The Entertainer

If there was any doubt in your mind about Brantley's entertaining qualities, this video should set you straight! We went to a Halloween party last night where Brantley discovered karaoke. He had everyone joining in, although you can't see that in the video, but you can hear everyone singing and camera flashes.

If you go here, you can see a photoshow of the party courtesy of Ginger and Leslie. I went as 'bad' Sandy from Grease. Lawson went as Michael Myers. Brantley went as Batman. Brantley won the award for best costume in the kids category. The theme was the 70s so we were supposed to be anyone from the 70s. Other notables in attendance were Kojak, Daisy Duke, Cheech and Chong, a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, Rocky, Clint Eastwood, Dorothy Hamill.....

Happy Halloween!!

Dinosaurs

Everyone knows how much Brantley likes dinosaurs. When I heard about this show, I had to take Brantley. I think he really liked it. Here's a clip.

Sharing more schoolwork

Brantley is doing some good work at school. He did bring home his first 'N' yesterday. It was a math worksheet. He wasn't paying attention and the problems switched to subtraction but he kept doing addition. We had to talk about paying attention and not rushing through things. I must say he does have really good handwriting for a 6 year old boy. I think his writing is more neat than mine.

Baseball Conclusion

Tonight was the last game of the fall season. We almost didn't get to play because of the weather. Brantley had some good hits. He got hit in the head with the baseball while playing pitcher. It wasn't a direct hit, it was deflected by his glove. He cried nonetheless. At the end of the game, they all got trophies and I, mom, got a game ball for helping in the dugout and keeping everyone straight. It was nice that he thought of me. He also gave game balls to two of the other dads that helped out a lot during the season.

School Work

I thought I would share some of Brantley's awesome school work. He's doing very well in first grade.

What a thug....

Brantley looks like such a thug in this picture. He's a good boy though. There is a boy on his team that has been giving me attitude all season. I have been helping make sure all the kids get a chance to bat first/last. To do this, we bat in numeric order and have rotated numerically for who goes first. Last Thursday, this child said to me, "I'm the first batter today." I told him no, it was number 2's time to go first. He got mad. His dad talked to him and after that he goes up to Brantley and says, "Brantley, I'm glad your mom isn't my mom." Right in front of me. I told him that was not nice to say and explained I was trying to be fair in making sure everyone has a turn. He rolled his eyes at me. Brantley seemed to ignore him. I definitely won't be encouraging him to be friends with that thug. It's sad, though, because he went to pre-school with that boy. They started there as babies together but got separated at about age three. I thought about telling him mom, but decided against it. I figured I was just overreacting and she'd probably roll her eyes at me. Just kidding. I think she knows what she's got.

One serious bubble bath

Brantley was stinky after a whole day with Carson. He needed a good bath. I think we did a pretty good job.

Pudge's 2nd favorite place

Pudge's first favorite place is the sun porch. Brantley and Carson caught her in her second favorite place....Brantley's bathroom sink.

Friends

I feel as though by moving we have entered a new chapter in our lives. Today I went to pick Brantley up after school and as we were leaving Carson's mom pulled up. Brantley was so excited to see her and started blabbering about everything and then asked if he could come over tonight. Sure she said. So, I came home without my child. He rode home with Carson. I'm not sure what to do with myself. I have tons of things I should be doing, but I just don't know where to start. Hmmm....

School Days

I met Brantley's teacher last Thursday. I was very impressed with her. She has been teaching for 29 years and has a lot of experience to draw from. She talked about respect and never comparing one child to another. Her philosophy on homework is just getting used to setting aside the time each day to do it. She had a lot of good things to say.

Well, every day Brantley has been so sad about going to school. He hates school and first grade. He says first grade is no fun and all they do is work all day and the day is just too long. Every morning is a struggle.

Tuesday I got an email from Brantley's teacher telling me to disregard the reading letter I got (good thing because I was going to call and ask about it) so I replied and told her how upset Brantley is every morning. I asked her how he is doing in class because I was worried he wasn't adjusting well. She replied and was very surprised to hear that Brantley was so upset each morning. She said he never seems upset in class and seems very well adjusted. She said he's making friends and smiles a lot during the day. (Oh and he's on grade level with his reading, the letter I got from the reading specialist was supposed to go to another child). So, this tells me that Brantley is just pushing my buttons.

I'm not sure what his teacher did after our email discussion, but Tuesday evening, Brantley said he wanted to go back to school. He said today was a really fun day. And, this morning was much easier than it has been. She must have told him that I was on to him. Such a con artist.

It's baseball time again!

This is the first time we have played fall ball and now I know why. It's freaking hot!!! Brantley missed his first practice Saturday but they only made it about 30 minutes that day. Today they only did about 45 minutes. Man was it hot. And it didn't start until 6:00. When is this heat wave going to be over?

Quotable Quotes

Mom, today is my last day at school, 'cause I'm really smart and I don't need to go.

