Wordless Wednesday

Boy vs. Claw

What kind of terrible mother lets her son get more than halfway into a claw toy vending machine before she even notices?! Ahem, that would be me! Last night, my son (being the typical curious little monkey that he is) crawled into a claw machine at BWB (Buffalo Wings and Beer). That's right, where all good mother's take their toddlers to eat! Stick with me here. Before we left, Uncle B was trying one last time to win Little B a toy from the claw machine. While Big B, Becca, and I were all gathered around the machine trying to legitimately win a prize, my naughty little spirited child thought he would take matters into his own hands and try climbing into the machine to pick a prize. Thank God Becca noticed that Little B was almost to the point of no return and Big B was able to quickly yank him out. Oh my Josh-ness! What am I going to do with that kid?!

Sadly, I wasn't able to get a picture of his little legs sticking out of the machine to post on the blog, what with worrying about him getting stuck and all :o) Here is a video of some other kid getting stuck in a claw machine!

Christmas fun with cousins!

Sadly, the Law family will not be joining us this year on Christmas. I suppose it is only fair that we share them with their other extended family, but they will surely be missed around Pops and Nana's Christmas tree. So for a little pre-Christmas fun, Brennan made the long trek to Ballston (Arlington, VA) with me today so he could visit with his cousins and have a mini gift exchange. Don't tell Pops though. He does not believe in opening presents before Christmas :o)

I was at work, but I heard that the cousins had a fun visit and Brennan was on his best behavior. I don't have any fun pictures, but B's Aunt LiLi was sure to capture a couple. They can be seen here.

You'll notice that Brennan has a nice boo-boo on his chin. He had took a little spill at my Aunt and Uncle's open house on Sunday and split his chin open. I had only told him four times not to run on the hardwood floors in his socks. Perhaps if I had told him a fifth time he would have listened! Fortunately, the emergency room was nearly empty when we arrived, so they took us right back and patched him up. Kids - never a dull moment! 

Hammett Boy

Since his birth, I've gotten tons of comments on how much little B resembles my father (Pops), my brothers, and myself. As he has grown, he has started to resemble his daddy a little more (usually when he's being naughty!). However, on this particular day, Nana caught him acting like a Hammett. You see, most members of the Hammett family have some sort of musical talent -- this skipped over me and a few others, but I won't name names!!

Look at the concentration on his angelic little face! We Pops will definitely have to work on B's form, but I think he shows real promise. You know, for a two(almost three) year old! Pops, do you have any experience dealing with left-handed, hyperactive, easily distracted children?!

"Not me!"

It's that time again. Check out MckMama's blog (the inventor of "Not me!" Monday) to read the funny tales of a mommy with 4 kids who are ages 4 and under!

I am not posting my "Not me's!" that I typed last Monday only to have Google Blogger freeze up and prevent me from posting them. This most certainly is not because I can't really think of anything witty or funny to post that has happened since last Monday!

I did not give my niece a cookie half of a cookie while I was babysitting last night (now over a week ago!) in order to keep her from crying when Mommy and Daddy left. I did not proceed to teach said niece fun words/phrases like "Spike-a-licious" and "How embarrassing!". Her baby brother's nickname is "Spike", and the "How embarrassing!" is to tease her Mommy :o)

I so did not just use the super-cool strikethrough that I learned from MckMama's blog just to prove I can :o)

It did not reach 70 degrees today. This is December for crying out loud. We should be doing our Christmas shopping in freezing cold weather while sipping cocoa, not iced lattes!  Speaking of, I did not practically finish my shopping over the weekend. I am a self-proclaimed procrastinator who does not finish Christmas shopping until Christmas Eve!

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Ok, Lisa! I did not just post this blog to get you off my back!

Wow!

I gave my blog a little face lift and I must say, it's looking marvelous (if I do say so myself!). Hope you like the new look.

It's been a fairly uneventful week for us. Well, aside from B being sick...and having an "incident" with B's betta fish in the middle of the night (more details on "Not me! Monday")...and being super busy at work (come on people, it's almost Christmas!). But other than that, not much to report.

