These were supposed to be tidbits

• Marty got an iphone.  He's been debating about it for a long time because he was able to get such an amazing Verizon deal on a shared plan with his brother.  We are the last people in the world without a smart phone in the family, but it's a big deal to us because our phones are pieces of junk that have been taped back together (for years) just to get some more time out of them.  He is very cute and has set lots of rules to make sure to avoid fomo and the gambling-type addiction of the click-click-click on the ever-accessible device.  I need simplicity right now, so I just got a basic phone and I'm just happy to finally have a texting plan.
• Today is an experiment of the schedule Brynn will have in first grade.  Today is her field trip so her hours are 7:40 to 1:40 (although next year she'll be out by 12:30 - so excited for that).  It's 10 a.m. and it does feel quieter with her gone.  I'm disappointed that even getting up and at 'em by 6:15 we didn't manage to squeeze in our morning devotional.  Our mornings are going to be a tight squeeze next year for sure.  It almost makes me consider the 11-4 schedule...but I don't think I'll do it.  And embarrassingly, I had so much anxiety driving her to school.  The whole time I was wishing I had written her name and phone number on her stomach with a sharpie.  Here she is all ready to go! 

• After we dropped her off, we went to Walmart.  I haven't been to a store in about a week and my kids DIE without milk.  Have I mentioned my back has gotten so bad I can hardly walk?  Which is why we are out of EVERYTHING.  I thought I'd be ok to just go in and get a few basics, but I'm definitely paying for it now.  I'm lucky Marty doesn't mind running errands - looks like it's just become his job for the next month. I did get a new diaper bag.  It is HUGE.  I'm realizing I'm going to be packing diapers and all the paraphernalia for TWO babies now, so I need to something to function better than the free ones I've been getting at the hospital.
•  I taught the kids what an assembly line is, and how very very exciting it is!  Kids are so gullible. :)  That's how I got my laundry done yesterday.  I couldn't lug the loads everywhere they needed to be, so...thanks Brynn and Bryce! 
• The last couple of days I have finally been noticing an improvement in Bryce's behavior.  Two days ago I had just HAD IT with him refusing to shut the door and he got to witness a mommy explosion.  He hung his head and sat on the swing for a minute or two.  Then he started to cry and came running to me and climbed up on my lap and told me how sorry he was that he wasn't listening to me.  It was so sweet.  We snuggled for a long time outside on the lawn chair.  The rest of the day he was trying to be extra good at listening and was bringing me cups of ice water ("because I noticed that you like to chew ice") and books ("because I noticed that when you lay down you like to read grown-up books and I noticed you didn't have one").  That night when Marty got home, with no prompting whatsoever, he asked Daddy for a blessing to help him be a better listener for Mommy.  Today he's been trying so hard to be good.  I'm not really sure what is clicking for him right now, I don't actually think it was the "mommy explosion."  I just hope it keeps up.  Marty feels like I really need to be offering him a lot more positive reinforcement for his good behavior and I think he's right.
• Brynn is not down with our baby name choices.  She is hoping for: Crystal, Clara, Alia, Kyla, Delia, Kathleen, Blair  And some made up gobbledy-gook I can never remember (and neither can she).  Not bad names, honestly.  I'd love to have a Clara, but Marty says Clara Johnson sounds too flds.
• I left the windows open last night and this morning in our house it was 68 degrees and glorious.  We had a nice and cool couple of days, but we're headed for a hot weekend.
• My brother is on his way to Antarctica to work for a couple months researching the "icefish" down there. They are unique (as in the only vertebrates in the world) because they lack hemoglobin in their blood, which is what transports oxygen to the body, so their blood is white and not red and the fish are almost translucent.  It can have important implications for the medical field, but beyond that you'll have to ask Corey - I'll leave the marine biology to him. :)  He's been traveling by plane for two days and is now finally on a one or two day boat ride to get him there.  He's crazy. :)  But I'm excited because it means we, and especially my kids, get to live this adventure vicariously through him.  He's going to send us updates now and again and I can research it with B&B in kid friendly terms.  Good luck, Corey!
• Something about Gabe?  Hm, still the sweetest and snuggliest baby in the world.  He and his accomplice (new baby sister) are already wreaking havoc on me and I'm pretty sure that carrying them both is what has put my back out of commission.  My mom has suggested carrying him on the other side which makes a lot of sense but is easier said than done because of his right-handing thumb sucking and how comfy he is snuggling up on my left shoulder.  Boy, that spoiled baby has got a big surprise coming in about three and a half weeks!