I know it has been forever since I've put up a new post. I think about doing it, a lot. But it's usually as I'm falling into bed around 11:00 every night. Definitely not my best time to be productive.
I'm going to try a little synopsis of what the Bramells have been up to lately. Easter was lots of fun with the kids; we had an egg hunt at church before Easter, one at home on Easter and another at daycare after Easter. Carley gets the prize for Master Egg Hunter---she left Evan in her dust. He had a few eggs when we finished, and her basket was overflowing! Smart girl. Now, she just wants "cock-it" all the time (that's chocolate to you and me).
Now that the weather is warming up, the kids are outside a lot. Lee takes them out after school and they are usually still there when I get home from work. We have dinner, then sometimes go back out for a little walk. I think they'd sleep out there if we'd let them. We got our garden planted and it's looking good. Last Saturday, Lee and I planted flowers and cleaned up the landscaping while the kids napped. It was wonderful! I forgot how much I like working in the yard, as I rarely get to do it anymore.
We took a trip to Wynne right before Easter. We ended up going during the week because I needed to be in Memphis for work. Mom took a couple of days off to hang out with us. We got to spend some time with Dad and the kids, of course, got tons of attention. Bonus: Lee got three nights at home alone. I'm sure it was heavenly.
Carley and Evan are both talking more and more lately. It's fun to watch them. Most notable, when Evan asks for his "milp" (milk). They are learning animal sounds, which is quite entertaining. The babies are also finally starting to like looking at books. Becca was into books way earlier than them, so I was starting to worry. But, I guess when you always have a buddy to play with, who needs books?
Becca is her usual dramatic self. She shifts between being super loving and a great helper to being a cranky, moody drama queen. Makes me dread her teenage years....ugh. If we are riding in the car and she thinks we are going too fast, she says, "Stop it, you're freaking me out!!!" Really.
Will try to post some new pictures soon.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
A Mom's Observations
I've noticed a few things about the kids lately that I wanted to write down. I'm sure they will want to know all this when they get older.
* Evan and Carley have very little to no interest in watching TV. I guess that's really a good thing, but way different from Becca at their age. At this point, Becca was in love with her Ernie and watched Sesame Street every day. These kids wouldn't know Ernie if he walked up and punched them. I think maybe because they have each other to play with, it makes them too busy to watch TV. Or look at books. They won't even sit still for us to read to them. Having two little ones sure is different than just one.
* Carley makes me laugh when she says "pizza." Her Spanish accent kicks in, and it sounds like "pee-ha."
* Evan tells me every time that I change his diaper that it's "cold." Meaning, the wipes.
* Becca has started saying that everything is "hilarious."
* Poor Evan doesn't have a chance growing up with these two sisters. In the past couple of weeks, he's worn Carley's red Mary Janes, put on a headband and cried when I wouldn't paint his fingernails. Yesterday, he even did a perfect beauty queen parade wave!! Lee better get outside and start throwing that football with him before he thinks he's a girl.
* Evan and Carley have very little to no interest in watching TV. I guess that's really a good thing, but way different from Becca at their age. At this point, Becca was in love with her Ernie and watched Sesame Street every day. These kids wouldn't know Ernie if he walked up and punched them. I think maybe because they have each other to play with, it makes them too busy to watch TV. Or look at books. They won't even sit still for us to read to them. Having two little ones sure is different than just one.
* Carley makes me laugh when she says "pizza." Her Spanish accent kicks in, and it sounds like "pee-ha."
* Evan tells me every time that I change his diaper that it's "cold." Meaning, the wipes.
* Becca has started saying that everything is "hilarious."
* Poor Evan doesn't have a chance growing up with these two sisters. In the past couple of weeks, he's worn Carley's red Mary Janes, put on a headband and cried when I wouldn't paint his fingernails. Yesterday, he even did a perfect beauty queen parade wave!! Lee better get outside and start throwing that football with him before he thinks he's a girl.
Playing outside, roller skating and silly kids
First off, an update on the Listen to Your Mother contest. They didn't choose my essay; therefore, I will not be auditioning for the live show. I do know that they only chose 12 finalists, but I don't know what exactly they were looking for. My guess is that mine wasn't sentimental enough. Maybe they didn't want any smartass mamas. Oh well, it was fun to write it.
