Tag Archives: Bryant

My Black Eyed Peas

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The week of Josiah’s Big Cut did not end with just a mere scratch but with two…yes, two, black eyes!  At least they were on different people.  The Thursday after the cut incident, I was dropping Zoe off at Dance Camp and had left the other kids in the Crimson Cruiser while I ran in to see if there were any last minute instructions.  I was gone, possibly, five minutes at the most and every single child in the van was strapped in and the a/c was running.  When I got back to the car, Liam was screaming and holding his eye.  In between sobs and as I raced to get gas for our mammoth vehicle (the light came on as we pulled out of our driveway and stayed on…it was very low).  I got the story:

Ceili Rain wanted one of Bryant’s hard plastic toys (it looks like a remote control).  Ace was in the front middle seat with Bryant and thought he’d toss the toy back to Ceili Rain.  Apparently, Ace isn’t very good at throwing behind himself and the toy landed directly behind him.  It just so happens that Liam occupies the seat directly behind Ace and it just so happens that Liam took a direct hit, in the eye, from the projectile.

When we stopped for gas, I got Liam out of his seat, cleaned the blood and then tried to get witch hazel on it (to help keep it from bruising).  It was quite beyond witch hazel help though and he still got a black eye.

 
Wear that shiner with pride my son!

That very same afternoon.  I’m not kidding it was that afternoon!  The kids were all playing in the boys’ room while I got supper ready.  Ceili Rain decided she wanted something down from the very top of the boys’ dresser and pulled and pulled.  And she continued to pull until she pulled a ceramic piggy bank down.  The best we can figure is that Zoe broke the banks fall causing it to smash into pieces and one of the pieces cut and hit Ceili Rain.  On the eye.  The opposite eye of Liam.  I was praising God that she didn’t get a piece in her eye.

And Josiah, well, his finger is healing wonderfully!  He lost some of his fingernail but not much.  The day of the black eyes, I decided to give the kids a bath and to keep Josiah from getting it wet, we did this:

He wanted to take a picture to show  Daddy.  Daddy was so proud.

Now, I didn’t get a picture of our last black eye, but will tell that Bryant has had his first black eye recently.  Last week, he was in the living room and I was listening out for him while working on the computer.  I apparently wasn’t fast enough because when I heard him at the steps, then he was on the floor of the bonus room.  This is why I’m very grateful we live in a ranch house with two steps down into the bonus room.  Somehow he hit his eye and got a nice shiner on the way down.  Needless to say, we are all much more cautious about the steps with Mr. Bry.  As we should be…that kid can climb up on toilets, stepstools, and whatever else he finds.  The trouble is he can’t get down.

We’re all praying for an accident free July!

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Atop the Table

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So, for the past ten months we’ve been crammed around our six foot table.  Okay, well, it hasn’t been ten months.  Bryant has only been eating upright for around five months or so…so it’s been five months.  Even so, we were a bit crammed before he joined us.

See?

Yep, Bryant’s off in the corner.  Mark’s squeezing in for space with Ceili Rain.  I squeeze in with Liam.  Zoe fights with Josiah for elbow room.  Dinner time was quite interesting.

We were blessed with our last trip to Ge and Granddaddy’s, however…with an auction find of a table!

Yes, it looks small, but it has two leaves and with the sides out, it’s seven feet long and a few inches wider than our previous one.  And, we also got the chairs that match it.  Six to be exact!  And, we found two more very sturdy chairs to replace our kitchen chairs that were falling apart. I was excited!  And the style was perfect.  All the larger tables I had looked at (both new and used) were way too formal.  We have an eat-in kitchen.  That’s it.  Formal just doesn’t go with an eat-in kitchen area.  At least in my opinion.

Now, please, don’t freak out.  The table and chairs had a beautiful stain on them, but it was peeling in places and something had to be done.  After researching the furniture (it’s Heyword Wakefield, c. 1989), I realized that, given the proper facilities and  if I chose for children not to be anywhere near it, I could sand it down, refinish it and sale it for a lot of money.  I know this. And after sanding it down in upper 90 degree weather, I still knew it.  But I also knew that I had not the time nor the place to do that.

So, I did the next best thing.  I painted it.

And I got help too:

Those are paint shirts…please don’t think I let my boys run around in shirts with extra head holes.

In my quest to find the perfect colors to paint it, I discovered a great idea.