Home Today

Well, Brantley and I are at home today. He had what I thought was a bug bite but it created a rash this weekend. It's in a bad spot, at his tail bone between the cheeks. The rash had gotten pretty bad and I was putting lanacane and benedryl on it for the itching. Finally, I put some neosporin on it last night because it was so open and raw. This morning it looked better, but after breakfast Brantley started itching and was hysterical. He said he couldn't go to school like that. Fine. I gave in and took him to the doctor. I told him the doctor was probably going to give him a shot. On the way he said it wasn't itching anymore. Too bad. We were going to the doctor anyway. Good thing I did because it turned out to be a staph infection. It may have started out as a bug bite, but the staph took over. His doctor said it's often mistaken for a spider bite. I read a little about it and staph bacteria normally lives on your skin and doesn't cause problems. But, if you have a cut or an open sore, it can cause a nasty infection. He has to take a really strong antibiotic. The doctor warned me that the pharmacist might say something about it. They didn't, but I guess all I would have to do is say he had a staph infection. He had to take 2 teaspoons 3 times a day and apparently it doesn't taste good. We also have to put a prescription ointment on 3 times a day. Fun times.

Costa Rica

I uploaded pictures here and here. I had trouble uploading so many pictures and I don't think I got them all uploaded.

Our flight into Costa Rica was uneventful. We got a little turned around in the airport in San Jose, but it wasn't bad. Jorge picked us up and took us back to their condo so we could leave some of our luggage. He said he had the beach house ready and we would spend the weekend there. So, we packed up enough stuff for the weekend and headed for Puntarenas. It wasn't really that it was hot, just very humid. After the weekend at the beach house, we headed to Arenal. The Arenal Volcano has been active since it woke up in 1968 after 400 years of inactivity. It's really something to see. We didn't get any good night pictures, but some beautiful ones during the day. I would definitely recommend the Arenal Springs resort. It was really nice.

After two nights in Arenal, we headed to Monteverde. We took a Taxi Boat Taxi from Arenal to Monteverde which takes about 5 hours. If you don't cross the lake, it takes about 8 hours to get there from Arenal. Monteverde is very pretty. It's so high that you look down on the clouds and the clouds come in like fog. It's very cool to see. I managed to sprain my ankle there so I had to take it easy our second day there. The roads and sidewalks are terrible so be very careful if you ever visit Costa Rica.

After our two nights in Monteverde, we finished up our vacation just relaxing in Heredia. I even went and got a pedicure, even though I had a sprained ankle. I figured I deserved it. And, where else can I get a pedicure for $15.

The trip home was unreal. We got through security and everything in Costa Rica with no problem. We got to the gate about 45 minutes before we were supposed to board. Another plane was boarding and we watched one take off. It had started to rain, but the plane that had been boarding had started to taxi out only to be stopped. They closed the airport. CLOSED!!! No one could land, no one could take off. It wasn't very long before they told us the plane that we were supposed to get on had circled all that it could and would be diverted to Managua, Panama to refuel. It would be at least 5:15 before we would board and there would be no connecting flights for any of us in Miami. At his point everyone rushed the counter to start making arrangements. Luckily the nice family we were sitting with gave me the number for the hotel in the Miami airport and a calling card so I could call. After being herded around the airport, we finally got to on a bus to be taken to our plane. We ended up in Miami about midnight. It was good we got a room because we didn't get a flight back until noon on Monday. The next morning was a mess. Miami must be the worst airport I've ever experienced. We finally made it back to Nashville about 1:00 - only 14 hours late.

All in all, Costa Rica is a beautiful country. It's very mountainous and the vegetation is unreal. If you go, don't go expecting a cheap vacation, let someone else do the driving, and be careful on the sidewalks. Oh, my only other tip is make sure you wait until you get there to change you currency. Most every place takes dollars and you will get a much better exchange rate there.

Scrappy (5/98 to 8/07)

Today we said goodbye to Miss Scrappy. Brantley is very upset about the loss. Losing a pet is one of life's hardest things. Here is a picture of her with my shoes. Scrappy had a thing for shoes....

Update coming....

I promise an update soon. We just got back from Costa Rica - 14 hours late I might add. I'll update with pictures and stories soon.

Birthday Party

Saturday was Brantley's birthday party at Pump It Up. I decided to go there so we could invite everyone he knows and I wouldn't have to do anything. It's great. The kids love it and all you do is bring a cake. I also had goody backs to give to the kids. We only had half of the kids that were invited come to the party, but I still managed to give away all of the goody bags. Which, by the way, were a huge hit. We got camo bags filled with all kinds of camo stuff for the boys and pink poodle boxes filled with girly things for the girls. Brantley had a blast. I think this is the picture of him saying "Yeah BAABA!' And doesn't he just look so proud in the other picture. Oh, and he lost his second tooth yesterday. Believe it or not, I pulled it. I tied the string on and it popped out into my face!

