Tangential Ramblings of a Slightly Neurotic Stay-At-Home Mom

2008-10-19T01:05:00.001-07:00

OOPS! One of the pictures in my last post was a little more revealing than I had realized! Here is another one to replace it!

2008-10-17T17:52:00.000-07:00

When in a mad rush to catch a plane...

...one should stop to take pictures of course!

Took these sweet photos as we were running out the door - I was afraid that they would never get taken if we waited until we got back from the wedding.

These make me fall in love all over again :)

2008-10-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

All is happy here in babyworld...the boys are adapting, although they have regressed in a few areas but I guess that is to be expected. We made it through the whirlwind trip to Chicago, Wisconsin and then back to Chicago again. We didn't get to visit with anyone except family, so maybe that will be an option next time. Thankfully, my dad had the week off which was wonderful. He would get up and go get coffee (why is it that coffee from a coffee shop or even a gas station brings about more happiness than coffee made at home??) and then come home and take the boys so that I could get a couple hours of sleep. By the time mom got home from teaching, she would be needing her grandkid fix and I would once again have some time to get other things done.

The wedding was soooo much fun - we laughed all weekend and really had a good time. We all missed my grandmother so much though, because family events were the times that she would really let loose and have fun. Jonna looked amazing and the whole event was just beautiful.

I held it together for the most part. Mike was able to walk us onto the plane (I couldn't believe that) and help me get situated with the three kids. Treyton slept the whole way (no ear problems and no crying-yeah!) and the boys were very well behaved. It helped that they both had brand new Nintendo DS's to keep them busy. Who was it that said she would never buy hand-held video game systems for her kids? Oh yeah, me. I have changed my mind. The games were an early Christmas present from a relative. Let me tell you, they were a life saver.

Now we are home and it is back to reality. Speaking of, I must go now and write a grant that is due tomorrow. Here are a few pictures from our trip!

2008-09-25T21:14:00.001-07:00

Today was the big day - the test, if you will. All of the grandparents are gone and Mike was in Chattanooga. I was on my own to juggle the three little ones...
All and all, it was a successful morning. However, it wasn't without its moments...
Got the twins dressed just to realize that Braxton's zipper was broken and Dalton's shorts were missing a button. Seriously, didn't we just buy these? And they came from Belk's no less - not like I can do my typical 'cheap Walmart' rant and rave.
OK, no problem - just get new shorts. Easier said than done seeing as all of the uniform shorts are in the laundry. Plan B: Dig through the dirty clothes and pick out the shorts with the least amount of dirt/food/marker/unknown substances on it and give them the old 'brush-off' treatment. Of course, by brushing them off they magically become fresh and clean again.
Mini crisis solved - on to the next step in our morning routine. We are sailing through and I am thanking my lucky stars that the little one is sound asleep - make that WAS sound asleep. He has definitely 'found his voice' and he wanted to be sure that he conveyed just how hungry he was. Quick once-over of the twins' teeth and quick warm-up of some milk for the baby. No time to nurse seeing as we have a total of 3 minutes before take-off. Give the baby his appetizer, tell the kids to put their shoes on for the 8th time, grab the backpacks and everybody into the car (why do the boys think that when we are in a hurry they should aimlessly wander around the front yard looking at the flowers and the patches of grass?).
Phew. My reward is just around the corner - drop these boys off, nurse the baby and curl up in bed to try and make-up for the sleep I did not get the night before. I am getting excited when the boys ask me if Baby Treyton ate yogurt for breakfast. Oh no. I know what that means. Sure enough, he was covered from head to almost toe in massive spit-up. So, in case you don't remember, I am sending one kid to school in dirty shorts, the baby is covered in yucky goo, I haven't taken a shower (or even bothered to rub yesterday's mascara-turned-under-eye-smudge off of my face) and we are about 2 minutes from being tardy.
OK - got to school on time, kissed the kids good-bye, managed to avoid making eye-contact with their gym teacher who is also our neighbor and got the heck out of there before I could look like anymore of a white trash mama. Got home, fed the youngen, laid him down and curled up in our big, comfy, king-sized bed - ahhhhhh. This was good. I fell asleep quickly only to be roused from slumber by my cell phone. "Hello, Mrs. Beckman?" Oh nooooooo. I know that voice. It is their teacher. Ugh. Two kids, two pairs of wet shorts. Something about a puddle on the playground and an aiming accident in the bathroom. Are you kidding?? Jump in the shower, throw the baby in the carseat and off to school I go to bring clean clothes. At this point, going home and back to sleep is no longer an option. So I do the next best thing - The little guy and I went for some retail therapy. He got some new outfits and I got a pair of jeans that don't have a stretchy panel in the front!
Tomorrow is yet another day ;) !

