1. A few weeks ago, I was singing to the babies as I fed them breakfast.
Ashley: O-klahoma where the wind comes sweeping down the plain
And the waving wheat, can sure smell sweet
when the wind comes right behind the rain.
O-klahoma every night my honey lemon lime.
Sit alone and talk . . .
Allen: You do realize you just sang that incorrectly, right?
Ashley: No, I didn't.
Allen: It's not 'my honey lemon lime.' I don't even think they had lemon limes back then.
Ashley: What is it then?
Allen: My honey lamb and I.
Ashley: Seriously? How did I not know that? I've been singing it wrong my whole life.
Allen: Please don't teach the boys your version, Ash.
Ashley: Is there really such a thing as a lemon lime?
Allen: I don't know. Ask your mom. But I wouldn't tell her the reason you are asking....
2. My little Brody had surgery last Friday (July 23) to remove a small lesion on his head. It was a dermoid cyst, but the pediatric surgeon was glad we removed it. It was larger and deeper than the ultrasound showed and was eroding his skull. He's on the mend and doing well but needless to say, we've had a bit of a crankster on our hands. I sure do think he looks handsome and tough with his war wound though! My little man is such a trooper!
My best friend, Leah, came into town from Houston for the surgery. Bless her heart. I needed her for emotional support, and it was nice to have her around to help juggle both of the boys while Brody was recovering. Thanks, friend. The boys already miss their Aunt Leah, and we already miss your help! HA! Come back soon! You are the bestest, and I love you the mostest!
3. Mason started walking with a walker. He is getting so brave and takes about ten or twelve steps on his own and then crashes. It won't be long before he is truly mobile. Watch out world; here he comes! He also has two more upper teeth coming in and has been Sir Drools A Lot.
4. I received a text from Allen at work the other day that made me laugh out loud: "Just caught Mason swishing toilet with wooden spoon." I used that same spoon to serve my little buddy dinner. Kidding!
5. I've recently learned some hard lessons on keeping my mouth shut. Not easy for an opinionated person like myself, but a lesson that needed to be learned, nonetheless.
6. We are on the road to planning Mason and Brody's first birthday party. I know this first year is more about the parents than the babies, but I am getting excited about it!
7. Work is about to get even more insanely busy than it has been. And Allen goes back to pre-school activities next week. I have a feeling we're both going to be exhausted before we even get to next week. HA!
8. My mom has volunteered to watch the boys for us this school year. (She may retire after Christmas after watching them five days a week) Can you even imagine how amazing she is? Can you even consider how much money we'll be saving and how much extra attention and love they will get? Can you even imagine how worn out SHE is going to be? Thank you, mom, for your never-ending support. You are so amazing. The boys are lucky to have you as their Mimi.
9. Can I just tell you how much my Mason and Brody are loved? From the small-to-you but huge-to-us acts of kindness (sweet cards, meals to the house, toys and clothes) to the large donations of time (babysitting, laundry and ironing, keeping the boys overnight, help on the weekends), we are thankful to have so many people to love on our little fellas. We are proud of them, and they are easy to share because they are so fun!
10. I'm so behind on many of my DVRd shows! I love to watch Hell's Kitchen, So You Think You Can Dance, and Cake Boss. I'm about four weeks behind on all these shows (and a few more) which sometimes seems pretty overwhelming. I just figure the most important things are being taken care of right now- my boys and my sleep.
11. I have to give props to my husband. I cannot tell you how amazing Allen is with our boys. He is so involved, knows their schedule, changes their diapers, bathes them, makes bottles, empties the dishwasher with the boys hanging all over him, laughs with them, sings to them, rocks them, and loves all them. Mason and Brody are lucky to have a father so involved with every aspect of their lives. I know some of our friends have admitted they only wished their husbands would help as much, and I know how lucky I am to have him! Love you, babe! Keep up the great work.
12. Man alive I am having a difficult time keeping up with the adult meals at our house. We need cheap and easy and fast. If I don't have a meal ready by the time the boys finish eating (at about 5:15), forget dinner for us! We have been spending way too much money eating out, both at restaurants and take out, and we need to do better. I usually cook on the weekends because I have the time, but during the week is a different story. If/When we eat at home, we often end up eating peanut butter, a salad, TV dinners, soup from a can, or leftovers from the weekends. It gets boring rather quickly. Anyone have any fast and cheap recipes? I'm totally open to ideas.
Mason:
Brody:
14. Mason and Brody are becoming more and more aware of each other. We love it!
P.S. I know the pictures have issues and some are larger than others. I've re-sized and uploaded about five times and need help because I obviously can't figure it out myself. Argh! Sorry!
I know I get to watch about an hour of TV a week.
I know I use my phone to "check out" when I need down time.
I know I need to learn to say "No."
