The Wickers

Happy Halloween!!

2008-11-14T13:59:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know it is almost Thanksgiving but things have been nuts so I am barely getting around to posting Halloween pictures! I hope that you all had a wonderful and safe Halloween!!

Daddy & Braeden carving the pumpkin out front.

You know you like it!

All dressed for the fun day @ school!

Braeden with Ms. R.
Having their Halloween snack before the parade!

Parade time!

Blake

The class heading out to Trick or Treat!

Caiden & Braeden after school sans the costumes!

Me & my Panda!

Kung Fu Panda and The Red Power Ranger!

Cool Halloween chonies and socks!

The ghost costume he HAD to have and didn't even wear outside of the house!

Braeden and Auntie Joni

Tricycle Rodeo

2008-10-26T10:33:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was a busy one! Friday night was spent preparing for a Fall boutique I was putting on with Kadi on Saturday, getting everything ready for the Tricycle Rodeo that was at Braeden's school and preparing with Meghan for a shower that was a my house on Sunday!

Saturday I headed off to the Courtyard Marriott in Rancho Cucamonga for the Fall Boutique while Brett, Braeden, Aunt Joni, Papa, Grandma and Grandpa headed to First United Methodist Preschool in Upland for the Annual Tricycle Rodeo.

Daddy worked very hard on Friday to transform Braeden's tricycle into a pony. Braeden loved it and rode it in the neighborhood on Friday night. I know my son all too well though and knew he would not ride it when it came time to do so in the a.m. at school. Brett and I had a bet and I am sure you knwo who won....ME! :)

Braeden had a great time riding the real ponies before the rodeo began!

Here he is on his tricycle. All registered with his # and ready to go but decide to sit and observe instead. Boy, do I know him!!

Here he is after the rodeo playing on the infamous front steps of the church which him and Caiden do everyday after school!

Overall he had a good time and that is what matters!

Heritage Park Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to Heritage Park Pumpkin Patch in La Verne as a Field Trip with Braeden's Preschool class. It was a lot of fun! The kids got to go on a hay ride, see baby chicks and some farm animals along with some history of how the farmers used to live!

Braeden running in the park before we entered the Pumpkin Patch

Caiden, Braeden and Luci acting silly @ the park!

Most of the preschool class. Of course, Braeden is being silly!
Getting bored waiting for the hay ride!

Luci!

Hay Ride

I can't get him to smile nicely for a picture if my life depended on it!

Checking out the pumpkins growing....

Braeden & Caiden after all the fun festivities!

Congrats to Cindy & Jamey!!!!

2008-10-24T22:14:00.000-07:00

I am SOOOO excited right now!! My friend (really more like a sister) Cindy who I have known since she was born just got engaged tonight to an AWESOME guy, Jamey!!! I am so happy and excited for them and I can't wait to hear more about the wedding!!

Long Beach Marathon 2008

2008-10-16T21:50:00.001-07:00

Well, I have completed my third half marathon. I wish I could say it was my best time but it wasn't....wait, but it was! Well, let me explain. In terms of my finishing time it was my worst but I am OK with that because in terms of my experience it was my best yet.

(The crowd...well part of it, @ the start line before the race)

San Diego 2007 will always be special since it was my very first one and I met 2 AWESOME ladies who I cannot imagine my life with out now....Autumn and Maria!

(Autumn getting everything ready the night before the race)

Long Beach 2007 was fantastic because Autumn, Maria and I ventured out on our own away from TNT (technically we were still part of TNT but we won't go there!). This was so special because Maria had moved to Chicago just about 1 week before the race and flew back out to CA to be with us!

(Maria, the morning of the race. Of course she was the first ready!)

But this year not only did I have Autumn and Maria, we were joined by Anne (Maria's friend), Tracy (Anne's friend) and my friend since 6th grade--Nicole! This was Nicole, Anne and Tracy's first half marathon and we were so lucky to share it with them!

(Autumn getting ready on race morning)

One week before the race Nicole and I headed out in Rancho for a 10 mile run which turned into an 8 mile run due to lovely me rolling my ankle! I was bound and determined to get better and run the race so I saw my trusty chirosport, Dr. J daily until the race.

(Tracy and Anne at the start line)

Autumn, Nicole and I were together for the first 7 miles and this is where Autumn continued while Nicole and I stopped to stretch and treat my ankle/foot that was starting to act up! I also said a prayer and regrouped and made it to mile 9. When I got to mile 9 I had a horrifying pain shooting up my shin and down the side of my foot. I had to slow my pace but was determined to finish and I did--with Nicole by my side! I felt so bad in holding Nicole back but she was amazing and encouraging and with out her there I think I may not have made it past mile 1o since the pain was so intense.

(Another shot of the crowd before the race)

Crossing the finish line listening to "All Summer Long" by Kid Rock and being next to my childhood friend was a feeling I cannot explain! We later found everyone else and I plopped down on the grass. I was D-O-N-E and it felt like my foot was going to fall off! Since I could not walk Maria went to get me a wheelchair to get to the medic tent. For those of you who don't know Maria, she is probably the only one in the crowd of 30K+ that could get a wheel chair!

(Maria, Autumn, Nicole and I before the race)

Long story short we rode in an ambulance back to our hotel because there was no way I was going to be walking there! Maria was kind of excited for this as she had never been in an ambulance before! Neither have I and I hope to never be in one again. But I have to admit, it was fun!

(I know you can't tell but we are actually starting the race!)

I ended up with a 3rd degree evulsion of my tendon in my foot. It is one of those lovely things that you can do nothing for and hurts like you know what! I am in good hands with Dr. J and am taking a rest to let it heal. The question I keep getting is, 'You are done with running, right?' The answer is NO! Yes the pain from mile 9-13 was like nothing I have never felt but it will not keep me from doing it again! I am a dork and love the runners high, the feeling of the Marathon atmosphere is a thing I think all should experience and the bonding with my friends is amazing!

(Anne w/ her medal after finishing her first half marathon!!)

If all goes well I am hoping to do the Las Vegas Half in December.....hey Kitty, want a rommie for the weekend! But if not, I will be in Long Beach with the gang again in 2009!
(Tracy taking a break after her finish!)
(Being picked up into the wheelchair....can you say embarrassing!?!?)

(Me & my gang after the race)

(Mama Maria and the Ambulance driver helping me to the ambulance. Their help was much appreciated but slow so I decided to hop!)

(Almost there!)

(Tracy and Anne on the way back to the hotel)
(A must have picture at every race!)

Thank you ladies for a great weekend! It was a blast and I feel blessed to have done it with all of you! Much love!

What a let down!

2008-10-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

Since August Braeden has been talking about how he wants to be a 'Friendly Ghost' for Halloween. Well, the October Newsletter came out at school this week and in it there was a list of costumes that could not be worn and guess whats on it?? NO GHOSTS! So after much convincing, I finally got Braeden to agree to be a Friendly Ghost at home for trick-or-treating but he had to pick something else out for school. We went yesterday and he decided on Kung Fu Panda. The costume is too cute, don't you think?

Hey, that's Krazy Kadi!

2008-09-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

This is what Braeden said this morning as I was watching Kadi's vlog 'The Flush.' Kadi will be doing this weekly at Posh Parent and if you love her blog you will love this so be sure to check it out! Here is the first one from today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XHPksJsz30

And the winner is.....

2008-09-30T08:05:00.000-07:00

ME!!!!

Thanks to my dear friend and business partner Kadi for introducing me to The Posh Parent and the contest that they were having yesterday! I am now the proud owner of the necklace below!

It was a fun and easy contest. You just had to be the 214 commenter and that is what I was. Kadi and a couple of other fellow Posh Parents got really into it and if you know me you know I am competitive so I was determined to win! Woo Hoo! I will take some picture of me in my new necklace when it arrives!

Braeden enjoyed the contest too! He got to stay up late and bug Auntie Alisha while she was on the phone and while Brett was watching his team win on Monday Night Football! A good time was had by all! Thank you Posh Parent!!

Oh the dinner converstaions we have.....

2008-09-28T18:19:00.000-07:00

Well, we may have not made it to the LA County this year (no biggie), but at least I got to enjoy the corn from there! Well, maybe it wasn't the corn, but it was pretty darn close to it! Brett made some dalish corn tonight along with some great chicken.

If the chicken is not shaped like a dinosaur these days, Braeden will not eat it! We went from a kid who would eat everything you put in front of him to a kid who refuses everything....or just about everything you put in front of him. Braeden's dinner consisted of cut up grilled chicken, ranch (ranch makes everything great, right?), and strawberries. Our dinner conversation consisted of this:

Little B: I don't like chicken!
Mom: Yes, you do, now eat it!
Little B: But I don't like it!
Mom: Fine, if you do not eat your chicken you are losing your art box for the rest of the night.
Little B: OK, I will put it away for you!
Mom & Dad: Eye roll....
Dad: Braeden if you are not going to eat your chicken then you need to eat your strawberries.
Little B: I am, see! (Mouth full of chewed up strawberries!)
Dad: If you open your mouth with food in it again, there will be no TV the rest of the night.
Little B: OK, I will turn the TV off for you.

So needless to say, Braeden had strawberries and milk for dinner, the art box is put away, the TV is off and Brett and I are irritated! Reverse psychology is worst thing ever invented! It does not! Oh well, at least I had my fair style corn!

I am Blessed!

2008-09-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

What a GREAT weekend! I was up early Saturday morning to get a 6 mile run in with my dear friend Nicole. We had great weather, even with the sun blaring in our eyes! Later that day my dear friend Kristina, aka, The Modestoan, or K Moore, came into town. She usually comes down 3-4 times a year and this was the first time I have seen her in a year!!! UNEXCEPTABLE! :)

I love when Kristina comes to down. She makes herself right at home, we relax and there is no pressure like there usually is with a house guest. We got our pedicures (much needed btw!) on Saturday and spent the rest of the day hanging out. I even made dinner! :) We enjoyed girl time with a great dessert and a bottle of wine!

Sunday we were spoiled by Brett. He got up early and got our paper for us and made coffee. He even made us an AWESOME breakfast. We lounged around, enjoyed the cool weather and football!!! GO BRONCOS!!! Did I mention K Moore is a Raider fan!?!? Yeah, her team lost and my team won....not a huge shocker though! We also spent 6 hours at Victoria Gardens, eating and shopping! The weather is great and we were not sweating balls like our last shopping trip there last summer! We capped the night off with another great dinner, Sunday Night Football, more fabulous dessert thanks to my hubby and a Chick Flick!

I was sad to see K Moore go this morning, but loved spending the morning with her after we took Braeden to school. We had a great walk, up Euclid in AWESOME weather and some great coffee before she left.

I am so blessed to have friends who I have known for so long (Nicole for 17 years & Kristina for 10 years!), a husband who takes over the house and our son to let me spend time with these great people. I am blessed to have a son who for the most part goes with the flow and makes these times enjoyable.

