Fast Goats

Since Facebook, the place I usually share my news and the funniness about my boys has a character limit on the posts, I have decided to just use my blog now to post what makes me laugh, rather than trying to condense the conversations and words to 420 characters. Here's tonight's funny:

I was sitting with the boys on the front stoop, snacking on fresh picked, organic apples from one of the apple trees in my yard, listening to their funny, random remarks and conversation when this little tidbit came up:

Bubba: I wish we could buy a goat.

Me: You want a goat, Bubbie?

Bugs: Yeah, they eat grass. You would never have to mow again!

Bubba: Duh, not a weal goat, Bwycie. It's a cahr. You know, dat you dwive?

Bugs: Oh yeah. That would be sweet. Maybe dad could get one of those and I could drive it and you could get the Lexus, Bub.

Bubba: Nah. I wants to go fast. I'm gettin' da goat.

*sigh* like father like sons. I wonder if gasoline in the veins is hereditary?

art lessons

i am blogging again. and, since my other blog is receiving so much of my attention, i figured i should stop by here and drop a note. incidentally, i am doing this on my phone. which is really quite awesome, but i cannot figure out how to capitalize letters or scroll back to fix spelling errors. bear with me.

So, update on the boys: they grow like weeds, eat me out of house and home, and keep me busy with their endless energy. This summer has been awesome in that we have spent much of it relaxing all morning and then all afternoon and early evening at the pool. I mean, really, how much more perfect can life get, right?

And they keep me laughing very day with their witticisms and childish observations and honesty. I just love them, even if they do make me feel like and old woman in sore need of an extra bottle of wine several times a week.

Today's Bryce-ism was, at the same time, confusing and funny as hell. Throughout the entire conversation, I kept thinking, "I bet I am the only mom amused at the way her child's mind works and amazed at how random topics of conversation just spring up out of no where". You see, this happens often in my house, these random questions stemming from seemingly nothing (or, at least, nothing I can quite figure out a relationship to).

Bryce: hey, mama, did you ever have an art class?
Me: yes. Lots of them, actually.
B: oh, so you know that painter guy who invented art?
M: um . . .? Painter guy? Invented art? There wasn't actually one guy. . .
B: yeah, it was in, like, 1106 or something. You know, the painter guy.
M: well, art has been around a long, long time. Way before 1106, even. Now, which artist are you thinking of. Michelangelo? *he shakes his head* Da Vinci? Monet? Picasso? Renoir? Titian?

He shook his head at each of my suggestions and all that followed. I had to dig deeper into my memory for names of Middle Ages artists and could only come up with Donatello and he was a sculptor, not a painter. I was at a loss and just shook my head.

M: Bugs, there wasn't actually one guy who invented art. Did you have a specific question about this mysterious artist?
B: no, I just couldn't remember his name.
M: do you remember his work? The name of his painting, maybe?
B: oh yeah, he made soup.
M: he made soup?
B: yeah, he painted it.
M: *feeling that feeling you get when you feel dread but want to laugh* um, Bugs? It's not Andy Warhol, is it?
His eyes lit up and he nodded furiously.
B: yes! That's his name! I like his art. Can we get one of his pictures for my room?
M: hm, well, maybe when you are older. And definitely only after you learn Andy Warhol certainly did NOT "invent" art.
B: so, who did, then?

These are moments I want to bang my head into a wall.


Good gravy.

Remember me?

It's almost Valentine's Day. And I am just getting around to my New Year's resolutions. To say the past year has been a little busy and crazy and somewhat mind numbing is an understatement. However, things are settling down, I am finally getting my groove back and feel like I am emerging from my cocoon. No longer working graveyards has helped immensely, but it took me a while to get back to a normal sleeping pattern (and when you are an insomniac, that's a chore in and of itself). And finally, finally, I feel like me again.

And so, back to those resolutions. One of them is to post at least once a month on the blog. So many funny and notable things happen in my life and I forget to write them down. Years from now, I am gonna wish I had. And so, with that, I leave you with this:

Bryce has influenza and croup. He sounds like a frog left out to dry. However, he informed me this morning, with a huge grin, that his voice sounds like a dying hamster. I am not sure how he knows what a dying hamster actually sounds like, but the grin made my day. He has been so listless and miserable for days now, but the grin and the sparkle back in his eyes as he spoke shows me he is improving. And that makes my heart happy.

