"I think in my Brain"

Cader was headed home from his awesome little school the other day when Jen had to stop at the Bank.  He then started asking Jen what 3+3 was.  Jen replied what?  He replied 6.  Well just watch the Movie.

the "huff"

I remember the "huff" very well.  It was what I heard in my youth just after I did something to upset my father.  Why did he "huff"?  I finally discovered why it's used,  or at least why my father used it.  The other day I found Cader in the front room with the audio/video cable for his computer game wrapped around his waist.  He uses the cable as rope for various ideas like tying his horse to the hitch post,  pulling his horse through the mud,  and of course pulling himself out of the mud.  These are all in his mind of course but take place in the front room.  I have told him at least a thousand times not to use this as a rope.  It brought my emotions to a boil and all that came out of my mouth was a "huff".  Then it hit me,  a huff is all you can say when you've heard everything.  When asking "why"  will only bring an answer like,  "because"  or "I don't know."  I then realized that asking a question of reason to a 4 year old was fruitless and that there would be no good, or even acceptable answer.  The "huff" has a purpose.  I then pointed at the boy and said  "We are going to the store today and buying you a rope".  Well the little cowboy in him couldn't hold out,  Jen and I had to hear for the next 4 hours,  "Are we going to get my rope now?"  The purchase was made at the local Home Depot and the rope cut in manageable lengths.  Direction was given not to tie up the dogs or himself,  and off he went.  As of now we have not had to remind him to use the audio/video cord for anything other than it's intended purpose.  As for me,  I've come to grips with the huff and still use it often, since I'm not really ready for him to give me a good answer. 

Past Life?

Friday night I arrived home from work to find my wife settled down in "my chair" in the front room.  Having no other option,  I retired to the front room where I've been known to watch a movie or two.  Picking out my selection and getting something cold to drink I dimmed the lights and started on my journey.  Halfway through the second movie I realized that I normally tend to pick out movies of the same theme.  The first was "Platoon" and the movie that I was engrossed in was "Apocalypse Now".  Now why would I do a thing like that?  Why do I gravitate to this? Why in the middle of a movie of war would I feel like I could smell the grass,  feel the wind and a twinge of fear of death?  I had what you might call an epiphany.  Maybe in a past life I led men in war on many battlefields?  Maybe I've had my bellyful of it and for the past life of warfare and death I was granted Peace in this life?  Then I realized that maybe I had had too many cold drinks and needed to go to bed.  I was right.  But if there are past lives,  I'll take this one over the last one.

Cadisms

Forgive my hijacking Brad's blog, but since I'm too lazy to keep up with my own and felt the need to share (I did go so far as to create one but have since forgotten the name of it), I had no choice. I have a serious memory problem and I thought that keeping a blog would be a good idea but I often have what I think are good ideas and don't follow through.

So anyway, lately Cade has been full of surprises with some of the things he says. He's getting so big and seems so grown up. Sometimes when he says certain things, he seems so much older it makes me a bit sad. The latest Cadism came tonight when Cade and I got home from the gym. Brad was on the phone with Grandpa and Grandpa must have asked Cade what he wanted for Christmas, which started him going again. We have been inundated with Christmas list items in the last, oh say, year or so. Every time a commercial comes on about a toy, he wants it for Christmas. "I really, really do" (picture him looking imploringly at you). And to make matters worse, after we checked the mail yesterday which contained tons of catalogs, we gave the toy catalogs to Cade. He has been "reading" them ever since. Last night I walked in to check on him after we put him to bed and he had his bedside light on and was looking through the catalog just like an adult (me looking a little sad again). But back to the point. I was trying to get in the shower and Cade came in to tell me what he wanted for Christmas. "I want paint to use in the backyard so I can play football (don't know where that one came from!), I want the truck, trailer and horses but not the trailer, only the truck and horses (he already has a truck, trailer and horses but apparently these are different), and I want a robot with laser eyes with the guy with laser eye surgery" (yes, he said laser eye surgery). I start giggling as he continued his list. Apparently, he watches way too much tv. I know, bad Mommy, bad Mommy! I am trying to get in the shower at this point and trying to hurry him up to finish the list. He notices me trying to rush him and throws in at the end of his list, "and I want flowers in a pot for you Mommy, pink and purple ones". AWWWWW, my heart melts! This is following another example of his super sweet side last week. We have been discussing listening the first time at home and school. I always tell him I love him no matter what, even if he has gotten a time-out at school. So my smart little man starts telling me when he notices I'm getting upset with him for not listening, "I love you no matter what Mommy. Forever and ever! I will always have hearts for you in my pocket and will always give you kisses". Then he pretends to take a heart out of his pocket, puts it in his mouth and kisses me. Sometimes he throws in "I will throw away the mean words and keep the hearts forever for you!" Oh my gosh, how did I get such a sweet, sweet boy?

