ok so maybe i don't hate science projects...

CONGRATS TO KYLE! HE WON THIRD IN THE SCIENCE FAIR! IT WAS THE PHYSICS OF BASEBALLS AND SOFTBALLS VS. JUGS MACHINE BALLS. WAY TO GO!
KELSEY WAS IN THE TOP FIVE OF HER CLASS-WAY TO GO KELSEY! SHE LEARNED THAT A SOLAR CELL NEEDS HEAT NOT JUST BRIGHT LIGHT TO OPERATE A SMALL FAN!

THE GIRLS ON A SATURDAY MORNING.

KENNA MAKING HER DOGGIE AT BUILD A BEAR FOR HER BIRTHDAY. HER NAME IS TREAT SINCE THE NAME TAG LOOKS LIKE A DOG TREAT. SO NOW WE HAVE THE NANI AND TREAT WE CAN'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT!

Yak N Sak Update

For those of you that come to the Yak N Sak we will have one in March. I created a blog to keep the info coming so here it is...
ESYakNSak.blogspot.com
I'll try to post pictures and stuff as we have them. Let me know what I can do to add to it or make it better!
Amanda

I don't want to hear AAAAAACHOO!!

Well I should be doing a bunch of things but I decided to sit down and write. I can say now that the Lupron shot does in fact have a side effect of mood swings and hot and cold flashes. I have gotten mad mroe times than I can count over stupid things and I can cry over things I never would have cried over before. I am so ready for Kenna to feel better and I fear that now that grass is starting to pollinate that I am in for the long haul and will be in this rut for awhile. I had to laugh when the ENT tells me yesterday that this is the good season if we can get kids to April. I said-not for my family-grass is starting to pollinate and this begins our worse season. He said well if she gets an infection in the next 6 weeks then he'll take her adenoids out and put tubes in asap or check her in 6 weeks. I just want to coughing to stop and the coughing to the point of throwing up to stop. Jeremy has been very sweet with my new temper and frustration-there are sweet blessings that come the longer you are married. He has really taken care of me these past few months and I appreciate it a lot. I am just ready for Kenna to be healthy and well-I am beginning to think I need to become an allergist when I grow up since I am there often enough! Last week Jeremy told Dr. Shaw that I rattled off his symptoms and told him he had a sinus infection-Dr. Shaw said-she should answer the phones and tell people if they need to come in or not. Yeah-if it's allergies -I gotcha covered. 11 years worth of experience! So hopefully Kenna will feel beetter and I'll keep up with everything and have a clean beautiful house like all of my friends.
I'm off to start cleaning!

What Else is New-I am Sleep Deprived Again!

ok so i have to add that i posted that entry at 1am not 10pm-and i was up even more with Keira after Kenna-so I am running on 4 hours of sleep and listening to crying and laughing kids all in one. Hopefully they will get better or I will be at a dr. somewhere so I can get some sleep! Hope Monica-you all don't get the flu! And I just hope to get my house clean tonight once it is all quiet on the western front!!!

Have I mentioned lately that I HATE science projects!

Ok, so I can't complain about the actual project because Jeremy has been great at making sure the project gets done-but the rest is left to me. I get to make the boards look nice. Well this year I got to do it twice and I am just now satisfied with Kelsey's. It looks nice but if I could figure out how to add more I would. But at least it is done and I can get to bed soon. Kenna is still not feeling well. She was back up coughing at midnight-hence why I can't sleep and I hope to go to bed and she will stay asleep. Hopefully her and Jeremy will get better soon. I was thinking as I was making Kelsey's look good that it would be cool to have a mom who is a dr and a dad who has a PhD in petroleum engineering when it comes time for science projects. I bet they would have some cool ideas. (Yes I know this family-saw the mom on Monday) RAndom thoughts come to you when it is this late!
I ordered some books on the book order and still backed out on the Calvin and Hobbs books. I just wish they weren't $30 or so. I LOVE Calvin and Hobbs and think they are the best. After that I love For Better or For Worse. I have been reading these and Peanuts my whole life and just love to see what they say. For Better or For Worse reminded me that raising my kids is a noble cause with lasting effects on society last week. IT was good to hear as I began a week of staying home with Kenna. I never thought chronic asthma/allergies could be so consuming but thanksully I know what to do to help her better than I did with Kyle. I know it could be much worse for a chronic illness-just gets tiring at times.
I started my official diet today. I have a long way to go to reach my goal but I did succeed today so that is my first step. But darn those girl scout cookies! I got to have one and still stay under my calorie count-but MAN would they good as always!
Well, I 'd better get some sleep. Baseball this weekend in Beaumont. Then soccer and baseball begin every weekend for soccer and every other weekend for baseball. I love it but it does get tiring after awhile. Although Jeremy said Kyle was amazing at his Monday game. I hope I get to watch some of the scrimmage tomorrow night after soccer. Kids are great. Mine were really good and loving today so it was a good day.