I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend--I did! :)

Our Visit to Las Vegas

2008-09-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

Not this past weekend, but the weekend before we headed out to Las Vegas to visit our friends! Friday night we headed to 'I Love Sushi' an AWESOME sushi place!! Then it was back to the house to hang out. Saturday we headed to 'Town Square' which is like our Victoria Gardens. We had lunch at Yard House with a rockstar, Alice Cooper! OK, maybe he was at another table, but still! Then we were lucky enough to have Kitty's BQQ on Saturday night! Then back home on Sunday. It was a short trip but a needed one and we can't wait to do it again!

Now the questions is.....when are the Scott's coming out here??

Brett & I @ lunch @ Yard House

Kitty & I watching the kids play in the water. We later got kicked out of our comfy shaded seat!

Me, Heather, her chest (like they need an introduction!), Silly Cynthia and Kitty!

More pictures to follow when I can get on the horn and upload them!

Long Beach Marathon

2008-09-13T11:36:00.000-07:00

So we are approximately 30 days away from our half marathon and I am SO not ready! When I did my first marathon (San Diego Rock & Roll) I felt great and was so ready. I of course had an awesome coach and some great runner partners! My next marathon was the Long Beach half last October. I would say I was about 75% ready and did 'OK' which I was fine with. Now with the marathon around the corner I am getting scared!! I am about 45% ready....way behind schedule! Keep me in your prayers that I can get it together the next 30 days and be at least 75% ready and can run, not crawl across the finish line!

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Are you ready for some football???

2008-09-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

We are! Football season is here and I am SO happy! I know I am not the majority being a girl who loves football, but I always have. What a great way to start off the season. Broncos are rockin' the Raiders!!! I found this and thought this was appropriate for tonights game:

So sorry to all my poor friend who find a need to follow a ghetto team! Also, I am so sorry that we had to bring you down in your own house!

Balance

2008-09-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

Balance....do I have it? I have thought that I have always handled balancing everything in my life pretty well. In high school I worked and played sports on top of school. In college I worked, never took less than 18 units in a semester and did my fair share of partying. Now as a Mom my balancing act is being tested!

I am a mother of a very smart and busy 3 year old, a wife, a business owner of 2 businesses, I am involved in a weekly bible study and a member of 4 different types of Mom's groups. On top of all that I have the daily duties of maid, cook, chauffeur, and whatever activities my son is involved in at the moment.

I have experienced some instances in my life recently with 'friends', groups, etc. and because of all of this it has really put things into perspective. From this moment forward I am going to be making positive changes and stop over committing myself. I admitted it, I over commit myself! :) I am excited yet sad to make this change since it means leaving some groups I have been a part of for some time and also letting go of people who I thought were better friends than they are in reality!

My first positive change I want to announce is my new business partner for RanchoParent.com! Kadi Prescott (my event planning partner) is now my business partner for RP.com as well! I consider myself blessed to have this all fall into place the way it did. Without the help of my FIL and the confidence he has in me as a business owner it wouldn't have been possible and I am forever thankful for that! So be sure to get yourself registered at www.RanchoParent.com and see our adventure unfold!

My next change is that I am now a Table Leader for my MOPS group at Water of Life church. After much prayer and talking to my dear friend Kim Pardue I have committed (there I go again!) myself to being a Table Leader to such a positive group of woman. I am excited to be a part of this ministry and I feel blessed to have been chose to serve as part of their leadership group!!

Stay tuned for more positive changes in the Wicker Household! I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Misc. Summer Stuff

2008-08-23T21:18:00.001-07:00

The summer has been busy and for us, it is almost over! Monday is 'Meet & Greet' at Braeden's Preschool and then we are back on track and he will be at school MWF mornings again. I think we are both ready for this! ;)

We have spent says over at Nana's swimming, park days, and even just days hanging out at home. It is has been a fun summer!

One day we went to Monte Vista Park in Chino and they have a 'Splash Pad.' It was a great place! That day we had Taylor with us. Taylor is my Mom's neighbor and Braeden's buddy!

Here we have a morning at home with Chef Braeden cooking us breakfast!

We are looking forward to the first day of school, a fun b-day party next weekend, along with a day at Newport Dunes, a trip to Las Vegas to visit the Scott family, another fun b-day party in a couple of weeks and a visit from Auntie Kristina! So be sure to check back often for updates!

Camping!

2008-08-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

So we went camping a couple if weeks ago....in Chino! We went to Prado Regional Park. The park itself, the lake and the water play area was great! Even the facilities were nice. Not so much the camping experience! We got a spot next to the COWS!! Thank God it didn't stink but with cows come FLIES!!! I am not underestimating when I say there were a zillion of them! I have camped plenty of time and know that flies come with camping but this was RIDICULOUS!

But we stayed positive and powered through it...well almost through it!

Here is our little musician singing us songs around the campfire!

Here he is singing Talyor Swift's song, 'Picture to Burn' In case you didn't know, Taylor swift is his girlfriend along with Carrie Underwood and of course Kaitlyn DeArmas! :)

Here is Nana & Papa enjoying the entertainment!

After a rough night (more on that later), we headed to the lake and found a great spot to do some fishing. Here is Braeden waiting patiently for us to get everything situated.

The boys getting their bait ready.

My two boys fishing together!!

Entertaining myself because fishing got boring...fast!

My Mom got bored too. :)

Papa got delirious! And below Braeden is copying him. :)

There is usually never a trip w/o a self portrait!

Rough night=camping neighbors getting out of control drunk and barfing out of their tents for 2 hours and having it sound like he is outside your tent, Braeden having a nightmare, getting chased in the middle of the night by coyotes with your Mom and your son, hearing the neighbor baby scream for an hour straight!

Needless to say, we headed home on Saturday night after fishing and BBQ'd at my parents and then headed home to sleep in our own beds.

Note to self: Never camp again at Prado Regional Park!

Last Day of Summer School

2008-08-10T22:06:00.001-07:00

Better late than never!! Braeden has been out of summer school now for a couple of weeks and I am barely getting to the pictures!

The last day of summer school was a luau with a volcano explosion! As I took Braeden to school that morning I was asked to stay and help set up. It was fun and I realized that I am going to like volunteering at his schools!

Here is the volcano before the explosion!

Mrs. Allen, Braeden;s teacher is in the green. She is the one who did the volcano explosion.

Braeden and Caiden walking from class to go see the volcano erupt!

Mrs. Allen preparing the volcano for it to erupt!

Braeden watching patiently...

After the volcano we headed inside to see some hula dancers and have a Hawaiian lunch!

Please excuse the blurriness of this photo, but here is Miss R. (aide) and Braeden before we headed out for the day.

Here is Braeden with Mrs. Allen (teacher). Braeden will be in Mrs. Allen's class again in the Fall.

We have been enjoying the rest of our summer with storytime, parks, swimming, camping, Victoria Gardens and more! I will do my best to get some more pictures up and share our fun summer with you. We have a couple more weeks of summer as Braeden starts back at school on August 25.

I hope that you all are having a great summer!

Happy Birthday Cayden #1

2008-08-10T21:59:00.001-07:00

This is what happens when you let your 3 year old play with your camera! Nonetheless, there are a few (or maybe a ton) pictures of Cayden's fun 3rd birthday party!

They had the FUN water slide again which Braeden always loves! Then we were back the next day to celebrate Zachary's 1st train birthday! It was a fun weekend of celebrations at the Schupp household!

Mom and Dad get a night out!

2008-08-10T21:35:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago (probably about a month ago now) Brett and I had the opportunity to go out and leave Braeden with my parents for a night.

We started out at Roxanne's house for some dinner, drinks and the fight.

Me, Sunny, Roxy

Sunny & I

From there we headed to the Beer Hunter in Rancho and then to close the bar down at Roadhouse. It has been a VERY long time since we have done that but it was fun! Brett's cousin Matt and his wife Amanda were here from Kansas so we had to live it up!

Amanda and Kelly

Matt and Amanda

Crazy Jeff! I gave him a hard time the whole night, it was a blast! You know it was good times when you waste the whole next day not feeling good! :)

OC Fair

2008-07-30T21:08:00.001-07:00

On Sunday we decided last minute to make a run to the OC Fair. It was great! Not crowded and perfect weather! Before we left for the Fair, I was on the phone with my Mom. I was on speaker because I was getting Braeden dressed. He asked my parents if they wanted to come to the 'Orange County Fair' with him. Papa had an appt that afternoon and could not come. Nana wanted to stay home and clean and do her chores but Braeden was not having that! Nana being the sucker, er--wonderful Nana that she is, jumped in the shower and we picked her up on the way!

This slide was the first ride Braeden went on. He went on it 3 times. Once with me, once with Daddy and once with Nana!He LOVED it!!

Jumping off to do it again!!

This is Nana (you can't see Braeden) on the roller coaster. Braeden went on this ride twice. Once with Nana and then one with me. He had his hands up in the air the whole ride and was laughing! He loves the thrill!

Nana and Braeden getting on the Ferris Wheel. Those of you who know me, know that there will be NO ferris wheel for me! Thanks Nana for taking him, he loved it!

This was a simulation of a 'bowl of mac & cheese'

He, along with other kids, really enjoyed playing in the mac & cheese!

Riding his John Deere!

Fun times!

Silly Braeden and Silly Nana!

Petting the goats!

This was hand carved by 3 artist! Truly amazing!!

And the day is over!

Cherished Events is in the Newspaper!!

2008-07-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

Mother of seven helps other parents cope

Michel Nolan

Article Created: 07/25/2008 05:33:05 PM PDT

Kadi Prescott sat under a shade tree watching her children cool off in the fountains at Rancho Cucamonga's Victoria Gardens.

She concentrated, her brow furrowing above her sunglasses.

The majority of youngsters scampering through the capricious jets of water on the hot July day were hers.

The 29-year-old is the biological mother of seven children, ages 2 through 9.

"We love coming here because the kids play and have a great time and we can have our weekly business meeting, too," Kadi said. "Our husbands help us with the kids, so we can talk about what's happening in our online businesses."

The "we" includes Kadi's business partner, Cherish Wicker, 28. The two young mothers manage Cherished Events LLC and RanchoParent.com.

As we talked, Kadi's husband, Daniel, watched the children from the edge of the fountain, continuously counting heads.

There was Marlie, 9; Daniel Jr., 8; Trenton, 7; Phillip, 6; Aiden, 4; Ella, 3; and Reed, 2.

Earlier in the morning, Ella had fallen in the bathtub and Daniel had taken her to the emergency room, a trip that resulted in four stitches and a bright blue bandage.

Hopefully, there would be no more falls this day.

"Part of being a parent and a good business person is knowing things are going to happen and just rolling with it," Kadi smiled.

"You seem sane," I told her. "You don't even have a twitch."

