Announcement

Yesterday our family went to my ultrasound appointment and we found out the gender of the baby! It was amazing as all ultrasounds seem to be and Kaden was beginning to be able to see things like the hands, feet, head, and face without us even telling him what they were.

To get to the point... We are having a GIRL!!! And are super excited about it. If I had a scanner, I would scan in the pictures and show you all... Maybe I'll have to borrow my sister's sometime. :)

Bradshaw's Restaurant

On Wednesday Kaden and I decided to make our kitchen into a restaurant for Danny to come home to. As soon as we talked about it, Kaden was so excited that he made most of the arrangements and just told me what to do. His one major request was the mustaches that were to be painted on their faces so that Danny wouldn't recognize them. They were to look like waiters and not his boys. And I was to stay out of sight because he would recognize me; after all, I couldn't wear a mustache because I am a girl.

It was a lot of fun and even though Danny came home frustrated from work, we were able to cheer him up.

"He Can Help You"

As I was running up the stairs today, the engraved silver band that Danny gave to me as an anniversary present slipped from off my finger. Because I was running and my hand was going back and forth, I had no clue as to where my ring landed. I immediately went to work searching for this prized possession of mine.

Kaden saw me searching and began helping me. We looked all over; on the stairs, behind the couch, on the couch, in the laundry that was sitting on the couch, on the carpet… We simply couldn’t find it. As we were searching the stairs once more, Kaden spoke up. “Mom, I know who can help you,” he said. “The Holy Ghost… If you pray, he can help you find it.” Of course I stopped panicking, told him he was right, and sat down and prayed. During my prayer I made sure to thank Heavenly Father for this wonderful son of mine that had just put me in my place in the very best way possible.

After my prayer we sat there for a moment; then we got up and began looking again. Not two minutes had passed by before we had found my ring, in between our movie stand and the wall – one place I wouldn’t have thought of looking.

Whoever says that they are just kids, doesn’t know what I know. My children are angels, sent from heaven to remind me in the most subtle of moments of the important things in life. They remind me of who I am, who I come from, that we all need help once in a while and that there is always someone who can help you. Thank you, Kaden.

Mischief

Two days ago we (meaning Kaden, Danny, and I) were playing Halo online with my sisters and their families. We were enjoying ourselves; visiting with our family while taunting and shooting the enemy in our all-out war. While we were playing, Preston meandered around, watching us or playing with toys to his hearts desire. At one point during this fun family event, Preston found his way upstairs and was gone for quite a while. He ended up coming back downstairs in time for us to get him ready for bed.

The next day I was cleaning the house. I had completed almost all of my daily chores and went upstairs to get ready for the day. When I got to the top of the stairs, I smelled something weird. Having just changed Preston’s dirty diaper, I knew it wasn’t him. Having just cleaned the bathroom, I knew it wasn’t anything growing in there. I followed my nose to the boys’ bedroom, and that is when I realized where the smell was coming from.

I looked at the fish tank that is on top of Preston’s dresser. It contains the only pet that Kaden has been allowed which is a fish given to him from his Aunt Jill that he so lovingly named Jack. But instead of seeing the nice clean water and happy little yellow fish swimming around, all I could see was brown liquid. The smell was awful and the look was even more revolting.

In the time that Preston had been upstairs during our “fun family event” he had managed to pour almost an entire bottle of fish food into the fish tank. I could no longer see Jack, nor could I see any of the plants that are in the tank. All I could see was a murky brown liquid with at least an inch and a half of fish food pellets that had now sunk to the bottom of the fish tank.

Needless to say I called the boys in to the room, prepared Kaden for the worst (a dead fish) and scolded Preston for even touching the fish tank that he knows is off limits. I then went to work cleaning up the mess; my first task being to check on the state of the fish. By some small miracle, Jack actually survived! I hurriedly put him in a bowl of fresh water where he sucked in the clean water mouthful after mouthful. He looked like he was gasping for air. I cleaned the tank and put Jack back in his home.

It wasn’t until after it was all clean that I realized I should have taken a picture of this mischievous act that my two-year old boy could accomplish and almost get away with. Now I guess I have to make do with the written details of the event. Someday, when his children create their own amusement, I can point out this story and say, “You got into plenty of mischief yourself.”

Days With Children

I’ve been waiting for something super exciting or wonderful to happen before I wrote another “journal” entry. But all the while I forget about the small little things that happen on a daily basis with my most wonderful possession… my children.

