Oktoberfest

We had another very busy weekend. Saturday we went to the Oktoberfest thing up at the fair grounds. The first thing we did was go through the haunted house, you didnt even hardly flinch I was really suprised because you get scared just walking down the halloween isles in walmart. I just knew you were going to be scared to death of it. Then you and uncles went down the huge blow up slide, then we went and watched uncles climb the rock wall then we went through the maze a couple of times and then you guys jumped in the jumping castle and went through the blow up obstacle course thing. Then we went outside and watched the pumpkin chuckin thing uncles launched some pieces of pumpkin a few times, you kept saying you wanted to do it to and then when it became your turn you would run back to me and not do it. After we did that we went and bought pizza for our pumpkin carving party and we came home ate pizza and had some goodies and then started in on the pumpkins. You hated the feeling of the pumpkin guck you didnt want anything to do with it. So you just sat and watched us carve for a few hours. Sunday morning we had to take uncles to lenore to meet grandpa so that they could help him track his buck. You wanted to go track with them you even took your gun. You were sad when they left. You got to have some cake because it was the birthday AA meeting, and it was grandpas birthday, he has been sober for eleven years now. On the way home we stopped out at the motel and visited with grandma sheila awhile. You were more interested in watching charlottes web than talking to her.

Today

The start of the day, breakfast! Forget the spoon my tounge works better! Middle of the day, being a cutie! Notice the devil eyes!!!!!!!
And the end of the day, all tuckered out!! You fall asleep in the weirdest ways!

Rainy days go away!

Its raining again, been raining for a few days now which means we havent made it outside to do anything fun. I have been hoping that we can go out and stomp in the puddles like we did last week but it is either really windy or when the wind is not going it is pouring rain. So here we are stuck inside. We have played your new game HiHo Cherry-O a dozen times, we have played Arthurs birthday on the computer at least that many times and we have played rodeo a million times. I am bored out of my mind and you dont really seem to mind being stuck indoors but I am really itching to get outside. I think we might go up to Petco today to look at the animals and then maybe run over to Ross to find you some new socks. It seems like you never have enough socks and since we are getting ready to head to freezing Alaska I better stock up. I wonder how your going to adjust being away from home for three weeks. I know that when we went to Oregon for two weeks after the first few days you kept saying you wanted to come home and play with your toys. I am hoping that you and Tatiana get along and you enjoy your time there. At least she will have toys for you to play with there. It will kinda be like here though we are probably going to be stuck inside most of the time. At least they have tv there too because you really love your tv time. I am sure you will be fine there, I just need to quit my worrying.

Anyways heres a couple of pictures I took of you yesterday in your "Flint" hat as you call it. Your such a silly kid.

Sleep problems

Your sound asleep right now and have been for several hours. When you sleep you give it your all, sometimes I have to go over to you and watch to see if your breathing. You have always been that way from the day I brought you home. The first couple of days after I brough you home was so hard on me, I drove myself crazy everynight. I just knew that I would wake up and find you not breathing anymore. People put so many crazy thoughts and ideas in my head that I was seriously making myself crazy worrying about you. I was so scared that CJ the cat was going to sufficate you or that you would somehow roll over and suficate yourself. I refused to let you sleep with blankets or toys. After three days of waking up every 10 minutes to check on you and then waking up when you were awake I had drove myself ragged and I honestly thought I was nuts. I ended up going to the doctor and they told me that we should go and stay with grandma that way when she got up early in the morning she could take over with you and then I had to take a pill so that I could sleep. This went on for almost a month when i finally decided that we better try to sleep at home again. On top of not being home very much we were packing all of our crap back and forth everyday and the house was becoming a disaster and I really couldnt take much more of it. So home we came the first night I was back to my old behavior and wide awake every 10 minutes again. I didnt get hardly any sleep so then we tryed sleeping on the couch where you were snuggled right up to me and it worked a little better. That went on until you had gotten to big for both of us to sleep on there comfortably. So back to the bed and crib we went. But then I was still constantly up looking at you so finally I decided to just let you sleep in bed with me after awhile I started to get over my phobia and only woke every hour or so to check on you. You now have your own big boy bed that you really dont mind sleeping in but if I put you in there not only in a different bed from me but also a different room I am in there four or five times a night to check on you just to make sure you are still breathing. My worrying is even worse now that you sleep with pillows and blankets and the occasional toy. I dont know what my problem is, I know that the chances of you being sufficated is very slim but in the back of my head I still have all of those nagging voices telling me to watch the cats, watch the stuff your sleeping with and on and on. Your sound sleeping really does worry me, I think if something really is blocking your breathing are you going to wake up and move it or are you going to sleep so sound that you are not going to notice? This really does drive me crazy and I hope to someday overcome this fear. Dont be suprised though if when you are sixteen, you find me in your room one night starring at you making sure you are breathing. I really am a worry wart I swear!

