Thanks Steve!

Steve gave me tickets to the Colbie Caillat concert for Valentine's Day. This past Friday was the night we got to leave all the kids and worries behind and just enjoy! We had a fabulous time and Colbie put on a great show! In comparing to the concert she did 2008 at Tuachan, I am still up in the air as to which I liked best. I LOVED the Tuachan concert 2 years ago, simply because it was at BEAUTIFUL Tuachan and how can you beat THAT backdrop? But, I didn't know as many of her songs then, so THIS concert was more exciting that way. Actually,once I heard the opening song BOOMING, I got so excited! I have both of her CDs and I knew all the songs this time. I was more invested! In fact, maybe the only thing I didn't like about this concert compared with her other, is that this one was over too fast. She didn't sing NEAR enough songs and I was surprised at the ones she didn't get to, like even her new album's title track, "Breakthrough." Her encore performance only included two songs, Lucky and Bubbly. Maybe if the audience would have shouted more or chanted her name, maybe she could have thrown in a couple more songs for us! But, nonetheless, every song she DID sing was fantastic! I added my fave of the night, her Bob Marley "Turn Your Lights Down Low" cover to my playlist. This version isn't as fabulous as the live performance she gave, which included an AWESOME bridge that is not included on this playlist download, but at least it's a bit of a reminder of the greatness that is was. Her back up singer and guitarist, and the night's opening performer, Justin Young, was pretty good too.

She is just such a talented performer and songwriter and I love her laid back, beachy vibe. She has some fun video links on her website that are fun to watch. Since her concert ended too soon for us, Steve and I came home and did some browsing through her site just to get a little more! She's great. If you can swing it, you should check out some more of her tour dates and invite someone YOU love to this excellent, fun concert! It was a really terrific evening! Thanks Steve!

Keeps Getting BETTER!

Delightful. It is the best word to describe this child right now. This baby is just nothing but DELIGHTFUL lately! He has definitely turned over a new leaf here in his ripe old age of NINE MONTHS! I think we have FINALLY figured him out and have him comfortable with life. Don't get me wrong, he has ALWAYS been nothing but pure joy, but I was always feeling a bit defeated and discouraged that I couldn't get him on a great sleeping pattern and keep him moving through the day happily. It has taken us a good NINE months to get to this PERFECT place of peace and contentment.

I think the turning point has been the sleep habits. I read FIVE different books, finally finding the MAGIC potion for success in this one, "Sleeping Through the Night." It was a gradual process with immediate rewards right away and each day getting better and better. It was gentle and sensible and Brayden is reaping the rewards.

It's so funny. I never had to read any "sleeping" books with the older boys. They were great sleepers from the very start. They basically did what I wanted them to do, no problem. Yes, Brayden has taken a little more brain power, but we GOT IT! And he actually giggles and smiles when we put him in his crib now. He ENJOYS a good rest as much as the rest of us now. AHHHHH. Makes him so much happier throughout the day.

He's got some other cute things going on at this age too. Probably the newest and cutest is his waving. He waves at his little glow sea horse when we leave his room after his naps. He waves at me in the mirror. He waves at his brothers, the neighbors, anything! I love that his little brain tells him to wave when he thinks it necessary.

Well, that's not quite a "waving" picture, but just look at the length of those fingers! CRAZY! Maybe a future basketball/piano player? He's also been a little dancer lately. Most of the time he is bopping up and down to the music playing in the background in the house throughout the day. Sometimes I catch him moving and grooving to whatever is going on in his head I guess! He definitely has some grooving skills:) It's especially fun to watch while he's in the jump up thingy.

He is super social and can't get ENOUGH of being out and about and around people. We went to Iggy's for a Valentine's Eve family meal and he was turned almost all the way around in his high chair grinning and "chatting" with the people at the table next to us. He jabbers a ton and enjoys anyone paying him attention to what he has to say. Love it!

I also love that he is at that EASY age where he can stay happy with any random item I happen to give him. Or anything the boys give him (like this girl-y hair band). You know, whatever happens to be close by, a sock (clean of course), a piece of ribbon, a packaged scrapbook supply (he loves the plastic-y sound). Just anything. He will stay happily entertained with a plastic cup for twenty minutes. LOVE this!


I am a little bugged that we are on the down hill stretch to this boy's first birthday though. What happened to this year?! He is getting way too big.

I have his nine month well check exam scheduled for this week. It will be interesting to see what his measurements will be. I feel like he is starting to thin out a bit. He is still a BIG, SOLID boy, but he has more length to him now and doesn't seem quite so chunky and dead weight.

One thing's for sure, he is still a little heart breaker! I love, LOVE everything about him. I just can't seem to get enough! It just keeps getting better and BETTER!

Conner's Sad Story

Once upon the grass there was a mom hippo and she had a baby and the baby did not appreciate her milk. So she went into the river to seek water. She walked around to find water but she could not find any water. "Mysteirious." She said at the age of zero. Then all of a sudden she saw water. She ran to the water on the way she died because her heart burst.

The End
Part of Conner's second grade homework is to draw a picture of suggested item and then describe the picture. Conner has been getting progressively more creative with his descriptions lately and usually pens some pretty good stories. Sometimes he focuses a lot on the picture and has even added three dimensional items, like cotton balls for clouds, in the past. Other times, he chooses his words carefully and writes and edits for a good, long while.



This time, it is safe to say he put some thought into the story and in what he wanted the reader to take away from it. When I asked him about the sudden tragic ending, I thought he was going to tell me he was just tired of writing and wanted to end it quick, but he surprised me with his response. He said he wanted it to be a sad story like "Stone Fox" when the dog dies because his heart bursts. He wanted people to feel bad for the hippo and maybe even shed a tear or two like some of the kids did when the dog died. Hmmm. Really?

All I know is this sad story might have had the opposite effect on me. I especially grin when I think of his opening line, "Once upon the grass" or how he used the word "appreciate" instead of boring old "like." He also ALMOST spelled "mysterious" right, pretty good for a seven year old. Of course, the picture is adorable too. Not so sure he's going to get the reaction he's anticipating once he hands this in to his teacher, but I sure thought it was enjoyable; and SAD too. I made sure to tell Conner that.