Bright, Bright, Sunshiny Day

When I woke up this morning, I must say I was not feeling all that optimistic about the day. In fact, I texted Brett around 6:30 to ask him to pray that I didn't have a complete breakdown from this flippin' back/leg pain that just. won't. go. away. (I realize I sound like a total wuss, but I promise I'm really not. At least, I think I'm not.) I knew that my body would be tested, for it is Tuesday -- Music Together day. There was no question in my mind that we would go, as I was desperate to get out (aside from a quick trip to Aldi, the last time I had escaped the house was last Thursday) and, besides that, we had already had to miss our class the previous week. So I kept repeating Philippians 4:13 in my head, pulled on my big girl panties, slapped on an Icy Hot patch underneath them (Thanks for the rec, Mel!), and got the boys and myself ready for fun with Miss Karen and our friends. I realized just how much we needed this outing when, over breakfast, Kaiser asked, "Are you gonna lay on the couch again today, Mommy?" Clearly he dislikes having his momma out of commission as much as I do! :(

Music was great, as always, aside from the fact that I couldn't find a really comfortable position to sit in and wasn't able to pick the boys up and dance around with them like I normally do. I'll probably pay for the strain, but I figure it was worth it. After class, we decided to take advantage of the glorious mid-50 degree temperatures and sunny skies by going to play and eat lunch at the big playground at North Park. The boys were beside themselves with excitement at the prospect of getting outside and running around, and I must say, the fresh air did wonders for cooped-up Mommy, too. 

 Kaiser is a slidin' machine.

 Porter could swing all day.

 Not as big a fan of Brother pushing him, though.

Trying to get him to put on a "puppet show".

 Those chubby cheeks are chock-full of clementines.

I finally tired of chasing Porter around (his idea of fun is darting off and completely ignoring my calls to come back, then screaming like a madman when I catch up to him and pick him up) and decided it was high time for us all to head home to rest. On the way, I pulled into the automatic car wash at Sheetz to rinse down the ole 4Runner. Figured it was as good a day as I'd get to do it for a while! I must confess, I am horrible about washing my car. Horrible. So I'm pretty certain that this was Kaiser's first experience driving through a car wash (at least, that he remembers). He was quite entertained. 

Cars need baths, too!

Turns out a bright, sunshiny morning was exactly what this girl needed to lift my spirits a bit. Thanks for a break from the rain and cold, God. And now, if you'll excuse me, my Icy Hot has finally worn off, which means my rear's got a date with a heating pad...

Daddy on Duty

I can't tell you how thankful I was to have my man back home this morning, not only because I had missed him but also because I desperately needed his help! I had a really rough night with my back, alternating between laying in our bed and laying on the couch with the heating pad. Definitely didn't get the most quality rest, and I woke up still in a significant amount of pain. I'm so blessed to have my own personal, live-in orthopedist, who confirmed that I had once again herniated a disc and gave me strict orders to stay down as much as possible. The only reason I was able to do that was because Brett completely jumped in and took over with the boys all day. Besides taking the load off of me, I know that Daddy was looking forward to spending some quality time with his sons after his time away interviewing last weekend and this weekend. And they were thrilled to see his face upon waking up, too! 

I was actually asleep on the couch when Kaiser first came downstairs around 7:30. He was excited to find gifts had come home from NC for himself and Porter and immediately brought them into the living room to show me.

Thoughtful Daddy.

Then Daddy put shoes and a coat on Kaiser, and together they went on a "special mission" to get coffee and donuts from Sheetz. By the time they returned, it was time for Porter to wake up, and the guys enjoyed breakfast together. Brett had hoped to take the boys to church, but I didn't feel comfortable putting Kaiser in Kidz church with his continued cough/congestion (not to mention, I doubted Porter would make it through service in the nursery), so I suggested that they skip this week. Instead, they decided to go to Lowe's to look at tractors (where they also ended up picking up a new doorbell) and then to the mall to eat lunch in the food court and play in the kids' area for a bit. 

He's a natural.

My peanut going down the slide.

Nothing too exciting on their agenda, but Daddy just wanted to shuttle them away for a couple of hours so that Mommy could focus on resting. Aside from taking a quick shower to feel like a human being and getting up to use the restroom a few times, my rear was planted on the heating pad, and I devoured the Hunger Games book I started last night. I did start to miss my guys and sent them a picture to say I was sad I wasn't with them:

Toying around with Photobooth.

