Dahling I love you but give me Park Avenue...

Holy cow. I'm ready to pack up and head for the city. The wildlife situation here in the country has finally gotten to me after 28 years. Things started out nice, with our Great Horned Owl. Granted we get some Stink Bugs (also called Conifer Bugs or something) but not too many. Sure we get ladybugs, but they're downright cute. Then we got that bizarre weevil thing. And we have moths and butterflies - but I'm the only freak who's afraid of those. But then today happened. First of all, my dad had to handle a spider situation. This fella was bigger than any average household spider I've ever seen. Like probably 2 1/2 - 3" in diameter. Brownish black. And UGLY. Randomly showed up in my kitchen sink prompting me to exclaim "Holy heavens to mergatroid." True story.

Then tonight I run out to get kitty litter and milk. I get inside, realize that I have left the milk at the store - but figure I will double check my car to see if it's there. I flip on my front door light and go out onto the front stoop. I feel something brush by my arm, but pass it off as a moth since I turned on the light. I walk a few paces and feel something under my foot, so I don't bear down all the way. I turn around, it's a toad, a small toad. And yes, I was barefoot. So here I am, in the dark outside with just the front light on, having just stepped on a toad barefoot. I consider going back in through the house and out through the garage door when I catch a glimpse of what it was I brushed by on my way out the front door. A praying-ever-loving-MANTIS. I kid you not. It looked EXACTLY like this. Same color, same everything. And it was huge. Like HUGE. I wouldn't be surprised if this baby measured in at 6"+ from tip to toe. Or antennae to... whatever. At this point, I have started to make a slight whimpering wail in the middle of my front walk, suddenly envious of my cat George seemingly taunting me from right inside the living room window. Long story short, I braved the rest of the front walk in the dark, minding each step carefully and hopefully... and no, the milk wasn't in the car.

Someone tell me my wacky animal/pest experiences quota for the year is up???

"Get up offa that thing...

shake it, you'll feel better." How true James, how true.

If you don't know that song ("Get Up Offa That Thing" by James Brown), it's one of the most funky, groovy songs going. Great hook, and infectious little horn riff. Put that song on, and if you're not shakin' it within 3 seconds, better check your pulse.

At any rate, the reason I'm writing about it is that my kids love it. They first heard it at the end of the movie "Robots." (They play it when they have the "fusion of jazz and funk... it's called JUNK!") Well this morning I hear Elliot in his room changing his pants singing "Geddup offa dat fing, shayka shayka bedduh!" I decided to load up the real version on You Tube, and boy was he thrilled! He was a little shy to admit it at first, but then he really got into it. But not only him... I started movin' and groovin' my head to it as well, I was holding Liam. At which point I hear a little mini-laugh, and Liam is looking up at me gettin' down and smiling and laughing. I guess our family's got soul!!

So wherever you're reading this from today, take a moment for yourself and - Get up offa that thing, shake it, you'll feel better!!

So this morning I was laying in bed, all curled up like a startled caterpillar (it is COLD here overnight now!) and I overheard the boys having a little chat.

Elliot: "Hey Riyee, whayhs Mommy?"

Riley: "She's in her bedroom."

Elliot: "He's in his breadroom?"

Riley: "He's a her, Elliot."

Elliot: "Oh yeah, HUH. "(like the "hu" sound in "hurt")

Riley: "No, Elliot, say HERRRRRR, not HUH."

Elliot: "Hu...*gargling grumbling sound that sounds nothing like "her"*"

BOTH: *hysterical laughing*

So much for the early morning speech therapy!

Some photos from Saturday...

A couple photos from our wildlife adventure on Saturday - also soon to come, a (lousy quality) video of the turtle eating grass! (Scintillating, I know....a turtle eating grass.)

As always, click on them for a larger version. Enjoy!

Oh, and I haven't forgotten that I also have a third child...updates and photos of him to come soon. :o)

The dreaded question...

So, I posted recently about how the kids love this educational book/video series called The Magic School Bus. One of the episodes is about the human body, and the characters all get swallowed and travel around inside the body.

So this was my little conversation this morning - Riley asked:

"Mom, when I was in your tummy, there were TWO babies in your tummy?"

"No Riley, just one at a time, Elliot came later."

"Well where do babies come from?"

*gulp* "What do you mean?"

"I mean, do they go in your mouth and then down your esophagus and into your tummy?"