Let them eat cake!

This year, I let Brantley make his birthday cake. Hope everyone enjoys it!

Chicago

Brantley had a great time in Chicago. My sister-in-law has a great blog entry about the weekend here. I wish I could have gone. I stayed home since I have a new job and PTO is a bit limited right now. (I've been there a month and a half now!!) It was nice to have a weekend without the boys, though. Brantley ran to me at the airport and gave me the biggest hug and told me he missed me. And, they brought me pie!!! Yum. I can't believe they let them bring that on the plane. Then he told me about the guy at the game who was holding nachos and caught a foul ball. That's about all he told me about the trip. Typical Brantley.

Swimming Update

As you have noticed, I have not posted in a while. Not only is summer just plain busy, I have a new job, and we have decided to move. Whew. Too much going on. But, it's all exciting.

At camp, they gave Brantley a red necklace. The necklace was to remind him which slide he could go on in the pool since he can't swim. Today, I noticed a green necklace as I was signing him out and I asked him why the change in color. He said because he passed his swim test!!! YAY! I'm so proud of him. Since he passed the swim test, he gets to go on the other slide. He did say he was a little afraid to go on it though. I told him he could wait since he still has more swim lessons to go through, then maybe he'll be more comfortable going down that slide. Way to go Brantley!!

Fishin'

We have spent the last 2 weekends visiting with my parents and other family. This time, we got to go visit my Aunt Artie. She is my great aunt, which makes her Brantley's great-great aunt. (Actually, I'm not positive of the lineage...I've always known her as aunt Artie.) They live on a 23-acre homestead with a log cabin and a large pond for fishing. So, we went fishing. Me and Taylor caught a couple fish each. I lost track of how many Nathan caught. Brantley didn't catch any fish, he only caught himself. Yes, you read that correctly. He caught himself just below his lip. The barb of the hook didn't go in...thank goodness. Brantley was pretty freaked out. I carried him inside telling him to calm down. It bled quite a bit but stopped pretty quickly. We cleaned it up with some peroxide and he was fine after he calmed down. We'll have to keep an eye on it until it heals. He was just upset that he didn't catch any fish. He did ride in the paddle boat with dad after the accident. I think he enjoyed that. Here's a picture before the accident and a picture with aunt Artie.

Swimming...WOW!

Well, another fun filled day at camp. Today, Brantley said he got to ride the horses, go kayaking, and play hockey. He also had a swim lesson today. I took him to the pool after dinner so he could show me what he learned. He went down in the water! I thought, "Oh my god, he's going to drown right here." He kicked and paddled and came back up. He was fine! He can swim under water without holding his nose!!! He's not as good above water, but Wow! He is swimming. And, he's jumping in the pool without his ring. We are talking air time here when he jumps in now. I guess swimming is just like everything else, they do it when they are ready.

Summer Camp Update

Well, week 2 has begun. Man, the days of summer really are long. Brantley must be napping on the bus because I still can't get him in bed at a decent time. This week he is taking swim lessons at camp. He said that he was almost swimming today. He thinks he'll be able to swim by the end of the week. We'll see how that goes. He also got to play tennis today. He said he hit one out of the court to which daddy told him that's not the object in tennis. He needs to stick to baseball. On another note, I had bought 3 different backpacks to try out for camp. We ended up with a pull behind because the pack was just too heavy with all the stuff in it. I don't know if that thing is going to make it though the week. It already has holes in it!!! The bad thing is that we are not putting anything extra in there. It's a towel, his lunch, a water bottle and a change of clothes.

Summer Camp

Well, today was the first day of summer camp. Brantley has never been one to tell me much about his day, but I think he had a good time. He said he didn't get to ride the horses, he did get in the pool, and they will be doing different activities each day. He saw 2 kids from his kindergarten class and a girl from preschool. None of them are in his group though. According to the schedule, he went to the ranch, the games pavilion and had beach time. Tomorrow's schedule includes the splash park, pontoon boat and archery. I wish I could go. :) Oh, I just realized that is a sample schedule. Still, sounds like fun activities.

Sleepover Birthday Party

Brantley went to a camping birthday party last night. There were 10 boys there. I told the mom I thought she was nuts! We didn't get any phone calls and he had a great time. He was ready to go this morning, although it looked like he was still having a great time playing. We came home and he wanted to wash my car, so we did. Before we finished though, he took off inside. After a few minutes, I poked my head in the door and asked what he was doing. He was crying and upset and asked me to come see something. I took off my wet flip flops and came in. He had come down the stairs and was naked. He pointed at his groin area and was crying and asked what that was. He had a tiny tick that had bitten him (lower abdomen area so not on his privates). This was the first tick that had bitten him and he didn't know what it was and was afraid it would stay there. I tried to calm him down. We went upstairs and got the tweezers. I completely blanked on how to get a tick out. We put some alcohol on it. It was hanging on pretty good but I was able to get the head out without it breaking off or anything. We did a head-to-toe tick check after that. I told him it was a good thing we just cut his hair -otherwise it would have been tough to check his scalp in all his thick hair. He did ask me though, "Mom, how did it get there if I wasn't naked?" I was surprised that it had crawled all the way up under his underwear but I explained that it was tiny and had no problem crawling under his clothes. It must have been a long night, because he is passed out on the couch right now.

