A pirate, a chef, and a wizard...

Cleaned my house! Braxton is at the age where he likes to dress up. So, until after halloween when we go raid the sales for costumes we only have a few hats for him to pretend with. However, he's ok with this. In fact, so Ok with it, he'll clean the house - in character. He's always the "pirate" because he's the only one with a head who'll fit into that hat.

Here are a couple of pictures of the chef and the pirate cleaning the kitchen.

Don't worry, I didn't escape un-charactered. I am the wizard. But, since I was operating the camera, I wasn't in the picture. I'm not sad about this.
camera shy much?

So Confused...

About an article I read on MSN the other day. This is the article. It is the Forbes ranking on the top ten most stressful American cities. I for sure thought that DC would make the list. Guess what?! It didn't. Which, according to their ways of ranking is a good thing. (duh... Yes, I am blonde!) Now what confuses me about this is that DC did not make the list but Salt Lake City did. (At number 8) WHAT??!!?? I'll admit that I've never lived there - but seriously? Salt Lake City???? I've visited a bajillion and 41 different times and loved it there. Obviously no poll can be completely comprehensive but I feel that something had to have been missed to leave out DC. My opinion entirely. I also think that maybe they should have had a certain percentage of the population in each of the 40 cities take the stress indicator test, and factor that into their rankings. Again, my opinion. Just something I had to let everybody know about. To my homies in SLC, what do you think about this?????

Just because.

Just because this kid is cute. Thats all.

What's for dinner???

If your house is like mine, the most dreaded question that is ever asked - and is asked EVERYDAY - is "what's for dinner?" I hate that question. It's always followed by the inevitable. "I don't care, I'll eat whatever you want." "I don't care either." "Does anything sound good to you? give me a suggestion to go off of." Eventually we end up with Mac and cheese or spaghetti. While my mac and cheese is made from scratch and full of veggies - same goes for my spaghetti - the same two meals get a little old. However, normally when Mark gets home from work and we get done with our run its getting late and we're ravenous. We need something quick and filling and healthy. I insist on healthy. Time is the second issue concerning dinners in my house.
I have recently found a cure for this dinner time dillema! It came way way way way way way too late in my opinion. So, I'm going to share it with all of you. It's called Dream Dinners. So here is what is so great about Dream Dinners. This past Saturday I went in with some of my girlfriends and in the space of two hours had a month of dinners prepared. Yes, two hours and I had a month of dinners prepared.
The process is this: Go the website and order the dinners that make you salivate online. When your date comes go to the Dream Dinners location nearest you...
You go in and find your cubby - put up your purse or whatever, grab your bandanna and apron and "how to cook cards" and head out to the stations.
Its set up like a buffet. Each station is for a different meal. Follow the recipe at each station. It generally goes like this: Chicken Alfredo with Artichoke Hearts.
1. In a quart sized baggie mix these ingredients (everything is ziploced in freezer bags) yada yada. 2. In another baggie mix these ingredients. 3. Now grab a pre-ziploced bag of chicken breasts (all hormone and antibiotic free) and put all three bags inside a gallon sized ziploc bag. Put in "how to cook card" seal. Then you wander over to your personal freezer space and store it. Move on to the next station/meal.
When you get home put everything in the freezer. In the morning pull out a meal and let thaw. Prepare according to instructions. Enjoy - they're delicious.

Not only did I prepare 20 dinners in two hours, I had fun doing it. I didn't have to clean up after myself, I didn't have to do the grocery shopping and I got to gab with friends. Fantastic. It is also a money saver because we aren't buying superflous grocery items. I save time and sanity. And bonus, our menu is varied and I don't have to stress over "what's for dinner?"

It has to be said...

Last night started the week of television show premieres. I was looking forward to one show in particular to begin my Monday evenings this fall/winter. CBS's How I Met Your Mother. Last night didn't let me down.
The rest of the story is going to draw ire from a certain bob and her hairy man counterpart. Still, I have to tell it.

So, the main character Ted, asks this girl to marry him. Then finds out said girl has never seen the movie Star Wars - which happens to be his favorite movie.
**Just FYI, she isn't the only one who has never seen that movie...**
Anyway, Ted has her watch this movie -because of course he can't marry this girl unless she loves it. When its over she tells Ted she loves it, then Ted leaves the room in search of libations or something.
When Ted leaves the room the girl exlaims to Ted's BFF "I hated it! What is with that bear?!?! How do they understand him??? He makes a sound ~insert wookie noise~ and everybody is like Ok bear, that sounds good!!!! It's ridiculous!!!!"