"Nope, they just start in your tummy."

"Oh, okay. Bye Mom!"

.....Phew.

"Saturday, Saturday, Saturday....

Saturday, Saturday"..... Yeah, I think Elton John did a little better with Bernie Taupin writing lyrics than when he came up with them on his own...

Anyway, welcome to Saturday. Or at least what we did today. Our local library had a special event for the last day of the summer reading program. This year's theme was "Catch the Reading Bug" and so today there was a special presentation called "Frogs, Bugs, and Animals" by some local animal enthusiasts. They brought along some really interesting and exotic stuff. Even I (and I'm sure some of the other parents as well) was totally entertained. We saw a tree frog, a bearded dragon, a flying squirrel, a fluffy Japanese chicken, rabbits, hedgehogs, beetle maggots, hissing cockroaches, rats, toads, and an African Spurred Tortoise (sulcata tortoise). It was pretty amazing! The kids had a great time, and after we sat through the presentation and even got to do some petting of the animals ourselves we headed inside the library. Inside there were prizes for the end of the reading program, each child got a certificate for a free ice cream cone from a local ice cream shop, coupons for free kids' meals, and the best part of all - they each got to pick a free brand new book from Scholastic! There were tables full of brand new books, it was awesome. Riley picked one where you have to find all kinds of different things hidden inside a city, and Elliot picked one about Clifford (the big red dog). We really had a lot of fun with the summer reading program and hope to keep up a good reading schedule. Right now the kids are really into this series called "The Magic School Bus" that has all sorts of fun stories about educational topics. And currently I have a bunch on loan for Riley about starting Kindergarten. You just have to love the library, especially in this economy!!

So after a fun day with Nana and the kids, we came home, spent some time with Uncle Pete and Aunt Buffy, and then it was off to Nana and Pa's for Riley and Elliot. They had dinner and each got their backpacks - Riley's is for school and Elliot's is for when we go to the library, etc. Well, when I went to pick up the boys, Elliot was nearly blue in the face from talking in circles and having raptures over his new possession. (It has Thomas the Train on it, by the way.) He was nearly beside himself with glee. And it hadn't worn off by the time we got home, at which point he bounded up the stairs exclaiming "Daddy, I have a surprise for you!" He whipped around and proudly displayed his backpack in all it's pint-sized glory. As I write this, the pack is nestled beside him in bed.

Well, that's about it for now. I'm hoping to get some pictures from our day today up soon. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Junior olympics...

Anyone else watching the Olympics? Some of it has been quite exciting/entertaining...some of the gymnastics, diving, team volleyball and such - then there are things like water polo... yawn. Well today the kids were outside doing some sports and I managed to get 30 seconds or so of Riley shooting some baskets. This was shot on my cell phone, our video camera is really really high resolution, so high that our current computer's processor/video/graphics card can't handle it. So, in a few years we'll be able to enjoy all the footage we're shooting. In the meantime, for little things like this, I'll just use my cameraphone. Riley is actually a basketball natural (like his Pa) and has quite a talent for shooting backwards as well. As soon as this clip was over, he actually sunk one backwards dead on. Who knows, maybe THAT will be an Olympic sport some day - Reverse Hoops. Hey, it'd be more exciting than water polo.

Life outside the drive thru...

So last night I had a brief bit of independence. It was time to upgrade my cell phon.e After 2 years with my previous one, a freebie which wasn't much to begin with, and the fact that Elliot vomited on it about 3 months ago resulting in stuck and malfunctioning keys.... yeah, it was time. So, I was at Verizon Wireless here locally, got my new phone (an LG Voyager if you're wondering) - and decided to walk a couple doors down to get a coffee at Starbucks. Now, for me, when I'm out and about with the kids it's a huge treat to stop and get a coffee. Which typically means running through a drive thru. So last night I walk into Starbucks, go up to the counter to order, the "barista" asks me for my order and..... cut to Brannon staring at the menu like a deer in headlights. I totally had no idea what to do. It had been so long since I'd been inside one of these places, my brain just fizzed. I said to the lady "I'm sorry, I'm totally disoriented at the moment, I haven't been in one of these places in like 2 years, I ALWAYS use the drive thru." She laughed a sympathetic laugh, which put me just enough at ease that I was able to order. A grande decaf with two splenda, light with cream, and cinnamon powder on top. At which point she says "well, normally inside you fix all the cream and sugar and stuff yourself, but I'll gladly make it for you." Thankfully by the time I paid, left, took a sip and checked out my new phone all was right in the world - but how pathetic am I? Can't even order a cup of coffee like a normal person.

