i am the lorax and i speak for the trees

as some of you may know (all 2 of you that read this!) ;-) our brayden is one sensitive fellow. he feels his feelings deeply (as i say to people when describing him). well a year and a half or so ago we chopped down a tree in our front yard. it was dying/dead and wasn't gonna make it. we made the mistake of not warning/telling the children prior to the tree cutters showing up to do their job. it was during a weekday when the kids were home with the sitter. it would be an understatement to say that this DEEPLY affected brayden. he was very sad to see the tree go and didn't understand why we couldn't just water it to make it better.

fast forward to last saturday and we still have the stump in our yard (i know i know, we are ALL kinds of lazy about that. it costs all of $35 to get rid of it but whatever).

so saturday we were starting to think about seeding the yard for the spring (albeit a tad late) and brian decides that we need to go ahead and remove the stump so as to make way for a beautiful carpet of lovely grass.

he makes THE CALL.

stump then scheduled to be removed sunday.

somehow brayden gets wind of this and immediately goes to work. he starts pulling everything (that is easy to move) out of our garage to place it on said stump in an attempt to make it so the stump man cannot do his work. once he gets his pile in place, he marches around it guarding it dutifully. he is not planning on leaving his post and will sleep there if he has to.

(notice how he put the chair in the very middle on top of the actual stump so he could sit in it and take breaks from his guard. he ain't no dummy.)

later in the evening as it was time to clean up for bed, he and daddy moved all of the items back in the garage and he came up to prepare for bed. just before we got jammies on i asked if the boys wanted to go tell the stump goodbye because i didn't know when the stump man would be by and it may be when we aren't paying attention. brayden (of course) wanted to go and even bennett who has been down with fever for like 5 days nodded that he wanted to go too. we tromp downstairs and outside to the stump. i have them all put their hands on it and say something like, "thank you stump. thank you for providing such a wonderful tree for us and others all these years. we are sorry that we didn't get to tell the upper part of you goodbye but we wanted to make sure and tell you goodbye." i think a few other things were said on my part and then i turned to brayden and bennett and asked if they wanted to say anything. bennett - no. brayden - no but he had a huge tear running down his cheek. i hugged him again for like the 50th time over this and explained that it was time to let the stump go. he just sat down on it and said he wasn't moving. about that time brian walks up and i looked at him and said (out of earshot of brayden), "we may want to reconsider doing this right now." bennett and i went in and brian went over to talk to brayden. a few minutes later brayden came running in saying, "guess what?! guess what?! daddy said that we'll leave the stump there! they aren't going to come take it away!" and immediately started crying those uncontrollable happy tears of relief. wow.

the next evening i found daddy and brayden out in the front yard practicing batting. brayden was standing on that stump as if it was home plate and was looking mighty happy.

deep thoughts with brayden...

if you have seen any of my blogs from seattle you will know that brayden has some deep thoughts sometimes. there are a couple that i wanted to get down on 'paper' before forgetting them that happened recently. they have been happening on the way to school in the morning - must be a clear thinking time for him!

the other day it was very coooold walking into school and he whispers to me, "what if a polar bear took off his pajamas?" upon further investigation, a polar bear's pajamas is his fur.

today we were pulling into the parking lot on a super foggy morning (we couldn't even see the to the end of our street!) and he says, "what will happen when all the people die from the earth mommy?" "i don't know brayden, what do you think will happen?" "maybe there will be all new people to start over again. hey there's ike! (swings open the door almost hitting the car next to us) ike! ike! hey iiiiiiiiike! wait up!"

and there you have it. would have loved to continue that last one to see what else he had to say! sweet sweet brayden. i love your mind and the mind of all children! don't change!!!!

peace and quiet

Oh my. The boys these days? They are a testin' us! Let's just say that they LOVE LOVE each other and LOVE LOVE to provoke and sabotage CONSTANTLY! If one is playing with something that is "technically" the other ones, the one playing runs by the other every so often saying something like, "I've got the helmet!" in that oh so sing songy voice that drives EVERYONE insane especially the one who is "loaning" said toy to the other brother. Oh my the whining that ensues and the fights to break up! It is enough to drive this momma mad mad I tell you!

