Long time, no post...

Ok, I know, it’s been forever since I’ve posted. I keep thinking about and putting it off. But I’m at work today and my mind is wandering, so I decided to catch up on some of the blogs that I used to read; that inspired me to post something. Well, the biggest thing that has happened since my last post is that Brayden started Kindergarten. Remember this post?? Well after a lot of thought, we did decide to keep him in a Pre-K program for one more year. The pediatrician recommended waiting simply because he was a boy and so close to the cut-off, my co-workers said to wait, and my fellow bloggers said to wait…so we waited. We didn’t base our decision solely on everyone’s opinion, but they were definetly a factor. We did however choose to put him into a new preschool, one that was more academically challenging. A few days into the new program, he began to have some major behavioral problems. This was new to us; we had never once been told he was behaving badly at the old school. In hindsight, that’s probably because they let them run around like banshees all day anyway. So we would address it with him and things would get better for a day or so and then he’d have a rough couple of days again. At first, I thought it was because it was a new school and a lot more structure than he was used to. Well, 3 weeks into it, his new teacher called me and asked if my husband and I could come meet with her. So we went the next day expecting to hear that she was expelling him or something. But, it actually turned about to be a great meeting. Her first question was “who told you to keep him from going to kindergarten this year”. We explained how we had come to that decision and she basically told use (in the nicest way possible) that in her opinion (as a teacher for the past 20 years) that we had made the wrong decision. She said that he was so smart and well beyond where he needed to be to start Kindergarten. She said that she felt like the bad behavior stemmed from being bored. She said he would finish his “work” within 5 minutes of sitting at the table. Therefore he was left to twiddle his thumbs while everyone else finished. Well I’m sure you can imagine how long a 5 year old boy can sit still and keep to himself. She said that he would try but that after 15 minutes or so he was going nuts just sitting there. She said that she was willing to let him stay and that she would try to give him more advanced work, but that he was way beyond the other children and would probably struggle all year and maybe even regress. That was on a Wednesday. We thought about it for a while, but I think my husband and I both immediately knew what we needed to do. So I registered him the next day and he started Kindergarten on that Friday. He only missed 3 weeks, and his new teacher said that he would have no problem catching up. Well we are on week 3 and he LOVES it. His behavior has been great (well except for one little mishap on his third day that almost involved the police – more on that later). He is excelling and has already learned so much in this short amount of time. I got an email from his teacher today and it said, among other things, “I really enjoy having him in class, he’s very entertaining! He’s also very quick to learn what I am teaching and he enjoys learning as well.” I’m so proud if him. He’s becoming such a big boy and continues to amaze me everyday.

Stayed tuned – I know I have a lot more stories and Braydenism’s from the last few months that need to be posted before my memory reaches capacity. I’ve just got to do some brainstorming first and dig them all up.

Mixed up feelings?

On the way to preschool this morning Brayden says (in his most sad voice)

B: Mom, I'm a little shy today.
T: Your shy??? (this boy has never been shy, so I had to confirm that's what he said)
B: Yeah, I'm just a little shy.
T: Why are you shy today?
B: Because I want daddy (he had to go to work early, so Brayden didn't get to see him)
T: Do you mean that you are sad because you didn't get to see him.
B: No, I'm just shy.


Lately Brayden has been on this kick where he calls his nana, "your mom" when he talks about her to me. Papa is "your dad" and Uncle David has just recently become "your brother".

For example, he was sitting at the dining room table tonight coloring and he came across a picture that Nana had done. He calls me into the room and shows me the picture. He says "Your mom used to draw these when she went to school" We also went out to my brother's house tonight. As we pulled in he says "Your brother is in the backyard, I can see him". When addressing them directly he calls them by name though. It's so funny!


Ok, one last "Brayden Story" as mom and I call them...

Did you know that the Lion King has a Lion Queen?? Well if you discuss the movie "Cars" with Brayden you will hear lots of talk about the Lion Queen. If you haven't seen the movie, Lion Queen (known to most as Lightening McQueen) is the star of the movie. :)

Works For Me Wednesday

HAPPY MEAL MINUS THE MEAL

There are several times throughout the year that McDonald's will offer toys that I really would like for Brayden to have. For instance, they currently have the "Cars" cars. There are 10 of them I believe. I wanted to get all of them for him, but I didn't want to feed him 10 Happy Meals in the process, so I just buy the toy. I think it's like $1.14 per toy. I run by McDonald's like once a week during the series and see which new ones they have. Most of the time, I buy them while Brayden isn't with me and stash them. They make great little rewards for good behavior. It's hard to find toys that your kids will really like for less than 2 bucks these days. He loves getting his cheap Mickey-D toys though. I assume other fast food places would sell just the toy as well, I've just never asked.

One last thing, I usually buy 2 of each of the Disney Series ones. I keep one in the original package and stash it away for good. I thought it would be cool to give them all to Brayden one day when he leaves the nest. I wish I would have saved some of mine from my childhood. Have you seen how much those things go for on Ebay??

Click on over to Shannon's for some more great WFMW tips!!

On the menu...

Peachy Delight (somewhere between a peach cobbler and peach crisp)

1 - 29oz can of sliced peaches in heavy syrup
1/4 c - of water
1 - package of butter pecan cake mix (you can use other flavors of cakes mixes)
1 - stick of butter
1/4 c - sugar
1 tsp - cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Pour canned peaches into a 9x13 inch baking pan; make sure juices cover peaches. Add water, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir in pan.

3. Cut stick of butter into dry cake mix using a fork or pastry blender. Pour evenly over peaches. Do not mix into peaches.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the juice mixture is bubbly and the top of the cake mix topping is crusty and golden brown.

(you can use fresh peaches as well, but you will need to increase the sugar to 3/4 cup)

Brayden came in from outside and informed me that him and his buddy from next door were "having a sundae". I naturally think ice cream. So I ask him where he got it? He says outside, so I must go out to inquire. I walked out the door and saw something I definetly wasn't expecting.....

Wanna see a sundae??

Works For Me Wednesday

I'm not feeling very creative today, so I'm keepin' it simple....

What are you doing with all of the WFMW tips that you really like?

Well if you haven't come up with anything yet, check out my very first WFMW tip. It works perfectly for keeping up with all of the wonderful ideas that are shared each week.

Check it out here!!

For more WFMW tips, click on over to Shannon's

According to Brayden...

