Cracked Up!

We have a new member of the family to welcome and his name is ??? Brayden hasn't given him a name yet but he has thrown around Pete (not to be confused with the goldfish formerly named Petey...may he rest in peace), Davy Crockett (weird, I know but it is his favorite song right now...and not the old version, the new They Might Be Giants version that plays on Disney and my CD player, on repeat!) and Blue (which is the name used the most often; I guess because I asked him his name last night and he thought I asked what color he was and now it has stuck). Let's just refer to him as dead Blue until we know otherwise.

So Blue is a beta fish, which I have heard last forever but we have already tried to kill the poor bugger. His new digs totally rock and I mean, red rocks with a fake plant and cool glass bowl, which apparently has a rather large crack in it.

I got up this morning right on time late and came down stairs to a flood on the counter top, where Blue's bowl had been placed safely out both dog and toddler reach. I soon realized (okay not that soon but it was early and I hadn't had coffee yet) that the bowl was leaking so here was my list of to-do's this morning in the half an hour I had before we needed to leave for preschool:

• Make/feed Cami breakfast
• Make Brayden breakfast - luckily he can feed himself, what a time saver!
• Pack snack for preschool class - today was my day...doesn't this stuff always fall at the worst time's.
• Pack Brayden's preschool bag - since I didn't do it the night before...kicking myself now.
• Find Passport (no I did not decide to leave the country because of my extreme morning stress, although I did consider it!) and Marriage Certificate - Had to renew today at the Post Office since our couples-only Caribbean trip is only a few months away and it had expired with my maiden name on it and apparently there isn't any form on-line that deals with both of those issues...that's the government for ya!
• Find Blue a temporary home - I envisioned returning after preschool to a fish in a bowl with red rocks, fake plant and NO water and that would be two dead fish in a week!

Needless to say, we were a bit late leaving for preschool so I did have to do some crazy backing up in the parking lot this morning, which is exactly why it is so important we leave on time...any one who knows me knows that I do not do well driving in reverse! In fact, almost every fender bender I have been in (caused by me) has been while attempting to drive backwards. But I am happy to report that I have yet to hit another preschool parent while attempting to back up my boat minivan! Now who wants to place money on the same sentence being true in six months...if you a smart, you will say NO...just like your momma taught ya!

P.S. Has anyone caught on to my new HTML trick?

Gone before we even said hello...

So I have been meaning to let you all know that we had added a member to our family last weekend. Brayden won his first fair goldfish and named him Petey. He was a cute, little goldfish and Brayden loved to feed him and watch him swim around his bowl...notice all the past tense I used in that sentence.

Yes, you guessed it...Petey has gone belly up!

He lasted 8 days with us. I came down on Sunday morning and Ben informed that Petey was sick and that he would not be getting any better. Ben told Brayden Petey was sick and let Brayden feed him his last meal, although truth be told, he ate his last meal the day before...but Brayden didn't know any better.

We hymned and hawed the rest of the day trying to decide what to tell Brayden happened to Petey. Ben wanted to tell Brayden that Petey was going to the ocean with all his fishy friends and then flush him. I was all about flushing him but not in front of Brayden. I just imagining how much it would cost us in plumbing bills to have 4 or 5 of Brayden's toys pulled out of the pipes after they were sent to the ocean by a certain little boy! Last night before I went to bed, I told Ben to flush Petey because it was really becoming quite disgusting to keep a dead goldfish on our kitchen counter.

This morning Brayden informed me that Petey was sick and that we needed to feed him "real food". He ran and got the stool so he could feed Petey but Petey was not were he left him. Brayden asked were Petey went and I told him that Petey had to go home. He said "Petey go home" and I said "yes, Petey went home so we went be able to see him anymore" Brayden said "Petey went home to see Mommy Petey?" I said "Yes, he went to be with his mommy." Brayden got down and went about his morning.

He seemed content with that explanation but he did ask for another fish so Ben is taking him out tonight to get a Beta fish because we have heard they live forever...just what we need, another nut in this nuthouse! Hopefully this next fish will last at least 10 years so Ben and I will be the only one's crying at his funeral at sea.

Wordless Wednesday - Best Buds

Brayden with his best buddy, Owen

Cami's First Race

This weekend Cami ran (or should we say was pushed) in her first 5K by her Daddy. This was not only Cami's first race but Daddy's first race in a long, long time...almost two years to the day to be exact!

Two years ago, Ben and I ran this same 5K and Ben pushed Brayden, who was about 5 months old at the time. That was not only Brayden's first race but mine as well...it was also my last race! I hated it. I got second to last...only because Ben is such a great husband and let me go ahead of him.

It was awful. Old men on the side of the road heckled me. When was the last time they had a c-section and ran a race only 5 short months later...NEVER! You do even know how hard it was for the state champion cross country runner to get last in a race he could have very well run but he stayed with me the whole godawful time. Did I mention what a great husband he is!