Preston:

On a daily basis Preston will follow me around. Well, at least while Kaden is gone to school. He refuses to be in a different room than me, let alone a completely different floor to our home. If I start to climb the stairs (even if it is just to take something upstairs and will be right back) he yells out, “Wait-uh-me, mom! Wait-uh-me!” I love it. From the first time he said it, I knew that this is something that I don’t want to forget: the sweet little deep voice of a two and a half year-old yelling for his mother to not forget him – to not leave him behind.

Another thing that Preston has discovered in his vocabulary is how to look for someone. The other day Danny decided to be a little late to work. He actually slept in and didn’t leave until 9:00. Because of this, Preston was not still snoozing away while daddy quietly slipped out the door at 6:30 am. Instead, I had to keep him preoccupied while Danny left; otherwise, Preston would have thrown a fit that he wanted to “tum too”. So Preston and I watched cartoons upstairs while Danny left the house. After about 30 minutes of cartoon-watching, Preston finally discovered that Danny was no longer there. He ran around the whole house yelling, “Wheh-ah-you, Dad? Wheh-ah-you?” The cutest thing about this is the way that he covers his mouth while yelling. It is like he is trying to make a megaphone with his hands; however, he ends up just completely covering his mouth with both hands. He does this while searching for any one of us. If he doesn’t know where one of us is, he will find us. It is too adorable and again, I simply do not want to forget this precious way of him finding his mom, dad, or brother.

Kaden:

The other day I let Kaden play his Xbox game for quite a while. He got Lego Star Wars for his birthday and I usually don’t let him play it for an extraordinarily extended period of time, but the other day I decided to just let him play for as long as he wanted (which ended up being over four hours!) Danny got him into bed that night while I was brushing Preston’s teeth. When I was done, we went into their bedroom and Kaden was crying. I asked what was wrong and Danny just said that he would tell me later. That got my curiosity going. I patiently waited while I said my goodnights and tucked both of them in. When we got downstairs, I asked Danny about it.

Well, Kaden had told Danny that I had let him play his game for a long time that day. In jest, Danny said, “You’re going to fry your brain if you play Xbox too much.” Of course, Kaden took Danny completely serious. He thought that he was going to die because he had played too much Xbox. In fact, he had asked me if he could read a book before he went to bed and I told him no because it was bedtime. He thought that if he read a book, it would exercise his brain enough to keep it from frying. He was so worried about it that he ended up sneaking out of bed to get a book to read.

I guess Danny learned to not joke too seriously with Kaden. Kaden, who doesn’t yet quite understand the concept of real versus fake, who gets his feelings hurt if you lightheartedly tease him too relentlessly, who constantly asks if you are just joking, will take you completely seriously and it will always be worst case scenario with him, I guess. Such is my six-year old son. And we love him even more because of it.

Birthdays

June 2001 – Danny and I anxiously waited the time that the test required in order to give an accurate reading. We sat in the living room, lost in our own thoughts. When it was time, we quickly, yet hesitantly, went to where the test had been waiting… It was positive. We were going to be parents. At that moment my emotions took over. Yes, I was excited. But included in the array of emotions I felt were nervousness, anxiousness, fear, and worry all at the same time. I had wanted a baby, but at that moment I wasn’t so sure.

Jump ahead four months – It’s a boy! I could actually see on the ultrasound with my own eyes his little tiny fingers, itty-bitty toes, and of course the all important sign between the legs that this baby inside of me was indeed a boy. Words can’t really express the kind of connection I felt to this little one when I saw him for the first time on the TV screen in the small exam room of my doctor’s office. He was real. He was so tiny. He needed me. And yet I had no idea how much I would end up needing him.

March 25, 2002 (1:00 am) – “Danny. Danny. Wake up, Danny. I’m having contractions.” Of course Kaden would not be early or late for his arrival into our family. He would be right on time, on his due-date, not before or after. That should have told us a little about his personality. Fifteen hours and many, many, many pushes later he was here – beautiful, sweet, and amazingly even-tempered.
_____

My little boy turned six this week. He doesn’t really like to be called a little boy anymore. To him, of course, he is a big boy.

It seems, at least for me, as we celebrate our children’s birthdays, we get the chance to look back at the years gone by. As I have, I remember all of the poopy diapers and occasional accidents on the floor. I remember time lost as I took him to daycare as a working mom, yet time gained as I enjoyed staying home with him. I remember trips to the park, to the swimming pool, to the movies, and of course to grandma’s and grandpa’s houses. There were occasional bumps and bruises, a lot of fevers, some colds and coughs, and even a stay at the hospital when he had pneumonia.