They arrived back home a little after 1:00, and I got to hear a bit about the fun they'd had together. Kaiser climbed up on the couch with me to read a Toy Story book on the iPad while Daddy laid Porter down, and then it was Big Brother's turn. 

 Practicing his "Blue Steel" face before nap.

While the boys slept, Brett went to the gym. You can guess what I was doing -- definitely not working out! On his way back, he stopped to pick dinner from Chipotle and Muppets From Space from the Redbox. (Clearly it was a DVD kind of weekend for the Bralys.)

 Soaking in a bubble bath and excited for his first Muppet experience!

 My little playboy waiting for the movie to start.

 All snuggled up with Buster, Dippy, and his construction truck blanket.

 Daddy busted out some ice cream for a special treat.

This mooch couldn't get enough!

Crawled up behind the couch to watch a few scenes.

The boys got a little distracted playing with the blanket toward the end.

And that's how we wrapped up our night. I would have preferred not to have spent so much of my Sunday laying flat on my back; I just really hate feeling like I can't do my job! However, I am grateful to Brett for insisting that I follow his doctor's/husband's orders, and I know that I won't be able to rest this way during the week when I don't have reinforcements to take over with Kaiser and Porter. Let's face it, there's no way a mommy of two can completely avoid being up and around and doing at least some bending and lifting! I'm praying for the Lord's quick healing, and that in a few days this pain will disappear and things will be back to business as usual. 

The Past Few Days

We've had a pretty quiet few days at the Braly Casa. Wednesday evening Kaiser started developing a little cough, but he seemed well enough on Thursday for his buddies Koen and Tavin (and Miss Amy, of course) to come over for a playdate we had scheduled the previous week. 

 My baby in a basket, waiting for our friends to arrive. 

We had a nice morning together playing both downstairs in the basement and up in the living room. Koen and Tavin haven't been over to our place since the addition of our new Christmas gifts, so they had the pleasure of meeting the giant T-Rex and excavator, among other toys. :) Amy and the boys stayed to eat lunch, and then we had a bit more time to play before they headed home for naps. Always grateful for a chance to meet up with these three!

 Hungry boys.

 Doing some cooking after lunch.

Sad to see their van pull away.

That evening our entire family planned to go to small group at the Melders'; however, Kaiser woke up from his nap feeling (and sounding) worse, and Brett still needed to pack for a 6am flight he had to catch to Charlotte the next morning. So, Daddy volunteered to stay home with the boys and let Mommy get out on her own to enjoy time with friends. I was so glad I went; we had a great discussion about the previous weekend's sermon, and afterward I had a really nice time catching up with a few of the other girls I've missed lately.

Friday I kept Kaiser home from school, as his cough sounded nasty and he was running a low-grade fever. We opted for a morning in, during which Kaiser played "puzzlemaster".

 Finishing up the alphabet train.

 Moving on to construction trucks.

Meanwhile, Porter did what Porter does best: find random objects around the house and use them as sources of entertainment.

 "Does carrying around an empty bottle of Old Spice body wash make me more manly?"

What, doesn't everyone's kid like to play with a travel potty seat?

Around 11:00, I finally decided we needed to venture out to Aldi for milk and bananas (and about 20 other things I didn't realize I needed until I got there). Among those items was Campbell's chicken noodle soup for my little sickling's lunch.

 "Mmm, mmm good!"

 "What, no soup for me?"

Both Kaiser and Porter went down for nice, long naps, and I even took a 20-30 minute doze myself before hopping back up to do some cleaning. That night a fellow ortho wife and friend of mine, Kim, was coming over with her 2-month-old, Jackson, to eat dinner and visit. (Kim's hubby was with Brett in NC at the fellowship interview, so we decided if they were together, their better halves should get to hang out, too!) While we waited for Miss Kim and Jackson, the boys and I played down in the basement. 

 Venturing into the ball tent.

 On the outside looking in.

 Spontaneous dance party while playing Legos.

 Hard to really appreciate his moves in a still shot. :)

Kim picked up a pizza on her way over, but we ended up holding off on feeding ourselves, what with her needing to nurse, me needing to feed and bathe the boys, and such. It was over an hour before I had Porter tucked in bed and Kaiser quietly watching The Land Before Time, she had Jackson sound asleep in his car seat, and we finally felt free to sit down at the kitchen table and enjoy our meal. Then I put Kaiser to bed and came back into the living room so we could chat some more. I got to snuggle her teeny-tiny babe for a while before Kim finally decided they should head home. Didn't get any pictures of our time together, but it was so nice and we hope to do it again on one of the guys' other interview weekends!

