Dawn Kaiser and Cain Kaiser

00:00 Give me a thumbs up when you are done.

00:05 Greetings, my name is Cain Kaiser. I'm age 16 and today is July 25th of 2018. I'm here at the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch in Bismarck North Dakota. And I have here with me my mom Dawn Kaiser.

00:21 And my name is Dawn Kaiser. I'm 53 years old. Today's date is July 25th, 2018. And we are at the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch in Bismarck North Dakota and I am here today with my son Cain Kaiser.

00:38 I'm not going to say mine again, so

00:41 So I'm going to ask you some questions mom. Is that okay?

00:46 What was the happiest moment of your life?

00:50 I have three really happy moments. Give me two of them two of them was two of them are the day you were born.

01:00 And the day I married dad.

01:03 Okay, give me a third one and the day I graduated from that school, which was when May 2000 no, 1994 and 1994. I was thinking of you graduating high school in 92. Wasn't it for high school?

01:25 What's that? You were a 1992 graduate on the Buffalo website veterinary school? Yeah. Yeah high school was 82 so it wasn't before then they say 1994 married dad.

01:42 So what were the happiest what was what are the two happiest days of your life?

01:48 Well, one of the happiest day of my life was my 16th birthday. That was fun. Wasn't it really was as all get this? We went to Sky Zone and my dad said he had to go to the bathroom at Walmart because my parents had some things to do at Walmart. Can you talking to me? I remember? Oh, yeah.

02:08 Well, you guys have something to do at Walmart right now and then my dad or dad I shouldn't say illegal, but it was a left turn and

02:21 So I kind of knew what was going on cuz it was my birthday is September 26th and 2017, but

02:30 Yeah, we won in the Sky Zone and it was like I knew what was going on. So my dad didn't have to go to the bathroom when we aren't when we were in Sky Zone. We went up to the like the way up to the top went up to the top floor to

02:48 That guard up to the party Zone and Dad and have to go to the bathroom the whole time.

02:54 Nope. Were you surprised? Oh, yes, and I just loved it that Jenny Jesse and

03:05 John Mayer and a bunch of other people were here at my birthday party even angel kilber. I'm glad we surprised you the night before I remember we stay later at our house because she had some things to do and I think 10 Shiloh bring

03:24 The kids home. I don't remember but the kids weren't there are house and make cupcakes and we spent half the night decorating cupcakes for your birthday party going to go stay up was probably close to midnight or 1:30. Yeah, it was a long time and I really appreciate that for my friends and you never told me who oh, yeah, you did tell me it was Sarah who decorated your locker at school do Sarah actually found that out before I went on your phone and I was trying to what I was trying to find someone like a contact in your in your messenger and Sarah Doppler just happened to pop up sneaky. I know what about another happiest day of your life. Give another one. Yes.

04:17 When I got Alex to my dog in I was March 6th of 2008 owes little over 10 years ago.

04:25 So I remember that you had a surprise for me and I was only I forget what it was six or seven 6 and I haven't forgotten about the promise that whole time.

04:41 But when we went up to Wilton, I remember that and

04:46 We got Alex. I got to pick my puppy and I had the name picked out Alexander Johnson Kaiser. Yes. I had to give my middle name, so I will never forget.

05:00 Do you want me to stay one more? Cuz I can't think of another one. That's okay. So who has been the kindest to you in your life so far?

05:12 Do I have to answer that question to that is hard. It is hard well.

05:18 Preserve is there somebody that stands out or is everybody been pretty good?

05:26 Well

05:29 The kids in Beulah at school have been better to me then some other people have been okay.

05:37 But I know the ranch at Dakota Memorial downstairs. What I'm of the ranch here is they were good to me like really good to me. I know the kids at the ranch have had some problems probably sometimes worse than me, but

05:55 I am got through them. You didn't go through my problems. And when Jenny and John said that I was ready for public school. I was ready even though I didn't think I was ready. I was ready you were ready and they did a good job helping you transition in their didn't they?

06:16 So

06:18 What is your earliest memory?

06:23 Well, this isn't my earliest memory, but I remember dad telling me that he was the first one to hold me as you were. You still had your

06:33 I was still in the recovery room, but I think the earliest memory that I've had write the earliest memory would have been so it was I think I was not even a year older. Maybe I was a little over a year. So it was to Thompson's is Jackie and Shelly and Penny and Willie and

06:58 Who's the other one buddy buddy? And I always sat cuz it was just like in one of those tiny Minivan and SUV or something. Why do small Vehicles small cars in it? So nobody had to ride in the way back. He remember that. Yeah, really? I always said that if he was in the trunk.

