Big Beezy and Lil Peezy

Found this recently.  Pretty funny.

Well, not really, but today was the first day I went back to the gym since the weekend.  I’ve invested a lot into this cold and now feel like a walking pharmacy - zinc and cough drops last week, antihistamine/decongestant earlier this week, guaifenesin today (my mom asked if it would help me cough out all those little phlegm guys like on TV), and a visit to the doctor tomorrow, for possibly a nasal steroid and/or inhaler.  A mess, yes, but I will make it through Sunday :)   I felt so good after last weekend, and now I get winded going up the stairs.  Until today.  I went to run 5K, and did so in just over 30 minutes.  I’m super excited that the kids and Dave are coming down with me!  I don’t expect them to get up in the morning, but hopefully I’ll see them at the end.  So glad Brandon doesn’t have school on Monday, so we can take an extra day to come back!

This morning, the kids got up super early.  In fact, we first heard Brandon shouting, and we knew that Peyton had gone into his room early.  I think it was just after 6am.  We took “Daddy’s blanket” away from her, and she went back in her room until her alarm went off.  She tried to come into our room saying, “I sleep in own bed…” but we stopped her and told her she did not.  Since I was already up, we all started getting ready early.  She changed her clothes when I did, then we all headed down to breakfast.  After Dave left, Brandon told Peyton, “Okay, after breakfast (mimicking me), we are going to go to sleep!”  Peyton was thoroughly confused, and then said, “No, it’s not sleep time, it’s already wake up time!”  Brandon had a laugh to himself trying to trick his sister.
While we were putting her down for sleep, we reminded her why we took her blanket away, and that she needed to stay in her own bed all night long.  She started to cry, and then asked for Michael Jordan instead.  Brandon heard my reminder, then said, “Yeah, don’t wake up Bruddah!!  I have to go to WORK!  I’m in Kindergarten, and I have work to do.”  Well said, my son, well said.

Today, Brandon noticed Dave’s nose is stuffy.  He then told him, “You better not sleep with Mommy then!”  Haha…I’m not sure if he’s trying to protect Dave from getting sick from me, or if he is trying to protect me from Dave.
Peyton and I were eating dinner, while the boys were at swimming.  She said, “It’s just you and me!  No bruddah and Daddy!”  I secretly think she loves it when it’s just the two of us.  Then she told me, “I made a smiley face for you, and one for Daddy.  You can share.”
Here it is:
I forgot to ask her if they represented us.  I think the one with the rouge and soul patch is Dave :)  It’s also funny the expressions her “smiley” faces represent.  She really can smile!

Brandon brought home a book about “Peace”.  He was to finish the sentence and draw a picture. Here is the last one:

Translation “Peace is sleep in my bed by myself.  And I don’t get out and go downstairs.”
Yes, this is peace for us, too!

Happy new year, but unfortunately, I’m ringing in the new year SICK!  Ugh.  Of all the times to be sick!!  I came home right after work, and Dave picked up the kids for me.  I went straight to bed.  I need to shake this.  Dave had taken the kids out for dinner, and when they got back, I could tell immediately that they were home.  The doorbell rang, then there was the pitter patter of little feet.  First Brandon came in.  “Hello, Mommy.  Sleeping helps your tummy, not your nose.”  He started telling me about his day, then after he was done discussing his beyblades that they made at school, he left.  Next up, Miss Peyton came in. “Mommy, are you still sick?” I answered yes.  “I made this at school today.  It’s a necklace, just like Mommy’s (hers is made up of cut up straws).  And Bruddah and Daddy, they do not have necklaces.  Just us.”  To Dave, “I want to put my coiny in my piggy bank.  But I cannot reach it.”  I asked her if she wanted me to give her a bath.  I got up, and trudged over to give her a bath. After we were done, she asked again, “Are you sick now?”  I love how the kids are sick for a little bit, but it doesn’t stop them from playing, but when we (usually I) get sick, I’m down for the count.  Brandon told me they went out for Korean food.  Later, I asked Dave who said they went for Chinese.  I guess it’s all the same for Brandon.
Some things I’ve missed since being out of commission:
On the way up to my grandma’s, Peyton was leaning her head against her arm, obviously tired, but still trying to read her book.  She told us, “I’m just going to go to sleep in the car.”
During the football game yesterday, I asked Peyton if she wanted the white team or the red team.  She told me the white team.  Then Brandon asked Dave, “Who’s your favorite team?”  Dave said, “The Broncos.”  Peyton shot back, “Haha, they lost!”  Haha…she knew!  It wasn’t nice, but it was pretty funny.
Lastly, while I was dozing in and out of last night’s game, Brandon pulled his tooth out!  Yeap, just played with it enough that it came right out.  We put it in a little baggie and then put it under his pillow.  He was so excited!  But I went to sleep at 9pm last night, and didn’t wake up until 5am, when I suddenly asked Dave, “Did you put money under the pillow?”  Dave was upset that I’d woken him up, though I think he was not totally asleep because he was tossing and turning around.  He told me to be quiet and I figured that meant he’d done it already.  Sure enough, this morning, Brandon held up a bill for me to see.  I asked him, “How much?”  He said, “Five dollars!”  I went back to Dave and asked him, “Really?  Five dollars?”  The tooth fairy is going to go broke!  If I’d be healthier, I would have appealed to the tooth fairy to put in a plug for Brandon listening at school.  We won’t be seeing Santa until almost next year, so we should ask for all the help we can!
Brandon was being read a story from the Z series.  He picked a book about Einstein, and the program was reading it to him.  Here is a part I came across and found very interesting:

