A Year In Review

I didn't get a Christmas letter out, so this will be my replacement. It's great to look back at your year and reflect on all the blessings, isn't it? I know 2008 for us was a good one and I'm looking forward to what 2009 holds.
January - Brandon started semester #3 (out of 10 total including summers) at TTU in Odessa. Becky continued working at the probation department. Braylon was in preschool and doing well. It was around this time that he taught himself how to read. It didn't take any time for him to really take off and now he has a joy for reading. Blaine was in private day care and thriving.
February - Braylon had his 2nd ear tube surgery. He had some hearing concerns and still was getting ear infections after the 1st round of tubes fell out.
March - We took a family camping trip to Junction, Texas and enjoyed canoeing, hiking and especially just sitting around throwing rocks in the river. Go figure that - Nothing like little boys and skipping rocks.
April - Braylon turned 5. We celebrated by having a small group of boys inhabit our little house for 4 hours. Pretty wild and crazy, but a lot of fun for Braylon.
May - Our little family attended a favorite singing group's concert. Go Fish is big family fun - Check out their website.
June - Brandon started semester #4 which consisted of a clinical experience in Colorado City, Texas - about an hour drive one way. It was nice that he got to stay in Midland during the evenings instead of living there for the summer. The boys enjoyed summer gymnastics and an extended summer visit from their cousins Perry and Emma this month.
July - The kids still enjoyed gymnastics and we just kept our routine going during the summer.
August - We enjoyed our trip to Junction so much in March that we went back and took friends this time. This time we did all the above listed activities, but also went inner tubing down the Llano River. Brandon lost our only van key in the bottom of the river. We laugh about it now...But at the time it wasn't all that great to part with $450 to resolve the issue. Braylon started kindergarten (sniff, sniff). He was accepted at the last minute into a local magnet school when they had a last minute opening. A few minor behavior issues aside (he's the class clown), he is doing very well. Blaine started preschool where Braylon had attended the 2 years previous. The teachers tell us what we already knew...He's a sweetheart and does very well in class. Brandon started semester #5.
September - Blaine turned 3! We celebrated by treating several family friends to Chuck E. Cheese festitivies. Always big fun for the kiddos. Becky took a promotion at work and now supervises drug offenders.
October - The Hamiltons dressed as the gang from Scooby Doo for our church Halloween Trunk or Treat event. Getting Brandon to dress as Fred was enough entertainment for Becky for a good while... haha...
November - We enjoyed a quiet Thanksgiving at home with Brandon's side of the family. It was nice to not have to travel too much and just have some time to rest.
December - Brandon finished semester #5 strong. We celebrated Christmas at home with various family members. Brandon and Becky graduated from Financial Peace University.
A good year indeed.....

Health Update

Braylon is feeling somewhat better today - Still not up to 'snuff' as my Mom would say. But better than the last two days, that's for sure. There came a northern wind today that I can't adequately describe here. The wind was BLOWING and it blew my cap off my head a few times as I was outside. I was seriously afraid that debris would fly and hit someone because the gusts of wind were straight out of the Wizard of Oz. Anyway, I didn't even think about letting the boys outside today with that weather and their recent ailments. Soooo...It's 7:30 p.m. as I write this and we are all just about stir crazy. We are heading to bed early!

Poor Baby

Braylon has been developing a nasty cough over the last few days. Last night was just about all I could take when at 10:30 p.m. he was still awake, coughing, crying and just plain miserable. I took him to the doc this a.m. where he was sent over to the hospital for chest x-rays. Yep, my big baby has pneumonia. No fun...And even though the medicine has caused his cough to subside some, he went to bed tonight with a fever and that pink, rosey look about his cheeks. I'm afraid we aren't out of the woods yet.

Merry Christmas!!!

Hope your day has been as blessed as ours! We have finished celebrating 2 out of 3 Christmas 'sessions' and will take a few days' break before our final gift opening. So far the boys have been most excited with what Santa brought them. Blaine literally has not taken off his Hulk costume for more than a few hours (only to sleep). Unfortunately it already has a large snag in the front from excessive play. But that what it's for, right? Braylon got an IPOD and has enjoyed listening to it. Five years old with his own IPOD - what is the world coming to?

I can officially say I didn't get Christmas cards out this year. In my mind up until today I kept saying 'yet.' I don't think it's happening this year. TOO much going on... I may try to get a New Years letter out, let's see if that happens. For everyone who got a letter/card to us, thank you. It is great to hear from friends and family!! God bless you today!!

Movie Review: Yes Man

Starring: Jim Carrey
Rated: PG-13 (A very harsh PG-13 if you ask me)

This film is a story about a man named Carl who, because he is depressed and lonely, tells everyone "No" to every opportunity that arises. This in turn makes him more depressed and lonely. Upon the encouragement of an old acquaintance, Carl attends a conference that advocates the 'power of YES.' Carl makes a covenant that whatever happens in his life and whatever opportunity arises he must say "Yes."

Becky's Rating: B+

This movie was, at times, very funny. Jim Carrey knows how to deliver and I think he is getting better with age. (Remember how stupid Ace Ventura was??) There was a scene that I believe crossed some moral boundaries of what you can put in a PG-13 movie. The movie really should be rated R with that scene, but far be it from me to second guess the movie rating experts. I'm just saying I would not want my teenager to go with me to this movie. Outside of that, it is cleverly written and very entertaining.

Bottom line: NO! Not a family movie. YES! Still very funny! (YES! I'm a dork!)

Hold This!

This evening after bath I was helping Blaine get dressed into jammies. It was cold in the house and Blaine said he was freezing cold. Shortly after he got dressed he held out his arms to me and said, "Momma, will you hold this?"

...And you know I did!

6 Days

Ok now I'm starting to get a little worried. Six days left to Christmas and I'm not done shopping. Sounds about par for my course. We'll play the frantic last-minute shopping game this weekend. 'Tis the Season!

Principal's Picnic

Please let me boast just a teeny bit. We got a note yesterday from Braylon's school that said that due to his achievements in reading and writing he was selected to join the principal at the Principal's Picnic today at lunch. Anyone who either knows Braylon or who has at least read this blog for any length of time knows that Braylon has sometimes struggled with poor behavior at school. This was a big deal for him to be recognized in a positive way... I hope it's a start to a new trend!

Graduation

Brandon and I graduated from Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University tonight!! At some point in the (hopefully near) future, I will be writing "We're DEBT FREE!!!" The last 13 weeks have been enlightening, challenging and a blessing all in one. I encourage everyone to take this class no matter what financial walk you are on.

As some of the readers know (and some do not), the principles taught in the class have totally transformed our view on finances and priorities. We knew going in that we would be challenged to change our ways, but Mr. Ramsey is very talented in his technique of helping convict about what's really important. Brandon and I have taken a radical response to Dave's 'Debt Free' challenge. We will be debt free in 2009!! We are 'living like no one else so later we can live like no one else.'

Thank you Dave Ramsey!!!

Once Upon a Time

There once was a man who had been born to elderly parents, the second child of his father. His older brother (half-brother actually) had been born because his mother told a friend to sleep with her husband. Pretty weird, huh? Then this same guy almost was killed by his father with a machete on a mountain because God told his dad to do it. But at the last minute God saved him. Then, the guy wife-shops through a messenger from a different part of the country. He didn't even get to meet his wife until they were pledged to be married, but fell so deeply in love with her at first sight, he married her right there on the spot. Then he tells people in his village that his wife is his sister so they won't kill him (just like his daddy had done twice before with his mother). But the village leaders see the man caress his 'sister' and their secret is out. They ended up having twin boys who had problems of their own... The man's name is Issac and his daddy was Father Abraham.

See, the Bible is full of drama...Better than cable. Haha!!!

Shame, Shame!

This evening while I was getting the dishes put away Brandon was reading me a story he was reading online. It was an article about how President Bush commented that he doesn't believe the Bible to be literal. Blaine, as though he was naturally in the conversation, casually said, "Shame on him." Precious...

Happy B-Day Jesus

This morning at church Braylon sang a solo with the preschool choir - "Happy Birthday Jesus" for anyone who may know the ditty. It's a precious song especially when it's sung from the perspective of a child.

"Happy Birthday Jesus. I'm so glad it's Christmas. All the tinsel and lights and the presents are nice, but the real gift is you. Happy Birthday Jesus. I'm so glad it's Christmas. All the carols and bells make the holiday swell and it's all about you. Happy Birthday Jesus. Jesus, I love you."

Those are all the lyrics. Pretty sweet, huh? Braylon wasn't nervous at all and kicked it off quite nicely. There was some question about what key he was singing in, but when you're 5, all keys are universally cute, right?

To top it off, this evening he asked me when the next time he gets to sing with a microphone in front of the church. Nerves of steel, that boys has.

20 Days

Going, going..... Not gone yet. Enjoy the Christmas season!! Remember the reason for it - Jesus!

Get to Reading

I recently attended a leadership conference with some other folks from my church. One of the commitments I made to myself on the way home was to read the Bible through. I mean, if I'm going to be bold to proclaim that the Bible is God's word and the final authority for my life, I should know everything it says, right? Last year I read the entire new testament and since then I've been lingering here and there reading bits and bites. I'm looking forward to a good challenge in this year. And let me say this - So far, this adventure has been pretty dern fun. I find myself really getting into the stories and wanting to know more about the people. Hollywood really needs to perk up and pay attention to this book - It's filled with cool stories and it's definitely rated R, so beware.

Bonus points for anyone who can tell me who the Moabites are descendants from... Go! (Hint: Genesis)

25 Days

Let the countdown begin! I must say that I'm further along in my Christmas shopping presently than I usually am on December 1. Not too shabby... I really like emphasizing that Christmas is a big birthday party for Jesus and I want my kids to really 'get' that more than anything else. I think they do. I am also so thankful that so far they are really not very materialistic. Granted, Braylon does want an I-Pod and Blaine wants a digital camera, but.... it seems that we really have to twist their arms for them to tell us what they want. I know they will be thrilled with whatever is under the tree as if that was the one gift they wanted all along. I'm glad God gave me boys and especially I'm grateful that they are easy to please (most of the time!).

Nuff Said

During prayer time with Daddy, Blaine offered up his 'A game' prayer. Went a little something like this:

"Dear God, Thank you for Mommy. Amen."

Sometimes there just aren't any other words to say. Haha...

SIKE!