I almost shot coke out of my nose. Oh man, it was hilarious. That is for you big one.... Obviously more funny while watching...

He'll pay me back...

For this picture. I didn't intend to take it, it just sort of happened. I can't wait to use it in his senior slide show! Aunt Bop, this one is for you!
Diggin for Gold!

The latest Braxtonisms.

So, for those of you who aren't around children regularly, they really do say the darndest things. As the viral video by Will Ferrel taught us, can be coached to say just about anything if it makes somebody laugh. These are the latest things Braxton says. Some of them coached, others pulled out of thin air like the fairy godmother's wand.

This one is thanks to Uncle Sneaky. You, (I surely do hope so anyway) will figure out where he stands in the Presidential race.

Whenever he hears Barack Obama's name he sticks out his tongue and says "yucky".
The other fabulous one is "Mom, You're Barack Obama!". Uncle Sneaky didn't teach that to him to be a compliment btw.


This one was pulled out of thin air yesterday...
Me: "Braxton, don't step on your brother's hands - it hurts him."
Braxton: "Mom, stop being such a leprechaun."

Seriously?????

While its not a Braxtonism, it should get a few smiles anyway. Mark and I put an offer down on a house yesterday (still haven't heard - but we're crossing our fingers) and we were talking about how we would paint the different rooms should we luck out and actually have our offer accepted. (There are like 5 or 6 others that came in with ours yesterday.) What colors did Braxton decide on? Pink and Purple. Asked again later, and this morning his answer remains the same. What color does Kieran want? Black. And my genius little son said "Mommy wants an orange room". Love this kid. Even when he calls me a leprechaun.

Yummy in my tummy!

Or, rather Kieran's tummy. For anyone who doesn't know Kieran is a large kid. Pretty much the complete opposite of Braxton. At this point in life he eats ANYTHING, he often steals his brothers food, (which B-rox is often not fond of...) and mom and dad usually share whatever it is they're eating. He eats pretty much round the clock.

Here are a few pictures of him at his happiest. With food in his mouth.

**disclaimer. These pictures DO NOT show how healthy we eat. Promise, its not ice cream and McD's every night!**

A little birthday ice cream (my birthday, not his.). (I had cheesecake. Not ice cream - and yes he had some of that too.)

Toast and McDonalds. I'm still not sure how he got ahold of Braxton's happy meal. Last I saw, it was on the counter top. He's pleased as punch with his discovery...
And lastly, some mooching off of Aunt Kelley. Yum Yum.

Bet you can't find me!

The other night Mark got home from work very, very late. Luckily the boys had both napped pretty well and were up for going to bed a little late.

Mark saw to it however that they were both very very tuckered out when we did finally put them down. They played hide and go seek, wrestled (for what else are boys to do???) and generally ran around my house like maniacs!

Here are a few pictures of B-rox and Kenny hiding in my living room curtains.

I believe what he said with this one is "Look mom, I'm standing on Kenny's head". He thought it was a little funnier than I...

This was a "boo" moment. Oh, if only you could have heard the laughter.
Oh, these kids are so cute, and SO much fun. (Even when they drive me crazy!)

Happy Birthday to...

ME!!!!!!!! Yup, its my birthday! I share this day with the Mexican Independance day, Mickey Rourke, Marc Anthony, David Copperfield, and as Wikipedia told me today, one of the Jonas Brothers. (I didn't know who they were 'til Braxton made me watch Camp Rock.) I do whatever I want on my birthday - because - it's MY birthday! WOOHOO!


To prove this point my breakfast of choice is macaroni and cheese, an ice cream sandwich and a gatorade! Yummy, in my tummy!

This seems as good of time as any to give a quick run-update. Yup, I'm still crossing off days as I kick my booty into shape. I'm actually closing in on the glory that was my pre-baby body. Yay for that. Two hours of running, is not what I would call fun, but its still very satisfying. As is the yoga that I've started doing everyday. I can - once again kiss my knees. Things are good.

Happy Birthday to me!

Kieran's Displeasure.