We're not even a week into December, and Brennan has managed to sit on Santa's lap twice already. We don't really push the whole Santa thing, so I think in B's little mind seeing Santa in public is just like seeing Mickey at Disney World. He's seen them on TV, so he doesn't mind saying 'hi'. I also think he enjoys the free goodies that come from talking to Santa. So far he's gotten a candy cane and two big tootsie rolls. Of course, I didn't have a camera on me either time so this picture from my phone will have to do:

Rebel FOR a Cause!

I'm sure that it's no secret by now what a HUGE fan I am of MckMama's blog. When MckMama and her husband were told that their unborn son would surely die after birth, they decided to give their son completely to God and carry him to term. Their son was born totally healed and is a healthy one-month old. MckMama is using her story to touch the lives of others in a major way. By purchasing a "raffle-way" (raffle/giveaway) ticket, your donation will go to raise support for String of Pearls, No Hands But Ours, and The Elison Project. It will also give you a chance to win a Canon Rebel XSi and a slew of other fabulous prizes.

Check out MckMama's blog (http://www.mycharmingkids.net/) for more details.

"Not me!" Monday

It's that time again! In following MckMama's footsteps, it's time for me to be brutally honest and live to tell about it. I'm definitely not a perfect mommy or wife, and here's proof!

For starters, I did not watch my son move his step stool from the bathroom into the kitchen in order to help himself to a pack of smarties at 5:15 am as I was preparing to leave for work. I am certain he did not get the idea that this is an ok practice because I once gave him yogurt and smarties before I left for work in order to keep him from crying and screaming for me to stay with him. Even if he had gotten his own smarties, I most certainly did not allow him to get away with it because I feel guilty for leaving him.

I did not leave my house at 4:30 am to go to Wal-Mart on Black Friday. Only crazy people go to Wal-Mart on Black Friday! I did not leave approximately 20 minutes after arriving because there were fights breaking out and police officers being attacked.

Even if I had gone shopping on Black Friday, I did not get Brennan two pairs of jeans, a sweatshirt, three sets of pajamas, and a long sleeve shirt for $29!

In closing, I would like to add that my house does not still have pumpkins sitting in front of it while every other house in the neighborhood has Christmas trees or lights. I would not justify this by stating that at least the rotten ones have been thrown into the woods. Like that would make it ok to have pumpkins out in December!

Nope, not me!

Thanksgiving Day Fun!

Here are some photos of our Thanksgiving Day fun. We spent the day at with my paternal grandparents which is only about 20 minutes from our home. We had a really fun time and had the chance to visit with several Aunts and Uncles. I could be mistaken, but I'm fairly certain that this is the first Thanksgiving dinner Big B has been able to attend since he graduated from boot camp in 2004. And, even though he's been living in our guest room, we're thrilled he's home :o)

Little B and Big B

Momma and B

Watching the beautiful sunset over the Potomac River

Cousinly love!

Thanksgiving 2008 - Top 10

We would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! Don't forget to take time to reflect on the true meaning of Thanksgiving - counting your blessings and thanking God for them. Even with all of the political and economical drama that surrounds us, we are so blessed compared to the majority of the world. This year, here are the top 10 things for which I am truly thankful (in no particular order!):

1. A God who loves me with an unconditional love I don't deserve;

2. A hardworking, loving husband;

3. A happy, healthy, bouncing boy;

4. My Momma who has the love and patience to care for my baby boy;

5. My Dad who always finds the energy to give B a ride on his shoulders - even after working in 100 degree heat all day;

6. My in-laws who are always willing and able to watch their grandson - even on short notice;

7. Big B making it safely back to St. Mary's County;

8. A warm, cozy place to call home;

9. Food in my pantry;

10. The freedoms I have as an American and the soldiers who died to give me those freedoms.

There are so many more, but you get the idea! Anything that you are thankful for this year?

Another "Not me!" Monday

That's right folks, it's time for another "Not me!" Monday post. Be sure to check out MckMama's blog to read about the things she didn't do over the past week. Speaking of MckMama, she is trying to reach as many people as possible to create hype for String of Pearls, so pass her blog information to your friends.

As for me, I most certainly did not skip a week of "Not me!" Monday simply because I was too lazy to blog!

I did not manage to buy B a new coat, a new hat, two pairs of "glubs", "glub" holders, and a popcorn tin for $26 at Wal-Mart. Do such deals still exist?!

