Letter To My Heart

An assignment of sorts from BlogHer.

Dear Heart of Mine,

I am amazed at how you function and work, growing larger and larger with the addition of each member of our little family. It seems you never cease to love, even when faced with desperate situations and moments of insanity.

The first time I really paid much attention to you was when I met Bart...Mr. Pierced (pronounced pierce-ED) Tattooed Freak. I had this crush on him, but it went away for a while...there were lots of fish in the single's ward sea. Then, he planned Operation Day 13, gave me the biggest box of chocolates I'd ever seen (he spent $135 at Godiva), and the rest is history. You doubled when I fell in love with Bart, and he still does things to help you grow, keep you guessing, and to make you happy. He is the perfect compliment to me.

I know that you ached when Ms. Glenda got sick. All of me ached. I know that you thought you might just shrivel up and quit working when she passed away, but then you remembered something...Families are forever, so we would one day see her again. I can still see that little hole left, but Ms. Glenda was such an amazing woman, such a powerhouse in our lives, that I think it is okay to have a little hole dedicated to her, ready to be patched in the eternities.

Then, less then one year after getting a bit of you torn out, you grew. I grew. Brennan joined our family. He was such a happy baby, always smiling, doing neat tricks, pleasing us with all he did. I didn't think I could love more and I was quite smitten with what our family was blessed with.

Then, came Jackson. He isn't quite as easy going as Brennan, but he is such a wonderful kid that it's hard to not have your heart grow larger when you have the chance to know and love this kid. Jackson can drive you bonkers and make you smile all in about five seconds. He's really done a number on your heart.

And now there is Ethan. Number three. The end. You ached a bit when the ultrasound tech said "My three sons". If you could, I think you would have punched her in her face, but luckily you were locked safely in my care. It was not witty or wise of her to say that. However, Ethan is here now and there is no replacing him. When I look at him, I feel you grow, warming me and reminding me that God has a plan for this family, and for some reason, our plan only involves daughter-in-laws, no daughters.

So heart, what is in store for us next? I hope no more ache, yet I know you will. That is part of life, sadness, loss, loneliness. There's also joy, celebration, and hope. Thank you for always being with me and guiding me to choose what is right and true, helping me be ME. Without you, I'd be lost.

Love,
Your body and soul

Weigh-In Wednesday #4

Well, all thanks to Laura's delicious brownies and the MOM's birthday party, I did not go down one pound...at least I did not go up, either!

163 lbs.

How to make Laura's brownies, so you can all get fat with me:

Get a brownie mix (any kind, but I used Pillsbury), mix it up according to box.
Get a couple Symphony chocolate bars (we used the ones with toffee, I kind of think any choc. bar would do.)
Pour 1/2 of the batter into pan.
Place the Symphony bar on top (I broke it up and left small spaces so I didn't need as many candy bars)
Pour the rest of batter over top and bake. I think it probably baked a little longer then the directions say, so just watch it. If you use a toothpick to tell if it's done (does that even work with brownies?) go in at an angle so your tp doesn't just come out covered in melted chocolate.
Let it cool for a while so the chocolate can kind of firm up. Enjoy. It's really good the next day when the choc. is a bit firmer. I'd say don't refrigerate, b/c it would probably make the choc. too hard.

And there's your bit of irony for the day: Me giving you a very fattening recipe with my weight. At least now you know why I weigh what I weigh.

A Cake I Made

I learned something new this weekend...when planning out a cake to decorate...plan more then the flavor and that you want a three tier high cake. It will really help speed up the final decorating process.
Also, fondant is your friend...It hides those mistakes of frosting the cake. Why was I lazy and why did I not make the fondant? I don't know, but it took forever to get the frosting semi-smooth and you can see my errors in the picture.
Another thing, where did my very small straight piping tip go? I had to use some wacky tip to write "Happy Birthday" and it looks ridiculous.
While we are at it, what is the difference between frosting and icing, anyways???