"Oh, she had one last week - an eye

twitch," said Cherish, whose 3-year-old son, Braeden, joined in the water fun.

Kadi laughed. For a woman who had already spent 63 months of her life pregnant, she seemed quite calm.

It wasn't always that way, she revealed.

Last winter, the family moved from Rancho Cucamonga to the High Desert. Both Kadi and Daniel were feeling overwhelmed by the demands of their brood, and Kadi was feeling isolated from their friends.

"Supernanny" to the rescue.

Kadi had contacted Jo Frost, star of ABC's "Supernanny" show.

"We had so many kids and I felt so alone in the new neighborhood," Kadi said, "so Jo Frost came out with a camera crew and for about 12 days they observed how we live on a daily basis. It was a surreal experience but it helped a lot.

"`Supernanny' showed us what we were doing right, what we were doing wrong and helped us understand how to make each child feel more special.

"She encouraged me to get out and meet people. I had closed myself off."

The show, which originally aired in March, will be rebroadcast Aug. 27, and will be screened at "Supernanny Night," a Ladies' Night event at WineStyles, Rancho Cucamonga.

"`Supernanny' told me I had a gift for helping others and could bring other moms together," Kadi said.

That "moms-helping-other-moms" philosophy brought Kadi and Cherish together.

Kadi started writing a weekly column for Cherish's online family resource, RanchoParent.com.

Kadi went from being overwhelmed to helping others who felt the same way.

The RanchoParent online newsletter has a subscription of about 3,000, with the Web site attracting an average of 50,000 hits each month. In addition, Kadi manages a popular blog for parents.

"The blog has been good therapy for me," she said. "I call it `A Womb at the Inn.' It's about the funny things and disasters that are always happening. The blog site is www.kadiprescott.blogspot.com."

"Everything is a family affair with us," Cherish said.

She noted that RanchoParent.com features more than 100 pages of resources, a parent chat section, classified ad section, parenting tips and listings for everything from local doctors and day care to moms' groups and real estate agents.

"Basically, anything to do with families," Cherish said.

"When we met, we decided to start another mom-related business because we are good at organizing things and know several groups of moms in the Rancho Cucamonga area," Kadi said.

The new Cherished Events LLC is the happy result of their idea that moms - particularly those with at-home businesses - need to get out of the house, relax and network with other women.

The dynamic duo work with WineStyles, classic wines of California, and will present a Ladies' Night event each month. The mini-parties at WineStyles, Rancho Cucamonga, will feature wine sampling, appetizers, shopping, prizes and networking.

Most of the vendors are moms.

"We give moms a chance to take a break and promote their home business in a safe setting," Kadi said, "especially if they feel overwhelmed, it can relieve stress. Usually husbands stay with the kids so we can get as much business done as possible."

The fee is $15 per Ladies' Night event.

"We had so many e-mails - so many moms who said it would be nice to get away for an evening, meet people and supplement their incomes," Cherish said.

On Aug. 16, Cherished Events LLC will host its official grand opening with a special fundraising event at Etiwanda Gardens to help two little boys.

Cherish and Kadi have decided to donate all proceeds from the event to Lane and Tate Terrill, who lost their father, Scott, on July 4.

"We are so fortunate that we have families that are happy and healthy and husbands who are so supportive," Kadi said.

"As much chaos as it is, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's a good crazy."

michel.nolan@

inlandnewspapers.com

(909) 386-3859

Slacker!!!

2008-07-21T21:23:00.001-07:00

Yes, that is me! I am SO sorry for not updating more like I have in the past!! Please excuse my unacceptable behavior!! I promise to get on that this week!

About a month ago I added a new business to my plate! Cherished Events, LLC and it is going fabulous which is partly why I have been MIA on the blog! We have ladies night this Wednesday at the RC Wine Styles, contact me for more info! We also have our charity/grand opening event on August 16. Feel free to contact me about that one too!

We have been up to a lot....although the blog does not show it!

Braeden is in his last week of summer school and has a luau on Thursday. We tried karate and it was all that bad but the commitment is HUGE and it was too much for Mommy and Daddy at this time! We are going to be starting personal swim lessons next week.

Brett's cousin was in from Kansas and we went out and closed a bar down....it had been a while since I did that. And yes, I paid for it the next day!

I hired 3 sales reps for RanchoParent.com so please say a prayer that they kick ass and relieve some of my stress!!

We went to Cayden and Zachary's b-day party, we went to the beach. I know I am missing stuff! I will go through my camera this week and update appropriately!

4th of July 2008!

2008-07-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

Our 4th of July celebrations started on July 3 at Braeden's school. There was a parade towards the end of school. It was fun to see all the kids and families dressed in Red, White, and Blue and singing the Pledge of Allegiance!

Braeden is the only one wearing yellow in this picture.

This picture is kind of blurry but that is my friend Nicki with her little guys!

Here is Braeden walking in the parade with Mrs. Allen. Can you tell her is slightly pissed? His cool star sunglasses got knocked off!

The only 2 wearing their star sunglasses are Caiden and Braeden!

Here is Braeden's summer school class!

Brett had the day off on the 4th...YEA! We had a mellow morning that consisted of many things, even putting American Flags in the front yard! There was no consistency or pattern since Braeden did this himself! Later we headed to the Gale's. They used to live across the street from us but moved a few months ago to Claremont to a beautiful house with an awesome backyard! After yummy food, drinks and swimming there, we were off to our next destination.....fireworks with the Bloem's!
Kailah driving Braeden around in her Barbie Jeep.

My little fish!

Giving Tyler a High 5 in the pool!

I wish I could say he was winking at me but the sun was really in his eyes!

Jumping to Daddy!

This was a pretty high jump that he LOVED!

We met, Cat, KC and Caiden over Rancho San Antonio Medical Center.....no, we were not in need of medical attention! There is a nice big grassy area where you can see the firework show from the Quake Stadium. The grassy area seemed to be a great hit with tons of people there. Caiden and Braeden had a blast running around, playing with glow sticks (thanks KC!), having snacks and watching fireworks!
The boys having fun with their glow sticks!

You can't see it in this picture but they are putting the glow sticks under their shirts and are loving how they shine through!

Isn't this a stinkin' cute picture!?!? The boys getting ready for the firework show!

Of course a self portrait by Braeden!

It was a long but fun day! Braeden was up at 6:15a.m. and went to bed that night at a little after 10p.m. and had no nap! Considering all that we did that day he did excellent and even slept in until a little after 8!

I hope that everyone had a happy and safe 4th!

Cherished Events, LLC

2008-07-03T07:15:00.000-07:00

Cherished Events, LLC

We are officially open for business! Kadi Prescott and I have formed our Event Planning business and already have business lined up!

We will be doing monthly events with Wine Styles in Rancho Cuacamonga and soon we will be adding some of their other locations. Kadi and I are very happy and excited about this!

Please check out our website (click on our cute logo above), but please keep in mind that it is still under construction.

Please keep Cherished Events in mind for your next event, whether it is a birthday party, a corporate event, a baby shower, whatever! We can help you and we are ready to do so!

Summer School Started

2008-07-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

Summer School started yesterday. Braeden did not sleep very well on Monday night and woke up at 4:30 a.m. saying he didn't want to go to school. Then he woke up at 6:15a..m. (help me!) saying he was ready to go! Below is a picture of Braeden and his buddy Caiden. This was Caiden's very first day at this school and Braeden was very excited to be his 'big buddy' that day!

Today is day 2 at summer school. Nana will be picking Braeden up and taking him for a treat while Mommy attends a meeting. Braeden found out that next week they will be learning about volcanoes and he is SUPER excited about this! He also learned today that his friend Abbie will be joining their class tomorrow!

Needless to say, I am enjoying the routine again but it is only for 4 week and then he will be out another 4 weeks until Fall starts at the end of August.

School is in session!

2008-06-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Well the Wicker Academy that is! Braeden has been out of school now for a couple of weeks and has had tons of fun but as a family we realized that it was time for some structure again.

Sunday night we started a family exercise/stretch time. Although Braeden wants to do Tae Bo at this time, we keep it to a few minutes of stretches and fun exercises. We have been doing this each night after dinner to promote some more family time and exercise as it has been really hot outside for Braeden to run around.

Today we started doing some academic work. Keeping it fun of course! Sorry Kadi (and others who hate blogs about how well their kids are doing!:))! We started with some flash cards of sight words and Braeden did excellent. Out of 108 words he knew 78 of them and the ones he didn't know, he was pretty close in saying the words. We also started some Kindergarten Readiness packets that we got from Teacher Barbara a while back. Braeden was able to identify the difference between uppercase and lowercase letters and he was able to read all the colors (text) and match them up to the correct marker.

School is now adjourned for the day and I did take some pictures of Braeden working away but he is currently chasing the dog around with the camera taking pictures so I will need to post those later.

Happy 5th Anniversary to Us!

2008-06-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

This weekend, June 21, was our 5 year wedding anniversary. We headed out on Friday morning with a small road block but we made it through! See, this trip to Palm Springs had been planned for weeks and it just so happens that my Mom (our babysitter) had jury duty that week. After getting called off Mon, Tues, and Wed, we thought we were in the clear. NSM! I get a call Wednesday night from Mom (she was not very happy) that she got called into court the next day! UGH! She went and was choosen! She had to go back on Friday! Double UGH! Michelle and Cat were both so awesome to offer to watch Braeden until my Mom was done but my Dad stepped up and took the day off! Whew, we were going to go away as planned! BTW, Mom was released from the case on Friday by noon!

Brett and I headed out to Palm Springs and stayed and the Spa Resort and Casino. The casino sucked and we were losers there but the rest of the weekend was fabulous! We had great food! We hit Las Cousuelas as usual. We tried a new sushi place there, Okura, we highly recommend it! Most of our weekend was spent by the pool beating the heat. When we got there on Friday it was a mere 121 degrees! The rest of the weekend leveled out at about 116! I was lucky enough to get a massage, sleep in and enjoy myself and my husband!

Thanks to my wonderful parents for making our weekend possible and happy anniversary to us!

Summer Fun!

2008-06-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

The past week we have been staying busy and having sun on our Summer vacation. Monday we went with my Mom's Group to the Fountains at Victoria Gardens. I was lucky enough to find a shade tree and camp out while Braeden played and had a great time in the fountains. We had a picnic there after the water fun was over.

After the picnic we headed to the train and Nana (Lisa's Mom) was kind enough to ride with the kids!

Tuesday was spent running errands and making a trip to the library. It was SO hot out that we stayed in much of the day. Tuesday evening I went out to Casa Hotel 425 in Claremont with Lisa and Michelle and ran into my childhood friend Krista. It was a fun night and a great break!

