Family {Planning}: The last of summer vacation

Well another summer break is winding down.  I really hate to bring you that news or even type it on my screen.  

However, I did not start this whole summer wind down.  

No, mass retailers did that on July 5th.  Seriously, what is the deal people?  The day after Independence Day they want us to buy binders, computers, and meal plans and then put out Jack-O-Lanterns and get our Christmas shopping on.  

Uncool.

With another two months of sweet summer coming to the sad end it is time to look at our Summer Bucket List and decide what we need to do during the {precious} last three weeks of break.

I started doing the Summer Bucket List with my daughter last year.  It was something fun that she and I could do for our entire family.  Last year we went all out.  We went to the store and purchased poster board and markers and sat on our then stoop porch and made a big ole list of what we'd do over the summer.  This year we made an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of card stock do the job as we sat by the campfire on Memorial Day Weekend.

Of the seventeen things we decided on, sadly, we have only completed four of them.  

To cut myself a slight break one of them is totally unattainable ("Go on a FREE cruise") and another one I'm not quite sure why my husband even mentioned it ("Go to Tennessee for the weekend").  

I like Tennessee but I'm truly unsure of where this came from.  Mainly because we're so tight-wadded-up that I have to plan and plan very hard for any excursion.

From scoping out our list it looks like we'll be headed to the baseball park, dropping a line in some body of water that has fish in it, and having a big ole back yard get together.

Oh and there's always something to add.  My daughter alerted me that she really wanted to see the college I went to.  So now we're planning on a little day trip to visit UNC-Greensboro.  I need a new t-shirt anyway right?  Or hoodie since I'm supposed to be prepping for fall huh?

Let's just agree to push some of the other events into September.  I'm cool with that!

What are you hoping to do before the big cheeses are cruising and picking up kidlets again?

See you tomorrow on Oh Hey Friday! 

Family {Planning}: Post Op

Surgery Day

Yesterday my honey bunny had his surgery.  I woke up at 6:12 AM and took a quick shower.  Knowing he couldn't eat or drink I tried to rush around and stuff a brownie {healthy...} down my pie hole and chug some coffee.  My mom came over to hang out with the kids until they woke up.  She had Dunkin in hand so I'm sure they were thrilled.

WFBH:  It just keeps growing.

I cannot say enough about how great our experience was at Wake Forest Baptist Health Outpatient Surgical Services Center.  There was little to no wait time from the moment we arrived to getting him back and getting the surgery under-way.  The whole team (3 nurses, 2 anesthesiologists, 1 doctor, 1 resident, and 1 CNA II) was superb.

Do you know how odd it is to be the one sitting in the chair beside the bed?  

Lately, when it comes time to be in the hospital for anything its me.  I'm the one gowned up and nervous.  I'm the one dreading the nurse's "1,2,3 and a little bee sting" when the IV is put in place.  

When you're not the patient it is just so weird.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed being needle free!  But it was odd to watch someone you love so much lie in that bed getting prepped to have a procedure.  

Since his surgery would be dealing with rerouting blood flow in a very delicate area he would have to be totally knocked out and intubated. 

 I didn't realize this.  

We had initially went to see Dr. Davis {who is awesome and should be YOUR urologist if you need one} for a vasectomy but he quickly let it be known there was a stage-three-bigger-issue going on in a delicate region that had to be combated before we could attempt sterilization.  

My mind didn't quite wrap around the local anesthetic turning to being knocked the hell out and having a breathing tube down his throat.  

The waiting room of the the center probably had close to 100 people. 

They were either patients or waiting on patients. 

I came prepared with my blog binder to plan, calendar to write in dates I had for August, cell phone for entertainment, and the book I'm reading.  The binder got some attention, the calendar none, the book a little. 

 I just found that my ADD is at an increased intensity when I'm in a waiting-room!

Oh and I forgot to bring a jacket.

Do you really know how frigid hospitals are?  

I have worked in three hospitals and I know that they are ice lockers.  I am not sure what exactly caused me to go insane and think this would be a warm hospital day!  The worst part?  I had grabbed my jacket to take and left it in a bar stool in my kitchen.  Three hours into the event I alerted the staff I had to step out to reheat.

While I was enjoying my August Southern Living propped up against my trunk and watching the AirCare chopper take off {yet again} my phone rang.  My husband was awake and I needed to come on back.

Even though this surgery was routine for the urologist and nothing major; I was so happy to see my main squeeze in one piece {and crazy eyed} when I walked back.  Everything went well and he was good to go.

I had two babies.  I know pain.

It is so interesting how his two procedures made me remember pushing our babies into the world.  

He's wearing a pair of awesome hospital issued mesh panties ladies!  