Oh, well...at least Jackson liked it. He was dying to eat it before I left, saying, "I eat cupcake now?"
I guess it does kind of (in a toddler's kind of way) look like a cupcake.

Wanna Play?

Let's play a game.

It's called..."What do these four objects have in common?"

I'll give you a hint. I have cleaned all of them.

Give up?

Well, Jackson is potty training.

I think that tells the story on its own, but I will continue, for your pleasure.

Jackson is potty training and I was helping him get onto his step stool. The phone (one of three that can go on any of the three stands and work fine) was on the cabinet by the toilet. My hand somehow hit the phone while helping Jackson balance (before peeing, thankfully) and caused the phone to FLY through space...right into the toilet.

I didn't think, I just grabbed.

Yep, right into toilet water.

Good thing I'd cleaned that thing earlier that day (or so I say :-)

Now, NONE of the three phones work, Jackson still is not trained (why won't the kid poop in the potty? I mean, he sure can tell me when he's done pooing on the Incredible Hulk!), and I shudder every time I think of my hand plunging into the icy cold germ trap to save the innocent phone.

Let's play again another day.Ethan has a "What the heck was my Mama thinking?" look on his face, but I sure LOVE his outfit from Aunt Jamie!

Custom Photo Card Giveaway

CLOSED! WINNER: GWENGOM

Fashionable Fabric-ations sells custom photo cards and adorable baby gifts handmade by Brandy. I met her at a mutual friend's baby shower in Florida last January (FYI: neither of us live in FL) and we've stayed connected via our blogs ever since. She is so sweet, sending Ethan a cute burp cloth and diaper set as a baby gift. (I will post a picture of it soon, I promise!)

She makes some great cards and is going to be giving one card design away (via an emailed file) to one lucky person. (I wish she'd make me some Mickey Mouse invites for Jack's third birthday...the ones I currently plan on making are a bit intricate, even for me!) You and her will design a card together, you sending her pictures to include (if you want pictures, not required) and an idea of what you are looking to have (She explains the process on her main page)There are so many things you could use these cards for: baby announcements, Christmas or any other holiday, birthday invitations or announcements (I've been thinking about doing that as the boys have b.days to send to all our family back in LA), whatever your imagination can come up with.

All you have to do is go to her site, check out her card designs and fabric choices (the baby gifts shows your fabric choices) and tell me which card or fabric choice was your favorite by leaving a comment. (To see the names, just hold the cursor over the design...it will pop right up) Make sure to include your email address.

For an extra entry, become a follower of my blog and leave me a comment (separate from the first one) letting me know.

Already a follower? Then leave that second comment to let me know what your favorite thing about the blog is or what I could do to make it better...ha! Making you work!

For two last extra entries, order something from Brandy (make sure to include in the email that you heard about her through the giveaway) and she will let me know and I will give you two more entries.

Giveaway ends Feb. 1 @ midnight! Winner has 48 hours to respond to my confirmation email.

Ethan Starts Baby Boot Camp

Ethan was diagnosised with Positional Plagiocephaly and Torticollis Wednesday at his two month well check. Nothing major, but what this basically means is that he has a tendency to look left all the time, thus causing his neck muscles to want to get tight and not look to the right. (There can be other reasons for torticollis, but E. does not have those) This has caused the P.P., basically a flat spot on the left side of Ethan's head. This can become a problem because his brain plates (?) can slide around and distort his facial features.
Since I'd never even heard of such a thing and got very concerned as Dr. Walters was asking which side Ethan tends to look to the most and had me try to get him to turn and look at me, I decided to share a little bit about it with you.
We went to our first Physical Therapy visit Thursday afternoon. Katie did an assessment of Ethan, taking pictures, observing his movements, etc. She said he does not have a bad case of torticollis and that it is a habit he's let himself get into. I was shown some exercises to "reintroduce" the right side of his world to him. None of the exercises are very hard (exp: hold Ethan to my chest, turn his head {gently} to the right and keep it in that position as tolerated.) nor do they take very long, but they are important in getting Ethan to quit being lazy and start seeing ALL of the world, not just what passes by out Jackson's window in the car. (Obviously Jack sits to the left of Ethan)
We will be going back to P.T. about once a week for a few weeks, but should not have to go long term.
I am so grateful the doctor even noticed his slightly funny shaped skull. If left untreated, it could become a lot worst. It was something I'd never heard of, never even thought to check. Now all you mama's and papa's know about torticollis, too, and won't have to worry if the doctor starts asking funny questions at your baby's well check.