These are all memories now. Of course there will be a lot more bumps and bruises. There will be lots more sickness. There will be plenty more trips to take. In all, there will be many more memories to make. It’s just nice to have a reminder to take the time to make those memories. Time goes way too fast to sit back and just watch.

Again, I had no idea how much I would end up needing Kaden. His patient, loving, caring, sensitive and sweet personality has been the greatest example for me. I see so much of his dad in him – that would be where the patience comes from. He constantly reminds me of the kind of person I could and should be.

What an amazing job we have as parents/mothers to teach these children when they so often end up teaching us. In fact, I think that’s why Kaden was sent to me; because he is the perfect person to make me better.

Easter

I just wanted to share some pictures from the Easter egg hunt our neighborhood had on Saturday. The kids loved it. Kaden didn't get very many eggs, but Preston had plenty to share. We also went mini golfing and had a picnic. It was a beautiful day and we had lots of fun as a family.

Amazing Little Girl

I saw this on YouTube. She was on Britain's Got Talent and she absolutely amazed me with her voice. You have to hear it! She's only 6!

Sometimes You Have To Let Them Pick Themselves Up

It’s a mother’s instinct to run to their child when he/she falls down. Whether the fall is physical or not, we want to be there for our children – to pick them up, clean off the dirt, kiss the bruises, and tell them it’s going to be ok. It’s difficult to theorize, but for some reason it’s an involuntary response – some deep underlying force that fills you with a desire, or more appropriately, a necessity to instantaneously be at your child’s side when they need you.

The only problem with this instinct comes when it’s time for that child to learn, grow, or even just become their own person. Such was the case with Kaden this morning…

It was a normal morning in the Bradshaw home. By normal, I mean hurrying to eat breakfast, rushing upstairs to get boys dressed, enforcing the AM teeth-brushing chore, assisting our little kindergartner with his not-so-cooperative hair, running to get shoes on, and rushing out the door to get Kaden to school on time. As I said, it’s a normal morning routine.

We reached the school with just enough time for Kaden to run to class before the bell rang. We said our “goodbyes” and “I love you’s”. He jumped out of the car and started running. He caught up to a little girl that looked just about the same age as himself. He patiently waited like a true gentleman as the girl slowly meandered to the crosswalk. He even walked behind her through the majority of the crosswalk. Then he got impatient.

He saw his chance to pass and decided to take it. He passed on the right and ran to the sidewalk on the other side. But he miscalculated the distance needed to clear the sidewalk on the other side. His foot caught the curb and sent him sprawling to his knees, then his hands, then finally to his stomach.

On most days I watch Kaden from the car until he reaches the door to the school. Today was no different. I sat in the car, watched the whole display, and my heart jumped. It ached for me to get out of the car, run to my little boy and do all of the things that the “mother’s instinct” tells us to do.

I sat there, torn, watching as he got up, embarrassed. I sat there, desperately fighting the urge to run to him as he gingerly started walking, checking his hands and knees for scrapes and bruises. I sat there, absolutely hurting for my baby as he got to his classroom door and banged on it so he didn’t have to heave the heavy door open with his already aching hands. I sat there, telling myself, “It’s good for him to learn to be a big boy,” all while the instinct in me was screaming, “But he’s not a big boy – He’s my baby.”

Why? Why is it necessary to sometimes fight the natural urge as a loving mother to reach out for your little one? Why does it have to be so absolutely painful to have to watch as a child gets hurt, but know that it isn’t the right time to run to them? My only answer to that question is that it’s Heavenly Father’s way of teaching us. He’s trying to show us what He sees on a daily basis. And he’s giving us the ability to feel a portion of the kind of love he has for all of us. I guess if I look at it that way, I am grateful after all for these difficult incidents. They truly are teaching experiences.

More Of Kaden's Funny Comments

I was going through some of my old documents and this is what I found... I tried to keep track of some of the things my Kaden would say. These are just a few...

When Kaden is asking “What?” (3 to 4 years old)
“Wah You Say?”

Every night before bed (3 to 4 years old)
“Goodnight… I hope you sleep good. After I wake up I can play with you.”