Cupcake with Sprinkles = Pupcake with sprinklers
Jimmy Neutron = Nimmy Neutron
Ranch = White Sauce
Guitar = Bittar
Power Rangers SPD = Power Rangers Cass-Pa-Dee
Lightning Bugs = Lighty Bugs
Cartoon = Kid Movie
Dr. Pepper, Coke, Sprite, etc = Root Beer
Computer = Pewter

The funny thing is that for most of these is that he truly knows how to say them, and sometimes he will slip up and say them correctly and not even realize. But for the most part he makes a point to call them the incorrect name. The bad part is that me and my husband have now picked up his version and began using them.

I know there are more, but those are the only ones I can thing of right now...

Enter To Win...

This weeks WFMW involves labels. Whenever I go to an expo or fair or some type (baby fair, home expo, craft fair…etc) I take a sheet of labels with me that have my name, address, phone, and email. Why? Because these type of venues always have several booths that have drawings and contests. I like entering these types of things, but I hate filling out the little forms every time, so I usually would just skip them. But now it’s easy, I just peel off a label and stick it on. I actually won something at the last one!!

For more great WFMW tips click on over to Rocks In My Dryer!!

Recent Conversation

Radio: Yeeee-Haaaww
B: Mom, when I grow up I want to be a cowboy.
M: Maybe you can be a cowboy for Halloween
B: Awesome! Do you know where to buy a cowboy suit?
M: I can order one off of the computer.
B: How?
M: I will pay the computer and it will mail us one. (Ok, that’s not exactly how it works, but I just didn’t want to get into all of that this morning)
B: Oh cool, that’s awesome.
*pause*
B: (sounding doubtful) Are you sure mom?
M: Yes, I’m sure.
B: Yea! Awesome.

WORKS FOR US WEDNESDAY

Washing my son’s hair at bath time has always been quite an event for us. He can play in the water outside all day and get it in his ears and face, but if it happens at bath time – let the screaming begin. One night during the hair washing battle, I wondered what we had done with the little hair washing visor I had purchased a few months back. I hadn’t seen it for months; I assume we trashed it because it was worthless. It was one of those visors that is made specifically for washing hair. It was very flimsy and it didn’t cover his ears. We had trouble keeping it on too. As I sat wondering what we had done with it, I thought of his Spiderman visor. So I went to get it and we’ve been using it ever since. It works perfectly. The wide band covers his ears and the cardboard visor is strong and withstands the water. I start by putting it around his neck and then bringing the front and sides up under his hair. I hang it on the shower nozzle when we are done so that it can dry. This definetly works for us. Now my husband and I don’t argue about who has to wash his hair.

We purchased this one at Wal-Mart in the Infants/Toddlers department.

Note: The strange brown mark on his neck is a batman tattoo.

For more WFMW tips, click on over to Rocks In My Dryer...

Wish Update

The same evening as the "wishing star" question was asked, we went outside to see if in fact there was one. According to Brayden there was. There were millions of stars, but he set his eyes on one and claimed it to be the famous star. He whispered his wish and then we went back inside. He did later tell me that he wished for a "tiny baby dog that wouldn't scratch him when he jumps and a teddy bear". (he has a dozen already). The funny part is that he got up the next morning and started looking around the living room like he had lost something. I asked him what he was looking for and he said "where is my wish from the wishing star"? He thought that he would wake up and find what he had wished for. I explained that the wishing star doesn't actually bring you your wish. It tells your parents what your wish is and then they decide whether or not you can have what you wished for. He said "oh" and went along his merry way.

Yesterday he was watching some shows that we had DVR'd a few weeks ago and a Berenstein Bears episode came on and it was titled "The Wishing Star". Ah-ha, that's where he came up with the idea. Sister Bear wishes for a teddy bear that she sees in a store window. She got her wish. Maybe Brayden will get a bear this week from the wishing star! (He won't be getting a tiny baby dog though)

By the way, I'm leaving for San Francisco today for a business trip, so I won't be posting until next Thursday.

Recent Conversations...

While laying in our bed this morning watching TV…

B: Is there going to be a wishing star tonight?
T: I don’t know. Why?
B: Because I have a wish.
T: What is it? (knowing that I’m not supposed to ask)
B: I can’t tell you, it’s a secret.

It’s been driving me crazy all day. I want to know what it is. I told him we would look for a wishing star tonight. Maybe I can con him in to telling me his wish if I tell him one of mine.

On the way to school…

B: When do people get to have girlfriends?
T: When they are 16.
B: When am I gonna be 16?
T: In 11 years. Why? Is there someone that you want to be your girlfriend?
B: Yes
T: Who?
B: I don’t know their names yet?

Notice he says “their names” - as in more than one!

This WFMW isn’t really that exciting, but it definetly works for me, so I thought I’d share it.

First, let me begin by saying that I am a very messy cook…but then again aren’t all good cooks? :) At least I always clean up my mess! That’s where my tip comes in. I hate to have wet or messy hands and have to run all over the kitchen dripping until I find the dish towel. So, I take a clean dish towel and fold it in 3rds lengthwise and tuck about 2 inches into the waistband of my pants. The towel is always right there when I need it. I take the dirty dish towel from the previous day and throw it in the floor. If I drop something on the floor while I’m cooking, I just grab the towel with my foot and wipe it up. At the end of the day I toss it into the laundry. Tomorrow, the regular dish towel goes to the floor, and I get a clean one to use for my hands or to tuck while I’m cooking!

For more awesome WFMW tips go to Rocks in My Dryer and check out the other participants ideas.

The ABC's of ME

Accent: I don't think I have one, but all my northern friends swear that I do - they would probably describe it as southern.

Bible Book that I like: Psalms

Chore that I don’t care for: Laundry. I H-A-T-E it with a passion

Dog or Cat: Definetly Dogs, we don't currently have one but we are on the lookout.

Essential Electronics: DVR - I really can't don't want to live without it. It's the only way I can ever fit my favorite shows into my schedule. I can squeeze a lot of commercial free TV into Friday nights between 10pm and 2 am!

Favorite Cologne: Couldn't pick one favorite, so here are my top 4 - Mary Kay Belara, MK Journey, Clinique Happy & Marc Jacobs

Gold or Silver: Silver or White Gold only.

Handbag I carry most often: My black purse from Target.

Insomnia: I wish! I might could stay awake long enough to get some things done

Job Title: Official - Juvenile Product Category Manager / Unofficial - Mom, Wife, Daughter & Friend

Kids: 4 yr old son Brayden

Living Arrangements: Me, the hubby and Brayden in a 3 bedroom one story home with a huge backyard that takes forever to mow!