Ethan's shirt provided by Karen Walcott. It was perfect for him to wear to his first day of Physical Therapy. It says "Bootie Camp"

And then I discovered IT!

This morning all was going well.

Bart and Brennan had been dropped where they needed to be (and on time), Jackson had used the potty two times (I think more for the choc. chips then to actually pee), and Ethan was sleeping. I decide to go ahead and take my shower while all was right with the universe.
Shower went fine. No interruptions from Jackson asking me to open this or build that. No crying Ethan as I turned the water off.

Ahhhh...the good life.

Then, as I stood in front of the mirror to comb my hair (in just my underclothes)...I saw IT!

Jiggly ARM FAT!

I threw down the comb, let out a squeal loud enough to wake Ethan, and ran out of the bathroom.

What I was running from, I can't say (b/c I don't know), but I ran. Jackson thought me running was a game so he joined in, only to slip on the air (?) and fall, thus ending my mini-freak out session.

Now I think I need to get my puny hand held weights back out of the closet and start working. I am WAY too young for jiggly arm fat. Right? Boy, I sure hope so. I hope this is just so fluke from a slightly steamy mirror.

I'm too afraid to go double check in the mirror. As a matter of fact, I am now wearing a big hoodie sweatshirt to cover it up. I may never wear a short sleeved shirt again.

And just for fun...a picture of Sir Rocks a Lot Brenners.

Go here for a sneak peek of “Love, Save The Empty” by amazing new artist Erin McCarley from the soundtrack for the movie "He's JustNot That Into You", opening Feb. 6 in theaters. I really liked this song and am considering buying the soundtrack if the other songs are as good as this one.

2 Month Stats. for Ethan

Ethan has his two month check up today. Here's his stats:

12 lbs. 14 oz.
24 inches long

He got three shots and one oral dose for rotovirus. Overall he is doing fine. He smiles, holds his head well, and loves to be part of the crowd. He is a great sleeper and eater, too. We are very happy with the newest addition to our little family.

We also found out that Ethan has torticollis and pregiocephaly (spelling?) He will go to a physical therapist tomorrow to get it checked out and then I will report on its severity and things. Anyone heard of it or dealt with it? I met a mom in my mom's group whose son has it, so it was nice to get to visit with her today about it. How amazing that the same day (I went right from the check up to a play date) I am told about this and Ethan that I go and meet a mom with the same things going on with her son and that we are going to the same physical therapist? Heavenly Father always provides help and support right when we need it, doesn't he?

Weigh In Wednesday (#3)

163 lbs.

Pretty good, considering I only walked once. However, I did make sure to watch what I was eating a little bit. Starting next Tuesday, I'll be walking every Tues/Thurs at Westroads if anybody is interested. Email me for more info.

And...I finally have a goal to reach. 145lbs.

Why 145 lbs. you might ask.

Because that's what my driver's license says I weigh. Might as well not lie any more (I've been lying for years)

Don't forget to enter the jewelry giveaway. It ends 2/1.

Taking Part in History

Since the big ball of fury that is supposed to be Bart's family decided to ditch us and get out of dodge a few days earlier then expected, we decided to head to the Children's Museum today for a bit of family fun to try and cover up the fact that the things we told the boys we would be doing weren't going to be done, mainly spending time with family.
It turned out to be a good day to go to OCM, though, because there were Inaugural events throughout the museum, including an exhibit about Presidential Elections, how they work, what you do, and through the years.

