Sports Fanatic

Brice has become OBSESSED with sports. Justin and I are not sure what made him get so into it but this kid is serious. It doesn't matter who is playing or what sport. If it's on, he needs to know the following:

-who is playing
-where they are playing
-which team is wearing which color
-what their mascot is
-which team is "supposed" to win
-what jersey number each player is along with his name
-whether or not they are professional or college

and then he will remember all of this on top of

-who won
-what the score was
-who scored the most points, individually

I thought it was bad with Justin in the house during college football season but this kid has opened up a whole new world of sports fanatic. Football, baseball, basketball, college, professional, minor league, it. doesn't. matter. Justin has taken him to a couple of basketball games in Athens to see the Bulldogs play. Luckily, they won both games because the Dawgs aren't the best this year. Brice must be a good omen because they beat Tech as well as Tennessee!

I had to make him go to bed tonight at half time of the Georgia vs. South Carolina game. Of course, he made me find the radio station that was announcing the game so he could listen to it while falling asleep. And I guarantee in the morning the first question out of his mouth will be, "Who won the game last night?". And the second will be "What was the score?".

Tomorrow is his T-ball evaluation to see what team he is going to be on. Justin and I are nervous for him. So crazy, I know. It's just T-ball but we of course want him to do well. I guess if he doesn't turn out to be good at sports he can be a really great fan! As long as he isn't one of those that paints his body! I'll let you know how our little guy does!

I'm Going Too

Not sure where Anna was thinking she could be shipped to after climbing in this box but......I'm going too and it better be warm and sunny!

A Wolf and a Hyena

The other day it was too cold or windy or rainy to go outside so Brice decided he wanted to pretend that he was a hyena and I was a wolf. "And you can go hunt for me mom and bring some dinner and I'll eat it in my cave." The cave built out of pillows by the wolf. Do you see the trend here? Once a man, always a man. I found him a Bunny Pez and brought him that for his "dinner".There is the sneaky hyena peeking out of his cave. Watch out! He's vicious.
Sorry, forgot to rotate this picture!
I guess he doesn't look that vicious after all, huh? He's actually pretty cute, so cute that I (the wolf) might have to snack on him!
Happy Creations to all those who are running out of things to do with their kids because of the weather!

I Knew it...And I'm Still Not Ready...

I knew Anna would be a climber. I just knew it. I knew it before she was born, before I knew she was a girl. How? Because Brice wasn't a climber. And no mom can have no climbers. She is so agile and little she just puts her little leg up and grabs on and up she goes. Today she mastered Brice's chairs. She is so proud of herself. She got up there today while Brice was in school and then fell out and hit her forehead, which now has a red mark. Even though I knew it, I am still not ready for it. I think Brice's face says it all!
You got it, standing is much, much better. As if doing CPR on her didn't take enough years off my life!
I am also not ready for her to be such a big girl and sit at this table and eat a snack like she is three years old.
"What Mom? Graham crackers on a green marker stained table are so good."
"I'm so cute and that's why you don't get mad at me!"

Drink, Please!

On the rocks. Frozen, with salt, without. It doesn't matter!

Tonight, wow. Had a great day. Went shopping with Anna. Got some new snazzy shoes for Blaire's wedding. Some new pants for Brice who has either been praying a lot or playing a lot because his pants keep ripping open at the knees. Picked Brice (and his cold) up from school. Non-stop coughing and blowing his nose this afternoon. Watched a NatGeo show on Dinosaurs, Perfect Predators if you're wondering. The kid is obsessed.

Got Anna up from her nap and things went downhill. I don't think she was fully awake when Brice bounded in her room and threw on the light. The one side of her face still had sheet marks on it and her cheeks were rosy. When I picked her up she was still nice and toasty from being all snug. (Can you tell I like to sleep?). Anyway, once Brice is in your face, there is no going back to sleep, so up she got. I fixed her a snack and then she kept pointing to something on my desk. And Justin will tell you how unorganized my "command center" is so who knows what Anna wanted. She is in that phase of point and grunt, whine, squeal to get what she wants. I am sooooo ready for some words to come out of her mouth.