Please return my child, I sure do miss him.

I wish somebody would of told me that when you turn three that everything changes. I know you just turned three five days ago but you are a whole different kid. You have been going to bed around eight and sleeping through the night until about eight in the morning. This is a good thing except that you have gave up on naps which means from about 5 to 8 you are a nightmare child. You get up in the mornings and refuse breakfast of any sorts. You insist on watching alot of tv and playing on the computer more than you did a week ago. You do not want to take a bath anymore. When I finally get you in there you splash water all over the place, fight to get the washcloth when I am trying to wash you, wont let me get shampoo in your hair and then when I get it in your hair its a fight to get it rinsed out. I finally give in to your whining and get you out. I dont know if you are even getting clean enough. Every time I ask you to do something you tell me that you are to tired, I ask you if you would like me to make you a bed and you tell me NO! You constantly ask me to get your hat or get your cup even if the item is a foot away. You have decided that if you dont get sometime your way that you are going to throw yourself down and yell that mom is a "Stupid Freak" at the top of your lungs or you run towards me and try to hit or kick me. Lunchtime rolls around and you would rather not have lunch unless its a cookie. I make you lunch and set it on the table and you go up to it and tell me that you dont like each and every item on your plate. I ask you if you would prefer anytime else and you tell me cookies or icecream. I try to get you to go outside and do something I even offer to take you to the park but you say that you would rather watch tv or play with your rodeo toys. The only clothes you want to wear is your rodeo clown outfit if I wont let you wear the outfit you insit on going without clothes. Ever single toy that comes across a commercial you must have and ask me ten times on each one if you can have it. Snack time rolls around and I make you a plate even though you havent had breakfast or lunch, I of course put a couple of cookies along with crackers, cheese and other stuff and whats the only thing you eat...........the cookies. You run around here acting like Flint Rasmussen your favorite rodeo clown, dancing like micheal jackson, jumping from couch to endtable to chair, you insist on climbing up on your clown barrel and dancing, you run around in circles doing your clown tricks about giving me a heart attack because I just know that you are going to slip and hit your head on the hearth or fall off of the keg crack your head open or worse yet that heavy thing is going to fall on you and break your leg. Dinner time rolls around, I fix your plate tell you to get up to the table, you climb up there look at your plate roll your eyes and tell me that you are not hungry and you want to watch tv. I tell you that if you eat some of your dinner you can have some icecream, you take one bite of whatever is for dinner and tell me that you are now ready for icecream. I honestly do not know how you have any energy to run around like you do when you do not eat anytime.From dinner time on you go back to your wild antics running around here like some crazed lunatic. You pull out every toy I have picked up, you drag a million toys out of the play room, you throw them everywhere and then do not pick them up when asked. If you would actually keep the play room clean and picked up after I clean it up you would have a place to play where I wouldnt be upset that your dragging toys out everywhere. I try to sit you down and read you some books or get you to color but that lasts about 5 seconds and then its back to being wild again. You have gone from a fairly normal child to a wild child all within a week. I dont know what to do with you. I honestly do not know where my sweet child that listened has gone, but if you see him could you please tell him to come back? I really miss him and fear that I am going to go nuts if you keep up acting the way you are!

Its my party...........

Its my party and I will dress like a clown, pout and be afraid of the candles if I want to!!

Three years allready.