It's Mother's Day

And, to celebrate, I have written something for my boys. For, without them, I wouldn't be able to celebrate this day.

For all of the dirty diapers, the tears, the gummy grins, and the sticky hand prints all over the wall. For all of the infectious belly laughs, the wet kisses, and the squishy hugs. For all of the bugs you think I need to see, the sand on the kitchen floor after a tough day in the sandbox, and all the balls bouncing down the stairs. For the never ending questions, and the fact that you honestly want to know the answers to each of them despite my limited knowledge of how fast Lightening McQueen really can go and why ants seem to come back every year despite being frozen all winter. For wanting to marry me and take me out on special dates. For your sweetness, your spunkiness, your passion, and your sass. For everything you are and ever will be, thank you. Thank you to my babies, Bryce and Brady, for letting me be your mama and making me a Mother. I love you to the moon and back.

Sad Neglect

This poor blog. I have such good intentions and then life takes over and well, you all know what gets shoved to the back burner.





I am thinking of giving myself a challenge. Something like a month of posting everyday. But, then I don't think I have that much to say. We'll see. If you start seeing more posts from me, more often, you know I what I decided.





Ok, so to update so far this year:





Bubba turned 4. He is all about the sass now, though that isn't any different than normal. He thinks he knows it all. Again, no difference there. He is cute and cuddly and adorable and I love him to pieces, sass and know it all, too. Also, no difference there.





Bugs turned 6. He is still sassy, still knows it all, still sensitive and sweet and lovable. So, yeah, he is still the same, too.




We have a new baby in the family. She joined us on Bubba's birthday. I had baby fever something fierce and since Travis is still denying my needs in that department, I had to do something drastic to appease my quivering uterus. So . . . I went to the Humane Society. And fell in love with the cutest, sweetest black lab puppy ever.

It took us a week to name her. Her name at the pound was Sophie. By the time we brought her home, we were calling her Pepper. And, well, that really didn't seem to fit, so then I decided on Leila. Yeah, no.

Naming puppies is hard! Finally, I had a list. I presented the list to the kids and Trav. Of course, the ONE name I really wasn't crazy about stuck with the three of them. Her name is Chloe. (I was REALLY going for Allie, since she was a stray, and it's cute and peppy and all sorts of girlie, but they weren't impressed.) Chloe it is, and has been for the past three months. I am pretty sure she won't know what to do if we change her name again. Ah well.

I am still working at the hotel on weekends, doing the graveyard shifts on Friday and Saturday nights. I really LOVE the job, but I hate the hours. It cuts into our family time significantly, since I don't get to sleep on Fridays at all, and then spend most of Saturday in bed to make up for the lost sleep from Friday and trying to get a jump on the lack of sleep Saturday night. But, I don't really sleep well, since I am worried about being late for work, missing out on all the fun stuff with the boys, and life, in general. It sucks. By the time Sunday rolls around, I have no clue what day it is, my brain is fuzzy, and I can barely get through the day. I don't go to bed, though, because I need to be able to get back on my regular schedule for the week and the complete lack of sleep form the entire weekend has me falling asleep on my way into the bedroom at 8 PM Sunday nights. I don't move until 7 AM Monday morning. In hindsight, this job was a good idea for me when I applied for it and wasn't sleeping at all. But, since the doctors have fixed the whole insomniac side of me and I AM sleeping again, this job and I aren't as good a fit as I thought we would be. But, I am going to stick with it for a little while longer. I did just get a raise, which makes it worth it. I guess.

Last week, Trav finally got his dream car. He is now the proud new owner of a Lexus IS300. He has signed his life away with that car and promises of NO MORE CAR LOT SEARCHING for at least two years. And, he isn't allowed to even think about trading my truck in for two years, either. He was so ecstatic, he agreed to all of my terms and conditions. If I had been thinking, I should have added another baby in there, too. Ah well.