After her snack, she still wasn't satisfied, just wanted me to hold her and kept reaching for stuff on my desk but half of it she can't play with because she'll either break it or mess it up. Then Brice starts asking for a snack which it's 5:15 so I just tell him, let's eat dinner. So, I make him a sandwich ("peanut butter and jelly in two HUUUUUGGGGE triangles"). I should just plan dinner because it ends up being so much more hectic when they are both starving and I'm scrambling to come up with something to feed them. And scramble I did. An egg, for Anna and myself. Which she didn't eat, but just whined and looked at an old picture of Brice, Justin and Larry. She ate some bread and a few peaches. And whined. Did I mention that already?

So, after that we headed upstairs to play for a while. Brice acted a fool and was delirious because he's so tired he doesn't know what to do with himself. In a goofy way, not upset. Six thirty rolled around and I put Anna in her jammies and then headed to Brice's bathroom to bath him with some J&J vapor bath. We received some gingerbread scent foam soap for Christmas. You're supposed to be able to make shapes in the bath water with it and Brice wanted to give it a try. Well, it was really hard to push down on the dispenser so I took it and started squirting this stuff. Giggles erupted from the tub as this stuff filled the bathroom looking like fettuccine alfredo and smelling like a gingerbread house. He thought it was so funny. I told him he could put it on his face and play with it.

So he starts putting on his face like a "lion" and Anna go into hysterics. So upset. Tears. Wants me to hold her. Wants me to leave the bathroom with her. She is scared to death. I tell her it's just Brice. And then Brice.

"I don't like it! Get it off! It stinks! Hurry, Mom!". And then his tears start.

I tell him to calm down because he is scaring Anna even more. Not sure what happened in the span of 30 seconds but Lord, have mercy!

I finally get him rinsed off but he is still bawling and so is Anna. She is getting wet because I have to keep removing her from the bathroom while I try to wash Brice but she wants to be picked up. I then turn around with her in my arms to find Justin standing there with open arms for her! He said he figured he better come up before I kill myself or one of them!

So, Brice gets out of the tub, screaming because this gingerbread stuff is sticking to his feet. Rinse the feet. Dry him off. Dry the tears. Blow the nose. Find Anna who is still crying and reaching for me. Justin takes over with Brice while I find Anna's paci and Carly and to bed we go. Justin plays a quick game of War with Brice and then tells him goodnight.

And now, I need a drink! Just one of those days, I guess.

Showing Off

Tick Tock

For Christmas Brice received a watch from his Nana and Pa. He loves wearing it and has been sleeping in it lately. The purpose in getting him the watch was so that he would know what time it was when he woke up. The rule is to stay in your room until either you hear the bus go by (7am) or it is after 7:00am. Well, Brice has mastered how to read his watch and he tells me the time.

As. in. every. minute.

So, today we were getting ready to go see my Mom at work and have lunch with her. I told him we would leave around 11:00. This was at 9am. So, two hours of tick, tock. He starts by telling me each minute. We then get distracted by something Anna is playing with and five minutes pass.

"Mom, my watch went from 9:15 to 9:20. All of a sudden my watch time is going faster than it used to."

Mine too, buddy, mine too.

One of my previous coworkers used to always say, "The days are long but the years are short."

That's How!

One day last week, Justin and I were cleaning up from dinner. We were both really tired. He, especially because he had done a couple day trips which meant lots of driving. Brice was running around like usual after dinner because his "second wind" is so strong it practically swoops him off his feet and Anna was sitting in her high chair, chattering.

Justin looked at me with really tired eyes and said, "I don't know how you do it."

We both looked over at Anna who made a face like this one...

I told him, "That's how!".

Julia Child

Dinner time is a stressful time for me. The kids are running/crawling around the floor, Anna is starving, and Justin always seems to have an important call when I am needing to prepare dinner. I love using my crockpot and try to as much as possible but it just can't be done every night.

So, tonight was no different. But, a little background first. I am no cook. I cannot just go into the pantry and come up with something on the fly. I have to plan each meal, write down the ingredients, grocery shop, and then come home and follow a recipe. The other part, I don't like to cook. Sorry to all you true Southerners out there that enjoy cooking. I'm not saying that I wasn't raised in the South because I have lived here a long time. I like to drink sweet tea, I love SEC football and I know what a cheese straw is but...let's face it, my roots are Midwestern. So, my Grandma didn't enjoy cooking, neither did my mom (although, now I am thinking this is because my sister and I were always underfoot!), and neither do I. But I do try.

