Like Mother, Like Son...

One of my biggest worries being a single mom was that Braylon would grow up a "Mama's boy" or be overly sensitive and be the wierd kid in class that wore the jean jacket with a Bedazzled unicorn on the back with jellies on his feet. Granted, I would NEVER let my child out of the house like that, but you get my point!

Braylon does have MANY male figures in his life, so I'm not sure why I thought this would be a problem. He loves to mow outside, or tackle his Papa. He loves hitting golf balls or playing mororcycles with his uncle Jason. He loves playing in the sandbox or jumping on the bed with his uncle Josh. He loves playing video games or shooting Nerf guns with his step-uncles. More then once he's asked me to fight him, which involves us pretending to punch each other. He can hit a baseball, dribble a basketball, and throw a football better then most 5 year olds. Yes, I am boasting a bit, but he's most definitely an all around BOY!

However, he definitely has characteristics that are from me and ONLY me. For instance, a new pair of shoes makes him happier then just about anything. When I put them on, he smiles and giggles and runs around staring at his feet. Then for weeks after that, he always asks to wear his "new shoes".

This morning, he proved once again that he does have a little bit of his mother in him. I was loading him up to take to Papa/Mary's house, and it was a VERY windy morning. As I was buckling him in, my hair was flying all over my face making it hard for me to see. Braylon asks, "Mama, what's getting your face?" I tell him that it's my hair and he responds, "Oh no! Now it's all wrong!"

I can't wait until...

I remember NUMEROUS times a couple years ago saying, "I can't wait until Braylon starts (fill in the blank). He was the cutest darn baby EVER...but let's face it, baby's don't do much besides eat, poop, and disrupt mom's sleep...then repeat. I couldn't wait to watch those chubby little legs take off into a walk, I couldn't wait until he ate big-people food, but most of all I couldn't wait to hear his little boy voice and understand what he was saying.

Over the last few months Braylon's vocabulary has definitely grown! Very rarely do I regret that wish I made a couple years back. Being able to understand him means hearing what goes on in his silly head and then how he tries to respond, 9 times out of 10 cracks me up! Like just the other day at the boys' cross country meet. I was carrying him to speed up the process of getting to the next spot to watch the boys go by. I had a bracelet on, as I often do, and it tends to dig into his little bum when I'm carrying him. I took it off and handed it to Chelsie, and without missing a beat Braylon tells her, "You can't borrow that!" He probably didn't mean to sound so rude, cause in his head he was thinking. HEY! that's my mom's! But the way it came out was too funny!

Last night, however, I found myself wondering why I had wanted all this "talking" and wondered when he would understand that saying obvious things out loud ALL THE TIME, might not be the best idea.

We were in the grocery store getting the essentials...juice, toothpaste, Duck Dinners. We, of course, were in the abnormally LARGE race car grocery cart that could hold a family of 7. Heaven forbid the SMALL race car grocery cart EVER be there when we arrive or that my son ride in a regular cart (Choose your fights, right?). I turned the corner of the juice aisle and see an old lady, close to death, hobbling along, wheeling her oxygen tank behind her. I cringed to myself, knowing what was coming, and started to talk to Braylon about what kind of juice he wanted, trying to distract him from the old lady. But, much to my dismay, he sees the old lady, stares for a few seconds then VERY LOUDLY says, "LOOK MOM, JOANN HAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS TOO!!"

*Gasp!*

Yes, yes...I know...it's been close to a year since I've posted on this thing, and yes I do feel bad, so spare me the "holy cows!" and "ABOUT TIMES" on my comments and just read my friggin' post! (Sorry! Haven't had my mid-afternoon snack)

So MANY MANY things have happened since my last post and in the shortest amount of time I can, I will try to update you! At this very moment I am sitting in my very own office at KCLY/KFRM, the local radio station here in VERY beautiful Clay Center...VERY!! Yes, I have switched jobs yet again. Last Friday was my last day at Hiesterman Family Eye Care. I am definitely going to miss the people there, but am excited about the fun co-workers here and think I am really going to enjoy my new job. So I started Monday and have been spending my days learning the ins and outs of a radio station from a pushy old hag whom I affectionately call "Satan". TOTALLY kidding...I actually get to work with my sister and it's been GREAT! She's been a great teacher and I feel after my 4th day that I understand 1/1,000,000 of what I need to know, but also feel like I'm catching on.