Most Admirable Trait: My friends would say generous or helpful. I will go out of my way to volunteer to help or give to anyone that ask, no matter what. That's not always a good thing for me. Sometimes it gets me in over my head.

Naughtiest childhood behavior: I was always the goody goody kid. There wasn't alot of naughty behavior, but probably the worst thing I ever did was steal a stop sign.

Overnight hospital stay: The birth of my son and last year's 3 day stint due to viral meningitis.

Phobias: I'm not really afraid of anything like heights, water, snakes, etc. I'm probably most afraid of speaking in a large group or afraid that I will never be or do what I was destined to do.

Quote: "If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it" - Albert Einstein

Religion: I try not to get wrap up in the word "religion". You can have religion all day and end up in hell. I'm a Christian that believes the bible...all of it. I have a living, breathing relationship with Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Savior.

Siblings: 1 brother, David 6 yrs older than me

Time I wake up: Supposed to - 6:15 / Really do - whenver I decide to quit hitting the snmooze button

Unusual Talent or skill: I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue and I make really good sound effects (train whistle, sirens, cats fighting...)

Vegetable I refuse to eat: brussel sprouts

Worst habit: Oh I'm sure my husband could give you a whole list, but I would say my worst is leaving my clothes all over the bedroom. That would definetly be #1 on his list.

X-rays: just my teeth

Yummy stuff I cook: cookies, cakes & casseroles

Zoo animal I like most: Chimps - I could sit and watch them all day. I used to collect stuffed ones when I was younger. I always swore that when I moved out on my own I would get a real one. Well I did about 5 years ago - his name is Brayden! :) He jumps around and acts just as crazy as they do!

I'm tagging Tiffany

Sing me a song...

As Bobby and I listened from our room, we could hear Brayden singing this...

"We are people"
"We are animals"
"*loud* WE ARE BIIIRRDDS"
"We got a new house" (which we didn't, not sure what that's all about)
"We got a new house"
"We got a new house"
"I got a big truck"
"I got a big pick me up truck"
"I got a big truck"
" I got a big - *paused while thinking* - nothin'"
"I got a big nothin"

Then he just hummed the rest of the time. We were cracking up. He's got such an incredibly creative imagination. You should hear some of the stories he makes up. It's also a lot of fun listening to him while he is in his room playing. He uses different voices and plays 2 or 3 characters all at one time. It so funny.

Out of the blue while riding in the car yesterday…

B: Did you and Daddy make me?
M: Well, Jesus made you, but me and daddy kind of helped.
B: *gasp* You were in Jesus when I was in Jesus?
M: Um, not really.
B: So Jesus made my head and you and daddy made the rest?
M: Uh, something like that.

Horrible answers, I know… but I was driving in very heavy traffic when this conversation took place and I was barely listening.

This recipe has been around for years, but I'm surprised by how many people have never heard of it, so I thought I'd share it.

Quick Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c Creamy Peanut Butter
1 c White Sugar
1 Large Egg
1 tsp Baking Powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients together until well blended. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Use fork to make criss cross on top of each cookie, flattening just slightly. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. (you can also roll the balls in sugar) Bake for 7-8 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet until set, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 25-30 cookies. Enjoy!

If you post a "On the Menu Monday" recipe on your site, let me know and I'll link to you.

THANK YOU ALL!!

I just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to all of you that stopped by and offered the much need advice I needed in regards to my son and kindergarten. After discussing it with my husband and praying about it, we have decided to wait. Some of you had some really great points and really helped make the decision easier. I even read your comments to my husband. It also helped that Brayden had some really immature moments this weekend... a lot more than usual. There were several times that I looked at my husband during one of those moments and said "and that's why he's not ready". I feel 100% at peace with this decision and that feels good. Now we just need to figure out the whole new preschool thing. Thanks again!

I need your help...

I have a dilemma. Brayden will turn 5, 6 weeks before the kindergarten cut-off date. Do we start him this year or wait?

We have been going along this whole year with the intention of enrolling him to start. However we had his 4 yr old check up last week (yes, it's a bit late) and the pediatrician seemed surprised. He said he usually recommends that children that turn 5 after June should wait...especially boys. So, now that this kink has been thrown into our plan, I'm struggling daily with the decision. The Dr. made some very good points and when I weigh the pro's and con's, waiting definetly wins. I've done a lot of internet research and have found great arguments for both. Based on most of the info I found...

If he starts now, he will always be the little kid, the young one, the follower. He will be 5 the entire time he is in kindergarten, where as most others will have turned 6 sometime in the year. As for athletics in his future, he will usually be the smallest on the team.

If we wait, he will be taller than most of the kids, the older one, the leader. He will be 6 the entire time he is in kindergarten, right along with most of the other kid's in his class. As for athletics, he will most likely be the bigger kid on the team.

If we decide to start him now, we take the chance that maybe he isn’t ready and that it’s a struggle for a year and then he has to redo kindergarten.

If we decide to wait, then we have to find a new preschool program for him. We love the place he is at now as for being safe & nurturing, but they just don’t teach them anything. Well they try, but here is the issue with that. They have 3 “circle times” a day. These are the times where actual skills are learned. (writing, word recognition, etc) They cannot force a child to attend circle time though, they are given a choice. If you were 4 would you choose “sit and listen” or “run wild and play”? Exactly. Half the time he says that they didn’t have circle time that day because none of the kids wanted to. Who’s running this show?? I have spoken to 2 other centers and they say that, yes it is true that circle time cannot be forced, however both also said that they very seldom have a child that does not want to attend. Do I keep him where I know he is definetly loved and cared but not necessarily learning anything or do I try to find him a better learning environment and hope that he is cared for just a well? (the pre-k program I am looking into is highly recommended)

As for Brayden, I don’t really think he cares. He’s been really excited about starting kindergarten, but I mentioned maybe “Pre-K” instead and he gets excited about that. He doesn’t know that pre-k is just my term for “a new preschool”. Most of the kids in his current class are leaving to start Kindergarten, so he fine knowing that he will leave too. We have 8 K-5 schools, so he’s already prepared for the fact that he probably won’t be going to school with any of his current classmates. The new preschool is actually inside the high school, so he will get to go to a “big school” too.

I’ve gone back and forth on this for a week and it’s driving me insane. I need opinions from moms who have already been there. Please!!

