been great to have help, have adult conversation from time to time and welcome them all into our home!

Enjoy the pics...we dyed eggs yesterday morning...BG wanted to help too. We always have to have one Brown egg, dipped in every color! Mr. B loved that...lots of fun for him to start understanding some of the holidays and bringing in family traditions.

2008-03-06T10:57:00.000-05:00

Carleigh is 7 months old now.....love the teeth

Random Brysonism....

2008-03-03T13:27:00.001-05:00

When asked if "someone" was a little grumpy this morning, Mr. B quickly responded...

"NO....I'm a lot grumpy!"

Will post more later! Everyone have a great day!

Katy

VOTE FOR CARLEIGH! shameless plug....

2008-02-20T11:26:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone!!!! I entered a scrapbook page into a contest to win a $300 gift certificate from the sponsoring website. CARLEIGH IN BLOOM made the top TEN out of 600 entries!!!! I am so excited....please visit the link and scroll down the page. The page is the fifth one down. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see a pink box and vote there... YOU CAN ONLY VOTE ONCE!!! So please pass this along to all of your friends to vote! The top four get great prizes! I would love to just be in the top four!

REMEMBER PASS IT ON!!!!!!!

Check out this great article at The Celebrity Baby Blog: http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2008/02/hftg-finalists.html

At the time of posting I was at #1! But who knows how long that will last...you can vote until FRIDAY AT MIDNIGHT!

THANKS!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2008-02-11T23:42:00.001-05:00

Hope you all have a Valentine to share the day with...I feel lucky, I have THREE! I'm going to post lots more pics here, because I have taken so many and can't seem to log on often enough....So bear with me through this....I have also tried to update the site with some new background...& can't really figure out what I did to it.....expect changes soon.....

OH! And congrats to my friends S & J and their newest addition Aimee, visit http://www.ourlittlesurprise.blogspot.com. I am sure they will have cutie pics soon of the new addition and her darling brother and sis.

Bathtime for Carleigh

Everything tastes good when I'm teething
Wrapped up & toasty

Sometimes Mr. B feels slighted by all the commotion with BG....

Sweet sleeping babyMommy's new haircut...cute, but I look so tired..yikes!
Can't leave the boy out....he needs his own screen time....we reshot this several times to accommodate his silliness....

2nd post of the night....

2008-01-31T20:48:00.000-05:00

So, again, I love my new phone that is not so new anymore! But it provides me with some great opportunities to get videos of the kids without a lot of effort!

Here's miss BG sampling a new dinner...spinach. You make the call on whether she likes it or not...ENJOY!

Here's another of my girl talking to you...

Goofing Around

2008-01-31T19:50:00.000-05:00

OK people, your guess is as good as mine! What happened to the

brown eyed babies I was expecting????

Carleigh:

Bryson:

I wouldn't want to meet her in a dark alley ....rrrrrrr

Showing off mad raspberry skills.....

Why is it that the babies change but subject matter doesn't.....

Carleigh:

Bryson:

Marking a moment in time...

Carleigh, 6 mos:

Bryson, 5 mos:

Half a YEAR ALREADY!

2008-01-25T19:41:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone! BG is 6 months old now! WOW! I can't believe that! It has been such a great 6 months with her. She is doing wonderfully. We went to the doctor today: She weighs 16 lbs 15 oz! and is 26.5 inches long. Her shots went well and she's resting after not much of a nap today. Here are some pics we took! My how she's grown....She's eating like crazy...all kinds of great, fresh fruits and veggies. She even had some beans off my plate the other day and really seemed to enjoy them. She's moving along.

BG is also sitting up with some assistance, although today she sat up unassisted for quite some time, very entertained by the toy in front of her. She got her finger pricked without much of a cry and laughed and laughed as she held her hand out for me to kiss it! Super cute. She's also learned to roll back and forth every now and then in her bed at night. She got a wonderful aquarium for her crib from Santa and we had to move it so that her head wouldn't get stuck between it and the mattress-- that was causing us a little bit o' stress and lack of sleep.

She's also saying DaDa. OK so Dad thinks she's saying it to him, but as we all know these little ones usually babble for a while before they know what they are really referring to. But hey, if it makes MB feel loved then fine.

Mr. B is doing great too. He's really changing so much and learning all kinds of new things. He told us the other day that he thought his sis was really pretty. But he's also discovered that she likes to pull his hair, scratch his arm, or just touch him...and that is starting to get on his nerves a bit too. Recently he discovered his "comty" jammies...these are his feety pjs that he thinks are really COMFY. He couldn't believe his sis had comties too.

