The conversations I have!

Anybody that knows Braden knows how he loves his stuffed animals.  He plays with them all the time, throwing them from one room to another, taking pictures of them, bouncing them on the trampoline with him, sleeping with them, and oh so much more.  We often refer to them as his "posse".  Now back when he was in kindergarten, they had a home center.  They could play like they were taking care of a house.  Included in that area was a feather duster which Braden took a real liking to.  Then he discovered that we had one here at home and pretty soon that became his feather duster and was assimilated into his "posse".  Just like one of the herd!  It was included in all those activities I mentioned before.  In fact, a couple of times he has climbed into bed with us in the middle of the night and I have awakened to discover that I had also spent the night with our blue feather duster.  He'd tucked it in bed right between us - covered with blankets and all.  The other day he had gotten home from school and quickly disappeared into the playroom.  He was even so nice as to remember on his own to shut the door to keep Greyson from getting in there (we have that area still for the big kid toys that have many small pieces).  15 minutes later he opens the door and he is standing there with a dripping wet blue feather duster!  Obviously, it had been swimming in the dogs' water bowl.  Yeesh!  He gives it to me to put on the sink to dry (he knows the drill since this isn't the first thing to have ever gone swimming in the dogs' water).  Says "Sorry Mom" and sits himself on the steps.  Like I said he knows the drill!  :)  The other kids are laughing now at him self punishing himself.  It's like he knew he'd get in trouble for doing it but just couldn't resist taking that feather duster for a swim.  And so now to our conversation.  It went something like "Braden you cannot put feather duster in the water.  It will get soaked and soggy and not be fluffy like you love it.  Then you won't be able to sleep with it any more and I'm sure that will make you sad.  So, please, play with your feather duster the way your suppose to and do not take it for a swim ever again. No more water for your feather duster, ok?"  Which he replied "ok" and off he went.  What the proper way to play with a feather duster is I'm not exactly sure.  Just think it must certainly not involve water.  Before kids and certainly before Braden, I never would have thought I would have had such a serious conversation about a FEATHER DUSTER!

All's quiet... for now!

Funny right now my house is silent.  Greyson is up taking a nap, all the big kids are at school, this isn't one of Tom's work-from-home-days, and even the dogs are upstairs napping.  I'm all alone in this big ole house.  I can even hear the furnace kick on and off.  I'm able to easily do what needs to get done without any interruption.  But, that is about to change!  Allie will be home momentarily from highschool  ready to tell me all about her day - the good, the bad and the ugly.  The dogs will wake up and come flying down the stairs as soon as she hits the door.  They will get all worked up knowing the stream of kids is about to flow back into this house.  Then within the next half hour, Cameron, Grant and Braden will also come home from school.  They pretty much explode through the door.  There will be 4 backpacks, coats, mittens, hats, lunchbags, shoes, school folders, school papers all strewn around.  Everyone, except Braden, will be needing a reminder about where each of those items needs to go.  You know the "hang up your coat, put your shoes in the bin, put your back pack in the closet, put your luchbag on the counter, put your folder away" drill.  Cameron and Grant will be vying for airtime to tell all about their days and Braden will wait til I pry that same info out of him.  This hootinanny will always wake up the wee one who will "sing" loudly in his room til one of the big kids runs up to rescue him from isolation.  He LOVES LOVES LOVES when the kids come home from school.  And so do I!

Breast Cancer - my love/hate relationship

There are many, many things I hate about  breast cancer.  Almost too many to list.  I hate the FEAR the very word envokes.  I hate how it comes into your life and highjacks it demanding countless doctor appointments, scans, tests, surgerys, hospital stays, invasive procedures, medication... I hate how every time I look in the mirror after a shower I'm still caught off guard.  I hate how it has imprinted me physically with everlasting scars.  I hate that I couldn't nurse my sweet babe.  I hate that it is too often my last thought before sleep...

 But to every ying there is a yang.  To every down an up.  To every negative a plus. 

