Pictures

We had our family pictures taken this weekend. I'd say they turned out well. Here are some to enjoy!

Guitar Hero

This Sunday at church the praise band played a heavier-than-normal set with lots of extra instruments and vocals. After the music was over, Blaine said (in a non-church voice)....(pause) "I should have brought my guitar."

Football Part 2

Touchdown #2 was scored by Mr. Blaine Caleb...He was so cute to explain the play in detail to me over dinner. So cute!

Braylon, meanwhile, is on Injured Reserve for the rest of the season. We learned today that he broke his right arm last weekend while playing with a friend of the family. Just one of those things... We are bummed that he won't finish the football season. Swimming, karate and piano are out this summer, too. I'm sure we'll be doing extra reading and board games, no doubt!

Dad of the Year

Today is Father's Day. Thought I'd celebrate by listing a few things I like about Brandon, aka - My kid's father.

1) His willingness to get on the floor and wrestle with the boys, not to mention enjoying a good game of Scooby Doo on the Game Cube
2) His sense of humor and good nature to be the butt of the joke sometimes
3) His spiritual leadership in that he prays with the boys EVERY night, no exceptions
4) The fact that he calls the boys on their behavior, no matter if makes him unpopular
5) His silliness and willingness to just be silly sometimes - The boys love this
6) The fact that no matter how busy he is with his studies, he always has time to talk to the boys about their day
7) His eagerness to show physical and verbal affection to the boys

Football

We started the flag football season off in a big way tonight. Blaine had an outstanding kick in his first game ever (he's also not yet had any practices because he was out of town when it started). Braylon flexed his mojo and was the only player I noticed that stayed in the entire game. He pulled several flags, but our proudest moment was when he went for a '50 yard' run into the end zone - TOUCH DOWN!! Yeah, we were shamefully screaming from the sidelines. I thought Grampy was watching the Cowboys with the way he was cheering. The best part of it all is that both boys left energized and ready for more. And that's what it's all about...Having fun and feeling good. This is sure to be a great 4 weeks!

Mom Of The Year

Maybe I'm not out of the running for Mom of the Year after all... This evening after prayer time Braylon said he had something to give me. He proceeded to hand me an Olympic type 'medal' (aka cheapo plastic) and say it was my award for being the 'Best Mom Ever.' I chose not to have him elaborate whether it was 'Best Mom Ever Lived,' 'Best Mom He Ever Had,' or 'Best Mom Out of All that Were in his Bedroom at the Time.' Still, a sweet gesture... Think I'll wear my award at least another 10 minutes or so. Don't want to get a big head, you know.

Brotherly Love

Sometimes as a parent your kids will do things towards each other that brings warm fuzzies...Something like that happened today.

Braylon's SS class members were given balloons as part of the lesson this a.m. (Think blue balloons to represent the cloud that Moses and the Israelites followed by day.) Blaine is not yet in that class, so only Braylon had one. After church, we were chatting in the sanctuary like usual and, of course, Braylon lost his balloon in the 1,000 ft high ceiling (Ok, no idea how high it really is...But you get the picture). To put it mildly, Braylon was crushed. He cried for at least 5 solid minutes until Daddy and the children's minister went to get a replacement balloon, as well as a balloon for Blaine.

Not 5 minutes after getting the second round of balloons, we get into the van to head to lunch. Due to the heat in the van, Blaine's balloon popped almost immediately after getting in. It was a quiet shock for about 10 seconds as everyone realized what had happened. Here's what happened next:

Braylon: "BLAINE!! You can have my balloon!!! HERE!! I can't get it off!! HERE! Don't cry, Blaine, BLAINE, you can have mine!"
(Bear in mind Braylon REALLY wanted his...)
Blaine: (WAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH)
Braylon: "Blaine, Don't cry, Blaine, You can have it as soon as I can get it off, Please don't cry..."
Blaine: (WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH)
Braylon: (WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH) "Mom...I didn't want Blaine to cry...I can't get it off! When he cries, I cry." (WAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH)

It was so hard not to laugh, but I held it together long enough to calm them both down. They can be so sweet sometimes...The cutest part came just after Blaine calmed down. He said, "But Jesus can fix it, right Momma?" Priceless.

Babies Back

I got my babies back, babies back, babies back, babies back....

The boys got home just after 8 p.m. tonight. It was so good to see them. They looked like they grew an inch each, but after measuring them, realized that it just appears that way because it's been too long since I last saw them. (I'm still wishing Blaine to that magical 42" mark before we can go back and redeem our 2nd day at Sea World.)Got some cute pics of them from their trip that I will attempt to post later this weekend.

Back to life as usual.