You Know You
Grew Up In the 80's IF:

1. You've ever ended a sentence with the word SIKE.
2. You can sing the rap to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and can do the Carlton.
3. You know that 'WOAH' comes from Joey on Blossom.
4. If you ever watched 'Fraggle Rock'.
5. It was actually worth getting up early on a Saturday to watch cartoons.
6. You wore a ponytail on the side of your head.
7. You got super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day in computer class at school.
8. You made your mom buy one of those clips that would hold your shirt in a knot on the side. (And remember Units brand???)
9. You played the game 'MASH'(Mansion, Apartment, Shelter, House).
10. You wore stonewashed Jordache jean jackets and were proud of it.
11. You know the profound meaning of 'WAX ON , WAX OFF'
12. You wanted to be a Goonie.
13. You ever wore fluorescent clothing. (Some of us...head-to-toe)
14. You can remember what Michael Jackson looked like before his nose fell off, his cheeks shifted and his nationality became questionable.
15. You have ever pondered why Smurfette was the only female smurf.
16. You took lunch boxes to school...and traded Garbage Pail Kids in the schoolyard.
17. You remember the CRAZE, then the BANNING of slap bracelets.
18. You still get the urge to say 'NOT' after every sentence.
19. You thought your childhood friends would never leave
because you exchanged handmade friendship bracelets.
21. You ever owned a pair of Jelly-Shoes.
22. After you saw Pee-Wee's Big Adventure you kept saying 'I know you are, but what am I?'
23. You remember 'I've fallen and I can't get up'
24. You remember going to the skating rink before there were inline skates.
25. You have ever played with a Skip-It.
26. You remember boom boxes and walking around with one on your shoulder like you were all that.
27. You remember watching both Gremlins movies.
28. You thought Doogie Howser/Samantha Micelli was hot.
29. You remember Alf, the lil furry brown alien from Melmac.
30. You remember New Kids on the Block when they were cool... and don't even flinch when people refer to them as 'NKOTB'
31. You knew all the characters names and
their life stories on 'Saved By The Bell,' The ORIGINAL class.
32. You know all the words to Bon Jovi - SHOT THROUGH THE HEART.
33. You just sang those words to yourself.
34. You still sing 'We are the World'.
35. You tight rolled or french cuffed your jeans. And still debate on which is the right term!
36. You owned a bannana clip.
37. You remember 'Where's the Beef?'
38. You used to (and probably still do) say 'What you talkin' 'bout Willis?'
39. You're still singing shot through the heart in your head, aren't you!

Wizard of Oz

One of my favorite movies of all times remains "The Wizard of Oz." As an adult I look at the outdated special effects and props, but I still vividly remember the magic I felt the first time I watched it and then repeatedly as a child. My favorite part was (and remains) when Dorothy lands in Oz and discovers she's not in Kansas anymore.

Today I was able to introduce that 'magic' to Braylon. I was worried he's too young, but I'll tell you what - The movie held his attention the entire time and he didn't fidget at all during the picture. He was engrossed.

Guess what it says that the beginning of the movie rings true the same in 2008 as it did in 1939 - To the young at heart this film is dedicated. Glad I'm still 'young at heart'.

Tooth Fairy Report

To date the boys have lost 4 teeth in between them - 3 of which have been top, front teeth. Blaine, as you remember, lost his top two teeth after getting an infection due to a mouth injury on Easter. The dentist took them. We have decided not to replace his teeth for now. Not really for cost reasons (it's not that expensive, really), but because we all think he's insanely cute without front teeth. The dentist says it won't hurt anything to leave it the way it is....

About a month ago Braylon lost his first tooth - a bottom front. Last night he lost tooth #2 - top front. Tooth #3 is very loose as well - another bottom front. Pretty soon he'll just be chewing on his back teeth cause he won't have any more in the front. These are definitely the awkward dental years...

Tardy

Yes, it's really been a week since I last blogged. In my defense I was out 3 of those days at a leadership conference in Dallas. It was an awesome experience and I'm so thankful I was able to attend. For anyone interested, google Francis Chen or Erwin McManus for a sample of what I got to experience for 3 days. Pretty sweet.

Oops

This evening Blaine and I were sitting together in the living room when I noticed the front of his pants were wet. Blaine has been well potty-trained for over a year, so this was kind of unusual. I looked at him with a frown and said, "Blaine, what happened?" Blaine looked down at his pants and, after a pregnant pause, verbatum said, "I didn't quite make it to the potty."

Well...I guess that's the understatement of the week!

Day Off?

Today is Veteran's Day. A day set aside to remember all the veterans past and present and all they do to protect the freedoms we enjoy every day. I'm very grateful for those who serve.

I'm also grateful to have had a 'day off.' I italicize those words because I have now for almost 5 hours straight been cleaning my utterly neglected and dirty house. I am just sitting down now to rest. Ahhhh... One of the few days that the kids still have school but I don't have work. Even though I haven't done much of worth outside my house, it has been a great day. Sometimes it's good for the soul to just work with your hands in solitude...

Long Day

Today on the way to school I was reminding Braylon to be good at school today after a couple of 'touch and go' behavioral days last week. I told him, "I expect you to be good, Braylon, all day." Braylon just sweetly said, "But Mom...The day is sooo long!"

Nobody said he didn't have great reasoning.

Hmmmm

This morning before church I caught Blaine on the sofa with a pair of scissors. With an irritated tone in my voice I said, "Blaine, who gave you those scissors?" Without missing a beat, Blaine looked up and said, "God." I guess he was gearing up those Sunday School answers...

Busy Weekend

Last night Brandon treated the boys to a little neighborhood circus that Braylon had earned 3 free tickets for. It was across the street from Braylon's school, which is located in the 'flats' aka, the neighborhood known for poverty, crime and drugs. During the daytime, the thug-type people stay in hiding. I had reserves about letting them go after dark, but I figured the crowds at the circus may deter any of the usual dealings in the area. Anyway....the boys (all 3) had a blast and Brandon was pleasantly surprised that it was one of the best circuses he has attended, full with elephants and tigers.

While they were having fun and games across town, I was preparing all the last minute details for the garage sale that we did this a.m. Dave says sell! Our Financial Peace University class decided to do a garage sale, so about 6 families got together at the instructor's house to sell our 'treasures.' All 6 made around $100 or more, so the day was pretty well worth it. I tell you, though, that was the hardest $100 I've earned in a looooooonnnnnnnnnggg time. I'm exhausted now.

The day is winding and we are having family rest time tonight. Pizza, a good movie (Kung Fu Panda) and a sleeping bag on the floor works wonders...

Ethical Dilemma

The other night while reading our bedtime stories, I picked out The Three Bears. As usual, both boys crowded the book on either side of me and were all snuggled in for a good read. I got to the part of, "Papa bear's porridge was tooooooooo hot. Mama bear's porridge was toooooooooo cold. And Baby bear's porridge was juuuuuuuuuust right, so Goldilocks ate it all up." At this point, Blaine gently tapped my shoulder and said, "Momma, that's stea-wing."

Very good point. It was hard to explain that it wasn't, so we decided that Goldilocks was the real villain of the story. haha...

Halloween Fun

I'll get some pics posted in the near future - Keep checking back. Buttt... Here's the run down of our fun in the meantime.

We dressed up at the gang from Scooby Doo (minus Velma). Brandon was Fred, I was Daphne, Braylon was Shaggy and Blaine was Scooby. I had big plans to dress up the mini van as the Mystery Machine, but my plans fell short of my idea on that one. Everything else worked out just great. We participated in our church's Trunk or Treat where all the trunks are lined up in a horseshoe formation and the kids walk by and trick or treat right there. We had a great turnout of around 30+ cars and 300 kids, we estimate. It was so fun to see everyone dressed up and to just hang out in a safe place and let the kids play. We left there around 8:00 and hit a couple houses we'd promise to on the way home. We got the kids home and bathed and then 'treated' them to a Halloween movie (Spookley's Pumpkin Patch) in our bed. Our queen sized bed gets smaller every time we all 4 get in it! But we had a blast and some great family time!!

Out of Retirement

I'm coming out of teaching retirement as of tomorrow. Dusting off my violin (ok, not too much dust has accumulated in just 2 weeks, but still....). I am taking on a violin student - fresh meat, too, no experience - after a 4 year hiatus. I actually really love teaching and have thought over and over again the last 4 years to get back into it. But there always seemed to be a good excuse not to until this student fell into my lap a few weeks ago. Hard to say no when my heart is in it. :) And I love it when I get to work with a clean slate... Ahhhh and 'mold'able mind is a wonderful thing....

Memory Verses

The end of this summer our children's minister launched a campaign among the children in our church to teach memory verses on a regular, ongoing basis instead of sporadically or just in Sunday School. I must admit that when the idea first was explained, I had doubts that my 5 year old (and certainly NOT my 3 year old) could learn the long verses he had picked out. I did a disservice to my boys by not really pushing the verses to be learned too hard, because I thought it would be too hard and get frustrating for them.

Well, I was wrong.

Today over lunch Blaine, who was wearing a "I learned my verse" sticker on his shirt, said his shorter verse. We were proud of him. Then Braylon announced he knew his verse, too, so we listened. Here is the verse he recited with no trouble or hesitation:

"Hear O Israel. The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 6:4-7

God keeps using my kids to teach me humility. Wonder when I'll actually learn it.

Bad Elmo

Yesterday a.m. before I woke Blaine up, I went into his room to get some clothes picked out for him. The next thing I hear is Blaine saying, "Stop it! NO," as he is sitting upright in his bed and punching a life-sized Elmo doll. I quickly rescued Elmo and picked up Blaine and his oversized brown bear. After he had time to wake up, Blaine admitted that Elmo was being mean to the brown bear and Blaine was breaking up the fight. Some dream!!

Here Comes the Bride

I had the privilege of playing my violin in another friend's wedding over the weekend. Always big fun (mostly - if you don't count the nerves that go along with playing in front of people). The bride was my best friend from high school and it was about a 3 hour drive through God's country to the little town of Marfa, Texas. I recruited a friend to drive with me and we had a grand ol time chatting and spending the day away. Big fun, indeed!

Parent/Teacher Conference

On Friday of last week I had my first parent/teacher conference. Brandon had a mid-term during our appointed time, so I went solo. Braylon's teacher had many encouraging things to say. One thing that stuck out was that she said, "You just can't help but to love that kid." Of course then she went on to say how frustrating he can be at times because he likes all eyes on him all the time. (No wonders where that trait came from....) The teacher noted that Braylon aced all his assessments like they were last year's boring lessons. She said she couldn't stump him even on stuff that most kids don't get right. That made me feel like we've gotten something right somewhere. All in all, a good first conference.