We first headed to the White House to see what all the fuss was about. The crowds you see on t.v. are all computer generated, we guess. We didn't have any trouble getting a seat right on the lawn.











Second we went and met the masses of screaming fans (or supporters?) wanting to shake our hands and have us touch their baby. To be honest, it was a bit creepy, especially the floating baby.











Third we met President Obama. He's a bit taller then on t.v., but very thin. I think the White House kitchen staff has a big job ahead of them in fatting him up a bit. The boys were not impressed. They liked the floating baby much more then meeting the president.







Lastly, we headed into the White House where I decided I'd be a much better president then Obama, so I just took over. You should see how cute the oval office is now. I put up some vinyl clings, arranged to have a scrapbooking station installed, and even decided to repaint the White House a lovely shade of purple and gold.



So, we might have been disappointed in a lot of things, such as our plans and the election turn out, but our day at the OCM was not a disappointment at all. I'm glad we were able to enjoy a day as the happy family that we are.

Sweet Niblets

Jackson is a bit of a clutz and gets hurt.

A lot.

He'll slip on the ONLY piece of ANYTHING in a room, fall, hit his head, and have a bruise for a week.

He'll trip over air and scratch his knees up.

He'll play on a 3 ft. tall kiddie slide, fall off, and get a huge bit of nasty on his forehead (thank goodness for the bangs).

In the words of Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montanta...SWEET NIBLETS!

He's banged himself up so many times that now he doesn't even ask for ice. After a quick hug, kiss, and "You're okay buddy", he simply goes to the freezer, gets a bag of frozen whatever-is-in-the-freezer-door and plop it onto whatever is hurt.

This time it was extra sweet niblet corn. All I did was laugh, grab the camera, and think of Hannah Montana and how many times that phrase floats around on her show.


Why is there always some drama? Just a sidenote.

B.Accessorized

When you have a minute, take a look at a friend of mine's new blog, B.Accessorized. She makes great beaded jewelry and knit/crocheted items, too. I bought a great bracelet and a necklace for my sister for Christmas from her. She's local, so if you are, too, then you wouldn't even have to pay for shipping!

Popcorn Words and The Hybrid Kid

I am a Hooligan. A Hybrid Hooligan Team member that is.

The Hybrid Kid is a great site that offers projects for moms and teachers to "print, create, learn". There are freebies, such as the Reindeer food packaging, which I thought was too adorable and used on some baggies for a few friends in Omaha. There's projects, such as the popcorn pack that Brennan and I used the other day. And there's even crafts, which is right up my alley. It's a great mix of digital goodies and printables, and I have enjoyed checking it out.

My first project as a Hybrid Hooligan Team member was to test out the Popcorn Word Pack. It is advertised as "A great way to help your little learner start recognizing those high frequency words they will need to know in Kindergarten." (from site) All I had to do was print, use my paper cutter to slice a few letters apart (I could have used scissors), and let Brennan go to town.
Honestly, Brennan already knew the words on the list and the chart, but he had fun playing with the letters spelling out words he knew. Pictured here Brennan is working on d-o-g and c-a-t. After he did the few words I threw his way, he went to town, spelling out (Star Wars) c-l-o-n-e w-a-r-s and f-r-i-e-n-d and a few others.
The pack is only $2, super easy to download, and a lot of fun. I recommend it to anyone who has a child who has mastered the alphabet and is ready for a little bit of a challenge. I think I will put mine away until Jackson is a little older and then I will be able to start working with him on the words. Brennan might just throw his Captain Underpants book he is busy reading at me if I have him read the site words one more time, but that's okay...as long as he is reading, I am happy. :-)

Sweet Success! Brennan becomes a Jedi Master of the Popcorn Word Pack!

As always, don't forget to enter my contest, ending 2/1. Click HERE to go enter.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

It's cold.