Wednesday was another hot day.....104*. So we headed over to my Mom's house to do some swimming. After hanging out there and playing some games we headed to the pool. Taylor (my Mom's 9 y/o neighbor) joined us. Braeden had a blast as always! He is doing great with his swimming but it is still a lot of work and stressful for me. I forgot his life vest, which sucked but we made do! I got him to put the pool noodle under his armpits and he was good to go! Thanks for having us Nana, we will be back next week! :)

Today we had Cat & Caiden over for a playdate. The boys played outside on the new water slide and then inside where it was cool!

Tomorrow Brett and I leave to Palm Springs to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. We are excited to get away! We are now keeping our fingers crossed that my Mom gets out of her jury duty so we can leave as planned!

Father's Day Weekend

2008-06-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

We had a fun weekend, even though everyone wasn't feeling 100%. Saturday we had our community yard sale which was OK. Then I hit up Ashley's graduation party alone since the boys were not feeling well. Well, Braeden was feeling OK, he just had a NASTY cough and it was a pool party and I did want him swimming and getting worse.

Sunday was Father's Day! We relaxed all a.m. and I made breakfast burritos. In the afternoon the family came over. It was the 3 of us, my parents, the in-laws and my BIL. We BBQ'd (thanks Pops!) and played with Braeden's water slide. Lasso Golf was a big hit and a lot of fun. And yes, the Wii was busted out too!
Braeden filling up the pool part of the water slide on Saturday.

Happy Father's Day honey!

Braeden chillin' with Nana after playing on the water slide.

Using Grandpa as a seat.

Talking on Grandpa's phone.

Daddy and Braeden in the backyard.

Silly Nana! Braeden took this picture and many others!

Self portrait.

His famous pose taught to him by Auntie Gina.

He wanted everyone to take a 'silly face' picture with him.

He also requested that I take a picture of him upside down.

Braeden and Papa whistling.

A Father's Day Prayer

2008-06-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

I came across this prayer in an email this morning and loved it so I thought I would share. I have been blessed to have 2 father's in my life at some point, some more constant than others, and now I am witnessing my husband being a Father and it is a beautiful thing.

Happy Father's Day to all of the wonderful Father's out there....and to the not so wonderful ones.....get on the ball, you are the ones missing out!

A Father's Prayer

This is the best dowry of hopes, wishes and prayers I would be able to offer:

May God give you the grace of wit and wisdom to understand that rainbows are only the result of showers, dust, and hope.

May you always have joy in the morning and trust in the evening and may your sorrows be short and without scars.

May your lives have a spirit neither bent by belligerence nor broken by failure; may you simply love each other.

May you share with each other spring flowers, dirty dishes, music, rain, death, mushrooms, a measure of boredom, strawberries, and God.

May that God never make you immune to the wonderful afflictions of real love, making you instead farsighted to each other's faults, tongue-tied to criticism, and short of memory to petty hurts and slights.

May God provide the confidence and serenity that comes only from the assurance of each other's fidelity and the tolerance, as years go by, of wrinkles and gray hairs, short tempers, curlers, and Monday mornings.

May no one steal from you laughter at the top of the stairs or giggles and whispers in a dark room.

May you keep a hunger for each other, the appetite to taste tomorrow, and deep knowledge of and devotion to your past, heritage and families.

May you perpetuate trust, the radiation of vitality, kind answers to sharp questions and sharp humor to unkind attitudes.

May your fights be fierce and short, and may each truce be warm and long and held in each other's arms before the sun comes up.

May you walk with wise men, sing loud songs at late hours, share secrets, have healthy children, and provide smiles for lonesome strangers and prayers for those without hope.

May you never forget small things; smiles, birthdays, holding hands, family, old friends, the neglected, and the simplicity of saying please and thank you.

May you keep a warm, generous, and happy house where love is the insulation and God is present. May your children be friends of God's child, Jesus.

May your union bring a smile to the face of the Holy Spirit and may he live in your pots and pans, in your hope and aspirations.

- Author Unknown

R.I.P Tutoring....

2008-06-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

Well kind of. Today was my last official day of tutoring after 6 long months of doing it 4-5 afternoons a week. I enjoyed it...to an extent, and loved the kids, but I am glad to be done. Not only did this experience make me realize that teaching is not for me but it made me realize that I do not like being away from my son that much either. Yes, he was sleeping most of the time I was gone, but he woke up everyday from nap and I was not here.

I have a couple of weeks off and then I will be tutoring again but only while Braeden is in summer school and only for the month of July then I am TRULY done. But today I feel like a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I went to Trader Joe's to get wine and celebrate!

Cheers!

Father's Day Projects

2008-06-11T14:31:00.001-07:00

With school out we are trying to keep busy. Today we headed to Michael's to get some supplies for some Father's Day gifts for Daddy, Papa and Grandpa. From there we headed to O2BME, a cute little kids boutique store here in Rancho. It is moving to San Dimas so they are having a huge sale....of course we couldn't pass it up!

We got home form shopping and started out Father's Day projects which are 'coozies' as Brett and Braeden like to call them. It was fun!

Stacking he cozzies while Mommy gets all the letters out that we need.

Here he is working away on the first one, which was Papa's.

View 1 of Papa's coozie.

View 2 of Papa's coozie.

Braeden didn't want to take pictures of the other ones....I will try to get some later before I wrap them up!

School is Out!

2008-06-11T14:23:00.001-07:00

Monday, June 9 was Braeden's last day of Preschool for the year. He started mid year in January after Christmas Vacation. He started in Mrs. Allen's Tuesday/Thursday class and then switched to her MWF class. Minus 2 weeks towards the end of the school year, he loved everything about his class, his classmates, teachers and First United Methodist!

Here are some pictures of his silly self on the last day after their class party.

Being silly with Miss R (the aide)

Being even sillier with Mrs. Allen his teacher.

10 Years Ago Today....

2008-06-11T13:39:00.000-07:00

As I was just commenting on a friends blog about her daughters High School graduation, I realized something.....it was 10 years ago today that I graduated from High School and that my Mom stopped cooking....but that is another post! :)

Although it was 10 years ago, I remember it so vividly. I remember being next to one of my closest buddies Edgar as we walked. I remember the awesome feeling of hearing my name over the loud speaker. I also remember laughing my ass off at the names that were being called. I went to High School in Rowland Heights....enough said! I recall Becky Owens making me cry and the song 'I Will Remember You' making me cry even more so.

Even though High School was an awesome time and many memories were made, I was so ready to be done. I had only 4 classes my senior year, worked part time and didn't play softball anymore because I was done. I enjoyed graduation fully but was so glad it was over and was ready to enter a new part of my life as a college student.

Now I am getting emails about our 10 year reunion coming later this year and I just cannot decide if I want to go..... The people that I love and care about I still keep in touch with. Do I really want to see everyone else? Does everyone else really want to see me? Probably not and I am good with that!

Anyway, time flies! I think it is fun to reminisce every now and then about the good ol' days! Some highlights about my High School years;

*I became best friends with someone who I never thought in a million years I would ever speak to. (Love ya B!)
*I had the same boyfriend for almost all of High School. Some may think this is not a good thing, but I did. To this day we are friends and I love him and his family dearly.
*Driving around in Roxanne's Beretta! I just LMAO thinking about that. We were so cool that we had the windows down at night driving around town but the heater on too because it was frickin' cold.
*Friday night games and In-N-Out after.
*Playing softball and arguing with my coach everyday.
*Getting my first car, a Toyota Celica that I hated and my Mom MADE me get.
*All the parties and TPing at Sunny Rae's.
*Drinking Zima's with Nicole, Edgar and Robbie.
*Mr. Phillips psychology class.
*OK, I could go on forever. Those were good times and I feel blessed to have those memories in my mind and in my heart.

Over it now! :)

2008-06-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

It has been about a year now (or close to it) that I stopped talking to a 'friend.' I use the word loosely because after 7 years of friendship and having her in my wedding, our friendship was over just like that. When I say, 'just like that' there is no exaggeration. This person was like a sister to me and because of her insecurities and issues we are no longer friends.

I can honestly say that I am over it and I feel that losing her as a friend was a blessing in disguise.....as harsh or rude as it sounds, that is the way I feel. She was an angry, selfish person. So what's my problem?? Well, the problem is that her husband was one of my husband's best friends and they have been friends for over 13 years. The 2 of them no longer speak and not because I do not want my husband talking to him, but because his wife is such an angry person that she cannot handle him speaking to someone that she has ill feeling towards.

My husband has expressed to me time and time again that he is over it and feels that this all happened for a reason but I still can't help but feel bad for him, because anyone who knows me, knows how much my friends mean to me.

There was no real 'reason' for this post, but to vent, as it was on my mind tonight.

Braeden is a Semi-Finalist!!

2008-06-06T15:12:00.000-07:00

For quite a while now people have been suggesting that I need to enter a certain picture of Braeden's in to a contest or something. I always just took it as a compliment as moved on. Well, one day I came across something and decided to upload the photo. It was quick free....my kind of stuff!

Well, I did it and totally forgot about it until I received an email today telling me he was a Semi-Finalist for June!!! How fun!! Here is the link to check it out!

http://nocache.homestead.com/imtherealthingint/credits.html

Proud Mama!!

2008-06-04T21:01:00.001-07:00

Well this may come off as bragging to some.....if that is the case, you can redirect yourself to a new blog at this time!

Braeden and Brett were doing art tonight on a big blanket on the living room floor. As Braeden was cleaning up, Brett wrote, "Time For Bed" on the paper and Braeden looked at it and said "Daddy, why did you write, 'Time For Bed' on that paper?" Of course we got so excited!!!

We spent the next 30 minutes writing differently things for him to read, such as 'play ball,' 'tie your shoes,' 'look at me,' and quite a few others. He read about 95% of everything we wrote correctly! He just turned 3 on May 1 so we feel so blessed to watch and listen to this!!

Just in time....

2008-06-04T13:16:00.000-07:00

For school to be out, Braeden decides to be excited about school again and is no longer crying! We have 2 days left of school (Friday and Monday) and then he is out until July 1. He still better be loving school when summer school rolls around because Mama is not ready to go through that mess again!

My child has things down to a science. Especially his 'phases.' They all usually last about 2 weeks and this one was right on the money. 2 weeks to the day the 'separation anxiety' stopped. Not too sure how or why he does this but that is how he does it!

But at any rate, I was SO happy to drop off a happy camper today at school. Today was also his last day of sports at school. He was fine with this....again, he did what he was supposed to when it came to sports, but didn't express any undying love for them. Maybe one day!?!?!

First Beach Day of the Year!

2008-06-03T09:11:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we headed out to Newport Beach for a bike ride. We were there nice and early because Braeden was up at the crack of dawn anticipating the beach!

It was fun but a little chilly when we first got here so we hit up Starbucks to warm ups up. Then we were off on our bike ride. The bike ride lasted about an hour, until we could no longer handle the cries of, 'I want to go in the sand. I want to go in the water.' from you know who!

