"I Am You Chocolate Shumbunny"

Garak welcomed Easter morning with an aria of his own composition starting around 6am.  Happy Easter!  So he and Mommy had a little talk about being nice to our brother and parents who may not want to hear loud singing while they are still trying to be sleeping.  He was a very joyful child all day but especially in the morning when he and I were getting ready for our day. 

Those of you who don't watch Veggie Tales may not completely appreciate this sweet little story I am about to tell.  There is a song called "The Bunny Song" on the episode "Rack, Shack and Benny" where the characters eat chocolate bunnies and don't listen to their parents and get tummy aches. (Such a fitting story for today!)  So, in my cuddling w/the boys I have always given kisses on their necks and pretended I was eating them all up "for sweeties."  Since they watched the aforementioned episode though, they have been my chocolate bunnies who I eat all up until I get a tummy ache and they LOVE it and think it is SO FUNNY or "cho fuuny" as they say.  Also Garak calls rabbits "Shumbunnies" because of a book about bunnies we have that starts each sentence with, "Some Bunnies do... and Some Bunnies have..."

So today Garak had gotten himself all dressed very quietly after our talk and I was putting his shea butter lotion on his face and brushing his hair while he was sitting up on the counter.  He looks up at me and says, "I am you chocolate Shumbunny!" with the sweetest grin and an invitation to eat him all up.  Delicious!

Happier Easter

Our 1st day together.  Last Easter.  There aren't words to express what's in my heart as I reflect back over this past year.

Since last Easter the name of this blog has become a reality at our house.  We used to talk about Uganda more and remember life there a bit better than we do now.  We are settled here but we have not forgotten -nor could we ever- what it took to become the Brimer Party of 4.  Every family is a miracle -this I know- but ours, well it was created by a long series of miracles that continue to this day.

 Last week we watched a presentation shown by a man we know who just got back from Malawi (which is near Uganda in Africa).  The images of the children in tattered clothes brought me right back to Uganda in my heart.  I looked down at Hayden who was sitting on my lap and asked, "did you and Garak used to have broken clothes like that boy?"  His sweet little face which already was very seriously studying the photo looked up at me and said gravely, "Yech and we was cho bloken too"

we was so broken too

I was speaking to a friend last week after the impact of the Malawi presentation and I said something about not needing to live in constant guilt because we can't control it that we live here and they live there. [I am not heartless, please know that it was a very long conversation and I am only telling you the end.] His response has been haunting me ever since.  He said something along the lines of "to a people so blind to the needs of others and living so comfortably while others struggle to make it through the day, maybe guilt is just what we need to feel."  I had to agree.

Garak's Birthday took a week

Garak's birthday fell on a Tuesday so he opened a gift that day of a new book and I read to him before work. Hayden got a new book as well and we all sat and read both books before work.  --Incidentally Hayden had stellar behavior about it not being his birthday and was genuinely excited for Garak.  Hayden did receive several smaller gifts and was very content with them.  He mention that he would like it to be his happy birthday cake a few times during the week but didn't cry or get fussy about it.-- They split a cupcake for snack that day.  Then Wednesday they each opened one book also.  Thursday was the big day since I was off of work so they were told it would be Garak's happy birthday after nap time when Daddy came home.  Thursday they opened a few gifts until Garak wanted to be finished so he could get down and play. And so we saved the rest for Friday.  They were excited all morning Friday so I let them open one thing each at snack time.  Friday after nap we finished up the gifts.  SO it was Happy birthday week :)

During nap Thursday I set the dining room up.  Just before the party I brought Garak into the room w/all the gifts and said "Look Garak what do you see!?"  His happy response "a smail![sic]" {can you find the snail? talk about not seeing the forest for the trees!}

his responses were photo perfect. a VERY thankful child

he sat in awe of this large gift for several seconds before finally starting to open it.

Daddy's Birthday

offering support to his dad as he faces another birthday. sweeter than I can handle.

I really wish it was my birthday...

Maybe everyone thinks this sometimes about their children, but these are THE sweetest most delightful children I know.

my fashionable children

I hope you are somewhere where it is ok to be loud because you are about to giggle and squeal.

happy little kings

the royal boogie

hard to say no to this little king's demands

rival popes ready to give an edict "more cake. less naps."

can anyone else see a lucrative modeling career in his future?

we've got it in writing

little boys blue

today at snack: btw this may be the only time you'll see them in T-necks but we had just come in from the snow

at the Shomebunnies' B-day party