Tinted chalkboard paint!  I know it’s cheesy but my kids love to draw, write, and talk!  What better way than to have a chalkboard table top.  Yes, it’s a little messy but it cleans up well.  I’m sure at some point we’ll have to recoat it.

To make the chairs match the table, I painted the slats with chalkboard paint. So, when company comes (and I remember), I can give assigned seats!

We also added a checkerboard (okay two, I misread the google post and made the board twice as long as it should have been).  That checkerboard has already been the scene for many a battle!  Do you see my jars?  Old glass food jars (cleaned, of course).  The jar on the right has buttons…aka our checker pieces…and they work well too.  The other is full of chalk.  Note to self:  When using a light colored chalkboard paint do not use dark black or brown on the chalkboard…it’s the dickens to get up.

Confession time:  I was really iffy about the tan on the top.  However, we’ve had a white table top before (see above) and it is not pretty when it comes to stains.  So, I went with the tan.  And, as it turns out, I really like it.

Ceili Rain is enjoying it too…she just has to learn that chalk, and only chalk, can go on the table!

Here’s some FYI:  There are a few types of colored chalkboard paint.  We used the tintable that Rustoleum makes because I could purchase it locally.  To do the tabletop and chairs, I used one can of paint with a little left over.  It can be tinted in thirteen different colors.  Not sure why you can’t pick from a color swatch, but that’s something for a seasoned veteran of chalkboard paint to ask, not me.  Oh rolling it with a small nap gives the best finish.

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Our Edventure 2011

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First off, just gotta say that if you haven’t used Groupon to get daily deals you are missing out.  If you are like me and have totally given up on scrapbooking because of sheer time consumption, then groupon is a great deal.  I’ve got a few groupons out right now to use towards photo books and I bought them for more than half the price!  Totally worth it to just throw pictures in, choose backgrounds and get up to date on our memories being recorded.  I know you scrapbooking purists are choking on your hot tea (who drinks hot tea in one hundred degree weather), but desperate times call for desperate measures.  So, please don’t guilt me into scrapbooking again, I’ve got enough guilt of my own.  Besides that, I get swagbucks for my Groupon deal which is a double rock. 

Anyway, we had a groupon for Edventure in Columbia, SC set to expire at the end of June.  We looked at, scrutinized, and finally figured out that the best time to go would be at the first of the month.

So, without further ado, here’s our trip to Edventure in pictures.

 Weather and News Reporters…
 Shopping!
 Even Ceili Rain was taken back by Liam’s astounding skills at grabbing everything he could get his hands on.

 Such a conscientious shopper
 Practicing being a farmer.
 I seriously turned these pictures right and checked them but they came out like this.  You know the drill…turn your head.
Fireman practice
 What’s cuter than one little Bry?  Two of them!  And they both know it!
 Sometimes it’s more fun to ride on the outside of the fire truck.

 Hey ladies, check out my wheels!  Oh yeah!
 Fireman Sam, no, Josiah!
 Turn your head again…That’s Ceili Rain in fireman gear from head to toe!
 Construction work.  Please note:no toddlers were harmed in the operation of this “heavy” equipment.

 Bryant was thoroughly impressed with his siblings construction skills.

And, please note, we are standing on the other side of the room.  Didn’t realize there was sound proof glass in the music room.  But I do know why! 

Did you notice my kids attire?  I finally gave in and at 8 o’clock the night before, was scouring Target looking for matching shirts.  I decided safety was the best way to go so everyone is in yellow.  How can you not spot a Bunch of Characters in yellow shirts, especially if one has strayed?  If you’ll notice, Ace is in a striped yellow shirt because, at 8:30 that evening after searching and changing my mind one hundred times, I gave up and let him wear a close-to-matching shirt.  However, that weekend I found a matching yellow shirt and now, all is right with the world.  Look for our bright yellows everywhere.  It’s going to be big people!

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But wait…there’s more

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We had an overabundance of injuries last week, and then this weekend brought on a completely new challenge.  Josiah started running a fever Saturday and then Sunday Zoe and I both went down with sore throats and fevers.  Josiah’s fever tapered off and did not require medicine on Sunday.  So, I thought, we were dealing with a normal virus.  When his rash continued, and I continued to feel horrible today, I decided to take Zoe and Josiah to get checked out.  Turns out, they have strep.  And so do I.  Antibiotics are started and I’m looking forward to a night full of sleep and a day away from the couch tomorrow.

Anyway, so here’s some more amazing pictures from Tracy while I recover.