MB seems to really love his job and is gearing up for another crazy season for his production company. I'm very busy with work and starting to travel a little bit too. We are trying to keep up with each other, the kids and our lives at work....and boy am I TIRED! So tired....in fact I live for the minute that Mr. B hits the sack! Time for me. So sorry that I haven't been updating very much, haven't been the best at returning calls and getting to see everyone, but I am POOPED! And sometimes sleep can't come soon enough.

Everyone take care! I hope the year is off to a wonderful start for everyone!

Our Christmas Vacation!

2008-01-06T21:42:00.001-05:00

The first gut wrenching injury....

2008-01-04T16:26:00.001-05:00

Yes people, I am sure you are expecting Bryson to be the roughhouser, bone breaker, scabby little boy around our house.....well, Carleigh has him BEAT! Does this cutie look like she takes any crap from anyone???????

ANYWAY! Miss C had to go to the doc yesterday because this little thing called Mommy's Intuition told me something was just NOT RIGHT about my sweet little girl. Yeah, sit back and hold your breathe for a sec.....she had a dislocated elbow....yes, you read right....a D I S L O C A T E D E L B O W.

Didn't I feel like a guilty, horrible mother at that exact moment that Dr. spilled out the diagnosis. Yeah, yeah, I hear all of you at your seats making jokes about me being the abusive mommy and all....well trust me, I don't beat her or her brother, although sometimes Bryson may feel like his mommy is so abusive, and if you listen to him talk to his friends/family/stuffed animals...Mommy is already on Santa's naughty list for this year!

Here's the lo down....doc says it is a very subtle injury that can happen a number of ways...changing her clothes, big brother pulling a toy away from her, quickly reacting to something that causes her (or mommy) to jerk quickly, and for those of you who have older kids/nephews/nieces etc. swinging older children around in circles by their arms or picking them up over pudddles in the parking lot, etc etc you see where I am going with this.

So while I sat there physically sick, Dr. P popped her tiny elbow back into place and after being in shock for a moment (C not me) she reached right up with that previously limp arm and grabbed fiercely for her cute little sparkly personalized paci!!! So, she's all better now. You wouldn't have known that this kid couldn't move her right arm without assistance a few moments before.

Looks like I have been disqualified for the 2008 Mommy of the Year Award already, just 3 days in...After the 2007 incident of locking the kids in the car, do you think I am on the Bad Mommy "Watch List"?????

2nd post of the day....NEW YEAR's RESOLUTIONS 2008

2008-01-02T11:18:00.000-05:00

Here are our New Year's Resolutions:

Mr. B - learn to tie his shoes; dress himself everyday (so far so good on that one!)
BG - learn to crawl (ok, had to do one that I knew we could reach).
Family - Simplify, Simplify, Simplify - I am determined to de-clutter our life, home and minds this year! And start our family on the healthy track towards eating!

I guess getting this out in plain view makes it much more real and makes us accoutable! Share your NY Resolutions in the comment section if you want!!! Love to hear them.

Take care!
KB

Happy New Year!!!!!

2008-01-02T11:01:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! Sorry for no updates in a long while. The holidays have been wonderful. I am back at work and haven't had the opportunity to update in a while because our "home office space" got transformed into an actual DINING ROOM!!!! Complete with wood floors and a dining room table. We actually had Christmas dinner there on FINE CHINA! Can you believe it?!

So here's a short recap......Christmas was busy as usual but so wonderful this year. I think my favorite one yet. This year it was very important to me to spend the whole day at home on Christmas, in our pj's (well the boys stayed in their pj's!). I don't feel like MB and I have yet been able to establish our family traditions because of his crazy work schedule. But this year he was able to get Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off, so we had some normalcy there. It was great. Santa was so good to all of us and we enjoyed being together. I promise to post pictures soon.

MB is super busy with his business. 2008 is going to be a great year for everything!! Even though I am starting out super tired ;). I had to chuckle on New Year's Eve when MB and the kids and I hit the Shoney's buffet, tucked the kids in the bed and crawled into our own, barely keeping the eyelids open for the ball drop -- usually a must see for me! I am a huge fan of doing New Year's up BIG! But not this year. And though I was afraid I was going to be a little disappointed, it actually turned out to be fine. Well, we did nix the Wal-Mart run that we had scheduled for after Shoney's, so I think I would have been a little depressed to tell people that I spent my NYE 2008 at Wal-Mart! We actually were invited to a party up the street but just couldn't get there!