Penalty for Mom

To update, Braylon didn't get to play flag football this fall. I missed the deadline and there was such a heavy turnout of kids this go around that there weren't any spots to put him on any of the teams. In all sincerity, I'm saddened that I 'dropped the ball' but relieved not to have one more activity to worry about right now. We are considering putting him in basketball in January, but will likely just wait until April to try the football thing again.

Providence

Here's a new spin on the concept of providence:

Over the weekend Brandon's IPOD was stolen out of our vehicle in the driveway (boo hoooooo). We called the police and they promptly came out and took a report. Although we were able to supply the police the serial number, we are resigned to the idea that we won't see it again. We are hoping whomever took it will listen to the Christian rock music on there and grow a conscience. But anyway, I was talking to Braylon about it because he wanted to know why the police were at our house. I said, "The police are here so they can get information from us and hopefully they can find the person who took the IPOD." He wondered when the police will find him. I had to tell him that there was a good chance that the person would never be found, but that God would still know who took it.

Braylon, in sincere honesty, looked at me and said, "Well, will God tell the police?"

Pretty darn cute, if you ask me...

Go Fish!

We got our new Go Fish cd in the mail today - It rocks! Don't forget to go online and order yours. "Party Like a Preschooler." This would be a great opportunity for you to share it with parents of preschoolers - It makes an awesome gift and Christmas is just around the corner....

Mi Vida Loca

It's been a week since I last posted. Goodness me, where does the time go? That's the same thing I asked myself last night as I noticed that I had missed the flag football deadline by 2 weeks. Two weeks! I was almost sick to my stomach because I promised Braylon he could play this fall and we had been planning on it. All of his good friends are playing either soccer or football. We drove over to the Y this a.m. and were assured that there is a good chance that he can still enroll on Monday. The only problem is that Blaine learned that 3 year olds can play, too, so now he is dead set on playing. Sooooo, let's add another activity to our already hectic lives, shall we? Why not? Throw another shrimp on the barbie!

St. Ann's Fair

Today we enjoyed a few carnival rides and the boys got their faces painted for the first time. It was a nice time of year to support a local catholic church and let the boys have some fun, too. We rode the ferris wheel and Blaine was sure he could see the entire world. Ahhh, remember the days when that was the big time? We also went down a 3 story slide that was super fast and let the boys go through a large outdoor pirate fun house. Good times had by all... I'm sure we won't be able to avoid it next year!

All My Fault

Last night Braylon was using some 'stall' tactics near bedtime. Nothing new, really. Truth be told, I didn't prioritize reading books to him like 1) usual and 2) we're supposed to for school. I was going to just skip a night and not worry too much about it. Well after Braylon's bedtime I got him headed in the right direction. Here's how that conversation went.

Braylon: "Mom, you need to read me some books."
Me: "Not tonight, It's late."
Braylon: "But if I don't read my teacher will get mad."
Me: "It's ok for one night."
Braylon: "No really, Mom, we have to read."
Me: "No really, it's time for bed."
Braylon: "Ok, but if the teacher asks I'm telling her it's your fault."

And I'm sure he would have, too. Brandon saved the day and read a couple short books after Braylon tucked in.

Terrible Threes

Thankfully I have already mostly forgotten that stage when Braylon was three and he had a little attitude from the dark side. Unfortunately, I'm afraid that Blaine is now in that most un-fun stage. Tonight at dinner, for example, I had made burritos. Now, he had eaten burritos last night at Rosas and it was his favorite meal. But not tonight. He was convinced he didn't like burritos anymore. With a wave of his hand and a smug look on his face he said, "No. I do not like these." It was the manner of which he dismissed it that was most irritating. In true "Green Eggs and Ham" fashion, we finally convinced him that he would like it (of course, we also said he didn't have a choice). Then later he had another wave of the hand when he smashed my toes with his foot - Wave of the hand, "I'm sorry..." Somehow I'm losing the insincerity in his voice by typing this.

We have our work cut out for us, no doubt. But like Braylon's time at this age, this too shall pass.

No Problem!

On the way home from dinner yesterday, both boys rode in the jeep with Brandon. Brandon said he was singing one of his favorite songs "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem" by Kenny Chesney just to be funny with the boys.

I don't believe the boys had heard this song before. Brandon got to the part where he was singing, "No Shirt....No Shoes...." and before he could say the other part, Blaine chimed in with, "No pants..."

Scary Shoe Store

Today at the shoe store, Blaine was getting fitted for new school shoes. The nice woman who was helping him said, "I think the 10s are a little too big. I'm going to go get some 9 1/2s."

Blaine, misunderstanding what the woman had said, looked at her with big, serious eyes and said, "Why are you going to get a knife?"

Rite of Passage

Today was a big day at our house. Braylon was visited by the Tooth Fairy last night and awoke to $2 under his pillow! As I was flossing Braylon's teeth last night I noticed one of his front lower teeth was extremely loose. Daddy yanked and that was the end of that.

I know it's cliche, but boy, do they grow up fast! I remember vividly awaiting for that very tooth to come in back when Braylon was just a drooly faced baby. My baby is growing up!

New Album - Go Fish

For all you parents of young children - Check out Gofish.com to check out their new album, "Party Like a Preschooler." If you pre-order by Sept 15 you get an autographed copy of the cd.

Are you ready for some Football?

This time of year is football madness at our house. Not from me, mind you, but with 3 boys vs. 1 girl I have a feeling I'd better find some level of conformity or I'll grow miserable every fall. Earlier today Blaine was watching some 'ball' with Brandon and asked, "Are they playing a game of some kind?" And so it begins.

Crickey!

This week marks the two year anniversary of The Crocodile Hunter's tragic end in the Australian ocean. How or why do I know this? Because he is probably my favorite celebrity of all time. Brandon thinks I'm pretty kooky because I loved his documentaries, loved following his various reality shows and followed the coverage of his death pretty closely. Even recorded the public funeral service. I may be one nutty fan, but I was drawn to his charisma and humor. His shows were among the very few things I'll sit and watch on tv. Still missing him!

Music Lovers

That about sums up our household in a nutshell. Music lovers. Yup. I thought it was exclusive to the eldest three Hamiltons, but nope. Tonight I took Blaine to see Brandon's band practice while Braylon had children's program at church. I feel guilty putting Blaine into nursery after he's been at school away from me all day. Soooo, while waiting for Braylon to get done we enjoyed some music. Blaine sat there for the first half quietly listening and bobbing his head, singing along when he knew the words. I was very proud of him. Of course, then he released his 3 year old self and played/jumped around the second half of practice. But it was neat to see the love for music written in his face. Very cool.

Happy Birthday Blaine!

Today our baby turns 3! We celebrated last Friday by taking him and several church friends to Chuck E. Cheese Pizza. They all had a blast! It's hard to believe that we've only had him 3 years, but in another sense it seems like the last 3 years have gone by so fast. Such is what I hear from other parents, too.

What a blessing Blaine Caleb has been to us with his gentle nature and loving heart. Happy Birthday, son!

Dino Roar!

In the car yesterday, Brandon mentioned something about a dinosaur and I spontaneously gave my best dino roar to amuse Braylon in the back seat. Braylon said, "What was that?" Brandon said, "Yeah, it sounded like a bird." Braylon then casually said, "It sounded like a tummy ache."

Even I couldn't help but to laugh at that!

Prayers

Prayer time always makes me reverently giggle at my house. I know God must have a great sense of humor and I can't help but to think his ears are tickled at times, too.

Blaine knew I was off to Wal-Mart and Toys R Us the other night for his birthday presents. Brandon prayed first with him, then when it was his turn he said this: "Thank you God for my Mommy, who is at Wal-Mart right now. And thank you God for Wal-Mart. In Jesus name, Amen."

Off the Wagon

Brandon and I are officially off the Weight Watchers wagon. He lost a total of 18 lbs and I lost about 3 lbs at last weigh in. With all the craziness of the first week of school, it wasn't very practical for us to count our points as religiously as we had been. SOOOOO, I'm sure after we weigh in tomorrow it will motivate us to get back on the band wagon! Haha... But it such a good program for anyone out there who wants to shed a few lbs and can 'stomach' the self discipline it takes.

Crazy August

This month has really turned out to be a blur in our house. The days are blazing by like never before. Busy, but good...

Braylon started kindergarten yesterday at his new school. His Aunt Amy asked him tonight if he liked his new school. He replied, "No. I don't like it. I LOOOOOOOOOOVE it!" He has seemed to really adjust well - Better than I expected and even hoped for.

Today Blaine started preschool. I called mid-day and the director assured me he was doing well. By the time I picked him up, though, he told me he had a good day, but that he had a headache. I assumed it was just a long first day for him. By the time I got him home, Brandon felt him and sure enough he was running 101 fever. My boys don't run fevers for just any reason - Soooo.... Tomorrow will be doctor day. But it seems like he had a good day nonetheless.

Brandon also started the semester yesterday. He notes that he is not overly anxious, but that he is not looking forward to 4 months of hard core studying, either. Three more long semesters, I tell him. Just three more - The rest of his school will be clinicals and doctoral work.

That's about our life right now. Busy, but good. Did I mention busy?

Not So Fast...

On Wednesday I wrote that I was excited that the boys will be starting at the same school. Well, that is no longer the case. So much has happened since I last 'penned.'

On Wednesday night we got a call from the math/science magnet school letting us know they had a spot open for Braylon if he wanted it. Of course we jumped on the opportunity.

Thursday was spent confirming the spot, declining our spot in private kindergarten, enrolling into public school, meeting the teacher, touring the school, buying uniforms and supplies, etc. We didn't get home until after the boy's bedtime!!

This is a busy time, but a good time for us. I guess one stop in the a.m. just isn't in the plans for us this year, but it's not the end of the world by any means.

WW Update

Brandon lost 9.5 lbs last week! That makes about 14 lbs lost so far! I've lost 1 lb - Does that count? I probably have about 5 lbs total I could shed, but then I'm sure not to have ANY curves left. Better keep what I have - HAHA...

The Countdown

I have fallen off in August with my blogging. Do forgive. We have taken two little trips and have experienced a busy VBS at our church. Things are now winding down and the boys have started 'The Countdown.' You parents know what I'm talkin' bout - How many days before the start of school? Except at our house (at least this year!), it's an excited countdown where they are both thrilled at the thought of starting school. This year Braylon will attend private kindergarten and Blaine will start preschool at the same school. Ahhh...One drop off in the morning coming right up!