Sometimes I don't think I deserve him but then again, other times I think, yep, you always get back 3 times what you gave your parents!! So after last week and tonight, I got to thinking as I so often do, that I need to write down all the cute Cadisms. Tonight I am finally following through.

Around Age 2 1/2 - 3, soon after we moved into the new house, Gracie got excited (as anyone who has visited our house can attest to!) and knocked Cade down. He was crying so I picked him up and was trying to make him feel better. I told him, Gracie says she's sorry for knocking you down and he said, "no she didn't, dogs don't have talking mouths". Well, this is just an example of the brilliant side of our son! Also around this age, one night Cade asked for a bite of Daddy's nectarine (he thought it was an apple, the only fruit he knew and liked). Brad said, "It's not an apple" and Cade said, "Can I have a bite of not an apple?"

On another night of me trying to talk to Cade about behavior, at the dinner table this time, I was asking him not to play with his food and he answered ok or something to that effect and I said, "Yes, ma'am". I then went on to explain how he should say yes ma'am or no ma'am to ladies and yes sir and no sir to men. He looked at me and said, "When I am big like you and you are little like me, you will tell me Yes, Sir". Well, I guess he at least got the point!!

When he turned 4, things got a little more detailed. One morning on the way to school, he started telling me a very detailed story about the doodle bugs that lived in the drain in the bathtub and slept in the toilet. Wow! What an imagination! He also told me one time that he was "so hungry my belly is going to blow out and there will be nothing but a hole!" That would be his dramatic side.

Thanks for allowing me to share some of my favorite Cadisms. I realize I am not nearly the storyteller or writer that Brad and the rest of his family are but nonetheless like to ramble on anyway! I also feel after the last few months, where my extended families have lost so many family members, it has become more important to me to remember the laughs and forget the trials as much as possible. Cade and Brad are definitely good for lots of laughs! I feel very blessed.

I'll leave you with one more: Cade's Nana told me after he spent the night at Nana and Papa's that he told her "Last night I was laying on the moon watching the leaves fall." What a nice thought and I'm hoping that Linda, Aunt Judy, Mike, Raymond and Deb are doing that now.

Freedom.

First off let me say that if any of my family members are planning on leaving the country for political reasons, I hope they reconsider.  Politicians in general are just that... Politicians, and if you were going to leave I would hope it would be for better reasons such as helping people in other countries who are not as lucky as we are in America. Besides, we would miss you dearly, and we would only be losing more great Americans.