Baseball is over...

Well, we had our final game for the season. We ended it with a pot luck dinner and trophy presentation. After that, we had a pick-up game of whiffle (sp?) ball between the kids and the dads (and at least one of the moms!). The kids had a great time trying to get their dads out. Brantley got elbowed by one of the kid's older brother when trying to get the ball that Lawson hit. His lip was bleeding but but I think he was more upset that he wasn't able to get his dad out because of that inconsiderate big kid.

School's Out for Summer (music needed)

I need to figure out how to make music play when you open my page. Oh well. Brantley learned a new song. He said he learned it from the kids on the bus. He was pretending to play his guitar as he sang it to me. Very cute. I'll have to get him to do it again so I can get a clip. Here it is:



When I think about rain
I think about singing
when I think about singing
it's a heavenly tune
When I think about heaven
I think about angels
When I think about angels
I think about you.


It's hard to believe that kindergarten is over. Brantley has grown up so much over the school year. He is a totally different child today from that first day of kindergarten. He's adding and subtracting numbers, writing sentences and reading. Not that I am that old, but I don't remember anything by playing in centers and naptime in kindergarten. What are your kindergarten memories?

Sounds

Brantley and his dad went to the Sounds game today and Brantley got a foul ball that went to the bleachers. He said he raced and adult to get it. While they were at the game, I spent 3 hours in the yard pulling weeds and trimming plants.

Game Highlights: Mariners v. Red Sox

Brantley played first base and got an out.

Game Highlights: Mariners v. Cubs

I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but another great game with the Mariners today. Brantley got on the tee for his first at bat. I think he was a little nervous because his aunt and uncle were watching him and he really wanted to show them his stuff. But, he made up for it later in the game with an awesome hit that went out of the fence. Well, it rolled on the ground and went under the fence. But still, it was out of the field!! He also got an out on second base during the game. It was hot out there today and we had to keep telling him to drink water. I don't think he drank enough water today because he isn't feeling well tonight. I'm forcing him to drink water and I gave him some tylenol in case it's a virus or something. If he ends up with strep again, I think I will scream, but I wouldn't be surprised.

Kindergarten Program

Here is a clip from Brantley's Kindergarten Program.

Game Highlights: Mariners v. Tigers

Man, it's a busy week. We had baseball Saturday. Baseball tonight. Baseball Thursday. Baseball Saturday. And again on Monday. Wow! Another great game. Brantley had some awesome hits. Still not much in the fielding department though. Here is a picture of the team. Brantley is the one in the red cleats if you didn't spot him.

It's Pool Time!

We are getting so spoiled. Brantley went to a birthday pool party on Sunday. He had some much fun and hated to leave. Then, Monday evening we went to Roger's house. He has a heated pool and said it was open and warm!! We swam for over an hour. It was really nice. I don't think I have ever gone swimming this early in May. Brantley is already asking when we can go back to Roger's house. Get ready Roger...Brantley is going to become a permanent fixture at your house!

Game Highlights: Mariners v. Yankees

Today's game was against Brantley's old coaches' team. They take the game so seriously. I was being ugly because of course the coach's son got to play in the pitcher's spot and bat first. I see nothing has changed there. Other parents noticed how serious they were too. One of the comments was "I bet they are practicing during the week in addition to the games." Brantley had an awesome game. We got there a little early so I was pitching to him and he was hitting them to the grass. I was so glad to see him play so well in front of his old coaches. He played so well that he got the game ball. He went over to show it to his old coach. He was so proud of himself.

Priceless

Brantley came in the house today after playing outside with his friends.

"HELLO," he yelled.
"Hello," I said back. He plopped down on the floor and starting taking off his shoes.
"Guess what?" he said.
"What?"
"I got my first girlfriend today."
"You did? Who's that?"
"Hannah."
"Hannah huh. Is she in your class?"
"No, she lives up the street. She's four."
"Oh, okay."

All I could do was smile. I was just too dumbfounded to do anything else.

Other Game Highlights

Brantley let his friend across the street play with his bat, and quess what....his bat was in their garage. He had to play his game tonight with his other bat which is heavier. Those hits tonight would have been in the grass if he had his good bat. Lighter bat = more level swing...at least that's what I'm told. We had to have the talk about making sure things are put back after they get them out. When we got home, we stopped by to get the bat and his friend got the exact same lecture.

Brantley also had a case of unsportsmanlike conduct tonight. He was trying to get his friend to say "Bad Game" when the lined up. Lawson said the coach pulled him aside. I didn't know he started it. I heard another kid say it, but Brantley said he started it. At least he will learn now how to act like a good sportsman.