So this time around, I decided to cheer on (not heckle) the runners, including my husband, father-in-law and family friend, Carol. Brayden loved seeing his daddy and Grandpa run.

Cami had a great race. Although it was a little on the chilly side, she happily screamed and screeched the whole way through the race. Ben finished in 33rd place (first one in with a stroller!) and was just over 20 minutes. Just think of how well he could have done if his training consisted of more than going out for a jog a couple of times in the past two weeks! Ben's goal is to push the stroller over the finish line next year in first place...I will keep my mouth shut on that one. I am trying to be a supportive wife.

Here are some pics of the race:

Missing: My Brain!

Missing: My Brain

Last Seen: August of 2005

Last Seen with: Me...I think?

My brain has gone missing...either that or it just doesn't function as it should anymore. Today I seriously put my child in danger and it makes me sick just thinking about it.

The garage door is broken (again!) so after dealing with that whole situation, I put Cami in her car seat and Brayden climbed into his. We turned on our (or should I say Brayden's) favorite CD and we were off to music class...on time too I might add.

I am about 10 minutes into our drive and I look back and notice that Brayden is really slouched down in his seat and then it just hit me...I didn't buckle him in!!! So I immediately pull over, jump out of the car and buckle him in. Thankfully we weren't on the highway so I was able to fix the problem right away.

I am now officially in the running for the worst mommy of the year award. I am just so thankful that nothing happened and I hope after our little talk, Brayden will kindly inform me when he is not properly strapped into his safety device...this momma needs help!

Wordless Wednesday - Tub for Two

Tackle It Tuesday - Kitchen Pantry

I hate the shelves in our kitchen pantry! They have open spaces and stuff is constantly falling over. They are so annoying so Ben thought of an idea of how to fix them...he totally rocks!

Ben went out and bought some white solid bathroom board (Yea, that's right...now try and find that in the Home Depot and not to sound too much like an idiot, kay.) He cut it down and voila, perfect kitchen pantry!

It's so beautiful and organized...the real questions, is will it stay that way? Put your money on NO!

A Day Out with Thomas

Brayden is totally, utterly obsessed with Thomas so we decided to brave the crowd and take him to see Thomas the train on Sunday. Mum and Papa came with us and we left bright and early so we could get to the train station an hour before our scheduled ride.

The crowds weren't too bad when we arrived. We found parking easily and Brayden was able to get his picture taken with Thomas right away. He was so in awe of Thomas and how big he was.

Brayden was so excited to see and ride on Thomas but I think the highlight of his day was the gift shop devoted only to Thomas. I think he must have touched every single thing in that place. We originally went in to get him a Thomas t-shirt but we came out with lots of trains, coloring books, puzzles...of course, they were all Thomas.

No t-shirt though, they were in another tent so we trek down to that tent and buy more Thomas stuff...t-shirts, track suits, sippy cups, hats...you get the idea.

Thomas is a huge cash cow! Just the tickets cost us over a hundred dollars and the ride was about 10 seconds long...although I don't think that Brayden would have wanted a longer ride but still for the price of the ticket, the ride should have ended by delivering us right to our front door!

Ben's new get-rich-quick plan...open a Thomas store locally. We'll see if that pans out...I would put my money on NO!

Brayden had a great day and we spoiled him rotten with Thomas...that should last him at least a month. Cami better learn to like Thomas because she is going to inherit a lot of Thomas crap in the near future!

Here a some pic's from the day with Thomas:

Amusement Park Fun!

Last Sunday we took a road trip to an amusement park that is just for kids with Brayden's friend, Owen and his family. Brayden and Owen had a great time. They compliment each other perfectly. Brayden is a bit more reserved and Owen is willing to try anything. I actually think that if Owen hadn't been on the rides with Brayden, he wouldn't have gone on them at all.

The first ride that the boys went on was a kind of flat, threw you around the curves ride and the boys loved it! They were laughing and screaming. It was a bit terrifying for the parents but the boys had a great time.

After that Brayden hit a rough patch and just watched Owen on a couple of rides, but he snapped out of it on the boat ride we took as a family. The day was filled with rides, games, food and some more rides.

Just too the boys luck, there was a Thomas the train show this year. The boys love Thomas so they were in heaven! We ended the day with a stop for ice cream for the parents and cookie decorating and eating for the boys.

Brayden had a fabulous time and Cami was quite the little trooper. She was like a zombie baby and fell asleep on the ride home and stayed asleep for three hours! We can't wait to go back next year when Cami and her friend, Bryn (Owen's sister) will be able to get in on the action.

Here are some of my favorite pics from the day:

Prayer Request

Our close friend and neighbor was hurt very badly on Friday in a job-related accident. He is in critical condition. Although the doctor's are cautiously optimistic about his progress so far, he and his family could still use all your prayers and good wishes.

Wordless Wednesday - Let's Play

I think I may be losing it!

Where o' where has my little brain gone?

This morning Brayden asked for more milk in his sippy cup so I promptly got up and poured him a sippy full of coffee!