Vacation Report

Ok, the reason I fell off the face of the earth for the past week is because my little family joined another little family and went camping for 3 days last week. Let me recap some highlights here:

1) We canoed on a part of the Llano River that hasn't seen enough rainfall this year. It was low... Very low in some parts. One place we had to 'scoot' our canoe doing a funny looking dance move to get over an object that had fallen in the bottom of the river. Another long stretch we had to get out and walk our canoe through the trickle of water over the rocks. Brandon only yelled moderately loud when my first attempt at steering proved unfruitful (he was in the front getting knocked into the river bank). Despite the lack of water and steering ability, we giggled the whole way down and back up the river. Fun times!

2) We were planning a hiking adventure that most of everyone got to participate in. A few of us stayed behind to deal with a sick little girl, but those who went hiking said it was a fun walk in the mostly shaded woods.

3) We inner tubed down the Llano River. It was about a 1.5 hour ride down the current. This leg of the river had plenty of water, seemed like. There were some light rapids that made the adventure that much more entertaining. When we got out and started the walk to the vehicles, we realized that the van key had fallen out of Brandon's velcroed pocket into goodness knows where in the river. After a good while trying to figure out what to do about the situation, we got it taken care of and still managed to have a good rest of the trip.

4) One night we built a campfire and made S'mores. Always a highlight for me personally (and surprisingly not that many WW points!).

5) One late night all the adults put the kids to bed, then hung out on the front porch of the cabin and just visited with each other until the wee hours of the morning. Those sweet moments of fellowship can't be replaced by any planned activity. Loved the bonding...

That about sums up our little camping trip. We had a great time despite some 'challenges.'

Diet Update

Brandon lost 5 lbs last week, his first week on the Weight Watchers Flex Plan. Woohoo!!! I didn't lose anything except the freedom to eat some things I know I shouldn't!!

Weight Watching

Brandon and I have started the Weight Watchers Flex Plan diet this week. I figure even if I don't need to shed pounds, I do need to eat healthier and support Brandon in the process. Well, sure enough, wouldn't you know it, my 'flex' plan is much more restrictive that Brandon's. He can have 11 more points a day than I can. 11 points! That's an entire meal more! I'm feeling very discriminated against here, people! Needless to say, I have not exactly stayed within my daily limits the last 2 days. This won't be as easy as I thought. On the very bright side, Brandon is doing very well and has points leftover. And don't think he isn't letting me hear all about it. HAHA!

Cute Sayings

Blaine is at that age where just about everything that comes out of his mouth is pretty darn funny. Perhaps it's just our warped sense of humor... Don't know. But here's a cute moment ~

After leaving a Rockhounds baseball game last night, I told Blaine to hold my finger in the parking lot. He's 'too big' to hold hands, so we have to sometimes get creative in keeping close reign over him. He bought into the holding of my finger at first, but then he wanted to break off. I told him that if he didn't keep holding onto my finger, it would fall off. After several rounds of this back and forth, he finally in his sweet little voice said, "Momma, your finger won't fall off, but your brain will fall out."

It was all I could do not to have a deep belly roll right there in the parking lot. The nerve! HAHAHA

Ratings

Ok I'm going to vent a frustration here. Has anyone else noticed how Rated PG13 and even R (and even X!!) our internet has become? I'm talking basic searches here, people! Am I in the minority who wants to pick up my laptop, search for a topic of interest, and feel secure that I will only see G and PG rated material? I can't believe that I am.

This a.m. I realized that I think my laptop has taken in some kind of virus from using EBAY. EBAY? The 'safe' family marketplace that I so love? Brandon did a trace and it appears to be so. (Say it ain't so!!!) Guess I'll be having to censor even that... GRRRRRRRRRRRRR.... I miss the days when you could turn on the tv and not have your socks shocked off and the scariest thing on basic cable was the Incredible Hulk.

Gotta Know

Ok, who voted to be on Survivor with me?? Man/Woman after my own heart. Haha...

Pop Culture

It amazes me how 'pop culture' permeates even the youngest minds. The other evening Aunt Amy asked Blaine (age 2) if he was going to come to Perry's (age 8) musical later this week. Blaine looked at her in total seriousness and said, "High School Musical?"

Walt Disney would be proud.

TV Poll

My sister is writing a book about television and wants to poll a pool of the general public. I told her I'd ask my fellow bloggers to give input.

The basic question she wants to know the answer to is this: If you were to desire being on tv (think reality or talk shows), what would be the biggest reason for that? What shows would you consider being on? Why?

I read the intro to her book today and it's going to be good. Will give you more information later (probably much, much later) as she completes the project.

Leave me a 'comment' if you are able. Otherwise email me. (I will not post my email address here for security reasons.) THANKS for your help!

A Barrel of Crackers

I feel the need to share my love for some good ol' fashioned country cookin'. What better place in the world than The Cracker Barrel? Brandon needed to get some gift cards from there tonight, so I twisted his arm to eat dinner there, too. It was the right thing to do. How could we walk in there, smell those sweet pancakes and blueberry syrup and not offer to take some off their hands? Mmmm... Mmmmmm... Mmmmmmmm

10 Things

This weekend Brandon and I watched "10 Things I Hate About You" (again). I hadn't seen it in years, but I remembered that I liked it. I discovered that I still do. Minus some crude humor and language, it is cleverly written and has an entertaining plot largely based on Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew."

Here are 10 of my own observations:

1) I 'hate' the idea that my kids are growing up before my very eyes, yet oddly comforted in the boys they are becoming.

2) I 'hate' that Brandon has two more years of PT school, however, know that the next two years will go even faster than the last two did, no doubt.

3) I 'hate' that I'm not at the place in my life now that I thought I would be when I was planning out my adult life. Little did I know then what God would have in store and little do I know now exactly what will come next.

4) I 'hate' being financially limited, yet believe that through all things God is molding my character. I'd rather have solid morals and a strong family unit than my dream house any day.

5) I 'hate' when I don't get my way, but know that I am learning lessons on faith and patience.

6) I 'hate' when my kids don't listen sometimes. Another lesson on patience. And how not to choke a 5 year old.

7) I 'hate' mean spirited people. But doesn't this statement alone seem ironic?

8) I 'hate' not having the time in my schedule to get everything on my weekly list done and the fact that cleaning my house seems always dead last. (However, I 'loved' hearing that one of Braylon's favorite family activities is when we clean together.)

9) I 'hate' the way toys are packaged these days. Are all the toy companies out to get parents or is there some sick wacko in the packaging department, laughing at the thought of disgruntled parents trying to get the twisty things off the Rescue Hero 'right now'?

10) I 'hate' how hard it was for me to think up 10 things that I 'hate.' Not really. I like that I'm typically optimistic and usually worry free. That is a huge blessing!

Movie Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth

Rated: PG
Starring: Brendon Fraiser

The premise of this film is not the original book with the same name, but rather a scientist, a mountain guide and a teenage boy set out to prove that the land that is referenced in the original novel actually exists. It doesn't take long for them to find the portal to the center of the earth and the rest of the film is their adventure to return home.

Becky's rating: B+

We took Braylon (age 5) to this family film thinking it would be somewhere on his level. We weren't disappointed in the subject matter or content. However, I thought that since the film was made in 3-D that we would simply need to put on our glasses to experience the virtual action. Not so. In that I was disappointed. The story line was appropriate for even a 5 year old and I think easy enough for him to get the basic idea. It was entertaining enough for the grown ups and several times the audience was laughing out loud. My only criticism is that it was simple - Not a lot of set-up or plot. All adventure.

Bottom line: Perfect for kids and their parents age 5-12. Great family film opportunity.

Countdown Continues

Ten more days left of Brandon's clinical. Word up ya'll.

Go Fish

Just a reminder from some of the biggest fans out there - (us) - Check out Go Fish for all families with and without children. While many of their songs are kid-friendly, I have found meaning in the positive lyrics. (See May 20 blog.)

Here's the website - Check it out! They have some great deals on their products right now, too.

http://www.gofishguys.com/

The Oldest Trick in the Book

At Burger King over the weekend, I ordered onion rings instead of fries. This was a new concept to Blaine. During our meal, Blaine 'innocently' said, "Hey, Mom, What's on that picture over there?" As I turned my head to see, Blaine 'sweetly' swiped an onion ring and had it halfway eaten before I noticed his little act. I guess this technique doesn't have to be taught!

Hmmmm?

See movie review in the previous blog. Was Dr. Banner's first name in the movie 'David' or 'Bruce?' I thought Bruce, but now I'm not sure. Please help me decide in the poll to the right.

Movie Review: The Hulk

Rated PG13
Starring Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, William Hurt

The premise of this movie is just like the old tv series. Science experiment gone bad puts too much gamma cells in Dr. Bruce Banner's blood, which causes him to turn into the green monster when his heart rate goes above 200. His love for a colleague makes him want to cure his ailment.

Becky's Rating: B+

Ok, I'm not really that familiar with the tv series, truth be told. I am old enough to remember it on tv, but young enough to remember it was a bit too scary for me. So this movie was kind of an introduction to the Bruce Banner character. I felt that I understood the movie line pretty well, although there could have been a few added moments of dialogue to fill in some gaps. The plot wasn't very complicated and was fairly easy to follow. There were a few questions left open at the end, obviously prompting a sequel of some sort to come next. Loads of action, ample violence. Not a movie for little kids, though it continues to disturb me that there were two small children that I saw in our theater that night. Please don't take your small children to this movie! But otherwise, not a bad flick.

Bottom line: If you like super hero action, don't miss out.

Thank You Supernanny!

Blaine tuckered out around 7:45 p.m. this evening after skipping his afternoon nap. He was out in about 5 min flat...

That left Braylon and I to our own devices while Daddy went out with a friend. I rarely get to watch Supernanny because of church schedules and bed time routines, so I decided we would sit down together and watch the hour long program.

The episode was about a family with 5 school-aged kids who's behavior was well out of control. Braylon watched with wide eyes for about 20 minutes at the beginning and then pop-corned his attention the rest of the show. We watched the whole hour without incident.

Then.... As I was putting Braylon to bed right after the show was over, Braylon decided to give me a mini lecture on behavior. He said many useful things, but I just loved this line the most. "Those kids were acting bad. You know, you act bad like that, you won't get to do things you like to do. If you get in trouble a lot, it won't be very fun for anyone." I listenend intently, nodding at appropriate places and interjecting bits of wisdom into his deep thoughts.

Ahhhh....If only parenting were always this easy! HAHAHA

Career Goals

Lately Braylon has been intrigued with the age old question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Yesterday he was sure he wanted to be a scientist. Today when I asked him what his plans were, he promptly said, "rock star!!" Yeah, I can see that.

So I turned to Blaine and said, "What do YOU want to be when you grow up, Blaine?" He didn't miss a beat. "A GRANDMA!!" Go figure that one out. We're still scratching our heads.