He's swollen and hurting.  

All I could think the whole way home was, "Oh my God I've been there twice!"  

Gingerly is the best adjective to describe the drive home.  I made a point to miss any spot on the asphalt/cement that looked like it would jar or bounce him.  

See, I'm a good wife.

Glued to the couch.

The patient has taken residence on the couch.  Since our bedroom is on the second story of our house and he cannot do steps he's stuck in the living room.  

Luckily, the kids are with my mom for a while.  I know if they were home stitches and swelling would turn to major explosion!

I'm playing the role of nurse, maid, and wife.  Luckily, he's been an excellent patient to deal with.

And he's not passed out!

Family {Planning}: Passionate Mom Dare

Good morning, loves.

Today's post is very quick.  I like to spend a few minutes (maybe hours) every morning reading blog friends' posts and corresponding.  It gets me my fill of laughs for the morning and my fill of deep thought sometimes (you wouldn't believe the new wines and lipsticks out there...hehe).

Last week I was visiting one of my favorite blogs.  Hello Happiness - Natasha is fabulous and gorgeous and always puts up stuff I enjoy.

Anyhoo, she shared Susan Merrill's new book about Being a Passionate Mom.  I clicked and read and was totally suckered in!  It is a good thing to get suckered into!

Sometimes, I feel as if we (or at least I) parent on auto-pilot.  You know, we just nod and say uh huh and give smiles at awkward times?  Well I do that when I get my feel of motherhood.  You need an example?  Lovely - the kids are running around half dressed and screaming and pouring water bottles out on my freshly mopped floor.  How's that one?  

Autopilot well, that's really no way to be.  Let me just remind you (and myself) that these days are numbered and before you know it they are literally graduating high school and moving towards adulthood and away from the needing-mommy-hood!  Today is the day our parenting skills pay off not twenty years from now.  We have to use our time, love, and abilities to make today worth every drop it is made of.  

If we better ourselves as mothers we'll better our memories of these days and our bond with our growing babies.

With August beginning in a matter of hours this is the perfect end of summer, back to school, quality time with thinking and being a better parent time that there would be!

Click Here for the Passionate Mom Dare!

Weekend Over Coffee

Ahhh we had a nice weekend.

Friday was spent doing some housework and running errands.  

   

Chick Fil A for some late lunch and play time for the kids.  Aldi for groceries....$60 for a week of groceries, yes please.  Goodwill to find some treasures.  The kids got tons of books for $4.

Friday evening...

  

We enjoyed Customer Appreciation at our local Subway.  For $1.80 you got a medium drink and a six inch sub.  How polite.  Then we played in the yard with the kids til they went to bed.  We closed our evening out with deck sitting under the stars and I sipped my new Flirty Girl White Blend wine....mmm.

Random:  For about ten minutes we tuned into MTV.  I guess I haven't really watched MTV since I was in college.  Whoa things have changed so much!  I felt like an old fart.  Plus, I didn't know ANY of the music they played.  One video we watched was so disgusting.  Big Data = running girls who destroy the world one head butt at a time.  OMG.

Saturday

  

Saturday morning I made sugar cookies (and yes I ate the dough...raw).  Then the kids and I watched Hee Haw.  Do you remember that show?  Ahhh well RFD Network still shows it and the kids love it just as much as I did when I was little!  I also had a lovely email conversation with a fellow blogger who is also from NC!  I live in Western North Carolina and she is from Eastern North Carolina.  Guys this state is like two or three states in one but that is material for another blog post.  It was fun chatting!  I'll have her up on my Oh Hey Friday!

When the hubs got off work the kids went to Nana's.  The spouse and I set out for Surry County where we tubed/kayaked the Yadkin River.  The river was low, the currant was slow, oh no, oh no.  Like my rhyme?

It took quite a while and I remembered why I didn't tube anymore.

Saturday night I watched Shutter Island.  How old.  How disturbing. I cannot handle those story lines ya'll.  Give me comedy!

Sunday

  

Sunday was LAZY!  I love lazy Sundays.  My friend Jennifer and I met for coffee at DD.  She's a nurse who works ALL THE TIME.  Literally - six days a week!  Three at the hospital (hello 12 hours) and four - five at a doctor's office.  Talk about determination and loving her job!  Anyhoo, when we can we meet up for food or coffee.  She enticed me into trying a new coffee.  I'm so boring with my regular with only creme.  This time guys I branched out to frozen.  My heart was stolen it was so good.  It was even better chatting it up with her!

