BOYS WILL BE BOYS...

I am an "XBOX Wife", and I like to call Mr. Brownstone my "Halo Husband". He gets this nickname because he is an angel...most of the time. Of course, the name definitely has a double meaning. Sundays from 9:30 pm to 11:00 pm are XBOX nights for Mr. Brownstone and his buddies (also known as Halo Husbands, just as my friends are also XBOX Wives). Tuesday and Thursday nights are also XBOX nights. Those boys like to get their Halo ON!

Several people have asked if it bothers me that Mr. Brownstone devotes time to this activity three nights a week. The answer is "no". Why WOULD it bother me?
I am so thankful for my husband....

• thankful that he works so hard during the day to provide for our family ~ he more than earns a little down time...
• thankful that he makes it a priority to be home in time for dinner ~ he spends time around the table with his wife and children talking about the day...
• thankful that he is present for bedtime routines ~ he reads to and prays with our kids each night...
• thankful that he is not married to his job ~ he is around on the weekends for family time, for extra-curricular activities, for sporting events, as well as hot dates with me! :)
  
• thankful that he has friends with whom he enjoys spending time ~ he plays an important part in keeping our friendship relationships strong...
• thankful that he is not out doing what he could be out doing.

I believe with all my heart that we should honor our families first, that we should never view our family as a burden or something from which we need a break, and that our lives should not be centered around quality "me-time". However, I also believe with all my heart that guys need some guy time every now and then just as girls occasionally need some girl time. We are human, and we need friends! Four and a half hours maximum for the week is really not that much to ask, especially considering that it is always time spent after family time, after the kids are in bed, and always while I am doing something, too. It never takes priority over anything that we might choose to do together during that time frame, but I want for him to have that guy time during the week. (A bonus is that it allows me some time for activities like blogging, pleasure reading, talking to my girlfriends, a movie with my friends, a weekly Bible study with the other XBOX Wives, and kid-free bubble baths...) Mr. Brownstone and I encourage each other in developing and maintaining friendships, and I believe our marriage is richer for it. (Another bonus for us is that my best friends are married to his best friends!)

Here are some things that I know:
Mr. Brownstone is always home for dinner. He is active with our kids. He is home at night. He is not sitting in a bar drinking or watching other women take off their clothing. He can be a guy around the guys. Guys get "guy things"! He encourages my friendships. Girls get "girl things"! We spend quality time with each other as spouses every day. We trust each other. We love each other. Why would his game nights bother me?

I am so thankful for Mr. Brownstone. I am also thankful for his friends. (They are my friends, too!)

On a final note, I am thankful for the way that Mr. Brownstone can bring a smile to my face and make me laugh...right now, he is playing XBOX Live with his buddies, but he is also watching a football game on television. He SAYS that it is on so he can hear the weather reports. I do not believe that for one second, and he knows it. After all, boys will be boys. He's got a headset on his head, a game controller in one hand, and a remote control in the other. He is also somehow managing to sneak in bites of Boston Cream Pie chased down by a tall cold glass of milk. No, XBOX nights do not bother me!

BOYS WILL BE BOYS...

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/10/boys-will-be-boys.html

IN HONOR OF MR. BROWNSTONE...

There is only one "thing" that Mr. Brownstone loves more than XBOX.

Can you guess what it is?

If you're a man, then it shouldn't be too hard for you to guess because chances are...you love it, too.

And if you're a woman? Well, it might not be too hard for you to guess either because chances are...your husband spent the day much in the same way as Mr. Brownstone.

Have you guessed what it is yet?

If you guessed "marking things off the honey-do list", then you would be wrong.

If you guessed "watching football" ~ DING, DING, DING ~ we have a winner!

Yes, Mr. Brownstone loves watching some football. ANY football! Now, don't get me wrong, Mrs. Brownstone loves watching some football, too, in moderation, but Mr. Brownstone...well, let's just say he takes it to a whole other level.

• He will watch a PeeWee game and be totally into it.
• He will watch a Junior High game, and be totally into it.
• He will watch a High School game, and be totally into it.

The man is passionate about football.

PeeWee, Junior High, and High School do not even remotely match up to what lies in store on weekend television, though.

Our Saturday consists of Mr. Brownstone getting up and listening to sports radio in the shower. Then, he moves back into the bedroom where he promptly turns on the television and begins watching ESPN while getting dressed. (Now, if I'm being completely honest, these two things happen every day.) After getting dressed, he moves into the family room and scrolls through the channel guide to determine which college football games will have the honor of making it onto the DVR box, where they will then have the pleasure of living anywhere from one day to several months. (I finally convinced him to delete the Super Bowl a mere three weeks ago!) Once the games have been chosen, he watches ESPN for a bit longer to get a final "fix" before having to be a grown-up for the day.

During the day, he does actually get some things accomplished. We go to whatever activities Tornado and Twister might have scheduled for the day, i.e. "sports". We go to lunch, usually somewhere with a television showing ESPN, if possible. He gets the yard work completed with frequent water (cough-cough-TV-cough-cough) breaks. Sometimes he even works in a haircut at, of course, "Sport Clips". And then...his moment of all moments...he is ready to move to the sofa, where he proceeds to watch hours and hours of football at a much faster, commercial free pace. (Three cheers for DVR!) It's one of my favorite things to see him (or rather hear him) do. He gets SO into it!

• He yells at the coaches.
• He yells at the referees.
• He yells at the players.

By yelling, I mean he expresses emotion about ALL of it ~ the good, the bad, and the ugly of the games. Sometimes it is in anger ("THAT was a mistake!"), sometimes it is in despair ("No, oh, no, no, no!"), and sometimes it is in sheer joy (Yahoo! Good job, boys, good job!). And yes, in case you are wondering, he really has used the term "yahoo", and he really does refer to them as "boys". These are the times that make me laugh and smile because he is such a big kid ~ tantrums, cheering, and all!

On Sunday, it's more of the same, except church is added into the mix, as well as conversation about football with other men. All in all, it is a very football packed weekend around these parts.

So...in honor of Mr. Brownstone, which teams are YOUR favorite teams. I'm looking for a college team and a pro team. Mr. Brownstone and I both love the University of Texas and the Dallas Cowboys!

And, please by all means, share if your husband has any funny football quirks! If you're a man, go ahead a take a moment to share your own quirks, too. It's OK to laugh at yourself...I promise. We're all laughing WITH you!

IN HONOR OF MR. BROWNSTONE...

http://xboxwife.blogspot.com/2007/09/in-honor-of-mr-brownstone.html