A Good Day

Hi!

This is Braeden.

I'm doing good.

It's sunny outside.  I like to tell my Mom when it's sunny outside.  I like to tell her it's sunny even when it's cloudy.  Then she tells me it's cloudy, and then I tell her it's cloudy.  Sometimes it's rainy, and I know when it's rainy.  Then I tell her that.

It's fun to look out the window and see what the weather is doing.  Sometimes it's windy too.  Or chilly.  It can be sunny and windy and chilly at the same time.  But I only like it to be one thing.  Sometimes two.  Like sunny and windy.  It's okay.

I have a pool outside my house.  It is little.  Today I played with my puffin.  I throw the puffin in the pool to watch it splash, and then I reach in and get it, so I can throw it again.  When it landed in the middle, I had to step in and get it.  Mom said, "There's a wet shoe!"

Then she took my shoes off.  Cuz I was in again.  My pants got wet, but it was sunny and warm today.  Wet pants feel good on a sunny, warm day.

We went for a couple bike rides too.  My friend Noah likes to ride bike, so Mama took him for some rides.  I have to ride along in the back.  I tried telling them which way to go, but she said I was not the boss this time.  I told her to go faster too, but Noah has little tires on his bike.

After I realized I was not the boss of the rides, I relaxed a little more and just looked out my windows and watched the trees and bushes go by.

My mommy talked to Noah a lot.  I don't really like it when she does that because she's my mom, but it's getting to be okay.  I think it's going to be okay.

She still gives me big hugs and tells me she loves me and gives me kisses and calls me P. Pie Pow!  I like that name.  We are funny.

Today I laid in the hammock all by myself.  Usually my mom sits in it with me, but she said my pants were wet, so I sat by myself and she swung me side to side.  Then Craig gave me rainbow ice cream, and I got to eat it in the swing.  It was super yummy and fun.  I felt really special.

I had a good day.  Thanks for asking.

I hope you are good too!

Bribery

Brady P. is in kindergarten.  What comes with legitimate school enrollment?

Homework.

Luckily, we worked in his book all summer, so he is used to sitting down with me, his pencil and some pages to mark.

He even kind of enjoys his homework, but maybe that's because I started offering him a reward after he does it all.

Yesterday afternoon was hot, so I promised him ice cream.  It totally worked!

The latest homework was a math pretest.  Man, he is so smart. I believe he really understands what's going on when an adult asks him to solve the problems and count and so on. He struggles with making the correct symbols, but at least he puts the pencil to the paper, can make a line in the correct direction and can make a circle.

So I guided him through the pretest (the test is today!), and he paid attention for the most part.  But when he didn't, I asked him, "Braeden, do you want ice cream?"

"Yeah!" he chirped.

"Then please count these balloons."  Or please do whatever the next question asks for.  You get it.  It's total bribery.

Is that wrong?

Well, he did three pages of homework, and then we went out for ice cream as a reward and not just a treat he may otherwise take for granted.  So, no.  I don't think so.

Kids need to feel a little motivation to get through things they don't necessarily want to do.  Heck, even adults do!

Do you reward yourself for getting through hard projects or tasks?  This world is full of them, and sometimes it's nice to know there is a light at the end of the tunnel (for lack of a better cliche).

I don't always reward myself for getting through the day, but I am fortunate to get to do mostly things I like throughout the day.  I choose them.

Even cleaning!  I spent most of the morning deep cleaning and reorganizing my house starting in one corner and working on because I just had a good deep cleaning of my heart and soul.  Now my house needs to match! 

But then, for me, the reward is the Feng shui-ness of an organized and functional home.

Here is a picture of my progress today so far.

Just kidding!  That's so boring for you!

Here is a picture of Brady P. eating ice cream at the general store on the bench because that is a habit he will not give up.  If we get ice cream, we HAVE to eat it on the bench.  

Ice cream face commences!

Enjoy your day!  And if nothing else, give yourself a pat on the back and say, "Nice job, me!  I made it through another day!"

Jump!

Oh, hey!  How are you?

Well, all we can do is our best, right?

Good.  Keep it up.  You've got a lot to live for.

Now back to Brady P. who loves to do his best. 

Yesterday we stopped at the general store for an ice cream after our rock throwing session by the mouth of Fanny Hooe Creek which is probably the most raging I have ever seen it.  All the waterfalls are off the hook right now.  If you've got time for a drive, get it.

After we were done mucking on their porch in the sunshine, little man decided to get down from the porch via the highest drop.  I didn't measure it, but it's about 16-18" which is approximately half his height.

I knew he could make it, but he stood there going over his plan in his mind.  Finally, I showed him that I could do it, then told him it was his turn.

He took a deep breath, imagined his landing, then.... jumped!

He put his hands to the ground the first time, but that was not his last.  I think he jumped down about 50 more times.  

Not kidding.

He jumped down, stuck his landing, turned around and crawled back up.  What a workout!  And what a way to work off that Oreo ice cream bar.

With all that repetition, I had to get a video.  A slow motion one, in fact, so you can see what he's thinking as he perpetuates his movements.

(If you are reading this on the email,

you'll have to open the blog page to see the video.  It's worth it!)

Look at him stick that landing!

That's how superheroes are made, my friend.  They try something new everyday and do it till they got it down.  There is always more to learn and give and be grateful for.