Seems like everyone is blogging about their family's passing of the sickness...and we are not exception. MB has not been home much, so he has bypassed it, but it looks like it is hitting me!!!

Anyway, I promise to post the good stuff soon...THE PICTURES!!! BG is doing great! She's 5 months old now! I cannot believe it! She loves pears, avacado and bananas. She's a jumper! She loves to sit up (assisted of course) and has a great time rocking back and forth listening to music. She's a talker too. Mr. B is crazy as usual, fighting a little hard for my undivided attention I am afraid. He went to his room about 40 times yesterday for doing unnecessary things.....but he's not doing anything unusual for his age group.

So, I'll post pics soon enough! TAKE CARE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Things to remember this time of year...

2007-12-13T10:25:00.000-05:00

I just got an email update from a friend who suffered from Breast Cancer this year. She's been through hell and back, but has risen above this and is doing great! In her journal from November, she posted this list.....I wanted to share it with you. Thanks KB for your words of inspiration, I hope you don't mind me sharing them with my family and friends.......

- Appreciate the simple things. I smiled today at seeing a small bunch of
black-eyed susans on the side of the road.
- We are all going to die some
day. I know this sounds morbid, but it’s true.
- I will never tell someone
again that they will be okay. That is something I don’t know. What I CAN tell
them is I will be there for them whenever they need me to help them through
their journey.
- People sometimes say hurtful things without meaning to.
Most of the time, people are trying to be nice and their words just come out
wrong.
- You can NEVER know exactly what someone is going through. An
empathetic ear is mostly what people want and need.
- I feel God’s presence
the strongest when I am in nature or surrounded by loving people.
- A day
when all I could do was walk to the garden can still be a good and happy day.
- It is OKAY to rest and not feel guilty! We all deserve downtime.
- Our
society is so rushed all the time. Now when I am in traffic and I see someone
yelling or honking their horn, I feel sad for them. What is everyone in such a
hurry about? All we have to do is get through life – and it’s much more fun to
smile than get angry.
- What we put into our bodies does matter.
- You
are never stuck somewhere (in a bad job, a house you don’t love, a toxic
relationship, etc.). You may have to stay somewhere a little longer than you
wish, but you always have a choice to leave or stay.
- Do what you love –
why waste time (and we can’t get it back) doing something that doesn’t give you
pleasure?
- Blessings are all around us, especially in the little things.
- Live simply. When we die, we can’t take the THINGS with us.
- Love
each other and tell each other!

To all my friends & family who keep up with this blog....thank you for being supportive, for loving me and my family, and for lending a listening ear when I need it. I love you all, and sometimes during this time of year, we often forget that there is more to this holiday season than giving gifts, getting the perfect Christmas picture, or making the perfect dish for a party....It's about embracing those you love and celebrating your faith, whatever it may be.

Love and Happiness!!! From me to you......

Funny Brysonism

2007-12-07T16:56:00.000-05:00

We were at school picking up Mr. B and his best pal "D" yelled "Hey B----what's your phone number"....I immediately thought oh, this is gonna be good. He quickly yells back "IT'S FOUR!"

Too funny!!!! Just a quickie that I thought I'd share. Have a great weekend everyone

Christmas Festivities have begun!!!

2007-12-06T15:07:00.000-05:00

Greetings all! MB and I took the kids to the annual Christmas Parade last weekend! Here's two cuties of them all bundled up and toasty at the parade! We had to take a Starbucks break because of the chilly weather but it was fun!! Mr. B collected LOTS of candy!!!

He's been sick with what I consider to be Tonsilitis, but I am not a doc and he didn't exactly say that. B's doing better and we are hoping he'll be back to full form this weekend. Want to get him well before Christmas for sure!!! BG is still well, she's not gotten sick. Growing like a weed and so funny! Can't wait for Christmas this year! We are so blessed. Enjoy!

Party Time!!!

2007-11-30T21:43:00.000-05:00

Here are some photos from the last couple weeks!! Mr. B has had a great Birthday month! We started out with the Wiggles concert. Daddy got us FRONT ROW SEATS!!! It was awesome. Mr. B got lots of smiles and thumbs up from the guys! It was great fun.

Cousins playing together on Turkey Day! And enjoying gifts for his 4th Birthday!