The "winter" has been great the last few weeks. We have been playing outside a lot. The littles have gotten to where they will run to the back door and cry "outside" as soon as they wake up in the mornings. Last weekend, we took them for a walk on the Lake Fayetteville trail and it was awesome! Becca rode her bike for probably close to a mile! She is really coming along well on it...
Another first--her first skating party!! I know I was way more excited than she was! Luckily, a few of the parents skated, too. And yes, I've still got it. In case you were wondering. And I got a chance to give Becca a history lesson on how Aunt Nanette taught me how to skate. I wonder how old I was? This skating rink in Fayetteville doesn't have any rails along the sides, so they had these cool walker-like things instead. She did pretty good for her first time, but did spend quite a bit of time on the floor. We will definitely go back for more practice.
Some of our outside time last week. These kids would stay out there if we'd just move their beds out.
Evan likes throwing the ball to Fergie. Or to anyone, really.
Future gardener? Or just being a boy playing in the dirt.
By the way, his hair is getting super blond. And it's doing this afro curly thing, too.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Kinda feels like being naked in public....
I am going to share with you, my faithful readers. I've done something that makes me really uncomfortable. But I wanted to do it. I needed to do it. I submitted an essay about motherhood to a local event that is having auditions for a show in April. The first step is to submit the writing, then wait to see if you are called for an audition to read in person. It's called the Listen to Your Mother Show. Apparently, they are having it only in a few cities across the country. The link is http://www.listentoyourmothershow.com/nwa/ if you want to check it out. Little shy me, you know. This is not something that I'd normally do. But I am experimenting with my writing. Guess we'll see what happens. I'll keep you posted.
Here is the essay that I submitted. I might as well share it, because you might be the only audience I get. And keep in mind that EVERY BIT of this is true. Comments and critiques are welcome. Comments like, "Man, you are crazy!" are not. Just sayin.
Welcome to the Big Top
Rhonda Bramell
Springdale, AR
I am the mother of three kids under age 5, including a set of twins. Let that sink in. Three kids under five. I know what you are thinking. Yes, I have my hands full. Yes, I drive a minivan. Most days I feel like the ringleader of a three-ring circus. In case you think I’m exaggerating, I will share with you what a typical day is like at my house. If you aren’t tired after reading this, then you are welcome to come over and babysit anytime. Like now.
My husband works early morning hours, which leaves me to handle the morning rush alone. I have to force myself out of bed to get the children up, dressed, fed and out the door to daycare. Add in feeding the dog, making lunches, packing the diaper bag and finding lost binkies, and I feel like I’ve run a marathon by 9:00 a.m. Then I head to my full-time job, or vacation, as I like to call it.
The twins are 1 ½ now, and getting to be more manageable. By that I mean that I don’t have to cage them anymore just to take a shower and dress myself. After all, I have a four-year-old to entertain and torment them while I’m busy. Our daily schedule looks pretty much like that movie Groundhog Day, where the same thing happens over and over. Here is what I can count on happening:
1) We will be late. Every day.
2) Someone will stick food in his or her ear.
3) Boy Twin will poop his diaper at 8:50 a.m., without fail. This happens to be the exact time we need to be loading up the minivan to leave for daycare. See item #1.
4) Girl Twin will loudly scream “MOMMY” approximately 652 times.
5) My oldest daughter will tattle on the twins and cry when they take away her toys, even though she is older and outweighs them by 15 pounds.
My poor husband, who is awesome by the way, comes home every day to the ransacked house that smells like dirty diapers and looks like an F4 tornado blew through. He may get a few peaceful hours to himself before he picks up the kids, but most days he is just busy trying to repair the morning’s damage.
The evening routine is almost as daunting as the morning. After the morning craziness, working at my “other” job all day and the mommy guilt of actually having to be at work, I’m beat when I come home. The bright spot in the whole thing is that my wonderful hubby usually has dinner on the stove when I walk in. The little monkeys tackle me when I get home, as if I’ve been gone for a week. Girl Twin literally will cry herself into a frenzy unless I immediately pick her up. I have to sit down in the floor so all three kids can crawl on me. Being missed is a wonderful feeling!
The absolute hardest part of my day is the time from when I walk in the door after work until the kids are in bed. This is crunch time, as we’ve got roughly 2 ½ hours to have dinner, clean up, bathe the kids, have playtime and get them down. Don’t even get me started on bathing three kids! A drain in the middle of the bathroom floor would be helpful. And a pooper scooper.