Sunday, May 28, 2006 (4 years old)
“I really liked that dessert, mommy! It was yummy… Thanks so much for makin’ it mommy.”

Monday, May 29, 2006 (4 years old – Danny playing Xbox)
“Hey, daddy, you just drove that truck into that other truck and it just blowed up… That was way cool daddy!”

Kaden at 5 years old (Just out of nowhere)
“You are a really good mom.”

Saturday, April 14, 2007 (We were just sitting on the couch)
“You sure are pretty, mom”

Saturday, April 14, 2007 (Preston had a diaper rash… we got his diaper off and put him in the bathtub. Kaden went in and said this.)
“I know, Preston. It’s okay, baby.” Then, “Mom, I wish my baby brother didn’t have such a sore bum.”

End of April, 2007 (Kaden had received a doctor’s hat and mask from a preschool fieldtrip and was playing doctor at home. Danny walked in with the mail and said, “grrr, these doctor bills.” Kaden replied with this…)
“Dad, I’m not Dr. Bills. I’m Dr. Kaden.”

Kids Say The Darndest Things

We all know that kids can say the funniest things sometimes. The thing that always strikes me is that they are always so honest. No matter what, they tell it how they see it. Such is the case with little five (almost six – wow!) year old Kaden. Sometimes the things he says shocks me, sometimes it frustrates me, but more often than not I can’t keep from smiling/laughing at the things that come out of his mouth.

The other day my kids were snacking on marshmallows. Kaden has a thing lately about what foods are healthy and which ones are not. He continually asks if what he is eating is healthy and why. Well, we had already had the marshmallow conversation with him at some point. The why: well, obviously they have too much sugar to be much good for your body. The conversation went as follows:

Kaden: “Mom, marshmallows aren’t good for you, huh.”

Mardie: “Nope, not really.”

Kaden: “It’s because they have too much sugar, huh.”

Mardie: “Yep.”

Kaden: “And too much sugar makes your blood and brain mad at you and it makes you fat, huh, Mom.”

Mardie: “Pretty much.”

Kaden: “But I’m not fat, right?”

Mardie: “Nope, right now you’re not.”

He thought for a moment about this. After about a minute he said this:

Kaden: “I don’t know very many fat people.”

Mardie: (cautiously – I didn’t quite know what to say) “I guess not.”

Kaden: “Like Jill.”

Mardie: stunned into silence

Kaden: “She’s not fat.”

Mardie: trying really hard not to smile.

Kaden: “Or Tresa or Jodi. They’re not fat either.”

Mardie: can’t help but laugh now - “You’re right! None of them are fat.”

Kaden: “The only fat people are pregnant.”

Now, all of you should know by now that I am the pregnant one. I am almost 14 weeks along and yes, I am showing a little. And apparently Kaden notices. :)

The other thing that you have to know is that all of the names noted above are my sisters. They are the three of my sisters that are participating in a “biggest loser” competition between themselves and their husbands. I just have to say that a truthful little five year old boy thinks that you are all in great shape. So go ahead and eat all the sugar that you want because it seems that I’m the one who needs to watch what I eat. :)

Thursday

On Thursday, I told the boys that they needed to get out of the house and play outside for a while. It was such a nice day and I wanted them to get some fresh air. So after lunch they got their shoes on and were so excited to have an adventure outside.

As I watched them play, I was intrigued. I watched Preston and it was as if I could just hear what he had to be thinking. So I sat down and wrote out what I thought was Preston's Perspective...

Preston's Perspective

I ran to get my shoes from their usual spot in the basket by the front door. Mom said we could go play outside! It’s been such a long, cold winter being cooped up in the house all the time. This was my chance to run free – to follow Kaden and see what he could think of for us to do.

I took my shoes to mom, refusing to wait until Kaden was done eating lunch. After all, I had eaten my meal… It wasn’t my fault Kaden was being slow. Mom put on my shoes for me and insisted that I wear a jacket. I went along with the jacket idea ‘cause I figured I could take it off once we got outside and mom wouldn’t even notice.

Finally Kaden finished eating. He got his shoes on and we were ready. Here it was – our chance to be boys out in the great outdoors.

We started with racing. There’s nothing like running as fast as your legs can go on the soft, damp, grass then carefully jumping into the mound of snow that’s still left at the edge of the hill. Kaden would go first. Boy, he can run fast. And then I would follow, close behind (well, as close as I could get with my legs being so much shorter than his.)