By the way, according to the kindergarten readiness check list, he meets or exceeds every single learning skill that he must have to attend. It's the socially and behaviorally ready that I'm concerned about. Naturally he is going to be less mature than anyone else in his class.

Works for me...

My WFM this week is my version of an emergency car kit. It’s a plastic storage box that I keep in my trunk. It’s got everything you need “in case of an emergency”. Not just a “stranded in the snow” emergency kit, but it’s got everything you need for kid emergencies too. There are a lot of sites out there that make suggestions for what to put in your car emergency kit, but they don’t tell you about these items…

• Bath Towel – Works great when soaking up an entire Route 44 drink from sonic - trust me, I know.

• Complete outfit for my son – There have been many occasions where I have picked him up from daycare with marker or paint on his clothes. If we have to go somewhere before going home, I can change him into “appropriate for public” wear. Also, good if you have a little one that have just taken on potty training and still in that occasional accident stage.

• 2 Wal-Mart Sacks – Great for putting the wet towel or dirty clothes in.

• Pajamas for my son – If we are out late and I know he will fall asleep before we get home, I can change him before we go instead of trying to do it in his sleep when we get home.

• A 30 minute calling card and a blank check (well hidden under everything) – Dead cell phone or no service? As for the check we were actually traveling through a very small town and we stop to get gas. They didn't have the ability to take a credit card and I didn't have the checkbook. Thank goodness for that check.

• Rope (actually it’s more of a string) – No, it's not to tie up the kids. It's for those times that that you purchase something and then realize when you get it to the car that it doesn’t quite fit in the trunk. The string is to tie the trunk down.

• Ziploc Bags - I actually added this last week after reading someone else's WFMW tip. I've gone back through and can't find it though. The tip was to use ziplocs for "car sick" bags. Of course, the best thing to do is pullover, but sometimes that just isn't possible.

• Baby Wipes - Oh so many uses for baby wipes! I keep them in the glove box too.

• The items in my box that most sites also recommend:
  

• First aid kit - great for all those playground mishaps
• Bottled water – they suggest using it if your car overheats. It’s also great for washing dirty hands and faces or rinsing owies.
• Matches
• Non-Perishable snacks
• Fix a Flat
• Flashlight
• Jumper cables

When Brayden was an infant, I had a couple of diapers and a diaper trash sack. Also a Ziploc with one portion of baby formula in it, an empty bottle, and an extra pacifier. This is great for the times that your mommy-fried-memory forgets the diaper bag.

What other items would you add??

Swiss Chicken

This is the favorite chicken dish in our house. It's very easy and the chicken is so moist!! I usually serve it with steamed broccoli and sometimes I serve it over rice. YUMMM...

4-5 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4-5 thick slices Swiss Cheese ( I prefer to get mine from the deli)
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup milk
2 cups Herb Seasoned Stuffing Mix (I'm not a big herb stuffing fan, so I use the Cornbread Stuffing Mix, instead of the seasoned)
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place chicken in a lightly greased 13 x 9 glass baking dish. Top with Swiss cheese slices. Combine soup and milk and stir well. Spoon mixture over chicken and sprinkle with stuffing mix. Drizzle butter or margarine over crumbs.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 50 minutes.

Check out these blogger's recipes too...

Tiffany

Sandra

Deal or No Deal

I’m assuming most of you heard of the latest game show craze on prime time TV. Well we have only watched it 3 or 4 times, but Brayden has already learned how it works. Out of nowhere this weekend, he gives his rendition of the show. Complete with sound effects. So I asked him to perform his new act for Nana & Papa last night. It went a little something like this….

B: Ok Nana, it’s your turn. Pick a case.
N: 21
B: Ok, that’s Melinda. Melinda, open the case. *swoosh* as the case opens
B: (to Melinda) Is it good or bad? Bad (in a high pitched girl voice). It’s bad nana.
N: How much is in it?
B: 700
N: What’s the banker offering?
B: (goes and stands in the corner with a pretend phone to his ear and whispers…) How much is it?
B: 80 50 thousand
N: Deal

So we moved on to Papa and it went pretty much the same, except this time Melissa had the case and the bankers offer was 50,000. Papa took the deal

So then it’s my turn and again it goes the same, except the girl’s name was Michelle Lisa. After opening the case, Michelle Lisa says it’s very bad. The banker only offered me $50 and I said no deal. To which Brayden replied “Nope that’s not how we play here” and then he walked out of the room and went back to playing.

Not sure what’s up with all the “M” names??

This will turn your world updside down

I bake a lot. I am always sending a few pieces of cake or some cupcakes to work with my hubby. I’m also known for sending large portions of cake home with friends and family after gatherings. Instead of putting it on a plate with foil or saran wrap over it (sticks to the icing). I put it in a Ziploc or Rubbermaid disposable bowl. So you ask, what’s so cool about that? Well, I turn the bowl upside down. I put the cake on the lid and then put the bowl on top, kind of like a mini cake carrier. The deeper ones work better. It’s much easier to cut and serve this way, rather than having it down inside a bowl. You also don’t have to worry about getting your dishes back. For home, I have a large plastic storage bowl that I use when the leftover cake or pie is small enough to fit. I can then get the big bulky cake carrier out of my fridge or off of my cabinet. They will usually store 3 pieces of cake or 4 cupcakes. If you need something a little bigger than the disposables, you can usually find some plastic bowls with lids at a dollar store.
Your friends and family will be oh-so impressed at such an ingenius idea! Soon they will all have there own "upside down bowls". Mine all do anyway...

I LOOVVVEEE to cook! I am always looking for new recipes to try. I love to open a cookbook, find a recipe and go for it. Most things turn our great, but there have been a few that the hubby says to put on the "please don't cook this again" list. I also enjoy receiving new recipes and sharing my favorites with others.
So, following the lead of Shannon from Rocks In My Dryer, I've decided to start a new weekly feature. It's called "On the menu Monday" It will feature my families favorite recipes. I would love for all of you to play along. It will be a great way for all of us to build our recipe collection. If you want to join me each Monday, just let me know and I will link to you within my post. It doesn't have to be an original recipe. It can be your favorite recipe from your Betty Crocker cookbook, just make sure that you give Betty credit for it! If you have a story that goes along with your recipe, please share that also!! Bon Appétit!

This is one of my families favorites. It makes a lot (well at least for my little family of 3) and it can be made several days in advance and put in the fridge until ready to bake. It is a Taste of Homes recipe, but I made several changes.

