Yellow Belt

Brayden took his test to become a yellow belt in Tae Kwan Do this evening, and passed! We are very proud of him- he has enjoyed partaking in this sport, but hasn't exactly taken it very seriously until recently- Which is fine, I mean he is only 5! But all of a sudden, something has clicked and he has become really focused on what the meaning of the sport is, and wanting to really do well.

He has, unfortunately, probably been ready to test, as far as skill, for quite some time- but with the craziness that we call "life" we have successfully missed every single testing session at the Academy that has been held in the past 8 months. The director gave special permission for a private testing session, for Brayden, to be held tonight (probably because he has been the world's longest white belt!!), as a result of our schedule.

I have to say, I have never seen him so proud of himself as he was tonight for getting this belt. I am actually glad that the timing, and that life's idiosyncrasies have played out they way that they did- I think that he appreciates this belt, and respects it all the more, knowing all that has gone behind earning it. When he was leaving tonight he told us, and his instructor that he felt "different, and so proud".

Way to go Brayden!!

taking his test

After finding out he passed, he was instructed to lose his white belt, and prepare to earn his new yellow belt.

Recieving the Yellow Belt.

More Conversations at our House

Me, pointing to Rhylan: "Who are you? What's your name?" (trying to teach him to say his name)

a bit of silence

Rhylan, patting his chest: "I, Cute!!"

Oh Geez, another ego. I don't know if we can handle another male with an ego around here......

Easter Day

The Atkisson Family Easter, much like we have made most holiday traditions, was very low key and relaxed.... just the way we like it. With a baby (ok, toddler) and nap schedules, we still need to be pretty flexible, so maybe "tradition" is a term that should be still used rather loosely- but we have certain things that we try to stick to, just what time of day they may fall tends vary a bit from year to year.... this too shall pass in the next couple of years.

Our morning started with a visit from the Easter Bunny, and the boys getting their baskets full of gifts and an egg hunt at home. Well, actually, the Bunny went a little overboard this year, and the gifts didn't actually fit in the baskets, so maybe I should be honest and admit that they got their couch full of gifts vs. their baskets... but that's beside the point, right?

We were kind of surprised at how much Rhylan understood about the whole thing this year. He actually looked for the eggs and put them in his basket, and would run looking for the next one while delightfully squealing "EGG, EGG". It was so cute.

Here are a couple of pictures of them hunting for eggs here at home, and a quick video of when they first come into the great room and saw what the Bunny had left for them.

Then it was off to church for us. After the service they had an Egg Hunt for the kids there as well, which was really cute. It was broken up by age group, to keep it a bit more fair. Hopefully I will have a few more pictures of Brayden from a friend to add here in a couple of days. I couldn't be two places at once, so I couldn't get a picture of him hunting :(.

Here is Rhylan with some of the other children under 3:

And here they are checking out their loot:

This afternoon, while Rhylan took his nap, Brayden and I had a play date with some good friends that it had been far too long since either of us had gotten together with. It was so nice to sit and relax with my "mommy friend" while our boys got to play together. A wonderful afternoon.

When we got home, we made our traditional Easter Breakfast (see I told you "traditions" have to be flexible, but they can still be traditions. LOL.) for dinner..... Easter Bunny Pancakes. As always, quite the hit.

Happy Easter 2009.

Hippity Hoppity

Easter's On It's Way.....
And tonight our family started getting ready by baking some cookies and dyeing the eggs. The boys really got into it this year, and did it all by themselves with just a little supervision from Mom and Dad. We were really surprised at how much Rhylan not only enjoyed, but understood, what was going on.

After all the eggs were finished, and the mess was cleaned up, the cookies had cooled enough that they each got to have one before taking a bath. Yummmm.

Duck, Duck....

Goose Egg

A "Quotable" Day

From the mouths of Babes:
Rhylan....
Me: "Can I have a hug?"
Rhylan: "No"
Me: "Can I have a kiss?"
Rhylan: "No"
Me: "Do you love your Mommy?"
Rhylan: "No"
Me: "Do you love Food?"
Rhylan: "YES" (as he runs to the kitchen.......)

Brayden......
As we pull up to our class he inquires about a small neighborhood tavern across the street:
"Mommy, what is that building over there"
Me: "What building"
Brayden: "That white building over there, that little one. I think it is a place that has beer."
Me: "Yeah, it is. It's called Huber's. It's a little bar and restaurant type of place. I have never been there."
Brayden: "Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. I think we should go there for lunch. Rhylan and I could really go for a beer right about now."

(Mind you, this was 10 in the morning... not quite sure what was so stressful in a 5 year old's world that made him think that it was "Miller Time", but apparently he thought that after class Happy Hour should begin for the two of them......)