tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10156652410564785022011-04-21T22:18:49.789-07:00These kiddos are our Brownie Bunch- Jordan age 6, Mikayla age 5, twins Jackson & Payton 2 years & Ryne 12 mos. Join us in our journey of surviving each day. Believe me, everyday is an adventure!Darinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707991734185102426noreply@blogger.comBlogger411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-41742690795621855722008-06-28T05:22:00.000-07:002008-06-30T18:47:10.371-07:00

The blog is back (with a tiny bang).  Here's a short story about how being a parent changes how you think.  It's about 6 am and I'm at the office gym in the locker room putting away my stuff.  I open the locker and a small screw falls on the ground.  My first thought (and I'm not kidding) was... "I need to find that screw before somebody puts that in their mouth and accidently swallows it."

Darinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01707991734185102426noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-1803424448289430882008-02-09T19:16:00.001-08:002008-02-09T19:29:21.081-08:00

I'm going back to a previous post about the breaching of security by the twins.The door knobs were our only saving grace as they weren't tall enough/strong enough to open the doors. Well of course, this soon changed. So, the child door knob covers went on. These are 2 halves of plastic that fit very snugly together. They are larger than the doorknob so there are two rubberized finger grip things

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-62271701345736949912008-02-08T08:26:00.000-08:002008-02-08T10:14:57.968-08:00

Mikayla was stricken with a yucky stomach bug. In an effort to not pass any more germs on to her younger siblings, she decided to hang out in her room for most of yesterday. We recently purchased a phone with 4 handsets with the intention of keeping one on each floor (3) plus one in Jordan & Mikayla's room. This way I'm not sprinting up/down stairs when the phone rings and also to decrease the

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-866634325418448742008-02-08T08:21:00.000-08:002008-02-08T08:26:07.804-08:00

I need to make blogging part of my routine. Otherwise it will become what it is...sporadic entries with many daily funnies being undocumented. I enjoy writing it...and I know this will hold priceless memories in several years when all the kids are grown. So there...today's mantra...I will blog daily!We have finished our birthday marathon- 4 birthdays in 25 days. Whew! So I already have tomorrow's

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-91617787652444530632008-01-29T09:43:00.000-08:002008-01-29T10:10:41.766-08:00

For some unknown reason, my computer failed to operate for many days. After 4 days of trying to troubleshoot and ultimately wiping the entire computer clean and starting again from scratch, I'm finally back online. Could it have something to do with Jackson's obsession for clickity click clicking my mouse when I leave his sight for a minute? My thought is - perhaps!I didn't realize just how much

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-23919261843926207032008-01-16T08:15:00.000-08:002008-01-16T10:44:01.729-08:00

Has it really been almost a month since I last blogged? Wow! Where does the time go? While I got many nice gifts for Christmas, Santa failed to bring me the item at the top of my list - about 4 more hours in a day!It seems so overwhelming to start to blog after so long. So much has happened. Where do I start?Well, turns out I was "tagged" over my hiatus. Dorinda has so kindly tagged me. I think I

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-90971172250371562812007-12-21T10:43:00.001-08:002007-12-21T10:59:05.678-08:00

I don't have time to write much. As usual, I bit off more than I could chew and have been about as busy as one can be this week. Darin wants to know when I plan on scaling back my extra-curricular activities. I just smile, laugh, and say "You don't know me very well, do you?"Anyway, we are headed to PA for the start of our Christmas celebrations this evening. Provided I can get my laundry list of

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-36747879601378448662007-12-20T18:32:00.000-08:002007-12-20T18:38:41.272-08:00

Jordan made Christmas cards for his teachers and his bus driver. Here is the one to his bus driver.

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-8120561254613905482007-12-20T11:22:00.001-08:002007-12-20T12:01:13.148-08:00

Kids think quite a bit. They soak things up like little sponges. But sometimes young learning is very black and white. Last night, as we were getting ready for bed, Jordan & Mikayla were showing off their color blending knowledge."Red and white makes my favorite color, pink" says Mikayla."Blue and yellow make green" says Jordan."What colors make violet?" asks Mikayla."Blue & purple make violet,

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-66254287885059924642007-12-19T06:25:00.000-08:002007-12-19T07:08:11.775-08:00

I guess it's been awhile since I was in a minor-aged school environment. Not to mention, times have changed (how cliche')! But, really , times have changed! I remember having my tin of Sucrets at my desk, chewing them one after another like they were candy when I was in elementary school. Yummmm...cherry Sucrets. In Jr. High & Sr. High I carried tylenol and the such in my bag for those rough days