Really cold.

Really, really, really cold.

So cold some schools closed, but not OPS. Nope, those kids got to walk or run to school in NEGATIVE 14 degrees weather. Awesome.

I think I have frostbite on my ears...thank goodness I got gas yesterday or I'd be one giant Popsicle.

I think I will stay inside, drink some cocoa, and cuddle up under a nice warm blanket and watch some of this...


I am loving Eric Hutchinson's song about rock and roll...but not his other ones. I think I need to just buy this song for my Ipod.

Giveaway Reminder

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a great necklace!

Coupon Giveaway

Nicole over at Mom Saves Money and a FIRL is giving away a ton of coupons. Click HERE to enter.

Weigh In Wednesday

So, I didn't really do much of anything last week to make this any less painful. I did pay a little bit more attention to what I ate, but not enough to stop me from eating cherry cobbler and a brownie the other night when we had friends over.
Then last night I read an article in Parents magazine about a lady who was obsessed with getting down to pre-pregnancy size and her baby suffered the consequences by not thriving. I know I don't need to worry about Ethan not thriving. That child is a chunk and getting to what I refer to as the "Fat Face" stage. Oh, and did I mention the woman in the article was running up to 40 miles a week. I'll be lucky to walk five a week.
Needless to say, I am feeling pessimistic, but I plan on exercising a tiny bit this week and maybe things will improve.

Week Two's Weigh In
164 lbs.

So, I posted here. If you are participating, you can go there, too.

Don't forget to enter the contest to win a great necklace from Becky Sharp Designs.

This pics. for you Stacy.

The Tooth Fairy Came

Brennan lost his first teeth. I bet Friday, Bart-Saturday, and Brennan-Sunday. Bart won the bet. I will not go into the details of the teeth (Oh, yes...both bottom middle teeth came out within ten minutes of each other!) popping (literally) out. And yes, now I feel old.
It wasn't gross, but then again, it was because I have this "it's no longer attached to your body so that is disgusting" phobia. This goes for cut hair, fingernails, teeth...anything that was once attached and is now free makes me want to hurl.
Bren's kindergarten teacher allows the children to bring in the teeth they lose to show them off. This presented a problem for Brennan because the Tooth Fairy, smart lady that she is, comes the day the tooth is lost. Since the teeth fell out on the weekend, Brennan was very worried he would not be able to bring the teeth to school to show them off. (Is that really such a bad thing?)
I told him to think of a solution for this problem of his. Smart kid that he is decides to leave her a note. Because he asked me to spell every word for him so the Tooth Fairy would know without a shadow of a doubt what he was requesting, it was a short and to the point note.
It read:

Tooth Fairy,
Leave my teeth until Monday.
Brennan

I am NOT going to spend an hour helping him spell out a sappy note that will just be scrapped (either in a book or the trash...depends on my mood). I'm just not that good of a mom.
So, the note worked, Brennan got $6 ($5 for the first tooth, $1 for the second...he bought Captian Underpants Book 2), and the Tooth Fairy came last night to retrieve the teeth.

Now...my questions...

1. What do I do with the teeth (remember my phobia) and what did your mama do with your teeth?
2. What are you planning on doing/are you doing as teeth fall out? How much money does the Tooth Fairy bring? Or does the Tooth Fairy bring presents, like a new toothbrush and toothpaste? I was going to do that as part of the T.F. present, but then Brennan saw the toothbrush in the grocery bag and I was busted.
3. Do you remember your first lost tooth? I remember loosing mine, but this post is long enough...I'll share that story on another day.

And...don't forget to scroll down and entire BECKY's JEWELRY GIVEAWAY!

Becky Sharp Designs GIVEAWAY

CLOSED: Erika: Winner!

I am very excited to announce my first ever BLOG GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!

Becky Sharp Designs
is giving away one heart pendant and chain, perfect for
Valentine's Day (it's closer than you think.)