So we headed for the sand! A little bit later, Cindy and Jamey were down at the beach with some friends so we joined them. It was good times, even when Braeden wiped his boogers on a strangers towel and when he wouldn't say good-bye to Lauren but only her husband Mikey!

We look forward to many more fun beach days this summer!!

Chilling on the sand!

Patiently waiting for Daddy to get the beach toys from the truck.

Jogging on the beach.

He loves the beach!!!

Swimming Lessons

2008-06-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

We are in the middle of Toddler and Me swimming lessons at the Claremont Club. Our friends Catherine, Caiden, Dionne, and Abbie have joined us this session and we are having a lot of fun! My Mom stopped by last Thursday to check out Braeden's swimming skills and captured some pictures!

Swimming from Mommy to the instructor.

Getting ready to jump off the side and do Humpty Dumpty.

Practicing his 'Monster Arms' by swimming to the Diego toy.

There's Cat & Caiden

Doing the 'train' all by himself to get his ring from the instructor.

They drop the rings and then have to go under (or at least slightly) the water to get it.

He is doing well and actually swimming a little on his own. I think if we had our own pool and took him in more than 2 times a week he would be swimming by now. We are looking into private lessons a little later in the summer.

Happy swimming!

Holy Gas Prices!!!!

2008-05-29T21:46:00.000-07:00

I know that we are all complaining about gas prices, but seriously this is UNREAL!!!! I paid $70.00 today for my little BMW X3......are you kidding me!!!???? Brett just got home and told me that the frickin' pump stopped for him at $100 today!!!! He was too irritated to reinsert the card to continue pumping and see how much it would have been!

So $200 down the tubes today! This has got to stop!!

Separation Anxiety Part 2.....

2008-05-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the first day back to school since the first separation anxiety episode. It started before we even left the house today but not too intense. He started saying that 'Rebecca' (not really her name) was a mean girl and said that she says mean things and that is why he does not want to go to school.

With a little bribing and convincing him to share his cool space book at school, we got in the car and the ride to school was fine. We got out of the car and he started to whine.....I ignored it. We get into the office for health check and he told the director about 'Rebecca' and he is getting more upset. The director went into the class to take care of the situation as I tried to get him into the class. He cried and did not want me to leave. 'Rebecca' came up and said she wanted to be Braeden's best friend today. He was OK with that but still not OK with me leaving. Long story short, he calmed down.....but I better have a smoothie in hand when I get there!

A phone call to the school 45 minutes later reassured me he was fine! I am sure he will be back on track soon.....just as soon as it is time to get out for Summer! UGH!!

Kids Space Museum Cont.

2008-05-27T20:53:00.000-07:00

OK, so here are the rest of the Kids Space Museum pictures!

The above picture was outside at a play area that was for kids 4 and under only. It was really cool and not too crowded like the inside!

The rest of the pictures are in a room for kids 4 and under only. It was pretty fun, except for the lady who liked to cut in line and didn't think it was necessary for her son to share!

Caiden is throwing a ball to Braeden as he slides down the slide.

It was a fun day but we cut our stay a little short to make it back to Claremont in time for swimming lessons.

Kids Space Museum

2008-05-27T08:52:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday we joined the 2005 Playgroup of our MOMS Club at the Kids Space Museum in Pasadena. It was fun but a little crowded inside due to class field trips. Nonetheless, the kids had fun checking out the different exhibits. I do have to admit though that I thought it would be more 'outer space' related and Braeden is really into that right now, but there was none of that.

Here are some pictures from our trip. I will have to post the rest later since Blogger is being lame at the moment!

'Tough Guy' driving the jeep!

Building with wood.....taking after his Daddy and his Papa!

Painting! He LOVES art and hung out at this station for quite awhile.

This earthquake exhibit was out of order but he still enjoyed playing with it.

Digging for fossils!

We both got a little overwhelmed inside with all the elementary students running around so we headed outside to ride the tricycles on the cool track!

More to follow on this trip later. I hope that you all had a great Memorial Day weekend and that your week is off to a great start!!

Memorial Day 2008

2008-05-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

This is such an odd Memorial Day for us. We usually are outback, drinking some beers, soaking up the sun and getting ready to BBQ. Not today! This cold weather has put a damper on those plans!! Not to say we are not having a good day, it is just different.....

Braeden actually slept in a little this morning, allowing Mommy and Daddy to get a good nights sleep. Most of the day has consisted of games, short shows, and chores around the house. Braeden even helped Daddy mow the lawn. :)

Brett bought Braeden a bike a couple of months ago and Braeden thought it was cool....for oh, about 5 minutes! Today he actually asked Brett to ride it!! He was actually peddling too. I mean, there is still practice to be had, but he is making much improvement. Here are some pictures:

If you notice, he is either looking at the camera or at his feet....our next order of business with the bike is to get him to look where he is going!!!

Despite the funky weather, I hope that you all are having a fabulous day and enjoying some quality family time!

Cousin Sam's Wedding

2008-05-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday (May 17, 2008) my cousin Sam got married in Riverside. It was a pretty wedding and a lot of fun. Here are some pictures below. Sorry, I am being lazy today, so the pictures are in no particular order. :)

The First Dance-Sam and Kim

Braeden and my cousin's son, Brody cuttin' a rug!

Here is Braeden 'whistling' as the wedding party is being announced at the reception. Papa taught him how to do this!

I know it looks like it, but I promise the beer in the corner is NOT his!!

My cousin Veronica and her oldest son Blake dancing. Blake is SUCH a sweetheart!!

Parents of the Groom.....Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Terri

I don't know who these random people are!! J/K!! My beautiful cousin Tahnee and her very sweet boyfriend Michael @ the reception.

My Pops and I

My Pops and I dancing to 'Our Song'.....Butterfly Kisses

Tahnee and I in the church

Braeden and Daddy waiting for the wedding to start. Braeden did a great job for the most part in the church.

Separation Anxiety

2008-05-21T11:21:00.000-07:00

I have been fortunate enough to have never have experienced the whole 'Separation Anxiety' part of parenting, until this week. Well, last week I guess now that I think back.

We go to MOPS at a local church 2 times a month and the kids are with the MOPETTES while the Mom's do their thing. Braeden has loved this from day one and it was never an issue. Last Thursday Braeden said he didn't want to go. He says this about everything, that is just him. But then when we get to where he 'didn't want to go,' he loves it! Plus, we had missed the last couple of meetings so I was thinking it was just off schedule...schedule is big for him!

Well, he cried a little at MOPS and I was shocked and felt bad. Long story short, he calmed down and had a good time. They did say that he was a little more sensitive than usual, and I have noticed this at home as well.

Last Saturday was Mommy Day @ his Preschool. We went, we had fun, end of story. Or not! On Monday when I took him to school he said that he wanted me to stay like on Saturday. I explained to him that Saturday was a special day and now we were back to our regular schedule and he would be at school with his friends. After asking me to stay for '2 more minutes' and getting just a little sad, I left and all was well.

Today I take him and he is excited as always, running to see his friends and get started on his art. Then when I went to leave he asked for '2more minutes' with me. I said sure, since it worked on Monday. Well, not so much today! He just got consistently more upset and cried and said he wanted to go home with me. Of course this hurt me but I did my best to calm him down and so did his teacher Mrs. Allen. When nothing was working, we (Mrs. Allen) and I knew it was just time for me to go. It broke my heart into pieces to not look back when I heard him screaming for me!

My dear friend Lisa is always late (love ya!) getting her daughter Kaitlyn to school (she goes to the same school as Braeden). So I called her and she checked on him when she got to the school and he was fine, which made me feel somewhat better. I know he is in good hands and is learning so much. It just still hurts!

OK, I am done whining! I just had to get it off of my chest!

Mother's Day

2008-05-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day was a little different at the Wicker's than usual, but it was still a good time! Brett and Braeden let Mommy sleep in and get out of bed after 8a.m. That is LATE in this house!

I came downstairs to the boys cooking me breakfast and beautiful yellow tulips (my favorite) waiting for me! I also had a sweet card and some awesome perfume from them.

Most of the day was spent lounging around the house and bbqing later that night. Brett took care of everything that day from Braeden to the dishes. It was great!! Do I really have to wait a whole year for another day like that!?!?!?

Happy 40th Birthday John

2008-05-20T08:10:00.001-07:00

I am a little behind on documenting all of our festivities! Not last weekend, but the weekend before we had a 40th surprise birthday party to go to for my Uncle (my Godson's Dad).

The party was at night and in Oak Hills, so Braeden's awesome Auntie Joni stayed home with him and played and made cookies so Mommy and Daddy could go have a good time.

We rode 'up the hill' with my parents and had a great time! John was VERY surprised and had NO idea! It was nice to see people who I have not seen in years and used to always see when I was younger.

Greg and John having a great time out back!

Greg, Me, John....good times!

When are you going to be a teacher?

2008-05-19T15:08:00.001-07:00

This is a question that I have been getting on a regular basis these days! Well, the answer is never.

Why? Well, I got into the program, started doing what I needed to do and even started tutoring to get some experience and my foot in the door. Honestly, I just do not care for it. I feel that we have too many teachers in this world that do the 'job' strictly for it's schedule and convenience to be home with their children. Yes, that was a perk when I originally looked into becoming a teacher, but I would never allow that to be the only reason.

I look at my dear friend Joni. She is MEANT to be a teacher and gives her all in doing so. I just did not see that in me when it came to teaching. When I do something I give it my all and I was not doing that with the credential program. I have come to accept that I am more business minded and I am living all the teaching up to wonderful people like Joni!

Cal Poly Tractor and Car Show

2008-05-13T09:15:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we picked Daddy up from work and headed over to Cal Poly for the annual Tractor and Car show. It was a lot of fun! The morning started out cold and then it got really warm! We ran into some friends, Laurie and Ellie, Inez and Sydney, and of course some Mom's from my Mom's group that we knew would be there!

There were about a dozen parked tractors that the kids were able to climb on and pretend to drive.

Our attempt of a family photo....thanks Laurie!

Daddy & Braeden playing on the tractor.

Braeden posing with the mascots before taking a bounce in the bounce house.

Next we waited in line to take a tractor ride! They started out with one tractor and that was taking forever, then they added another which helped, but it wasn't until they added the third one did the line really start to move! Above Braeden is playing with lady bugs, which is what he did for a good 20 minutes while we were waiting in line.

Kaitlyn and Braeden playing while waiting for the tractor ride.

We finally got our turn! We were the first ones to get on the third tractor which was a newer one with A/C and a radio!

Here we are getting off the tractor. Brett wanted to ride with Braeden but he choose me! :)

Kaitlyn and Blake taking their turn on the tractor.

He got to ride a horse too!

What is better than ending the day with a snow cone with Kaitlyn??

More fun with the Wii!!

