Christmas

Just a quick update since it's been awhile. The Braunschweig's had a really great Christmas and New Year's. Lots of fun family time with Jason been off work and we also got to spend time with a lot of family and friends. Looking back on it just makes me realize that although it was busy, we can't complain when we have so many people to spend our time with. We are so blessed!

We were able to have an early Christmas get-together at Jason's parents place. The highlight was seeing the look on Ty's face when he finally got a snuggie (thank you Aunt Heidi!)...and it even came with matching socks! Score!

We got to spend Christmas Eve at Grandpa Dean's. These are the amazing blankets Grandpa and his GF Linda made for the boys. Truly a gift the boys (and I) will treasure forever.

The other gift we have been "treasuring" is Super Mario Bros. We are addicted!

That same day we went over to Jason's aunt and uncles for another Christmas party. Jack was over-tired and super cranky. I was so glad he napped while so we could enjoy the White Elephant gift exchange, which was hilarious, as always. Especially those snazzy Depends, who knew they could be so stylish? ;)

Christmas morning came early after our long, but fun day, but we had so much fun opening presents with the boys, and wishing Jesus a very happy birthday!

Tyson, Dylan and Jack, you are the best present this mom could ever have. I love you!

I heart Sam's

I remember 7 years ago, strolling the aisles of Sam’s Club with my with Jason and my baby boy, thinking that Sam’s Club is nice, but not worth the money. Formula and Diapers weren’t cheaper even if bought in bulk. What is the point?

I now have three, okay four hungry boys to feed. Oh my, how times have changed.

We all went there tonight and sadly got a little too excited about the trip. Deals, deals, deals!

Being the bargain shopper that I have become, I have a plan. I will jot down prices of things like cereal, snacks, toilet paper, paper towels, etc. and the weights and get down to crunching the numbers, comparing Sam’s bulk prices to “regular” sizes. The deals will graduate to my new “Sam’s List”

What makes it even better is that I managed to get a membership for free. Sweeeet!

Plus who doesn’t love the free samples? My boys sure did. Cheesecake bite? Sure. Granola Bar? Don’t mind if I do.

For fellow Sam’s Club members: What do you buy there? How often do you go? Do you compare prices and know that you are getting a good deal? Some of the stuff didn’t seem like it would be.

Yes, this may seem like a boring, random blog subject to some of you. But exciting for me, and it’s my blog, so there you go.

Productive?

So I finished my blog post this morning inspired to get some stuff done around here! Shorten that list! That's when I remembered Tyson had a dentist appt this morning. Since Jason was sleeping I needed to take all the boys. This was not a good start to my "productive" day. I got Tyson off to school (he enjoyed that pop tart by the way), came home, fed the other two, made myself halfway presentable, and headed out the door to pick Ty up and get him to the dentist. Rushed him back to school just in time for him to eat lunch, came home and got Dylan and Jack lunch. Visited with the hubby for about a minute, and crashed since I couldn't hardly keep my eyes open. Got up and started making dinner. Jason was playing w/ the older two outside (they built the cutest snowman) and I listened to Jack whine the entire time I tried to cook. Jason and the boys came inside and we decided I should take Jack into urgent care. Our ear thermometer was not registering a fever but he definitely had one and was pretty upset. So Jason finished dinner and off to the doctor we went.


This is where my day goes from "ugh" to "you have got to be kidding me". 


I wasn't thinking and got there at 5:15. They told me U.C. didn't open until six (duh Jenn!) and I wouldn't be able to come back inside until then. So I took Jack back to the van and turned on a DVD for him and waited. The parking lot started to get full and at about 5:45 a man got out of his car and walked right in the door. So then everyone else in the parking lot decided to go in as well and get in line. Jack and I finally get out and I am like sixth in line!!! What? I was there at 5:15. Ugh. It took forever. I was there until 7:00 and Jason was super late to work b/c I still needed to pick up his medicine at Hy-Vee. I should have been home, Iwas there first (picture me stomping my feet and saying "no fair!" b/c that is exactly how I felt)


So yeah, this day did not go as I planned.


