Role Play or "I Myama Ma"

What? You don't speak Bryanese? Don't fret--only one person in the entire world is fluent; 5 others are working together to translate.

"I Myama Ma" means, "I'm Fireman Sam." And Bryan's taking this role quite seriously. Fireman Sam is a British cartoon character. Our kids love the British tv shows--Kipper (pronounced "Kippa"), Bob the Builder (yes, we've viewed several original British episodes), Fireman Sam, Angelina Ballerina. Anyway, this is how I found Bryan this afternoon. He's really coming into a hilarity all his own.

Preparing....


and executing....



This is how Sydney dressed Brady earlier this week. She loved it, and I have to admit Brady makes a cute little dinosaur.

Coloring...


and roaring...

Playing Hard!

Like most kids, ours are incredibly energetic and passionate about everything they do. This week, Brady was so worn out from playing he found the closest 'big' person to hold him while he fell asleep. That person happened to be Sydney, who was more than happy to oblige.


The boys like to fight over the rocking horse Papa Shanks made Bryce a few years ago. Brady tries to climb up it, and if he can't but others are, he pushes it onto its side so no one can ride. Poor horse!


Ms Jeanne took us to the most awesome park in the city last week. The kids loved it! It may be our new away-from-home-but-not-really day trip destination. (The park is 30+ minutes away on the other side of the city/mountain.)


This was Bryan's 3rd or 4th time up this rope ladder. His first trip up, he crawled the whole way. Once he was able to walk up, he felt he'd conquered the contraption and found something else to challenge himself. In other words, this is typical Bryan. After such a tiring afternoon, he cuddled with Jeanne--who was so happy to get the love that she balanced him and 2 picnic baskets while walking to the van!


Don't know where Syd's going, but she's sure in a hurry to get there.


Brady loves slides!

President's Day, or Barry's Work Weekend at Home

Ah, 4-day weekends. Vacation for some, but not for us.

After a wonderful week-long fight with FedEx (which I won, thankyouverymuch), we were finally able to set up our new mattress. I love having a waveless, heated bed! The kids were just as excited as we were (OK, much more excited than we were) and insisted they help. Bryan & Bryce followed Barry around with a screwdriver, loosening everything Barry had just tightened on the base. Sydney commented on the lovely purple color of the new mattress and set herself up as team supervisor. And Brady, well, he decided he'd be a one-man filling crew. The problem now is that they all feel the bed is theirs. And why not, after they worked so hard to put it together?





The other weekend project was assembling and using Brady's new toddler bed. We had a toddler bed for Syd and hated it, so the other boys graduated from crib (or sleeping with us) to twin bed. We don't have room for another twin bed, though. Hence the need for something big yet small. Finding the matching NASCAR bedding sealed the deal. Brady's doing well sleeping in a new bed in a new room all by himself. He seems to be making the transition well--yea for me! I finally get to SLEEP more than 2 hours at a time!




I wanted to sing "He flies through the air with the greatest of ease, the daring young man on the flying trapeze." Bryan, however, thought, "I DUPERMAN!" was more appropriate. Notice the looks of awe on Barry's, Sydney's, and Bryce's faces!





The vastness of the sky is so amazing down here. We can actually see different fronts--cold, warm, low, high--moving in and doing their things miles away. The mountains make for an incredible background, too. Check out these clouds--not rain clouds--just colorful during the sunset:





And the view from the opposite direction:



** And for any of you who still care, Barry is putting the finishing touches on the boys' Jeff Gordon dresser. Hopefully I can post a pic of the final product within a week. **

"Duper Bo"

The Colts finally made it and conquered it! We're not huge football fans, but we are loyal to our home team. We made Super Bowl party food and ate off Super Bowl XLI plates. I actually watched the entire game! The kids loved wearing their Colts t-shirts and even made "Go Colts" posters during the game. At one point Syd asked what a down was. Barry explained it, she said, "OK," then left the room to play with Bryce. Brady spent the evening clapping on cue and drooling all over the cheese puffs. Bryan was so excited about the "Duper Bo" that he fell asleep. He did, however, willingly wear his Colts AFC Championship t-shirt.

Our cake had a rough first quarter. The kids kicked it, stuck their fingers in it, and eventually mutilated its insides. But it tasted good!



Here's the proof:



Now if Jeff Gordon could just win the Nextel Cup, this would be a great sports year!

Never Let It Be Said...

...(1) that it never snows in the desert. After a week's worth of warnings and mad rushes to the store, snow finally found its way to the Franklin Mountains and Chihuahua Desert. The kids have been praying for snow since last fall, so you can imagine their excitement. Bryan & Brady enjoyed their first experience with the white stuff, but Brady, recovering from bronchitis, played with his inside.



Brady wasn't too sure about the cold stuff, but eventually decided it tasted OK.