Mr. Braylon John will turn 3 next month and I am in complete disbelief of how quickly the years have gone. Yes, everyone tells me, and yes every mom says it. But when it's your own child, I'm convinced the speed is at a much quicker rate! Granted some days/nights feel like an eternity (I'm sure most parents will agree with that as well) and I can't wait to get that little hethon to bed. But, his age has also come with a VERY interesting vocabulary and way to look at things. Just last night he got a blanket out at Papa/Mary's and asked Aunt Chelsie, Papa, and me to have a picnic. He then proceeded to "make pizza" and serve it to us all! Such an imagination! He is very much in to motorcycles, farming, playing outside, and having his own way! Dad and Josh just built his own sandbox of sorts to play with his farm equipment in. He recently got a "new to him" bike and surprisingly has caught on fast is riding pretty well. I could go ON and ON with the comments from the last year or so...hopefully now I can update this thing more often and have more current stories!

OK...so sadly this might have been all the news from the last year. The older I get the less exciting my life is! I have a camera full of pictures that hopefully I can post on here sometime. I guess that's all from the Greenlee Gazette for now. Until next time...

Rock-A-Doodle

Every night before Braylon goes to bed, we go into his room, he turns his humidifier on, and we sit in the rocking chair and read the SAME two books. "Moo, Baa, La La La" and "Calliou". Between the two books we say prayers. Last night, as I was finishing the first book, I think Braylon forgot which step of "going to bed" we were on.

Me: "Calliou pretends he's a pilot, who's flying so high,
seeing the world down below.
Then he wakes up and he hops out of bed,
now he's rested and ready to go!"

Braylon: "Amen!"

Big-Hearted Braylon!

Over the last few months, Braylon has begun putting two-word sentences together and here just lately, although slow, he's been saying full sentences. "Mama...I...watch...TV!" It's so cute to see his brain working and putting everything together, but the best part is that I'm finally getting a glimpse of what REALLY goes on in his head and more importantly what he's feeling. This last week, his feelings have shown me just how big of a heart he has!

I went through yet another crazy break-up this week, (don't get me started!) and as much as I try to mask my feelings and put my "happy-face" on for Braylon, he's so aware of what's going on! That evening during bath time, I was doing my best to hold back tears while washing his hair, when he looked up me with concerned eyes and asked, "Mama...you...ok??" Those tears I had been trying to hold back, quickly flooded my eyes, but also brought a smile to my face. "Yes, Braylon, I'm fine, just a little sad. Thank you for asking!" He smiled with satisfaction and returned to playing with his squirty fish. A few seconds later, he looked up at me again. "Mama...Justin...ok...too??" Somehow he knew what was making me sad, but was still concerned for him too. "Yes Braylon, he's ok too...everything's ok" He giggled..."Mama...Dennen(Braylon)...ok...too!" Boy did the tears come then! How precious!

Then last night, God proved to me once again that even when I think I can't be more amazed by my son, he does something to amaze me even more. We had taken a bath, put pajamas on, read a couple books and watched a little TV, so therefore it was time to "Rock-a-doodle" before he went to bed. I followed him to his room and once there he stated that he wanted to rock in HIS little rocking chair instead of me holding him in the big one while we said prayers. I said alright, and trying to keep him focused, asked him to bow his head and fold him hands so we could say prayers. He did just that, and while I was starting the prayer, he cut me off with a prayer of his own. "Dada...Deb's house...Mia...Amen!" He looked up at me grinning and I about lost it! I told him what a great prayer that was and said he did a wonderful job. I then asked him who he was praying to, not thinking he put two and two together. He quickly said, "Baby Jesus!" That's my boy! I guess I am doing an ok job at this parenting stuff! :)

Yes...it's been a LONG time!!