Ouch! I fell. It didn’t really hurt too bad; the snow was just so cold on my bare hands. I complained to Kaden and he carefully wiped my cold, wet hands on his nice, white, dry shirt. Sometimes it’s nice to have a big brother to look out for you.

Uh-oh… Out came the girls of the neighborhood. I guess Kaden would want to play with them. After talking for a second, they decided they wanted to ride scooters. “Oh, good! At least I have one too; and I won’t be left behind.”

We got our scooters and started riding. “Wow, this is fun! Hey, wait up guys! Guys, I’m over here. Kaden, don’t leave me! Well, I guess if they’re going to go that fast, I’ll just sit down on my scooter and go as slow as I want.”

After I was done playing outside, mom got me some cookies and milk. “I guess I have an okay mom after all. I better show her my appreciation!”

When I was done with my cookies, I got down form the stool, ran to my mom, and gave her a hug and kiss. “I love you,” she said. I just replied with an, “I love you guys!”

The Light Bulb Is On

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how I want to live my life. Yes, I am almost 28 years old and you’d think I would have figured it out by now. To be honest, I have been doing things specifically with other people in mind for so long. For instance, I would strive for, if not force, our family to read the scriptures. I did it specifically so that my kids would realize the importance of these sacred records and to make them better people.

Another example is the simple task of cleaning our house. Danny likes a clean house. Well, let me put that a different way; Danny HATES a dirty house. So when I clean, I do it for him. And on the days that I don’t feel well, or I’m just too tired by the time Danny gets home, I feel guilty that I didn’t clean before he got home. (Even though Danny will say over and over again that I should just sit down and relax. I bring the guilt on myself.)

At Thanksgiving, my sister planted a seed into my head. She actually gave me the wild and crazy idea that I could take care of myself first, and therefore be better prepared to take care of my family. In fact, she made it sound so easy. She said that if Danny came home before I got the chance to do the dishes, and I just happened to be taking a break when he walked in the door, I shouldn’t feel guilty if he starts putting the dishes in the dishwasher because I deserve to have breaks. She said that I have long days too – a different type of long day than Danny, but long nonetheless.

This was when the light bulb started to flicker inside my head. And between then and now, I’ve had family members, books, and different specific situations help me to come to a conclusion. It has only taken three full months for the light to finally go from a flicker to a bright halogen light bulb that is almost blinding. This light can’t go off now. It is stuck inside my head and refuses to go dim again.

So… What if I actually perform tasks specifically to improve myself? What if I read the scriptures, by myself, just to feel that spirit stronger in my life? What if I did it simply to make myself a better person? What if I did it to feel happier in my own life? Would it then affect the rest of my family the way it would have an effect on me? Would they understand the importance of these sacred records, simply by seeing the example of how the scriptures affect me?

I know it is often said that we should lead by example. Please don’t ask me why it took me such an extremely long time to figure out what that meant to me. A great way to put it is with a quote. My sister's friend, Charmaine Anderson, said, “This is my take on parenting: You figure out who God sent you...writing things down like this is a good start...then realize it is not your job to "mold" this gift from heaven. That will just set up battle lines. Your job is to love your unique little person; be a good example to them and then before it is over they will be inspired to mold themselves into someone you will be proud of. Not that I did any of this at all myself but from many conflicts I have learned that ‘being nice is more important than being right.’”

So, maybe I’m not the world’s best mother. I might yell at my kids too much, get frustrated too easily, and sometimes maybe go to bed feeling awful for being too hard on so-and-so. But I’m trying. I get to wake up the next day and try a little harder. And if it takes setting time aside just for myself in order to become a more patient, loving, and caring person, and in order to be a better example for the little ones that have been sent to me from above; I guess it is worth a try.

After all, isn’t there such a thing as being selfish in order to be selfless?

Scrapbooking Template Challenge

Everyone probably knows by now that my sis-in-law Megan got me hooked on digital scrapbooking. I absolutely love it and wish I had more time to actually do it.

Anyway, as I was looking on one of my "regular" scrap sites, there was a template challenge. You download side A of a double page template, submit your version of the template, and then you get side B. There is also a contest and whoever wins gets to choose a product from her store. Since I love her kits, etc., I decided to enter the contest. Here is my version of the template:


I normally never post my scrapbook pages on my blog, but I was excited about this page. I actually paid money for this kit... Which I never do! And, yes Megan, I just might start posting more pages to the blog. ;-)

P.S. The template and kit are from Andrea Gold on GoDigitalScrapbooking.com The kit is called "Brothers". The link to her blog is on the right of my blog.