2008-09-24T21:31:00.000-07:00

It is so amazing to watch the boys with their baby brother...I hope as time goes on that their bond continues to strengthen and grow.

Today, Braxton made one of those 'out of the mouths of babes' comments. I had just weighed myself and I was happy to see that I was only 1lb. away from my pre-pregnancy weight. Seeing as I went into this pregnancy with plenty of extra poundage, I am hoping to ride the 'breastfeeding burns calories' bandwagon for as long as possible and burn off some of the leftover weight from my first pregnancy (or rather from the 5,000 pounds of chocolate I ate while staying awake all night long during the boys' first year). As I walked out of the room, Braxton said, "Mommy, aren't you glad the baby is out of your tummy?" I said yes, I am glad that he is here with us now. Brax replied saying, "Now your tummy will go back to how it was before!" I asked him what he means and he said, "You know, much smaller!" I better start that exercise program...

So, I made the boys take pictures after school yesterday. Doris showed me how the dining room table makes for a perfect spot for setting up a photo shoot! Unfortunately, Treyton wasn't very interested. At least I was able to get some good sleeping pictures once his tummy was full and he drifted off into sleep...

2008-09-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Doris!

Doris was nice enough to come by today and take some pictures of baby Treyton...

It is hard to believe that he is 9 days old :)

2008-09-13T15:35:00.000-07:00

Baby Boy Beckman has finally arrived! It was quite an experience - 23 1/2 hours of labor. He was 8 lbs 13 oz and 20 3/4 inches long. He is so sweet - his face is all squishy and he squeaks a lot. He is soo soft and warm and he loves to cuddle.

The boys are very excited to be 'big brothers.' Braxton prefers to be more of an observer at this point, but Dalton wants to be holding his baby every chance he gets! He is very intrigued by the whole what babies can and can't do thing - what he can play with, what he can eat, etc. I am very worried that I will wake up one morning to find Dalton carrying the baby around the house teaching him how to play with trains! We have to constantly remind him that he has to be very gentle with his new little brother!

2008-09-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

It has been almost 10 months since my last post - seriously, where has the time gone? A few things have happened in the life of the Beckmans - more on all of that later. Meanwhile, here is my grand excuse for not having kept up with my blog:

That's right, with only days to go here is the big news: baby boy #3 is on his way! For our families and our Nashville friends, this isn't news.... BUT, for those of our friends who haven't heard from us all year (which encompasses just about everyone outside of a ten-mile radius) - well, let's just say that it has been both a happy and sad year, an exciting and a challenging year. The happy news is that any moment now, our third son will join us (which won't be a moment too soon!)...

2007-11-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

Here are the pictures from the post below!

2007-11-01T00:40:00.000-07:00

It is 2:30am and I just finished working. I love my new job(s) but more on that later. I went to Steak and Shake so that I could get more done (if I stay at home I end up doing laundry and falling asleep)! I looked around at the other people at SS at 2 in the morning and I realized that a. I am the 'old lady' in the group and b. I am probably one of the few people in my circle of friends who think it is 'normal' to hang out at SS on a Thursday morning doing paperwork. Thoughts? I do know of at least one person who probably doesn't think that I am all that abnormal! At least I hope I do... ;)

Off to Halloween! The boys had a blast - five thousand costume changes later and we went back to the original plan. Brax was a dinosaur and Dalton was a dragon. He spent the entire night 'breathing' on us as if he were a real dragon. We should have planned better - he had Italian food for lunch.