Zoe girl is turning in to a beautiful young lady!

My Ace-Man is more handsome each day (and he looks just like his dad in case you were wondering)…he’s also a little sillier too!

The Liam Dude…full of spirit, passion, and those adorable blue eyes that will melt your heart!
 Mr. ‘Siah who no longer wants to be called ‘Siah but Josiah.
 Yeah, I’m not sure what this was about…but I think it’s absolutely adorable.  He’s got the cutest outie belly button out there (pun intended)

He’s so silly.  I had to just include multiple pictures of his goofiness.
And, our littlest princess who can bake a cake and kung fu fight…Ceili Rain.
“Enough of this.  My hiney hurts.”

 This is the result of too long getting pictures done and briding with cheerios on top of a mom and aunt making him look silly.  Yeah, I know it’s mean but it’ll be a great embarrassing picture for his fiance.

There’s Mr. Bryant.  All dolled up and adorable.  These last two were actually taken at the beginning of the shoot…hence, the happy faces.

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The result…

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 So, after finishing my skirt, and the girls’ dresses, we talked Tracy into taking our pictures again.  This time Mark got to tag along.  We were so worried because it rained on and off all morning.  We almost canceled several times, but then, just decided to go for it and, while everyone got a little muddy, we survived and got what we came for.

 And now, you can see the end results of my skirt experiment, or sort of can.  It really turned out much better than I expected.  I added a white cording on the bottom that just really did it (and kept me from having to hem it!).

So, we get one picture where all but Josiah have a happy face.

 And one where all but Liam have a happy face.  Oh well…at least you can see everyone’s face.

 I believe this will be our new header.  Aren’t they just too precious!?  Props goes to Tracy who edited out the stains that were on Ceili Rain’s leggings after she went sliding in some mud.

 The boy crew!

My Three Musketeers (D’Artagnan was eating dirt at this point).
 My precious princesses!

Don’t worry…there’s more (I know you are all sitting on pins and needles waiting to see them huh?).

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To the Parthenon!

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So, back to our convention/mission trip!  On the way home, Liam was acting like he had a little stomach bug but we needed to stop to lunch about the time I saw a sign for the Parthenon.  Now, please don’t think we made a wrong turn (and crossed a very big bridge!).

No, this is the replica that is in Nashville, Tennessee.  I’ve heard about it often and had never gotten a chance to see it (and I’ve only been to Nashville once so there ya go).  I convinced Mark that that would be a good place to eat.  And it was!  There was a huge park there and if Liam had felt better we might have gone to playground and inside the Parthenon.

However he didn’t and the park restroom stalls didn’t have doors and we were all a little creeped out by that.

So, we just walked around, picked up some cicada exoskeletons, and ate lunch.

 A statue we explored while Mark took Liam to potty…again.  I can’t remember who this was but look!

Josiah found a train…is anyone surprised???

Isn’t it beautiful?!  If you look closely at the first picture, you can see the Mark and the kids standing in the columns.  This replica was built for a World’s Fair Expo that was held in Nashville.

Thus ends our adventures the first of May…but wait…there’s more!

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Give me Liberty…

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Retreat Center in Gleason, TN.  Basically, in the middle of nowhere.  Well, actually, it’s near Paris…Tennessee.  Yeah, that’s about it.

Anyway, Mark and I have been discussing mission trips to take with the family.  There are several organizations that offer mission trips for families but at the cost of around $500 per person.  Yeah, you do the math.  Oh, I wouldn’t have to pay for nursing babes though…that’s $500 less.

So, we were brainstorming and remembered that we knew a family that ran a Christian retreat center.  Mark contacted them and he said there were a few things we could do around the place to help spruce it up before their summer season started. 

And off we went, (keep in mind that we had not been home since the homeschool conference).  It just so happens that we scheduled this trip after the big storms in April.  Thankfully, Liberty did not get hit with any tornadoes but they did have over twenty trees down just on the road to get to the driveway.  And on the driveway a big oak (I think) fell taking two more trees with it.  There was a ton of branches and such that needed to be picked up. 

There was also a trail and a challenge course all covered with large branches from all the storms.  All needing to be cleared so campers could use their facilities this summer.

So, we cleared.  And cleared.  And when the kids and I couldn’t take the heat and needed rest time, Mark cleared some more.

 The bunkhouse on the left and the conference center on the right.  These places were really nice.
 A view from the semi cleared trail.

