Braids, Bows, & Barbies

Are some of her favorite things. She is the ballerina that digs in the dirt...for hours. She is so girlie and so not, all at the same time. She loves Pink. Pink performs. Both the color and the singer. She dreams of the future, but loves every minute of the present. She is such an amazing little person. I am thankful. She brings me joy on the saddest of days and light in the darkest moments. She laughs with me...and of course at me. She is shy at first, then an outgoing child appears. Amazing. Simply amazing.

Using Words

From the time my children were born, I taught them to talk. I talked to my kids all the time. I told them everything I was doing even when there was no way they would understand. I would converse with them like they were adults. Those of you that know me, know that I am obsessive with certain things. Well, teaching my children to communicate effectively was and still is one of those things. Brayden was seven months old when he pointed to my ceiling and said, "Light." I can still hear it. It was so precious to me.

Tonight we are sitting at the table eating dinner. Brayden is talking about his day at Pike Lake with church. He says, "Mom, that church van is huge...(He proceeds to draw on the table with his finger, the van, while explaining the seating.) Whoever designed that van knows how to maximize space."

What? The 8 year old knows that a designer of a van "knows how to maximize space." Blows my mind. And at the same time, makes me proud. Mission is being accomplished.

Front Yard Football

Another year. Another football season begins. Front yard football is my favorite!

Matt sets up a football field, complete with field goal posts.

Brayden and his friends gather in the front yard and play football!

Sometimes full contact, sometimes flag, sometimes touch. But any way they choose, it is fun to watch!

Section 208, Row Q, Seats 22-25

Perfect. Seats. We sat all the way at the top, backs against the wall. Expectations remained low.

Brayden got to do what he loves. Stare. Or, as I like to call it, figure it all out. I don’t think he moved to the music any. Okay maybe a head bop once or twice.

And as for Miss Kyleigh. Well. She got to do what she loves. Fall asleep half way through the concert.

Both of the kids loved their first concert. Matt and I enjoyed it, too. We had a great dinner before the show. The waitress loved the fact that we each ordered something different and ate off each other’s plates. The kids always enjoy a trip into the city.

Now, I am off to prepare for my baby’s first day of kindergarten. She is super excited!

(Pictures to follow...too late tonight.)

Are the Jonas Brothers Real?

Kyleigh: "Momma, are the Jonas Brothers real?"

Momma: "Yes."

Kyleigh: "Are the Wizards of Waverly Place real?"

Momma: "They are real people acting like characters. Just like you do in plays."

Kyeigh: "Do the Jonas Brothers have blood in their body?"

Momma: "Yes."

Kyleigh: "Do they have bones?"

Momma: "Yes."

Kyleigh: "Do they have a heart?"

Momma: "Yes."

Kyleigh: "Do they get sick like other humans?"

Momma: "Yes."

Tomorrow we go see the Jonas Brothers in concert. My baby wants to be a pediatrician. Kids are awesome!

Kyleigh's Feet

Kyleigh:  "Mommy, somebody put my toes on the wrong feet!"

Mommy:  "Oh, yeah?  I wonder who did that?"

Kyleigh:  "God, I guess."

Mommy:  "What toes are on wrong feet?"

Kyleigh:  "My big ones."

Love her :)

Justice

“He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart.”
Unknown

I was cleaning the bathroom Friday evening. When cleaning the tub or bathing the dogs, I always remove all the shampoo, conditioner, soap, cups, etc. before beginning. I went to the kitchen to grab the tub cleaner and when I returned to the bathroom this is what I found.


Justice. In the tub.  Waiting for a bath.  He loves baths. He wanted a bath. He loves to swim. He is an amazing swimmer. I really don't even know where to begin about Justice. He slobbers. Alot. He sheds. Alot. He runs through screen doors each chance he gets. He greets us with a shoe in his mouth each time we come home but never chews them. Never has. He sneaks tennis balls into the house and chews the life out of them while watching us and wondering when we are going to "catch him." I love this dog yet I hate to clean up after him. He slobbers. Alot. He sheds. Alot. Oh yeah, I already said that. Nevertheless, I love this dog. He is a daddy's boy and is very loyal as such.

Justice has chronic ear infections. A few weeks ago, Justice got another ear infection. After three days of treatment he did not get better and actually took a turn for the worse. We noticed that he was not eating or drinking and he could no longer hear us. The once high alert dog that stood at attention at the drop of of a pen could no longer hear. I cried. We took Justice to the vet. After several tests, it has been determined that Justice has a "large" heart murmur and his kidneys are indicative of renal failure. The likelihood that he will regain his hearing is very slim. The heart murmur will be the likely cause of his death in what seems to be the not too distant future.

My heart breaks for this news. My children love Justice. Justice has been a part of the family before either child was born. The sad truth is that Justice does not have many days left. It could be tomorrow or it could be a year from now. Not likely longer. I love on him a lot. I still talk to him even though he can't hear me. He has to be monitored closely when off the leash as he cannot hear the command to come back. He loves to run. He loves to chase the tennis ball.

As I type this, I am watching Justice as he lies beside me and looks up at me every once in a while to make sure I haven't left the room. Justice makes me smile and I am glad I had a chance to love Justice. He has brought such great joy to our lives and our children's lives. In some strange way, I will miss cleaning up after him.  Such a good dog.