Invisible Mom

My sister, Traci, emailed this to me. I absolutely loved it! And I think all of us moms can appreciate the fact that we are often invisible. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did:


It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, "Can't you see I'm on the phone?" Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom.

Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, "What time is it?" I'm a satellite guide to answer, "What number is the Disney Channel?" I'm a car to order, "Right around 5:30, please." I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, "I brought you this." It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: "To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees."

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals -we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, "Why are you spending so much time carving that bird intoa beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it." And the workman replied, "Because God sees."

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, "I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become."

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, "My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table." That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, "You're gonna love it there."

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM!

Preston, The Pill!

So, lately we’ve had this problem with Preston. He just won’t go to bed at night. He keeps getting out of bed every 2 minutes. It gets so frustrating!

A couple of nights ago, we were experiencing this. Danny put him to bed. Two minutes later he gets up and smiles at me. I put him back to bed, scolding him the whole way. Another two minutes went by and, of course, he got out of bed again. This time I heard him before he even opened his bedroom door. So I tapped his bum as he ran back to his bed. I told him that if he got out of bed again then he would get a spanking and I would put him in timeout.

Of course, knowing Preston, that didn’t phase him. He got out of bed, came waltzing into our bedroom, and waited for me to do as I had warned. So, I grabbed him, spanked him, and put him in timeout. “That’ll show him,” I thought.

He sat there patiently. He was there for a good 10 to 15 minutes as I completely ignored him (except for when he started to play, then I scolded him for playing). I was bound and determined to get it into his thick scull that when it is bedtime, he is not to play around. That he just needs to close his eyes and go to sleep.

Danny came upstairs and saw him sitting on the stairs in timeout. I explained what had happened and he asked if I wanted him to take him back to bed. I told him yes, but only after I had reprimanded him again. I told the little twerp to come here. He came to stand before me as is the tradition in our house after they have had a timeout. I looked into his naughty little blue eyes and began with, “Preston, you need to stay in bed when mom and dad puts you there! No more getting out of bed, do you understand me?”

Of all the things that this little two-year old could do at this moment in time, he decided to look away with a sly little grin on his face. He quietly said, “O-tay” while looking at me from the corner of his eye.

Grrrrr… I hate when he does that. He uses every single ounce of cuteness that is in his small body and throws it at me with full force. He may as well have been saying, “Oh, come on mom… Ya know you love me.”

I tried again (though it was much less effective with a huge grin on my face). “Preston, this is not funny. You need to go to sleep.” This time, instead of a sly little grin, he looks at me full on with the biggest smile that could ever fit on a toddlers face, as if to say, “Whatever you say, mom… We all know that I run this house.”

I still don’t quite know what to do with this little stinker that has graced us all with his presence. He continues to do what he wants, without giving any second thought to any form of discipline. Yet I love him so deeply. Isn’t that the biggest miracle of being a parent? No matter what our children do, we would never love them any less. It makes me appreciate our Heavenly Father’s love for us. How unconditional His love is!

Family

Lately I have had an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the wonderful people that make up my family. Between Halo matches on Xbox live with as many siblings as possible, and an unexpected visit from my parents just so they could bring us a valentine… From advice from a loving father on how to finish our basement, to loving words of encouragement from a mother who always wishes she could do more for her children… From texting back and forth due to a newly-strengthened relationship with a kind, loving and generous sister, to long talks on the phone due to a long-found connection of a sister far away. I have been blessed with more love and more examples in my life than any one person should be awarded. But I am so grateful for it.

I remember the summer when it all began; when I first started to realize that our family was special. My mom was going away because Jill was very sick. She needed a heart transplant and the hospital that would provide that for her was located in California. So we would all make the best of it. I would, at first, stay behind with Dad. I was still in school at the time and needed to finish out the year. Maybe after the school year ended I could go visit them for summer-break.

It was really hard at first. Everything that a ‘soon-to-be’ teenage girl would go to her mother for, was now handed off to an older sister. Jodi was then put in the awkward situation of giving ‘motherly’ advice to an eleven-year old sister. But we managed.