Once our guests had left and all was quiet, I ended my night by diving into these treats:

Always hungry for ice cream.

A different kind of hunger...but just as addictive!

Saturday I had the misfortune of waking up with shooting pain going from my lower back down my right leg. What a way to start the day! (Back in 2004, I ruptured a disc and ended up having surgery to repair it. The past few years, it seems that every 4-6 months or so I do something to tweak my back again and end up in this state. Darn you, nerves!) Anyway, between my pathetic physical condition, Kaiser's continued congestion/cough, and the fact that the weather looked like this...

Rain, rain, go away! (Seriously, please go away.)

...I knew we were bound to have another stay-at-home day. I have to be honest: This mommy wasn't winning any parenting awards today. (Not that she normally does.) I was (am) hurtin' something awful, so I pretty much took advantage of every opportunity to let the boys play independently while I camped out on the couch with a heating pad glued to my back. Here are a few peeks into our "sick/in pain" day:

 All decked out in Cars attire and watching Fast Trains.

 P's household object of affection today: a small bottle of baby shampoo.

We managed to make it to naptime without going totally insane, which I felt was quite an accomplishment considering the circumstances. Before heading upstairs to rest, Porter wanted to try on Mommy's snow boots, and of course, Kaiser had to take a turn, as well.

 These boots are made for walkin'...

...and takin' pictures, too.

Apparently our "do-nothing" morning wore the boys out; Porter slept for 3 1/2 hours, and Kaiser (whose sickness was definitely a contributing factor) came close to that. I finally woke my big boy up at 5:20 so that we could have dinner and a relatively on-schedule night. Leftover pizza and baked ziti meant I didn't have to cook anything but veggies, which was a relief. Then it was to the tub to clean off their tomato-y faces.

 This dude was a trooper while Mom & Bro were feelin' crummy.

Ever since Wednesday night, when we were supposed to watch March of the Penguins but had to nix it due to Kaiser's bad behavior, he's been begging me to see it. I told him we could go ahead and watch some -- but not all -- of it tonight once he and Porter were in their pjs.

Love this documentary.

 Kaiser watching the beginning of the "march".

 Porter enjoyed watching for about 15 minutes before it was time for bed.

 Then I came back out to share the couch with my penguin enthusiast.

So excited to see the baby penguins hatch!

A bit before 8:00, Kaiser needed to go potty, so I thought that was a good time to pause the video. I said that we could watch the rest at some point tomorrow, so that Daddy could see some of it, too. Then it was off to bed for my sniffly boy, who only talked to himself for a few minutes before entering Dreamland. Since then, Mommy's resumed her spot atop the heating pad to blog and get started reading this...

That's right. Finished the first, now on to the second!

Brett's flight lands at midnight, and I couldn't be more excited to see my hubby. The boys and I look forward to a family day with Daddy tomorrow before getting our week started. Hopefully my back will get with the program and realize that this momma can't function with excruciating pain!!! 

Hump Day Highlights

Nothing particularly momentous about our Wednesday, other than several sweet (and, of course, a few sour less-than-sweet) moments with my Kaiser J and Porter K. Here's a quick recap via -- what else? -- pictures. I'll try my best to keep my explanations fairly brief...

Kaiser was pumped to sport his OU hoodie to escuela today. He was also pumped to play with his friend Britain. I've been hearing an awful lot about this girl Britain lately. Not sure how I feel about that. :)

Has someone got a crush?

After dropping Kaiser off, Porter and I had a full morning of errands to run. First up, Target. Mommy needed to return a couple of things; however, more importantly, she needed to pump some caffeine into her veins via a skinny vanilla latte. Thank goodness for Starbucks and Target gift cards! Once we were back in the car, Porter checked out the nutritional content of my drink selection.

"Not a bad choice, Ma."

Then my shopping buddy and I headed out to Robinson to hit up IKEA. Little did we know that the store didn't open until 10:00. Rather than waste 15 minutes sitting around waiting in the car, we opted to pop into Old Navy to get some new, non-holey socks for the boys. 

Struttin' his stuff. 

He was not too happy with me when I told him we had to put down the football and go!