BG is pumped about Birthday Bowling!!!

WHAT FORM!

Happy Birthday Mr. B...

2007-11-25T22:24:00.000-05:00

I can't believe my boy is 4 today! What a special day! Here is a short snapshot of his life...Happy Birthday little boy....

What we've been up to....

2007-11-23T23:10:00.000-05:00

Here are some videos that I have taken recently on my new cell phone... WHICH I LOVE! I am obsessed with the video component...but I need to remember that it doesn't take the BEST videos so I need to be taking some from our real camera.

Mike took me with him to his last show in San Antonio. We celebrated our fifth anniversary and got to enjoy an excellent dinner at a place called Budros on the Riverwalk...YUMMMO -- we sat right next to where Rachel Ray sat when she did her show there.....mmmmm mmmmmm it was good.

We had an awesome show...I actually worked for him! I really enjoyed seeing the reality of what he does with his "side business" that really is his 1st job. It was very impressive. This video is from the opening session. I was in the front row, and ended up speaking to 800 high school students about Tourism Marketing at a special show by the SeaWorld Killer Wales.....

AMAZING!!!!!
Here's the best part of my day....and one of the things I missed the most while I was away...when my babies are cuddled up to eachother and me in the mornings.....

My friend Marcheen kept the kids and sent me these very cute photos of the babes....

The coolest thing ever....

2007-11-15T00:44:00.000-05:00

Mr. B is getting this for his birthday (11/25) or Christmas, haven't decide yet...but it is the coolest thing ever!!! Especially because my little guy loves to sub his name for the main character in every story!!!! All you mommies... you need to check this out. Super cute, a little bit pricey but a nice gift no less!!!!!!!

http://www.shutterfly.com/shop/product_c40600/Kid_s_Characters

Check out BG's look on her face....kinda like "what the heck is he doing?" Her hair was spiked too in the pic, don't think you can tell....

Mommy of the year award...

2007-11-12T22:05:00.000-05:00

...will definitely not be on my Mantle this year!!!!! Believe it or not, I made the first public outing with the babies today--- well, since the trip to St. Louis, I forgot about that...which totally drained me I think after the ride home.... Really, I have tried to avoid public spaces by myself like shopping malls, stores, restaurants etc. just to be safe so we don't have a melt down with the kids that I can't handle alone... SO, tonight it was a necessity and we had to go to Wal-Mart so I braved it by myself. Both the kids were angels....super kids, awesome behavior....we made it without any trouble. So as I was getting in the car, Mr. B or I suddenly hit the panic button on the key remote. No big deal, I turned it off immediately. Then, I buckled B in and shut the door... Well I locked the babies in the car, with my keys!!! OUR FIRST TRIP SHOPPING AND I LOCKED MY KIDS IN THE CAR!!! Thank goodness I am married to a former fireman...I knew to call 911 and ask for help. I borrowed a cell phone and called and they showed right up. Of course, MB knew the guys....nice, just like the time he tried to burn the house down! BG got a little fussy in the car, Mr. B lost it for a few minutes then sucked it up and was a big boy!!!! And as you can see from the adorable picture below, they are A-OK!!!!

Wanna feel old....Mr. B picked up a cassette tape yesterday and said, Mommy, what is this???? He knows what DVDs and CDs are.....

Here's another video....I love my new phone!!! Have a great night! KB

New Videio and some cute pics

2007-11-09T12:45:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!

2007-11-04T22:57:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone!!! It has been a while since we last posted....back to work and its obviously busy. My friend Steph from CT came in this weekend and we got to go to the UT game! What a blast (sorry Dad!). I'm not a fan, but it was so fun and we had great seats. Halloween last week and lots of other craziness going on didn't leave time for an update. BG is 15 weeks old this week. I can't believe how time has flown.

The family is good, Mr. B and BG had a great Halloween. Here are some pics...Bryson obviously was Spiderman...Carleigh was Dorothy, complete with the Ruby Slippers!!!! Aren't the cute!

Adorable aren't they...www.trumpette.com for details on them...I love em to pieces!
Spidey needs a nap too...poor guy!

New Pics....Oct. 23

2007-10-25T22:42:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone... BG is 3 months old now! I took these cutie shots on Tuesday.

Daddy's new J.O.B.