 Josiah worked hard.  Ceili Rain did too.  At whining.  Ceili Rain didn’t seem to enjoy the sweat and branch picking up job so much.  She mostly just followed us around begging to be held.

 Ahhh, rest time.  And satellite tv.  No internet but we could watch PBS so all was right with the world.

 We didn’t just work, we also got to play.  Well, we got to watch others play.  The directors sons were playing baseball so we got to see the two oldests’ last game of the season.  This was the first baseball game we’ve taken the kids to.  They were more impressed with the clean up crew between games than the actual game.  I don’t think baseball is in their future.
 Liam tried to climb the 10 foot wall…
 And quickly found the ladder instead.
 Zoe really enjoyed this.
 I kept my balance briefly, ever so briefly.
 Liam decided he wanted down after climbing the ladder to the wall.  We just threw him over the side and let him drop.  Not really.  I helped him down the rope and Mark caught him at the bottom.
 The big oak that fell on the road (like that needed a description).  They already had some people come and clear out to drive around it.  But all the brush was left out and needed to be moved.
 Do you see the cross in the shadow.  Pretty!
 Yes, we all slept good at night.
 Clearing…
 More clearing…
 Ace likes a challenge.
 Zoe too.
 If you can’t pull it, might as well just climb on it.  The tree was struck by lightening right near the base of it, so we used that as a little science lesson and looked at the black left from it.

 This is where we moved all the brush.  Big ol’ bonfire is acomin’!

And as we worked, Ace’s keen eyes spotted this sitting on one of the logs…

 We took the kids in shortly after this.  Mark didn’t have a snake disarming tool at the time and when he did, it had slithered somewhere else.  We still haven’t looked it up, but we’re guessing it’s a baby copperhead.

 After all our hardwork and leaving…all the brush is cleared away.  Firewood is just waiting to be moved.
And Zoe and Ace enjoyed the three story tree house!
And we actually managed a great group shot all on our own.
Ya know, I worry every time we go somewhere that the kids might get bored if there’s nothing to do.  But, we had very little “entertainment” in a one bedroom cabin and they had a blast!  Lots of games inside and out that they made up and all.  Having beautiful weather so they could go out and climb and play was a big bonus too.
Oh, and our tick count was at four.  One on Josiah, one on Zoe, and two on Mark.  He won.  Not something to be proud of.  I’m still itching and checking!

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And, I’m back…sort of

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Still trying to get through my list and get ready to start up next week but this here’s startin’ somethings we’ve been up to this past month…

After the convention we traveled to Alabama and picked up the other half of our kid crew.  We enjoyed a short visit and stories about what they did while we were gone.

One of which included Liam refusing to eat baby carrots because he thought they were bay food!

Bryant loves getting cuddles!  Grandmere was a little fond of them too.

 The biggest treat for the older kids was a zipline Papa bought and installed.  That was one of the highlights of the weekend.

 Mark also made it a point to let Papa know that Josiah likes the dirt (he will literally roll in it at home).  So, Papa made sure Josiah got some dirt playing time in.

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Starting off…

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We had a busy couple of weeks recently.  So, be prepared for an eyefull!

To start off, we attended a convention (more on that tomorrow).  We took three children with us and left three to have some extra special Grandmere and Papa time.  And the highlight of the trip…

…the pool at the hotel.  It was a very, very small pool…but it was adequate for Bryant’s introduction to “bathing in clothes.”  He thoroughly enjoyed it, by the way.

His highlight though had to be this:

He met the cutest baby in the world!

 And showered him with lots of kisses.  He even talked to him a time or two.  And he talked back.  That was a treat for my littlest man (who, by the way, is gaining wait very well.  He’s up to 17 lbs 10 oz in two weeks).

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Bumps Bruises and Burns…Oh My!

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Last Monday night was date night.  And this is how it started…
Sunday, I’m a little queasy and not feeling quite right.  Mark felt the same on Saturday but after a few hours felt better and chalked it up to being out in the heat working.  We both dismiss it and decide to continue with our plans to go out.

Monday rolls around and I still don’t feel too well.  Mark’s a little queasy at this point but we both are determined to celebrate our 15 year dating anniversary. 

I decide to get fancy and actually cook on date night.  After the designated time in the oven the chicken wasn’t done, it was after 5 and I still had to feed Bryant.  I got Bryant “tanked up” ran to the closet to get dressed and left Mark to keep an eye on the chicken. 