Bryan played with the dogs until they knocked him down. (They were a little excited about the snow, too.)



Syd & Bryce loved their answer to prayer!


...nor (2) that I can't be kind to things I don't like. Namely, cats. I'm not a cat-lover, cat-liker--barely a cat-tolerator. So you can imagine how close Barry came to death when he strolled through the door this morning with a friend of the feline persuasion. Of course we heard choruses of, "Can we keep him?" as the kids chased him(?) through the house. Barry, sensing his impending doom, quickly responded, "No. I think he belongs to someone." That satisfied the kids--well, that and offering the pathetic meowing animal some food and water. The only appropriate cat food I had was a can of tuna, so, trying to be a gracious hostess, I offered the stranger my lunch.


Syd & Bryce insisted on watching the cat eat. When the cat left, they were disappointed. I wasn't.

Oh, Oh, the Wells Fargo Wagon Is A-Comin'....

OK, so we didn't go see a reproduction of The Music Man this weekend, but this song played in my mind all day Saturday. Wells Fargo sponsors the Mesilla Valley Balloon Rally in Las Cruces every January. This year was the 15th annual rally; we've lived here almost 6 years and just found out about it 3 years ago. Jeanne (see a previous entry featuring her balloon, Cool Beans!!) invited us when Bryan was in the hospital. If we didn't know her, we wouldn't have known about MVBR. It's not advertised anywhere in El Paso!

Anyway, Saturday was fun. Bryan and Brady hadn't seen so many balloons before, and Barry and I sure enjoyed watching their faces light up as they watched the colorful shapes fill the sky. Bryan even had his first balloon ride--a tethered flight. When he's older, I'm sure Jeanne will have the honors of launching him for the first time.

If you want to see more pictures, log on to the Las Cruces Sun Times. Click on "Photo Galleries" in the left hand column. The photographer caught a great shot of Cool Beans!! launching--you can see all 6 Beans!



This is a HUGE Wells Fargo Wagon balloon. It never launched, but it was a sight to see anyway. Bryan kept calling it a bus.





Here are a few of the balloons dancing across the sky.





This was taken last weekend at Syd's birthday party at the post ceramics shop. Brady enjoyed his first experience with paint and a brush, but he found controlling the brush a bit difficult. (The white shirt was already stained, so, yes, his wearing it was OK.)

Merry Christmas!

Even though this is our 6th year in El Paso, Christmas doesn't seem the same as it used to. However, we've started a few traditions of our own and have enjoyed spending quality low-key time with our kids. Don't worry--we miss everyone and wish we lived closer.

So from our home to yours, Merry Christmas!


This is the train cake we took to Christmas Eve dinner at our friends' house.





Since Syd's a big 8 year old, she received big girl gifts. GranMary and Papa Rod gave her a DVD player for her room. No more fighting with Thomas-crazed Bryce to get Barbie some air time!





Brady's favorite gift is this bongo beats monkey noise maker. His smile's too cute when he's playing with it to be annoyed by the loud monkey!





Bryan loves Jay Jay the Jet Plane, so he received a few Tarrytown Airport pieces (and a few more planes). While Bryce turned their bedroom into a Thomas Lego heaven, Barry helped Bryan transform the play area into an airport. Bryan had a blast!




The kids love the pop-up teepee/tent/tunnel from Aunt Evelyn & Uncle Paul. After Bryce cleaned up his Legos, Barry put this gift together. Later in the day, Barry attached the tunnels to each other and put the teepee in Syd's room so the kids could have a secret passage. Bryan even got his new flashlight out to help him find his way!

Happy Birthday, Sydney!

Sydney turned 8 years old today! She chose to celebrate with a sleepover with Lauren and a ballet slippers cake. Her 'party' will be in a few weeks at the post ceramics shop. The girls practiced ballet steps, dressed dolls, and played house with Bryan & Brady (who cooperated only when being fed). Here are a few highlights of the day:


OK, so this isn't a bd picture of Syd. But isn't it hysterical? Bryan fell asleep while painting (his latest and biggest obsession).




We gave Syd a Nellie doll to keep her Samantha doll company. She keeps asking where Nellie's clothes are. Of course I can't tell her she's getting them for Christmas, so hopefully she'll make do for another day!




Nana & Papaw gave Syd a ballet barre, DVD, and tutu--pink, of course!




Syd & Lauren pose with the ballet shoes birthday cake. (The cake was a 2-day project for me; fortunately, Syd loved it!)




Sydney and Lauren decorated cake trains. Bryce joined in, but he liked eating the icing better than decorating.

Sydney the Ballerina

Sydney started taking dance last year (Sept 05), but we didn't put her in ballet. I'd heard from several people that ballet bored their daughters. So we put Syd in Rhythm & Dance, thinking she'd learn jazz and lyrical. (She didn't.) In May, her dance teacher missed a class, and the ballet instructor offered to let Syd try her class. Syd loved it! We took the summer off and signed her up for ballet in September.