The hubs, my son, and I went to do a little shopping.  Since the hubs lost his flip flops to the river (oops) we had to get some new ones for him.  I love some Rugged Warehouse but I never seem to get there.  Well guys we hit it up and boy did they have some awesome deals....get this starting at $1!  I exercised self control and bought nothing.  Next up one of our favorite places.  I love consignment furniture.  LIKE LOVE IT!  So we walked through the store in that strip mall that offers it.  Ahhh I could spend all day in there.  I did find some things I'm going to "watch"....yay!

After putting the camper down, cleaning the house and a good walk with the kids and spouse we came home to chill.  So, I'm going to admit I'm into RHONJ.  I never got into it before but this year I'm enjoying it (so far).  The hubs watches it with me too!!!

The weekend rocked!

Hope yours did!

Family {Planning}

Welcome to the "Family Week" on A Brownie World.

To say I am blessed beyond measure is a grotesque under statement.  I am unworthy of all the amazing gifts that have been given to me in my life.  I think it is funny that we do not realize just how lucky we are until we're a million miles from our twenties and suddenly happy with just sitting on the deck having an adult beverage and not even talking. 

Just being.

I have a cookie cutter family.
There's the husband, then me, our oldest is a girl who will be seven in a little over a month, our youngest is a boy who will be turning two in a matter of weeks. (Yes the graphic is screwed because obviously my daughter isn't the youngest.)

When people ask if I have kids and I say yes and tell them a boy and a girl they say things like - well aren't you lucky and that's just perfect.  As if there is something terribly awry should you have two of the same sex children.  (Tightwad interjection: I see that as economical as all get out!)

Yes, you.  You are my third baby.

We decided after our son was born we were done with the manufacturing of small humans.  I'm not keen on three kids.  I promise you if I have a third child it will come out of another mother covered in hair with four legs, a tail, and a cute bark.  

A third child is just not in our plans both emotionally and financially and hell even mentally.  

So we're doing something.

God gave us two healthy babies and God gave us the ability to see a doctor and have that option of more babies removed.  I just lost the devout Catholic and Duggar fanbases I know.  I'm sorry.  I'm not sorry.

Tomorrow my husband is having surgery to fix a complication and during that surgery he'll also be neutered.  I'm so happy that I do not have to be on the table for anything baby related this go around.  I'm happy he's man enough to have himself cut and dried (hehe I make myself laugh) while he's laid out anyway.

So when you say your prayers or send out your vibes of energy please give us a nod.  I know the pain of surgery isn't going to be fun (poor guy's abdomen is going to be cut and parts rerouted ewww) and the patience of taking care of an ailing male isn't going to be very thrilling either.  (His paper cuts are always way worse than anyone else's....except my six year old's....)

See you tomorrow!

Social Media Links

Um it is the weekend and seriously...I have plans.  But here I am with a cup of coffee and stressing because my blog doesn't have buttons for my FB, Twitter, and Instagrams.  

Lame-o!

Ok this was sparked from an email I got that said, "Brownie, where is your social media stuff?  Get that up."

So I don't have time to really mess around and figure out my buttons.  

Here's the best I can do for now:

Twitter?  My handle is @ABrownieWorld

Facebook?  Check it out here

Instagram?  ABrownieWorld

So self explanatory right?

This Instagram is new and fresh and delicious.

Love ya have a great weekend.....I'm off to get dirty!

Oh Hey Friday: Five Camping Finds

I'm linking up with a new Friday link up crew.  So excited to join the farming beauties with their Friday celebration.  

This week I have been blogging all about our first experience with our new pop up camper.  I have decided to have my Friday sum it all up.  We'll be closing the chapter on camping (for an entire week of blog posts) and moving on to other pastures.  However, I will high light trips and experiences as they are gained!

So without further ado...

1.  Remember how I mentioned that all a pop up is is a glorified tent?  Well little did I know that the other name for a pop up camper is.....TENT TRAILER!  I am not kidding you!  I did not know that and perhaps you did but hey guys I'm so face palming.

2.  

I always have loved my Life is Good stuff but now I must get this to add to my collection.  Of course considering the price of Life is Good stuff.... I better wait until I am employed again (hahaha, no really crying now).

Pinterest of course!

3.  I love this.  If you think about it its very true.  Nothing will buy you happiness but being able to buy your way around the state, country, or world will bring you a wealth of memories and memories are happiness! (Until you get Alzheimer's...right grandma?)

Click here to learn more.

4.  A few years ago the hubs and I went on an anniversary day date to Hanging Rock State Park.  We spent the day hiking. It was so much fun.  I've been told they have a great camping area and swim beaches.  This could be on our agenda for our next place to go.  Of course it will have to be totally sunny with no rain in site.  Oh, weatherman can you whip me up a slight drought?

You want one too!!!!

5.  I think I need this before we go camping again....how freakin' cool!