Baked Spaghetti

1 lb of lean ground beef
12 oz of spaghetti or macaroni noodles
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 T butter
2 14.5 oz cans of Italian diced tomatoes
1 container of fresh sliced mushrooms, rinsed and drain
1 3.8 oz can of sliced black olives
2 cups of cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
¼ c water
¼ c parmesan cheese

Brown the ground beef. Drain and set aside.
Cook the spaghetti, drain, and set aside (see pasta cooking tips at the bottom)
In a large skillet, sauté onion, green pepper, and mushrooms in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, olives and cooked ground beef. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Place half of the spaghetti in a greased 9x13 glass dish. Top with half of the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Repeat layers (pasta,veggies/cheese). Mix the soup and water until smooth; pour over casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 30-35 minutes.
10 servings, 419 calories per serving (save 50 calories per serving by using low fat cheese and low fat soup)

Pasta Cooking Tips:
· Since this pasta is going to be boiled and baked, you don't boil it until it's tender. Boil until flexible but still quite firm about the recommended cooking time. Otherwise, it will be gummy by the time it's boiled and baked.
· Do not add oil to your pasta to keep it from sticking. This actually coats the pasta and keeps the sauce from adhering to it.
· Do NOT rinse pasta unless the recipe says to do so (cold salads, etc). The starch that makes the pasta stick to itself also helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
· Don’t overdrain your pasta! Pasta needs to be moist to combine well. Unless you are adding sauce immediately, always leave a little bit of water to help keep the pasta from sticking.

If the kids don’t like the veggies in this recipe, you can puree them all together after you have sautéed them. Then add them to the tomatoes and puree again until you just have a liquid sauce. They will never know they were in there. It doesn’t look as good but it tastes the same.

Quote of the day

When I picked Brayden up from preschool on Friday, he informed me that...

"If you eat a lot of food and drink blood and drink slime, then you will die. For real mom, you will. You will die forever.

Where does he come up with this stuff!

Diaper Cakes

Anyone that knows me, knows that I am always trying to come up with the most unique gifts. I love doing gift baskets too! Well in my latest search for a unique gift for a baby shower, I discovered the world of Diaper Cakes. Evidently they have been in existence for a while, but this is the first time I have ever seen them. I checked out all kinds on the internet and decided "I can do that". So I did! It was actually very easy and only took an hour to make (that is, once I finally decided how I wanted to do it) It cost me a little over $20 (that's gift wrap and all) . I used the Wal-Mart Parent's Choice diapers. If anyone is interested in making one, just let me know and I will post step-by-step instructions on how I did it! I also saw diapers wreaths online, but I wasn't quite as impressed with those.

Shannon, over at Rocks In My Dryer has started a new weekly feature called "Works-For-Me Wednesday. She has invited others to play along, so that's what I'm doing. You really need to take a look at her post so that you can check out all of the other participant's ideas. There are some really good ideas. Here is my contribution for this week:

I used to save magazines because there were one or 2 recipes or craft ideas in it that I wanted to keep. After a few years of that, my magazine collection was out of control. So I sat down with all of them one night and went to town with the scissors. I cut out all of the pages that had recipes, tips and craft ideas that I wanted to keep around. (works better to keep whole page rather than just cutting out the recipe itself) I bought a binder and package of those clear sheet protectors. I made 3 sections in my binder (recipes, crafts, and tips) and used tabbed dividers to seperate them. I put a piece of notebook paper in the front of each section and as I add something to the recipe or crafts section I write it down and use it as an index of sort. I don't have the pages numbered or anything, but when I refer to the book for something it at leasts gives me an idea as to where it is in the section (front, middle, back). I refer to it at least once a week and keep it on top of the fridge so that it is always handy. I also use it to keep small recipe cards that I pick up and the recipe cards that come with my pampered chef stuff. It's also great for storing all of the recipes that I find online. I no longer have a magazine collection, but I'm still a magazine fanatic! Now, I just keep the stuff I like and toss the rest.

Here is my binder:


While we are on the subject of great tips and ideas, I would also recommended checking out Parents Hacks. It is full of great ideas!!

Cleaning up our act

I can still remember the battle my mom used to have with me over keeping my room clean. I remember being told to go to my room and not to come out until it was clean. So, I would go to my room and start cleaning. That would last all of 5 minutes. I was easily distracted and soon I would be playing instead. Mom would come in and it would still be a mess. I eventually figured out that if I left it a mess long enough, she would either do it for me or she would at least help. By the time I was a teenager I think she had given up all hope. I can remember her crying over our rooms being a mess. At the time I thought she was crazy...but now, with one of my own....I completely get it. It makes me feel unappreciated after I spend an hour or more cleaning his room and then see it trashed within the next 24 hours. My mom of course thinks this is hilarious. She is finallly getting the payback that she so very deserves.

Well I am on a mission to break the cycle. I realize that I've already began to teach Brayden that if he waits long enough, I'll come in and clean it for him. Banishing him to his room until it's clean doesn't even faze him. Why should it? I'm requiring him to stay in a room filled with toys and a TV! He'll hang out in there and play until I make him come out to eat or take a bath. So yesterday, I asked him to please go clean his room and his response was "But I don't know how". I began to think about that and realized that he had a point. I've never "taught" him how to clean it. Basically I've just been telling him to go in there and figure it out. I'm sure it's overwhelming for him to see all that clutter and not know where to start. He doesn't understand how to take this huge task and break it down into a bunch of little tasks. So I came up with this....
It gives him several little tasks, instead of one big general "Clean your room". For the pictures, I actually used images of his fave movies, his toy bins and I even found a picture online of his bedspread. I printed a bunch of these sheets out and got him his own little clipboard. The first rule of cleaning (even for myself) is to turn the TV off. It is way too easy to get distracted. The second part is optional, but it always help me to have some music blaring. He can choose to do the smaller tasks in whatever order makes sense to him. As he gets through with each task, he can check it off. When he's done and has brought me the completed form and his room has passed "mommy inspection", he will be rewarded. He will earn $2 for his piggy bank. Once he begins, he will be given 2 hours (way more than enough time) to clean it from start to finish. If he doesn't clean it in the time allowed or if he moans and whines about it the whole time he will not be allowed to watch TV or play outside for the rest of that day. And then we will begin again the next day and the next until he figures out that it's easier just to clean it the first time. I don't expect perfection. I realize that making the bed is going to be tough for him, but as long as he tries, I'll be happy. Maybe by the time he turns the ripe old age of 5, he will be cleaning his room like a pro.