With all that is going on in politics these days I wanted to blog a little on Freedom and what it means to me, along with what the candidate that I choose will do to ensure these freedoms. 1) Freedom of Speech. The ability to speak ones mind is a gift from GOD, the freedom to do so without prosecution from others is a right. 2) The Freedom to Keep and Bear Arms. To be able to defend oneself against attack from both foreign and domestic enemies. 3) The Freedom of Religion. To worship what and whomever you please as long as it does not physically harm others in the process (and I say this because if one is offended by what you believe that is not physical harm, it's just their tough luck). 4) Freedom to VOTE. The opportunity to be allowed to actually have a choice. These are all rights given to us by our Constitution. But these are just words on paper, right? If the Consti

tutio

n was burned and gone forever, would our rights also be gone? Would the hundreds of thousands of lives of men and women who died for it just vanish? WRONG. These are deep inside of us, all of us, and as Americans we stand for these in some small way. It's what makes us stand as the flag passes by, it's what holds our hand to our heart. It's the reason we say GOD BLESS AMERICA, and not GOD BLESS some other country. That is the feeling in me and that is the feeling I would hope be in our future President. There are many issues that are going on right now from economy to world peace to border issues. These will always be around in some form or another and have been since the beginning of America and will be dealt with by not just one person, but by many including the Senate and House who are also elected by, and represent the people.

I fear that whomever I vote for will not live up to my hopes and expectations but alas,  I am also positive that America will continue to be America.  That life will continue to be life,  and we all will continue to be happy.  But if not...  if the next President of this great country fails us and America comes to an end...  well then,  I have lived a great life,  I have had the opportunity to be a part of and serve this great country,  and if this "thought" in my head and "feeling" in my heart end, then I guess there is not much point in the physical body living.  But as long as there is hope I will fight!

Post Script

Vote!!!  Exercise your right to Vote.  Vote for whomever you  believe in and whomever you like,  but Vote.  Even if you think their all crap,  still Vote.  And when you cast your ballot,  be thankful you have the right.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!    AMEN

"Pieces of eight! pieces of eight!"

That's what Captain Flint said.  He being the pet parrot of Long John Silver.  I have just recently finished the great high sea's adventure of Treasure Island.  The last time I read it was... was... Guess I have never read it.  I only know of the story from my father.  Every camping trip that I can recall consisted of a hike,  and to pass the time on these many hikes my father would tell me various stories.  These included Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Last of the Mohicans.  I don't know how many times these stories were told to me and how many years it spanned.  What I do know is that these stories stuck with me to some degree or another,  to the point that when I read Treasure Island it seemed that I had read it just last  year.  Then today,  my son walking in to the family room carrying his Lego's,  asked that I build something for him.  Scrapping together the only artistic ability I have (thanks Brent for taking it all) I whipped up a pirate ship.  Not just any pirate ship,  but the greatest pirate ship that ever sailed the seven seas.  I mean it was awesome!  We made an island out of the fireplace hearth and had a water bottle top for the treasure chest.  We loaded the ship with a couple of skiff's to explore the island with and set sail.  For the next half hour I was young again and we played like we were best friends.  The excitement in his eyes was just fuel for my imagination.  By the time supper was ready we were running around yelling ARRGG... and avast mates! (Jen just giggled)  Needless to say the ship was placed and still remains on Caders night stand.  This morning he awoke to say that he wanted "the whole world of pirates and their ships"  for Christmas.  Funny how little sparks of imagination in my youth have spread to my son. 

Post Script:  He has also been working on his pirate smile. 

Vacation?

This weekend Jen had a great idea to take Cader to his Nana and Papa's house and then for us to leave him there.  This is the greatest thing since sliced bread.  We dropped him off at 1:30 in the pm and headed back to town to get something to eat.  At the restaurant I didn't have to ask Jen what she wanted to eat and then watch her not eat it.  I also didn't have to get up and take her to the potty seconds after my food hit the table.  We left the restaurant and headed for home where we let the dogs out and began to relax.  I didn't have to get up and "come see" anything for Jen, I actually got to watch a complete TV program.  We started a movie and watched it from start to finish and not once did I have to tell Jen to be quiet.  This morning I awoke on my own accord at 9:00am.  Jen didn't wake me up at 7:00 saying, "I'm really, really, really thirsty".  Since then I have relaxed fully in front of the TV for a full hour and a half.  The house has been extremely quiet and boring and I'm starting to think that sliced bread isn't all that great.