Well hello everyone! I know it's been a VERY VERY long time, but without endless hours of free time at school and a computer to use at my disposal, I don't have very much opportunity to update this thing! So here I am...just giving a quick update and to tell a pretty humorous story!

Braylon has turned 2, which I'm sure you all know from mom and Chelsie's blogs and I absolutely can't believe it. I think back on my life 2 1/2 years ago and I just shake my head. Not only because I can't believe it's gone by that quick, but because I also can't believe how different my life is now. In a good way though! Instead of sitting here at my dad's house, for the 3rd day in a row, watching the KU football game with my wonderful family and snacking on puppy chow, I would probably be out getting trashed with my partner in crime, Ashley, and scouting out my next "fling". Ashley, by the way, is now engaged to the most wonderful man in the world and is about 7 months pregnant. MAN, THINGS CHANGE!!! I have a great job at an optometrist office here in town and absolutely love my boss and all the crazy ladies I work with. Way better off then the wonderful bar job I had two years ago, just to have cash to pay for gas and my drinks the next night. Yes, I know...quite the glamorous life! I'm just so happy with my life now! It scares me to think though where'd I'd be right now if I hadn't got pregnant. God had SUCH a way of getting my attention.

SO...a great story about my little man...
Thanksgiving Day, Braylon indulged just as much as all of us adults and drank his weight in chocolate milk. We were joking at the end of the night that his belly was VERY tight and VERY large. Like always, when we got home, Braylon got in the bath tub and immediately started playing with his bubbles/tractor etc...After awhile, he got very concerned and exclaimed, "UH-OH!" I asked him, "What's uh-oh Braylon?" He started sucking his belly in to the best of his ability, and when that didn't work, he used he hands to push his belly in. I kept watching him wondering what the heck he was doing, when all the sudden, very relieved, he said, "OH...Dere id iss!" He had found his penis...apparently he couldn't see it under his big bell-bell and was concerned it had disappeared! Absolutely nothing in my "old life" could beat the evenings I spend with my little man!!

Date Night!!

This week of work has been relatively easy. I worked Monday, which was a piece of cake. We were SO dead, and Joelle and I had things done by about 9:15. I was scheduled Tuesday, but forgot it was Tommy's graduation. I found someone to work for me, and instead sat through 2 painful hours of 6th 7th AND 8th grade honor night. Boy was that ridiculous!! Last night I had absolutely NOTHING to do, so I decided it would be a good time for The Big Nut and I to have "date night". I took off work a little early, picked Braylon up from the sitter, and brother came as well. We had such a fun time! We first went to Auto Zone where Josh needed to get a couple switched for the dune buggy. Then Braylon and I ran into the mall where I returned a shirt, picked a couple new ones as well, and got a new belly button ring! Braylon LOVES to shop! He loves going "fast" in his stroller, then talking to himself in the dressing room mirrors, and flirting like crazy with any girl in sight, whether it's the lady checking us out, or the other girls standing in line or shopping. He's too funny! After the mall we all went to McDonalds for a nutritious meal of chicken nuggets and french fries. He was eating very well until he saw some older boys playing with the Lego Table in the kid section, and decided that was more important! From there we went to WalMart, which is probably my favorite thing to do with him. I know, it won't last long, but right now it's fun! After I get my shopping done, we always head to the toy section and Braylon gets to "pick out" one toy. I wanted to get him a rocking horse, but the only one they had was an actual furry horse that was far too small, and played songs while the horse sang (his mouth even moved). Braylon was surprisingly not scared of it, but was more interested in it singing then actually riding it. We moved on! He decided on a little dinosaur thing that blows bubbles. We didn't have time to play with it when we got home, but hopefully he'll like chasing the bubbles!!

When we can't play outside, like yesterday because of the down-pour of rain, the next best thing is having a "date" in Manhattan! We had such a good time, and he was such a good boy! Hopefully my date this weekend will be just as good! :)