Three months later, she says she wants to take ballet until she's "an adult and 29." Her ballet teacher, Ms. Amy, has danced with Janet Jackson & Gregory Hines, to name a few. She loves to dance, and she loves to teach dance--and she loves the kids. (Plus she's a Christian, so the kids never do anything or dance to music that's inappropriate!)

Here are a few pictures from last night's recital. I don't know if Barry will get any better ones tonight (we traded nights so the boys wouldn't have to go). If he does, I'll post those later.


Sydney received roses from Nana, Papaw, Papa Rod, GranMary, and me & Barry after her recital. (Actually, she's getting a dozen roses each night, but we didn't take all of them with us.) She's in front of an 8-foot tree at the NCO Academy.




















Bryce wanted his picture taken with Sydney, but after several attempts, I quit trying to get them both smiling and looking at the camera.




















This is during Syd's class's performance to "Summer Wind" by Frank Sinatra. Sorry about the lighting & overall photo quality--Soldier Hall is dark. I tried to play with the camera settings...Barry knows more about lighting and stuff. Hopefully his pictures will be better!

Happy First Birthday, Brady!

We celebrated Brady's first birthday today with pizza & cake. I can't believe my baby's one!

Brady really enjoys his new farm set.



This is the cake I made for him. Thanks, Gina, for the instruction and encouragement!



Brady loves all his gifts, but the LeapPad is especially great because it makes all kinds of noise!



Here's the birthday boy sporting his John Deere t-shirt and 1st birthday bib & socks.



Brady wasn't very fond of the birthday hat.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Last year we decided to end the mandatory turkey feast. We grilled steaks and brats instead. This year we're joining a few friends for a traditional dinner, which is fine with us since we don't have to cook a turkey or deal with the moutainous leftovers.

Honestly, Thanksgiving Day in general annoys me. I don't enjoy football, and while I do enjoy eating, gorging myself isn't all that fun. I suppose the only good thing is being forced to verbalize my blessings. In my frantic day-to-day, stressed out life, I very often forget to stop and reflect. So what am I thankful for?

* Cable:
Without it, I wouldn't enjoy emailing (my main connection to the outside world) nor would I be able to use Kids on
Demand to entertain my children while emailing.

* My kids (even though chasing them is the main source of my exhaustion, I sure love 'em!):
Sydney--beautiful, intelligent, compassionate, loving--all this in spite of me.
Bryce--daring, creative, vibrant, sensitive-- just an all-around great kid.
Bryan--outspoken (with a limited English vocabulary), cuddly, independent, jovial--gotta love his hugs and his laughter.
Brady--not-so-innocent, trusting, energetic, bright--what a way to see the world!

* Tylenol, Ibuprofen & Caffeine:
How else do you cure migraines and total exhaustion without a prescription?

* My husband:
I couldn't ask for a better friend. He's honest and hard-working, and he puts up with my control-freak personality. Of
course that means I have to put up with his artist's temperament in return.

* A steady paycheck & insurance:
Things we didn't really have before Army life--and luxuries that keep us where we are. Especially with 4 kids who (with
their dad's help) consume about 20 boxes of cereal and 15 gallons of milk a month. Then we have those dreaded doctor's
visits, immunizations, eye exams, dental appointments, $600,000 hospital stays...

* Military communities:
You won't find a tighter-knit non-biological family anywhere. And no one understands the stresses being a military wife
brings better than another military wife.

* Spell check:
Love to write. Hate to spell.

* Nigel & Samwyze:
Probably two of the most useless guard dogs ever, but the kids love them. OK, so Sam's a full-bred lab--not a guardian
breed. But what's German-shepherd-mix Nigel's excuse? Oh well. What would I do with all the free time if I didn't have to
constantly mop up water, hair, and dirt?

* My family:
I am blessed with wonderful parents, parents-in-law, siblings, siblings-in-law, three nephews, and a niece. Not to mention all of the wonderful friends I have who are close enough to be family.

* Drive-thrus and pizza delivery:
I'm exhausted, remember?

* Swiffer Wet Jet, Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser, and Greased Lightning:
Remember the kids & dogs? Imagine them with crayons...

* Mercy:
I have learned that without God's love & grace, life would be miserable. I see His hand everywhere, even when I'm trying
to ignore it. His strength has given us hope during some incredible trials. His love has calmed us when we've wanted to
give up. And his grace has reminded us that no matter what, He's beside us, ready to help, forgive, and heal.

I truly hope you have (or had) a peaceful Thanksgiving, with or without turkey, taking time to reflect on your blessings. Maybe write yourself a note to do so more often during the year. I'm going to mark my calendar right now...