The kids loved answering the door - Dalton would yell out "Here come more customers!" and then they would fight over who got to hand the bowl over to the trick-or-treaters. They went out for just a short while but they came home with some serious loot! They both walked in the door, threw off their costumes and dumped their bags out to check it all out. It didn't take long before they were both complaining of tummy aches!

Hope you had a fun and safe Halloween!

** I have tried to upload pictures for 3 days! I am going to try a brand new post...

2007-10-22T17:18:00.000-07:00

To no great surprise to many of you (ok, so maybe the best word to use in this situation is probably "all" of you), I am a bit of an obsessor. OCD Queen is more like it. Well, my harmless little blog gets caught in the middle of my obsessive tendencies. See, I have to have an hour of time dedicated to sitting down and writing it and loading up pictures or else I push it off until 'later' which goes from days to weeks and sometimes to months. But, the reality of it is I am just making it a bigger project than it actually needs to be - need being the operative word. Kind of like how when I clean the house I do the normal stuff but then I feel the needto empty all of the drawers and sort, purge and organize everything that came out of them. It is not unusual for a 3-hour cleaning job to turn into an all day into the evening kind of event.
So, with that in mind, I am going to blog a little here and there throughout the next day (or two). Maybe it will make sense, maybe you will just walk away thinking "what was she talking about?" but then again you should be used to that by now ;)
Here are my latest tangential ramblings...

north carolina was very fun... wilmington is gorgeous (love the downtown), we had a personal ride on the boahn yacht out to a private island - beautiful - and we had an early birthday celebration for my sister-in-law missie (happy birthday by the way!)...we had a wonderful time and send a huge thank you to tony, missie and the kids for a great weekend! after the beach we were off to fayetteville to stay at the beckman resort - mike's parents live out in the country (the kids think it is so cool that you pull onto their grass to drive up to their house)...lots of land to run on and a great pool to relax in...plus, you get the sweet southern charm of two porches (front and back) complete with a porch swing...ahhhh....lazy summer days...thank you mamaw and papaw!

we came home and it was a three week mad rush to do about a thousand things and then off to illinois to visit my family...we had a family birthday party for my mom's 60th birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY NANA! - and we had a great time spending the week with everyone...mom and dad's addition is almost done which is good because for the last three years - maybe 5 or 6 years - mom has been threatening to board up the entry way and sell the house...oh yeah, and get a divorce in the process...for those of you who don't know, my parents added an entire floor above their ranch style home and they did the majority of the work themselves...BUT my dad said it would be done in a relatively short time and it actually took more thn 7 years (hence the constant threat of divorce)...i do have to say that it is gorgeous - they did an amazing job!

is it just me or do you notice the strangest things dumped on the side of road here in tennessee? i always laugh at the shell of a church that is overrun by vines and up on blocks with a huge sign in front that says "Church Building for Rent"...what??!! are you kidding me?? not only are they trying to pass off a shell of a building (no windows, door, etc) as a church but they want to charge you for it as well? as soon as it stops raining i am going to take a picture of it - too funny...well, a few days ago someone dumped an old wooden half-rotted out boat filled with what i am assuming is garbage on the side of tulip grove road. funny thing is that it is a pretty populated area...not that i would, but if i had a boat to dump i might wander a few miles out to the country where there is less of a chance of getting caught - weird...i do have an unusual fascination with it though...i want to go and check it out...kind of like the feeling i get when i see old abandoned houses or barns...

soapbox issue for the day: line cutters...don't you just hate when you are standing in a long line for what seems like forever and a cashier opens another lane and says "I can take someone over here" and the last person in line does a back flip-flop double twist russian somersault to get there...hello???? you just got in line and i have been standing here for ten minutes waiting for julie the second cashier to answer her stinkin' page! ok, i am better now...i think...

on another note, ann, i couldn't figure out what you were referencing in your last comment but now i get it! i jokingly challenged our ever so confident (read cocky) renee to a blog writing contest of sorts, but the reality of it is i would never even consider it...that girl has a way that very few if any can come close to conquering and i for one am not going to take on that highly talented (stuck on herself) writing genius (snob). love ya nay nay ;)

i am a self diagnosed add/adhd adult...on that note, i have tried to focus but i really have a hard time doing that...but then i had a brainstorm...bummer, it will have to wait until after dinner...evidently the cookies and crackers i fed the kids for dinner just didn't cut it (just kidding mom, they had a 5 course meal with 4 out of 5 courses being vegetable based)....til later, have a good one! d