Mr. Freeze

Ok, so I recently blogged about Blaine's 'lovie.' Now he has upped the antie. Now for Blaine to truly enjoy his blue blankie, he must let it sit in the freezer for at least 5 min so it's nice and chilled for his lovie pleasure. Who'd have thought of that?!?! Only a 2 year old!

(This is the same 2 year old who hugs every tree goodbye when he comes out of the public library.)

Countdown Continues

Brandon is on Day 18 of 40 of his PT Clinical in Colorado City. Nearly half way! He says he really enjoys the experience and I believe it has sparked a new passion for physical therapy work that the classroom just doesn't do. Only 22 more days of the long commute!! After this, Odessa will seem like his backyard!

EBAY

Isn't EBAY just great? Here is a place you can list stuff that clutters your home and get paid for getting rid of your junk! With a little patience and a lotta luck you can potentially make a nice profit on stuff that you would otherwise let collect dust or sent of to the Goodwill. And not to mention all the new junk you can BUY to replace the old junk you sold!

Not a bad gig, I'd say.

Blaine: Devil's Angel

Blaine had a rip-roaring day. Let me preface this story by saying that Blaine is tender-hearted and usually very thoughtful. We obviously need to continue shaping his normally sweet predisposition towards being loving rather than the opposite!

This a.m. he told his SS teacher that he would have his daddy beat her up after being told to clean up his toys. Probably not a good way to score bonus points.

This evening while eating dinner with our friends, one of which who just happens to be the children's minister, Blaine overheard his daddy act surprised by a comment that was made. Instead of saying, 'oh wow,' or 'awesome,' he blurted out 'Jesus Christ!' Let me again say we have no clue where he heard this beautiful name being said in this ugly way...We did not laugh at this. However, ????

My sweet boy has a dark side... And then of course that got me to remembering that we all have a dark side. We are born into this world as sinners, like it or not. I'm not being PC, just correct. God didn't have to save us, He doesn't need us. He just wanted to and so He did. While we have some work to do with little Blaine, I'm thankful that God's not done working on me!

Lovie

Blaine has a little, tattered blue blanket that he has adopted as his 'lovie.' He has carried that with him since he was just a little guy, often getting it nasty dirty by dragging it through goodness knows what all. Right now he is in a stage where he wants to believe he doesn't need it, but still wants it often (usually more so in private). He has a bad habit during the daytime of leaving it in inappropriate places and then having to go without it for small stretches.

Last night was one of those times. He accidentally left it in Granny's van, so at bedtime, he graciously accepted the fact that he had been irresponsible and he dealt with it nicely. However, try convincing a 2 year old at 2 a.m. that lovie is not here when he wakes up crying uncontrollably for his favorite blankie. Thankfully it only took me 10 minutes to settle him down. Guess he hasn't quite outgrown it yet. And I'm sorry for anyone this offends out there, but I don't plan to make him give it up just yet either.

Marrying Man

Braylon asked me the other day, "Mom, are you and Dad already married?" Of course my response was the affirmative and I was only mildly shuddering at the thought that it is now so common that many parents aren't yet married. Then he said, "Where will I live when I get married?" I replied by saying, "I don't know, somewhere else but here." Then Braylon got a worried, sad look on his face - "No, Mom, I really want to still live here."

Cute...... But no.

Mud Pies

There is some cosmic magnetism far greater than the adult human mind can comprehend that attracts a boy to a mud puddle. Seems like with all the gizmos and gadgets and toys and what-nots out there, my boys are the happiest when you simply water down some dirt and make what I'm sure was one of the original 'toys' of old times. Mud. The old saying, "A little dirt never hurt anyone" is a little misleading at our house. I think it should rather read, "A little dirt always helps." Fun, fun!

Tumbling Twosome!

I decided that the boys needed something fun to do this summer. With Braylon's past ear troubles and current ear tubes, we ruled out swimming lessons. So I took the boys to their first night of gymnastics yesterday. They loved it! Braylon especially got into the action and loved doing the handstands, summersaults, trampoline. Blaine had a little harder time following the complicated directions, but the instructor assured us that he did fine for his first time in. Fun stuff!

Final Insult

After several days of hearing various (and innocent!) insults from little Blaine, last night was the final straw! He told me he was done living with me and that he would like to go live with Granny now.

Guess he's ready to leave the nest...

One More

Blaine has been full of 'em lately. I asked him last night, "Do you think Momma is pretty?" He matter of factly said, "No."

I then asked Braylon the same question. He said, "Yes!"

At least one of my kids has good taste (or maybe just good sense!!).

Out of the Mouth of a 2 Yr Old

You know, 2 year olds are just plain funny. Maybe it's my simplistic sense of humor coming out or it's just the wacky, odd-ball things that my kids say. Anyway, here's a few cute tid-bits from this weekend, spoken in complete toddler seriousness:

I was very sick on Friday with a stomach bug. Brandon kept them away from home as long as possible, but near the boy's bedtime they all came home. I complained to Blaine that I didn't feel good at all and he said: "It's ok Momma. It's not that sad. I take care of you, I promise. I promise I won't leave you......I'll be right back." I had to chuckle, but true to his word, he came back shortly and loved on me a while. Sweet boy!

I was dressing Blaine in a bright yellow shirt: "Momma, you dressing me like a banana today?"

I was brushing Blaine's teeth while he was staring closely at my face. After a moment of observational silence he said: "Momma, you have hair in your nose!"

Clinicals

Brandon is on Day 3 of his first clinical rotation in wound/acute care. He says that so far he has really enjoyed what he is learning and, as I hoped, seems to have a new spark in his desire to become a Physical Therapist.

1/2 a week down, 7 1/2 weeks to go. (It's too early for this countdown, I think!)

Fair Fight?

MacGyver could beat Walker or Aragorn in a fight??? WHAT?? HAHAHHAHAHA That is funny whoever voted that way. But Brandon points out that MacGyver does have a knack for thinking his way out of situations... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I'm just envisioning him coming up with a contraption to outwit Yoda and his light saber.

I also see that more people think that Yoda can win in a fight among the tough guys, but no one wants him with them on a desert island.

Descrimination, is it? Hmmm? LOL

B-Ballin' Blaine

Anyone who knows Brandon well knows his love for basketball. You may know that as a kid/teenager, Brandon would play in his front drive-way for hours every day, no matter the weather. You might know that anytime we go to a game place, Brandon parks himself in front of the basketball shooting game for the entire time we're there and often uses far more coins than the kids under the notion of, "I'm getting tickets for the boys..."

Well, Blaine has inherited 'the bug.' We ate at Mr. Gatti's pizza last night. I had a pocketful of Gattiland coins in my pocket that had come out of his allowance can. I'll be dog-gonned if that kid didn't use up the whole pocketful minus two coins on the mini-basketball hoop game. And let me say this: He's not a bad shot given that he's 2 years old! Brandon is impressed by his natural jump shot. Blaine's personal best in the 30 second game was 16 points. Remember, this was on his own. No one helped him on that round. I just stood there, jaw open, amazed.

Not Your Mother

Last night after fun in the mud and clean up, the boys and I watched a little tv. Blaine, as usual, took his spot on my lap. Noticing his runny nose, I instructed him to go get a tissue and wipe it. He did so and then returned the tissue to me, to where I laid it on the floor. Blaine said, "The kweenex goes in the twash, Mom, not the floor." I said, "Yes, and I'll go put it there in a minute. OR even better, YOU can go put it in the trash." Then he said in a sweet, little voice, "No, because I'm not your mother."

Wait, what?

Side Trip

We took the kids over the weekend up to Lubbock for a night. Got a great rate on a nice hotel. It was a little excursion just to get out of town and do something different. Spent some time as a family on the road. I got to eat at one of my favorite spots - Joe's Crab Shack. Love those coconut shrimp... Mmmmmmmmm.... The kids had fun playing at Legacy Play Village (a giant fort-like playground) and then we treated them to an OMNI max movie about dinosaurs. Not a bad time, not at all...

Movie Review

Narnia: Prince Caspian
Rated PG

This story picks up where the first movie left off some hundreds of years later. Narnia has all but been terminated by a group of people in an adjacent land in order to lay claim to their territory. Prince Caspian is the rightful heir to the throne of this kingdom. He soon runs for his life from his evil uncle who wants to steal the throne from him and make him out to look like the bad guy. As Prince Caspian learns of the atrocities Narnians have had to suffer at his kingdom's hand, he suggests an alliance between the two kingdoms if he can restore his lineage to the throne. The four Narnia kings/queens are summoned back to Narnia by Prince Caspian to help defeat his uncle and, thus, restore Narnia to it's glory. Aslan is missing and the young kings/queens wonder why. (Won't ruin the rest for you!!)

Becky's Rating: A+

I left the theatre saying I still like the first Narnia movie better, but the more thought I give to this new storyline, the more it grows on me. The movie was done very well. Slow at times, but still easy to follow. The spiritual undertones are strong and it is easy to pick out shallow and deeper meanings of what C.S. Lewis intended the reader to find in this story. To me, the quickest interpretation speaks of faith and who we look to for guidance - faith in ourselves or faith in our Creator? Also, of doing what's right even when it is not the popular or accepted thing to do. I could go on and on about my interpretations, I'll spare you! I would allow my school aged children to watch both the first and now this second installment. Both are family friendly, although I wouldn't let preschoolers watch it due to some violence and scary looking characters.

Bottom line: EXCELLENT acting, superb special effects, moving storyline, rich interpretations. Go see it!! Take your family. Enjoy!

Meet Eddie Haskel

Last night Brandon had band practice, so the boys and I were left to our own devices at home. The boys were content to play with each other and were running around the house. At one point they were playing in their room and I heard Braylon trying to shut the door. This made my Mommy radar go off, so I went to the room to see what was up. I heard Braylon plotting and scheming with his brother about what they were going to go do, although I couldn't hear exactly what his plans were. I said, "Hey, what are ya'll doing in here with the door shut?"

Braylon, without missing even half a beat said, "Mom, we need the door shut because we're in here praying." Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm........ Interesting. Of course, it didn't work and I made them come out of there along with a quick lecture on not lying.

What's Your Name??

1. WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (Mother and Fathers middle name): Ann Neil
2. NASCAR NAME: (first name of your mothers dad, fathers dad): Kenneth Royce
3. STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first name): Hambe
4. DETECTIVE NAME: (favourite color, favourite animal): Green Tabby
5. SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born): Gail Houston
6. SUPERHERO NAME: (2nd fav colour, fav drink, add THE to the beginning): The Pink Tea
7. FLY NAME: (first 2 letters of 1st name, last 3 letters of your last name): Beton
8. GANGSTA NAME: (fav ice cream flavour, fav cookie) Mint Oreo - Yo, Yo!
9. ROCK STAR NAME: (current pets name, current street name) Boss Woodcrest
10. DANCER NAME: (name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav candy): Beautiful Snickers

Go Fish!!!