Well last weekend was an eventfull one again!!
Lets start with Saturday, if I wasnt busy enough getting everything ready for your birthday party I decided that it would be a great day to take you and Uncles RJ and Chase to the pumpkin patch. We got there and you picked out your pumpkin all by yourself, it is all scarred up and doesnt sit quite right but its the one you wanted, I tryed switching it with a better one a couple of times and you kept catching me and I gave up and decided that you must really like that one. After picking out pumpkins we decided to pay the 25.00 to see what was on the other side of the bridge. What we found was a strawbale maze which you went through about 20 times, a petting zoo which consisted of the peoples two pet dogs, pet chickens, pet goat, pet horse and a couple of wild goats that fought each other the whole time, a couple of baby pigs and a rooster that you wernt allowed to touch. You did get to hold a small chicken which you really enjoyed, you also got to sit on the horses back for a minute or two. There was also two horsedrawn carriages giving out rides that we took advantage of. They were both alot of fun. You and uncles really enjoyed all of the stuff that they had to offer.
Sunday the day of your party we started off the morning with a house full. Aunt weez, miah and Katie had shown up the night before, as well as Chelsey and your uncles were here as well. Papa keith called at seven in the morning and woke the whole house up. We finished decorating for your party and getting everything ready. You had fun running around with all of the kids. Of course you had to dress up like a rodeo clown for the party. It was a cowboy themed party. Everyone that was expected finally showed up and I started the slideshow that I had made for you of all of my favorite pictures of you over your second year of life. After that you opened your gifts, you were really embarresed to be in front of everyone. Everytime someone oohed or awwed you would hide your head and get all bashfull. Your favorite gifts you recieved was your rodeo figurine set from grandma bonnie and you beer keg clown barrel that you got from your grandma sheila. After gifts I got you all ready to blow out the candle on your cake and as soon as everyone started singing happy birthday you were all embarrased again. You wouldnt even blow out your candle. While everyone was enjoying there cake you played with your toys. After that we played pin the tail on the donkey and then we all went outside to hit your cowboy boot pinata that me and uncle rj made for you. Finally after most of the people left you decided that you would have a piece of your birthday cake. Alana, Austin and Cody spent a few hours with you after everyone left, so you really enjoyed playing with them. All in all I would have to say that you had a great birthday even if you were tired and cranky and embarassed most of the time!!!

I really cannot believe that you are three years old. Where does the time go?

A busy first week of September

Well braden boy we have had a very busy week!

On Monday we went to Pasco to Chelsey and Joes, we took there dogs back to them Dreyfuss and Lilly. It was a long ride there, mom really hates driving. We got to pasco and mom took the wrong exit and we got lost for an hour, Chelsey finally came and found us. Thank god for cell phones if not for them I dont know what we would of done.

On Tuesday we went shopping and then went to Chucky Cheeses, you loved it! There were tons of fun rides and game for you to play. I am so glad that I got to take you there while you were young enough to still enjoy it (me and chelsey loved it too!) You got to talk to chucky on the phone there which you thought was really neat! There were also all dancing on the stage, they were like these huge puppet things, you really liked them!

Wednesday we went shopping some more and then me and you made the long trek home! You slept most of the way, which was good for my nerves! I am so thankful for our DVD player as well, it does a good job of entertaining you so your not distracting me with the usual hundred questions you like to ask me! When we got back we went out to the motel where grandma sheila works and you got to see your uncle cameron for the second time, almost two years after the first time you saw him. You were very bashful and kinda scared but it didnt take long for you to butter up to him!

Thursday we went up town messing around with uncle cameron awhile and then we went to our first Xtreme bulls event out at the Lewiston Roundup grounds. It was so awesome you loved it. You of course had to wear your laceup cowboy boots, your cowboy hat and your bullrider shirt. You loved Keith the clown you spent alot of time watching him and yelling at him to dance on his barrel! You also spent alot of time clapping and dancing to the music. We sat in the first row near the chutes so you got to see the bulls up close a few times! It was very exciting and very worthwhile! You had a good time with Uncle cameron sitting next to you!