You know who you remind me of?

I get this all the time. And the answer is almost inevitably Molly Ringwald. Which I can see a little bit. But actually I think I look more like Anna Paquin, at least when I was younger.

Anyway, I was reading a blog today which had a web site you can go to and it will tell you what celebrities you look like, will even do morphs of your face into theirs so you can be convinced... So, needing a little levity, I decided "what the hey."

My #1 match... Jeneane Garofalo?!?!?! See for yourself. Other results included James Spader, Wayne Knight (Newman from Seinfeld), Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elvis Costello, and Calista Flockhart. Which PROVES this thing is off, because I really look nothing like her. And what's up with me basically looking like a guy? Maybe I'll try another photo. And I can't wait to try Nick too. :)

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb

When it rains it pours...

Well, these last several days have been rough. Normally I would've blogged about the fact that was having a bad day because my iPod stopped working (which it did), or that I hit a bird on the way home the other day (which I did), - but those don't even begin to compare to the real reason I've had to have a bad last several days, namely the passing of my grandmother Helen. Although not entirely unexpected, as she was 92 - you're just never really prepared or ready for it. I've had my good days and bad since. And some days, I'm doing really really well, and then for seemingly no reason, some little memory or thought of her will level me, sending me into sobs.

So I think that's where I'll leave it today. This coming week will involve preparations for her memorial and seeing some family coming into town. I'm not sure how much I'll be around, but I will try my best.

Make sure all your loved ones know just how loved they are.

Latest photos...

Here's the latest of our three musketeers!!


if you want to see the album full sized, click here: password is: photos

ZZZZZZZZZZ.....

Man oh man. I am POOPED. Liam had like 3 good nights 2 weeks ago where he slept nice long stretches (5-6 hours). I thought we had turned over a new leaf considering he was 7 weeks old at the time, and both Riley and Elliot started sleeping through the night at 7 weeks. Well, it was a big tease, and his sleeping has gone back to nearly a newborn schedule. I'm up 4 to 5 times a night again, and bleary eyed during the day. Normally by the time 11am rolls around and I've had a cup of coffee or two, I kind of get into a groove... but come 6pm or so - the bottom totally drops out.

Anyway, I got some photos resized last night, so I will post those today.

Time flies when you're having kids...

Or so I always say. Sorry for the few and far between posts... I guess life has just caught up with me! We had our District Convention two weekends ago, and then this past weekend my sister-in-law Sarah got baptized, so we headed to see that. Add on to that the chores that piled up from having two weekends with not much spare time, and my posting ability has been slim. But I'm here now... so let me see... what to say, what to say...

Riley starts school a month from yesterday. ACK!! We still have to buy his backpack - he has selected one from LL Bean, a "Critter Pack" which is red with a little embroidered shark on it. Very cute, and knowing LL Bean, this bookbag should last for quite some time. He received his class/teacher assignment also, along with his list of school supplies that he needs. I'll admit, I got a little misty reading through everything that came in that information packet - school supply list, letter from the teacher complete with little red schoolhouse sticker to place on our calendar as a 1st day of school reminder, info regarding bus passes, and a general letter about incoming Kindergartners. I am feeling such a wide range of emotions about him starting school - from joy and excitement to sheer terror and bewilderment. It's just such a new phase for all of us. At least I can do a little back-to-school shopping to calm my nerves. :) Let's hear it for retail therapy. Oh alright, not retail, more like clearance rack therapy. Whatever works.

Liam has started to smile some, which is nothing short of exhilirating and heartwarming. What started as a slight upwards curl of the mouth (unfortunately similar to an Elvis impersonation) has blossomed into full, wide grins - sometimes even accompanied by a little coo. Sheer bliss. He continues to grow, and he'll have his 2 month checkup soon.

Elliot has turned into our little computer geek. He loves to hop on my laptop during the day and navigate through online games. He's actually quite skilled with the mouse now, and can even type his name.

I suppose that's about it for now. Liam just konked out for a nap, and the boys are peacefully cohabiting watching a movie...so I'm going to try to get my feet up and rest for a few minutes. Tonight I'll try and get up some new photos.

Hope all is well wherever you're reading this from - talk soon!