2007-10-07T23:05:00.000-07:00

I must remember to blog...
I must remember to blog...
OK, so 1 1/2 years later and I still am not good at this. I have so many pictures to post - but, it will have to wait until we get back from Chicago!
Two things...
First, please keep our little Dalton in your thoughts this week. He has ginormous tonsils and adenoids and they will be taken out on Tuesday. We are hoping that this helps with his inability to sleep soundly at night and the consequent bouts of hyperactivity that come as a result.
Secondly, I found this cool little link on www.scrapinstyletv.com so I thought I would give it a try! The picture was taken the moment we laid the twins down in the leaf filled grass. They weren't very sure what was going on at first - it took about a minute and then they started eating them!
This layout was so much fun to create - I used a ton of alcohol inks to alter plastic, foil tape, fall leaves from the dollar spot at Target (LOVE the dollar spot!), chipboard and a transparency. I will be teaching a class on October 20th where we will make this layout plus 2 or 3 other fall layouts.
Have a great week - pictures from North Carolina and Illinois to follow!

2007-09-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

Soooo, it has been a year since we moved to Typepad and I am now ready to head back to Blogger! Thanks for moving with us!!

Here is our September update!

POPSICLES!! I thought these pictures were oh so typical of how things work at our house. Brax does NOT like to be dirty and well Dalton...the dirtier the better!

2007-07-09T08:08:00.000-07:00

Hi! We are back to Blogger! YEAH! From what I understand, it works much better now. So, we are going to give this free service a shot (I am tired of paying a monthly fee!)...

First things first, is anyone interested in giving me a quick tutorial on how to add links to the side of the page? I would be oh so grateful...

Thanks! ;)

2006-09-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

WE HAVE MOVED (hopefully for the LAST time!) !!! Due to problems uploading pictures, I have moved our family blog to:
www.offonatangent.typepad.com
Thanks for moving with us! See you at Typepad...

2006-09-16T16:56:00.000-07:00

OK - Blogger is completely freaking out on me..Please visit our new blog at www.offonatangent.typepad.com

Thanks!

Question of the Day

If your child stuck his head in the toilet bowl so that he could sing his favorite song would you:
1. Be grossed out;
2. Be impressed - obviously he understands the benefits of good acoustics;
or
3. Be concerned for what the future may hold....
In case you were wondering (but you know that you weren't), it was Dalton who gives new meaning to the phrase 'singing in the bathroom.'

As I pulled Dalton's head out of the potty, Braxton came running in to tell me (with a big smile on his face) "I messed up your computer, Mommy!" And sure enough, he did.

Mike is sick today. Yesterday it was the kitten. Before that it was me and before me it was the boys. I am starting to doubt my bottle of Lysol - either it doesn't work OR the germ that has invaded our house is the .1% of the germ population that Lysol does not kill.

I think I am going to go to bed with the boys tonight. We will see if that actually happens. I have nocturnal ADHD (OK, OK , so some may argue that it isn't just at night). Must go get the boys ready for bed....

2006-09-14T17:42:00.000-07:00

So, why is it that I can't seem to keep my car clean? It is a mess - a disgusting sea of petrified food and half-broken toys. Water bottles do not reside in the cupholders that were designed to hold them - instead they float around the automobile occasionally brushing against my leg making me think there is something crawling up my leg. I do clean it out - really, I do. I vacuum and scrub the carpet (try getting the McD's caramel from the Apple Dippers out of the carpet - not fun) and I still look like I am driving the white trash mobile of the year. Ugh.
Ok, enough about that!
Well, I have an official date! Tom from the Big Yellow Box (BYB) corporate offices called and they will be coming to Nashville to hold an opportunity meeting on October 3rd! YEAH and YIKES! I also found out that I am responsible for running most of the meeting. Sometime this week, 50,000 emails will go out to people in the Nashville area who have signed up on the Crayola.com website. Meanwhile, it is up to me to spread the word. So, here goes:
Big Yellow Box by Crayola is a home-based business. We represent a line of all-inclusive craft kits for kids and adults. We focus on helping families and friends spend quality time together getting creative and making memories! On October 3rd at 7:00pm, we will present a video and a demonstration of what it is we do (home parties, fundraisers, birthday parties, etc). This will be a no-pressure informational meeting. We are a very young and very fun company, and we are looking to create a presence in Nashville! Now for the best part - if you refer someone who ends up signing up (or you refer yourself!) you will receive a free BYB craft kit!
OK - enough work, it is now time for me to go play with my kiddos! No pictures today, just me rambling!

