LOL

Does anyone else think this is
THE FUNNIEST PICTURE YOU HAVE EVER SEEN?
Because I can't look at it without bursting out laughing.


I also feel this way about the scene in the Money Pit when the bathtub comes crashing through the ceiling and Tom Hanks laughs like a crazy person. I just die laughing about that one. If you haven't seen it, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5BKX3QCjk0

You can thank me later.

Our Tiny Tot

This week Brennen started a class at the rec center called Tiny Tots. He does not call it preschool, he calls it Tiny Tots because that is the real official title of it and Brennen likes to be precise. I have no idea where he gets that. It cracks us up that he insists on this title because he doesn't really get that this makes him sound small and well... tiny. Anytime I say that he is littler than someone or something, he barks, "I am NOT little! I'm big!" So this is why we laugh. With him, not at him, of course.

Bren has been loving his class and his teacher's name is Miss Cathy. He only goes twice a week and it is only for 1 1/2 hours, but it's an experience, right? (And guess what? Mommy gets to go to Target for one whole hour to browse by herself! It's bliss! ) It is a three year old class, so there are mostly kids in it who just turned 3. Brennen will be 4 in October, so the maturity level is vast, but he doesn't seem to notice and just thinks everyone talks out loud a lot and constantly tells him they are "Free!" holding up three tiny fingers.

Here is Brennen in action in his first classroom experience:

At the rec center

playing with jungle animals (the two in the background are twins!)

carpet time with Miss Cathy

tiny tables and tiny chairs

"I see the B for Brennen!"

First Things First

This week Olivia started the first grade...

Can this possibly be the same child who wore preemie-sized clothes?

We love you, Liv.

Going to the Chapel of Love

My little brother is getting married today. He is 9 years younger than me and he has always seemed like the baby.
I remember how we shared my room while he was still in his crib and I would wake up to the squeaky sound of the springs because he was jumping up and down, eager for me to wake up and look at him.
I remember how one time when he was a newborn he was so fussy, which was rare, and I was the only one who could calm him and rock him to sleep.
I remember how when we would drive in the car, I would reach over his carseat and run my fingers over his soft face so that he would fall asleep faster. He loved that and always requested it, even as he got older.
I remember that I taught him the sign for "apple" and he would always come to me as a one year old and twist his fist in his cheek and say "app-a joo!" for apple juice.
I remember volunteering in his kindergarten class once a week, as if I were the mom, and knowing all of his little friends and his teacher so well.
I remember that he had the fullest head of hair of any little boy you have ever met and when my future husband hung out with him he gave him the name "Hairs."
I remember that after that name stuck, he would randomly come up with silly jokes and the answer to the joke was always "HAIR!!!" and he would laugh hysterically at himself, which in turn made us all laugh hysterically.

There are so many memories of Johnny Wonny and on this day I am thinking of them all. How could he be a man now, ready to begin a family of his own? How is he old enough to love a woman and dedicate his entire life to her? In many ways, Johnny was my first experience at mothering, even when I was still a child, so I am feeling the pain of one who helped raise the little guy. I can't imagine how my mom will feel today watching her youngest born walk down that aisle. All I know is that he is loved immensely and I am so thankful for all of the memories I have of our times together. I am excited to make new ones with his new wife, Courtney, and I am reminded once again to embrace my time with my own kiddos right now...

One day I will be blogging about their wedding day.

Coppertone Torture

Well, summer is upon us and that means that I am traveling to Walmart every week to buy more spray-on sunscreen for the kids. I know, I know... It's so much more expensive and it doesn't last long enough! Why would I waste our hard earned money on something so frivilous when I could buy a tube of very effective sunscreen for a fraction of the price?

One word: Brennen.

That kid is so stinkin' sensitive! He hates to have sunscreen applied to his tender skin and it obviously feels like I am trying to skin him alive when I rub him all over.

"OOOOOOWWWWWWWW!!!!! THAT HURTS, MOMMY!!! NOOOO!!! AAAAAAAAAA!!!!"

(Insert ear piercing scream here.)

So, therefore, because I am such a kind, loving, and sensitive mommy, I go the extra mile to make sure my only son never has to endure discomfort of any sort and I buy the spray-on sunscreen for him.

Yes, this choice does also work in my favor, ensuring that I am not humiliated at the community pool, but rest assured that avoidance is most certainly NOT the driving factor behind my weekly jaunts to Walmart.

No way. That would be ridiculously terrible parenting.

Say What?

Yesterday Brennen was going on and on about some animal he learned about on the Magic School Bus show. I couldn't understand which animal he was describing and asked him to slow down and say it to my face.

"Mama, I'm talking about a Hunk-Fat Whale!"

Yes, he's talking about a Humpback Whale. How did I not catch that?

Angel Face

Right?

You Can Say That Again

Does anyone else's kid say the same sentence over and over and over and over and over and over again, even though you have answered that kid? For example:

"Mommy, can you make my fishy for me?"
"Mommy, can you make my fishy for me?"
"Mommy, can you make my fishy for me?"

"Yes, Brennen, I will make your (stupid, tedious, ugly, why did I ever buy those messy fish-shaped perler bead forms) fishy for you. Just one minute."

"Mommy, can you make my fishy for me?"
"Mommy, can you make my fishy for me?"
"Mommy, can you make my fishy for me?"
"Huh? Can you?"

"YES! I said yes. I will make it right now (for the love of Pete, good golly, shut it)."

Anyone? Anyone.

Near Death Experience (Sort of)

Doesn't this look like such a sweet, charming Memorial Day afternoon?

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and all is right with the world.

Not quite.

Actually, there are literally HUNDREDS of poisonous rattlesnakes strategically positioned in that grassy area you see all around my very precious children. Nate and I had no idea when we decided to take the kids on a hike for Memorial Day at the Santa Rosa Plateau that it is a really terrible time to be in the wilderness, aka. rattlesnake season! We were about a quarter of a mile into the hike before we heard the first recognizable rattling sounds. Olivia noticed it right away and started to get nervous. She said, "Is that sound a RATTLESNAKE???" We didn't want to scare her, so we said, "Um, I don't know. Let's just pound our feet and move quickly, okay?"

By halfway through this lovely hike, we were freaked out! Olivia was whimpering, Brennen was declaring how NOT scared he was, and Nate and I were seriously wondering why on Earth we were not at the beach, at a pool, or at the mall. The rattle sounds were so loud and coming from every direction! Every grassy open area vibrated. At one point Nate laughed, "What are we DOING here? We aren't nature people! We should be at the Hilton! HILTON!!"

We started busting up, more from the tension than anything else. It was hard to stay calm and not make a big deal so that the kids didn't get scared. But we were scared! I was just sure that a huge rattlesnake was going to lunge out of the grasses and bite my leg off, or drag my 29 pound son off into its hole. I could really visualize it!

Needless to say, we survived. But barely.

No more hikes in May for us.

Siblings

One girl, one boy... that's all we've got. They love each other, they annoy each other. Brennen steals Olivia's DS and Olivia plays too rough. They are convinced they are co-pirates on our "couch-ship" and they squeal with delight in the bathtub. Brennen still calls her "Wiv" and Olivia melts every time he allows her to cuddle him.

I hope they always have the LOVE.