We drove down to Omaha to pick it up and enjoyed an awesome time shopping and then we got to sneak in a family friend visit with my second set of parents, Mike and Beth. I haven't seen them in a while and missed them bunches. It was nice to catch up, but sucked that I didn't get to stay longer. It was a Friday and we had to leave so that I could be back in time to get to work. I barely made it. It was an interesting, and fast, drive home.

So, there you have it. Updates on all of us, in a nutshell. The weather has been beautiful and we are getting out more and doing more now. I am starting seeds and getting ready to put my first garden in this year. I am so excited for that to happen. And a new patio set, and a ton of other "honey do" projects that need to get done this year. It's going to be a busy Spring and Summer.

Six Years

Six years ago today, I met someone who changed my life.

Six years ago today, I made eye contact with the most beautiful eyes I had ever seen.

Six years ago today, I fell utterly, completely, and totally in love with a boy.

Six years ago today, I became a mother.

Six years ago today, Bryce Geordon Kwiecisnki was born and I became the happiest woman on the planet.

Last year, I wrote about his birth story here, so I won't bore you with the gory details again. Go back and read it only if you have a strong stomach.

And now, another year has past. Like the past six years, it has gone by far too quickly. Each year, I think, "this is my favorite age", and yet, he keeps surprising me.

Let me tell you about the boy I fell in love with six years ago.

His name is Bryce, but he always has been and always will be my Love Bug. I call him Bugs or Buggie. Sometimes, I call him Brycie. He answers to most anything, though.

My Bugs is smart. Not just brain smart, but heart smart. He is loving, compassionate, and empathetic. He is quick to give you a hug or a kiss and apologizes the instant he thinks he has upset you in some way. He looks out for his little brother and other kids. He wants to make sure everything is fair and everyone is happy. He is going to make a great social worker someday.

My Bugs is intelligent. He is able to reason, hypothesize, test, and conclude in ways that most adults aren't able to. He is going to make an awesome scientist someday.

My Bugs is beautiful. He has these huge brown eyes that are framed by the longest, darkest lashes I have ever seen. His cheeks are always rosy and his smile never falters. He is going to make an awesome model someday.

My Bugs loves all creatures, big and small. He knows facts about the smallest of insects and the biggest of mammals and is eager to know more. He loves everything about them, from their heads to their tails and then some. He is going to make an awesome veterinarian someday.

My Bugs loves music. Any kind of music. He loves the classics and classical. he loves to sing and dance and years to learn an instrument. He is going to make an awesome musician someday.

My Bugs loves to write. He will sit down at my table with his pencil and his paper and write his letters, all of them in upper and lower case, and then spell all of the words he knows in a list. He will then use all of those words to make sentences and then uses the sentences to write stories. He is going to make an awesome author someday.

My Bugs loves to draw. After he writes his books, he draws pictures for his stories. The pictures are very detailed and original. He then staples the pages all together with his writing and gives me his beautiful new book. He is going to make an awesome artist someday.

My Bugs loves to play on the computer. After turning the computer on, he knows where to go for his games. He knows his log in name and password to his Webkinz account. He can log in by himself. His password is very complicated. Most adults aren't able to manage this simple task. He is going to make an awesome systems analyst someday.

My Bugs is very health and clean conscious. He knows I hate clutter. He knows I like a clean house and hate germs. He is always so helpful when I am doing my chores and is amazing in his ability to do the simple tasks I ask him to. He also knows how to pick up after himself and put things where they go. He is going to make an awesome husband someday.

My Bugs is an amazing charmer. He is quick to tell me how nice my hair looks, how pretty I look in my raggedy yoga pants and over-sized t-shirt, or to thank me graciously for doing some small little thing like helping him put his socks on straight. He tells me how much he loves me multiple times a day and loves nothing more than to surprise me with a quick kiss and a hug "just 'cause". He is going to make the perfect husband someday.

My Bugs is an amazing big brother. He loves to play with his Bubba. Sure, they fight and get at each other, but Bugs is always there for Brady, no matter what. He often puts Brady before himself and is willing to give up things I am surprised he is willing to give up, just to make his brother happy. I love listening to them play. I often hear Bryce guiding Brady in how to do something, how to act some way, or how to behave in a certain situation. And the "I love yous" between them melt me. He is going to make an awesome father someday.

