Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh my!

Instead of buying the kids toys or clothes for their birthdays this year, my sister and brother in law decided to take the kids to the Birmingham Zoo.  Needless to say, it was a hit!  Also it was darn hot! We decided to all trek down on June 12th so go see all of the animals, and for Brayden, the choo choo that rides around the zoo.

I'm thinking that more trips to the Zoo are necessary from now on.  When we went, the Zoo was doing the African Safari so they had elephants! I could probably yak on and on about the Zoo, but I'll let the pictures do the talking.

The Macaws greeted you as you entered the Zoo.

Patiently waiting for the train to move with their cousin, Ryan and Uncle Craig.

Brayden was SOOOOO excited to ride the train!

They did really well and listened.  I was proud.

Brayden loved him.  He didn't want to leave him.

Funny story about the Tiger.  Aslynn really wanted to see the Tiger and when we got to the exhibit, the trainers had him up to the fence where you could get close.  Well, as soon as we walked up behind some people, the Tiger decided that it had had enough interaction and was done, so it sprayed and growled at the crowd.  Needless to say, we lucked out and didn't get sprayed.

Naptime for the kitty.

Aslynn really liked the kitty.

I'm pretty sure it was naptime all over the Zoo.

A little interjection.  It was hotter than Hades.  Now granted we live in Alabama and summer knows no low temps below the 80's for the most part, and this day was no exception.  Monica said that next time we'll go in the fall.  We even got there early in the morning and it was still humid as all get out.

Prior to the trip, Aslynn had started calling horses "who-has" since Brayden would say "yee-haw" every time he watched Toy Story.  Thus her new obsession with "who-has" was born.  

Needless to say that when we rounded the corner and came across the Zebras, Monica got her wish of hearing Aslynn scream "who-has" at the top of her lungs.

Who-Has!

Ryan rode the Camel.  Brayden REALLY wanted too but momma vetoed that.

Aslynn and her Uncle Craig.

He wasn't too sure about the splash pad at first but then he didn't want to leave.

gobble, gobble

It's hard work being a Princess

It's a celebration!

On June 19th we celebrated Brayden's 4th birthday and Aslynn's 3rd birthday.

Mickey Mouse was the winner of the theme.  How could we not do a "Hot Dog" birthday.

We were surrounded by friends and family and even though there was a huge storm that day and the power went out while I was finishing the cake, I think it went pretty awesomely.  I'll leave the pictures to do the talking.  Their big gift from Brad and I were their bicycles.  All summer long they begged for them.  They finally got them.

Darn those trick candles that daddy put on the cake.

Ooops and a 10 on Tuesday

Life got a little bit busy this summer.  I'm glad it did, I needed a busy summer, but I could really use a vacation. Oh well!  I'll leave you with a 10 on Tuesday and kick start my blogging again.

1. Brayden starts his 2nd year of pre-K tomorrow.  He has been MORE than excited.  We had orientation last week and ever since then I have heard, " Moooommmm, I'm ready for school".  Bless his heart he is so excited.
2. My sister and brother in law took the kids and I to the zoo for their birthday.  I have a plethora of pictures to post at a later given time.  Needless to say though, the "hoo-has" were a hit with Aslynn.  Even if they were Zebras.
3. I have 2 kittens that need homes.  Yes, our lovely Maci gave birth to 5 kittens on June 24th.

4. My living room got a nice, much needed redo.  I no longer have drawings in various mediums on my walls.  They are a nice shade of Valspar Wet Pavement.  And needless to say, I got a few raised eyebrows when I said I was painting my living room Gray.  I think it is beautiful though.
5. I've been a crocheting madwoman lately.  I'm currently working on a potholder or two for myself after whipping up a few for my sister per request.
6. I'll post more about it later, but the kids birthday party was a hit.  For now, you get a picture of their cake in which myself and Toni slaved for a week on the red buttercream.



I'm proud of myself and their cake.

7. I love the song "Rolling in the Deep" by Adele and I saw this video posted over on another blog earlier today that caused me to smile and belt it out along with her.
8. I got a wild hair yesterday and started priming the kids bedroom walls for their new coat of paint.  When I bought the paint for the living room, I went ahead and got the paint for the kids room as well because, lets just say, it needs it BAD!  So I started yesterday and the only thing on their walls giving me issues is, wait for it, BROWN SHARPIE.  Brad saw it and asked if they drew on the primer AFTER I painted.  Nope.  I have three coats over the sharpie and no difference.  Ugh.
9. Heat.  End of story.  It has been hotter than Hades this summer.  No lie.  My utility bill proves it.  My lack of outdoor pictures this summer proves it. I cannot wait for the fall.
10. I may or may not have expanded my nail polish collection this summer.  I also may or may not require a spreadsheet to track all of said polishes.  I also may or may not have a special little storage unit for said polishes.  

Four

It's official.  My sweet, stinky boy Brayden is now 4 years old.  He's changed so much in the past year that I cannot believe it.  At three he had a vocabulary of maybe 5 words.  At four he now talks to me in sentences and can tell me what something is.  He has been going to school two days a week all during the normal school year and is currently on summer break.  He will have one more year of pre-k before, gasp, he starts kindergarten.