Game Highlights: Mariners v. Cardinals

Brantley hit the first pitch every inning tonight. I say he's batting a thousand. Lawson corrected me to say he's batting .333. Apparently, he has to get on base for it to count. The coaches are calling outs now and Brantley got out twice. Once for a fly ball that, believe it or not, a kid on the other team caught and once for a grounder that was fielded at first base. So, he had 3 awesome hits, no strikes, but only got on base once. Now, if my terminology is off, blame it on Lawson. He's the baseball expert but he won't do any blogs. I just call it like I see it.

What is Brantley doing?

Game Highlights: Mariners Vs. White Sox

Another great game with the Mariners. Brantley got to play catcher on the first inning. I didn't realize it because we were late to the game and I saw him go out to the outfield. And, of course I was chatting with grandma and missed that they sent him back and put the catcher gear on him. Sorry, no picture of that. Brantley ended up on the T on his first a bat. Not sure what was up with him. He was holding the bat out in front of him instead of back behind his head. Second at bat, he hit it straight to the coach who had to catch it to keep it from hitting him. I think he was a bit surprised. Third at bat, Brantley hit it to the grass. He also got a couple of grounders in the outfield. And, since the game went so quickly, the coaches decided to play an extra inning. It was a beautiful day for baseball!

Play Ball!

This year the league was bound and determined to have the opening ceremony. The last 2 years it was cancelled due to weather. This year, they postponed it twice. It was nuts! There is something like 1400 kids in the league. Here is a picture of Brantley in true baseball form and another with his friend.

Discipline

I admit it. I'm extremely over-protective when it comes to Brantley. I'm trying to do better. Brantley has made friends with the 8 year old from across the street. He's a nice kid, but neither one of them seeme to have any sense of what it means to play safe outside. I had to keep reminding Brantley not to play in the street and to look both ways when crossing. Then, Brantley wanted his friend to stay for dinner. I said I hadn't been to the store and we didn't have much but I could make them some mac'n cheese. They both wanted it so I started making it. Then they took off. The mac was ready and I called several times for Brantley and he did not come. I knew he was probably in another friends yard but he didn't tell me he was going anywhere. So, I went to retrieve him. I brought him home and told him that I called several times and he didn't hear me. If he can't hear me, he has gone to far and he had better be telling me where he's going if he does that. He was very upset, but I felt the need to be stern. If I'm not, the next thing I know he'll be in the next neighborhood without telling me. He went to see if his friend still wanted to have mac'n cheese and it sounded like his friend didn't talk to him which made him more upset. I hope his friend wasn't upset. At any rate, I have set the rules and Brantley knows if he can't follow them, then he can't play outside with his friends.

Birthday Party

Brantley went to a birthday party this weekend at a really cool place. He had a blast. The pictures didn't turn out very well, but here is a video clip of him playing Glow Golf. Listen close to what he calls himself... (You may need to click twice on the video to make it play.)

Field Trip

Friday was the field trip to the zoo. Earlier in the week, the weather man was saying Friday was supposed to be nice. Well, surprise, surprise. He was WRONG!!! It was cold and windy and threatening to rain the whole time. The kids at least had a good time. I did not. I had Brantley and 2 other boys from his class to keep track of. I've never said, "Boys, we have to stay together!" more in my live. Brantley didn't want to go home with me afterward so he went back on the bus with his friends. I went back to my car to find that someone had dinged my car door. A HUGE ding with white paint. I was so mad. My car is only a year old. I think I will be able to get the white paint off, but there will still be a noticeable ding. Oh well. I guess it had to happen sooner or later.

Strep Throat

I am so irritated right now. We took Brantley to the doctor Thursday and he was negative for strep and the flu. His fever broke Thursday night and he was doing better Friday. He went to his baseball game on Saturday and then spent Easter with his cousins and went to school today. After lunch today I received a phone call from the doctor's office saying Brantley's throat culture came back positive for strep. They couldn't give a straight answer as to whether or not Brantley was still contagious over the weekend. Too late anyway because he had already been around everyone. He has to take a round of antibiotics to make sure the strep is gone. We kept him home from baseball tonight because we just were not sure if he was contagious or not Brantley was extremely upset that he didn't get to go to baseball. Now, I get an email from the coach saying they are going to drop the jerseys off tomorrow to have their names put on them and I can either meet up with his wife or drop it off myself. This was supposed to have been done prior to the season starting. The place that does it is only open from 9 to 4 and would take me at least 30 minutes to get there from work so it's not like I can do it on my lunch break. It's not my fault they didn't do it before the season started. But, now it's my problem because my son has strep. I am just so irritated!!!

Game Highlights: Mariners v. Astros

It was a cold day for baseball. It wouldn't have been bad if it hadn't been for the wind. At Brantley's first at bat, he hit on one pitch. Second inning, Brantley got to play in the pitcher circle. He grounded the ball and threw it to first. Carson wasn't looking though and missed it. All in all it was a good game. The boys were there to play despite the cold.