2006-09-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

So, yesterday, the kids started looking through a catalog that came in the mail and they decided that they should get just about everything in it. I laughed and told them to put it on their list for Santa. A couple of minutes later I checked to see what they were up to and lo and behold they were 'making' a list for you know who! Cracked me up and made me a little worried...I think Christmas gift giving might be a little more challenging this year!

Then again, Santa doesn't usually bring presents for little boys who put kittens in garbage cans. All metal garbage can that is. Poor little Mickey was "hidden" during a game of hide and seek (I didn't realize the cat was also playing this game). However, Dalton evidently forgot to find her. After we left and came home - 4 HOURS later - I heard a faint little "meoooow" coming from the trash can (that and our other cat was just sitting there staring at the can). I opened it up and this poor kitty was sweating from top to bottom. I can't even tell you how hot it was in that can. There was even condensation on the underside of the lid (it is one of those stainless steel cans with a foot lever). I wasn't sure if the poor thing was going to make it. I asked Braxton who put Mickey in the garbage - he smiled and said Dalton. I yelled to Dalton to come here and find Mickey. That little stinker went right to the can and looked quite surprised when Mickey wasn't there. I tried to explain to him that he absolutely could not hide Mickey especially in the garbage can...he felt bad and moped around for awhile, but got over it. Mickey avoided him for about an hour and now they "play" just like old pals. I am amazed at how much that little kitty is willing to put up with!

2006-09-09T21:49:00.000-07:00

My poor sick little babies! (Blogger wouldn't let me load them up to my last post)

2006-09-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

This one is for you Chelle :)
OK, so my little 'Type A' mind has been contemplating the question, "Why can't I EVER seem to sit down and blog?" Funny thing is I *think* about doing it all of the time. I even create in my mind what I am going to write about. BUT, I never get around to doing it. Instead I do dishes, clean the house, do laundry, work on my Crayola stuff, dream up 50 new ideas to scrapbook....you get the picture. Suddenly it is 1am and I am feeling a little tired. Here is tonight's "To Do" List:
1. Pick-up house (it is a disaster)
2. Sanitize (we have been sick the last few days)
3. Paint a stencil on the wall in the office (something I have not done before)
4. Touch-up the existing paint
5. Blog (of course)
6. Organize the guest room (I think Scrap It exploded in that room)
OK, so let me at least get one thing done. Here is what we have been up to:
SICK, sick sick. The babies caught a nasty flu. Poor Braxton layed on couch all night and Dalton sat in the sink with the water running on him (I have never seen him do this before, but it seemed to calm him down). Fortunately, I started taking Congaplex right away and weathered it pretty well ( I LOVE that stuff). Mike left on Monday for a business trip and will return on Sunday. He was able to come home Thursday night to help me get some laundry done (I had to use ALL of our towels to clean up after the boys - need I say more??!!) and to help monitor Braxton. He ran a higher than normal heart rate all night due to having a fever, but fortunately it never became serious. Mike had to leave Friday morning - good thing, because all we did was lay around and feel yucky. Hopefully he won't come down with it.
Babies. How funny. They are anything but babies anymore and yet I find myself always calling them that. I guess they will always be my little babies :).
So Mike has sleep apnea. I have been asking him to go and checked out for about 2 years. I have been threatening him for about 10 months. The first time he mentioned it to his doctor (last November) they had a good laugh. His doc said, "Every man who snores has a wife who thinks he has sleep apnea." Ha Ha Ha Stinkin' Ha. Fast forward to August 2006. The woman at the place that supplies the CPAP machine that Mike will now be wearing told him that his case is one of the worst she has ever seen. The insurance company won't pay 100% for the equipment unless the patient scores over 15. Mike scored 75. He stopped breathing 120 times in 4 hours. Huh. Not so funny after all boys, is it?! I am just glad that he will be feeling better - at least once he gets used to the machine.
So, tomorrow I am ready to take on the world. We are getting back on track with our budget, I am going to stop obsessively eating and actually follow the diet I keep telling myself I am on, I am going to get caught up on all of my Crayola work stuff AND I am going to start scrapbooking a page a week. I am also going to be true to my blog name - tangential ramblings - and I am going to ramble in tangents on a regular basis :) Bring on the week!