BUT, are you ready for the silver lining? :)


I WAS productive. I did accomplish very important things. Tyson needed to have his tooth fixed and I am so grateful that we took Jack in. We found out he had a temp of 101.8, a double ear infection, and strep. I am so grateful for my husband for taking care of the kids while I had to be away, he made dinner and had it all cleaned up. And of course I am thankful for that nap!


My job is to take care of my kids, they are what is important. Not cleaning, baking, and wrapping presents. Thank you Lord for my day. You are so good to me.

For Tina :)

Well readers, I have been absent from not only my blog, but the computer in general these last two weeks. Okay, that is not entirely true. It is so very easy to log on to Facebook for three minutes and check what's going on, but I haven't taken the time to sit down and update my blog. For two reasons really...1) I have been busy Christmas Shopping and 2) I am overanalyzing what to write about. Does anyone else do that? This blogging is all new to me, what do people really want to read about?

So today, I am just writing. Rambling is probably what it will be. 

I had expectations for myself for today, the start of the week: cleaning, baking, and wrapping presents. All to prepare for the holiday this weekend. 

But then Jack decides to wake up at 5am. Yawn. Who wants to tackle the day tired. Coffee doesn't even do it for me anymore, other than keep my eyes open. So we will see what today will bring. I will try to focus my thoughts on something other than how I want to take a nap when Jason wakes up. (and yes stay-at-home-moms, I do know how nice it is that my husband is home during the day)

Maybe writing this post was meant to be. Maybe it will hold me accountable for being productive today even if I am tired. Yes, that is it! I will check in to let all you bloggers know how busy I've been today! 

So someone go take a nap for me today, okay? I am off for a coffee refill and to make a stellar Pop Tart breakfast for Tyson.

Being Thankful...Always.

It has been quite a time here at the B household since I last posted. When I decided to take away Jack's pacifier, he in turn decided to get a cold. It wasn't anything major at first, but after about a week the "cold" just went from "a runny nose", to "what happened!?" He got a horrible ear infection, fever and cough...and his nose turned into Niagra Falls, which in turn chapped his cheeks and made his nose so sore it bled. The poor kid didn't sleep for two weeks.

I am happy to say I never gave in to the pacifier. Oh, I wanted to, but every time I was tempted I just told myself that it would get better. That he wouldn't be able to breathe with that thing in his mouth anyway.

I found myself very stressed during the day because he was just plain sick and tired. Oh, the sleep deprivation we endured. But the stress also came from that being able to do much to console him. I think whether he knew it or not, he wanted that pacifier to comfort him.

So it has been a rough two weeks, but we got through it. He still cries when I lay him down, but not for too long anymore, and that too shall pass. 

The whole reason I wanted to write this post is to share a verse that saved me this last week: 

"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

• Rejoice Always. Always. There is always something positive to shift our focus on, and wow does that help!
• Pray Continually. Yep, that means all the time.
• Give Thanks in every situation you are in. What a great reminder! There was so much to be thankful for even with Jack being so upset (a.k.a. crying a lot!)

Thank you that I get to be home to take care of my sick child. Thank you he isn't more sick. Thank you that I have a husband that is at home during the day so I can take a nap. Thank you that my two older boys are so good for me. Thank you that one little verse can mean so much. Thank you Lord, you are so good, even when life isn't that great. 

This is totally a coincidence that this is being written less than a week before Thanksgiving. :) But maybe it's a perfect verse for others to meditate this week, and always. Always.

Bye Bye Binky

Well, after spending the last year of my life "repacifying" my child in the middle of the night, enough is enough! The pacifier MUST GO. It was nothing other than pure and utter frustration that motivated me to "just do it already!" We are only on day two but I am so glad I have one and a half days under my belt. There is no turning back now!

Day one was rough. It doesn't help that the poor guy has a cough/cold. I almost used this as an excuse not to do it, but it seems like there is ALWAYS an excuse, so I wouldn't let it sway me from what I needed to accomplish. We both need a full night's sleep. I couldn't be sidetracked my a runny nose. He was pretty grumpy all day yesterday, but we got through it. He slept decent last night (decent for him) and he is a much happier boy today. I have heard that he will forget about the binky sooner than I think, and I hope that is true.

I do see us being a binky-free family in the future and this has been a long time coming. This may be such a boring post to read but it consumes me, therefore for today, consumes my blog. :)