I did not eat half of a slice of almond pound cake as a pre-breakfast snack.

I did not finally get a week's worth of grocerys for under $50 ($49.68 to be exact) after (unsuccessfully) attempting to do so for several weeks. I also did not manage to do so after keeping track of my purchases on a calculator only to clear the total before I finished shopping.

I did not watch Wall-E five times since Friday because that is B's new favorite movie.

How about you? What did you not do this past week?

Nana's Daycare!

Lil B has a new friend at Nana's Daycare...

...it's Cousin Waylon!

Actually, it's more like B's Mommy's Cousin April's son Waylon, but we'll let B call him "Cousin Waylon" because it's a little easier! Lil B likes having Waylon around and enjoys helping Nana care for the little fella. Nana is a very patient woman!

Time for another "Not me!" Monday

Be sure to check out MckMama's blog to read about the origins of "Not me!" Monday and see what she didn't do over the past week.


As for me, I did not spend approximately 48 hours in sweatpants with no make-up on and my hair in a ponytail over the weekend. Sick or not, my hygiene comes first!

I did not go an entire week without posting cute pictures/videos/updates of my sweet little boy. After all, that is the point of a having a blog.

I did not tell my son to "be good and watch tv" so that I could try to grab a cat nap on Saturday. I am a mom and as such I know that I am not allowed to be sick!

How about you? Anything that you did not do this week that you would dare to share?!
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Speaking of cute videos of my son, here is a long-overdue cute clip of him trick-or-treating at his Pops and Nana's house:

Another "Not Me!" Monday

For the original story behind "Not me!" Monday, head on over to MckMama's blog. Here is a list of things I did not do this past week (I don't care what you've heard!):

- I did not devour an iced sugar cookie while hidden in the kitchen so as not to been seen by my son. After all, that would be childish!

- I did not stalk MckMama's blog awaiting news on baby Stellan. I mean, I do have a life...don't I?!

- I most certainly did not turn my alarm off at 4:30 am this morning and proceed to sleep for another 30 minutes. I did not - wake up in a panic at 5:00 am; still manage to shower, find clean clothes, and throw my hair up in a clip; throw all of the contents of my car in the trunk; do a 6-point turn to get out of my driveway; stop and get gas, and still make it to the carpool lot on time. I mean, that's not even humanly possible, is it?!

- I did not actually make a list of things that I didn't do so that I would have something to blog about. I mean, that would be silly!

What about you? Anything you did not do that you want to be "bruatally honest and live to tell about"?

Like Father, Like Son!

Yup - he's dressed up like Daddy for Halloween! Well, it depends on when you ask him really...

Around the beginning of October, Josh and I started asking B what he wanted to be for Halloween. Every time we asked, B told us "Daddy". We had B's Sammy (Josh's mom -- who is a far better seamstress than I could ever wish to be) take one of Josh's old uniforms and make it Brennan size. So B was all set to dress like Daddy for Halloween. Then a few days ago, when asked what he will be for Halloween, B responded that he was going to be "Chris". Thankfully, Chris works with Josh so no costume change was needed!

What a compliment to Josh (and Chris!) to be so admired by a little guy. And what a reminder of how the things we do and say have a huge impact on little people.

Have a fun and safe Halloween!

Halloween Sneak Peek!

Here's a peek of Lil B in his Halloween costume:

Can you guess who he is?!?

My Very First "Not Me!" Monday

Be sure to check out MckMama's blog to see where this very therapeutic practice started!

This past week, I most certainly did not:

- Allow my son to wear his Cars slippers out and about town because he wanted to wear them and I didn't have the energy to argue with him.

- Stay up until 1:45 am Saturday morning painting our guest room because I didn't want B helping me.

- Laugh uncontrollably after my son knocked a pumpkin off of the porch (instead of disciplining him) as it rolled all the way down our driveway and into the cul-de-sac. After all, I wouldn't want him to think that sort of behavior is acceptable.

- Wake up this morning and decide that my hair is clean enough from yesterday's shower; proceed to touch it up with a curling iron and leave for work - knowing that I had to stand up in front of a group of new employees and talk to them about conflicts of interest! Nope, not me!

So, what did you not do over the past week?!

