Britany's Blog

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Britany's Blog

Writing at the speed of life

One More Week!

by | Mar 27, 2023 | Family Life, Repost, The House


(This blog post was originally published on another site just a week before we moved into our current home, February 23, 2008.)

I just have a minute but wanted to post a couple of updates this morning:

1. Brad arrived home last night, safe & sound, but very tired! He was a happy camper this morning when the boys all pounced on him to wake him up. He missed them (us) all very much.
2. Our builder called yesterday morning to tell me that we passed our final inspection and got our Certificate of Occupancy!!!! He later called back to tell me he was able to get our garage cleaned out so we can start moving boxes into the garage today! I’m headed over there with the boys as soon as I can get dressed.
3. Rates remained unchanged yesterday so we still haven’t locked. We’re holding our breath…

I’ll probably have more pictures to post tonight. Meanwhile, less than one week to moving day!!!

We spent yesterday packing, cleaning, and making trips to the new house with boxes. Brad thinks we got about 1/3 of the boxes from storage moved, plus a bunch from the house. So we’re making a little headway.

We made it to early service this morning. It was my first time in church in a while. I think it has been a month since I made it to a service, with all the illness in the family and Brad’s travel schedule. Now I get to stay home again this afternoon, as Samuel is sick. I am pretty sure it’s an ear infection again. In fact, we’re wondering if maybe the last one was never completely knocked out. Anyway, they said he slept for the entire 2 hours he was at church this morning. On the floor, no less!!! His temp when we got home was 101.6 and when I asked him which ear hurt, he consistently pointed to his left ear. He was complaining to me about that ear on the way to church, but I had no reason to think it was anything serious. Now I can legitimately take him to the doctor tomorrow. Brad’s sleeping, too, right now. By the time we were in the car, he had a splitting headache and chills. I am hoping he’s just exhausted and sleep will cure him. Anyway, now it’s my turn to try to catnap while the boys are quiet. I thought I might work on my computer, but I’m too tired.

As I look around here, I have to stop and reflect on what Brad said to me last night: Every day this week will be our last of that day in this house. So this is our last Sunday here. We’ve lived here since September of 1999 – almost nine years now. I think we were probably house hunting in Feb/Mar of ’99, then they started construction in May, I think – right at the end of the month. So much has happened since we moved here. This recliner I’m sitting in was purchased when I was pregnant with Peter, so I could rock the baby out here in the living room. I nursed all three boys sitting right here. I remember the day we brought Peter home from the hospital, to sleep in the bassinet by our bed. A lot has happened since we moved in here. A lot of water under the bridge, and a whole lot of memories. It’s weird to think that someone else will be living here, but I think I’m finally ready. I know I’m going to cry some (maybe a lot), but I’m ready to see what the next phase of our lives is going to bring. I know God has big plans for us. Maybe not so much for me and Brad, but for our boys. They are each amazing in their own way, so brilliant and intelligent, talented and creative – God must really have something great planned out for them. I am looking forward to watching God bring it about.

Now, because I literally cannot hold my eyes open another second, I’m going to stop waxing nostalgic and sign off. Please pray for us this week if God brings us to mind. We really just want our lives to bring God pleasure. Thanks.

I’m All About The Dog

by | Mar 26, 2023 | Repost, Snickers The Wonder Dog, The Dog

(Originally published in 2011)

I have good news and bad news.  The good news is that Snickers has finally slept through the night (HURRAY!!!).  The bad news is that I’m about to write yet another post about our (my) new dog.

I know.  What’s so special about this dog?  I’m glad you asked!

First of all, after only a week, she’s almost potty trained.  That’s faster than any of my kids potty trained.  Also, she never complains about what I feed her.  In fact, I’m constantly working to keep her from eating the mulch from our flowerbed, pieces of trash that blow into our yard, and our bushes.  So dog food is a nice change in her diet. Again, this is more than I can say for any of my kids.

She is very willing to please.  She only bites me 3-4 times before drawing blood and getting a swat on the nose.  (Kind of like my kids, well, except for the drawing blood and getting a swat on the nose part.)

She goes to her room, er, kennel without complaint, and all I have to give her is a doggie treat.

She likes to curl up and sleep on my lap.  (Of course, my kids did that as babies, too.)

She’s easy to please.  Just give her a rope and play tug-of-war and she’s happy for hours.

Finally, she willingly poses for pictures (see below).  My kids either hide when they see a camera or do something ridiculous that they think makes them look cool (again, see below).

Next time I will try to write about something other than the dog.  Like my kids…and how they are scared of the dog.  Or how our household has changed since the dog came to live with us.  Or our summer vacation (we’re taking the dog).  Maybe you’ll get lucky and I’ll post about the Mockingbird family that’s living in our backyard instead.  

What can I say?  I guess I’m an animal lover at heart.

The Mouse

by | Nov 12, 2022 | Archived, Cute kids!, Family Life, Repost, school, The Artistic, The Family, The Kids, The Samuel

(This was originally posted 10/16/2008)

Well, I was going to be all cute and tell you the name of this pumpkin/mouse that Peter made – but I can’t remember it! I want to say “Rumpelstiltskin,” but it’s more like “Somebody Stilton.”

Anyway.

This was a project Peter had to do for school, in addition to his first book report (which his teacher let him type! He was ecstatic!) The main character is this character (who shall remain nameless because, well, I can’t remember his name):

The peppermints are his glasses which sit on his nose. Peter would NOT let me use the glue gun to help him make this character, although I think hot glue might have been an improvement on the scotch tape.