This weekend Brandon and I took the boys to a Go Fish concert. For those of you who don't know who these guys are, they are a Christian group that targets a young audience. However, Brandon and I find that we like their music just as much as our kids do! They are lyrically strong and their tunes are very catchy. The best part - Their music imparts biblical truths that underscore what we teach our kids already.

The concert this weekend especially was entertaining and the kids had a blast! I plan to post a picture soon. Until then, please check out their website and take advantage of their no shipping charges on their merchandise! You will not regret your purchase, Moms and Dads (and those without children, too!). It will be a sigh of relief to pop this in the car radio rather than a typical kid's cd.

http://www.gofishguys.com/

Toothless in Texas

Not as cool sounding as 'Sleepless in Seattle' but oh well.

Back on Easter of this year Blaine tripped over his shoes and fell into a rocking chair. (See blog dated 3/23/08) We have watched the progression of one of his front teeth turning from white, to purple, to grey to now nearly black. I could stand it no longer and took him to his new pediatric dentist. (An office staff from his old dentist claimed this was no big deal, just to 'watch it.' Still don't know what that means.)

Sure enough, next Monday he will have to have both front teeth removed due to a serious infection that has developed in the gum line. If we don't take the teeth out, it will surely cause more health problems and damage to his permanent teeth.

My only concern now is jealousy from older brother who has yet to give any offerings to the Tooth Fairy. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

One More Down

Oh yeah, for those of you who aren't local and haven't heard me say already, Brandon did very well this semester. His final semester grades have pulled his GPA into a safe zone. He is feeling foxy and fancy free!

One more semester down, um, like way too many to optimisically say how many left - 7? I think... (counting summers and clinicals...)

Happy Birthday to Me!

It's birthday season at our house. My turn. I celebrated by working my tail off at work, having a sack lunch with a district judge and then topping it off with a committee meeting I have scheduled at church tonight. I know what you're thinking - Oh the glamour! Just another day in the life only now I can say I'm 25.

(Ok, don't ruin it for those who know my real age!)

Wild, Wild Week

Ok, I fell off the side of the earth with blogging last week - So sorry! As I wrote before, last week was Brandon's final exam week. Boy were we busy, busy! We topped it with a activity-heavy weekend, but a fun weekend at that. Brandon still does not have his semester grades yet, but he feels relieved to be done for now.

I had a good Mother's Day. We celebrated by staying busy at church with commitments there yesterday and then eating at a nice restaurant for lunch. Despite the boys being really tired from a long morning, they were well behaved. They gave me a gift certificate for my ebay goodies, which I am excited about. But the REAL gift came yesterday afternoon in the form a 2.5 hour nap!! Ahhhhh.... A great day!

Little Debbie

When I was pregnant with Blaine, my favorite treat was oatmeal cream pies made by Little Debbie. I would get the extra big pies that are hard to find and have at least one a day, most of the time more. (With Braylon I craved Mexican food, which I previously hated to eat...) Anyway, I had so many oatmeal cream pies while pregnant, that I haven't gotten any at the store probably since that time until this last week. So funny to me how now that's Blaine favorite snack - It must remind him of the womb!!

Crunch Time

This time of year is busy for everyone. We are not excluded in that! This week is final exam week for Brandon. He's been a busy man studying, studying, studying every waking moment (and getting up EARLY during non-waking moments to study some more!). Braylon's end of the school year program is set for this Friday. I'm leading a 4/5 year old choir at church that will perform for the first time this weekend. To top it, Blaine was ill last week and Braylon ill today. I'll tell you what, when this week is over, don't be alarmed when you hear a sonic boom blasting in your ears - It's just Brandon issuing a gigantic sigh of relief that he survived another semester.

A Healthy Lifestyle

I got this as an email and thought it was too cute not to post. Try some of these tips to relieve stress:
1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.
2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom.
Don't Disguise Your Voice !
3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, ask If They Want Fries with that.
4. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their
Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.
5. Finish All Your sentences with 'In Accordance With The Prophecy.'
6. Skip down the hall Rather Than Walk
and see how many looks you get.
7. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat,
with a serious face.
8 . Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go.'
9. Sing Along At The Opera.
10. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area and Play tropical Sounds All Day.
11. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You have a headache.
12. When The Money Comes Out The ATM,
Scream 'I Won! I Won!'
13 . When Leaving the Zoo, Start Running towards the Parking lot, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!'
14. Tell Your Children Over Dinner, 'Due To The Current Cost of Gas, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.'

Rest for the Weary

This weekend our family did a lot of resting. We had been as busy as ever last week while Grampy was here; Going this way and that way, meeting for dinner, playing until bedtimes were stretched to the limit. Thankfully, the boys cooperated and we all caught up with our sleep this weekend. Ahhhh.... My very favorite weekends are those in which we have no plans and just relax... This was one of those!

Food Coloring

The other night at dinner, the extended families gathered for dinner at a favorite TexMex restaurant. Braylon and Blaine were content to color while awaiting food and then while waiting for the grown-ups to finish eating. Grampy's attention was diverted away from his plate for a moment and when he looked back, noticed that Braylon was coloring on his food instead of his paper. Grampy told him to stop coloring on his food, to which Braylon replied, "Is that what you call food coloring?"

Curse Words

I hesitate to write this story, because it just won't be as cute as me telling it, but I will do my best.

Yesterday when I first saw Blaine after school (Grampy had picked him up from school early), I asked how his day was. He looked down, pitiful, and said, "I got in trow-bule today. Had to sit in time out." This is very unusual for Blaine, so I asked further and he said, "I say bad words."

Ok, in our house, it's pretty G rated material, so I just couldn't wait to hear what this was all about. I said, "What did you say, baby?" Blaine, eyes full of remorse, looked up and said, "Ms. Raw-byn told me to sit down and I said 'What the heck'?"

It was all I could do to seriously tell him, "Well, let's just not say that again at school, ok?"

Grampy Part II

We are continuing our tour 'o Grampy week where we let the boys saturate themselves as much as they can. Last evening he took them out to eat (I had to work late) and then we let the kids play in the mud while Grampy worked on the camper in the front yard. Kids had an ecstatic time, but no doubt they were bushed by the time we got home. This a.m. it was quite difficult to raise them - Hopefully they will make it for two more nights of the condensed fun before Grampy goes back to care for his mother.

Grampy!!

The boys thoroughly wore their Grampy out last night! We met at Jason's Deli, where both boys insisted upon sitting on either side of Grampy. Every question, every comment, every passing thought from the boys was directed toward Grampy. The other set of grandparents, sadly, were invisible and Mom and Dad were beyond invisible. In fact, when we got to Granny/Grampy's house after dinner last night, Braylon asked me, "Why are you here, Mom?"

If that doesn't say it all, what does?

Honey Doo

This morning when the boys were slowly getting ready for school, I reminded them that Grampy will be in town today to visit them!! That got their feet a moving to get ready. As I was carrying Blaine into the bathroom he asked me, "Is Grampy Granny's friend?" I replied, "Yes, but Grampy is also Granny's honey."

Blaine seemed confused, so I continued, "A honey is someone you like to hug and kiss a lot, like Daddy is my honey."

Blaine gave one of his cutest smiles, beaming that he had something sweet to say. He then said, "And Mommy is MY honey!!"

Shout Out

Guess I should start being a little more cordial in front of my kids. No doubt my dry sense of humor is rubbing off on my kiddos.

Last evening we went with my mom briefly to a large warehouse-type garage sale at her church. The garage sale hadn't yet started; we were just there to pick up one item and go home, but there were other people there getting things ready.

Blaine asked if there was a bathroom there, resulting in Braylon yelling across the very large room to Granny, asking if there was a bathroom. Granny said no, and the loudly relayed message from Braylon was, "Granny said no, Blaine - Guess you'll just have to pee in your pants!!!" He said this very seriously.

We left shortly after...

Happy Birthday Time

Braylon turned 5 yesterday. He celebrated by having a few of his little guy friends over to the house on Saturday for an extended play-date party. They all had a blast! For his actual birthday we let him pick the restaurant of his choice. When you give a 5 year old this power, you must be willing to eat just about anywhere. We dined and played at Chuck E. Cheese Pizza last evening. The boys had a fun time playing with family.

One of Braylon's gifts was a Transformers talking helmet. Basically, you put it on and it looks like Optimus Prime's head. You can push a button to make OP talk, or you can push a different button that alters your own voice to sound like his. The boys had a wild time last night playing with that helmet. Braylon was so gracious to share with his brother and they both laughed at Blaine's rendition of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" as Optimus Prime. Even this Momma couldn't help but to laugh out loud... Ahhhh boys....

Pray for Me

In the wee hours of the morning on Saturday, Blaine awoke crying. I went into his room to find out what was the matter. He frantically said, "Momma, you need to pray for me." Confused and in a tired stupor, I managed to mutter out a two-sentence prayer. Immediately after the 'Amen' Blaine was snoozing again.

Now isn't that just the cutest?

Spookley

When Braylon was around 2 years old, his favorite book was a short rhyming board book entitled "Spookley's Pumpkin Patch." We read that board book until we were fatigued of knowing which pumpkin was which color and shape...

Blaine has followed suite. It's his favorite book these days. In fact, the board 'pages' are showing wear and I'm sure there are remnants of sticky food and residue - Sure signs of toddler usage.

Anyway, last night in bed, Blaine (who keeps this book in his bed at all times) again wanted to read Spookley. Big surprise. But this time he turned the tables - He recited the book page by page, nearly word for word back to me. I was both impressed and entertained...That kid is something else!

"This silly pumpkin is red and fat, this silly pumpkin is blue and flat.." You could hear the conviction in his voice - "Soooo many puk-kins and none of them match ... what onderful colors in Spook-ey's puk-kin patch."

In the Closet

Almost forgot this golden nugget moment:

Monday night a good friend was in town for just one day. I was not aware that Blaine did not feel well despite his bad mood. I thought perhaps he was just hungry. As we were rushing to get out the door, Blaine announced he did not want to go out to eat. I tried to twist his arm by reminding him we were going to one of his favorite places to eat. He wasn't budging. He announced to the household, "I will stay here in the closet!"