2008-05-11T14:13:00.001-07:00

After Open House my parents came over and we had fun playing Wii! It was a lot of fun and I am STILL sore today from boxing! This was my first time boxing, I usually let the guest play. I have to say it was fun knocking people out!!

Below are some pictures of my parents enjoying the Wii, my Mom got REALLY into it! :)

Open House

2008-05-11T12:16:00.001-07:00

Friday, May 9, 2008 was Open House at Braeden's Preschool, First United Methodist Church in Upland, CA.

The three of us went along with Nana and Papa (my parents) and Grandma and Grandpa (Brett's parents). It was a fun night to be had by all with a 'Pet Shop' theme in his classroom and a petting zoo and treats outside for all to enjoy.

Braeden's teacher is Mrs. Allen and his aide is Miss Rodriguez, we love them both! Braeden is really enjoying his first year of preschool, he has been there for 5 months now.

Here are some pictures below of the petting zoo.

He was combing the goats!

Petting the bunnies!

Hmmm,,,,when did these happen??

2008-05-11T11:57:00.000-07:00

So we have had a busy past few days and as I was uploading pictures to share with you all, I cam across theses.........

These are obviously self portraits by Braeden, himself, which is not uncommon. My only concern with these is I have NO clue when they took place, nor do I recall those marks on his face.....hmmmm.

Oh well, he obviously enjoyed himself and cleaned himself up!

Birthday Continued.....

2008-05-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

OK, so Grandpa got us his pictures! He got some good ones of the kids playing! He also tried to take a head shot (sort of) of all the Moms who were here and one of all of their kids so we can match up Mom to kid. He got most of them!

Weeee! Let the fun begin!

Silly Cayden and Braeden in the bouncer.

He was pissed that he fell out of the chair Abbie got him and even more pissed when Raquel laughed! LOL

Hmmm, who is this from?

Everyone gettin' their grub on!

The beautiful Aubrea....

Aubrea and Zachary and Cayden is trying ot peek in the picture. :)

Cayden, Aubrea's oldest, eating a chip!

Zachary, Aubrea's youngest, eating a bagel....I think!

Barbie Dionne! ;)

Abigail (Abbie), Dionne's oldest.....her youngest (Emma) is in her tummy!

April

April's handsome little man, Hayden!

The lovely Kim.

Kim's little diva, Jaelyn!

The crazy Lisa!

Lisa's oldest, gorgeous Kaitlyn!

Lisa's youngest, Blake.

The purty Raquel!

Raquel's son, Keenan.

Inez

and her curly Q Sydney!

Laurie and her daughter Ellie (Elaina) was WAY too busy for pictures! ;)

Braeden was teaching Grandma how to use his new cash register that Mommy and Daddy got him....actually Grandma was distracting him from touching the gifts!

Little Mr. Zachary playing cars.

Keenan playing Braeden's guitar while Braeden was opening gifts.

I am not sure if Cayden is getting ready to say, 'CHEESE!', or 'Cherish.' ;)

Look at Jaelyn's beautiful eyes!

The cake! YUM!!! Sam's Club, buttercream rocks my socks!

It also turns lips colors....

and tongues! (half red, half blue!)

Cat and April. Cat's son Caiden was WAY too busy playing to pose for any pictures! ;)

Happy 3rd Bithday Braeden!

2008-05-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

Braeden turned 3 on Thursday! We had a play date here at our house with some of his little buddies! It was FUN! Braeden woke up at 6:58a.m. and came into my room to announce...'Mom!, it's my birthday!'

We had the party balloons and banner up already and he was SO excited that it was HIS special day! Lisa let us borrow her kids bouncer, we had the swing set and all of Braeden's toys out. The kids all played very well together and had a great time!

Below are some of the few pictures I was able to take. Grandpa Riley was my personal photographer so when he gets back from Havasu on Tuesday I will get the rest of his pictures.

This is Braeden and the beautiful Abbie swinging on the glidder together. I hope he was scratching his nose and not picking it!

Here is Braeden getting his jump on before the party got started!

The beautiful Jaelyn Grace!

We got a thumbs up from Jaelyn!

Braeden and Sydney bouncing....

The lovely Raquel and her little man Keenan

Let present opening begin!

Kaitlyn is explaining the game that she got for Braeden. Kaitlyn is probably one of Braeden's favorite people in the whole world. He talks about her all the time, loves to be around and tells everyone that she is 'such a nice girl.' He speaks the truth! Kaitlyn is a sweetie!

Braeden got a little tired so he let Kaitlyn take over!

Cake time! This is after he cried during the Happy Birthday song because he wanted to sing Happy Birthday to himself! Only my kid....

April and Hayden

Abbie and Keenan eating lunch.

This was at the end of the evening after no nap.....a little delirious!

After his 'party' he played all afternoon with his new toys and had a blast. My Mom joined Brett, Braeden and I for some pizza and more cake. Braeden was so beat, that he was bathed and in bed asleep by 7:45 that night!

Thank you to everyone who came!
~April & Hayden
~Aubrea, Cayden, & Zachary
~Catherine & Caiden
~Dionne & Abigail (Abbie)
~Grandma & Grandpa Riley
~Inez & Sydney
~Kim & Jaelyn
~Laurie & Eliana (Ellie)
~Lisa, Kaitlyn & Blake
~Nana
~Raquel & Keenan

Xango Weekend in Vegas....

2008-04-27T16:29:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I had the pleasure of going to Vegas this weekend for a Xango meeting and to see a great friend! I drove up solo on Saturday morning and I am proud to say that I made it to her house in 2 hours and 30 minutes. The road is wide open to Vegas on Saturday mornings! :)

We had our Xango meeting and added a new addition to our Xango family....YEA! After the meeting, Kitty and Trent treated us to some GREAT sushi at 'I love Sushi.' If you are ever in the Las Vegas/Henderson area, you MUST eat there. Most of you know how much I love Ken's Japanese here in Rancho, but this place is right up there too! Thanks for the great food guys and it was great to hear Beethoven Trent! ;)

From there we had a girls night! It started out kind of slow but ended great ! We had a blast dancing! It was a much needed break! This is another reason that I love Xango.....I got to go to Las Vegas, see my friend and go out and now I get to write it off!!

While Mom was away the boys played. Brett and Braeden hit up the Lemon Festival in Upland and played in the sprinklers and had some bonding time!
Jenette, Me, Cynthia and Kitty outside of 'I Love Sushi' after a wonderful dinner!

Kitty & I @ Roadrunner.....lame place...LOL

Jenette and I at Drop in Green Valley Ranch

Kitty, Me, Jenette

Ann (Kitty's sister) and I at Ovation at Green Valley Ranch

The rest of the pictures....well....what happens is Vegas, stays in Vegas! ;)

Our First Trip to Disneyland!!

2008-04-23T10:14:00.000-07:00

Braeden's 3rd birthday is May 1, but we celebrated it a little early yesterday with some family at Disneyland! Yesterday was my Dad's birthday and Braeden's first time at Disneyland. Yes, I waited until my son was almost 3 to take him to Disneyland for the first time! :)

We got in the park at about 10:30a.m. and we got back to our car at 8:05p.m. It was a long but FUN day! Our first ride was Peter Pan, which he LOVED! He went on his first ride with Auntie Tahnee (my cousin) and got off smiling! Next we tried Pinocchio but he was not interested. That was the only ride that he resisted all day and we still never figured out why.....oh well!

We hit the carousel, Dumbo, Autotopia (where he thought it was hilarious that he was giving me whip lash!), Tarzan's Tree House, Pirates of the Caribbean (he says this was his favorite ride, he was so intrigued the entire time), Winnie the Pooh, the Tea Cups twice (he wanted to go a 3rd but Mommy was done), and then off to Toon Town. In Toon Town he has a great time exploring the town and meeting Goofy. We even hit the Go Gadget Coaster and he LOVED it!! I thought it was a little fast but he laughed the entire time!

We only met Winnie the Pooh and Goofy. We say the Genie from Aladdin but he was a little creepy, so we did not get a picture with him!

Tahnee and my parents went on Space Mountain while the rest of us finished up lunch and headed to the arcade and Autotopia. Then Grandma and Grandpa Riley (in-laws) waited in line with Braeden to meet Pooh while my parents, Brett, Tahnee and I hit up Splash Mountain. Tahnee convinced my parents into sitting in the first two seats and the were SOAKED!

Overall, it was a great day and lots of fun. No, we did not end up Season Pass holders!! I have not made up my mind on that one yet.....

Here are SOME of the pictures. I still need to collect pictures from Tahnee, my Mom and my Mother-In-Law and when I do I will update!

Papa, Braeden, Grandpa, and Grandma entering the Happiest Place on Earth!

Papa and Braeden checking out the dancing fish!

Making a wish!

Waiting in line for his first ride....Peter Pan! :)

Beign silly in line. :)

Waiting in line with Daddy for the carousel.

My Mama and I.

Papa and Braeden after the Tarzan Treehouse.

In line for Pirates!

On the Pirates of the Caribbean! (I know there is no flash photography, but I am a rebel like that!)

If you look in his glasses you can tell this is a self portrait!

Yummy Mickey Ice cream!

Chocolate face!

Are my hands clean Mom?

Cousin Tahnee and I!

After the Dumbo ride.

Braeden and I waiting in line for Autotopia.

Is it a problem that my driver can't see over the steering wheel!?

Tea Cups!

We were going fast!

Braeden laughing and loving every minute of it!

My arms were all out of steam!

We have entered Toon Town!

Grandpa getting electrocuted!

He had to push every button.

Let me out!

Does he look tired?

Papa (birthday boy) taking a break.

The Wickers with Goofy!

How Unique are YOU??

2008-04-20T09:15:00.000-07:00

There is only one Cherish Wicker in the U.S!

HowManyOfMe.com

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How many have your name?

Cute Baby Shoes!

2008-04-20T08:45:00.001-07:00

No, I am not pregnant! As most of you know, I am deathly afraid of having a girl when I do get pregnant again....but that is neither here nor there. What is important at this moment is that, IF I do have a girl next time around she SO will be having these shoes!!!

Yea! Daddy Comes Home Today!

2008-04-20T08:40:00.001-07:00

No, he hasn't been gone long, but it feels like it! We miss him!

Brett went to the river house with his parents and brother this weekend to do some fishing. He has really been looking forward to this and I am so glad that he was able to go. He has been working long days and having 6 day work weeks for sometime now, so he deserves it! It sounds like we will be having fish for dinner next week!

Happy Sunday everyone! Braeden and I are off to birthday party number 2 this afternoon.

Picnic day at Red Hill Park

2008-04-18T21:47:00.000-07:00

My Mom planned a picnic for Braeden and I all on her own. She brought all the food...even for the ducks!

Braeden LOVED it! We picked him up from school today and then headed to Red Hill park. We had our picnic under a beautiful shade tree and then made our way to the play area where Braeden climbed around like a monkey, making Nana nervous!