Today I was trying to take some pictures of Kieran, and the 'do' that he's been sporting lately when Braxton decided that he wanted in on the action also... Kieran didn't like it much. He was very displeased with the situation. So, I found another activity for Braxton entertain himself with, (chess... go figure right?) and eventually Kieran calmed down, in fact he went into a daze.
He is completely and totally 100% spaced out at this moment. It wasn't until Mark came home a few minutes later and Braxton screamed that he snapped out of it. Pretty funny stuff.

Thanks Hanna

So, for those of you NOT on the east coast right now, you're probably wondering what the weather is like out here... Since I doubt you watch the east coast weather report, I'm guessing that you don't know that we are currently weathering Tropical Storm Hanna. We're not right on the shore, so the awfulness is toned down just a tudge for us. Being the native Pac. Norwester's that we are, we didn't let it stop us from most of our activities. (Though, my scheduled run for the day has been delayed -this is so not running weather.) Roads are shut down due to washout/flash floods, drivers have - amazingly - slowed down on the roads that are open, and basements throughout the area are flooding. So what did we do? Went out and played in the rain!!!!!!!!!!!! We're Oregonians - rain is how we live! (Ok, Mark is a Washingtonian - but that is pretty much the same thing.) A road a little ways down the street from us that has been closed due to flash flood. See the guardrail almost under the water? Yeah, freakin deep. The cop blocking off the road wouldn't let me walk up any closer to get a better picture. Apparently hailing from the flood capital of the US doesn't give me enough street cred. (I don't actually know if the Pac. Northwest is the flood capital of the US. I just know there's about a butt ton and a half.)

They were probably wise to leave this one behind. I don't think it worked very well.

What the - ????? (Just a few seconds after we headed outside to "stomp in the wain".)

"No kiddin? You're gonna let me play out in this???"

This is how soaked he was about a minute into our "stomping".

Once he figured out that I was going to let him get all wet and stomp in puddles, he was off like a rocket in search of "big ones".

He discovered the "monster room" becomes a raging river in the rain.

Don't worry. We were only outside about ten minutes, and it was 72 degrees. I'm really not an awful parent. As soon as we got inside we put on dry clothes and warmed up!

Thanks Hanna, we had fun!

9+23 Months

If you haven't guessed it, this post is a B-rox update.

He learns new stuff everyday. The "stuff" usually makes me shake my head and sigh... but at least he's learning right?

Example: Yesterday he learned two new words, and amazingly also how to use them. The two words were "stupendous" and "frustrated".

This is how it went for frustrated:

B-rox: "I want to watch TV"

Me: No, the tv is turned off for the day

B-Rox: YES, I want to watch TV!

Me: I'm sorry, but the TV is turned off for the day.

B-rox: Growls, then says "Ohh that makes me so FRUSTRATED!"

And for stupendous:

Me: Braxton what are you doing?

B-rox: taking all my superhero guys away from Kenny.

Me: Braxton, you need to share. If you can't share I'm going to take the super heroes away.

B-rox: Oh thats just stupendous.

Ok, I realize that he probably didn't understand stupendous. At least not fully since I'm fairly certain that he hasn't mastered sarcasm. At least I hope not.

His weight and height are a big question mark right now. All I know for certain is the guy is small. Like, way small. The only stat he has on the charts is his noggin. Yeah, that makes it into the 70%range.

Now all we have to do is figure out a discipline system that doesn't make him laugh. We haven't come upon it yet, but I have faith someday it will happen. Cross your fingers people.

I think the "imp" gene is from Mark's side...

9 Months

Last week Kieran had his nine-month well baby. It was exactly a week after he turned nine months, so I'm now two weeks late and he's almost ten months. Owell.

Here's his nine-month update:

He can crawl - sort of. He's taking after his brother and enjoys the commando crawl more than the on all fours method.

He can't pull himself into a sitting position from laying down, but he can pull himself to standing from laying down. Apparently he is skipping stages in hopes to catch Braxton. Oi vey.

He weighs 19lbs - which much to my surprise was only in the 25% range

He is almost 31 inches tall - which not to my surprise is in the 80% range

and his cranium is ginormo. 90% range.

He eats everything and anything we put in front of him, and some stuff we don't.

He still doesn't sleep through the night. I keep praying, and I get nada. (Reason #437 why I don't want another baby.)

And of course, he's still cute as ever!