Gator Bait

Blaine and Braylon called yesterday to tell me about their venture to the Alligator Farm near where they are traveling with their grandparents. Blaine was so cute to say he got to hold a baby alligator and love on it. Braylon said his favorite part was the alligator, too, but he also said there were loads of other animals there including an ostrich, goats, and a llama. Sounds like an interesting place. Can't wait to see pictures and hear more from them. They will be home tomorrow night - So looking forward to our reunion!

Meanwhile I've been enjoying the quiet at home and catching up on some reading. Ok, ok...So I wasn't behind in my reading. It's more of 'getting ahead' if you were to call it anything. I've also gone out with friends, to the movies, and out on a date. One more night with friends tonight and then I'm ready for my life 'as usual' to return. Bring back the Gator Bait!!

It's Only Wednesday

This has been a long week so far. I'm not complaining. It has been nice to only have to take care of myself for a change. However, I'm so used to taking care of the little runts, along with the fact that I kind of like having them around...Saturday isn't coming fast enough. I'm even looking forward to breaking up brotherly fights and bathing stinky, sweaty little boys that wreak of wet puppies. (Only mothers of boys know 'that' unique smell.) Ahhh, 3 more days....

Movie Review

Star Trek
Rated PG-13
Starring: A list of virtual unknowns

The purpose of this movie is to introduce essential characters and to explain the origins of their relationships. Of course, there is that little thing about planets being destroyed, time traveling in space and Captain Kirk going on crazy dangerous missions by way of a plot, but essentially the former is the purpose of the movie.

Becky's Rating: A

I am not what you would call a Star Trek fan - Or a Trekky. (Geek yes, Trekky No - Notice the fine distinction.) However, I really enjoyed this film. The characters were interesting to me and seeing how they related to one another 'made' the movie for me. Great movie to take the family to if you have teenagers. Under 10-12, wait for a few more years. No gory violence, but ample violent action nonetheless. It was not a cliff hanger ending, but it's fair to say the producers left it wide-open for a sequel.

Bottom line: This movie will not disappoint, no matter if you can't see yourself going to a Star Trek movie.

Parting is Sweet Sorrow

The boys left this a.m. to go for a week at the lake with Granny & Grampy, where they will meet various other family members. Of course I have mixed feelings about them traveling sans parents. But there's hardly anyone who loves the boys like their grandparents, so I know they are in good hands. It was still hard to watch the van drive off this a.m. Blaine kept saying he was sorry (presumably that he was going to have fun and I had to stay at home being 'bored'). Braylon kept saying that he would call everyday, even if he doesn't call, he'll call. (Don't know what that means.) All in all...I'm glad they will get some quality time with family and, frankly, a little quiet ('boring') time at home seems like an exciting venture as any to me...

Handicapped

The boys are about to go out of town for a week with grandparents and so Brandon planned a 'boys day' today at the golf course. When they first arrived, an older man asked the boys, "What's your handicap?" Braylon candidly told the man, "I don't know what that means." The man clarified, obviously to be nice, "You know, what do you shoot?" Blaine looked at the man and plainly said, "A golf ball."

Guess he should have seen that one coming.

Bugs Pt 2

Blaine's prayer:

"Dear God, thank you for bugs. Thank you for spiders. Thank you for little spiders, but not for big spiders, because they bite. In Jesus Name, Amen"

It's a Bug Eat Bug World

A true testament of Blaine's tender-heartedness:

Right before bed tonight I instructed the boys to go potty and head to their beds. Braylon went first and found a small, black bug next to the toilet. He scooped it up and put it on top of the toilet seat, then hopped off to bed. As I was helping Blaine stay focused in his bedtime tasks, we found the bug, where I proceeded to throw it in the potty. I was encouraging Blaine to go ahead and go to the bathroom, but he wasn't able to 'produce' while standing and looking at the bug. The minutes passed by and Blaine just stood there staring at the bug. I unfortunately pointed out that the bug had stopped moving, therefore, he must be about dead. (I said this so he'd hurry up and go, not to scar him for life.)

Blaine then sweetly asked, "Does that bug bite, Momma?" Looking back, a little white lie gently inserted here would have been better. But nooooo. Honest Momma answered, "Not that bug."

Blaine panicked. It was then a race to see if he could save the bug's life, but he couldn't quite pinch the bug in the water, and by then it had really stopped moving. I then announced that the bug was indeed, dead.

(Loud wailing)

(More LOUD WAILING)

(A flush following by MORE LOUD WAILING)

After several minutes of hysterical crying, Blaine made me promise to never, EVER flush a good bug again. The new stipulation is that we can only flush bugs that bite.