When the school year ended, I was allowed the opportunity to go stay with mom and Jill. For me, it was a blast. We went swimming every day in one of the several pools located in our apartment complex. We met new friends and enjoyed the excitement of spending a summer in California. It wasn’t until Jill was called in to the hospital because a heart had been located, that I realized the significance of the situation. From that moment, our family seemed to strengthen. From constant trips to the doctor’s office, to facing the challenging possibility of having a split family again for a second transplant, there wasn’t anything that I felt was too much for our family.

It has been a long time since that summer when I was eleven. Yet, here we still are… as strong as ever and growing closer to each other all the time. I sometimes wonder how my parents did it. How did they place so much value on family for their children to realize? How did they make sure that we would each grow up knowing that we are loved and that they are there for each of us individually if we ever needed them?

All I can say is that I hope, as a parent, that Danny and I can show the same kind of example to our children that I was shown as a daughter. And in return, I hope that I can reciprocate with the same kind of love to the people that mean the most in my life.

Disclaimer

Again, I must remind everyone who reads this blog that it is my release. The stories that I write are more for me than anyone else. It is my hobby. And it is my way of keeping a journal. Once more, it was my sister who got me started in writing these stories. She is the one who helped me realize the importance of keeping a journal, and through reading her blog I gained more courage in what I post on my blog.

You, no doubt, had no idea that you would get such a close perspective into my life. So with that, if you do not want to look too deeply into the life of Mardie H. Bradshaw, you may want to stop reading. I am becoming more and more brave when it comes to putting my feelings out there.

For those who continue reading, I warned you. :)

My Valentine

This “journal” entry is going to be hard for me to write. You see, when things get too personal, I seem to get emotional; and then I get frustrated because I get even more emotional… You get the picture. I like to blame my emotions on my mother – it’s easy to pass the blame onto someone else. However, I also believe that in many ways it is a good trait to have. It still gets very frustrating, though. :)

I was able to quit my job last year. When I quit, I was extremely nervous. Every other time that I had been a ‘stay-at-home-mom,’ at some point I would get depressed. Just enough that I would want to go back to work. Then I would miss my kids and want to stay home with them. Then my “cycle” would start over. Work, quit, work, quit. It was a vicious cycle.

So when I prayed and got the answer to quit my job, I was scared that the cycle was starting over. But I felt so strongly that it was what Heavenly Father wanted that both Danny and I took the leap and I quit my job. The thing that I couldn’t believe is that it was amazing! I loved it. I absolutely loved spending time with Preston in the morning while Kaden was at school, and then with Kaden in the afternoon while Preston was taking a nap. Our house was cleaner, our family was healthier (side-effect of daycare), and we were overall happier. I loved it! And still do for that matter.

As a blessing from Heavenly Father, for extra income Danny was given some opportunities for contract side-work. Again, this was a huge blessing, but it also made Danny EXTREMELY busy. He would (and still does) come home from work just to get on the computer to do his side job. He is very good at what he does and therefore continues to get these extra income opportunities quite often. Once more, he is BUSY.

Well, yesterday I decided that I wanted to go out with just Danny. It was time for us to be together just as a couple without kids. The problem was that there was no babysitter available. I tried everyone on our list, but, of course, everyone had plans already. Instead of realizing that I should just try for today, I moped. Yes, I, Mardie, moped and even got a little angry because in my mind Danny didn’t care that we were not able to go out. Needless to say, this followed by a not so happy evening in the Bradshaw home. If mom is unhappy, everyone suffers!

Danny, being the wonderful support that he is, sat me down and calmed me down. He reaffirmed his love for me and we both committed to putting the gospel first, the family second, and work third. With that in mind, we read our scriptures and then said a family prayer.

The reason for this story is because I want Danny to know how much I appreciate all that he does. He works so hard to allow me to stay at home with our wonderful kids. Because of him, I am given the opportunity to write down these stories of things my children do on a daily basis. Otherwise, these memories would be lost in a sea of daycare children that I cared for. I am so grateful to have my focus centered on my kids and no one else’s.

All couples have arguments, some more serious than others. For me, though, these are the best example of love. In every argument that Danny and I have had, he is so overwhelmingly committed to our relationship, to me, that he won’t let me leave until I know he loves me. Funny that it sometimes takes a disagreement for me to realize it.

Not many people realize how much Danny sacrifices for our family. He gets stressed out way too easily and therefore puts more time and effort into his work. All the while he tries to help me out by cleaning when possible, changing diapers when I ask him, and playing with the boys (who love it when he does). This is my Danny. This is my sweetheart. This is my valentine. I love you, Danny!