Sweet Reunion

So it happened.

I got to see Brady P. again!

This was not the longest that I have ever gone without seeing him, but it felt like the longest.  For both of us.

Do you know that feeling when you long for the person you put so much energy into?  The person who feels like your purpose in life?  The person who returns all your labors with unconditional love?

It's hard to be away from them, isn't it?

Lucky for me, I got to see my person again.

It was 11 days since I saw him last.  It was nearing the end of full day number one of Women's Weekend in Copper Harbor -- an intense mountain bike event that I help coach at.  I was jogging down to the Mariner for our social event in an attempt to stay out of the looming rain.

But I didn't want to be social.  I wanted to give my little boy a hug so bad.  I didn't want to talk to anybody else except Brady P.  I caught wind that he arrived in town that afternoon, but I didn't know where exactly to find him, and I didn't have time to search.

Between my heavy footsteps, I heard a woman's voice ask, "Is that Amanda?"  In my current state, I didn't even want to look.  I thought it was a lady I would see in just a couple minutes anyway.

However, when I looked across the street, I saw Aaron's fiance, Grammy and little Brady P!!!

I don't remember what I shouted, if anything, but I sure remember how I felt!  I couldn't believe he was right there in hugging range!

Thank you to the angel on my shoulder who reminded me to look both ways before I crossed the road, so I didn't get hit because I was ready to B-line it to my B-man.

I ran across the street with wings on my feet, and I watched his face just beam as he shouted, "Mommy!!!"

It was like one of those slow-motion parts in a movie when two people reunite.

I scooped him into my arms and laid on the grass gripping him to my chest.  Tears rolled into my hair as I cried how much I missed him and how much I love him.

He hugged me so tight and gave me a sweet kiss on the lips.  "Mama!" he said again and held me close.  Then I got another sweet kiss and I felt him petting my cheek.  

My heart officially melted.

Oh, that sweet boy!  

Our ground hug sustained through one more sweet kiss and more face petting and me sobbing while squeezing him so tight.

Then he got up and almost ran across the road like a little stinker.

I couldn't believe it.  I got to see my little boy!  Hooray!  That's just what this mama needed to be able to move on with the day's activities.

We've been having fun since then, and I find that I have  a little more room to make him even more of a priority.

We cleaned out the pool the other day, and he helped me fill it back up!  I am so proud of my little helper.

Pool boy!

Still Waiting...

Brady P's vacation just keeps getting longer.  Hopefully I can see him tomorrow.  There is nothing like a hug from a little boy who misses his Mama.

This blog will resume next week after we reunite.

Thank you.  

Stay awesome.

To Grandparents' House He Goes

Brady P. is on vacation.

He's in Wisconsin with his mom's parents then going to his Dad's parents' place.

What a lucky boy!

Here are a few pics from my parents' house.  There's always lots to do!

 

Find Bigfoot

 

Pose all serious-like

 

Pick Blueberries

 

Stand as tall as the corn

Maybe he will get a chance to tell you all about it when he gets back next week.  Til then, do your best, and cut yourself a little slack once in a while.

The Boo Boo Song

Brady P. goes through his favorite songs and obsessions.  For the last month or two, it's been the "Boo Boo Song."

Here's a video of it, so you can get the tune.  If you actually watch the whole thing, the ending is pretty cute.

The way this obsession manifests is quite interesting.

Every time Braeden gets a boo boo, he says, "Ahhh!  Boo boo!" and then I (or whoever else is around) has to kiss it.  Life cannot resume as normal until someone kisses his boo boo.

"Does it feel better now?" I'll ask.  

"Yes," he says, and gets up like nothing happened.  Unless it leaves a big mark.  Then he won't leave it alone.

I'll let him tell you a little about it.

* * *

Hi.  This is Braeden.

I am really cool.  Sometimes I get a boo boo.  Like when I fall down or bump into something.  I feel it hit my body right away, so I look at the spot where I got hurt to see if there is a mark.

Sometimes it's a white scrape.  Sometimes it's red.  Sometimes the rocks and dirt stick to it.

It needs a kiss.  Even if it doesn't hurt, it needs a kiss.  That part of my body needs to know that it's going to be okay with a kiss.  Mommy and Grammy always kiss my owies for me.

Sometimes I give myself an owie by hitting my arm with a rock.  Mommy says that's not nice and she won't kiss it.  She says that if I hurt myself on purpose then I have to kiss it myself.

I am good at finding boo boos on other people too.  The people I spend time with always have boo boos to kiss and fix.  Right now Mommy has one on her arm and I kiss it lots of times each day.  She says it's getting better.  I know my kisses are helping.

I like to listen to the Boo Boo Song.  It's funny at the end when the Daddy hurts his thumb then he cries like the kids.  

When Mommy brushes my teeth at night, she sings me the Boo Boo Song, and I get to pick which body part we sing about.

Okay.  Bye!

Toot Slides

I'm going to keep this lighthearted and jovial today.

Yesterday Brady P. and I were eating lunch on the front porch.  I shared my bites with him between his hoop shots.  For maximum comfort, I used his little plastic porch chair to put my feet up on.

He hates that.

So he pushed my feet off his chair and carried it over to the other side of the porch.  He sat on it all high and mighty.  Then he decided to get down.

As he slid off the front of the chair, his shorts-wearing thighs rubbed the front curve and made a fart sound.

He giggled.

I looked over and asked, "Did you just do a toot slide?"

He laughed again, and hoisted himself back into the chair.  Then he slid down.

Brrrrrrrup!

His legs chattered it again.

This time I realized what was going on.  I looked over at him and we both busted out laughing.  He laughed so hard I thought his eyes were going to shoot out of his skull.  He squeaked on his next inhale.  That's my favorite laugh of his.

What do you think he did next?

The same thing about 50 times!

Each time his legs made a slightly different sound, so I commented a few times on their differences.

He loved it.

And we both laughed so much that neither one of us could chew for a while.

After a bit, I said, "I'm going to take a video of you doing that, Braeden."  So I got my camera and tried a few times.  Of course, none of them were nearly as funny.  His laugh is very stifled when he knows someone is recording.

But here's a video of the sound his thighs made.  He smiled, but it's not the effect I experienced earlier.

I hope you'll at least get a chuckle!