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-3567482799887833952007-12-18T13:32:00.000-08:002007-12-18T14:09:04.130-08:00

Finally...here are some pictures of Darin on race day for the Marine Corps. Marathon Sunday, October 28th.Around Mile 14Jordan & Mikayla are holding up their signs waiting to see Daddy at Mile 26! Jackson, Payton, & Ryne hanging out while watching for Daddy to pass us! (How's that shoe taste, Ryne?)Darin's still smiling on his final ascent to the finish, Mile 26.1Across the Finish Line 26.2 at

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-11833955942798655662007-12-18T12:05:00.000-08:002007-12-18T12:17:52.375-08:00

Wrapping Paper?That's right. I got my container of wrapping paper out from the closet. It's one of those containers that stands upright and holds the rolls. I placed it in my bedroom, apparently a little too close to the pack n play where Ryne takes his naps. When I went to lay him down for his nap today, I noticed all of these little shreds of paper on the pack n play mat. Sure enough it was

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-30800479658140173842007-12-17T10:15:00.000-08:002007-12-17T11:19:50.849-08:00

The twins have officially broken every level of security we have in place at our house -minus the door knobs. They still aren't tall enough or strong enough to twist the door knobs...but that's only a matter of time.1. Stair GateWe, ok I, chose the stair gate we have in place because it folds away when not in use. Darin hates this thing because it's a little loud and it works best if you have 2

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-40627971675552753682007-12-17T09:16:00.000-08:002007-12-17T09:40:53.767-08:00

Darin gave Ryne his first hair cut about a week and a half ago. His 'party in the back, business in the front' mullet had to go. Ryne sat still and barely made a peep, even when daddy used the vacuum cleaner to clean-up the loose hair from his shoulders.Ryne has also started taking a few steps on his own. I haven't been able to capture his steps just yet...but I'll keep trying.

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-6718845011547256142007-12-16T19:55:00.000-08:002007-12-16T22:30:30.588-08:00

Where else would you have about 70 kids and 40 adults all in the same room? The Mom's of Multiples Holiday Party of course! We had the party at House of Bounce - a family favorite. You'll see Mikayla's birthday photos from there just as soon as Darin stops hogging them on his MAC =) Anyway, we arrived a tad late because of all days, our kids actually slept in on a morning when we had something

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-33080582319235848372007-12-14T18:08:00.000-08:002007-12-16T20:47:08.665-08:00

There are so many things to do and see this time of year. Last year we drove through a lights exhibit and ended up at a carnival type place. The kids rode rides and ate chicken fingers and french fries. It was nice, but a little pricey. This year we thought we'd try something different. Last year I remembered a bunch of friends talking about Gum Drop Square. Low and behold, guess what comes up on

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-30044698285145206052007-12-13T08:13:00.000-08:002007-12-13T08:53:39.765-08:00

This morning, I had to pee. And believe it or not, I wasn't right in the middle of doing something important. (Usually I have to wait about an hour or so until I'm free to use the restroom) So I walked to the bathroom and opened the door. Immediately I noticed that, of course, there is no toilet paper on the roll nor are there anymore spare rolls in the basket beside the potty. So I went upstairs

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-42981063768525365632007-12-11T21:25:00.000-08:002007-12-11T21:44:31.129-08:00

Now that Jordan is trying to spell and read everything and Mikayla is following in his footsteps, the questions are non-stop. What's this spell? What does that spell? How do you spell _(fill in the blank)__? What does that mean? and on and on and on...They ask about things they see on TV and around the house like HD - high definition or DVR - digital video recorder. Well they asked about the

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-58024920376882045722007-12-11T09:28:00.000-08:002007-12-11T09:47:22.388-08:00

Jordan was gladiator battling with inflatable pugle sticks at Mikayla's party. A kid came up to me and said "Are you Jordan's Mom?" I said, "Yes". He said, "Jordan lost his teeth and they are bleeding." (Yes, he was wearing a helmet!)So I went to check it out. Sure enough, Jordan had a missing front tooth and the other one was pretty loose. I wasn't worried about it. They're just baby teeth. They

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-34329832952034031172007-12-10T16:49:00.001-08:002007-12-10T17:46:01.189-08:00

What's worse than 3 kids being sick?Mom being sick, too!We were struck with the "a little bit more than 24 hour bug" last week -hence the lack of new posts.It's hard enough to keep up with the daily ongoings of our household, let alone catching up. Let me tell you how many dishes pile up, laundry loads need washed, shopping needs to get done to restock the food and cleaning supplies...and of

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-62288002735852467082007-12-04T06:39:00.000-08:002007-12-04T06:54:10.469-08:00

Jordan was so sick this weekend. I had already decided that I would let him wake up on his own and then would ask if he would like to go to school. So that's what I did. Jordan seemed tired and said he didn't want to go to school today. I didn't push it. It's ok. For me, attendance isn't a huge deal - as long as you do you work and do your work well. (Darin and I differ on this a little bit).