Poor Brantley!

Brantley isn't feeling well. Isn't he just pitiful...

Check out the gap!

Bullsikes!

Anyone heard that word before? I don't have a clue where Brantley picked that one up. He'll tell you a story then say, "Bullsikes, tricked you!" I had to ask him to repeat it so I could figure it out. You assignment: figure out how to work the word Bullsikes! into your day.

The Loose Tooth

Okay, those of you who knew me growing up know I have issues with pulling teeth. I'm not sure what is holding Brantley's tooth in. It's so loose and it is sticking forward. I flossed around it some thinking it might pop out if I got it just right. I just can't stand the thought of pulling it out. I read an article (on parent center I think) that said you should let you child pull it out and encourage them to keep wiggling it because only they know if it hurts or not. Now, if it were left to me as a child, I'd still have all my baby teeth. Brantley has really been wiggling the tooth and seems to be getting looser. Maybe it will come out soon.

Dinosaurs and Caves

Today we went to Dinosaur World. It was okay, but there wasn't much to it. I think Brantley enjoyed it though. Since Dinosaur World didn't take as long as I thought it would, we decided to go to a Cave. We went to Diamond Caverns. There are no diamonds in the cave, but when they caves were first discovered, they saw shiny stones that they thought were diamonds and the name stuck. I was really glad we decided to go to the cave. We were really lucky and ended up getting a private tour. Not that it was really private, just that Brantley and I were the only ones there for the tour. The tour after us was full though. It was really nice having the tour guide just for us. He was really nice and knowledgeable. He had a history degree (used to be a middle school teacher) so he was really into the stories behind the discovery of the cave and the explorations. He kept asking us if we had any questions and we didn't until we got to the part when he turned off the lights. When he turned them back on, Brantley said, "I have a question. How is there a light switch in that rock?" It was really cute and I wish I had gotten a video clip of it. Check out the pics here.

Funny Story

I had to go to the doctor for some bloodwork so I took Brantley with me. As we were walking to the area where they were going to take my blood, Brantley said, "I don't think I can look." He sat in the chair across from me and started to cover his eyes. Then, he decided to watch. Afterward, I said, "Piece of cake, huh?" To which Brantley replied, "Cake? Where's the cake? I want some cake."

Happy St. Patrick's Day

This is from 2005, but I think it's so darn cute!

Annual Fun Run Update

Brantley did 16 laps in the fun run and raised $67 for his school. Thanks to all who donated!!

Funny Story

Have you ever gotten that email about things you learn as a parent, like how PB&J sandwiches don't really eject from a VCR like in the commercial. Well, we learned something today. We learned that Brantley's underwear can be flushed down the toilet and it doesn't clog. Yes folks, underwear can be flushed. I just wish it had at least been dirty underwear.

Teeth

Brantley is growing up so fast. He has his first loose tooth. I almost cried this morning. And, I talked to Ben's mom, and he has a loose tooth too. Brantley said that he hoped the Tooth Fairy brings him a dollar for his tooth. Ben, on the other hand, has higher aspirations. He thinks the Tooth Fairy is going to bring him one hundred dollars for his tooth. Well, the teeth have to come out first - wonder how long that will take?

Play Ball!

Baseball practice has started. I switched Brantley to a different coach for several reasons, but I didn't know the coach was new - and the team was new too. Apparently, last fall was the first time any of them played ball. This is Brantley's third season, so needless to say I was surprised to see them put him on the Tee. Of course they were surprised at how he hit that ball. He didn't miss a bit. Perfect swings. I guess I need to talk to the coach and be sure they are going to try pitching to him.

Pledges needed

Brantley is asking for pledges for the annual Fun Run at his school. This is a fundraiser for the school. You can pledge a specific amount or an amount per completed lap. Each lap is 1/10 of a mile and they have 30 minutes to complete as many as they can. Please let me know if you would like to make pledge. Brantley appreciates it!

Happy Birthday Dr. Suess

Tomorrow is Dr. Suess' birthday. All week the kids have been reading his books. Tomorrow they are supposed to dress like their favorite Dr. Suess character. I was able to borrow a hat from a friend at work, although I don't know if he will wear it or not. He's not much on participating in those types of things. He won't even wear his pajamas to school on pajama day.

Go Mariners!

It's baseball season my friends! Brantley is on the Mariners this year. He's been out practicing and according to Lawson, he's batting about 350. ;) In all seriousness though, he really is good. Lawson is amazed that he can hit an overhand pitch. (I think I said that right - apparently it's good for being so young.) He's throwing really well too. He says he's going to be a pitcher. I'm glad he enjoys it so much. It gets tougher this season. He has 2 practices per week until the season starts and then 2 games a week (possibly a practice in there each week too!).