By 9:00 p.m., the house is quiet and my husband and I are again faced with the all-important decision to watch CSI or wash dishes. We get about five minutes into a show then both pass out. I swear, our DVR is so full that I think it might explode. We peel ourselves off the couch and move to the bed, ready to do it all again tomorrow.
People ask us all the time “How do you do it?” In reality, I should answer, “Barely.” But really, we have adapted. I’ll trade the old days of lounging on the couch watching TV for giggles, hugs and playing peekaboo any day. I’ve decided that as long as my kids are clean, fed and loved, that’s all that really matters. Just let someone judge me on the pile of dishes in my sink or the stains on my work clothes. Not only am I the ring leader in this circus, but I’m the star juggler, too.
Here is the essay that I submitted. I might as well share it, because you might be the only audience I get. And keep in mind that EVERY BIT of this is true. Comments and critiques are welcome. Comments like, "Man, you are crazy!" are not. Just sayin.
Welcome to the Big Top
Rhonda Bramell
Springdale, AR
I am the mother of three kids under age 5, including a set of twins. Let that sink in. Three kids under five. I know what you are thinking. Yes, I have my hands full. Yes, I drive a minivan. Most days I feel like the ringleader of a three-ring circus. In case you think I’m exaggerating, I will share with you what a typical day is like at my house. If you aren’t tired after reading this, then you are welcome to come over and babysit anytime. Like now.
My husband works early morning hours, which leaves me to handle the morning rush alone. I have to force myself out of bed to get the children up, dressed, fed and out the door to daycare. Add in feeding the dog, making lunches, packing the diaper bag and finding lost binkies, and I feel like I’ve run a marathon by 9:00 a.m. Then I head to my full-time job, or vacation, as I like to call it.
The twins are 1 ½ now, and getting to be more manageable. By that I mean that I don’t have to cage them anymore just to take a shower and dress myself. After all, I have a four-year-old to entertain and torment them while I’m busy. Our daily schedule looks pretty much like that movie Groundhog Day, where the same thing happens over and over. Here is what I can count on happening:
1) We will be late. Every day.
2) Someone will stick food in his or her ear.
3) Boy Twin will poop his diaper at 8:50 a.m., without fail. This happens to be the exact time we need to be loading up the minivan to leave for daycare. See item #1.
4) Girl Twin will loudly scream “MOMMY” approximately 652 times.
5) My oldest daughter will tattle on the twins and cry when they take away her toys, even though she is older and outweighs them by 15 pounds.
My poor husband, who is awesome by the way, comes home every day to the ransacked house that smells like dirty diapers and looks like an F4 tornado blew through. He may get a few peaceful hours to himself before he picks up the kids, but most days he is just busy trying to repair the morning’s damage.
The evening routine is almost as daunting as the morning. After the morning craziness, working at my “other” job all day and the mommy guilt of actually having to be at work, I’m beat when I come home. The bright spot in the whole thing is that my wonderful hubby usually has dinner on the stove when I walk in. The little monkeys tackle me when I get home, as if I’ve been gone for a week. Girl Twin literally will cry herself into a frenzy unless I immediately pick her up. I have to sit down in the floor so all three kids can crawl on me. Being missed is a wonderful feeling!
The absolute hardest part of my day is the time from when I walk in the door after work until the kids are in bed. This is crunch time, as we’ve got roughly 2 ½ hours to have dinner, clean up, bathe the kids, have playtime and get them down. Don’t even get me started on bathing three kids! A drain in the middle of the bathroom floor would be helpful. And a pooper scooper.
By 9:00 p.m., the house is quiet and my husband and I are again faced with the all-important decision to watch CSI or wash dishes. We get about five minutes into a show then both pass out. I swear, our DVR is so full that I think it might explode. We peel ourselves off the couch and move to the bed, ready to do it all again tomorrow.
People ask us all the time “How do you do it?” In reality, I should answer, “Barely.” But really, we have adapted. I’ll trade the old days of lounging on the couch watching TV for giggles, hugs and playing peekaboo any day. I’ve decided that as long as my kids are clean, fed and loved, that’s all that really matters. Just let someone judge me on the pile of dishes in my sink or the stains on my work clothes. Not only am I the ring leader in this circus, but I’m the star juggler, too.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Baby Babble
I am happy to report that Evan's speaking has really come along in the past couple of weeks. He's still not really voluntarily talking, but he'll say something if you ask him to. Here are some of the words he is saying:
*Ball (Becca's first word)
*Baby--they like to point at babies on TV
*Pop
*Nanny
*Fork (or something like it)
*Bath
*Shower
*waffle
Carley is still the big talker of the two. In fact, she's never quiet! Between her and Becca, we can't even have a conversation between adults.