We haven't introduced this to him yet, but he can either do it this way....or he can pack all of his toys up into trash bags and let me take them down to goodwill. I refuse to fight this battle for the next 16 years like my mom did. By the way....Sorry Mom!!

Reminiscing

Mom gave me an old digital camera card to use this weekend and when I popped it in, I saw pictures from Brayden's 1st B-day...

Cracking up!!

Let me begin by saying, thank goodness the goverment hasn't decided to wire our homes in order to monitor our interaction with our children.

Brayden was helping me make a veggie casserole this weekend. I threw in some finely chopped onion and begin to stir, Brayden looked in the bowl and exclaimed "Mom, there's a piece of crack in it!" I instantly knew what he meant, but it was hilarious! He thought the onion was a piece of eggshell (we weren't even using eggs), and since an egg "cracks" when you open it, I guess he thought the pieces of shell must be called cracks. Glad we cleared that up while we were in the privacy of our own home, can you imagine him saying something at school about our dinner having crack in it??

Recently while driving by a cemetary...

Brayden : *gasp* "Mom, all those flowers turned to stone!"

Recent Conversations

B: I know how people grow up mom.
M: How?
B: Well first they are with Jesus, and then they go into mommy tummies and when the come out they are babies and then they stay babies for a little while and then they grow up!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
B: I didn’t tell you about my bad dream.
M: What was it about?
B: I can’t tell you?
M: Yes you can, it’s ok.
B: No, I can’t tell you.
M: Why not?
B: Someone dies (dies is drug out in a very breathy quiet voice)
M: Who dies? (I’m thinking, poor thing, he dreamed about one of us dying)
B: Power Rangers…again. They died, but I saved them.

By the way, Brayden informed me yesterday that he likes kisses now and he doesn’t wipe them off anymore.

Tender Loving Care

Last night Brayden was back in our room watching the television version of Big Daddy. He came into the living room and I could tell that he had been crying. His eyelashes were wet and his eyes were red. I asked him what he was crying about and at first he said nothing. I explained how I could tell that he had bee crying and asked again. He got up on the couch and laid down next to me and said in his saddest sounding voice “that big man came and took that little boy from his daddy and he was crying, they were holding hands and then they had to let go and the boy had to go, it was sad”. I got teary just listening to it. I told him to go back in there because I think they may get to be together again. He was happy when it was over, that it had all worked out. This was the first time I have seen that type of emotion from him when watching a movie. I mean I’ve seen scared, and happy, but never compassion, not from a movie anyway. I have of course seen compassion from him in other instances though, like the way he will ask playmates if they are ok and then helps them after they have fallen; and the way he helps the smaller kids when we go to play places (McD’s etc), he will make it his mission to be the one to help them if they get stuck or need a helping hand or encouraging word. It’s so sweet to see him take a little hand and say “come on, I’ll help you”. Just yesterday a friend of mine was over with her almost 2 yr old. We got on the trampoline and he kept putting his hands out, surrounding her and telling her to be careful. It was so sweet. It makes me very proud to see that he has such a tender heart.
I must be honest though and say that he definetly has his not-so-compassionate moments also, for instance when him and his daddy gang up on me and tickle me until I’m in tears – and then he stands there laughing at me hysterically – no compassion there!

Strike a pose

Sunday while we were out at nana’s & papa’s, Brayden climbed up in the tree. I told him to stay put while I went to get the camera. When I came back he was “posing” in the tree. Once we were done there, he wanted to take some more, so he ran all around the yard striking a new pose each time. Each time leaning on something or holding on to something. He’s never been one to really pose for the camera, but he was hammin’ it up that day!

Breakfast at Brayden's

Saturday morning, Brayden comes into our room and proclaims that he is thirsty. I looked at Bobby with that "it's your turn look" and I given the same look in return. So my lazy self told Brayden that he was almost 5 and that I thought today would be a great day to learn to fix his own drink. At first he explained that he couldn't reach the glasses, so I told him to grab his bathroom stool. So he was off and on a mission. We laid there and listened to him. We could hear him dragging the stool and slamming the cabinet door after getting his Scooby Doo mug. We heard the fridge open and he yells "can I have Kool-Aid"? My first thought was "red kool-aid is not going to be fun to clean up", but I said yes anyway, because the other option was milk and the thought of him handling a full gallon of milk was worse than the Kool-aid. We heard him pour it and put it back in the fridge. Mission accomplished...or was it? He then told us that he was now going to fix his own breakfast. I decided to lay back and see what he came up with. So after about 10 minutes he said that he was done and he wanted us to come see. So we drug ourselves out of bed and headed to the kitchen. The plate you see below is what we were presented with.

Trix Yogurt , Raisins, Cheetos, Graham Cracker Bones and a pastry twist on a zoopals plate...oh and we can't forget the Scooby Doo mug with red kool-aid!

By the way, he will be preparing dinner tomorrow night and you're all invited.

Lions and Tigers and Bears... oh my!

It's been a while since just the 3 of us have done something together, so we made last Saturday family day and took off to the Tulsa zoo...

Hi God, it's me - Brayden

With the threat of severe storms swarming around us on the drive home last night, a weather bulletin interrupted our music to "bring us an important bulletin from the national weather service". The announcer had a deep voice. He spoke slowly, yet with an urgency his voice. When he was done, Brayden said "Mommy, was that God?" I said no, it was the weather man. He said "Well it sounded like God".

He's talks about God/Jesus quite often. I swear he has convinced me that babies live in heaven and then sent to earth. He talks about God as if he knows him, as if he remembers him. We go to church and he hears about God and we do talk about God at home (even though I will shamefully admit, we don't talk about him enough), but I mean it's like he gets it already. He understands who God is. He doesn't question the fact that we can't see him. He believes in Him with absolutly no doubt. Now, I totally understand what "Child-like faith" means.

As we were pulling out of his daycare yesterday after I picked him up, a song was on that mentioned Jesus. He sighed really big and said

B - Great, a Jesus song. (not great good, but great as in "oh great, this again?)
M - Uh, why did you say that?
B - I don't want to listen to a song about Jesus"
M - You will make Jesus sad by saying that . If we want to go to heaven, we have to love and respect God and we should be happy to sing about him.
B - Does everyone go to heaven?
M - Everyone that believes in God, asks him to live in their heart and mind, and lives a God-like life will go to heaven
B *looking very matter-of-factly* - I do believe in Jesus mom, I really do. I think Chloe does too. (his future "honey")

And finally last night when we were talking about the storm we had earlier that day, he said "Jesus pertected my school today during the storm, so that the thunder and lighting wouldn't hurt it".

