34 Months

Dear Braden,
Tomorrow you will be 34 months almost three years old. I know ive said it before but it is so hard to believe. This month you have been awful trying of my patience, you push me as far as I can go some days. I have still been able to keep my cool though. You and the time out chair have been spending alot of time together. You are constantly seeing how far you can push me before I send you there. Your favorite words are butthead, asshole and stupid. We can thank your uncles and father for that. How do you think people look at me when you say these things in public. I have to tell you it is embarrasing. You have also decided that everytime we go into a store you should get something rather it be a sucker or a new toy you have to have something. If I tell you no you freak out. Just last week you wanted two toys and I told you that you could only have one that you had to choose between the two, you started screaming and bawling and threw yourself down on the floor in the middle of the isle and started kicking and screaming more then you started ripping the toys off of the shelf and throwing them down. It was the only time in your life so far that I really thought about spanking you. (So far you havent got a spanking yet from anyone.) I picked you up and packed you all the way to the check out line while you carried on at the top of your lungs. I dont think I have ever been so embarresed in my life. And guess what you came home with one of the toys. I know I know. I suppose this is my own fault, I do spoil you rotten. Obviously to rotten. Ive allways said even before you were born that I was going to make damn certain that you would have everything I didnt have as a child. Well by golly I have gone beyond it. You are totally spoiled rotten and I suppose now is probably the best time to break it before you get much older. So I am going to start working on it.

But the month hasnt been all that bad. You have also done alot of good things too. You are learning new things everyday. You always seem to amaze me to how quickly you catch on to things. If you hear a song you like and you hear it a couple times you can sing the chorus. You are starting to reciet the words to books that I have read you more and more everyday and You have been able to identify a couple different numbers just by seeing them (we are going to start working on that more) You have really taken a liking to the Arthur Computer games this month which really worries me, if I let you you would spend all day on there As long as we stay away from stores we do ok. Last weekend we went camping with Uncle RJ and Chase. We took out the camper to Pink House Hole in Orofino. Papa Keith had to come and get it all set up for us, we spent a nice relaxing weekend laying on the beach but we didnt get to get in the water much it was so cold that it hurt to get in it. You got to see your first snake out in the wild. We took alot of walks around the camping area and the best thing was we were away from all of the technology crap that seems to consume so much of our time. You cried once because there was no way to watch teletubbies (obviously you were so upset that you forgot about the DVD player in the car) and I have to admit that I did miss the internet a couple times but guess what we made it, we didnt die because we were away from the phone, computers and TV. I hope to have many more trips like this, I really do want you to see that there is more to life than sitting at home in front of some sort of screen. The outdoors offers many exciting things that I want you to experience.

I cannot believe that you are almost three. This totally boggles my mind. Sometimes I think three years thats all it seems like forever and other times I think about my life before you came into it and I can honestly say that my life has been much better since you have been here. I look forward to each and everyday as before I would dread the oncoming days. I cant believe how far you have come from being that little tiny baby that you were once. It gives me much pleasure to watch you grow and learn and become the fiestly little toddler that you are. Everyone keeps telling me that if I think the terrible twos are bad wait until your three. Somedays I think oh shit am I going to be able to handle it and other days I cant wait for it to happen. I love you very much Braden, no matter how hard headed and spoiled you are my love for you will never change. You are my world my life my everything. Thank you for everything you have given me thus far in your life!

Love Mama