As I’m trying to get ready, I heard a yell and thud and lots of commotion in the kitchen followed by Bryant’s cries.    I run in to see Zoe holding Bryant and Mark trying to get to him.

Bryant was sitting at the play kitchen having a good ol’ time.  Mark went to check on the chicken in the oven.  When he pulled it out (it was in a 9X13 dish on top of a cookie sheet), the cookie sheet slipped and tilted and the baking dish bumped out and fell on to the floor…and slid across the floor towards Bryant.  It slid, ya’ll.  Bryant was sitting a good distance away from the oven too.  Upon our examination, we thought he may have been burned on his leg.  That was not the case though.  But we didn’t find out until the next day.

While all this is going on, Liam yells at the top of his lungs and comes running down the hallway.  I think he’s just frustrated about something (because that’s the kind of kid he is) and sent him back to his room to cool off.  Bryant gets calmed down and I head to the closet to get myself ready.  Liam finally walks in while I’m putting on make-up and announces,
“I’ve got my self-control mommy.”
“Oh good babe.  What’s wrong?”
“I fell and hit my head on the metal thingy on Ace’s bed.”
 Believe it or not, I did stop what I was doing and give him a hug and talked to him quickly.  He was good to go.

About five minutes later we’re waving goodbye to the babysitter and the kids.  I hugged Liam and he flinched.  I rubbed his head and, sure enough, he had a goose egg on the back of his head.  He said it hurt but we checked for signs of a concussion and he had none.  That kid’s got a hard head.

Mark and I tried hard to have an enjoyable date.  And we did…when we weren’t moaning about how bad we felt or running to the bathroom. There’s no telling how many people we infected that night!

Tuesday morning dawned with me even more sick than before.  I got Bryant up to nurse him, in between bathroom trips, and noticed a nice blister on his hand.  He had not gotten burned on his leg but on his hand.  Since he had his nine month check up that day, I saved my call in to the doctor for another crisis.

Doctor B said it was a 2nd degree but it wasn’t deep, nor large enough to warrant a trip to the burn center.  They did their best to wrap it with gauze and treat it in house.  And we were told what to look for for an infection.  I was told to keep it wrapped up to prevent infection.  Dr. B also reassured us that those accidents happen and relayed a story of her toddler standing beside her and grabbing the iron that was a safe distance away.

And now I ask, do you know how to wrap a baby’s hand and how to keep the bandage on?  Because I do…now.  Here’s my secret:

See ya gotta wrap the gauze between his thumb and pointer finger.  And then around and then between his pinky and fourth finger and then around and then between his fourth and third finger and then around and then tape it.

But that’s not all.  All no!  That is not all.  The final touch…

A glove.
Oh, let’s just say it’s our tribute to the late “great” King of Pop!  And let me tell ya, that glove can, in no way, hinder this little man from climbing, eating, and doing other 9 month old things.
If that wasn’t enough.  Tuesday found us praying hard for our family and friends in Alabama.  We also praised God when one of the larger tornadoes missed our family by about five miles.
I’m not done.
Thursday night, Ceili Rain and I were playing.  I was laying down and she was in front of me.  She threw her head back (as only a toddler can do…full force of her body behind it) and whammed into my front tooth.  Luckily she didn’t catch the edge…just the main part.  So, no damage was done to her.  Just amazingly unbelievable pain to me.  After much calling and waiting, I was able to see a dentist on Friday and learn that it was just badly bruised and to be easy with it the next few days.  
I’m not done.
After returning from the dentist.  I was visiting with Tracy, who braved my children for a little while.  Zoe was downstairs doing cartwheels (a newly acquired skill).  We were up in the kitchen or somewhere.  We heard Zoe scream and run.  I went after her and she was laying on her bed hyperventilating.  Upon inspection, I found a nice gash in her side.  One of her cartwheels landed her on the wooden toy box and left a large scrap on her side.  Mark checked it out and we both noticed it wasn’t deep so we bandaged with tape and gauze and went on.
That night I went to take the tape off and saw red all around it.  We both panicked.  First thoughts, it’s blood…that much blood is not good, maybe we should take her to the er to have it stitched up.  Second thoughts, it’s a rash.  Zoe’s allergic to tape.  And finally, realization.  Zoe was wearing a pinkish red shirt.  The lint from the shirt stuck to the tape.  Phew!
And that was what we did last week.
On another wonderful note, we are over the stomach bug and it doesn’t seem to have taken anyone else hostage.  

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