Monday, June 28, 2010

Busy, busy!

I have pictures to post, we have just been busy busy these last few weeks. They will be posted soon, but I thought I would get these few things in print before I forgot.

On Saturday, our hardworkin' Daddy's day off, we decided we needed a fun day. So we left our muddy, fallen-tree, mosquito infested ranch to head towards Underwater World at the Mall of America. We were all pretty impressed, but Brayden in particular thought that running away from his parents was by far the coolest part of the adventure. The fishies and sharks swimming over his head and at his little face freaked him out just a little bit. They were kind of giant after all.

Then on Sunday, Brayden and I went to pick some chemical free strawberries at Apple Jack's Apple Orchard just down the road. As soon as Brayden tasted the sweetness of the berries fresh off of the vine it was more defense than offense (I hoped to come home with more berries), but what can you do? Especially when the please comes out so sweetly! And then, just to enjoy the bug free sunshine a little bit longer, I let Brayden stomp around in the puddles. One mom walked by and said to her kids "Don't you dare!". But I stripped him down before we got in the car and he had a blast, so I think it was worth it.

After nap time, we were still avoiding the bugs, so we loaded a couple of beach towels in the car and 7 miles later were enjoying the sand, the people watching and dipping our big toes into the lake. Brayden is a bit timid around water that is outside of his bathtub, but we are working up to acting like a fish. A couple of times he asked "whatsthat?" We are starting to understand his language as takes more of a resemblance to our own. But the best was when he wrapped his little hands in my long messy tangle of a pony tail and said "pretty!" Cute little bugger!

Oh, one other thing-Brayden's little brother or sister is kicking away. Not the same insistant pokes and jabs that Brayden would throw; Softer, little reminders that there is life growing away in there!

Monday, June 14, 2010

The Horse Whisperer

No pictures in today's post, because we are stuck at home with a raging case of severe pink eye. My eye is swollen from my cheekbone to my eyebrow...that is right, mamma's got the pink eye, not the kiddo. I guess, that is the best situation I could ask for anyway. But I couldn't resist telling you a quick story.

Brayden saw me lead the horses out to the pasture in the brief period of sunshine we delighted in today (and by brief, I mean five minutes). He saw the halters, he saw the lead ropes and he saw the horses follow. When we were back inside, wet with raindrops, Brayden wanted his rocking horse down from the top of the toybox. I put it down on the floor and sat down in the comfy chair, talking to my mom. Then I watched him grab his horses reins, attached to his horsie's halter, and pull him around the living room. Around and around they went, before Brayden stopped to kiss and whisper to his beloved stallion, just like mommie whispers to her mustang.

I think he is the cutest kid on the planet, and I have never been more proud.

Monday, June 7, 2010

The Good Dog

Grizzly has been enrolled in the Suggs Family School of the Good Dog. Mostly because we just can't handle any more bad dog. Neither can the plants, Buella, and truth be told, neither can the dog himself. You've heard of Marley, the crazy labrador? Meet Grizzly, the crazy newfie who can move 2,000 pounds.





We thought it would be okay to turn him loose in the yard with the invisible fence. Unfortunately, the freedom seems to exacerbate his behavior issues. When we first moved into our new house, Grizzly destroyed the large bathroom that we kept him confined in when we were gone (it kept him off of the beds!), including ripping the door apart, removing the trim from the walls and tromping foot prints all over the vanity (yes, that means he was walking on it!).





Then, we confined him to his kennel in the laundry room, where the beast went into such hysterics we thought we were going to have to part ways. He cried like an elephant at four o'clock in the morning. He ripped apart his hard plastic liner and pooped in the ENTIRE laundry room while he remined locked up. He was so anxiety ridden that by the time we got home from work he would be covered, from paw to the top of his head, including his chest and some of his back in panic driven slobber. Yes, he had a hard year. There was a lot of changes and moving in his little life, but I can't say I felt all that much sympathy for him. There were a lot of changes in my life too, and I didn't drown myself in slobber!





The Suggs Family School of the Good Dog is beginning to fix all of that, thankfully. Grizzly still is only allowed in the family room downstairs (he rolls in dirt and sand and eats horse poop after all), but now he is confined to the garage whenever we can't be outside with him. Then, when we are outside, he has to be within sight at all times. Most of the times that means at my feet, waiting for his next command. We are hoping the plants bounce back...but more than that, it means he gets more attention. He hears "good boy" a lot more than "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He actually comes when he is called (I know, aren't dogs supposed to do that anyway?) . He waits by laying down, at ease, like he learned to do in his obedience training that was light years ago instead of me chasing him with the broom, holding it like a baseball bat (I know, you should be getting a mental image by now-make sure there are a lot of plants in your image).

He seems to be happier.




Don't you think he looks happy?
We'll keep you posted on his progress. But whatever you do, don't even think about sending us your troublesome pooches (or new puppies, Kayla!). It is a hard, straight line around here (and we should have been walking it a long time ago).

Thursday, June 3, 2010

We went to Grammie and Grampies the Saturday of Memmorial Day Weekend. The lake was crazy, and the fish didn't bite, but we didn't go there for that anyway.


We went for the treats and the shoreline!
When you are as close in age as these two are, you are bound to try your tricks out on each other. Don't worry, Lincoln Jack is actually playing defense in this picture. We thought they were going to smooch each other (Brayden is quite the smoocher these days), but Brayden kept trying to whack Linc, so Linc thought he'd sneak one in quick. So much for kisses!



Brayden loves popcorn. It's only the second time he's ever had it, but he can't help it. It's in his genes. That and cereal with milk (when he can have milk). S'mores are a pretty fun treat too.
Check out the marshmellow beard!

All that sunshine, though, it's enough to exhaust a guy!


Here are some quick pictures of some of the flowers growing around the yard. At least the ones that our bull-in-a-china-shop-chasing-a-chipmunk dog hasn't destroyed.
This color variation is my fav!



Of course, Brayden wants me to tell you about the clover and
dandielions that grow so well here too!
We were lucky enough not to plant any of these (especially the dandilions!)


And you should also know that Bailey hearts Brayden.
Brayden is very curious about her until she makes a big noise and then he is
a bit terrified.
Buella wants nothing to do with any of us.
She has escaped three times.
We have to coax her back with grain.
I keep reminding myself it was months before Bailey and I were buds.



It doesn't help when I am running to corral Grizzly into the garage, put Brayden someplace safe, calm the bucking rodeo star that the mustang turns into when her little buddy is AWOL, grab a rope, open the gate and FIND THE GRAIN BUCKET!!!
umph!