I know you are thinking to yourself, "Didn't I just eat the last of the Christmas candy and put up the last of the festive decorations from the holidays???"
YEP! And now it is time to give yourself a little something to make YOU happy. After all, you deserve it.
Becky creates handmade unique stained glass and fused glass jewelry. She has a wide variety of colors and styles to choose from, too. Go on, take a look! I bet you won't be disappointed.
Now, to what you are really interested in: HOW TO ENTER!

1. Post a comment leaving your email address and what your favorite piece of jewelry is from BSD site. (Hint...also email this favorite to your husband, boyfriend, mother, sister, whoever will buy this item for you) This will give you one entry.
2. For an extra entry...go to "Faithful Friends Who Must Really Love Me (and my addiction to writing about myself) " on the left sidebar and become a follower of the blog. This will give you one extra entry. HOWEVER, because I am lazy, if you are already a follower or just now getting into the story, make sure to leave a comment here (separate from your first comment) stating that you are a follower...otherwise you won't get that second entry.
3. For another entry (we're up to three chances right now), blog about the giveaway on your site and then...you guessed it, leave another comment to let me know to go check out your blog.
4. For even MORE ENTRIES!!!! BUY something from Becky's site. That will earn you TWO EXTRA entries. This is the one time you don't have to leave a comment...I will just know you did this and add it into the pot.
How will she know that you bought something because you heard about her site from my giveaway, you might ask...Well, enter the code BlogGive09 at checkout for 25% off the entire order, including shipping. This coupon can only be used once and expires on Feb. 2, 2009.

So, all in all, you could earn 5 chances to win. Not too shabby. I wish I could enter. I wore the necklace I ordered from her for my b.day to church today and LOVED it. I just know you will love her stuff, too. I am thinking of getting something for my son's teachers for teacher's appreciation day from her, too.

So, I hope now you are as excited about the giveaway as me and that you are just jumping up and down shouting, "I WANT IT!" The giveaway ends February 1st at midnight. I will contact the winner via email on Feb. 2nd and the winner will have 48 hours to reply to me and get me your mailing address...if you don't respond b/c you fell under a rock and didn't check your email for two days, well then, the prize goes to #2 on the list of contestants via random.org.

The Finished Nursery

Ethan's bed...i absolutely LOVE the tree Karen...thanks so much! Right now Ethan's bed is mostly a changing station (note diapers on left side of bed) and hang out when I am showering.The "accent" wall and Jack trying out the rocker. TO BE FINISHED: The picture mobile. Right now it is just a wire mess hanging over the rocking chair.The bookcase. Home of books, burp clothes, hats, and swaddling blankets. TO BE FINISHED: Pictures in the picture frames. I just haven't printed any of Ethan yet that will fit.

Well, we put the finishing touch on the nursery while my mom was visiting. It is his name in vinyl letters over his crib and it looks SO CUTE! I am glad we did that and I am glad my mom was here to help out because getting it straight was a little tricky. Now we know why they sell the grid stuff by the vinyl stuff. :-)
I love his room and we all seem to hang out in it during the morning. Everything is done except for developing photos and I am so glad it turned out as cute as I hoped it would.

Sleepy, Stats, Sweet, and Stalling

SLEEPY:
That's me right now (naptime, here I come!) and Jackson yesterday. (Notice cheeto stains on shirt. You'd think he'd be a happy boy)












STATS: Jackson is 33.6 pounds and 36 inches tall.
Ethan is 12.5 lbs. and 22 1/2 inches tall.
Brennan...well, he wasn't with us so I don't know.