Brantley Absent from School?

Today I got an automated phone call about 11:00 saying that my son was not in school and to be sure to send a note explaining his absence to school tomorrow. I was extremely upset by the call considering it was 11:00 and I put him on the bus at 7:40 this morning. I frantically called the school and it turns out there was a mix up because they had an early assembly for K-2 and Brantley's bus was late. First problem, even if his bus was late, shouldn't his teacher have corrected the attendance once she knew he was there? Second problem, the call did not happen until 11:00. If he truly were missing, a lot could happen in 2 1/2 hours. Errors like this should not happen. The principal said this morning was unusual and that the calls usually go out earlier. But, shouldn't someone verify the absences. There can't be that may kids absent each day they the list can't be verify so that parents like me are worried unnecessarily. She also said they just started using the system in January and that this was the first problem. All I have to say is it better not happen again.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I wasn't able to go to Brantley's party at school today. That's OK though because now when I do go to a party like that he just wants to leave and go home. Today's homework was to make a card and give it to someone you care about. Brantley decided to make a card for Carson. I told him I'd mail it tomorrow. He also made cards for me and daddy. He's doing really well with writing and spelling. Eventually, I will hook the scanner up so you can see some of his work. It's quite impressive.

Play Date

Brantley doesn't get to see his best friends from preschool very much so it's nice when they get to have a play date. By the way, that is the remnants of cheetos on their faces.

Breaking News!

Brantley finished the last 2 books in his stack so he gets to pick out a surprise. Congratulate him on a great job!

Reading Update

Brantley has read 21 books. He has 2 more to go before he is through the stack and gets a surprise. I'm pretty impressed with these books. Most of them are 12 pages long and have 1 or 2 lines of text on each page. He is having a hard time with words that don't sound out right, like what, this, that, with. I'm trying to tell him that letters such as TH and CK make a different sound than the individual letters together. You don't really think about how bad the English language is until you try to teach someone to read and have to teach all the exceptions to the rules.

SNOW!!!

Believe it or not, we actually had some snow!

Chuck E. Cheese

It took over 2 years of collecting tickets to get this!

Naked Brothers Band

Well, Brantley has been dying to watch the new Nick show - Naked Brothers Band. Last night was the premier and he was counting down. Well, the first 10 minutes we had already seen because all of it had been shown in the previews. Fifteen minutes into it, Brantley wanted to quit watching. So, I guess the show was a bust. We did end up sitting through most of it but we didn't watch then end. Oh well.

Da' Bears

Go Bears! It's been 20 years (21 to be exact) since the Bears have gone to the Superbowl. I actually watched that Superbowl because Jim McMahan was the quarterback. Brantley's bears hoodie is really small on him. We got it in October of 2005. I remember that because we got in while we were in Chicago. After we got it, we visited a pumpkin patch and Brantley ripped the sleeve. But, not to worry. A new sweatshirt in a bigger size is on it's way. Thanks Uncle Matt and Aunt Rosemarie!

Brantley Singing

Extra! Extra! Read All About It!!

Can you guess what that headline is for? I was going to have everyone guess, but I'm so excited I couldn't stand the suspense myself. Brantley is reading!!! I decided to get the leap pad and phonics out again tonight. Before, he's never really gotten into it and I never pushed him. So, tonight he got bored with the leap pad and we moved on to the phonics. Then, he was bored with practicing the letter sounds so I got out the stack of books, we put the tapes away and we started going through them together. The first book was a success and I got excited. The fact that I was excited got Brantley excited. He was so happy to have read it by himself. We ended up going through 6 books. There weren't very many words that I had to help with and he did a great job sounding them out. I'm so proud of him. I told him if we can get through the whole first stack, I will get him a surprise. Any suggestions?

Injury Alert

I'm not very happy with my new phone. When the battery is low, it warns you once and then it's dead. Friday afternoon, I realized my phone was dead. I was able to turn it on and find out I had a voice mail. It was from the school nurse. I can only hope that had it been an emergency they would have tried my work number when they didn't get me the first time. The message said the Brantley was fine. He had fallen on the playground and had a big scrape on his forehead, but he was a alert and had gone back to class. She just wanted to let me know what had happened. Lawson said he saw it right away when Brantley got home. Brantley said he fell on the basketball court. Here's what it looks like...

Leaps and Bounds

Christmas break is over and it's back to the grind. Brantley seems to have grown so much over the last couple weeks. He got to spend over a week with his cousins and he had such a good time. He must of grown a couple inches because we no longer need the booster seat at home. That's right, Brantley is sitting right up to the table without his booster seat. He got up all by himself this morning and we have 30 minutes extra time.

For those football fans out there, Brantley was waiting the game Saturday when Tony Romo fumbled the snap and lost the game. Lawson was giving Romo a hard time and making fun of him and Brantley told him to stop. He said, "How would you feel if you were Romo and you made a mistake and lost this game?" Wise beyond his years.