Today, I made a menu, went to the store and then I gave Brice the choice of what I should make tonight: stuffed shells, enchiladas, or pork chops. He chose enchiladas. Sounds good to me, who's bringing the margaritas?

I brown the meat, I mix up the cheeses and then realize I didn't buy enchilada sauce! This drives me insane!!!! One stinkin' ingredient? Frustrating!

So, I google how to make my own. This ought to be interesting since like I said before, I don't just happen to have ingredients in my pantry. But, lo and behold! I have almost all of it. Didn't have the chili powder but I did have some paprika that I put in there. I was very nervous about making it. It didn't look so good simmering in the skillet but on it went and into the oven went the dish. When Justin came in to help me set the table, I told him. His eyes got real big and he said, "Should be interesting." A lot of faith here people, can you tell? He obviously knows me!

But, I must say, they turned out very nicely, a little too much salt in my opinion but edible. I was very proud of myself! Just call me Julia Child! Ha!

Happy 80th!

Today we celebrated this special lady's 80th birthday! Her actual birthday was January 4th but anytime is a good time to celebrate, right?! This is Robin's mom, known to her grandchildren as Nana and to her great-grandchildren, Nanny. Brice and Anna are so blessed to still have five of their great grandparents living and doing fairly well, healthwise. They are all now 80+ years with the oldest being 87. I tell you what, with all these good genes, Brice and Anna may be around a long time! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NANA (NY)!

Just Wondering...

...how many times it takes for your child to back into and fall on the open dishwasher door before either
a) the door comes off or
b) the entire dishwasher comes out from the countertop

Why, you ask?

Well, because Brice has now done this THREE times. What the heck, kid? Never on purpose but OH MY GOSH. And every time it scares the crap out of me because the bottom rack of dishes shakes when all 45 lbs of him falls on it!

Thirteen Months!

Anna is now thirteen months old! I must say this past month went slower than usual. I appreciated this. She is quite the little firecracker, working on her seventh tooth and has mastered WALKING!!! I think the girl was seriously just chicken about taking those steps. She still prefers crawling as of right now but I think in the next two weeks she'll become better and better at toddling. Below are some pictures of her daily activites.

Ready to take Brice to school.I was trying to catch a picture of her walking but she got to the table too quick.
She loves to play in her room in this chair. She will take a baby or book with her and then sit and rock. Or as you can see, smear her little face all over the window!
Her favorite book this week. One day I will look in her room and she'll be reading a People magazine like this!

Hey, Wally, I've Got Your Number

Poor Anna. The past 48 hours have been rough on the little girl's chompers. On Saturday, Brice and I were sitting over the coffee table, playing Go Fish when Anna decided she wanted to check on the game. She pulled up on the table which she has done 45,874 other times in her life and her feet flew out from under her and she "ate" the table on her way down. AWFUL!!! The first thing I saw was the table...
...and then my mind could picture her mouth. If she did that to the coffee table then her two front teeth are either through her top lip or in her nose. I mean, seriously. I swooped her up, screaming, no doubt and took her to the kitchen where I thought for sure blood would be spewing. Nope. Not one drop. Teeth are perfectly in place without even being chipped. What does she have in that mouth of hers, diamonds??? I did have to remove a very small piece of the coffee table from her mouth. Nice.

So, we dosed her up with Tylenol like any good mommy/nurse would do and gave her some milk and she was good to go with a new nickname: Beaver. Thanks, Daddy.

Sunday, we wake up and do the breakfast thing. It is then time for her morning nap. I put her down without a peep. I tell Brice and Justin that I am getting in the shower. Ten minutes later, Brice shows up to tell me that Anna is screaming. Justin then comes in and says, "Please hurry, she is screaming like crazy.". So, I get out of the shower and go try and comfort her. I can't figure it out. Justin is sweet and lays on the couch with her and watches cartoons. She skips her morning nap. So, she is cranky come 12:30/1 and I decide to put her down early. She screams, we let her cry it out. An hour and a half later, she is screaming again. She is up for the afternoon. And, I notice she has another tooth coming in, maybe that explains it. Bed time rolls around (and I'm talking early here because we've had minimal napping). 6:15-bath, Tylenol, Orajel, book and bed. No crying. Success. Probably because she can't feel her vocal cords. Anywho, 11:11pm, a cry from the Beaver and a nudge from Justin. I go in to comfort her, she calms down, I give her some more Tylenol and rock her a few minutes. She is so sweet just sitting there curled up on my lap. So, all is well, I think. I put her back in the crib and the wailing begins!!!