Hot August Nights 2007

You and mom watching the cars at Hot August Nights!
You and Papa watching the cars
Papa out cruising at Hot August Nights




We went down to the Hot August Nights Cruise in Lewiston on Friday night. We took Uncles RJ and Chase with us. You had a lot of fun watching all of the cars go by. About an hour into it Papa Keith and Melissa showed up. You were glad to sit with papa for awhile. He put you up on his shoulder so that you could see better and you said where is all of your hair papa?
Papa then decided that he was going to go and cruise too. So he had to go and take off all of the extra crap on the bike. The windshield, saddle bags and back rest so that his bike "looked better" When he went by us the first time he stopped and reved up his motorcycle really loud right in front of you and you said Papa scared me mom! It was really funny. You had alot of fun but you were sad that Uncles went home with papa.

Rodeo Time

We went to the Wild Weippe Rodeo this past weekend. You had a great time of course. Rodeo is your favorite thing in the world right now. We started Saturday off by entering in the parade. Uncle RJ dressed as a rodeo clown and you dressed as the bull rider. Uncle RJ pulled you in the wagon decorated with signs that said Future Weippe bullrider and rodeo clown then on the sides one said Bullrider Braden Jared and the other side said Rodeo Clown RJ Chandler. You waved and threw candy through the whole thing even after sitting in the line up for over an hour. I was so proud of you. You guys looked so good. You won a purple ribbon for childrens catagory winner. You dressed in your PBR vest and chaps and wore your rope up boots and hat. After the parade we went to the rodeo, you loved watching Eddy the rodeo clown, you were constantly asking about his barrel. Your dad took you over to meet Eddy and you were scarred to death of him. I couldnt talk you into riding a stick horse even though you said that you wanted to right before it started. You enjoyed watching the bull riding the most.

Sunday we went to rodeo and it poured down rain the entire time. You were still really into watching Eddy. Eddy came right up by us and you were scarred of him again. When it came time for Steer riding you started to cry because I told you that you couldnt go ride one and you really wanted to. I know though that as soon as I took you over there you would of been to scarred to even look at them. (you have to be at least 11 to ride one anyways). I took you over to look at Eddys barrel later on and you really like it, you wanted to get in it but I wouldnt let you!

Today when you were napping you must of been dreaming about bullriding because you said I want to ride a little bull mom, not a big one. You were sound asleep, it was really funny. When you woke up I asked you if you were dreaming about bullriding and you said yes.

Sometimes I wonder if you really will grow up to be a cowboy or if this is just a phase that will pass. Bull riding scares the hell outta me. I really hope that you do get over this obsession of yours.

Shopping trip without the spoiled kid act!

So we made it back from a little stop the boredom shopping trip and guess what you only came home with a few toys. I know, I know. I said in the last post that we were going to cut down on the toy buying. But honestly you only asked for the 2.99 bag of toys at Goodwill, And a motorcycle with a rider from St. Vincents. I chose the huge horse and all the books. I dont count the books as spoiled kid stuff though. You can never have to many books. But anyways we went to walmart too and made it out of there toy and fit throwing free, Halluluah!! We are making progress but probably because we went to goodwill first! I know this spoiled kid mess is all my fault. Every time I get bored (which is often) I think we should go shopping for something to do. And of course I feel bad if you dont get anything so I usually tell you to pick out something but most of the time you cant choose just one. Ahhh So maybe part of the plan of me stopping the spoiled kid problem should be to find different things for us to do when we get bored that doesnt require shopping. This could be a good thing really it could save us lots of dollars that I just seem to piss away on mindless shit just for something to do. So now we are going to give this new plan a try. Less shopping = less spoiled kid + more money!!

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

The cowboy way

I wanna be a cowboy baby........
Notice the lace up boots with shorts!!!

Firsts of the summer

Things Braden has done for the first time, all during summer 07~

Went to the zoo, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. You loved the polar bears and raindeer.

Took a ride on a ferry (also mamas first trip) from Poulsbo to Seattle and got to see a cruise trip,
the space needle and the seattle sky line on the ride.

Ride in a limo (also mamas first trip) June 16th 07 at Cousin Jennifers wedding.

July at Wallowa lake Oregon saw a huge toad, crawdads and minnows, you were scared of all of them.

Rode on a boat Joe and Chelsey Kershisnik's in July, you were scarred at first but then at the end loved it. You and Joe fished off of the side of the boat, Chelsey let you drive it (you loved it) we were out on it for over eight hours, on our way into the dock you fell asleep, slept threw the night and the first thing you said when you woke up the next morning was "Go back out on Joe and Chelseys boat"

Rode a bucking bull. Ok so it wasnt real but it was the next best thing. A big old plastic statue at Wallowa Lake. I couldnt get you off of it and it has made you decide even more than before that you want to be a bull rider.