And when we are trying to leave for a bday party and everyone is scrambling to make the perfect card for their dear friend and one brother marks the other one with marker (on purpose) and makes that brother lose his concentration thus messing up the work of perfection that is the bday card and loses his marbles scribbling all over his meticulous work thus having to start all over again but there isn't time to put the saboteur into time out for his wrong-doing because we are already late and said saboteur hasn't even started on his card. First one done dons his shoes and coat and goes out to wait for the remaining card creator and while outside enjoying the lovely weather we had today for once, decides to play in the water/grossness dripping out of the downspout and get his newly changed into pants soaking wet and dirty. His father find this out and flips (for about the 14th time today - with good reason) sending him back inside to change and while he's at it by the way he has to (gasp!) take off his shoes to change his pants! Oh dear God! The world has just ended and nothing is as it should be! Throwing himself down on the floor with the drama of a pro declares that he is just "too tired" and cannot be bothered with all of this dry clothes and birthday party nonsense! While he was outside, card creator no. 2 breaks down with the mistake that he made cutting out a heart for the bday girl. He worked so hard on it only to have it not work out in the end. Mommy to the rescue to help fix things and in the middle of it all the drama king shows up with the flailing and declarations and whatnot. When drama king finally pulls it together and gets new pants on, card creator no. 2 is now asking for glue. After providing him with the glue he shows up moments later with the finished product - "Mommy, we have to be careful because the glue got all over and it isn't dry yet." Now I am STILL trying to get out the door for this party which we are now late for and drama king is FLIPPING out about this fact now as well AND I am oh so carefully carrying a beautiful, lovingly made card which is all but dripping with glue. And we made it in the car. "Why don't you guys shut your eyes for a few on the way there and then you'll be all ready to bounce when we get there." Right mom. Card creator no. 2 does not know how to stop talking - EVER. A challenging trait to live with at times. I'm so in love with both of them though that somehow I make it through the drama, the incessant chatter and a rather long train carrying coal and we make it to the party with time to for them to bounce and me to chat with some dear friends....phew. I need a nap though really. And that was just this afternoon...I didn't even mention how this morning was!

So, I'm just sayin', when all else fails and it just so happens to be a Saturday night with no plans, we go out to dinner at 5pm, back by 6:45, straight to jammies, teeth and books and BAM! two sleeping children by 7:40pm and two weary parents with nothing but time on their hands. I don't need to tell you that we are enjoying the silence together but separate. Haven't even lifted a finger to turn on the tele or music. Just the hum of the fireplace and the sound of the blogging. Lovely...

Kindergartner in the hiz-ouse!

Well, it's official! We have a kindergartner ladies and gentlemen! Brayden started school yesterday at Prairie Elementary our neighborhood school. What a milestone!

After wanting to bring his "weapons" into the ice cream social last week (but then not) and then having a great time running around the gym with some old buddies, drawing his self portrait as a stick figure with a frowny face inside of a circle with an X through it at orientation, going on and on about how scared he was and didn't want to go the night before AND the morning of, he actually did a great job! After he was dressed and semi-fed we headed outside to walk down to meet his buddy Ike so we could all walk together. Once he got outside and graciously let me take some pictures of him he noticed the neighbor kids all leaving for their school at the same time and the older ones were wishing him luck on his first day (too cute). His confidence started to build as he noticed all the other kids going off to school and felt cool that he too was and that the older boy across the street wished him good luck and knew his name - now THAT is cool. We headed down the street and took a picture with Ike before heading off to school. He and Ike talked the whole way - about what, I don't know. He and Ike practically walked to their classrooms all by themselves. As we reached Brayden's class and found his backpack hook, he paused for a few moments. I asked if he wanted help with his backpack and he said no but to just give him a minute. We waited. It was as if he was contemplating his next reaction - hang up the backpack and move forward into the unknown or try to make a break for the door. I gotta tell ya, I was more than a little concerned at that point in time. Soon he decided to hang his backpack up and we all walked into his classroom, he put his school box in his cubby, found his nametag, put it on, I snapped a few more pics and we said our goodbyes and walked out.

So proud I am of my sweet little Brayden! So excited for this new experience but very apprehensive about the unknown. He took it all in stride!

At pickup the teacher sought us out to say that he had some tears throughout the day but still managed to have fun. She suggested that I wait a bit to send any more notes in his lunch box as that just made him cry at lunch. Poor booger! In the car on the way to pick up Bennett that afternoon though he said, "Thanks for that note you put in my lunch box Mom. It really made me think of you." He was even fighting back tears during that comment! He is such my sensitive little man.