2006-08-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pictures from our trip home for the wedding. The kids had so much fun in my parent's backyard on the slip 'n slide!

P.S. - Would somebody please throw some food Braxton's way?? Evidently, he doesn't get fed at home (look at how skinny he looks in that picture)!

2006-08-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh.....the wedding suit!
I promised myself a looong time ago, that I would not be one of those 'mothering wives'. So, when Mike told me two weeks before the wedding that he would be appropriately dressed for the occasion, I said OK. He said he had it covered. I believed him.
Fast forward to the day of the wedding. I had my hair done (big time flashback to my Prom updo - so much fun :)
at 9am. On my way back to the hotel Mike tells me that the kids are with my parents and he is shopping - for a suit. He told me he had it covered, but at this point I couldn't help but get involved. We did some serious speed-shopping - one new suit, a new shirt, a new tie and a new pair of shoes(he thought he would wear reddish-brown shoes with a black suit and blue shirt - don't think so). After begging the local tailor to hem his new suit pants, we were off to the hotel so that I could get ready and we could get the boys down for a nap. A little while later he left to pick up his pants and he arrived back at the hotel just as I was walking out the door to go have pictures taken. I left and he had just enough time to get the kids bathed and dressed and get them to the wedding on time!
So, I have to pause for a minute and say that after all of that, he did look damn good in his new threads!

2006-08-27T22:06:00.000-07:00

What a BEAUTIFUL wedding!! My brother and my now sister-in-law (yeah!!) Carly were married on August 12th. It could not have been more beautiful - she was truly gorgeous and of course Ryan looked all grown up and handsome! The ceremony was outdoors - it was probably in the high 70's maybe low 80's. The reception was a huge party that carried over to the pier at the hotel. We cleaned up the pizza boxes and beverage containers and went to bed around 5:30am. This was definitely one very successful and very fun celebration!
Back to the ceremony for a moment. Many of you know that the boys were ring bearers. Well, after being told many (many) times to stand still and smile, Dalton decided he had had enough (the pictures were taken before the ceremony). As my parents walked out of the room where we were all awaiting our turn to walk down the aisle, Dalton screamed 'I want Nana Bopa!' After being told to go back in line, he answered by throwing himself on the ground screaming and kicking uncontrollably. Needless to say, he got to walk down the aisle after the ceremony was over. He was in the car - strapped into his car seat- during the ceremony. Poor Mike, he didn't know what else to do with him. I was standing up in the wedding, so I couldn't help. Afterwards, when he made his walk he waved and smiled at everyone and was as happy as could be. Braxton on the other hand walked down without any problems. I figured that he would be the one to bail at the last minute. That's parenthood for you - always expect the unexpected! They get to get all dressed up again next month - they will be ringbearers for my cousin's wedding in Virginia!

2006-08-25T23:37:00.000-07:00

Meet Mickey! She is the latest addition to our family - she was a stray cat that found us last month while we were delivering the Yellow Pages. There were so many cats and kittens running around but she came up to me and leaned against my leg and looked at me with these sad, sick eyes. As it turns out, she was very sick. The vet said she would not have lasted much longer on her own. She is doing much better now (aside from the fact that she constantly sneezes) and she is very happy in her new home. It is amazing how friendly she is - for a kitten who was on her own for the first 8 weeks of her life, she is very cuddly and extremely tolerant of the boys! I am just excited to have another girl around seeing as all of our kids and animals have been male! By the way, she got the name Mickey because I told the kids that I would take them to the playground at 'Mickey D's'. When I said this, Braxton responded ' You teasa me, Mommy. We going to McDonalds!'