SWEET: Jackson was playing "Rescue Heros" yesterday and Ethan was hanging out in his Boppy. Jackson did not want Ethan to be bored so he shared his toys with Ethan (Sorry Lexi...no nicknames have stuck yet!).
{Pictured in background, our cool SHARK shaped tent! It takes up a lot of space but the boys love it!}


STALLING: Instead of blogging or sleeping (WHAT? There are things to do besides that?) I should be starting the clean up process for when my father-in-law and brother-in-law come next week. I am not going to stress about it too much, but the toy room {guest room} needs straightened (not that much, though, b/c Bren posted a "Closed FOREVER until next November" sign on the basement and he has followed his own request. He thinks the toy room will stay clean if he avoids going down there. True, but...), the green room (AKA the computer room) needs to have the toys organized a bit (where the new Christmas toys hang out until the basement is open for business again), and my scrapbooking stuff that I temporarily am storing in the dining room needs straightened. That's really all. Oh, and the top of the fridge needs organized. I am surprised all the stuff hasn't avalanched off of it yet. I wish I had a picture of that! It's where I store board games so Jackers won't spread them all over the house, Bob the fish's food so he is not overfed, and the room sprays by Bath and Body Works so our house does not smell like a huge pumpkin spice apple blossom all day long!

Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Don't ask, don't tell.

A phrase I think we need to use a little more often.
Why?

Well, some of us hot mama's have a bit of a baby belly, even if we've never had a baby. Even if our baby is actually an adorable three year old. Even if our baby is a snarly teenager.

DON'T ASK IF A WOMAN IS PREGNANT...EVER.

I personally believe if someone asks this question, the woman on the receiving end of this question should have the power and right to punch the asker in the face...then the person who asked the question will adopt the don't tell part of the policy...as in, "Don't tell where you got that black eye because it's just rude that you even considered asking someone if they are just FAT or with child."

I know I've been asked a time or time. At least once before I ever considered having kids. Then there was this one lady at church in La who always asked me when I was due...I wish my law of punching had been in effect.

What things do you think should have the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in place?

Weigh-In Wednesday

I've been thinking of using my blog to embarrass myself into exercising (a tiny bit) and losing weight (a tiny bit). Then I found this and now I must do it!
So...for today's weigh-in (at 4 ish in the afternoon, I like to weigh in the morning first thing b/c I think it makes me skinner!) is...

165 lbs.

Now hopefully we will see that number go down...down...down.

Wanna play, too?

Monday evening there was a knock on the door, followed by the noise of a large truck driving away. A UPS truck to be exact.
The boys raced to the door and found a box.
Who was it for? They were dying to open it, but I made them wait for a few minutes while I finished up dinner before they could open it.
Inside were gifts from Aunt Cay and Uncle Harvey. Brennan saw his name first and starts yelling he needs to open it. Well, or course I had to first grab my camera. Giving Brennan those few seconds allowed him to see the wrapping paper on his gift was "The Christmas Story", which he'd seen with Bart, so he got even more excited.
The boys quickly opened their gifts and discovered two NERF basketball goals. SCORE one for Aunt Cay. They LOVE them.

Okay, now on to the real reason for this post.
Ethan received a small blue bear with "My First Bear" monogrammed on his chest. Cute and cuddly.

Well, last night I had Brennan call Aunt Cay to thank her for thinking of them and sending the gifts (sorry you didn't the same call Sam...). I coached him on what to say when someone answered the phone and how to tell her thank you.

Brennan did very well...until Aunt Cay asked something about Ethan (I guess this is what started a change from good to bad...)

Here's what I hear:

B: Aunt Cay, I just don't understand something.

B: Well, the bear for Ethan says, "My First Bear" on it, but it is not Ethan's first bear.

B: Papa Jeff already bought him a bear, so it is his second bear, really.

He proceeded to say he loved her (I think) and goodbye (I hope) as I sat there dying.

I hope Aunt Cay has a good sense of humor and knew he didn't mean it in a judgmental sort of way, just a "curious 5 year old who doesn't know when to stop" kind of way.

Thanks for the gifts Aunt Cay...the boys really do love them and have kept themselves entertained ever since...and first bear, second bear...who's counting, really. He just knows he is loved.

Patty Cake, Patty Cake

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man.

Bake me a cake as fast as you can.

