over a yr ago

I have got to get better at this - I cannot believe that I haven't blogged in over a yr! As all of you know Madden just started Pre-K so maybe i can spend my quiet mornings sharing with all of you now that I have a little time to myself. I am super excited for September - so much going on. The start of Football season, True Blood Finale and hopefully lots of time with my mommies that I love so much.

I am really looking forward to church too! I went the Sunday before last (i wish i could have made it this past Sunday but i had to get the boys back from Daisy), and I really enjoyed myself. I thought about it a lot on my way to and fro and decided it is easy to pray from my computer chair and kitchen counter and it is easy to talk to my friends about God and is master plan for us all (whether we like it or not), but it is hard to go to church. WHY? If i don't go to church then i am being a lazy Christian. I felt like I was talking the talk but just not so interested in walking the WALK! So I have kind of adopted this new look at it - it is easy to say, hard to DO! so I am going to start trying to DO more and say LESS! I am looking forward to reuniting with a congregation and hopefully getting to know a new one.

I am turning in an application this week for a job. It is not a paid position but i am looking forward to the possibilities it could bring with it! So wish me luck!!! And thank you all who read this for your love and support and your friendship and I will do better in updating! Have a BLESSED day!

Madden's turning 3

My little man is turning 3 this week - I cannot BELIEVE it. It seems like just yesterday he was tiny and sleeping all the time and now is a very chatty mobile toddler. WOW! We have been having tons of fun - we have been to the Lake and the Beach this past week. Done a little grocery shopping and a little birthday shopping. We are getting Madden a SPIDERMAN cake - he picked it out - i almost cried that he is growing up so fast. We are having a simple little get together at Chuck E Cheese's - just the family and a few friends - i guess it being in the middle of the week it is hard for a lot of people to come - but that's ok - it's hard for us to make a lot of events too!
Peyton is crawling - he crawled for about 4 inches today before he fell back down to his belly. He is making alot more noise and i say "mamamamamamama" about 500 times a day. We will work on "dadadadadaddadada" later. He is has been eating everything and enjoying all the fun that we have been having.
Memaw is back and I am glad. I talked to her about living here and she didn't say no but she didn't say yes either - so we shall see what the future holds. I know that when the time is right her heart will tell her. We have started paccking up for San Antonio and i should be wrapping presents instead of typingthis - but i am waiting for Lee to get home from work so i thought i would kill some time.
I just wanted to let you all know that i love you - thanks for being an ear to bend.

It's ALMOST here

YAY! Our San Antonio vacation is less than a month away and I am super excited. We finally booked a hotel - through Priceline and we got a Riverwalk hotel for less than $50/night - WOW! We have been not so busy as we would have liked to have been - Lee has had to work alot b/c his assistant managers are taking vacation this month. He has only had 1 day off a week for the last 3 weeks so i am so ready for vacation just so i can spend time with him. He had a great Father's Day - my mom was here and she bought breakfast for us and then he opened his Wii and was in absolute shock. I couldn't believe it! We had lunch with his parents and then went to see the Hangover. I am so glad that we didn't try to take the kids b/c that would have been so not appropriate. It was the funniest movie we had seen since Pineapple Express. It was so good and I highly recommend it.
Memaw has come back and gone again - she is at my mom's right now - hopefully she will have a good visit but come back soon. Peyton is scooting all over the place and he sits up for long long periods of time and then scoots halfway across the living room. He gets up on his knees and tries to crawl - but he isn't quite there yet. I think he really just wants to catch up with brother. Madden is more and more playful with him everyday - they wrestle(which secretly scares me a little - but i try not to over react) and they are always watching what the other is doing. Madden is showing him how to play with his toys and is helping him get into trouble. If you knew me with Madden, you would mos def wonder who I am now - b/c Peyton has already had pizza crust, ice cream, soup, jello and memaw gave him bavarian cream out of her donut - and I just sit back and take it all in. I can't believe I was so neurotic with Madden - but i guess everyone is with the first child. I am still so protective of him it is ridiculous sometimes. Peyton is eating great and i think teeth are on the very near future b/c our drool production has increased greatly. Madden is getting more and more personality everyday(if that is even possible). He is a great laugher and when he shakes his booty - it is a sight.
I had a great week last week - I got to spend time with one of my best friends - i love that friendship has no time barriers. I hadn't seen Ashlee in almost 8 years and it was like we had never missed a day - I cried when i first saw her and I cried when I left her and remembered why I am so blessed - because I have people like her in my life. I miss her deeply - but I was so thankful for every minute i got with her and can't wait to see her in a wedding dress. Napa here I come! It really just makes me think - that every person in our lives plays a role - Ashlee has always been my guidance - when i don't know where to go she has always been like the lighthouse that has shown me a path. Each of my friends plays a role like that - as if they were handpicked to be in my life to provide all the things we each need to make it thru - you all know what role you play - thanks to all of you! I am truly appreciative to have such great friends.
well, i am sure i have a lot more to say - and i know that other important things have happened within the last month but Peyton is strolling towards the wii stuff and he has already tried to send a fax this morning so i have to go parent and play. Madden is at the in-laws babysitting Mario today and probably most of this week. Mario had surgery on Friday that nobody got told about till afterwards and he can't work for the next 2 weeks - so he asked if Madden could babysit him while he is home. I can't say no to a recovering PawPaw - what kind of daughter would I be? I will post pics later when Peyton takes his afternoon nap. Love you all!