Weekend Projects

Barry finally got a 4-day weekend OFF! He spent most of his time catching up on his favorite on-line game and spending time with the kids. He even let me escape for a few hours with Rebecca! A few things around here needed to be done, and only he could do them. Like putting together an entertainment armoire for the living room (for which we've been waiting over a year--it took us that long to buy one!). And painting the old TV holder-upper (aka dresser) to go in the boys' room. We had a pretty good weekend!

As many of you know, Barry's brother, Bryan, is currently deployed to Iraq with his unit. If you'd like to send a care package to Bryan for his soldiers, email me saying you'd like his address. You can also visit the website that Mo set up for Maddy. Bryan's posted a few pictures of his new environment as well as a few updates. You can leave a comment for Bryan & Mo, too.

Thanks!




Boys! All 4 of them wanted to know what was inside the box. Later, Bryce said he just wanted the empty box to be his race car.





Bryan wants to do whatever Barry's doing. So while assembling the new entertainment center, Barry had to fight Bryan for the tools. Eventually we smartened up and gave Bryan the plastic kids' tools.





Barry took Syd & Bryce to the kids' workshop at Lowe's on Saturday. Bryce said he was going to show Barry the blow-up Jimmie Johnson car that has Santa & the elves working as a pit crew. Barry was able to talk Bryce into building something, though, and said both kids worked hard. They had a lot of fun!





Sydney and Bryce show off their Veterans' Day napkin holders. Great job!






With the new entertainment center housing the TV, Bryce finally gets his own dresser! Barry let him choose a race car design (the boys' room is decorated with NASCAR, of course), so Bryce decided on Jeff Gordon. The boys' other dresser is painted to look like a tool chest. Barry didn't want any help, but Bryan kept saying, "Pain', Da!" Who could resist that?

I'll post a picture of the finished product!

Broken Eggs, Not Broken Spirits

Life is more challenging than usual when Barry's gone. I find myself incredibly stressed out and exhausted from days with little adult conversation and even less help. Yesterday was one of those days (sorry for the cliche), and by bedtime, I was wondering why I had kids.

After dealing with the back talk and bad attitudes, I decided today would be different. I'd yelled more than I like to yesterday, so today would be a day of harsh action discipline. Time out. No TV. No sleepover. No fun.

Then Bryce ran into the living room in a panic. "Look what the babies are doing!" I followed him into the kitchen where I found Bryan and Brady happily crushing egg shells and playing in the goo. Lovely, I thought, egg yolk paintings. Haven't I talked myself out of harming my kids enough? Why does God torment me?

"Bryan!" I said firmly (not yelling, by the way). He and Brady both looked up with the goofiest grins. My heart didn't melt (yet another cliche), but any frustration I felt started fading.

I grabbed Brady (whose entire front was covered in egg gut) by the back of his sleeper and carried him to the bathroom. Bryan followed, and the two played in bubbles, probably thinking I was rewarding them for their kitchen creativity.

After the babies were rediapered, I returned to assess the damage in the kitchen. What I found surprised me: Syd was on her hands and knees, spoons in hand, scooping up egg shells and whatever yolk & white she could, then dumping the salmonella-carrying raw food into the sink.

Wow.

"It was mine and Brycey's plan," she said. "I wanted to help clean up the mess, even though I didn't make it. Bryce helped, too. I like to help you."

Again, wow.

I helped her finish then mopped the floor. "Thank you, Syd. I love you!" I hugged her then instructed her to wash her hands well. For once, she didn't argue.

God knew what I needed--a huge reminder that my kids are good kids. Now, if I could just get an 8-hour nap.....






Don't Bryan & Brady look so proud?



Sydney used spoons to pick up egg shells. She didn't want to touch anything gross.

Creative Napping and Other Artistic Expressions

Red velvet cake doesn't last long in this house (not just any, but my grandma Buck's family recipe--it's the best!). Bryan and Barry are especially fond of it. Brady's curious, but since he really can't have chocolate yet, we've not let him try it. Bryan might have felt sorry enough for Brady to share his precious dessert (unlikely since like his daddy, he doesn't like to share his cake). Or Brady grew tired of looking sad & pathetic to get a bite and stole a handful from Bryan's bowl. Now we have another red velvet cake addict in the family!






We don't have a formal sandbox (the yard is almost all sand anyway), so I bought a large plastic box and filled it with oatmeal. I thought the kids could have fun digging, scooping, and pouring without finding any surprises--you know, scorpions, black widow spiders, dog do-do. Barry let the kids go crazy, burying the kitchen/dining room with oatmeal dust. (He cleaned it up--voluntarily!) The kids had fun, even if Brady begged to be let out.





When I insisted on quiet time Sunday, Bryce informed me he would make himself a new bed. Legos covered his bedroom floor, and blankets filled his Lego wagon. I didn't think much of it until I walked in to check on him. You can't tell from the angle, but I found him sleeping in his wagon.