Saturday, March 28, 2009

Happy Birthday Little Monkey!

Our little Tyler turns 5 today! Unfortunately, Mother Nature's gift this year is the flu, so the birthday party will be later. So here's a picture for every year:



Happy Brithday little monkey--Mommy & Daddy love you so much!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Hey, It's Medicinal. Really.

Anyone following my facebook status knows that the flu has hit our household hard. The almost 5-year-old brought it home a few days ago, then both Brandon and Bryan both fell out yesterday. The only ones left standing are Nick and I--and Nana took Nick back to Richmond to escape the germ-fest. So now I am the only one here without the flu. I managed to get Nick a prescription for TamiFlu and some other anti-viral medicine to help thwart off anything he may have taken with him, and Bryan's doctor wrote me a prescription for the same medicine Bryan is on--Reflenza. It's an inhalant.

Instructions:
Breathe all the air out of your lungs, then inhale the "medicine" as deeply as you can. It might tingle or burn a little.
Hold in your lungs for a few seconds to get the full effect--try not to cough.
Breathe out, and take another "hit".

Hmm...Anyone else having college flashbacks?

Monday, March 23, 2009

What the...???

Is that a...an iron??


Is that...my husband?!
I don't know what the special occasion is...

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Bowling


I took the boys to a brithday part at the local bowling alley yesterday, and they had a great time. Brandon did very well, and he was watching his score the entire time to make sure he was winning.


That would be his final score at the top. Note that he also got a strike on play #6. Here is Tyler puttin' some spin on the ball.


He didn't do too bad himself. And we managed to escape without any smashed fingers this time.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Milestones

Why yes, I'm posting several updates today. I've been so out of whack between school, work & business trips, and trying to maintain a normal family life that I haven't updated everyone on Nick's latest milestones. I mentioned a while back that he has been potty training at daycare, and we haven't done a great job reinforcing it at home. Well, last week Nick stopped in his "pooping place" to drop his load and I caught him. Threw him on the pot and he went! Hooray! I have found while potty training our other two boys that getting them to poop on the potty was way harder than getting them to pee in it.

But that's not all... He has outgrown his forward-facing "baby" car seat and moved on to the much easier booster seat--much easier to buckle, and much easier to move around for playing musical cars! No more wrestling with latches and buckles. This brings much relief to the whole Wrenn family, as we shuffle car seats between our vehicles and Nana & Pops' vehicles when they take care of the kids.


Like all parents, I am so ready for my kids to grow up and at the same time, can't believe they're growing up so fast! So I did shed a tear when I pulled the toddler seats out of the vehicles, even though this makes our lives a whole lot easier.

Puttin' On the Ritz!

I had another last-minute business trip this week--this time to DC. And somehow we got really, really good rates at the super elegant, super posh Ritz Carlton Hotel on Pentagon Row. Now I have lead a somewhat priviledged life compared to many people out there, so I have stayed at some upscale resorts and hotels--but let me tell you, this one was way out of my league. There were chandeliers in the elevators, for crying out loud! I stepped on an elevator with a 4-star Air Force guy...uh, since I work with the Navy, I know 4-star is as high as you get in the military. I didn't even know how to act. The funny thing is that as I was walking down the hall to my room, I was reminded of that scene in Ghostbusters at that high-class hotel where Dan Aykroyd blasts the maid with his proton gun. Don't ask me why--it was just way too quiet, and way too nice in there!

Anyhow, I could definitely get used to living the executive life by staying overnight in places like that.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Let it Snow!

A while back I was ragging on the weatherman's wishy-washy forecasts of snow, and I announced that I was not going to listen to him anymore. That very day, we finally got real snow. I forgot that I sent Bryan out into the cold to take some pictures for proof:



I don't mind cold weather, as long as we get some snow to show for it. We've had a few spells of beautiful 70-degree weather since, so now I am ready for the warm spring!


Saturday, March 14, 2009

Man of My Dreams

I can't resist the urge to share these embarrassing photos of the man of my dreams. No, he hadn't had any beers for this.
That would be our 4-year-old's batman mask with the batman cape draped over his head. For the full embarrassing effect, I am also posting these to Facebook.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

M.I.A.

Sorry I've been missing in action and neglecting all you out there. I really don't have much time to write this right now, but I figured I'd at least let you know I'm still alive. I haven't even been on Facebook much in the last two weeks--just long enough to update my status! I've been traveling back and forth to Annapolis working on a new project at work. It's temporary, but I hope it ends up being permanent--I am going for a promotion directly linked to the success of this project.

Anyhow, with all the traveling and trying to stay tuned to school, I haven't had time for anything. I stayed up way too late last night with school, and I feel like a zombie. However, I am half-way through this semester--there is a light at the end of the tunnel!!! I cannot tell you enough how happy I will be to finally be done with this degree program. Don't get me wrong--I love the subject and the professors--it has just become such a huge burden and stress on me. I want my life back! So, I'll be scarce for a little longer while I get through mid-terms, papers, and presentations.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

He's No George W. Bush *UPDATE*

*UPDATE*--see bottom of post!

We made our weekly trip to Wal-Mart today, where the crowds of people who skipped church to buy grocieries in preparation of the "storm" were more than irritating for me and my kids, who didn't want to be there anyway. Alas, the weather man forecasted a 60% chance of snow. All hell breakes loose around here at the mere mention of snow, even though we get a few inches every year...come on, people! Well, this year the weather people have been wrong at least 4 times about their predictions of snow. They get everyone excited, and in the last hours before the supposed storm hits, they revise the forecast to just rain or nothing at all. And here we are again, a few hours before this "60% chance of snow", with a revised forecast of just some rain. What a bunch of crap.

Anyhow, my story began with our trip to Wal-Mart. On the way home, Nick started throwing a fit because the wind wasn't blowing the right direction, or something like that. We were already irate from dealing with too many people at Wally World, so we just decided to bite our tongues and ignore him. We eventually heard the sound of velcro amongst the toddler sounds for "F-You"--indicating Nick was taking off his shoes in protest. The next thing we knew, a shoe was flying into the dashboard--barely missed Bryan's head. As we overcame our shock, the other shoe was already in the air. This time it hit the intended target--Bryan's head. Bryan evidently does not come from the George Bush lineage, as he did not inherit the gene for dodging flying shoes.

*UPDATE* Just as I finished writing and publishing this post, I glanced outside and to my surprise, the snow is falling! It is icy snow, and it is coming down hard. And not melting. Oh, and this is still after the weather man just recently reversed his snow forecast and changed it to rain. The man can't win!