Ok-so I had like 20 or so pictures that I wanted to post but I do not have the patience to load them all-needless to say-Kelsey you are amazing! I mean Kelsey Call! I confuse everyone have a friend and a daughter named Kelsey! MY Kelsey is amazing too! I love all the shots of Kenna-you captured her sweet spirit in all of the shots and you can even see the hint of trouble in that grin! Thanks for getting her on film since I didn't get any of her from you as a baby. I still say you do the best newborn pictures and wish I could have another baby just for your pictures!!!!!

But little Kenna is the last of this Brann Clan and she is our little Chuchi bear! I'll post pictures of her trip to build a bear and the dog she picked out. She watched soccer all day on her birthday-but we love her and are glad she's a part of our family!!!!

Here's Kenna-THE baby is officially two!

I'll add more-but here we are-thanks Kelsey for making even me look beautiful next to my little Kenna!

Here's to Friends!

I have to say Facebook is so much fun! Thanks Cami for getting me started. I have found so many good friends that I lost touch with. The most recent was a great friend who I had lost touch with and it made my day to see a message from her today. In the craziness of my day I was able to sit down and just relish the joy of finding an old friend! Sometimes I get so busy I forget about me. Ok Probably all the time, but it has been fun to remember that there was a time when I wasn't someone's mom and had free time. I love my kids and being a mom really has been the best job I have had so far, but as I am entering a new stage of motherhood where I am not always as needed as I once was it is fun to go back to remember the fun things I used to do. Once I get cleared from all the health issues I look forward to training for my 10K in October. I want to work up to a triathlon before I am 40 so I better get moving soon! I am ready to get rid of the baby weight and fly again. So thanks to all the friends who make my life so sweet!

Just Another Day in Paradise

If you have ever heard this country song, then you can understand this entry. Life is back to the norm....Keira is sick and she is taking steriods for it. Like Kyle, the 'riods make her irritable and short tempered. They make Kelsey sleepy and weepy. They make Kenna a bear in the morning and weepy by the night. I know it is sad to say ALL my kids have enough allergies that warrant all of them have been on orapred at least once in the past six months. I had a migraine yesterday so they watched Dora-man am I really starting to DISLIKE Dora-while we stayed in my bed for most of the day. (My eyes were closed so it would go away) It hit at 9pm on MOnday night and this morning I am finally feeling better. I hate them-I guess as my body adjusts to the hormonal changes that I am doomed to "enjoy" them. I'm just glad that the medicine I have works and I haven't had to make an urgent care visit for a demerol and phenegran shot. I am also grateful that the girls will stay here in my room and play quietly when I feel bad. If it had been Kyle-my house would have been turned upside down if I closed my eyes for a minute!
Also I am so grateful for our neighor Caroline, who has picked up the kids from school when it rains at the last minute or I can't get up there-she is so sweete to pick them up for me. I really appreciate her kindness and just wanted to give her a shout out of thanks! I really appreciated yesterday when Kenna was alseep and I didn't think it would rain and then at 3:17pm it downpours! She picked them up and brought them home. I really am grateful for her!

She's almost ten...