2006-08-25T23:22:00.000-07:00

Thank-You, Thank-You and once again Thank-You!!! Courtney, Shannon and Jaime (cousin, cousin and sister) have all come to visit and help me with the babies during the last 4 weeks. I can't tell you how much we appreciate all of your help!!!

2006-08-22T19:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Courtney!!!
We love you!

2006-08-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

"Whatever it takes..."
So, this is our new way of brushing teeth around here: 1. The boys sit on the counter next to the kitchen sink; 2. I have to pretend to be Sir Topham Hat - they are Thomas and Lady (Dalton decided Braxton would be 'Lady'); 3. After brushing their 'buffers' I, Sir Topham Hat that is, chug chug chug with them in tow and take them back to the 'engine shed'. Like I said, whatever works!
On a side note - can you believe that their combined weights right now (around 65 pounds) is the amount of weight I gained when I was pregnant with them? Yikes....!

2006-08-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

In the category of....
What were we thinking??!!
We decided to start delivering the Yellow Pages - why you ask? Well, we have been reading Dave Ramsey's book (for about 8 months now) and we decided it was time to be proactive. We are willing to do whatever it takes to pay off debt and get a better grasp on our financial situation. So, off we went with many, many yellow bags filled with many, many Yellow Pages books. Good thing it was only in the 100's that week. We did get some great exercise and it felt really good making some extra money to pay off those annoying bills!!

2006-08-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

More from NC...

2006-08-01T22:00:00.000-07:00

YEAH! Courtney is here! My cousin Courtney flew into town today to come and help me! I love spending time with her and the boys adore her. Plus, it is great to actually get some things done! I ran 4 errands today! Woohoo!
So, here it is - The Big Recap
Some might be interesting, some not so much. I am using this blog to not only keep in touch with everyone, but it also doubles as a sort of journal of the boys' childhood. So, I may throw a couple of items in there just to remember...
OK - I guess I should start where I left off!
We packed the family up and headed to North Carolina for a week of relaxing at the Beckman Retreat. Actually, it is the home of Mike's parents, but it feels like vacationing at a cabin. They live on a couple of acres of land and it is so pretty and peaceful . I love sitting on the porch and watching the kids play. They bought a big pool this year and that was a huge hit with all of us! The boys loved it and so did the adults!

2006-07-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

OK. What is my problem? Why can't I seem to get it together enough to write every night? My cousin will be in town next week, so I will get caught up and make a fresh start! Meanwhile, a lot has gone on - I left the boys for the first time EVER, we took on a short-term part-time job (what were we thinking??) and we "rescued" a kitten. We are now off to the vet to have her checked out as she seems to be pretty sick. Let's hope she is OK. She is the sweetest little thing. Anyway, hope everyone is doing well....will write (and read your blogs) as soon as I can!

2006-07-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

So what's new you ask? Well let's see....the boys have figured out that if Dalton climbs onto the counter and grabs our keys that between the two of them they can 1. pick out the house key; 2. insert it correctly into the keyhole and 3. unlock and open the front door. The first time we realized they possessed this skill, they were heading down the stairs in front of our house. Great.

Dalton also found it quite amusing to take a coin and stick it into the bottom of his train. He then proceeded to use the side of the van as his 'tracks'. I now have a very long scratch running down the side of my car.

Braxton got in trouble the other day - he was REFUSING to listen. So I did what came naturally - I put my finger in the air in the 'mommy pointing' position and told him he needed to start listening. He looked me dead in the eyes and put his finger in the air, shook it at me and said 'don't say that to me.'

So, what's new with you?!

2006-07-19T12:06:00.000-07:00

The tuxedos are in!!! YEAH! We are getting so excited for Ryan and Carly's wedding - less than a month away!!

2006-07-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

Can't live with him, can't live without him! What is going on here? The boys are fighting over EVERYTHING. If we have two of the same toy, they still want to have the same one. But when we separate them, they don't want to play by themselves - they want to play together!
This evening, Braxton and Dalton both decided they wanted to sit at the end of the table for dinner. Instead of eating, we spent 10 minutes trying to persuade (ie: threaten) the boys so 'share' that end of the table. As you can see, it didn't work so well. UGH! Not sure what to do about this lovely "stage"!