It was such a GREAT afternoon, we can't wait to do it again soon! Enjoy the pictures!

Running down the hill....great nap inducer!

Run Braeden, Run!

This was his new pose, every time I told him to look at me for a picture...wth?

My little explorer, climbing the rocks by the lake.

Feeding the ducks!

Braeden LOVED the turtles!
Refusing to do his Statue of Liberty pose that he does a zillion times a day!

My Mom was on edge every time he climbed this, but he did it like a pro!

Happy Friday! Have a great weekend all!

Oh how I dislike Wal-Mart....

2008-04-18T20:01:00.001-07:00

Let me count the ways.....

1. A man (in his 50's) tried to start a fight with a poor older man who didn't see him and BARELY touched him with his cart.
2. There is trash ALL over the the parking lot.
3. There is crap in EVERY aisle making very difficult to navigate through an already crowded store.
4. The return/exchange line is about 30 lines deep and every other person didn't have a receipt and it was the sales clerks fault!
5. They have no dividers on the conveyor belts to separate your stuff from the person in front of you and the person behind you. No the chewing tobacco is NOT mine!

Oh I could go on and on! But....I did get some great games from some birthday gifts and some decorations from Braeden's little birthday party for under $40!

A day at the VG library....

2008-04-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

Braeden loves the library, so we headed over to the Victoria Garden's library with Lisa, Kaitlyn and Blake today. The kids had a blast listening to Lisa read them books, pulling books off the shelf and playing with each other.

While we were there. This little girl was sitting with a book. Braeden went up to hear and said, 'Can you read to me?' The little girl (was probably 3 and a half or so) said 'No!' and told him to leave. I was very proud, Braeden did not leave. You can tell it irritated her, but oh well, she was rude! Long story short, the little girl started to be nice.....for a quick second. I am not sure what she said, but Braeden loudly said, 'Don't say that to me!' I am proud of him for standing up to her! But the lovely mother of the precious (yeah right!) little girl who was never paying attention....this caught her attention. She had the nerve to tell the little girl to get away from a mean kid and to ignore him. Ignore this! ..l...

Home Sweet Home

2008-04-14T21:57:00.001-07:00

Well, not for me, but for my Aunt Dawn and cousin Samantha! They are back from Arkansas and Braeden and I got to see them today. It was fun! Aunt Dawn is still the same, teaching my son to say mean things! Samantha has really grown up and is almost as tall as me and is in 6th grade!

We got to spend the evening in good company. Braeden played with Auntie Gina, while Tahnee beat me up and Michael laughed! Braeden didn't want to come home, but of course we had to! We will be back for some more fun soon!

KO

2008-04-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

And the winner is....Lisa!! Yes, it was another Wii filled weekend at the Wicker's! The DeArmas family came over for a BBQ and some fun! Lisa whipped both Brett's and Rick's (her hubby) booty in boxing!This is goofy Braeden on a hang out Friday night.

Blake was riding Braeden's golf cart that he never uses.

Blakey, chillin'

Braeden, chillin'

Let the boxing begin!

Lisa knocking out her second opponent. :)
She's pooped from kicking some butt!

Lisa finally let the kids play. ;)

Awww....she is such a great influence. :)

Braeden's turn!

And the night is winding down....

Delirious Kaitlyn!

My tired monster!

This morning we were luck enough to have my parents stop by for a quick unexpected visit. This afternoon we will be having some more fun with the Green girls and their boyfriends. We can't wait, it has been too long! "I know you like it!' (That's for Jamey, from Braeden!!)

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend and this AWESOME weather! I know we are!!
MUAH!

We survived Spring Break!

2008-04-06T19:15:00.000-07:00

This past week was Braeden's Spring Break from Preschool. I have really gotten used to my 3 mornings a week where I get so much done. Braeden loves school and is so active that I was concerned how Spring Break would go and what we could do to stay busy!

Monday we had a lazy day! We both stayed in our PJ's and cleaned (me, not him!) and played games and read books all day. Tuesday we went with some friends to Color Me Mine at Victoria Gardens and then to Borders (Braeden LOVES books) and then to get dessert at Pink Berry! Braeden painted a piggy bank at Color Me Mine...which I still need to go back and pick up! Wednesday we made a venture to the movies. This was Braeden's first trip to the movies. We saw 'Horton Hears a Who.' It was a cute movie and Braeden did well. Thursday we spent the morning at our MOPS meeting. Braeden is with the Mopettes while I am with the Moms. He loves it and it is a nice break for me. :) I made a pretty bracelet there.....I didn't think I would enjoy it but I did! We finished off the week at our friends who we have not seen in a while....the Schupps! Braeden and Cayden played and played. It was a long over do playdate!

This weekend was a fun one! Saturday I was up at 4:45a.m. I ran a 5K in Seal Beach with my great friend, Nicole! It was a great weather and a great time! We had some girl time at our favorite Mexican restaurant and got some pretty flowers at a farmers market. Saturday evening the Bloem's came over for some carne asada and drinks. Later that night the Wii was busted out and Brett and KC had some fun! :) Pictures to follow at the bottom..... Sunday was a lazy family day at home...I love these and it has been a while since we had one of those. We just did small projects around the house, hung out, played and planted some pretty flowers out front to get ready for Spring!

I hope that you all had a fabulous weekend and that your week to come is a great one!
Batter Up!

Hey batter batter!!

Caiden (#2 as Braeden calls him) playing the flute.

The boys enjoying the Wii!

Braeden was tired...he did not nap that day and was up for 14 hours straight. He was a trooper though.

Caiden was using the microphone as his remote when Brett and KC were playing.

The big boys (Brett & KC) finally gave the little boys a chance to play. Braeden was so beat he had to play laying down! :)

I Love weddings!!

2008-03-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the absence in updating the blog, but I was under the weather. It took 28 years, but I got my very first ear infection that turned into a mean sinus infection that did not want to leave me! I am feeling a lot better, but now I have hives....don't ask, because I don't know!

On a more fun note.....we went to a wedding last night! I absolutely LOVE weddings and it had been a while since we had been to one. The wedding was for a family friend, Amanda Chocek, who I used to babysit....yes, I feel old! She was a very beautiful bride and the wedding was fun! Braeden stayed home with Auntie Joni and made cookies and gave her a run for her $$! Love ya girl! Here are some pictures of our fun night!
Brett and I before we left to the wedding.

Trying to get a picture with Braeden but he was more interested in getting his bake on with Auntie Joni!

A little blurry, but the beautiful mother of the bride, Lisa.

The beautiful jr. maid-of-honor, Brianna.

The beautiful maid-of-honor, Kristen.

Brianna and Kristen.

The beautiful bride Amanda, and her Dad rode in on this horse and carriage.

Parents.

Us.

Ted & Amanda during the Father/Daughter dance.

Kristen giving her wonderful maid-of-honor speech!

My Mom, Lisa (mother of the bride), and Dori.

Cousins!
Back row-Matthew, Phillip, Eric, Mark
Front row- Kristen, Amanda, Brianna (all sisters)
I used to babysit half of this group!

Greg & Ted.

Congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Soria!!

Happy Easter 2008!!

2008-03-24T15:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter 2008!!
We had a great Easter and we hope you did too!

Ours started with a 6:45a.m. Wake up call from his truly......Braeden Logan Wicker!

Braeden LOVES markers so we decided to decorate the eggs with markers this year instead of the messy dye. He didn't miss out though, they did the dye at school!

Slightly obsessed w/ smelling everything!

Daddy decorating eggs.

Yes, there is marker on his nose!

Daddy & Braeden decorating eggs!

Our finished products....we each only did 3.

Braeden's Easter Basket

Braeden breaking into the basket at 6:45, and yes, he had jelly beans for breakfast. Bad Mommy, I know!

YUMMM! Chocolate bunny!

Cheese!!!

Our Easter was a little different this year. Grandma Julie (Brett's Mom)had surgery earlier in the week so she was not up for the drive down to our house. So we drove up to Oak Hills on Easter Morning to hang out with them and Uncle Kyle for a couple of hours.

Then we headed home to nap. Ummm, there was no nap. It couldn't have been the jelly beans for Breakfast and the M&M's for Lunch could it??

Then my parents, cousin Tahnee and her friend Caity came over. We mostly hung out, ate and drank!

Nana trying to force Braeden to taste a black jelly bean. Nope, she didn't get him to eat it! That's my boy!!

Nana, stop!!

Papa assisting Braeden climb a tree....

Easter Egg Hunt time! Our neighbors had a ton of people over and did a really big egg hunt at the park across the street from our house. They were sweet enough to invite Braeden to join them! He had a blast and filled his Elmo Easter basket up fast.

I hope the you all are having a wonderful day and that you are enjoying this AWESOME weather!!

Build A Bear

2008-03-24T15:24:00.001-07:00

Last week (the day the sickness came on), Braeden and I hit Build-A-Bear in Ontario Mills. Braeden had a gift card to the store that he got for Christmas. Braeden got a VERY good report for his preschool teacher so we decided to celebrate by going there, to see the Easter Bunny and to lunch, just him and I.

Well..... Build-A-Bear was a hit! He made a dog named 'Dog.' My son, is VERY literal! Below are some pictures of him washing 'Dog" before he got dressed in his basketball clothes that Braeden picked out.

From there we went to see the Easter Bunny. Well, as we are getting closer we see the Easter Bunny walking the other way. I thought maybe he was just walking around and giving his butt a break....WRONG! We get there and there is a sign that the bunny will be back at 12:45....umm, it was currently 11:30! Braeden was so sad and said, 'But Mommy, I just wanted to hug the bunny.' Well damn it, he was going to get a hug! We ran, yes, ran through Ontario Mills and caught that silly rabbit right as he was about to go in his corridor, oh I mean 'cage!' The bunny and his helper were so nice! Braeden got to get a hug and chat with the bunny. I was too out of breath to get a picture....sorry!

Then we headed across the street to BJ's (Braeden's choice) for lunch. He throughly enjoyed his grilled cheese and smiley french fries as I was so sad that I couldn't tast my salad and Sweet Pig pizza. :( This is when I realized I was definitely sick!

On the way home, Braeden said, 'Mommy, my eyes are closing and I am not making them.' All I could do was smile and tell him it was OK. Usually I don't like him to fall asleep in the car, but he was exhausted...obviously!

It was a fun Mommy & Son day!

The Things I am Thankful For...

2008-03-20T15:56:00.000-07:00

I have been under the weather for the past couple of days and have been forced to rest. For those of you who know me well, know that 'rest' is not a regular word in my vocabulary! Well, with the help of my husband and my Mom, I have really been given no choice but to rest.