So, we've all survived (him likely better than I at this point).

Look at that excited little man below and then his "uber" proud little brother!

Happy 4th B-day Bennett!

This post is a little tardy but I still wanted to get it out there for posterity sake. Our Bennett turned 4 back on August 2nd. I am so excited to see what 4 brings with Bennett as 3 was slightly more than a challenge for us all! :)

He had VERY specific ideas about his birthday party. He wanted a Spy party, at our house, with 5 little boys - no girls. Who are you child? We have never made distinctions about boy vs girl in our household. But whatever, go with it, right? It's not my party.

So one Friday afternoon 3 little boys from Bennett's preschool class last year showed up at our crime scene tape covered house for a whopping good party! They all completed a "Sprite Obstacle Course" for their Spy/Detective training, played in the house, solved the case of the missing presents, opened presents, ate cake and decorated their own ice cream scoops. (Sidenote: the "Sprite Obstacle Course" started out as a "Beer Obstacle Course." Bennett explained to Brian and I one night that this is what he wanted at his b-day party. Brian said that he would be happy to set something up for him along those lines but not until his 21st birthday! Ha - where does he get this stuff?)

I think they all had a great time. I know Bennett did and it won't be a party that he soon forgets. Happy Birthday love!

Thanks again for the awesome photos jami! :)

Bennett's mind

Conversation with Bennett this morning in the bathroom as I was getting ready for work:

B: Mommy, your hair looks different today.

Me: Oh yeah? Is that because it is wet?

B: No. The color right there looks golden from the sun.

Me: Thanks Bennett. It isn't from the sun though. Mommy got her hair a different color last week.

B: (still staring up at me) I'm going poop!

School Time!

Remember school supplies?? What was more fun that shopping for school supplies? I loved it! Get to pick out all new things for basically what would be your own "office" (if you will) for the entire school year. I remember taking the list and going through marking off what I got out and plopped in the shopping cart and then going home and spreading it all out to look at it and marvel over what I had gotten.

Of course there was always the times that I was upset that I didn't get to get some name brand of something or that I had to shop at Venture for my supplies (I was kinda a brat like that!). I don't recall specifics but I'm sure that my mother tried to keep us away from getting anything with characters on it. Likely for two reasons: it was more money and she has a thing about giving into the marketing to children like that. Since becoming a mother myself, I have faced this many a times and I'm sure will face it many more too. Whereas more often than not, our family has the money to pony up on the cost difference, I try to steer them away from it more on principle. I now understand - okay mom?? Proud? You taught me something!

Tonight Brayden and I went shopping for his school supplies. Just he and I. I armed him with our list and a pen and as we went through Target and found items on our list, he tossed them in the basket and then crossed them off of our list ever so carefully. What a fun time we had he and I. He sure is growing up.

"I'm nervous to go to kindergarten Mom." "I think a lot of people feel that way sweetie. No one has ever been before they go for the first time. They don't know really what to expect," I say. I'm not totally convinced that he is nervous though. I almost feel like he's saying it because he somehow feels like he should feel that way. We'll have to see what comes on the first day to find out for certain!

As we near the end of our list we come to the backpacks and lunchboxes. He is going towards a character backpack and lunchbox. I remind him that we already got him a lunch box at World Market. He liked it then but now sees the Scooby Doo van lunch box and wants it a bit instead. He says that he wishes we hadn't gotten one yet. He tries on the Star Wars backpack and says how much he loves it. I also have him try on the cool yet simple red and black backpack which he immediately says is too big although he likes the red. What to do what to do. Do I give into the marketing and desire to have a character on something my young son is carrying that he, by the way, may decide he doesn't like 3 months into school or do I give him others to choose from, none of which have a character on them? Is he the kid that gets made fun of because he has the plain jane backpack and all the other kids have character ones? Is he the kid that stands up for what he's got and likes and makes his own kind of cool? How do we teach him to be that without getting hurt? Why does it have to be so hard? Sheesh! I know one thing, I am likely overthinking it and making it harder than it needs to be.

I had fun with you tonight Brayden! It is so neat to see you growing up - how weird to think that we are at the point of starting kindergarten and entering yet another new chapter in this never ending story of you. I love you peanut!

Amen and good night! Phew!