I can't tell you how often I am in awe of this little boy and all of the things that make him who he is. I can't tell you how proud I am to be his mother. As his mother, I know I am biased, but, honestly, he really is the sweetest, cutest, most amazing child I have ever known. And, he gets better and better with each passing year.

So, my dearest Love Bugs, happy birthday to you. You have changed my life for the better and continue to prove to me that goodness and light really do exist in this world. You amaze me, you melt me, you make me proud in ways I never thought I could be. Thank you for picking me to be your mama. I like you, I love you, I will always, always be here for you.

I love you to the moon and back, baby. Happy birthday.

Happy Birthday Bubba Louie

Four years ago today, I got some reallly bad news.  The baby I had been working on freeing from my body so hard was being difficult and stubborn.  He was more than willing to put me through all sorts of pain and punishment, but not so willing to part ways with the warmth of my uterus.  And so, to my own devastation (I REALLY, REALLY had my heart set on a VBAC birth), after two days of hard back labor and 14 hours of stalling at 7 centimeters, we headed to the OR for the c-section.  At 10:07 AM on January 11, 2006, the beautiful Brady Loren was born tipping the scales at 11 pounds and half an ounce and peeing all over the doctors as they pulled him out.  I was stunned.  I would have bet BIG money he wasn't that big.  Not only was he a little chunky monkey, but he was a whopping 22 1/2 inches long.  I had just given birth to a three month old.  Of course, Brady was our little surprise, and he has continued to surprise us from the moment we knew he was on his way.  

Right away, I should have seen the signs of who my Bubba Louie, Bubba for short, was going to be.  To this day he is stubborn, he can be difficult, he likes warm snuggly places close to mama's heart, and he always, always does things in a big way.  His daddy and I often describe him in one word - passionate.  Bubba is passionate about every little thing he sets his mind to.  He is passionate about what he has for breakfast and what color his socks are.  He is as passionate about the sudden kisses and declarations of "Hug Time!" and "you da besest mama in da wowld" as he is about when I tell him no and he storms off screaming and declaring me to no longer be his friend.  Yes, in a nutshell, my little man is quite passionate.  He always has been, and I hope he always will be.

He gave us a wee bit of a scare with his blood sugars going all over the place and his lungs not working so well.  Poor little man had to stay in the NICU for 24 hours.  This meant I didn't get to meet my baby until he was already a day old because when you have a c-section, you can't jump right out of bed and head on down to the nursery.  They have to bring your baby to you until your legs start working again.  My arms ached and felt so empty for those long twenty four hours.

Finally free of his tubes and needles!

This one just makes me giggle.

"He did it"

Life hasn't changed much since this picture.  Hedidit still lives here.

His baptism. 

We had to hurry and do it before he was 3 months old because he was quickly outgrowing his little outfit that his big brother wore!

They've been best buddies since day one

I used to sit and watch him sleeping, amazed and grateful to have this gorgeous wonderful creature in my life.

I know he will claim child abuse for this picture one day. 

It was worth it.  I STILL laugh looking at it. 

Those cheeks must have been tough to haul around!

He still looks like this after he eats spaghetti, his favorite meal!

I have spent the last week looking through pictures of my baby as he grew up.  I would have included all of them because I love each and every one, even the bad ones, but Blogger limits the amount you have on a post (a rule I am sure you are glad of by now).  Every photograph, each smile, each drooly, chubby glimpse of my past brought tears of joy and laughter  It saddens me to realize how quickly the time is gone and yet, at the same so happy to see who he has become and even more excited to see who he will be.  His passion is going to take him places in life and change the world.  And I will always love looking at the snapshots I take of his glorious and wonderful life, always starting with that very first day when my life changed forever. 

And now, four years later, the chubby cheeks are smaller and he no longer looks like a baby, though he is, of course, still MY baby.  And he always will be.  So, Bubba Lou, thank you for surprising me with your life.  Thank you for loving me as passionately as you fight with me.  Thank you for being you and bringing such joy and happiness into my life.  I like you.  I love you.  I will always, always be here for you.  

To the moon and back, baby, I love you forever.  Happy Birthday Bubba!