Where did my little 7lb 6oz little boy go?  He's now 40+ pounds of love and goofiness.  He now makes faces and is just all boy.  He loves to fish and shoot his "pow pow" and terrorize his sister.

We celebrated his 4th birthday by taking him and Aslynn to see their very first movie!  We took them to see Kung Fu Panda 2 and they LOVED it!  They did wonderfully throughout the entire movie and Aslynn even managed to keep the seat down with her petite self!  After the movie we took him to his favorite restaurant, Big Ed's Pizza!  That boy, I swear he lives and breathes pizza.  He would be happy if he could eat it EVERYDAY.

Happy 4th Birthday Sweet Brayden!

You'll always be my stinky boy :)

Easter 2011

2 years ago

The scariest thing in the world happened.  The one phone call as a mother that I didn't want to get.  Especially while I was at work.

I remember that day better than most that year.  I was working a closing shift at Target.  Brad and the kids were going over to a friends house to jam and let the kids mingle.

I remember one of my managers coming to find me, telling me that my husband had just called and was taking Brayden to Crestwood ER.  I vaguely remember being told he had been attacked by a dog.  I rushed to get my purse and clock out and shot out the door to the car.  I got to the ER I believe in record time, went back into the room where he was at and cradled my little boy.  At that moment, still in my khakis and red shirt, I didn't care if he bled all over me.  I just wanted to hold him.  During that course, nurses came in, Brad came in and out but mostly was with Aslynn, we went for a CT scan, Brayden and I cried together.  At one point, I went and called my sister, who I knew would be there in a flash.  She was my rock.  The moment she walked into that room with Brayden and I, I lost it.  I broke down.

Brayden would require 50+ stitches on the top of his head in two places, below his right eye and on his right ear.  But because of the lacerations on his eye and that the couldn't see just had bad it was, they felt better calling in a plastic surgeon to do the work.  So, off to the OR my baby was whisked.  I cried, I picked my nails, I hugged Brad and snuggled Aslynn who wasn't even a year old.

After he was out of surgery, Brad and I went back and I climbed up into that hospital bed with my sweet boy.  I didn't mind when he hurled his popsicle up on me.  As long as he was okay.

I don't blame Brad.  He still to this day feels bad.  I blame his friend because the dog had bitten someone else, his own pregnant wife, prior to this incident.  They pretty much flat out refused to put him down until we started to get legal.

Two years later, all we have are memories of that night, pictures of the healing process, scars on a sweet little boy's head, and a permanent blood stain on his carseat.

The 2009 picture was taken the morning after.  In the 2011 picture you can see the scar in his hair.  He has another in his hair as well.  Other than that, most of them are fading.

Wordless Wednesday Spring Edition

Wordless Wednesday

Where for art thou blog?

Yeah, I've been busy.  Yeah, that sounds good, so I'm going to stick to that excuse!

Not much really has been going on in my neck of the woods.  I do have an exciting post about Brayden's first day of school coming up, as well as the previously mentioned review on Creepy Cute Crochet, as well as a Valentine's themed blog hop sponsored by my friend Jamie at Glitter, Stamps and Paper, Oh My!  I'm also working on a post about making tile coasters.

I whipped up a batch of home made laundry soap and as we speak it is working it's magic on my towels :)  The hubs still thinks I'm nuts as since I don't have a food processor, I grated that bar of Fels Naptha by hand and it took me two days.  I took breaks, I could only stand so much haha.


Word to my momma as she is back in town for the time being.  Yea, she just left only to turn around and come back two weeks later.

I really need to clean my hardwood floors but I find myself watching Aslynn play with Brayden's battleship and Brayden run around with boxes on his feet.

I'll leave you with a few pictures....

He worked on putting them there so diligently

His end result.  We've been working on colors.

Aslynn has embraced her inner 80's child.

My sweet boy on his first day of school.

Fa la la la la lala la la

So this afternoon,  I thought I would finally take a stab at wrapping what gifts we had for the children.  There I sat, in the middle of my living room floor, presents scattered to and fro, a pile of paper and the ever disappearing scissors and tape.  I meticulously folded every corner, taped them up and made them looked fabulous.  I was proud of my endeavor once I was done.  I carefully placed them under the tree and looked at DH and said " how long before you think the kids will notice".

Famous last words.

Ha

Ha

I have a 3.5 year old and a 2.5 year old.  They noticed.  Aslynn noticed first but obeyed when she was told to put it back.  Then DH and I had to do the dishes.

That was the perfect time for them to launch their attack.

DH goes to check on them and I'm still scrubbing away(one day gosh darn it, I will have a dishwasher!) when all of a sudden I hear cries of punishment coming from their room.  I dash with the grace of a hippo over the baby gate to discover that they had celebrated Christmas a little early.  And they were in serious trouble.

The only thing I said to them was that they had hurt mommy's feelings and that was enough to make Aslynn start crying again.

So needless to say the presents are put up until Christmas eve.  I can't even reach them if that says anything.  Oh the joys of having married an ogre.

I'll wrap them again another time.