An old friend

A couple of weeks ago B had a visit from an old friend, YuYu (aka "Fiona"). YuYu played hooky from preschool to visit with B for the day and they had a ball together. Here are some pictures from the reunion:

Are you ready for some football?!

B is! This isn't the best photo because it was taken with my phone, but you get the basic idea. B found his knee pads in the toy box the other day and insisted that I help him put them on so he could "play football". He's such a funny little monkey!

Summer 2008 in Review

Now that summer is officially over and the orangeness and crispness of fall is upon us, I thought I would share a quick video featuring snapshots of B thoughout the summer. Enjoy!

B's Summer 2008

Happy Birthday, Josh!

B and I would like to wish Josh a very happy 28th birthday today! May all of your wishes come true!
(It's an old picture of Josh & B, but it's one of my favorites. I love my boys!)

Future Iron Chef?

Brennan, being the helper that he is, LOVES to assist in the kitchen and insists more and more lately that he be allowed to help. I've always tried to allow him to help me around the house with other chores (i.e. dusting, vacuuming, laundry, etc.) but not so much while I'm cooking. I guess before he always seemed to little for me to trust him a.) near the stove, b) near the sink (he likes to play with water, or c) not to make a complete mess in my kitchen. Anyway, now that he is a big boy and a whopping 2 years and 7 months old, I've been letting him sit on the counter and help me cook. He mostly enjoys stirring things which can tend to get messy. I just try to keep my cool and remind myself, repeatedly, that one day his wife will thank me for taking the time to teach him how to cook and clean :o)
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I'll leave you with a few pictures of my little man (and future Iron Chef America) helping his Nana make a rum cake. Lookout Bobby Flay!:






PS - we do not typically bake with our pants off!

We're Back!

We had a blast in Orlando...except for all of the work I had to squeeze in :o) Here's a brief overview of the trip:

Tuesday: Departed for the airport at 3:30 am. Took off around 7:00 am. Brennan fell asleep before the plane pushed back from the terminal and didn't wake up until 30 minutes prior to landing in Orlando. Checked into the hotel around 10:00 am. Let B jump on the beds for a few minutes. Went to Sea World around 11:00 am. Pushed B around in the blazing sun for several hours, saw Shamu, etc. Went back to the hotel around 5:00 pm so that I could register for my conference.

Wednesday: I went to my conference around 7:30 am. Brennan and Josh went to Denny's (B's new favorite restaurant!) and then hit the pool for a few hours. After my conference sessions ended, we played a round of putt putt golf and then fed some baby alligators hot dogs from a fishing pole. Returned to the hotel and then went to Disney Quest (which I do not recommend for kids under the age of 10). After suffering through a couple hours of Disney Quest, we returned to the putt putt/alligator place just in time to watch some gator wrestling. We even had a chance to sit on the alligator - a memory I will not soon forget.

Thursday: More conference stuff for me. More Denny's, pool, and naps for Josh & B. We went to "Fun Spot" around 5:00 pm - which is basically a carnival type place with go karts. After Fun Spot, we went to Flipper's Pizzeria (courtesy of my cousin's husband, Ben) and then to my cousin's house for some kiddie play time.

Friday: Conference in the morning. Packed everything and checked out of the hotel, and then headed for the Magic Kingdom - which, by the way, is not as magical as I remembered it and Mickey was no where to be found. Apparently you have to schedule breakfast/lunch or stand in an hour long line in a gift shop to actually see the stupid mouse. Brennan did manage to ride a few rides before falling asleep for a couple hours. Just as Josh and I were arguing about when we should leave, we were chosen to march in the "Family Day Parade". Brennan liked that and even managed to hug Daisy Duck and Pluto afterwards. We left the park around 3:00 pm, headed straight to the airport, had an awesome meal at an Outback Steakhouse in the terminal, and flew back to Baltimore around 8:00 pm.

All in all, a very productive and exciting trip. I have way too many pictures to attach, but here is the link to view them on Shutterfly.