2007-10-21T23:34:00.000-04:00

OK...so it may be old news to most of you...but MB got a new job working as a flight medic. He loooves it so much and is thrilled to be doing what he's doin and away from the fire department. Mr. B and I took our friend Marcheen down to the base and we have some exciting pics (and video) to share....

OK...now here is some cool video of Mr. B landing....

What an awesome adventure!!! Marcheen got to ride too. I didn't go this time...but it was a beautiful day for it! I'll take the next flight!

13 weeks old!!!

2007-10-21T10:12:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it?! Miss Carleigh is 13 weeks old tomorrow...Tuesday she'll be 3 MONTHS OLD! It has flown by so fast. I started back at work last Monday. We are all doing great at school and work. It is good to be back!!!

We had a garage sale yesterday that was a success...but almost didn't happen!!! MB and I got attacked by a ping pong table...it sounds funny now, but it wasn't when it happened. It is such a long story that really is dramatic and sounds horribly bad. Ask me about it some time....

Here are some pics from our most recent photo shoots!!

My first party....

2007-10-09T20:20:00.000-04:00

BG went to her first party this weekend! She's 11 weeks old now and is so much fun! Here are some pics.....and yes, I know she really has no hair...but I couldn't resist the hair clip.

Here she is with Daddy, he just told her what her curfew was....

This is the birthday girl...Mallory...you can see why Bryson digs her so much!

And here is a group of pics that my brother's wife took of BG recently. Isn't she gorgeous!!! They are beautiful!!!! And yes...I am totally vain!

2nd day of day care...SUCCESS!!!

2007-10-03T20:45:00.001-04:00

Mommy made it without a tear!!! Ha! Ms. Nicky said that BG was great and she wished all the babies were like her....(she's just trying to make me feel better). She also told me that BG laughed so much thru her feeding that it took them 45 minutes to get 5 oz. in her! She does that at home too....and I didn't even have to read The Happiest Baby on the Block!

BG is truly a blessing and has been a joy these last few weeks. She's such a happy little girl.

Remember, I had an immense craving for tomatoes while pregnant with BG...check out her outfit below....
Doesn't she look peeved in this pic...its like - Dad, I don't care about this computer stuff....

BG is 10 weeks old!

2007-10-02T23:43:00.000-04:00

She's such a happy girl! We took her to day care Monday for a couple of hours. She did well. She'll go again tomorrow.....I can't send her full time just yet...it makes me too sad. But she's doing great!

2nd post of the night...

2007-09-28T20:54:00.000-04:00

So I laughed so hard the other night I almost wet my pants....and I cried!!!! We were on the speaker phone with MB, he was traveling home from training after 3 weeks being gone. He yells "OH CRAP!" Mr. B runs to the phone and yells "DADDY?! WHYDOYOU HAFTA CRAP?!" OK, like I said, I almost wet my pants laughing so hard...it was bad...really bad...I'm a horrible mother I know, but I warned most of you. I can't help but laugh! Finally I did ask him if he knew what that meant, and he said no. So I feel a little bit better at this point...

More photos from trip home...

2007-09-28T20:39:00.000-04:00

We had fun stopping by Metropolis, Illinois - home of the one and only Man of Steel! We pulled around the corner to see this statue - which Mr. B calls GIANT and screams out COOL!

Not much time left on leave...kinda sad I only have two weeks left. I remember these feelings with Mr. B. It is so hard to feel like you don't have a choice in this decision...money is a necessary evil unfortunately. But I see Mr. B and how well adapted he is to day care and I know BG will be too. I just hate it sometimes-- but deal with it.

Check back soon!!!!

9 weeks old...

2007-09-25T23:51:00.000-04:00

BG is 9 weeks old now! I can't believe it. It makes me sad, just to know that so much time has passed so quickly. I'll blink and miss this, I'm afraid. BG is hysterical! She's smiling like crazy. She wakes up with a grin, she looks at nothing and smiles. Her brother makes her laugh by tickling her feet.

Some things I have learned this week:

1. Don't travel with two small kids for 9 hours by yourself.

2. when one of you has to take a bathroom break, you all have to take a bathroom break.

3. Illinois Rest Area's are awesome - they have playgrounds

4. Mommies don't glisten, they sweat!!!!

5. Cracker Barrel makes me happy.

We've just come back from a great trip to my parent's house in St. Louis. We spent some time with my sister too. We took Mr. B to Grant's Farm. I've included some pics below!

