Morning Daddy

cooking our favorite, blueberry muffins
Good job Daddy
Now we can watch some cartoons while they cook

A little ghetto booty

amusing myself this morning with a little ghetto booty

I will remind myself often

-"If you treat your tween with great respect and value and your child understands the 'why' behind not getting involved with certain behavior, he will have a real reason for saying 'no' to peer pressure – instead of simply saying 'because my parents say so.'"
-Preteen problems usually don't last forever, so find the positive things about boys of this age and savor them.
-"I think the best time for advice is another time – not when your kids are talking to you, or they will stop talking and you may never know the real situation."
-When your preteen has the freedom to have his own opinions, because you've given it to him, he will be much more open to telling you what he really thinks, this I dont always agree with, I guess it works though if I shut up and let him have the floor, he is more of a clam, when he is ready he will tell you
Brenden traits to pull together and decide how his character can be best appreciated
sensitive
loves hugs
loves time spent with him
helpful
dry, fun, loose sense of humor
talkative when in a good mood (not being lectured or talked at)
doesnt like to be pushed
does not like long winded lectures
hates to write but loves to tell a long story
bored at school but loves to have hands on learning
loves a good movie or cartoon and will often retell his favorite parts in great detail
enjoys silent play, loves action figures the best (many times he can be missing for long periods of time to be found in his room playing alone and content)
rather teach than be the student
big ideas and has great questions that sometimes I have no answers to, and if I do think I know he will try to prove me wrong (wonder who he gets that from daddy)
HUGE imagination (good at dressing the part too)
loves games (video, computer, board games too)
prefers the answers to get to the point
not about the details, just the ending result
sometimes when dealing with his brother or other children he becomes an adult (he's kind of strict)
He loves to engross himself in new friends and new play
lives in the moment
has a need for things now to forget or let them go quickly
loves one more hug before bed
can always say "I love you"
If he had a time machine, I think he would love to go back to being a little guy, it use to upset him to see videos of himself when he was small, or not to be in a photo with us when we were first together
A momma's boy at heart
Brenden works at Brenden's pace, when its his time he shines, before then you might as well be trying to move a 2 ton rock.
Brenden is a watcher, he would rather step back and watch a train wreck rather than be in it
Some things sound better than they really are, Brenden loves the sound of many things
He wants to be close to his family, to go back to things we use to do, to be in a different place sometimes.
If we could just pause time (at certain times), this would make him happy, but how much he would miss in his future.
A lover not a fighter

Inspection day!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wish us luck kids, today is the day........ update "WE PASSED"

I will not lie to my mom and dad

terrible two's? try terrible twelves, if Brenden and I live through this preteen stuff. I love that kid to the moon and back. I have to say he is so incredibly stubborn/bull headed. I love it about him, and I hate it.
He has a huge heart and not from his condition. HE is so sensitive and sweet and then this other side. I guess the side that will get him through life. Let him stand tall and teach him to speak up so he can be heard. He has a character that wants to prove you wrong, or make you prove it to him. If he is not interested or doesn't see the point he will shut you down and out. He has learned to play the system and use that sweet personality we all speak of and now I think it has gone too far.
I have been a push over, of course after I yell. That's what I do, yell and threaten and say I have had enough, then I cave.............
Well I have to start a new chapter, that is one of many I KNOW, but this one is called raising a teen named Brenden.
Yesterday started with catching Brenden in a lie, he was not even home when I caught it, that gave me time to prepare and consider what I will do as a punishment, Brenden is tricky when it comes to those. So after my Mike Brady speech I handed him his first time punishment for lying, writing! Brenden HATES to write, so 200 times, then I caved on myself and decided, NO he will write 100 times.
and he did, and he was not happy, BUT he did it. Next time, if there is one it will be double and so forth
I never had punishments when I was young, not that really mattered, so maybe this is why I am so bad at it. I will learn, and so will he.
I love my son, I honor who he is and what God is planning for him. He is a gift and I will do better in raising him with respect, maturity and whatever else we encounter along the way, God knows I made enough mistakes as a kid, I can figure this out.