“As a child, Einstein had a common childhood speech habit that worried his parents. Whatever the young Einstein said aloud, he would often repeat to himself, in a very quiet voice. It was as if he was “rechecking his words,” to see if they were correct.  He eventually grew out of this peculiar habit and became an accomplished public speaker.  Brandon does this, and I’ve often thought it was weird.  There is hope!!
Finally, what I have to look forward to, hoping my cold goes away.  Stats from my run on Saturday:

10 miles, 1:49′05″.  10′54″ per mile.  If only I can keep it up for 3.1 more miles on Sunday!!

I went for a run in the morning (10 miles!), and then we headed out to Peyton’s school for registration for next year.  We first visited Brandon’s former class to chat with his teachers, then headed to Peyton’s current class, and then next one for next year.  What is surprising is that the new teacher in her next year’s class told us that Peyton stopped to say, “Hi, Miss Monique!”  Monique started at the end of summer last year, so she is by far the newest of the preschool teachers.  The Jungle teachers try to talk to her and say hello, but she smiles and turns away.  But, she actually said her name, which the teacher didn’t think she knew!  Glad to know she will adjust well in her classroom next year.  There is even a picture of Brandon in the classroom as they hang all the pictures from their previous students up on the wall.  If Peyton ever gets sad, she can go and look at her brother’s smiling face.  After that, we headed up north to see my family for Chinese New Year’s dinner.  I was having Brandon practice the magic words, “Gong Hay Fat Choy!”  He got it down pretty well.  My grandma cooked and ordered out food instead of trying to fight through the restaurant crowds.  She told us she ordered the lop cheung from New York this year!  New York?!!  Really?  It was really good though.  We came home last night, and Peyton, who had napped, was chatting away.  In fact, we were both just listening at one point, and didn’t respond to her.  She suddenly said, “Oh, how come no one is talking to me?  Mommy is not talking.  Daddy is not talking. No body is talking.”  She was asking us each if we wanted coffee.  She was even trying to talk to Brandon, who had not napped, and was out cold.  She was tired; we could tell, since she’d yawn, mid-sentence, but she pressed on.  Brandon woke up when we stopped, but only long enough to get himself upstairs and into bed.  Peyton didn’t complain either, but did still request her Little Mermaid soundtrack.