Christmas

Well, another Christmas has come and gone. Santa brought Brantley just what he asked for, a guitar, and a few other things. Here are some pictures from Christmas morning and from Christmas with my family. Enjoy!

Christmas with Grandma and Pop (cont'd)

I took a few pictures of the present opening. Brantley got a builder sheet set from Uncle Matt and Aunt Rosemarie (with a much needed extra pillow case because Brantley gets those things stinky quickly!), a pinball machine and Titans pullover from Grandma and Pop. He didn't get to open anything from mom and dad yet. Mom got some lavender hand lotion and bath salts for relaxing in the tub. Lawson got some cool Nashville coffee. We also got a cool print with the Loveless Cafe on it. Pop got an Agatha Christie computer game for the book And Then There Were None. Grandma got a new dustbuster - which I found out that Brantley told her last weekend what it was. We have to work on the keeping secrets part of Christmas! Anyway, here are the pictures...

Christmas with Grandma and Pop

Since Grandma and Pop will be spending Christmas in Chicagoland, we celebrated with them today. We had a great dinner with filet, baked potatoes, salad, and rolls. Mmmm! Brantley of course just had carrots, turkey, and rolls. Lots of rolls. He's not much of a meat eater. I'm not sure I've ever gotten him to taste a piece of steak. More for the rest of us. For dessert, it was chess pie. Grandma made an excellent pie. Of course, we got to open presents too. Grandma and Pop's present was a 5 A rating by Brantley (A being the word awesome!) We got home and were going to put the batteries in it but something happened to the batteries. It looked like something had leaked out of them. I looked around and we only had 2 D batteries and we needed 4. Brantley just couldn't understand that we didn't have enough of the right batteries. But, not to fear, mommy had to go grocery shopping anyway so I picked up some batteries. He'll be playing tomorrow!

Holiday Party

Today was also the holiday party at school. They had a sing-a-long in the cafeteria. The whole school was in there. In Brantley's room, they had a waffle party. A couple of dads cooked waffles and the kids got to add all the toppings you could think of. The waffles were really good. They smelled so good, I couldn't resist. Then they had a book exchange. Here Brantley is with the reindeer he drew.

Dentist

Brantley had his 6 month check up today. He went back all by himself. They took xrays and cleaned his teeth. He didn't look like he enjoyed it all that much, but the dentist gave him an A+. He said we still need to keep an eye on the cross bite situation which led to the thumbsucking at night discussion. Brantley doesn't want to suck his thumb, but he does it in his sleep. We have to get him to stop before his permanent teeth start coming in. The dentist said he should start losing teeth in the next year. He recomended Mavala Stop. I told him the stuff we tried didn't work - Brantley just woke up with a bad taste in his mouth. The dentist said this stuff tastes really bad. I hate to do this, but Brantley has to stop and he can't do it on his own because he doesn't know he does it. The other problem is knowing if he has stopped or not.

Gingerbread House

Today at school, Brantley's class worked on gingerbread houses. Actually, milk carton and graham cracker houses. The best part was the Grandma and Pop came to help Brantley with his. I heard that Pop got to help a little with Brantley's house and Grandma did her part by helping the other kids and giving praise for their wonderful houses. Here he is showing off the finished product.

Cassanova

Last night was the annual firm Christmas party at the Country Club. So, I was all dressed up, hair done, and even makeup. Brantley was in the bathroom and I walked by. He says, "Mom, you look pretty." He said something about my hair and even said, "Your eyes are pretty." He already knows just what to say. I guess it helped that I was wearing his favorite color (now that I want to be flashy!) He'll have some girl wrapped around his finger when he gets older.

It's been a while

Well, as you have noticed, I have not blogged very much lately. The past few weeks at work were rough on me, and for those that don't know, I had surgery last week. Unfortunately, I've also been working at home while recovering from surgery. My mom came to take care of Brantley for a couple of days. He didn't know I was having surgery until after I had it. He understands doctors and hospitals now and I didn't want him to worry the whole day about me. He's been very concerned with me since. The surgery went fine and I came home that afternoon. I'm proud to report that my lower back which has tortured me for some time has not hurt a bit since the surgery! (The surgery was not on my back, but very much related.) I can lean over the sink to brush my teeth with no pain now. Just try brushing your teeth without being able to lean over the sink! My back pain had overcome my life and now it's gone. It's gone!! It's gone!! I can not tell you how happy I am! Now, I won't be telling Brantley mommy can't do something because her back hurts. I probably still won't be picking him up anymore, though, since he weighs about 45 pounds now. He's getting so big. He's trying to write sentences now, even though he still doesn't seem to have an interest in learning to read. The other new thing is that he loves taking showers now. I guess he saw Nathan take one and decided it was a big boy thing. It's easier for us, so what the heck. Oh, one more thing. Brantley was sitting on the couch next to me a couple days ago and said, "Have you lost weight?" Wonder who told him to say that?