Working Man

Tonight I was working in the kitchen trying to get some things ready for tomorrow. Braden was sitting on the counter while I was working and I was reminding him that tomorrow I have to go back to work so he has to go to bed earlier tonight since he has to get up earlier in the morning. This is our conversation:

Me: Do you remember where mommy works?

Braden: The school

Me: What about Daddy?

Braden: The bank (he says da bank!)

Me: Do you have a job? Do you have to work?

Braden: I work on my red car at Grr and Palpaw's.

It was so cute! He adores his red car and ALWAYS has to play in it when he is at their house. It was so cute and very true that he sees that as HIS job!

Also, tonight I was cutting up eggs to make egg salad for Brad for dinner tomorrow night and I cut an egg in half. Braden said, "It's an oval." Of course, I made a big deal about him recognizing that shape in the egg and I said, "You are so smart. You are just the smartest boy." To which he replied, "Thank you mom (pronounced 'fank you') you're a good girl!"

While we were putting him to bed tonight, he looked at the window, looked back at us, and let us know that it was not dark yet! Code for: I don't think I'm going to sleep anytime soon! Hopefully, he will be adjusted back to our school routine in the next couple of days! Since he is working now, it is important that he gets his rest too!

Tuck the Turtle

Tuck the Turtle

While I was driving home yesterday, I saw a turtle in the road, so I pulled over and picked him up. Last night after we got home from dinner, Brad and I took Braden outside to play with the turtle, which Braden named Tuck (after the turtle on Wonder Pets). He was so cute looking at Tuck the Turtle and discovering that he had a tail and even toesies! We painted a 'B' for Braden with fingernail polish on Tuck's shell so that if we find him again soon we will know that it is Tuck. Braden watched the turtle for a while, drove his truck around him about a hundred times, and finally picked him up....just before we released him into the woods behind our house.

Hey Tuck!



Avery wasn't too sure about the turtle!

Braden, Tuck, and Daddy

Mommy, Tuck, and Braden

'B' for Braden on Tuck's shell

Setting Tuck free in the woods

Bye Tuck!

What a Silly Boy!

Some funny Braden sayings or Braden-isms....

• While playing with my hair which was down, he said "Mommy don't have one." Mommy doesn't have what? "Mommy doesn't have a hair-tail." meaning pony tail!
• He has been carrying a big brown bear around lately. While I was getting him ready for bed the other night, he was examining the bear and he told me that the brown bear has a tail. I said yes it does. He replied, "Braden doesn't have a tail. I have a tallywagger!" Tallywagger is what we call his "male anatomy".
• We have recently started discussing the concept of left and right. Yesterday while he was at my parent's house he was playing on the bed and he said, "I'm going the wrong way. Oh-I'm going the right way. Oh no, I'm going the left way."

Braden's silly face!

New Glasses

It is embarrassing to say that I have worn the same glasses for over 10 years.....yes I said 10 years!!!!! I usually only wear glasses at night after I have taken my contacts out to watch TV, but this new pregnancy seems to have my hormones all jacked up and I have been getting lots eye irritations so I have been wearing them much more. My prescription is the same thank goodness, but I look like a hot mess when I wear my old glasses. So I finally bought new glasses! Woo Hoo!

I had a hard time deciding on which glasses I liked best. So many choices! I finally narrowed it down to two choices. Since I couldn't decide on my own I did the only logical thing....I let my 2 year old decide! Braden said, "Red glasses momma." so I knew those were the glasses for me!

Brad thinks they look like an old lady Lisa Loeb! Last night that song got stuck in my head because he kept calling me Loeb! You say, I only hear what I want to....Is it stuck in your head now too?

**Braden had the best time at the eye doctor's. He tried on a couple of pairs of glasses and he would look in the mirror and say, "I look handsome." I could just eat him up! What a cutie pie!

Noah's Ark

This past Wednesday our church visited Noah's Ark, a rehabilitation center for animals. I had never been before so I was really impressed with the different types of animals that they have. Peacocks, a reptile exhibit, a zebra, monkeys, tigers, a lion, a so on. We took a picnic to eat on the tables that they have set up. It was such a fun day, but REALLY hot! Braden enjoyed looking at the animals but he didn't want to stay in any one place for too long. After he had his feel of the animal he would say, "Come on momma, let's go." By the time we got home Wed. afternoon we were both ready for a nap!

Cassie picked up the rabbit so the kids could pet him! Can you tell that Braden is petting Cassie instead of the rabbit?

The deer just roam freely...along with peacocks, pigs, etc.

Roller Skate Baby

I got Braden a pair of Fisher Price roller skates for him to "skate" around outside. He was so excited about them, but I was a little nervous so I "padded" him up and off he went!

Happy 4th of July

This year for the 4th of July we went to my aunt and uncle's house to eat, hang out at the pool and shoot fireworks. We had so much fun spending time with family. Braden loves swimming and he had so much fun jumping off of the diving board! Very scary for us! We had LOTS of good food- ribs, kabobs, brats, hot wings, hashbrwon casserole, lots of different side salads and my granny's famous fiesta dip. At the end of the night we shot off LOTS of fireworks. Braden loved them and kept saying, "This is so cool." We were glad that the loud sounds didn't scare him. It was a wonderful way to celebrate and be thankful for our independence and the wonderful country that we live in.

I love this boy!

Shane and Gage

Brad and Braden

Braden riding Uncle Chad's shoulders.

Isn't my Granny cute?

My dad doing a back flip off the diving board.

My favorite picture: Braden jumping off the diving board!