Pat it and roll it and mark it with "B"

And put it in the oven for Baby and me.

For my birthday, the boys (on their own...honestly. I was going to bake a cheesecake!) decided I needed a cake and that they would bake it. So, we set off to Target (where else? We needed to see the post-Christmas sale stuff, anyways!) and the boys picked what to bake. Brennan, being older, got to pick first. He picked a white cake with sprinkles already in the mix. Jackson, being wiser, got to pick the frosting. He picked pink vanilla with sprinkles. Then, we got home and the boys got to work, just like their Grandma Cupcake does.

My Baker's Men...(you know, P.C., P.C., Bakers man...)
Ready to bake me a cake as fast as they can.
(I'm on the lookout for some great fabric for MAN aprons. I think my mom has some SpiderMan or tractor prints I might steal this summer)
Jackson adds the cake mix.Turning on the mixer. Brennan was very serious about his jobs. (Here's the "roll it and pat it" part...but honestly, what cakes are rolled and patted?)
Watching it stir...if you don't do this, it can burn, you know? (where, oh, where does Brennan come up with this stuff?)
Jackson chose to bake his cake in a 6 inch round pan. Brennan chose a small square one.
Tossing it in the oven (No, I did not really let Jackson do that...but he HAD to carry it to the oven for me to put it in the oven.) Notice my new red pots? I love 'em and can't wait to add a few red accents to the ugly green kitchen.After the cakes were frosted the boys enjoyed the "leftover" frosting. (No worries...that spoon did NOT return to the finished product.)
Brennan frosted the circle and Jackson did the square. (Okay, so I helped a lot with the square and in order to get frosting on the sides of the circle I had to do that, too)

The best sprinkle application technique? Tossing it with all your might. (I guess this would be the "Mark it with a "B" for Baby and me...which I never understood. Why mark it before it's frosted? Also, I don't even say that. Instead, I say {after "Fast as you can"}"Roll it up, Roll it up...{Dramatic pause} and THROW it in the pan!" Once again, who throws cake? But that's my version.) Notice the TONY'S seasoning and the LightSaber? Two must haves in every kitchen.The finished product, displayed by two fabulous bakers in training.
(Notice the traces of frosting on their faces???)

Enjoying the fruits of the boys labors.

The cake was as good as any cake from a box with no doctoring can be and we all really enjoyed the cake...though we left the corner with missing frosting for Jackson. (Notice my cricuit in the background? I went from having 2 cartridges to 7...well, I will be getting three really soon...what a great b.day present, right? Now my scrapbooks will have some variety!)

I love that my boys are so thoughtful that they wanted to do something special for Mommy and that they noticed that it was something I do for them.

It's Coming...

Make sure you tune in on January 12...it's coming and you're going to want to win it...

Save Our Server...A FREE Fundraiser

I belong to MyOmahaMommies.com. I absolutely love this group. We are part of The Mommies Network, which is in desperate need of a new server. I want to tell you how YOU can help us earn $10,000 without you spending a penny, buying some crap from a catalog or anything else. It just takes a few minutes.
But first...I want to tell all my Baton Rouge (and surrounding areas) friends to go to www.batonrougemommies.com and sign up for their site. They have planned activities, Mom's Night In or Out, great discussions...I love mine, so I hope you love yours.

So, on to the fundraiser.

Join Insider Pages http://www.insiderpages.com/fundraisers/The-Mommies-Network-0901 and write reviews for businesses that you have patronized in the last 24 months. You do NOT need to live in my area, this is a national fundraiser The more people who are writing reviews, the more successful this fundraiser will be! Each review can earn up to $1.50 for The Mommies Network! Every little bit helps!

After you sign up following the link above, make sure you join the MyOmahaMommies team so we get credit for your reviews. I've reviewed a few places in Baton Rouge and Omaha. Where can you review?
Once you join the team, we can see each others # of reviews...let's see who can review the most places (good or bad) and earn the most money.

Thanks for your help!