Brett came home from work to take Braeden to preschool so he didn't miss his Easter celebration while my Mom picked me up and took me to the doctor since I was not in any shape to drive. I ended up with and ear infection, 'a messed up throat, congestion, a fever, and strained ribs from coughing so much. My orders were to take this laundry list of stuff and 'rest.' I have known my doctor on a personal level since I was 17 so she stressed the whole 'rest' issue and even gave me an off work note for my tutoring job!

I am thankful for:

My husband who came home early to take Braeden to school.
My husband for doing my share of our 'nightly' routine with Braeden.
My husband for doing the laundry that I had started and was too sick to finish.

My Mom for taking me to the doctor when I was too weak to drive myself.
My Mom for picking Braeden up from preschool.
My Mom for making me lunch and cleaning my much needed kitchen!
My parents for taking Braeden over night so I could rest and sleep in this morning and keep Braeden healthy.

Joni for subbing my classes today and tomorrow so I can be healthy again and so the kids don't miss out!
My friends for calling or emailing me to check on me! You guys are awesome!

Thanks everyone and I hope to be better soon and be back in action!

Even Kate Moss Drinks Mangosteen!

2008-03-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

Look at the fruit in the picture! ITS the MANGOSTEEN.....

Kate Moss in LOOK Magazine from the UK

For more information contact Cherish!

Rock On!!

2008-03-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Wicker's!

Braeden wore green today and had a 'Crazy Hat' parade at school and I am a bad Mom and walked out of the house w/o my camera! :( I prefer to blame me forgetting the camera on my not feeling so well. Yes, Braeden gave me his cough and it is God awful!

To make up for the lack of St. Patty's pictures, I have some fun ones from this weekend!

Our little rock star! He LOVES to sing and actually does a great job!

Now here he is as a skater. :) Yeah, he is well rounded like that! This was yesterday at his friend Keenan's 3rd birthday party. With not feeling great all week and no nap that day, he had a blast!

Happy Birthday Keenan! Keenan is the cute little guy in the middle who looks like a porcelain doll. His Mommy (Raquel) made that cake from scratch. You go girl!

Daddy got his b-day present....about 6 weeks late! :) We finally got the Wii!! The picture above is of Brett and Braeden playing baseball. It looks fun, although I have yet to try it. Maybe tonight w/ some GREEN beer!

I hope that you all have a fun, happy and safe St. Patrick's Day!

Bottom's up!

BUNCO!

2008-03-15T14:53:00.000-07:00

BUNCO!

Last night my Mom's Group played bunco. There were quite a few new comers and quite a few different ways in which people played. Once that was all hashed out, we had a GREAT time....

Below is a group shot of everyone who was there (minus a couple people, I think!)

This is Sara, myself, Michelle, Lisa and Olivia. Sara made me almost pee my pants numerous times and my abs are sore today from laughing so hard at her! Good times!

This is my partner in crime Lisa @ my house before we left for bunco. This girl truly is a GREAT friend!

I hope that everyone is having a GREAT weekend!

Do Spiders Poop??

2008-03-13T21:04:00.001-07:00

Aww the things that kids will say and ask? My answer to my son's question was yes, I hope I was right!

Most of you know that Braeden has been slightly under the weather the past couple of days. After Brett talked to the doctor today, we are sure he is fine. Just the lingering cough that could last for about 2 weeks....fun! But if you as him how he is he will say, 'Great!....Oh, I mean I am a little sick right now.' My son is so drama, it is not even funny!

2008-03-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

OK, the pictures are finally working! Below are some pictures of our family day on Monday! Enjoy!

Aunt Cheryl (Brett's Aunt on his Bio Dad's side), Brett, and Braeden covering Mamaw (Brett's Grandma)

He is such a goof ball!!

Aunt Cheryl, Me, Mamaw @ Mamaw's house

Mamaw and her Great Grandson

Later that day....Cody showing Lane and Braeden stuff on his non-working phone! :)

Fun Family Weekend

2008-03-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a great day! Well, after we realized that we were behind schedule a hour because we totally forgot about the time change! So not everything we set out to do yesterday got accomplished but it still was a great day. :)

We went to go see Mamaw (Brett's Grandma) in Fontana. It had been a while sine we had seen her so the visit was long overdue. Braeden was a little reluctant to get too close to her but I think it was her high pitched voice! Aunt Cheryl (Brett's Aunt) on the other hand became Braeden's new best friend. He really loved playing with her and talking to her. We took some good pictures so as soon as the site wants to cooperate I will be posting some pictures.

From there we went up the hill to Oak Hills for another long overdue visit to my Godson and his family. It was a fun time! Braeden got to play with his cousins (Cody, Cole and Lane). Lane is 4 1/2 and him and Braeden played and shared really well together. We all had a great visit. Braeden was so dirty at the end of the night and didn't even make it home with his eyes open. We were half way home when I looked back and saw that he was out. A sign of a good time! :)

Be sure to check back later for those pictures!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss

2008-03-02T08:06:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!!

Yesterday Catherine let us know that they were celebrating Dr. Seuss' birthday at Lakeshore Learning Center. So Braeden and I joined her and Caiden there. The boys had fun, it was a little stressful for Cat and I. :)

Braeden getting his faced painted like a cat.

We were paiting our Dr. Seuss hat here.

Here they were making flower pots. They also painted a picture and listened to a Dr. Seuss story....well they were supposed to listen to it. They thought that walking around the store and playing was more fun. :)

RanchoParent.com Developments!

2008-02-22T07:10:00.000-08:00

Many of you know that I got a partner for the site last year, Catherine. She has been wonderful and has allowed me to stay apart of the site.....most of you know I was considering selling it last summer. Anywho, things are going OK and I feel optimistic that this will be an even better!

I am writing to share something fun with you guys about the site! I was introduced to an amazing Mom, by the name of Kadi Prescott, who is a local mother of SEVEN, yes seven! Although she looks like she has had none! Kadi is an amazing writer who blogs regularly and is writing a book. Kadi's family will also be on an episode of SuperNanny early next month. Well, the great news is that Kadi has joined the RanchoParent.com family and will be doing a weekly column for us in out newsletters! I am SO excited about this and I highly recommend you to check it out, you will love her writing and her humor....at least I do!

Happy Friday and I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend!!
-Cherish

My New Passion

2008-02-21T14:00:00.000-08:00

Boy how time flies! I cannot believe I have not written or updated since NOVEMBER! Bad Mommy!! Well, a lot has happened since November...obviously!

We went to Maui in December and I spent my 28th b-day there! That was Braeden's first flight and he did AWESOME! It was myself, Brett, Braeden and my parents. We were spoiled in first class and got to stay at Four Seasons for a week! Needless to sya, it was my best vacation yet!

Well, then we had Christmas which was fun as always! Braeden of course got way more than he needed, but of course loved it! New years.....hmmm, I think I am getting old because I so cannot remember what we did??? Can someone help me out here? I think it was a mellow night at home, but I seriously forget!

Then January was a fun but busy month. As most of you know we have 7540879769 birthdays that month! Ok, not that many but we have A LOT! A fun and important one was Brett's 30th b-day! We had a little shindig here for him and it was tons of fun! Also in January, our baby (OK, I know he is not a baby, but still!) started preschool!! He loves it! He started right after the holiday break going Tuesdays & Thursdays from 8:45-11:45a.m. He now goes MWF, same time, same teacher. He would go everyday if I let him.....a little rough on the pocket book though! :)

Now for the fun stuff.....at least it is to me! It took a while and lots of searching and researching but I found a new passion! I am now a distributor for a health drink called XANGO! It truly is an amazing product that helps so many ailments of life from acne to heart disease.

Check out my site at; www.myxango.com/cherishwicker

I am having a tasting at my house on Wednesday, March 5, 2008 @ 7p.m. I would love for you all to come and hear more about this phenomenal product and see why I am so passionate about it. There will be a great speaker as well. In the mean time please LMK if I can answer any questions for you!

Sorry if this update was boring for some, but I had to do it! I promise to not let it go too long before I update again!

Have a great reat of the day!
***Quit being a quitter***

Silly Braeden

2007-11-29T22:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Braeden wanted me to take pictures of him and he was being very silly! He likes to play 'You better not go in my forest!' (From Dora the Explorer) and that is what we were doing here.

These pictures really show his silly personality! :)

Braeden took this picture himself!

This seems kind of boring, but it really was a lot of fun! His laugh is so contagious!

Bus Trip!

2007-11-29T21:28:00.001-08:00

Public Bus Trip!

On Tuesday this week we rode the public bus from downtown Claremont to La Verne and played at a park and then took the bus back. We did this with Teacher Barbara's class. It was a lot of fun, but a little stressful waiting on a public street for the buss to come with 15 toddlers!!!

This is Braeden's buddy Cayden above. This picture is a big deal because we have nicknamed Cayden, 'Cautious Cayden' because he is so cautious and not a big risk taker! :)

Most of the bus trip group....Braeden REFUSED to look at the camera!

Playin' at the park in La Verne

It was fun, but I REALLY hope I NEVER have to rely on public transportation!!

Let the Christmas Spirit begin!

2007-11-29T21:00:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays!

My parents came over last weekend and helped get the house ready for Christmas. My Dad helped Brett outside with the light while my Mom helped me put finishing touches on the almost completely decorated inside! All the decorating is done and the shopping is about 60% done!

Below are a few pictures of our weekend.

My pretty lamp!

Nan & Braeden doing 'art.'

Our house

Our tree! I need to get a better night shot to show you how pretty it looks!

This reindeer sings Jingle Bells and Braeden LOVES it!

I hope that you all are enjoying the beginning of the Christmas season as much as we are!

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year Braeden and I went to my parents house in the morning for some breakfast, mimosa's (not Braeden!), and coffee, outside by the fire. It was so nice! Braeden got to play with his little girlfriend Taylor who lives by my Mom. Sorry there are no pictures of that because we were over there way too early for me to remember to bring a camera! Taylor did teach Braeden to wave his hands in the air and say, 'Heyyyy, Hooooo.' It is too cute. I will try to get a video of it soon, but those of you who know my son well, he doesn't do much on command! :)

We then headed up to Oak Hills to spend Turkey Day with the Riley's! Below are just a few pictures of our day.

Above is Grandma, Grandpa, Braeden, Grandma Riley (a.k.a. Grandma Tiny), and Brett

Above are the same people, minus Grandpa.

Trying to get them all to look at the camera one time was not easy and did not happen! :)

Brett got a great picture of Braeden and I stuffing our faces with dessert! Grandma Tiny, Aunt Jane and Uncle Kyle are also at the table.

Braeden & Grandma on the golf cart....Braeden loves it!

TRYING to get a family shot--Brett, Cherish, Braeden, Kyle, Dennis & Julie

Trying again.....

The Riley/Wicker clan!

Uncle Kyle and Braeden (crazy beenie!)

He loves his Uncle!

Braeden & Mommy!

Getting ready for another golf cart ride!

Much love from the Wickers!