Memaw has gone north

I can't believe i haven't posted since after Mother's Day! What have I been up to? all things chaotic i think will be my answer to this. Memaw and I have basically been chillin during the days - now that our pool is open i may be hanging out there alot more with the boys and hopefully they will have some shade for Memaw. I will get some time to figure all that out with her up at Tammy's for the next few weeks. I can't lie......i cried when she left. I know she is coming back but i just got used to her being her all the time. I am sure i will fill the void somehow...(smiling) like cooking, cleaning, shopping.
In the past couple of weeks we have gone to the movies (Night at the Museum), watched some movies (Bedtime Stories, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Benjamin Button & Yes Man), went shopping (CARTER'S, groceries) and have been to the beach. I think Memaw had a great time at the beach - she loved being able to put her feet in the water and the sand was clean - not a whole lot of seaweed. Madden tried to fish all day - that's all he wanted was to fish, and he caught one too - a big green plastic fish that was floting in the water- he was so proud and it was so cute. I don't know how he will react when he actually catches a real fish - i think i can see a freak out coming. I can't wait. Peyton loved the water - he got to sit mostly in Memaw's lap - he was keeping her warm she kept saying. We had a great time and i can't wait to do it again this weekend.
Peyton is getting so big, tomorrow will be 5 months old. I can't believe it..he is already in 6mos clothes and he is sitting up on his own, eating 3 times a day and still not sleeping through the night. Madden was the same way, i don't remember him sleeping through the night till 6 to 8 months. Hopefully there is a light at the end of the tunnel soon - but luckily i am getting to take some naps during the week with the boys. I call it "movie day" and we all go lay in the bed and watch a movie - our bedroom is like a cave so halfway through the movie - they are both asleep. Madden still hasn't seen all of Superman Returns. I feel so bad for him b/c he likes superman, batman, spiderman...all the superheroes that name ends in man. It is so cute to hear him say it to...he pronounces every syllable. Madden is talking more and more, his sentences are getting longer and his understanding of things better and better. I can tell he will be so smart.....like me....(insert laugh now). No really, we are all smart in our own rights.

The kids are great - growing and learning everyday. Lee is fabulous - working alot but luckily has this weekend off so we can enjoy some time together. Tomorrow we are going to the Museum of Natural Science - which i kept calling the Natural History Museum - i will blame that on Night at the Museum b/c we have been watching it alot here. Then Saturday is beach day and Sunday is Mario's Birthday Party. I am doing fine - I am working on trying to decide where i want to take a couple of English classes to boost up my GPA a little for when i start on working on my certification. There is a class offered from the University of Phoenix - Children's Literature in a Pluralistic Society - sounds very cool. So that may be where i take them from - i am also talking to SHSU too. We shall see how it all works out.

Have a great weekend everyone......love you! brandy

pics of the boys

Mother's Day and so on...