Then he proceeded to get into the coat closet, park his rear end on top of the vacuum cleaner head, pull the door mostly shut and fold his arms in a pitiful pout. Being the paranoid mother that I am, I had to ask at least 50 times, "Has anyone ever made you get into a closet???" He assured me at least 50 times, "No."

He didn't start crying until we actually left him in the closet. (Don't worry, I came back for him!!)

A Moment of Crisis

Blaine, while sick and extra whiney, had been down with a nasty fever virus all day. He finally perked up a bit late in the day when I went to pick up him up from Granny's. He was playing basketball in the kitchen while Granny and I talked. After just a few minutes, he came in whimpering and crying, saying, "My ball is wet!!!" -insert dramatic cry here - I said, "Why is your ball wet??" He innocently replied, "Because I put syrup on it..."

NEVER a dull moment...

Yes, That's Mud

The new picture includes the boys in a post-mud bath bath. Their bodies look relatively clean, yet their faces were left in the mud... Brandon says that's just part of boyhood. Hmmmmmmm..........

Left Behind: Lovie Edition

Last night was a sad night. A sad night, indeed. Blaine left his 'lovie' - a faded, small blue blanket my mom made years ago - at his Granny's house. We didn't realize it was missing until we were almost home and it was already past bedtimes. I told Blaine he would just have to be more responsible with it, knowing that Brandon would swing by and get it shortly after we got home.

Daddy took about 45 minutes to get home from the time we got home. That was a long 45 minutes! Blaine sobbed in his bed - SOBBED. Crocodile tears flowing freely. Braylon covering his ears as best as he could as he read a book. After 20 minutes of listening to this torture, I sat by his bed and patted him. This brought only mild comfort to him...

All was well when Daddy came home and his look of distraught turned to a small smile of peace. He closed his eyes and drifted off immediately.

'Special Lainey'

Braylon has been wanting to ride his bike a lot lately since the weather is starting to warm up. The last few evenings we've taken a walk to let him get some practice in. Blaine does not yet understand that he is not old enough to ride a bike (nor are his legs long enough to reach the pedals!). Braylon doesn't like to wear his helmet, so in what seems like a gesture of eagerness to ride a bike, Blaine wears it as he walks along with Braylon.

Brandon says this makes him appear 'special.' I think he looks pretty darn cute...

What's Wrong with Me?

The other night I was carrying Blaine into the bathroom to brush his teeth before bed. I accidentally knocked his foot against the wall, causing him to grimace in pain. I rubbed his foot while saying, "Oh, Blaine, I'm so sorry, what's WRONG with me?" Blaine very innocently said, "Are you stupid or are you smart?" When I didn't respond fast enough he said, "I guess you're stupid about my foot, but that's ok Momma." Now, if you had heard this conversation, you'd know that he was not insulting his Mom's intelligence, just asking an honest question.

Sometimes I wonder, though...

Hide and Sleep

The other morning I came into the boy's bedroom to wake them up for day school. They have a bunk bed and Braylon sleeps on top. I saw Braylon in bed as usual, but Blaine was out of bed with his covers pulled back. This is strange, I thought, because Blaine is very much my difficult morning child. He would like to sleep until 7:45 every morning if he had his way, but he must get up at 7:15 to keep our schedule on track. Anyway, where was he? I looked up on Braylon's bunk again, no. I surveyed the room, nowhere. Hmmmmmmmm....

So I pulled back his covers all the way down...Blaine was sleeping horizontally in his bed about 3/4 of the way down - About where an adult's shins would be in a twin sized bed. I can only assume he was having a dream about a hibernating bear...

Interesting Prayer

Another funny prayer moment ~ We seem to have a lot of these lately. I guess when you open the floor to a 2 or 4 year old, you just never know what they will say.

Blaine: "Thank you God for Nana and Papaw, and for Papaw and Nana. And thank you God for all the people who live in the forest."

Haven't a clue who these people are...

An Easter Story

This a.m. we got dressed in our new Easter digs and headed over to Nana/Papaw's house for Easter pictures at Papaw's request. These pictures now will serve in part as "before and after."

During the worship service, I get a tap on the shoulder that Blaine had hurt himself and that I should get my things and head to the nursery, stat. Upon arrival, I see little Blaine in the bathroom with blood dripping from his chin. Ick! Turns out he took a stumble into a glider rocking chair and caught the edge just so. Guess he broke his fall with his face because as it turns out, he not only cut his chin open, but bit the inside of his lip, bruised his front gums and knocked a tooth slightly loose. Yikes!

I must say that after 2+ hours in the ER, having nurses/doctors poke and prod, a needle parked in his lip for what seemed like eternity and 3 stitches, Blaine was a trooper. He cried only minimally and greeted his attending doctor with a simple, "What's your name?" amidst blood dripping out of his mouth. The doc was very gentle and nice and responded with, "Jose," instead of "Dr. So and So."

All in all, not the Easter we expected, but not a horrible one, either. Blaine's tough and I'm sure his wound will heal without incident. Brandon says now he's officially in the 'boys club' with his first battle wound.

A Camping We Will Go

We returned today from a 2 day family retreat to the Texas hill country. We 'roughed' it - Ok, not really 'roughing' it, per se. We rented a rustic cabin at the KOA that sits right on the Llano River. Among our activities, hiking, canoeing, cooking out, the boys favored throwing rocks into the river over anything else. Go figure. Who'd have thought the highlight of the trip was the cheapest way to go? Nevertheless, we had a special bonding trip and just let the boys be boys as far as possible. Now we're back, the house is in pretty good shape after a good cleaning and this momma is in need of a good, long shower and a SOFT mattress to sleep on!!

'The Farmer in the Dell'

I woke up this a.m. to a serenade through the baby monitor (yes, I refuse to give it up). Both boys, in unison, were singing, "The Farmer in the Dell" in soft tones as sweetly as they could muster. Good start to the day.

Movie Review: Nancy Drew DVD

Starring: Emma Roberts
Rated: PG

Based on the popular book character, Nancy Drew, teenage sleuth, travels cross-country from River Heights, USA to Los Angeles to solve the mystery of a famous movie star who disappeared for 5 months, then reappeared and mysteriously died in her home. She must hide the fact that she is attempting to solve a mystery from her worried, yet strangely absent, father. Of course, Nancy Drew to the rescue - She solves the mystery and survives being frequently mocked for being strange among her classmates.

Becky's rating: B-

I love a good Nancy Drew mystery. This movie is targeted to pre-teen girls, no doubt. For them, it was surely a big hit. For adults, it lacked a little substance. I figured out the mystery about 25 minutes into the movie. I hoped for a little more 'ah-has' and intrigue. However, young Emma Roberts did a superb job acting as Nancy Drew. The story line, though basic, was interesting.

Bottom line: Rent this for your pre-teen/teen. Otherwise, just read the books.

Close Your Eyes!

While Brandon was praying with Blaine the other night, he was kneeling by his bed and listening intently to what Blaine was praying about. When Blaine brought up an otherwise questionable subject of what he was thankful for, Brandon cocked his eye open and looked at Blaine, who was still just pouring his heart out in prayer. Without missing a beat, Blaine said, "Thank you for...Dad, CLOSE YOUR EYES, and thank you for...." Nothing gets by him!

Reading Books

Every night Braylon and I read 2 books before bedtime. He's been reading me a short, simple book and then I read him a longer one. I've been keeping the ones he reads me extremely easy so as not to overwhelm him. But man, did I underestimate him! Last night I let him pick out the book he would read to me. He picked an easy reader, but it was Level 2 instead of Level 1 (for anyone who knows what that means!). There were harder words in it like 'someone' and 'napkin' and things like that. That kid got nearly the entire book read with very little help from me! When he didn't know a word, he would sound it out just right and wouldn't give up on words very easily. He even laughed at the right spots, indicating he was understanding the material.

WOW! What a difference a couple months make in reading!!

Mr. Sweetheart

One night this week after bathtime, I wrapped the boys in their bath towels and let them sit on the sofa and watch tv while I cleaned up after the bath. After a short time, I came over, crawled up to Blaine and laid my head near his lap. Blaine had to wiggle his hand free of his towel and started rubbing my hair. He gently and sweetly said, "Does your head hurt, Mom?" I said no, but he kept stroking my hair while he watched tv.

It's the little moments that make my heart melt.

Marathon Prayers

Last evening the boys were treated to their favorite park by Nana/Papaw while I worked late and Brandon studied at the library. When they got home at 7:30 p.m. they were wound up and filthy as ever. It took me a while to get them bathed and ready for bed.

Every now and then, Braylon will open the floodgates and start talking our ears off around bedtime. We know this is a stall technique, but there are some things you just 'let go' for the sake of getting in some good face time with your child. After talking a good while about this and that, bedtime couldn't be avoided any longer.

Braylon then said the sweetest, longest prayer I've heard from him in a while. He thanked God for all the 'wonderful things He provided for us' and asked God to take care of many people by name. He also asked God to forgive him of the 'things he does bad sins.' So sweet to hear and I know God must have smiled hearing his limited vocabulary but heartfelt words.

Well, Blaine, who was not yet asleep wanted in on the action. Usually I just pray for what he suggests, but last night he said 'I do it myself!' He then proceeded to pray at least 5 solid minutes for everyone he could think of along with, 'give us good rest tonight' and 'help me to be good tomorrow.' After he was done, he asked to do it again. I told him to say his prayers alone...

It was such a sweet display and just made this mom's heart burst wide open thinking what a privlege to teach these kids to pray.

Pretty in Pink

This weekend we took the boys over to our friend's house for dinner. We enjoyed ourselves despite my constant OCD checking that the boys weren't destroying the back rooms of the house.

Well, the adults got wrapped into conversation and the kids were playing a friendly game of hide and go seek (mostly hide and hide since my boys weren't good at seeking). Then Blaine did his occasional John Wayne walk into the kitchen announcing that he had had an accident. Sure enough, I thought that was our cue to go home since I didn't bring a change of clothing for him. But then I remembered I had a diaper in the van for such occasions. Our friend's youngest daughter had some old shorts that didn't fall off of him.

After a small crying session about him being embarrassed for having an accident, I got him to go back inside with only minorly damaged pride. The only catch: the shorts were pink with green polka dots. He was one cute dude!

I will see if I can get pictures from my camera onto the blog of the 'dainty' outfit!

Dia de la Dentista

Yesterday was our annual dentist check up for the boys. Blaine, age 2, did perfectly. He waited patiently for well over an hour without complaining (despite hunger and fatigue setting in). He let the dentist see his pretty pearly whites and got a 'perfect' teeth declaration and a 'keep up the great work!'

