Two Adults, Three Kids, and One Dog. In A Sedan.

For three hours.

Sounds like a joke, right?

I'll admit, it kind of felt like one as we were loading up.  I even had to hand over the reins (steering wheel) to Hubband, because he wouldn't have been able to cram into the seat with the dog like my stubby little legs could.  


But, the trip down to VA Beach went swimmingly, seeing naps from the two younger boys and silence from the third, thanks to a certain quiet button, called "Nintendo".

El Pooch, en route.  She looks rather comfy, eh?

B-rox is currently learning about various presidents in class, the current one being Abraham Lincoln.  So, staying in a log cabin garnered MANY references to Honest Abe over the three day period, as well as many questions like "Do you think Abe Lincoln slept in little beds like this?".

The boys in their "Little special area".  (loft with two twin beds - perfect!)

Saturday, while Hubs was drilling, the boys and I indulged in a day at the Aquarium.

Geeking out over rocks.  So, definitely, my kids. 

This is just for me.  Because it is SO cool.  I love fossils! 

Shark Tank.  

The best moment of the trip.  BEST.
Kenny got to pet a manta ray.  Well, he petted every manta ray, I'm sure.
He sat there petting them for 30 minutes.
The look of wonder on his face, alone, was worth the $50 spent to get in.
Quote upon seeing the picture:
"Oh, that's me, petting a most beautiful manta ray". 

B-rox: Oh my goodness.  I don't ever want to get eaten by one of these guys!
Duh... 

Don't you just love the faces they have?  

The new Cape Henry lighthouse (Left) and the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse (Right).
Our cabin was just a couple hundred yards away from the old lighthouse.
Pretty awesome spot to stay.
(They give tours, but the two big boys were too short and you can't carry babies up. BOOOO!)

I. Love. The. Beach.

Time for home.  

And, the soundtrack that accompanied most of the trip.
(We may not make it to 2 years rear-facing.  It's just not ok with my brain - this screaming thing.) 

And with that weekend, we are officially a part of the military system again.  Hello, Navy Reserves.

I am going to BLOW your brain up!

Teeth Brushing time!!!!
I honestly don't know why this picture warmed my heart so much,
I hate bathtime/bedtime ablutions.
It's like they don't know it's coming EVERY SINGLE NIGHT!  

I was sick.
Kenny wanted to cuddle. And look slightly evil... 

When you've lived in your house for three years, you should probably make it a point to put art on the walls.
Go Beavs!!!!

For anybody not short, you won't get this:
B-rox is tall enough to REACH THE MONKEY BARS BY HIMSELF!
AAAAAND get across all by himself.
I choose weird moments to have serious maternal pride, don't I?

They're boys.  Doing things by the book, is not in their repertoire...

Holdeezy pulled one of the cook books my grandmother gave me off the shelf.
Out came this REALLY old coupon.
A whopping Seven Cents off a roll of Pillsbury Cinnamon rolls.
Hold the phone, I'm going to be rich!

A small peak at my "in progress" project.

Wipe your nose with the left, not the right.
Trust me... 

Breakfast of champions?
Pineapple slices with yogurt in the middle.  

Over 400 points in WwFs.  Oh yes.  

I will NEVER tire of watching my babies sleep. 

He wore this to school to pick up B-rox in order to "trick everybody into thinking he was a dad coming to pick up his kid."
Nutcase...

Latest completed project, inspired by Pinterest.

I HATE the "what's for dinner game".  I hate having to decide what we're having, most of the time at the last minute.
My wonderful hubband is usually no help, as he defers with the question, "What would you like?".
When I saw this one, I knew I'd struck gold.
I don't have to try and plan out a weeks worth of meals - all I have to do is draw them out of the top box and put them in their slot.
Then, I take a gander and write down my grocery list, based on what is on the menu.
Brain strain free!
Also, the boys enjoy it - because there are two cards in there with "Kenny's choice" and "Braxton's Choice".

 Yes, he knows he's not supposed to be climbing...

Spoiled baby much?

HE WALKS!!!


There you have it.  The last month(ish) from Miphone point of view.

Such handsome faces.

These are some of the "other" pictures I took while trying to get a shot for their Valentine's day cards for their class.  

Ryan Gosling wannabe - right here. 

They are SUCH good buddies.  It's awesome. 

This is a video of B-rox and one of this classemates' guitar "solo" during their winter concert.  They stole the show.  Braxton ATE IT UP!

I love these boys.  I mean, how could you not?

Reset.

Last week was a downer.

So, this week we're resetting.
We're alive.  We (mostly) have our health. We're together.

So, with that announcement - here's a little puppy love.

Hello, Monday.  It is good to have you here.

I am NOT carpe-ing this freaking Diem.

This article kicked off a week of phlegm, pneumonia, ear infections, vomit and no sleep.

It helped me not feel so guilty for the tears I sprung during serious moments of near-mental-breakdown-ness.
[B-rox having an asthma attack, Kenny crying because his legs/ears/head hurts, and Holdeezy puking on anything in sight, is one particular moment.]


Today, I've received word that my Grandpa passed.  While it sounds callous, it was time. His mind was gone and his body was struggling.  He didn't deserve that.  I often thanked my lucky stars that I was 3,000 miles away from it, because strong is definitely a word that could be used to describe him, and I didn't feel brave enough to want to see his decline.

A friend of mine from college died from cancer, yesterday.  He was 27.
I dated him a few times, before we decided that going to the movies together was about all it was going to be. Our friendship had become a little more thin over the years, as we married (other people, obvs.) and life went on, 3,000 miles apart.  I'm still sad.  And taking a reality check from it.  It's time to make some of the appointments I've been putting off.

A friend, who has become very special to me (maybe because our kids are the same age, go to the same school, and we both love running? I don't know.  She's an awesome woman.) told me she's been diagnosed with breast cancer.
I had nothing adequate to say to her today.  I started crying, which I'm sure, looked way cool.  I will probably not have anything adequate to say to her.  I'm sorry doesn't seem adequate, and yet I am.  It doesn't seem fair.

And, so, you know.  I'm not carpe-ing this diem.  I'm, in fact, going to take a nap.

Uhm... No. Just... NO.

We are NOT expanding our family in anyway in the coming year.  No adoptions.  No pregnancies.  No more trips for fish filters.


Imagine I am a hive of 30,000 bees.  Imagine the boys are 30 Japanese hornets.

Yes.  Now you understand. Our big news has nothing to do with family expansion.

I have all I can handle, right here.  

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Its a new year. Bringing new things - and all that jazz.

B-rox, on Saturday night, looks up at the sunset and says, "I know what causes all that fire".
Me: Oh yeah?  What?
B-rox: A rocketship crashed.


I have Christmas to catch up on.
[It was wonderful and full of joy.]

New things are coming this year!  Exciting things!  (No, not pregnant.  Thank you, grilled cheezus.)
But until it's firmed up and FO SHO -  I can't tell.

The dog still isn't housebroken.  Blah.

Three new races in the books already for the year.

Two "resolutions".  Which is a dumb name, because if I don't achieve them - I'll be a better person for even attempting them and only getting halfway.  (What kind of smarmy, mushy crap is that????)
1. Read 65 books.
2. Run 2,012 miles.  (Averages out to 5.5 a day.)

Woot!  Bring it 2012!