And I’m not much of a fan of hot glue. I think it goes back to my growing up years (Will & Bethany, can you give a witness here?). Mom was all about the hot glue gun. Need a button sewn on? Why sew when you can just hot glue it? But in this case, I would have been willing to risk the inevitable smell of burning skin that happens when I heat up ye old glue gun. Because I’m nothing if not a self-sacrificing mother.

I heard that, children.

Now on to my other new pics – additional proof that I AM a self-sacrificing mother! Also, a stir-crazy, need-a-break-from-my-own-four-walls mother. I give you [imagine trumpet fanfare, please] PLANET PIZZA!

I think my favorite part was the bumper cars. As much as I love my own kids, you have to admit that little girlfriend K. looks like a rock star in her black bumper car!

Traveling Fun with Brad

by | Nov 10, 2022 | Family Life, Gratitude, Sleep, The Absurd

This article was originally written and posted on May 29, 2019.  I’m reposting it here for your enjoyment!

My husband travels a lot.  A LOT a lot.  It is currently May, and he has already accrued 55,618 miles this year.  And that’s not including the flight he is currently on, which is coming from overseas and is scheduled to land in about an hour and a half.  We have over a million “award miles” just waiting to take our family somewhere exotic this summer (that is, if one of us gets her butt in gear and plans the trip!).

So when Brad got a phone call from American Airlines with the news that he had been granted the coveted “ConciergeKey℠” level by American Airlines, neither of us was surprised.  ConciergeKey℠ is a secret level that AA doesn’t advertise, but reserves for the most frequent fliers.  We knew about it because several of Brad’s co-workers have achieved this status, but since they don’t advertise it, no one knows how to qualify.  One day, they just got the call.

There are supposedly a lot of perks for “CK” but Brad had not seen many of them – until yesterday, that is.  Yesterday, my husband and I learned there is another world that exists, and for a few brief hours, he was a part of it.

If you stand in the right place, you can see that the apartment walls don’t go to the ceiling.  I guess that’s probably a safety issue.

He had his own personal chef who wanted to make him something off the menu!

My mother had a saying when we were growing up.  When we were behaving in a way that was socially awkward, Mom would say, “We’re just country come to town!” with her best southern drawl.  Well, I’m afraid Brad was acting like “country come to town” last night, and I was experiencing it with him, virtually!

I could put more of his pictures here, but I think this video does a better job:

 

Does The Crazy Ever Stop???

by | Nov 8, 2022 | Family Life

I’ve always said that if someone were to observe some of what happens around here, they would not believe it.

For instance, this happened last week: 

 

Yes, that is indeed a mouse/rat floating on our pool cleaner, trying not to drown. In our pool. How does that happen? I mean, did the dogs chase it and it blindly ran into the pool, then managed to pull itself up onto the pool cleaner one tiny paw at a time?  Does it think it’s safe now???  Or did it just meander out onto the thing and realize too late that it was a BAD IDEA.  

Because I hate to be the one to say it, but there isn’t going to be a happily ever after for this creature.  In fact, shortly after I took this picture, Brad came out with the pool net and disposed of it.

And that’s all I’m going to say about that.

 

 

 

An Ode To The Fourth Day Of School

An Ode To The Fourth Day Of School

by | Sep 29, 2022 | The Family

This post was originally written and posted on my personal blog on August 27, 2009.  When I came across it today, it made me laugh so I thought I would repost it here.

I wish I were a poet because I have such random thoughts rolling around in my head and if I could fit them all together, they might make me rich and famous. But since they might make me a candidate for the funny farm instead, I will use someone else’s creativity.

I have seen this many times before, but for some reason, it just fits today perfectly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0ZpuA8_YYkb 

In case your kids are not school-aged yet (God bless you, the poopy diapers WILL END, I promise!) or are long past it, here’s a quick reminder of life in the school zone:

6:45 am – wake kids up, deal with the clothing drama (“Why can’t I wear my airplane sweater to school today? Just because it’s going to be 105 today? I’m ALWAYS cold!!!”). Deal with Nintendo drama (WHY can’t I play for 2 minutes? WHY is there a rule that we can’t play Nintendo before school?). Deal with hair drama. Deal with brushing your teeth drama. So on and so forth. Pack lunches. Remember backpacks. Drive carpool. Try not to be late on your first week of school. There will be plenty of time for that later.

8 am – drop kids off and come home to begin sorting through the MOUNDS of paperwork that has already come home from school, much of which requires my signature and sundry other information.

Spend the free time I have dealing with the four-year-old drama while constantly reminding myself of how sad I will be when he starts school.

During naptime, sit down and reply to some emails. But then remember that everyone is running out of clean clothes and so end up spending naptime dealing with the – I kid you not – 10 plus loads of laundry per week.

After school is a plethora of lessons, practices, and sibling drama. Everyone is tired and cranky, and so it becomes a survival of the fittest scene until bedtime, at which time the kitchen must be tackled.

Not that I’m bitter or anything. Just exhausted. And badly in need of a maid. And possibly an intervention from that gal from Super Nanny. 

May I just add that the little four-year-old in the picture is now a 17-year-old, 6′ tall, Junior in High School with feet that look like canoes?  The other two are in college and believe it or not, I really miss those days when they were little.  Maybe the next post I write will be about stopping to appreciate your particular stage of life because you will never be there again! 

© Britany's Blog 2023