I love how I soak in the sweet smell of my baby's freshly shampooed hair.  I know how lucky I am that it is me who is washing that hair.  I love how that same baby stares into my eyes as I bottle feed him - loving me.  I know how lucky I am that it is me who is feeding him that bottle.  When the dogs are barking, the baby is crying and kiddos are squabbling - this chaos is mine to tame.  I know how lucky I am that it is me who is shushing, comforting and peacemaking.  I love that Breast Cancer has given me the gift of perspective. 

I love how it joins me with other women all across this country that are engaged in their own battle against this beast.  Together we cry.  Together we laugh.  Together we hope. 

I've loved more, played harder, laughed longer and hugged tighter.  I'm here to be the wife to my husband, mother to my children, sister to my brothers, daughter to my mother.  I'm a Breast Cancer Survivor!

I, Grant, promise to do my best....

Grant really enjoys his cub scout meetings.  His mother really enjoys seeing him in that neckerchief and hat - too cute!  Last night as his pack meeting they had the "Reptile Guy" come and do a demonstration and of course he brought along his friends.  There were turtles, snakes, salamandars and even an alligator.  All of which the boys were allowed to hold and carry.  Not my cup of tea but Grant loved, loved, loved it!  I like them when they are at the zoo - behind glass.  Now of course the lobbying begins for any and all of those creatures to become household pets!  I'm thinking no - yeah, definately no. 

How about that!

Braden never ceases to amaze me!  Every now and then he brings something home from school that I didn't know they were working on and he has it mastered.  Which always seem kinda funny to me that he again knows something that I didn't teach him.  We have worked with him on shapes and I knew he knew the basic ones - circle, square, triangle, heart, rectangle and star.  But little did I know that he knew oval, pentagon, hexagon, octagon, and diamond.  I always love when I discover a new skill he has.  He has such a great memory the trick is getting him interested in learning whatever it is your trying to teach him.  I'm so thankful he has such a wonderful 1:1 aide at school.  She really gets him and he seems to adore her.  And that, my friends, is how you get Brady to learn.  If he wants to make you happy because he loves you then you can get him to do most anything. Except a haircut. And attend a volleyball game.  :)

Oh and don't pay attention to his orange moustache in the picture - it was his birthday and he had an orange pop as a special treat!

A return to blogging!

It would appear that I had abandoned blogging for good but I've decided to give it another try.  Since my last post, our family has been truly blessed by the birth of Greyson Christopher, born April 8th, 2009. 

He was born healthy and happy!  Such an easy going baby who sleeps great, eats even better and has learned to go with the flow being the youngest of 5.  I think he was at his first all day volleyball tournament when he was less than 2 weeks old.  He has adjusted well to our go, go, go schedule!  We are all totally and helplessly in love with him!  He has each and every one of us wrapped tightly around his pinky.  So the tiniest is in charge and that has earned him the nickname "The Governor".  One of his many nicknames.  Along with "Peach", "Squeet", and "Shockalocka" to name a few. 

At nine months, he is motoring all over this house.  Which means a new vigilance has once again begun to be on the lookout for all tiny items hiding about such as legos, and crayons, and uno cards.  Seems just about the time we have a child be developmentally old enough to not have to be so concerned with choking hazards we have another child.  So, this is familiar ground certainly.  He has also really taken to table food - he was never really a fan of the baby purees - but he does so love the very tiniest of pieces of pot roast!  Go figure!  Not so much for the baby goldfish, or freeze dried yogurt bites, but he's all about some pork loin roast, mashed potatoes and diced green beans.  He also has the cutest habit of wrinkling up his nose and snuffing (not sure that is really a word but it works here) in and out real quick.  That always gets us cracking up which is the best incentive for him to keep doing it.  He also just so happens to be our danciest baby ever.  Any music from anywhere and he is bouncing to the beat.  Funny how with Allie we couldn't wait for her to reach her developmental milestones and how with Greyson we would love for him to take his time.  Difference between your first and last babies I suppose.  They all just seem to be growing so fast!