more entertainment from the Como Browns

Since the Blog has been kind of slow lately, I'll go ahead and just keep dominating it with amusing parenting stories. I could fill you in on the latest details of despair in Como, but that might not be as encouraging. So Moriah stayed with my friend, Candice, on the Friday afternoon of World Mandate. Some of you know Candice, and Trisha knows about the amusing ongoing conversation about how Candice finds it absolutely unbelievable that I've never been in a fist fight. So when Mo wakes up from her nap, she and Candice are having a great time together discussing her baby doll and other Mo topics when Mo decides to climb over a baby gate and start playing on the stairs. Candice tells her not to because they aren't particularly safe. Mo says to her in a very disrespectful and commanding tone, "Ms. Candice, if you don't stop being so rude to me I'm going to punch you." I don't even know her response to her at that time, but Mo climbed back over the gate. A few minutes later, she climbed over again and as Candice is telling her "no" again and helping her climb back over, Mo-Mo follows through with her threat and PUNCHES Candice in the chest TWICE while making a really lady-like grunt. Candice is shocked that she's actually punched her, and trying not to laugh, as she puts her in time out on the couch and tells her to stop talking (because she is still spouting off threats and disrespect the whole time). She finally shuts her mouth and things were fine the rest of the afternoon. Candice feels bad that she got "double" punishment - good night! Time out for punching an adult? Randy did not feel this was quite severe enough. Now some of you may be wondering if perhaps Candice did something to provoke such crazy behavior in my precious little 4 year old, but just two nights ago Mo came and woke me up saying that she couldn't find her pj shirt because she took it off and didn't know what she was doing. She couldn't find it and we were in crisis. So I go and look everywhere for that pj shirt and i cannot find it. She begins to melt down and finally plops herself down in front of her door, shuts it, and very disrespectfully tells me that I am not leaving until I find her shirt. I tell her she can sleep topless or wear a different one and she doesn't back down. I begin looking for the spanking paddle and she hides in her closet, refusing to come out. So here I am at 4:30 a.m. spanking Moriah for throwing a fit and disobeying while McKenna looks on quite amused. Her rebellion has still not been driven back after the spanking, but I look one more time in her sheets and find the silly shirt. Why couldn't I have found it the first time???!!! She flips a little internal switch and sweetly replies, "Mommy, I'm sorry I was mean to you." Sigh. The girl has a will of iron and buns of steel to go with it! Pray that she'll figure out she's not in charge - SOON!! This is what you get when you sit around for years judging other parents for their obvious failure! Ha! the humbling just never stops.

love y'all,
anda

Jesus is our...????

Just a little laugh for your day. This a.m. Randy was taking the kids to school and they were praying in the car. Isaac still repeats after us in his absolutely precious, adorable, and sometimes quite passionate (or at least loud) prayers. Here's how it went:

Randy: Thank you for Jesus.
Isaac: Thank you for Jesus.
RB: ...Jesus is our joy.
I: ...Jesus is our joy.
RB: ...Jesus is our peace.
I: ...Jesus is our peace.
[there were more, but fast forward]
RB:...Jesus is our happiness.
I:...Jesus is our happy penis...

The prayer ended here (no one could talk anymore - and getting a good laugh, Isaac proceeded to say it over and over again)! God loves a good laugh in the morning, right?!

Blessings,
Anda

This knome has guts

Thank you so much to all my family who helped with the Dr. Brown's Mighty Men Science Retreat. It was a great experience for everyone (except the pigs.) The boys really opened up this time, and I felt like we got to a deeper level than before with them. Everyone did a great job. As you can see the dissection of the fetal pigs was a highlight. As you can see, our little knome even got to participate.
Blessings,
Randy




Well, we guess there shouldn't be any doubt about it now. You've knome it all along. We clearly have the most creative knome experience of the year. No fancy camera tricks here. This guy is learning about anatomy the dignified way. If the pig could vote, I'm sure he would cast a vote for our little knome guy. As you can see he really touched his heart. (Unfortunately, the pig is currently unavailable for comment.)

Mrs. Murray and Grandpa's change

Just wanted to let all the grandkids know that Grandpa's change collection went to our neighbor Mrs. Murray this year (she was sad we took her picture without letting her fix her hair)! The total amount of $ in the bag was $215.49! She was able to pay back some money she had to borrow to fix the heater in her car. We LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this mighty woman of God - she's the living reality of "blessed are the poor for they shall inherit the kingdom of God." She was so thankful that she didn't even know what to say (so she gave us 2 more loaves of banana bread...I think we're up to about 7 or 8 now). Just can't help but think back to when we were praying about buying this house and the Lord said that we would have favor with the neighbor on the left (I just assumed some drug dealer lived there! Ha!). God is so incredibly faithful.

Bailey, Reagan and the gnome watched the water show at the Bellagio. We thought this was a great picture. But it isn't our entry into the gnome contest. See below.

There was also an FAO Schwartz. We took a picture on the big piano.

The Gnome in Las Vegas

Last week we went to Las Vegas and stayed at Caesar's Palace. There was a life-size replica of the statue of David. We took a picture. It is our first entry in the contest. I don't know if the rest of you should even try.
Grace,
Tod and Family