Oh yeah, I forgot about one more conversation we had. Me and Bobby and Brayden were all sitting on the couch last night talking about Brayden's day and he mentioned the "Jesus protectiong his school" thing again, so I mentioned what he had said about the weather guy sounding like God. The weather happen to be on at the time and Brayden pointed to the weather man and inquired...

B - Well, then is he God?
M - No, you can't see or hear God on the TV.
B - But I CAN hear him.
M - But not on the TV.
B - I know that mom, I can hear him in my head!
M - What does God say to you?
B - He tells me to make good choices at school and go to circle time!

And all this time, I've been patting myself on the back because he behaves so well!!

Big Cedar Vacation

Last weekend we went to Big Cedar Lodge with some friends (Misty, Jason & Britney). We had a great time. I just wanted to tell a few of the "Brayden Tales" from the trip.

We went to Silver Dollar City. Brayden was so excited.

We went last year and he rode the "Fire in the Hole" It's a very mild roller coaster that goes through a dark tunnel filled with different scenes. Not scary stuff. There are 3 instances where it looks like you are going to hit a train head on, but at the last minute you drop. He loves it. We figured since he liked it so much we would take him to a bigger one... "The Powder Keg". (in the background of this picture)
Looking back, it's the biggest one there and probably was too big of a leap, but he handled it like a trooper. He was very excited to get on. He was about an inch to short, but nobody noticed so we let him ride it anyway. It begins by taking off and going from 0 to 53 mph in 2.3 seconds. It is followed 3 huge drops. He was scared and kept his head to the side, but he never cried. When we got off he was laughing and saying it was fun, but he didn't want to do it again. We then took him to Thunderation. It's a bit milder, but the bar didn't feel tight enough on him, so I ended up reaching over from the back and holding him up by his underarms. He had a great time that day. He even went to the little schoolhouse and wrote his name and drew a pciture on a piece of slate. He got an A+!

We went to the pool one night and Brayden insisted on going down the slide. So I put a life jacket on him and let him go. Did you know you can still go under with a life jacket on?? I know now! He came up gagging, but wanted to go again. This time he just used a ring though and I caught him. The pool was great. I even convinced him to get in the hot tub outside. It was below 40 outside, so the trip from the pool to the tub was chilly!!
(Brayden is on the phone with his Nana)

We had a jacuzzi tub in our room. It pretty much served as a kiddie pool for him. He loved the jets. He asked if we would get him one for his house.

The last night we were there, we went to the Buzzard Bar. It's located in the Big Cedar property. It's really more of a restaurant than a bar. They have a "singing cowboy comedian". He is pretty good. Brayden LOVED him. We sat right in front, so of course Brayden was giving his own show. He was jammin' to the music. He had the air guitar going and used the table as a piano. He was rockin' out. He had the whole place watching him. He was talking to the cowboy and giving out the yee haw's during the songs. We definetly have to take him back there soon.

Our little getaway was a lot of fun. Big Cedar is awesome, but it was too cold to enjoy everything they have to offer. Hopefully we will be going back real soon.

Here a a few more of my fave pics from the trip...

Stomach Bug

When I picked Brayden up from daycare yesterday he was complaining that his stomach hurt. His teacher said that he had been saying that all day. I instantly had this feeling that tonight was going to be fun! The roto-virus was going around and my gut said he had it. So we went home and he started with the diarrhea! He didn't want dinner, instead he chose to get on the couch and go to sleep (at 6:30). He woke up areound 9 and straight to the potty he went. We went to bed and about a nhour later he began throwing up. Well it went on and on for the rest of the night. Around 5 he woke up and puked all over me and our bed. Oh the joys of parenthood! So we all got up! I did laundry while the boys went and slept in the living room. He woke up about an hour ago and has managed to keep down a pop tart and some sprite. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I asked him how he felt and he said good. He said "If I feel sick again, I'm going to try real hard not to throw up, it's yucky!"

Red Bellied

Last night I was laying on the couch. Out of the blue, Brayden came over and lifted up my pant leg and peered up into it...

M:What are you doing?
B: Checking to see if you still have a sunburn.
M: Nope, it's all gone.
B: Is your tummy still sunburned.?
M: Just a little.
B: Let me see.
(so I lift my shirt enough for him to see my belly)
B: *sounding horrified* UHHH, who scratched it off?

He thought the few lovely little stretch marks on my belly were scratch marks. (Yes I will admit I have them, don't most childbearing women have 1 or2? If not, please let me continue to believe that)

Dreamin'

Brayden came into our room last night and climbed into our bed. He was sniffling and it sounded like he had been crying. I asked him what was wrong...

B: I had a bad dream, it was a nightmare
M: What was it about?
B: You *3 sec pause* and dad.
M: What were we doing?
B: We were all playing?
M: So what made it a nightmare?
B: *suddenly perkier* It wasn't a nightmare, it was a good dream!

Then he went right back to sleep!

I'm still confused?!?!?!

Brayden and the "Lovies:

By the way, in case you've been wondering - Barry (the bear) likes the new paint in my bathroom. Brayden asked him if he wanted to go see his new bathroom. (we repainted about 4 months ago) He grabbed him and ran to the bathroom and was telling Barry that it's brown and it's awesome. I heard Barry in a high pitch bear voice say "cool, I like it"!

Also, notice Barry is holding Boots. Barry likes to eat monkeys, but not Boots, because Boots is Barry's friend.

Brayden walked into my room this morning and gasped in horror.... I turned around to see what was wrong and he was standing there holding up the red band that you see to your right (the kind you put around a sleeping bag) He said (very dramatically) "MOM, somebody stretched your hair thing and it's too big now"! HA!! He thought it was one of my ponytail holders (in the middle of the picture)!!

How do they do it?