June we went camping for the first time in a tent. We went to Lenore with Papa Keith and Uncles RJ and Chase. You got to go fishing for the first time (ok with only a sinker on your line, I am to scarred to put a hook on, you should see the way you cast) You really liked staying in the tent. We are getting ready to go camping again this weekend, me you and uncles we are going out in the camper though so we will see how that goes.

2 years 9 months allready, where has the time gone?

Dear Braden,
Ive decided that since I am out of room in your baby book that I will start updating you on the comings and goings of your everyday toddler life via this blog. This way you will have something to look at years from now.
Today you are 2 years, 9 months, 3 weeks and 5 days old. My goodness how time flies. You are growing so fast, I cant believe it. Everyday you amaze me. You are so smart and witty. Lately you have decided that you are going to be more independent. We are working on potty training and it goes really well at home as long as you are running around half naked. Out and about not so well. At home when it comes time to "go" you run in and lift the lid and go, if I come to help you tell me to "step out". Do you not remember the last two years when I was the one cleaning you up? It wont hurt you to let me be in there just in case you need some help! If outside rather at home or in public you insist on going on a tree.
You no longer like to sit on my lap and be rocked you would rather sit in your own chair or on the couch. This is really hard for me to accept, because it means that you are really growing up. when you were little I would just sit and rock you for hours, just because. I hardly ever let you down. This might of been a bad thing I dont know, but so far you are normal. I knew that these days would come soon enough and I wanted to hold you while I could.

You really enjoy books, which pleases me more than you will ever know. Reading is something that I hope you continue to enjoy for the rest of your life. You would sit for hours on hours listening to me read you stories if I let you. Lately if I am busy and you want a book read you will go sit down and look at the pictures and try to read it yourself, if its a book we have read a million times you do pretty well with the words and get most of the story out. You have tons of books and they are one of your favorite things.

You have such a big imagination, I think alot of it comes from Uncle Chase and you playing. You love your toys. Uncle Chase did at your age too. You two are the same when chase was little he always had toys in his hands and if he tripped or fell he would let his head hit the floor before he dropped his toys, you are the same way. You will sit in your play room and play away with your toys forever. You talk to them and make them talk back. I love to sit and listen to you go on and on. You always have a toy or two in your hand.

You are in love with rodeo and clowns with barrels. We watch a rodeo movie at least twice a day. I just redecorated your room, done in PBR and cowboy stuff, you love it. You have a log bed with a lasso hanging off the end, your calf head above the door a horseshoe hook thing and I have yet to hang up your pictures. Grandma Bonnie went and had a picture of you on your first bull ride blown up so we can hang that in there. Your first bull ride was at Wallowa Lake Oregon. It was a plastic bull that you sat on wearing there old nasty hat. I had to pay a dollar, it was the best dollar ever spent! You had a great time and did not want to get off.
You will make anything into a bull and rider puzzel pieces, blocks, food you name it and you have made them into a bull and rider. You keep saying that you want to be a bullrider, I encourage you to follow your dreams but secretly I hope to god you never get on one of those huge beasts.
You love to go to the beach and play in the water and jump the waves. You also love playing in the pool in the backyard. You are a waterbaby that is for sure. Yesterday you decided that you were going to dive into the pool headfirst while plugging your nose, you did it for a long time. I am so glad that you are not affraid of the water. We have the slide from the playset in the pool and you love going down it splashing in the water. You have even went down it head first a couple of times.

You are a major homebody, anytime we go somewhere it doesnt take long and you want to go home. When we went on vacation at wallowa lake all you could talk about was going home. You are happy as can be at home sitting in your play room reading books and playing with your toys.

You are growing up so fast you are over halfway to kindergarten, what am I going to do when you go off to school? I dont even want to think about it.

You are such a great kid, we have our moments but all in all you are the best that anyone could ask for. You give me so much joy watching you grow and learn new things day after day. I wouldnt trade you for the world. I love you more than anything in the world and am truely thankfully for you.

Love Mama