I woke up last Sunday, wrote out my cards and jumped in the shower. I walked into the kitchen and my husband had already started the breakfast ccasserole i was making for all the mom's. What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man. I didn't even ask. Lee got me a card which of course made me cry, my mother of course was late and everybody of course loved breakfast. How could you not, when someone else made it! HAhaHa! I made Mimosa's for the mommies and they liked them alot, especially Lee's tia Chela (i may have found a drinking buddy) and i had about 3 in my BIG cup. So needless to say..we got to the game...I was a very proud, very loud Astros fan, and all within good reason..they were kickin' some major booty!! After the game Lee's parents took us out to dinner and we were all a little worn out after we got home.
As far as the week goes, very typical and ordinary. The most fun we had this week was Memaw got her haircut on Thursday - it looks super cute!! We drove to Galveston and went to the Strand - King's was not open, which was very upsetting to me b/c that's the only reason i wanted to go down there. It was crazy to see it. One side of the street was open for business as normal and the other side of the street under renovations. We drove through Memaw's old neighborhood and alot of the houses there were under construction and we drove by a house that on the steps of the house in blue paint was a line and under it, it said "IKE". My memories of Galveston are very much about history and buildings that have been standing since there were pirates.....and for so much of that to be gone - i think it really just kind of hit home how horrible this whole thing as been for the Island itself. So we drove down the seawall and down San Luis pass to come home through Surfside and we showed Memaw Stahlman - the whole last half of the trip home was just amazing to see so much granduer and so much destruction standing side by side.
We were lazy yesterday..I got both of the boys to take a nap and Memaw too. Hopefully today we will get to go play bingo , but I am still waiting for the phone call from Maria to tell me they are home. If not we will just take our little trip to Kroger and ge ta few things, plus Lee wants my Monster Southwest Bacon Burgers tonight - so i am planning on making a good dinner for us and maybe we can make it a movie night - depending on what RedBox has to offer - i really want to see TAKEN.
I hope everybody had a great week and is in the process of a great weekend. I know I am just loving every minute of Memaw being here and getting to watch her interact with the kids. I think she will be ready for Tammy's and a little break from constant kids - but i think she loves it too. I was a little harsh last week at the end of my blog - at the time i felt that it was warranted, but, the child in question is not mine and how she is raised is not my business. I should just be thankful that she has a nuturing soul around her and hope that as she grows she is encouraged not discouraged, praised not prodded and loved not liked. We all have our ways and after a long crying filled heart to heart with Memaw - maybe it wasn't my place to criticize. I love you all and I can't wait to see what the world holds for each of us. Peace out and Let Love In!

Brandy

Memaw's 1st Week

Whew! It has been a crazy week, I am sure Memaw is worn out and ready for a break, but there is not one till next week. We are resting today at home actually and then tomorrow is a possible crawfish boil and then Sunday is the ASTROS game. I am so excited to take Memaw and all my mommies to the game. We bought Memaw a shirt yesterday so she will be in perfect form for the game. YAY!!!



This week has been so much fun. Memaw's plane was about 35 minutes late due to weather, but she made it safe and sound. We went to the store on Monday and got some goodies for the week and her beloved Blue Bell (which she did say she wasn't going to buy again b/c the price is ridiculous. remember when you could get 2/$5? oh...the good ole days). Tuesday we chilled and Wednesday we went to lunch in Texas City so Memaw could see all of her friends and some family. She wondered why Mom put this together for her, but i think she had a great time. We saw Lily Bear, Julie and Mike last night for wings at BW's. Memaw was super sweet and treated us. We got to visit and Lily played with Memaw. I think Julie got a little nervous a few times with Memaw holding Lily b/c Lily would start to go south, but each time Memaw recovered her and did great.

I have noticed her being around the kids - i am always offering to help her pick them up or put them down, but she very much wants to do it on her own and i think that is fabulous and she is doing great. I love having her here with me during the day so when i have gotten a few moments to have adult conversation - i actually have an adult to talk to, still getting used to someone being here with me. I am glad it's Memaw.

Peyton is already pulling himself to a sitting position and sometimes he sits for a minute or so, other times a few seconds and then he rolls over. He has learned to splash and makes a bigger mess in the bathtub than Madden. I never thought someone could make a bigger mess than Madden with all his toys and bubbles. And Madden is doing better everyday with the potty - he only goes through 4 or 5 pairs of underwear (not panties as i am told by my husband). it is partially our fault b/c we will let too much time go by without asking, but at least i am not having to clean up poop! They are both so vibrant and playful and everyday i realize more and more how much i am blessed.

I am going to rant for a minute - i have been working on this blog all day - little things get me distracted and then i just can't get back to it right away and in the course of the day today something happened that really disturbed me. My cousin-in-law called her daughter an idiot publicly on facebook and people thought it was funny. I do not find this funny that someone would call their child an "idiot". Throughout a list of comments that were made others thought it was funny then my cousin said "Retard" in place of "idiot" and my word in return is "ASSHOLES". Children are such beautiful people and we as parents are so blessed to have them in our lives; but, to think that it is ok to talk in such an offensive way - is really immature and not parental at all. There was a subject brought up on fb after i made an "asshole" comment about me leaving peyton in the car. we all make mistakes as parents, but the word "idiot" is not seen as a mistake as i openly declared leaving peyton was. And i do not post things in this blog to be thrown up in my face later when i openly criticize. I personally think it is wrong to call children names, ie. stupid, idiot, retard, etc....... and to be slapped in my face for something that i was clearly very upset by is not ok with me. It is a shame that their children have to grow up in an unnuturing environment and i fear for their future - they will probably turn out just like their parents - negative, selfish and ugly on the inside people. and i don't care who i piss off.
have a great weekend!