Poor Anna.

I don't think so.

The Beav says, "Hey, Wally, I've got your number!!!".

We've been had, once again.

Sunday Snapshots: Brice Himself

See Previous Post: #4

See Previous Post: #2 and #3

Making footprints on the deck and running around the "snowy" backyard!

We "drew" in the snow.

Playing with his friends from school. Twins, William and Wesley.

Swirling in My Head

I have had lots of different things I've been wanting to post so this is a random list of all the thoughts swirling around.

1) Our year is over. January 8th, 2009 we brought Anna home, again. We got to be the family that I missed so much for those nine/ten days. It's amazing that she was only at the house two weeks before she got sick but when I would come home from the hospital, the feeling that someone was missing was instantaneous. This of course began our "house arrest" until April. Not the days I care to remember but it could've been a lot worse so...

2) It actually snowed here. I will post pictures soon. To sum it up, Brice went outside to play and the snow that had fallen could not even be stuck together enough to make a snow ball. I am a total cold wimp, seriously. Twenty minutes out there and I couldn't feel my fingers or my toes. And the wind was blowing and I hate wind. So, I said to Brice, "How does hot chocolate sound?" "And a movie?". He said, "Definitely, hot chocolate but no to the movie." Heaven help us if we sit still for five minutes during the day.

3) Brice had some friends over to play from school. He loved it. The boys he had over are twins. The three of them giggled like girls the entire time they were here. I don't know what was so funny but they all had fun together. Pictures of this to come as well.

4) Anna is getting better and better at walking!! She is more apt to take steps now instead of just dropping down to crawl. She usually takes about 6-8 steps towards something before she either slips or decides crawling will be faster. I think maybe by next week we'll have a true walker on our hands. We shall see though, I thought she would be walking long before this and she is just "chicken"!

5) I want what happened with Anna to be a lesson learned to those around us. Please take infant/child CPR if you have not already and/or if you are around kids. And for that matter, take the adult CPR class as well. I just had to renew my CPR for work and it really is an easy thing to learn. I think most people are scared to be able to say, "I know CPR" but chances are the person you would be saving is one of those closest to you. And, even if you were to use it, and didn't do it perfectly, it would probably be enough until the "pros" arrived to help. I know I didn't do it exactly right on Anna but it got the job done. So, please, please consider putting this on your New Year's list of things to do. And encourage those around you to do the same!

Okay, I will post some pictures and a little video (hopefully) that correlate with these thoughts! So, stay tuned.

Snow Dance

We are doing the snow dance here in Georgia. Bad weather was predicted on Wednesday so they closed a lot of school systems early for today. Although the "weather" didn't start until about 3pm. True to form, the forecasters were a little off. We are seeing some white stuff but it isn't enough to get excited about. Brice went outside for about two minutes to touch it as it was falling from the sky. Maybe by tomorrow morning some will have stuck to the ground! Then, it would be worth something!

Becoming a Girly-Girl

Anna has definitely been showing us just how girly she may be. If she sees a necklace or anything that could hang around her neck, she promptly puts it on! Here she is wearing one of my necklaces but she is known to wear Brice's pirate necklace with skulls and crossbones on it as well as one of his sashes that is intended to be a sword holder!And then there are the baby dolls. I think we now have five dolls. She has taken to the one below lately and hugs her and carries her around in one hand while Carly-bunny is in the other! When I went into her room to get her up this morning she was snuggling with both of them! And then she would not let go of this doll when I put her in her high chair! The doll now has a lovely banana scent!
I know there will be a day when she wants to drive Tonka trucks around or play baseball like her brother but for now I'm enjoying her wearing pink, dressing up and being a little mommy!