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-28769534787433473842007-12-03T12:52:00.001-08:002007-12-03T13:33:00.289-08:00

A conversation with Mikayla:Mikayla: I'm itchy!Me: You're itchy? Maybe it's from the new PJ's. (Mikayla got new PJ's and demanded to wear them before I washed them.)Mikayla: I don't think so. I'm itchy all over. I think I have the ticks.Me: Ticks?Mikayla: Yeah the ticks.Me: What are ticks?Mikayla: You know...the ticks...bugs. I don't remember what exactly they're called. (pause) Oh yeah, they're

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-79774943196841112672007-12-03T04:52:00.000-08:002007-12-03T15:26:50.039-08:00

For the past several months, I have been battling a dilemma. To quit, or not to quit? That is the question. This has been my internal, well sometimes it has been external, battle.To QuitI am the primary caregiver to 5 kids under the age of 7. All day, every day. Isn't that enough work for 1 week?I only work 2 shifts a month anyway. It isn't that much money. And there are certainly aspects of our

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-84327842419626792322007-11-30T06:24:00.000-08:002007-11-30T08:35:41.538-08:00

*Sigh*I love all my children! (really..my kids..not the soap opera) But each and every one of them has their "thing" that pushes my buttons. Well yesterday, they all decided to push that button and I was, well, pushed to the brink. Warning - some of this content is gross!Jackson - wakes up kicking the door. I mean kicking the door like you think someone is breaking it down. No sweet call for "

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-49517357392665340282007-11-29T07:17:00.000-08:002007-11-29T07:29:03.942-08:00

I checked in on Payton and Jackson before I fed Ryne his Spaghetti. They both were doing so well, using their forks very carefully. Thinking it was ok to leave, I fed Ryne his food, gave him a bottle, and put him to bed. I knew I was in trouble when I heard the laughter coming from the dining room. But I figured by that point it was already too late to avoid a mess. I was right.

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-27205161389418880272007-11-28T09:10:00.000-08:002007-11-28T06:26:08.743-08:00

So Jordan almost missed the bus today! Why? Not because he didn't wake up on time. Not because he didn't eat his breakfast quickly enough. Not because he took his time getting dressed. Nope, Jordan almost missed the bus because I gave him Mikayla's pants to put on by accident. We were already outside on the sidewalk walking to his bus stop. I glanced down and something at the bottom of his

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-83315742020810955742007-11-27T20:36:00.000-08:002007-11-28T06:35:12.919-08:00

I belong to a Mothers of Multiples group. Among the many hats I wear for the club, 'Philanthropy Chair' is the one I have recently donned the most. I LOVE this responsibility. Over the years, I have found that there is a fine line between selflessness and selfishness. And that line is beginning to blur for me right now; because while I'm helping others, it makes me feel really good! If you are a

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-13602142571729650722007-11-26T19:41:00.000-08:002007-11-27T05:13:19.860-08:00

*warning picture of baby in diapers*- for those of you that know me well, know that I swore my kids would NEVER just be in a diaper. Well, some of my kids hate clothes and it is a battle to keep clothing on them. Sometimes I don't feel like fighting that battle.Conan The Barbarian or Olivia Newton-John?

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-51902569578839342512007-11-26T19:16:00.000-08:002007-11-27T04:38:00.318-08:00

I bet you were worried my blogging jaunt was over! Never fear, I was just not home. And it's not real easy to blog from an unfamiliar computer...OK..well it is real easy to blog from, well, pretty much any computer. None-the-less, I took a break and now I'm back with 90% of my Christmas shopping done and 100% of the gifts in my possession wrapped. Can I get a Who Hoo?!I hope you all had a

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-72047254782174436102007-11-21T06:23:00.000-08:002007-11-27T04:38:24.629-08:00

Grover & ErnieArtist: Jordan October 2007

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-90171347942599543902007-11-21T06:16:00.000-08:002007-11-27T04:37:34.639-08:00

I posted yesterday while the kids ate lunch. It really didn't take me all that long -honest! This is how I found Ryne. I wonder what will happen when he eats Turkey tomorrow. The tryptophan may prove to be too much. Perhaps he'll fall asleep mid-bite.