Off to sunny Orlando :o)

At least I hope it's sunny...but not too sunny, I kinda like it to be a little overcast! We'll leave the house around 3:30 am tomorrow morning to begin our adventure to Orlando, FL. I have a conference to attend for work so part of me will be there for business. The other part will be there for pleasure because I'm fortunate enough to be able to take Josh and Brennan with me. Brennan is SUPER excited and can't wait to go for an airplane ride and meet Mickey Mouse (who, by the way, Brennan informed me "does not bite"!). It always amazes me what comes out of the mouths of babes! I'll be sure to post and/or email the hundreds of pictures once we return. For now, I'll leave you with some pictures of B visiting his cousins in Arlington, VA last week:




Being "Linny" from the Wonderpets


At Momma's work - I'm glad one of us is happy to be there at 7:00 am!


The park by Kathryn's house




He loves his baby cousin Johnny...I mean Jonathan. Although, when Brennan says his name it sounds more like "Johnny"

Recent Photos

Kathryn and Brennan wading in the Breton Bay. I think B should be a Coppertone model :o)


Rock Throwing - B's favorite pastime


Brennan holding his new cousin Jonathan


Searching for Waldo - I love how serious we look!

New Nephew/Cousin!

Some exciting news for this week's update - my sister Lisa & her husband Mike welcomed a son into their family. Jonathan Michael Law arrived on Sunday, August 24th at 11:52 am. Full story here. Jonathan is absolutely adorable and Kathryn is thrilled to be a big sister. B is really excited to meet Baby Jonathan.

Here is a picture of Nana & Pops with their 3rd Grandchild - shortly after Jonathan's arrival:


And here is a picture of the super-proud Aunt Faithie & Jonathan:

For Kathryn

Kathryn requested a recent photo of her cousin and I can't say "no" to her sweet little face so this update goes out to her :o)

This picture was taken at my Great Aunt Goggie Breck's 80th birthday celebration this past Saturday. Brennan had a fun time playing with the numerous cousins he saw there. When I say "cousins" I'm referring to my cousins, my cousins kids, my 2nd and 3rd cousins and their kids, etc. Pretty much anyone in the Breck family will answer to "cousin"! Brennan was sure to give Goggie a big birthday hug and kiss...right before he stole her cane and tried to gallop away on it. It's ok though, Goggie lets him :o)

Swim for your life!

Here is a funny video of B swimming at Grandmommy's house a couple weeks ago. He is just floating along when he spots the vacuum cleaner (aka "R2D2") coming straight for him. Check out his reaction:

Water Baby

Well, I guess he's technically more of a "water big boy", but it doesn't sound as catchy as water baby!

Brennan had a great weekend, full of fun in the sun. We spent Saturday at my GrandMommy & GrandDaddy Bob's house with the Biffel family. Brennan had a blast swimming and playing in the dirt. We left there around 4:30 pm (with a child who was asleep in his car seat before we left the driveway!) and headed to Cobb Island to spend time with B's cousin Michaela who is visiting from Minot, ND. Brennan is absolutely smitten with her! Here's a couple pictures of B with his cousins Michaela ("McLaLa") and Wyatt.

B & His Girlfriends

Last Wednesday B and I went to Grandmommy's pool with our friend "Shell" (Michelle) and her two kiddos, Lexi (6) and Abby (3 - going on 13!). The kids had a blast and were pretty well behaved. Nobody drowned and they all shared the water toys, so we'll call it a successful outing!

B is starting to do very well in the water. He was quite timid in the water at the beginning of the summer, but now he loves the pool. He even did some jumps off the diving board at my cousin Charlie's house yesterday! (If anyone has a picture of that, be sure to send it to me).

Lexi, B, and Abby

Nobody tell his Daddy he was wearing a purple life jacket & pink goggles!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

It has definitely been a busy summer so far. Lots of fun in the sun and quality time with the family. Brennan has been enjoying every minute, well, every minute that we let him spend outside! Truthfully, he would live outside if we let him. Unfortunately, his Momma is more of a shade-dweller. I hate the heat! Even worse, if I spend more than 5 minutes outside I end up with about 20 mesquito bites (seriously). Apparently I'm very sweet :o) We even have a skeeter vac and I use Off - neither of which seem to help me.



Well, my son just woke up from his nap so I have to cut this post short. We will leave you with some pictures of our 5th of July party at the Kopel's house:




Brennan loves this scooter!


Any child who has ever been to Grandmommy's house knows about the Tootsie Pops!


Daddy & B


Going for a ride on Aunt Debbie's jet ski