Tonight, we went out to dinner.  It was a little later, since Peyton had come home, peed in her pants, and I’d given her a bath before the boys got home.  I knew it was going to happen, as she stopped in my door, and said, “Oh”, with her legs spread apart, looking down.  I grabbed her right away, knowing it was coming, but it was too late.  I wasn’t that far from our bathroom, but it had already started down her leg.  I’d gotten her into the bathroom by then, but still, it was yucky.  I stripped her down, got her in the tub, and hosed her down.  Far better than a number 2 accident, but still, she could have made it!  Anyways, we didn’t head out until 6pm.  I could tell both kids were tired.  Brandon was telling us he was tired, and was rather quiet.  When we got to the restaurant (our usual salad bar joint), everyone was eating, and doing well, but then Peyton, who was not in a high chair, per her request, started squirming around in her bench seat.  She then got down onto the floor, and then was messing around down there.  Dave took her out of the restaurant, thereby ending her meal, while Brandon and I finished up.  Brandon became an angel!  He was asking for things nicely, saying “please” and “thank you” without any prompting, using a calm, nice voice.  He even said, “She’s probably crying right now, huh?”  I texted Dave to inform and update him, and he said of course Brandon was doing well, he relishes the one on one attention.  Poor guy.  Dave was asking for updates, but I told him we can’t rush Brandon, since he’s eating slower because of his teeth.  He’s taking it really easy, and isn’t eating as quickly these days.  Instead of getting an ice cream cone for dessert, I offered him the cookie that was given to us.  I suggested that he crumble that up over the ice cream.  His eyes lit up at the thought!  We finished up, and got back to the car.  Peyton was all puffy-faced and sobbing.  Hopefully she learned she can’t behave that way in a restaurant.  Brandon even pointed it out, saying it wasn’t proper behavior.  While on the way home, Peyton squeaked out, “Mommy, I peed.”  I ignored her, and she kept whining that she peed.  I was hoping it wasn’t that much since she hadn’t had much to drink since last peeing herself.  I took her, hosed her down, and changed her clothes, telling her she needed to go straight to bed.  She kept asking for an orange, but I told her she was done eating for the night.  If she’d behaved at the restaurant, she could have continued to eat.  She didn’t complain at all when I plopped her in the bed.  It was about 730pm.  I left to go read with Brandon, and I was surprised she didn’t sneak out.  I went back there about 15 minutes later, and she was sound asleep.  He went to sleep at 8pm.  She had been up until 830pm yesterday after I went running.  I think that totally destroyed her for today.  Dave thinks that having both of the kids stay all day on Friday is something that they are not used to.  He might be right!  Normally, I have Brandon by 1245pm, and Peyton usually by 4pm. Poor kiddos are suffering since Mommy went back to work today!  Well, at least I got to hang out with them on Monday!

Over Thanksgiving, we went to the outlets and found some new shoes for Peyton.  We couldn’t decide between one or the other, but since they were $8 (WOW!), we bought both!  We should have bought different sizes, and kept them to wear sequentially, but I think I was too excited that they were EIGHT dollars.  AND…they are Superstars, the shoe that Dave had wanted to get back in the day, but I told him he wasn’t cool enough for them.  She finally fits them and wore one pair yesterday, and the other today because she was wearing blue.
Here they are

Peyton went on a field trip today, via bus, to a jumpy house place.  We’ve been with Brandon before to birthday parties, and I think it was where we took Peyton for her first solo birthday party last year.  The teachers said she had a lot of fun, and she was continuing to bounce here at home.  The teachers were telling me while they were reading about David, when the dog ate his homework, she piped up and said, “Bruddah does his homework.  He does his homework all by himself.  And he doesn’t need my help.”  The teacher didn’t know how to answer her, and said maybe she should ask Brother if he needs her help.  Later, when I was talking to her in the car about the homework, she said, “When I am 5, I will do homework, too!  Just like Bruddah!”  She can’t WAIT to do homework!!  Hopefully this will continue for the next 20+ years
We got home, and while I washed up the dishes, I let her watch Miss Kristina’s slideshow of pictures from her wedding website.  There was a picture of Kristina dressed as Belle with Ryan dressed as Beast.  Peyton stopped and said, “Oh, Belle!”  Then she said, “Aww….Miss Kristina is so pretty!”  I’ll have to let Miss Kristina know; it was very sweet of Peyton.  Today was another swim day for Brandon, so Peyton and I just hung out and watched the slide show, did a puzzle and then they were home.  After I bathed her, we switched so Dave could get some P time.  He rarely sees her, especially on swim days.  He read to her while Brandon and I did Raz kids (his reading program).  He’s up to C now, the last of the kindergarten levels!!  He was reading at D (first grade) as of November, but he has to work his way up through the computer program, as the teacher started all the kids off at the beginning (AA) at the beginning of the year.  He totally looks forward to getting through the books.  The quizzes are starting to get harder, and he’ll have to pay more attention.  It’s fun to see him engaged in his learning!

Peyton asked me to give her a bath today.  When I told her it was Daddy’s turn, she protested and said she didn’t want to go with Daddy.  We told Daddy, who was totally okay with it, since he’s back is hurting again.  I’m not sure why she’s preferring me now, since Dave used to be the only one who gave her a bath before.  But now that Dave takes Brandon swimming twice a week, I have been giving her more baths.
Daddy got to help Brandon with his reading journal.  Brandon was supposed to continue the sentence, “Curious George is curious because…”  Brandon’s response was, “Because he has a small brain.”  I asked Dave if he was really going to let him write that!  Dave helped Brandon say it in a different way.  His revised response, “Because he is not thinking well.”  That George was always getting into trouble, like falling overboard on the boat, so maybe Brandon was right.  I wonder if he would describe himself as curious sometimes when he gets into trouble.