Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Birthday Wish-list



1. An undisturbed shower
2. Shaved legs
3. Hairstyle other than a ponytail
4. Night out with ALL of my boys
5. 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep

Outcomes:
1. Got a shower. There was only one baby (Cole) standing outside the door and pounding on it. An improvement from the usual routine.
2. Partially complete. It went well until Cole decided he was finished waiting.
3. Got it. Not exactly given to me, but I took it upon myself to make it happen.
4. Got it and the boys were really good, despite serious teething distress.
5. Yeah right. That's why this was a "wish" list.


This list is distinctly different from any previous birthday lists. I will never again take the vain and selfish luxuries of numbers 1-3 and 5 for granted. As much as I might miss those current luxuries that were once simple daily tasks, I am fortunate to realize that I wouldn't have it any other way. What would I do without the blessing of wishing for number 4?



Brent worked really hard to ensure I had a nice day. We had a really fun dinner out with the boys, which we very rarely do and I got a chance to go shopping ALONE in the evening.




We had some excitement with the trick candles complete with fire alarm and melted ice cream cake. (Don't worry. It was still palatable. I single-handedly consumed its entirety in 3 days. Sick, I know.)

Keith and Cole loved the balloons they got and had a chance to try some new foods: cantaloupe and french fries. All in all, a day very well spent.



Wednesday, September 24, 2008

FOR SALE



Overnight shipping available. (In fact, it is preferable.)





Two for the price of one!



B.Y.B.O. (Bring Your Best Offer)


Never vacuum again!


Free gift wrapping available upon request.
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*Note: Man in middle is NOT for sale but used for modeling purposes only.

***No refunds or exchanges. Sale is final upon receipt.

Monday, September 15, 2008

"Man Up!"








More mobility translates into more injury. It's a natural fact. The thing that kills me the most is the loving consolation that only a father can give his sons. "Man up!" is the order given to Cole when he has artfully entrenched himself beneath a kitchen chair. "Come on now. Be a man." is the advice given to Keith as his father dresses him not so carefully. Many other comforting words are shared from father to sons as heads are bonked, faces are kicked and harmful substances are dug from mouths. Such a sweet sight.















Fortunately, the boys have an equally sympathetic mother who decided it was time for their first 5K race. The boys had their own racing numbers (Keith was #365 and Cole was #181) and even would have had a t-shirt but they ran out of baby shirts--darn. They were great racers even though we definitely did not win. Their favorite part was the french toast breakfast at the end. Hopefully by next year we can ditch the stroller and the boys can run. I guess we'll have to wait and see if they're men enough for that.









Monday, September 8, 2008

Teeth and An Engagement

Warning: this post is long and potentially boring for the casual reader. An intense passion for life in the Burnett household is required before reading on...





Lots of changes from the boys lately. They are keeping us busier than ever! In the last week alone, the following items have been partially or fully consumed by one of the boys: toilet paper, a dirty wipe, a leaf, moss, paint chips, dry wall, notebook paper, a Bed Bath and Beyond coupon, and various "unknowns" off the kitchen floor. The boys are more mobile and faster than ever. Cole is pulling himself up everywhere, including in the tub which has been a bit scary. Keith is pulling himself up on things that are short. It's tough when you are just a little peanut! He's still the usual instigator in wrestling matches, although Cole has begun to use Keith's head as a step stool occasionally. Yikes!


We finally have teeth! Keith has a couple coming in at once and is braving it like a man. Cole has one that is extremely crooked on his lower gum line. Brent has been calling him Sawtooth all week.

In addition to the usual political discussion between us, Brent and I have been debating the subject of the boys' hair. Brent seems to think that a military crew cut is the only way to go and keeps insisting that we cut the boys' hair. I think the little wisps that are starting to curl are so cute, so the debate continues...I'm certainly not cutting it right now, but I'm afraid I'll come home from YW one night and find Sargent Burnett giving boot-camp-haircuts to his infantry.


Sleep has been a challenge lately. They were up at least 3 times a night and once even 5 times last week! They've been doing so well for several months, so this is a HUGE step in the wrong direction, but they seem to be self-correcting in recent days. At least we hope. Part of the problem is their "Fireside Chats" between the crib slats. I'm tempted to separate them, but I'm afraid they'll miss each other. As soon as one of them wakes up, he is looking for his brother. Once they spot each other, they yell and bounce up and down. It's hilarious!


Both boys love being outside. As soon as we bring them in, they start crying. Cole kneels by the back door and just pats on the window like a sad little puppy dog.


They both share a common love for Porter the Puppy and Barry the Bear. And they love knocking down block towers. They each have a very different approach. Keith knocks down from the middle and has to make sure that every block is out of place. He just keeps attacking until they are spread out everywhere. And Cole carefully takes the top block off and then examines the tower to decide his plan of attack next. He doesn't seem to care if he destroys the whole tower or not. It's very interesting to see the differences in their personalities. We love to just observe, especially when they are interacting with each other. It's entertainment at it's best for our household.


I felt so guilty when I turned around and saw Keith fast asleep. He'd fought a nap all day and once he finally sat still, he crashed.

I know both boys are tired when they start snuggling with Porter instead of attacking his nose.









And in other news...
"Snick" is Official!

Syd got engaged to Nick 2 weeks ago. I was waiting to post until my Dad and Shea heard the news. They were traveling in Ireland when the SoCal beach proposal occured. Looks like we'll be taking a trip to Newport next May! We are so excited to have Uncle Nick join the family! And we'll miss Aunt Syd while she's supposedly "studying" in Paris this fall.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Hood to Coast Relay

197 miles on foot from Mt. Hood to Seaside with 12,000 other crazies. That was how I spent last weekend. Somehow I got roped into "The Mother of All Relays" this summer.

It's basically complete mayhem from Friday morning to Saturday evening. There are 12 people on a team and two vans per team. Each person runs 3 legs that average 6 miles each to reach the beach--running around the clock. Let me paint the picture: It's 3:00 in the morning. This is your 2nd run since the sun set. It's cold and dusty and you're trying to find your teammate amongst the crowd. Once you find her, you wonder why you were in such a hurry because now you're running 5 miles on a gravel trail at 3:30 in the morning. It's pitch black except for the head lamp on your head which seems to illuminate nothing except for the dust particles flying at your face. Occasionally a participating van drives by to light up the road, but just as you are grateful for the extra light, you are eating the dust that it kicks up in its wake. Lovely.

Actually, the "midnight" run wasn't the worst. At least it was cool. By the time I ran again later that afternoon, it was blazing hot and I had more miles to cover, less food in my stomach and no sleep to my name. Needless to say, the last 8 miles were brutal. But like any good mother of future missionaries, I soldiered on and cranked up my tunes to the likes of Baby Bash and Optimus Rhyme with a throw back to ACDC, Van Halen and The Beastie Boys.

The party on the beach was worth the suffering. It was a beautiful evening and it definitely felt good to squish the sand between my tired toes.

I owe my survival to my Mom who treated me to a surprise pedicure, facial and massage the day before the race (and babysat with Aunt Darel during the race). This allowed me to venture into my "happy place" while pounding out 19 1/2 miles.


I can't end a post without new pics of the boys or else the aunties will have my head. Plus, I'm afraid C and K will outgrow their Moto Jammies soon and I had to get some pictures for Uncle Clint.




As soon as he sees it, Cole makes a beeline for the camera with that determined look on his face. This makes picture taking interesting to say the least.

Keith is content as long as he can smear raspberry jam all over his head and squish it between his fingers. At least he's eating something!