Unfortunately, Braylon was not so fortunate or well-controlled. He was supposed to get his teeth cleaned, but never made it that far. He did not believe me that no one was going to give him a shot in the mouth. (Whomever told him about shots in the mouth needs to taken out and shot themselves, in my opinion.) Even when the dentist told him directly that he wouldn't do that, Braylon wouldn't open up. After many tears and one hysterical fit, the dentist did get a suitable exam in. He determined that the little guy has 5 cavities - 4 of which are very old and very deep. The fillings from last year weren't sufficient and the cavities continued to grow. He will require surgery to fix the situation.

To surgery, to surgery (AGAIN) jiggity jig jig...

Not to mention that Braylon's fear of dentist MAY be hereditary. His momma DID get banned from one dentist for biting him and once required surgery for cavities to be filled purely from fear of the dentist chair.

Movie Review: Fool's Gold

Starring: Matthew McConaughney, Kate Hudson, Donald Sutherland
Rated: PG-13

The premise is a newly divorced couple who have dedicated the last 8 years of their lives on a treasure hunt, start finding clues for their long-awaited treasure and glory.

Becky's rating: B
The movie was predictable and very formula-driven. There were good guys, bad guys and a few guys riding the fence. The main characters were entertaining enough and the story line deep enough to keep your interest in the subject. At times the theories of where the treasure might be got pretty confusing. Seems like the characters were talking too fast for the audience to understand, maybe to cover up a shallow background story. However, I do recommend this cute 'date' movie. I'm a big fan of Kate Hudson, so there's not much she could do that I wouldn't like to some degree.

Bottom line: Definitely rent this when it comes out if you miss it in the theater.

Circus, Circus

Our family treat of the week/month/year was last night at the circus event that was in town. Brandon and I loaded up the boys into the family fun van and we drove to a full evening of circus fun. Turns out we sat next to one of Braylon's best friends from church, making the experience even 'funner.'

The boys sat in wonder at the men flying through the air from the big swing. Blaine giggled through this part of the show. Braylon thought the motorcycle and trampoline exhibits were way cool. Dozens of exhibits captured their little attentions and by 8 p.m. - Two full hours of circus enjoyment - The boys had experienced enough. We left 25 minutes into the second half. The boys were sugared up and circus'd out.

A fun time was had by all - And both boys were sound asleep within minutes (er, seconds?) of hitting their pillows...

Ewwww!

In the car, a coversation from the prespective of a 2 year old:

Blaine: "I have a booger on my finger!"
Papaw: "Ok, let me stop and I'll get it for you."
Momentary Silence
Blaine: "Papaw, should I eat it?"

Does a Momma's Heart Good

Last night at church the boys took home helium balloons. As expected, as soon as we got home, Blaine's balloon popped in the ceiling fan. Blaine tried to blow up the parts of the torn balloon, to no avail. When he realized the balloon was dead, he cried. Braylon rushed to his side and said, "Here Blaine - You can have my balloon...Don't cry."

A Boy's Life

Don't ya just love boys? Last night after a round of wrestling with Daddy, the boys played Crocodile Hunter in the floor of the living room. Braylon was the Crocodile Hunter; Blaine the crocodile. It was fun until Blaine crawled over to Mommy on the sofa and bit my leg. I said, "Stop that!" and he replied, "But I a crocodile, Momma!" After that fun episode we colored extensively while watching Dora and Rescue Heroes.

No tea parties or princess stories from my house!

Movie Review: Vantage Point

Vantage Point: Rated PG-13
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forrest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver

This is a film about strained relations between the US and a Latin America country. The US President visits in a goodwill effort and makes a very public appearance in a crowded courtyard. The US President is then assassinated, which sets off a series of points of view looking at the same event. After a few 'vantage points' the audience realizes how they are all connected.

Becky Rating: B

In the spirit of Groundhog Day, this movie was repetitive and at times annoying. The film-makers were creative in weaving the stories together to make a solid storyline. However, there were a few holes in the story in doing it this way. The biggest question left unanswered, "Why?" Saying that, if you can live without some ends being tied up, the film was done in a way to capture your attention. You will sit on the edge of your seat trying to piece it all together and there are even a few 'Ahhh' moments during the ride.

Bottom line: If you can get through some repeating of material, it is worth your time.

Sweet Dreams

Bright eyed and bushy tailed, Braylon woke up this a.m. with a big grin on his face. He ran into my room as I was getting ready for work and exclaimed, "I had a dream about Grampy!!!" Ahhhh..... He misses his Grampy....

P.S. (So does his Mommy!)

Back In the Saddle Again

There was a break in blog posts, in case you failed to notice. Let me explain:

Thursday of last week: Blaine spends the night with Granny so that we can go to the hospital early. Blaine gets sick - very sick and they have a full night of gastrointestinal woes. Blaine stays over there until Friday at bedtime to avoid spreading germs to a post-surgery Braylon.
Friday of last week: Braylon had surgery. We were at the hospital for 6 hours for a 10 minute procedure. Don't you just love surgery??
Saturday: Brandon comes down with what Blaine had. We avoid him and stay out of the house as much as we can.
Sunday: Blaine is still a little symptomatic, but nothing serious, so we all go to church. I managed to get a book review blog in...
Monday: Chore day. Took the kids to school and had off from work. Got a long laundry list of items done. WOO HOO!!! Went to bed feeling good about my accomplishments.
Tuesday: Awoke at 2 a.m. not feeling good with my accomplishments and not feeling good about anything since I was vomitting and had other icky symptoms... I stayed in bed all day. Kids came home from Granny's house at bedtime despite her offer to keep them... I felt like I should keep them if I could muster it. That night we wake up to Blaine having diahrrea fill his bed sheets. If you're a mom, you've been there, no doubt. Bless his heart, he had to wait to go back to sleep through a bath and a bedding change. He was so sweet.
Wednesday: Still not up to snuff... Took the day off...
Thursday: Here I am, blogging my excuses for being a lame blogger of late.

I'm sure to post something of interest soon. Please be patient!! HAHAHA!!!

Book Review: "Skin"

"Skin" by Ted Dekker
Genre: Inspirational Fiction

This is the story that follows five assumed strangers through a crisis in a small town when a tornado rips through one evening and a psychotic killer is on the loose. The five individuals from various disturbed backgrounds must find a way to stop the killer and survive both the weather and the killer's unsettling game against them.

Becky's rating: B++

Ted Dekker is a strong writer; STRONG. His character development and creative story lines have traces of Stephen King quality, but minus the filth and illicit gore. This story is not unlike his other novels in that way. He captivates you from the first chapter and I find it hard to put the book down - Needing to know what happens next. The only reason I give this book less than an A is that it does end a little more sci-fi that I was prepared for. However, the means to the end is defintely worth the read. I also like the fact that despite the 'inspirational fiction' genre (which is my favorite, by the way), the novel doesn't get preachy and the reader gets to read between the lines on what he is 'saying' without 'saying it.' (In this case, an obvious directional pull to the fact that we are ugly in our sin and are in need of a Savior to make us beautiful.)

Bottom line: If you like Stephen King or The Matrix - This is a must read.

Doctor Hopping

Last evening we left Blaine to spend the night with Granny because we had a 6:30 a.m. arrival time at the hospital for Braylon's procedure. At 10 p.m. I got a frantic phone call from Granny claiming that Blaine had vomitted several times and they had had to run to the potty for other emergency bodily functions. SO, I tried to let her take the reigns on Blaine so I could focus on Braylon. Braylon didn't fall asleep until nearly 11 p.m. due to nerves. 6:10 a.m. rolled around especially early it seemed. We were at the hospital from 6:30 a.m. to 12:10 p.m. for what the doctor said was a 5 min procedure. Wanting to make double-sure that Blaine had nothing greater than a tummy bug, I set an appointment for him at 1:30 p.m. I had just enough time to eat, drop Braylon/Daddy off at home, and rush over to the other doctor for Blaine. So much for resting...

Blaine has a tummy bug and nothing more. Braylon is back to his normal, active self. Mom & Dad are a little more worn for their wear, but I guess it's just another silver lining of parenting...

'I'm In the Mood For Love...."

Picture this: 6:30 a.m. Alarm goes off. Snooze button hit. 6:50 a.m. husband comes in and announces I'm going to be late if I don't get up. I reluctantly get up, shuffle to the bathroom to start getting ready... I venture slowly into the living room to tell Brandon to please remember to deliver Valentines to his parents from the kids (Spiderman and Bible verse notes...So cute...). Brandon doesn't know what in the world I'm talking about, despite having talked on this last night. Brandon leaves for school, hopefully with Valentines in hand...

7:10 a.m. I am ready. Kids are still sleeping. I make sure the Valentine's box has it's final touches with everything I need for the day at the various locations I plan to stop. It's all good.

7:20 a.m. I talk Braylon into getting out of bed despite his, "Just 7 more minutes because I'm still tired" speech. I bribe him to get out of bed by promising he can wear his Spiderman shirt, which I have no idea it's location. Search for the Spidey shirt. Find it after several minutes. Set Braylon on his course of getting ready with a firm warning not to drown his toothbrush with toothpaste....Again.

7:25 a.m. Ok we should be gearing up to leave already and Blaine is still snoozing away, snoring and oblivious to my calls to wake up. I yank him out of bed only to find that he wants to cuddle. I bribe him out of bed by reminding him he has a party to get to today... He is thinking of the candy and cookies, no doubt.

7:35 a.m. We REALLY should have left already considering we have 2 stops and Valentines to drop off before Mommy has to arrive at work by 8 a.m. Sheesh! We venture out, kids complaining about X, Y, or Z (you pick) around 7:38 a.m.

7:40 a.m. We arrive at Blaine's day care provider's house. I had a big box to carry in. I told Blaine to walk to the door, where he was lovingly attacked by a stray boxer who wanted to lick his face and jump on him. This set an emotional cry from Blaine who wanted to be picked up away from the dog. Juggled box/kid/dog/door. Only dropped cupcakes once (don't worry, Mom, they didn't get hurt).

7:55 a.m. Arrive at the final stop. Realized that in our hurry and chaos, Braylon didn't eat breakfast. Braylon assures me it's ok because he'll just eat candy instead. He begs me not to tell his teacher he didn't eat because then he'll fill up on something halfway good for him, which he doesn't want. I take the 'Bad Mom of the Year' stance and agree to keep it a secret.

8:05 a.m. Arrive at work. Ok, there may have been a little speeding involved, who's to say? All I know is that it was one wild way to start the "Day of Love...."

Happy Valentine's Day!!! Hug your loved ones tight and remember to always say "I love you" more often than is comfortable!!!