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-29581966483108095602007-11-20T09:49:00.000-08:002007-11-27T04:38:55.491-08:00

Have you seen the My Twinn Dolls? They are really cute dolls that you can have made to look like your child. Then you can buy matching outfits for your child and the doll. Did I mention they are really cute? I think they charge extra for the cuteness factor. Here's an example: Well I had been hiding a catalog because I was considering purchasing one for Mikayla for her birthday or Christmas.

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-54903332779119193402007-11-20T09:32:00.000-08:002007-11-27T04:39:21.501-08:00

I've noticed that kids around Kindergarten age plaster this kinda smile on their faces (see U6 soccer picture below). And I know a school picture wouldn't be a school picture if it was perfect. But...in the age of DIGITAL CAMERAS, how does this happen? We personally own a camera that if you hold the button down, it will keep snapping a zillion pictures. At least one of them is bound to be really

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-46077711944795710712007-11-19T14:27:00.000-08:002007-11-27T04:42:16.556-08:00

The local train has a Santa train every year on one day in December. It's fun. You get to ride on the train. Get a coloring book and candy cane. And Santa pays a visit to each car.In order to get tickets you must find out ahead of time when tickets go on sale, be at the sale location early to get in line, and purchase the tickets. Hopefully you noted on their website where it says “cash and

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-4727807658975149362007-11-19T13:32:00.000-08:002007-11-27T05:13:42.589-08:00

Our version of Venom (the black spiderman), Batgirl, Roo, Piglet & Eeyore. All the excitement got to the twins =0)Thank goodness for the wagon.Eeyore's hitchin' a ride with Daddy.

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-48672572260788062002007-11-18T21:22:00.000-08:002007-11-27T04:41:24.466-08:00

We just wrapped up soccer for the fall season. Here are the kids' pictures from this season: Mikayla dominated in her U5 league. She had 7 goals in one game! It's fun to see her getting aggressive on the field - pushing, shoving, going after the ball...no matter who has it. Now we just have to work on the "team work" aspects, like not taking the ball away from her teammates. Jordan was in the U6

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-28877413993384136962007-11-18T20:47:00.000-08:002007-11-27T04:41:51.557-08:00

I should preface this story (and many others) by saying that I do have control over my children. They are just fast little buggers and I happen to be about 1 step behind them. I've become a lot less judgemental about some of the stories you read about. "It all happened so quickly." "I turned my back for a second." Sometimes it truly is just 1 second! So...don't judge me =)10/24/07“Mommy, what

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-43526268292843670602007-11-17T18:20:00.000-08:002007-11-27T05:14:09.621-08:00

The other day, Ryne got a hold of the Desitin that we so lovingly refer to as “Butt Cream”. Payton went up to him and said “NO”, took it away from him, and handed me the tube of cream. What a helper! She's already acting as another set of eyes for me. Oh, but 10 minutes later, this is what I find: Payton, holding the tube, with butt cream all over her face and Ryne next to her. Ryne had a couple

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-45858424034693735622007-11-17T18:13:00.000-08:002007-11-27T04:43:34.670-08:00

Jordan’s first trip to the school library was great. He was able to see all of the wonderful books at his disposal and learned the process of checking out a book. When Jordan got home from school that day, I expected to find a library book in his backpack. I looked through every pocket (my there are a lot) to no avail. I asked Jordan where his book was. He said “Mom, the librarian said the books

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-25010333386736815122007-11-16T20:20:00.000-08:002007-12-03T17:17:22.293-08:00

Momma Brownie - A 29* year-old wife, mother of 5, active member in the twins club and PTO. While still considered young in years by many, life experience has me listed as "old for her age". Well, life experience and all that grey hair - thanks dad! I still work as a nurse part-time in an adult critical care setting. In my spare time (ha ha ha), I enjoy watching tv, doing philanthropy work,

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015665241056478502.post-44012336180169698602007-11-16T20:14:00.000-08:002007-11-28T05:26:07.867-08:00

I have been thinking about blogging for a while and finally decided to go through with it. It's a commitment that I had to be ready to make. Sometimes life gets too hectic to document everything. I mean, Jordan has a baby book. Mikayla has a library of pictures that we took, albeit they're still on the computer and have yet to be printed. Jackson, Payton & Ryne...well we rely on my mother to take

Momma Browniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02237825837720200987noreply@blogger.com0