Funny story of the road trip: Mr. B's Gagaw (that's Brysonspeak for Grandpa) loaned us the Magellen GPS for the trip -- which was AWESOME! SO as we are driving along, "Maggie" told us to turn left. MB has been working with Mr. B on his directions and he's very good with them....so he says "MOOOOOOOOM! Which way did we just turn?" I told him we turned right. In a most persistant voice, he replies "Mommy, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO TURN LEFT!" Very funny.

So here is Part 1 of the photos. ENJOY! I'll post more later:

8 weeks are gone...

2007-09-17T23:07:00.000-04:00

I can't believe BG is 8 weeks old already. Time has sure flown by. Here are some pictures, since I haven't posted in a while:

I really need to get somenew updates on Mr. B's funny comments. He's not been so hysterically funny...but maybe that's because i can't remember anything other than feeding a baby and changing diapers!! My goodness...that's all I do!! here's some soccer pics...

Just some new pics...

2007-09-09T23:21:00.000-04:00

BG is doing great. She's plumping up and looks to me like she's getting bigger. She's on a great schedule with lots of alert-time during the afternoon and early evening. We are getting better at reading her cries/needs... and for the most part, she's a content little kid. Here are some cute pics of her from the past week or so.

Mr. B had his first soccer game on Saturday. We didn't get pics, but got lots of video. They had this huge tunnel for the kids to run through and when they announced his team, I was ready to get some photos of him running in....and he never came through. Turns out he had a little bit of a freak out on the other side. Luckily MB was with him so they walked back to the field together. But Mr. B would play the part of the game because he was scared. But I have some funny video of him and MB on the field together because MB had to get out there with him....remember folks, this is Upwards Soccer - no one cares as long as everyone is having fun!!! ANYWAY! He ended up getting out on the field and having a blast. I don't think he scored any but it was fun to watch. Here's an old photo of him from Easter that I pulled off my cell phone....

Hope you all have a great day! I'll post more soon.

Because we can't leave BG out of the "Game"....

2007-09-01T23:24:00.000-04:00

Mattie doesn't want BG to be left out in the cold! Check it out!

NEW VIDEO! Just figured this out!

2007-08-31T13:31:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited! I just figured out how to upload a video onto my blog! I hope it works! ENJOY!! Bryson is the one in the blue shirt...and no, he's not mad at the end....it just looks that way.

BG's 1st Bath....

2007-08-30T22:41:00.001-04:00

...in a bathtub...she got sponge baths before! She's not been stinky for five weeks people!!! It cracks me up, the first pics we have of her brother in a bath were of him SCREAMING!! She's such a girl. She loves it.
Life is good....

LOL Moment with Mr. B

2007-08-28T17:11:00.000-04:00

First the good news...BG is a month old and already weighs 10 lbs and 7 oz!!! She's two lbs and two oz bigger than her first pediatrician appointment after her birth! WOW!!! In just four short weeks she's gained a lot of weight. She's doing great!!!

So Ms. BG gets a little cranky sometimes...the joys of not being able to tell mom and dad what's wrong!! I was trying everything....rocking, bouncing, patting, burping...you name it. Mr. B was sitting close by trying to watch the latest Backyardigans episode, when I plainly stated, " Well Mr. B what are we going to do with your sister?!" He said "Take her back to the hospital." I nearly wet my pants laughing so hard....the love of a brother!

Have a nice day!

I'm ONE month old already!!!

2007-08-23T21:06:00.000-04:00

I wish my job was just to lay around and be cute all the time.....doctor update tomorrow!

Our First Soccer Practice

2007-08-20T22:56:00.001-04:00

Thought I would share...Mr. B started Soccer today!! I have waited for this day! I love the fact that my kiddo wants to play something, and I am ready to root him on (yes, I'll be the annoying mommy on the sideline!) I am so proud of him already. Check out the pics.....and GO TIGERS!!! OH, and BG is doing great too...she's four weeks old today!!!!

Happy Birthday MB!

2007-08-14T20:04:00.001-04:00

Today is MB's 33rd Birthday! We had a Batman birthday (yes, Mr. B picked it out). And mr. B helped with the cake!!! It tasted good!!!!!

BG is 3 weeks old and doing well. She's getting a little fussier, but she's also staying up more during the day. We've all been getting good sleep at night so far! I am so glad. I don't know what I'd do without my sleep. I think I am sleeping more now than while I was pregnant!!!

Here's some cuties of the kids. Mr. B sure loves his sister.....

Everyone have a great day! Thanks for checking in!