I can't believe my first baby girl will be ten tomorrow! First of all 261/2 doesn't seem that long ago and I can't believe how beautiful and responsible she has become. I am going to go find a baby picture and a recent picture and post them-she was my biggest baby at 9 lbs 8 oz. She has brought joy into our family since the day she was born. She is an amazing soccer player, student, friend, and helper. I wanted a houseful of boys-but she changed my mind the minute they put her in my arms. She's growing up and I guess that means I am getting old-but hopefully I will be a cool mom and I'll see her through the teen years smoothly. She's the one that I know will be the example to those around her and choose the right in all that she does. I know the neighbors are counting down until she can babysit-she can take the babysitting class at the college in one year-then I am sure she'll be rich with all of her weekends full of babysitting and soccer.
On a personal note, I am getting better. I still get tired quickly, but I don't hurt as much. I can't thank everyone enough for their thoughtfulness and kindness this week. All the dinners made such a difference and the cleaning was such a blessing. I can say if in a few years I need a hysterectomy-I know my family won't fall apart with all the good friends I have to help me get through something like that. Thanks for everything, guys-I love ya dearly and pray that your lives are blessed for how much you have blessed mine!
My smallest baby girl will be two next Saturday. It may seem crazy to say that I am happy and sad all in one. She has gotten so much better and she is so much happier-her allergies have not been too bad since the dog left and there has been no grass pollen-so we have really enjoyed having her smiling and laughing and talking up a storm! I have to laugh at her love for "Dora" and this week I have watched more Dora being stuck in bed than I ever wanted to! But she loves to sing the "kleem up" song from the mermaid one and the friendship day song. You know I have watched it too much when I dreamed about the songs and dora last night.
Next month, Keira will be five. Where does the time go? I am going to blink and they will all be teenagers. Man, I am getting old.
Happy Day-gotta love this weather before it gets yucky and hot!

The Errand of Angels

I just wanted to write a BIG thank you to the angels that appeared at my door this morning at 10am when I wasn't sure I was going to make it through the day. I had resorted to watching "TinkerBell" while lying in bed and the girls lying next to me. As I was feeling rather depressed that I ended up in this state instead of back to running around-I was planning on running over to Alisha's house today to help her in some way- and not being able to-Kelsey and Jamie walk into my room and say "What can we do?"
I almost started to cry. I must add that the Lupron seems to make me rather emotional anyway, but it was such an answer to my prayers. They cleaned my kitchen and mopped my floor, they started the laundry, and the Pele came and took Keira and Eric to the park. Kelsey brought me Panera for lunch. How spoiled am I that I had friends bring me Panera twice in less than a week? A year ago I never felt so alone and now I am soo overwhelmed by the love of my friends. Thank you Monica-dinner was fabulous and the entire family loved it-I am surprised there is anything left!!!!I will take care of you as soon as I get better!!! I am glad we are friends and I look forward to getting to know you better. I can't thank you guys enough for looking out for me even when I tell you I am fine. I know you know me now and will make me sit down and take care of me. Even if I still missed College Station on Friday-I wouldn't give you guys up-I truly love ya and I can't thank the Lord enough for sending you my way. Kelsey and Angela-thanks for being my best friends-you have made a huge difference in my life and I hope we will be friends forever.
Well, enough of the babbling-thank you to my angels. I really appreciate all that you are doing for me this week!

What else could happen?

Well when I was changing Kenna's diaper this morning I was bent over the couch and totally tweaked something in my back-I assume it is related to surgery since it has been hard to bend over but now I look like a dork cause it hurts to walk and bending is so bad it took me forever to get anything done today. I don't sit still well and I am even more stuck now. Thanks to my friends who are bringing me dinner this week-I originally declined but they stepped up and right now I am soo thankful since I can barely walk.
My bruising is getting to the pink and black stage so I must be healing well. Got to take a shower last night-sooo nice! But I laughed that it made the incisions sting-even with the dermabond. My hand is looking better-the bruise from the IV is going away. I've had a few hot flashes-I assume from the Lupron. Cried over stupid things-hopefully from the lupron. Am ready to not be taking pain meds-there's got to be something else that would help my back. I just hope I can make it through tomorrow getting kids ready and out the door for school-like i said life is back to normal tomorrow even if I am not and I am a little stressed about it.
Jeremy was sweet and did ALL of the grocery shopping for me for the next two weeks. He said that he totally appreciated me for doing it and was overwhelmed by it all. I think he is glad he's not the mom after this weekend! But he has been cooking some great meals for the kids (I've been too nauseous to enjoy)! Thanks dear! I know he is ready to get back to work tomorrow.
Well, I'm starting to ramble...
Have a good night!