2006-07-14T22:00:00.000-07:00

Our kids have an entirely new vocablulary lately :

Braxton rushed into the room and said "Mommy, my chest isn't booming anymore - the medicine worked!"

I asked him if it was booming while he was playing just now and he said yes (this is how we know he is having a heart episode - he will tell us that his chest or stomach is booming fast like a race car).

I listened and could tell that it was faster than normal, but he wasn't in an episode at that moment. He ran off and played. So now I am very curious and a bit worried. I wait a little while and I asked him again if his chest was booming while he was playing. His answer?

He said, "Just relax, Mom. Don't worry about it!" WHAT? Where did he learn that from?
Just wait little Braxton. You will learn soon enough - this mom doesn't 'just relax' and she worries about everything! After all, it's my job :)

2006-07-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

Trying to get caught up on pictures! These are from when my mom came to visit. It is so nice to know that family is just a phone call away! I called my parents (who live in Illinois) from the hospital when Braxton was in because of his heart. My brother and sister made plane reservations and got her out here on the next flight. She was a huge help - just wish she could have stayed longer! Thanks to everyone who helped pull her last-minute trip together!

Mike's mom went in for surgery on the same day - hope you are feeling better soon Mamaw!

2006-07-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

My sweet babies are no longer always sweet and they aren't babies anymore :(
Dalton's latest comment is "Whatever!" Both of them are now saying "He's a loser - capital 'L'!
Hello????? Where have my sweet things gone and where are they learning this???
Come to find out that 'Wilbur's Great Adventure (the sequel to Charlotte's Web) is where they are picking most of this up!

2006-07-14T09:52:00.000-07:00

Here are the rest of the pictures!

2006-07-14T06:19:00.000-07:00

The last month in pictures (finally!)
1. The boys are in that 'beat each other up with sticks' phase. Great. Every chance they get they are grabbing their bats, plastic golf clubs, my bamboo sticks that I never used in their jungle play room - anything they can get their hands on. Then they hit each other.
2. Jumping - against their mother yelling at them not to do it. I know, I know, hard to listen to mom say no when she has a camera pointed right at you! Mike and I could not believe that they were jumping that far - ouch! They thought it was hysterical. This latest stunt is now on the "Do Not Do" list.
3. Swimming with Ashley, Austin, Mason and our new friend Gabriel!
4. Braxton at Vanderbilt Children't Hospital being visited by his brother and eating the one thing he kept requesting - a brownie (at 9 in the morning, mind you)!
5. The Beckman romper room! The Greene kids and our kids got together to play while Mommy and Daddy Greene went out for the evening! As long as I kept the trains behind locked doors, all was well. The kids had a blast playing and watching movies. The two party boys - Austin and Dalton - were the only ones awake at 11 o'clock when Chelle and Greg arrived!

2006-07-12T15:55:00.000-07:00

How adorable is this???? I FINALLY ordered the boys tuxedos today - they will be wearing them next month at my brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law's wedding!! We are so excited - we all absolutely love his fiance!
The boys are also going to wear their tuxes for my cousin's wedding in October! Their second cousin Kaiden will be joining them - he is 4. How cute they will all look! We are so excited for Megan's wedding as well - it is going to be a very festive few months!

2006-07-09T17:12:00.000-07:00

OK. I know, you are asking yourself 'why did she change her url?" Well, in true *me* fashion, I had to start all over. For those of you who are going to comment that they had to update their links- sorry :). It needed to be done for a few reasons:
1. When I started blogging, it was because Chelle said I had to. Seeing as she had a blog, I wasn't about to be outdone. She already has one up on me with the whole triplet thing.
2. I didn't really get this whole 'blog' thing (where did that name come from anyway??). Now, after reading a million of them, I realize that it is a great place to record the random things that we all think about and do that make us individuals. Plus, it is of course a great place to show off pictures of our adorable kids :).
3. New name = new commitment. My goal is to blog every night. It is also to expand beyond writing only about the kids. At least that is the goal!
Thanks for stopping by!!
P.S. - I will NOT be updating my other blog.