Do I need to say any more...

Brayden's First Day of Preschool

Today was Brayden's first day of preschool and he had a great time. He has been super excited all summer long and especially after he went to camp at his preschool this summer, which was a really great idea (not mine) and made him feel a whole lot more comfortable today since he was familiar with the school and the teachers.

I was a little nervous (okay, very nervous) about the whole drop off/pick up situation since it is very complicated and involved me having to back up into parking spaces...backing up is not my speciality as Ben will tell you, considering most of the dings on the car have come from my very bad backing up skills! I got to the school 15 minutes early so there wasn't much of a crowd and backed right into my space, no problem.

We waited in the car until it was time for school to start and Brayden got very excited when he saw his teacher directing traffic. When it was time for school to start, we met Brayden's friend Owen in the parking lot and the boy walked into school together. No tears shed, at least none that I saw. Brayden was too excited to show Owen the ropes and was telling Owen, "We gonna play trains."

Owen's Mommy, Amy and her baby, Bryn met Cami and I at the mall and we chatted and shopped until it was time to return for pick up, which I aced the backing in again!

Brayden was really excited to show me the picture he colored and Mommy has some taping homework for Thursday...Brayden ripped his name tag in half on the first day!

All in all it was a good day and although the weather was a bit rainy (a huge understatement!), Brayden had a great day and is excited to go back to preschool and I can't wait to see what Brayden will learn this year!

I've got a case of the Monday's!

It's Monday and I am feeling it! We had a super busy weekend, which I will recap at some point this week, and we have a super busy week ahead of us (Brayden's first day of preschool is tomorrow).

Here's how my day has gone so far:

• Woke up this morning with a stiff neck
• I poured myself a coffee cup of formula
• We were running late to music class and Cami so thoughtfully poops on the way in the car
• During music class, my shoe breaks and I have to limp my way out of class to the car with two kiddos

The day is looking up though. Brayden and Cami are about to go down for their naps. I am going to veg on the couch and pretend that I don't have three loads of laundry to fold!

I am obsessed with this show on Showtime called The Tudors. We have a free month of Showtime so I am going on On Demand and watching The Tudors, although they only have season two so I am a bit confused at times but I have read enough Phillipa Gregory to figure out what is going on in the court of Henry the VIII. Good show if you like soap opera history stuff.

Hope you don't have a case of the Monday's as well.

Getting my butt kicked - Day 1

Yesterday night I had a date with Ben's aunt to get my butt kicked...I mean, to get back into shape. Diane is a personal trainer and she has agreed to take me on as one of her charity cases...I mean, clients.

After having two kiddos, which included two c-sections, my body is in need of some desperate attention. We are going on vacation in a couple of months with some family and I don't want to scare the girls out of having kids! Brayden and Cami are in desperate need of some cousins.

I am super excited to work out with Diane and I really enjoyed yesterday's work out, even though I almost passed and threw up several times...not Diane's fault, totally my own. I will train with Diane twice a week and then she will send me work outs to do at home on my own.

So I will update you every now and then on my progress with Diane. She is a great trainer and I hope that I can be a great client and lose this flub around the middle and tighten up everything on either side!

Wordless Wednesday - The Next Michael Phelps

Ben is going to kill me but this picture totally cracks me up and he really should be thanking me that I didn't post the video I took of him singing American Idol Karaoke this weekend. He might be a goofball but he is my goofball...and I totally love him for it!

Down on the farm

Today we celebrated Labor Day with a visit to a local working farm. This was our first visit and it was so much fun. Oh wait, I forgot the best part...it was free! The farm has pigs, horses, goats, sheep, chickens, farm equipment, a pond and a butterfly house. It was such a beautiful day and we really took advantage of it and truly enjoyed ourselves.

Getting ready to go explore the farm

The first stop was the goats

The goats were very hungry for grass...apparently it tastes better on the outside of the fence.

The farmer got a piglet (just born 8/19) for Brayden to hold but he was scared so Daddy held it for him so he could pet it. The momma pig was not happy to let her baby go.

After the momma got her baby back, it was feeding time.

It was also Cami's feeding time!

Brayden wanted to show his special farm paper to the horse.

Oddly enough, it kind of seems like the horse was interested to see it!

The donkey...not so interested in Brayden's paper.

Cami was all smiles on her farm day.

"Mommy, look at the big tractor"

The cows were Brayden's favorite animal on the farm.

Ben and I thought this was a bull but it had female parts???

Brayden told us her was scared of the chickens because they poop...sometimes I wonder where he comes up with this stuff.

Brayden driving his first piece of farm equipment.

Time for lunch!

We found the perfect spot in the shade for our picnic lunch.

Look at the view of the pond we had as we ate our lunch.

One last stop at the Butterfly House before heading home for nap.

Cami and Mommy in the Butterfly House.

"Look at all the butterflies, Mommy"

Look how beautiful this butterfly is!