How does a child watch the same movie/show over and over again? I can understand twice maybe 3 times. Even I enjoy a movie the second time around because you always catch something you missed the first time, but 20+ times!! I would guess that Brayden has seen every movie in his collections atleast 10 times and then there are the few that he has seen at least 15-20. The worst were Elmo and Blue's Clues. When he was younger he would watch the same one day after day after day. I try to only allow 2 -3 movies a week (mostly on the weekends) and for the last 3 weeks he has watched the same movie everytime - "The Big Green". He watched it a once or twice last year and wasn't too thrilled with it. But he asked for it again recently and now it's the "best movie". I don't know if it's because he's older now and "gets it" a little more or what. It is a cute movie and it has some pretty funny parts, but come on - 8 times in the last 3 weeks!!
I picked him up early yesterday so we could spend the afternoon together so he missed his nap at daycare. He crashed on the way home around 3:30 and slept until 7:30. I tried several times to wake him up, but he was out. He had not slept well the night before because of the tornado, so I guess he was exhausted. Since I knew he wouldn't be going to sleep at his normal bedtime, I agreed to let him watch a movie. Guess what he picked? Yep - the goat movie (his name for The Big Green - there is a goat in it) He was so upset because I wouldn't watch it with him, but I just couldn't do it. If I had gone in there to watch it, I would have passed out and be asleep by 8:00. I told him I would watch any other movie, but that I could not watch the goat movie anymore. Rather than pick a new movie so that he could enjoy my company, he refused and watched the goat movie by himself. It is so funny to listen to him while he is watching it. He cracks up everytime he watches as if it were the first time. I wonder what would happen if the goat movie "accidently got lost" for a month or so?

Stormy Times

Sunday night our area was hit very hard by tornados. We just barely missed the action. The path was less than a 1/2 mile from us. There were a lot of homes destroyed but fortunatly there were no life threatening injuries. We had been under a tornado watch the entire day. Well around 9:00, the thunder begin to roll and the lighting got pretty bad. We turned on the news to discover we were now under a tornado warning and that we were about 45 minutes away from being right in it's path.
The sirens were blaring outside and I was beginning to get nervous. As we watched the news we could see that it was getting closer and stronger and once we realized we were only about 15 minutes away from the action, we hauled it to the bathroom. So all 3 of us climbed into the tub (note to self, have a bigger tub in our next home). Bobby took the mattress off of Brayden's bed and we covered ourselves with it. Brayden wasn't exactly sure what to think. We stayed calm, so that we wouldn't scare him - but obviously it's not normal to climb into the tub with mommy and daddy and put a mattress on top of you. I explained to him what a tornado was and that we were doing this "just in case" it comes near us and I assured him that we would be fine. I don't think he believed me. He asked if tornados made "people died". I was honest and said that yes sometimes it does, but it's because those people didn't get in the tub and put mattresses on them.... I think he felt better about being in the tub after that. So much better that he relaxed and went to sleep. So there we sat with our legs cramped up under us, holding hands. I could hear the rain begin to pound and then it sounded like someone was beating on all the windows and walls. It was hail.....big hail. About 5 minutes after the rain had subsided, we heard the "all clear" from the TV.
Brayden woke up as we were getting out of the tub. We all went outside afterwards to check out the damage and saw a bunch of neighbors doing the same. Other than the swing blowing over, we had no damage. Everyone was outside collecting hail. The biggest we had was golf ball size, but some areas had hail the size of softballs. They showed one yard on the news that was covered in hail. It looked like snow. I've never seen anything like it.
So now that we have survived the tornado, they are talking about snow next week .... gotta love this Arkansas weather!!

Shhhh...

How did I get so lucky? Brayden's favorite game is The Quiet Game. He is always up for a round or two and he can usually last for quite sometime. If we are in the car and he is in one of his jabbering moods (which seems to be a lot lately), I can interrupt and ask if he wants to play. He agrees and it buys me a good 5-10 minutes of silence. I usually end up losing, either because I myself am tired of the silence or because I need to use my voice to yell at the guy that just cut me off. Yes, I know...I lost the game to yell at someone that can't even hear me! So anyway, this morning while I am in here reading some of my favorite blogs, I hear the song "Here She Comes, Mrs. America" playing on the TV. So I begin to hum it and then before you know it I'm belting it out. A few seconds into it, Brayden yells...."Hey mom, you wanna play the quiet game?" Touche! It seems I was interrupting his morning dose of Jimmy Neutron.

Girl crazy...already?

Brayden has been talking about getting married for months now. Lately he has focused in a one girl. Her name is Chloe...and she's a cutie. Here are just a few things he has said over the last few days about her and marriage..

He was talking in his sleep this morning and said "Ms. Lisa (his teacher), Miranda, Mykala and Chloe are being mean to me" Then he woke up and didn't say anymore about it. So on the way to school, I asked him if he had a dream about the girls and he said "actually it was a nightmare" He said that they were being mean to him and picking on him. He then followed it up with "but I better not tell Chloe about my nightmare or she won't marry me"

He caught a glimpse of himself in the car mirror and said "hey my hair is spiky, just a little bit" (he loves his hair being spiky) and then he was quite for a second and gazed out the window and said in a soft distant tone "i hope Chloe is at school today" (he knew he looked good and he wanted her to see him...does it really start this young??) I asked him why and he said very matter of factly "because I want to see her"

A few minutes later he asked if we could get Chloe's phone number so he could call her and then he said "or we can give her my phone number so she can call me"

He also talks about growing up all the time. He asks almost everyday "when am I gonna grow up" He talks about having his own honey (wife) and his own sons and daughters. He already talks about moving out. But then again the very next day he says that he is going to live with us forever and his honey can live in her own house. So this morning he was playing with one of those rubber "cause" bracelets and he asked if he could have one. It was too big, so he said "how am I going to fit this" and I told him that he would just have to keep it until he grew up enough for it to fit, he said ok and went on about his business. About 10 minutes later he came to me and said "you know mom, when I grow up I'm not going to live her anymore, so I think I will have to take this (the bracelet) with me to my new house"

Where does he come up with this stuff??

To: My precious Brayden

This blog has been a long time coming. When I was pregnant with you I kept a journal. Just little things, like when you started kicking and what we were feeling as parents. I talked about the anticipation and the love we already felt for you. I vowed that I would continue writing in it after you were born. I would record every milestone, the first word, your first little tooth and definitely the day you took your first step. Well here you are, 4 yrs old and I have only written in it once since the day we left the hospital. I was too busy playing with you, taking care of you, and loving you to take the time to write it all down. I thought about writing in that book all the time, but just never got to it. It’s the same reason we don’t have a home movie of every little thing. Who wants to be behind a camera when you could be enjoying the moment? So whatever the reason or excuse, it is what it is. I may not have a lot of written memories, but I have a mind that is overflowing with memories. My hope through this blog will be to begin retracing some of those and writing about things I remember. It will also begin to serve as the journal I always dreamed of doing. Between me and your Nana we could talk about you for hours on end. So get ready because once we start it’s hard to shut us up. I love you precious!