We also made a trip to Walmart for diapers and such before returning to IKEA to pick up a new step stool for our bathroom. By that time, I felt the need to book it back north to Kaiser's school. Since Porter had been such a good helper, I handed back some animal crackers for him to munch on during the drive. 

He was happy about that. 

We pulled into the carpool line about 15 minutes early, so while I read The Hunger Games on my iPhone (I am officially hooked!), Porter finished his "cookies" and tried to sneak the last of Mommy's long-gone latte.

"I just need a little pick-me-up!"

Upon hopping in the car, Kaiser announced that he'd had a great day, and he was ready to go home to eat. Surprise, surprise. We were back home and I was getting our lunches together when, from the other room, I heard the sound of something hitting the ground. I came around the corner and discovered that Porter had snuck into my bag, retrieved my camera, turned it on, and dropped it. I quickly grabbed it from his hands and realized that its lens was stuck and would not retract. Oh, no -- I'd seen this before. (Let's just say this isn't the first Sony DSC-H20 I've had the privilege of owning.) I was convinced that my camera had snapped its last picture, but then miraculously a little push from my finger got the lens to click back on track, and it magically pulled itself back in! I couldn't believe my luck, and asked Kaiser to let me take a picture of him just to make sure it actually worked. 

Why so angry-looking, Buddy?

Praise the Lord! I had dodged a bullet, big time. Granted, I do have my Canon Rebel, but it would have broken my heart (again) to lose my small point-and-shoot that I carry with me just about everywhere. Anyway, enough of my camera drama -- back to our day. After lunch, Kaiser wanted to put his plate in the dishwasher, but I informed him that it was still full of clean dishes from the night before. He volunteered to help me unload them.

Such a big, responsible boy!

Porter wanted to help with the re-loading. :)

We still had some decent playtime before naptime rolled around, so Porter played with our Aquadoodle mat. 

Quite the squatter!

Kaiser opted out of doodling and decided he wanted to play guitar, instead. As always, it was loud.

"1...2...3..."

"...HIT IT, DJ KARA!"

(This is something they yell before worship at Kidz Church.)

He takes "his music" seriously.

Lately Kaiser always wants me to sing along with him (specifically, "The Color Song" and "Jimmy Crack Corn"), and he also wants me to dance around with his baby brother.

Porter's all about that.

Can't get enough of spinning in circles!

Our jam/dance session sufficiently tired us all out, so we went upstairs to read before the boys lay down to rest.

Debating which monster book to read.

Porter was down for the count right away, but Kaiser was a different story and took a while to succumb to sleep. I got busy cleaning floors and doing laundry, and before I knew it I heard the not-so-sweet sound of a screaming 15-month-old coming from upstairs. At first I thought he might work through it and fall back asleep (which is not uncommon), but I soon realized he was up for good and went to fetch him so that he didn't wake up the other kiddo. While I finished up my chores, I let Porter chill with Meet the Letters for a little bit. 

 Those ABCs are just so darn captivating!

It wasn't too long after that that Kaiser awoke, too, and a few minutes later Daddy walked through the door! We enjoyed baked ziti for dinner as a family, and were looking forward to watching part of March of the Penguins together after bath. (I checked this documentary out from the library the other day because Kaiser has been learning about penguins at school, and I thought he'd enjoy it.) Unfortunately, our big boy made the bad decision of intentionally pouring out the entire bottle of baby soap while he was in the tub, and having this DVD taken away was the consequence. The meltdown which ensued was loud and long; truthfully, I didn't know if he would stop crying, or if we'd just have to put him to bed for the night! We hated that we didn't get to watch the movie, but we explained to Kaiser that when he makes poor choices, he doesn't get to do fun, special things. It took a while, but he finally recovered and asked if he and Daddy could play guitars together. Soon the house was filled with music and singing, and all was well again.

As soon as this kid heard the guitar, he dropped the diaper wrapper and started dancing!

Watching and learning from Daddy.

"Wonder how long I am going to have to lay like this before someone actually pays attention to me?"

As you can see from that last pic, a few minutes after 7:00 it was time to wrap up our second jam session of the day, brush teeth, read, say prayers, sing, and tuck babies into beds. The hubs and I wound down by reading/blogging while waiting for Revenge to start (yet another thing that has us hooked!), only to learn at 10:00 that it was a rerun. So lame. Oh well, I guess I'll wrap this up and go sneak into bed with my iPhone and The Hunger Games...