*Carley says her name "Car Key"
*"Ebbie" (Evan)
* "Be-ba" (Becca)
*MOMMY--over and over and over, etc.
*poo poo
*pizza--especially when she sees a commercial on TV
*snack
*milk
I'm sure there are more words, but that's all I can think of now. Becca's new thing is to say that everything is "hilarious." Quite dramatic, really.
I've finally gotten around to printing the blog! I've ordered the first year (2007) and waiting on it to arrive in the mail this week. I can't wait to see it. There is so much material that I've decided to cut it into years and print. It's a little expensive, so I'm just going to do a little at a time. This will be so precious to have when the kids are older. We can look back and have so many photos and memories. Thanks Tara and Meredith, for the info on blog2print.com. It was very simple to do!
*Ball (Becca's first word)
*Baby--they like to point at babies on TV
*Pop
*Nanny
*Fork (or something like it)
*Bath
*Shower
*waffle
Carley is still the big talker of the two. In fact, she's never quiet! Between her and Becca, we can't even have a conversation between adults.
*Carley says her name "Car Key"
*"Ebbie" (Evan)
* "Be-ba" (Becca)
*MOMMY--over and over and over, etc.
*poo poo
*pizza--especially when she sees a commercial on TV
*snack
*milk
I'm sure there are more words, but that's all I can think of now. Becca's new thing is to say that everything is "hilarious." Quite dramatic, really.
I've finally gotten around to printing the blog! I've ordered the first year (2007) and waiting on it to arrive in the mail this week. I can't wait to see it. There is so much material that I've decided to cut it into years and print. It's a little expensive, so I'm just going to do a little at a time. This will be so precious to have when the kids are older. We can look back and have so many photos and memories. Thanks Tara and Meredith, for the info on blog2print.com. It was very simple to do!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Yes, it's February & I'm posting Christmas pictures!
I think I've said everything to say about our Christmas 2011. Mom, Tracy and Jonathan came up here to spend it with us. We cooked a big meal on Christmas Eve (mom and me, not Tracy) and had our friend Ellen over to eat dinner with us. We had a nice time and some good food!
The kids had a big time with opening gifts and playing with all the new toys.
I guess the kids are all ready for some breakfast! You can see the Kinect on the TV--the big kids' Christmas present. We are enjoying the games. The kids and I really like Just Dance 3; we all get in on the fun!
I thought this picture of Lee is funny. Notice Frosty looking over his shoulder!
Carley and Evan love their glow-worms! They sleep with them every night. When they first go to bed, it's like they are trying to synchronize their glow-worm music in there with both of them going at the same time. So funny!
Not real easy to get all the kids to sit together for a picture. I think matching PJ's will be our Christmas tradition, just like the Counts family's.
This concludes the end of pictures from 2011. It is only February, you know.
Monday, January 23, 2012
'Tis the Season 2011
After much debating and thought (well, not that much), we decided not to make the trek to Wynne for Christmas. Just the sheer amount of stuff we'd have to take along with the kids was overwhelming. Not to mention the crazy amount of stuff we'd be bringing back home!!
Let's just say my kids were treated very nicely for Christmas. They should not be bored or in need of something to play with for many, many years. Literally. I'm glad they are so loved, but FOR THE LOVE OF PETE, would someone else in my family please start having some babies!!!
I love the look on Becca's face here when she was opening her BIG gift.
Pop got Carley her very first baby doll. She loves it!
Here's the "big" gift put together. Thanks to Lee and his mad toy-assembly skills. Becca is in love with this dollhouse.
I need to take a picture of it now. She got a set of 7 Disney Princess Barbie dolls for Christmas. Those, combined with the few she already had, make for a crowded house. Poor kid only has one Ken doll--she calls him Justin Bieber! I told Lee the other night that it totally looks like the house on The Bachelor....all those princesses and one dude. Glad I don't live there.
One December night, we were lucky enough to have some pretty mild temps. We took the kids to the Fayetteville Square to see the Christmas lights. Becca was thrilled to ride the ponies, see a real reindeer and look at the smelly camels. Evan and Carley just hung out in the stroller and did some people watching.
Did I already post these pictures? Now I feel like I've blogged about this already...did I? Oh well, I'm not going back to look now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