07:24 That's right. You thought he was in the trunk date you.

07:28 I forgot about that. Really. Yeah, there's a lot you don't know yet or the whole world that you don't know nothing about well spill your guts buddy. Yes, Mother.

07:43 So

07:45 Let me ask you a question. Sure. Let's see here.

07:50 Who has been the biggest influence on your life besides me?

07:55 You better pretty big influence. That's for sure.

08:02 I think that there have probably been a couple people.

08:09 Grandpa my dad was a big influence in my life and he taught me a lot. He taught me to stand up for myself or the father daughter thing father daughter thing, but he taught me to stand up for myself and to do what's right, even though it's hard and to walk away and walk away when you need to walk away. I know they take a long sometimes you take a long time to learn because you know, even when I was in college, I still struggled with a lot of stuff and so just learning, you know, where to stand up for yourself and stand up for what's right and

09:02 You know, he was he was big he taught me how to do that. I had a couple of professors in vet school that were

09:14 Pretty great and that helped, you know helped me through a lot of stuff that was going on at the time taught me confidence and taught me not to be afraid to try new stuff.

09:32 So since Grandpa was big, is that where my grandma came from? Thank Grandma came from Grandmother note. That was who was who is big grandma? Was that your mom's mom or dad's mom big grandma was dad's mom. Yeah, and we called her big grandma because she lived upstairs. We lived in a duplex and she lived upstairs. And so we always thought she was bigger because she lived higher. Oh, so we always called her big grandma and I remember

10:09 Going upstairs to visit Grandma a lot cuz she was right upstairs and she had air conditioning we didn't have air conditioning. So that was pretty cool that go to Grandma's with the air conditioning. Literally. Yes, and so we would sit and watch General Hospital the soap opera that was Grandma's favorite and we would have squeeze cheese from the can on the crackers and watch General Hospital in the afternoons during the week during the summer and if if my dad was at work and you know, my mom had

10:54 Aunt Kim and Uncle Bill and maybe they went to the park or something and so we could go up and spend the afternoon with Grandma eating squeeze cheese that use for the dogs downstairs.

11:14 Ask another one.

11:19 Let me think.

11:24 Is there something about me that you always wanted to know but never asked?

11:29 Something about you that I always wanted to know but never asked.

11:35 Be reasonable.

11:38 I'm always reasonable. Yes, I am.

11:45 I don't know. I guess I've never thought about that.

11:49 Is there something you want to tell me that I've never asked?

11:55 This at work. Is this a trick question?

12:03 Was there a time when you didn't like me? No?

12:08 There's never been a time that I haven't liked you even or kind of been a jerk. Sometimes there have been times that I've been aggravated and then I've been irritated and annoyed, but guess what you're a teenager and every mom in the world gets aggravated and annoyed at teenagers, but I've never ever not liked you and I have never ever ever not loved you.

12:39 From day one. And in fact, I have those have you ever read those books that I'm that I'm writing for you the letters that I'm writing to you even though you're on book 5 you never even let me read them anymore or you never have let me ride him so someday I'll let you read them because they start when I first the day that I found out that you were coming that I was pregnant, but I was pregnant. I don't remember what the date is. It's in the book, but I started writing you letters that day.

13:17 Dear future Kane Dear baby, I think is what they said. When did you come up with my name?

13:24 I think we were well, but remember you called invitation are baby shower card from baby Kaiser, right? Well, that's how we let Grandma's know that you are coming. We sent them a valentine. That's it. Love baby Kaiser about the February that you found out then find out sooner than that. I think I found out in January.

13:54 But shoot I was going to tell you something else about that.

14:00 Yes, and I don't remember what it was. Sorry Mom. That's okay. Why did you come up with money and Cain? Oh, I know. So do you remember the ultrasound story? Have you heard the ultrasound story so that all the stories like that Denis or not. I will never forget.

14:37 The ultrasound story is that I had an ultrasound at work. And so I would ultrasound myself every month to watch you grow when you were in my tummy. And so

14:54 When you were for when I was 4 months pregnant 5-months pregnant something like that. That's when the doctors typically ultrasound and then you can find out the gender of your baby. Well Dad, and I wanted to know if you were a boy or a girl and she said it's a girl so we went out and we bought pink stuff. Yes. I do. Remember the story remember because you were going to call me Emily. Well that was that was one of the names so I'm we bought all this pink stuff Grandma had the baby shower, grandmother had the baby shower where everybody came and brought their gifts and showed off their gifts and they wrapped them and then

15:47 Grandpa and grandma other brought him up to our house and we unwrap them.

15:52 But between the time that Grandma had the shower.

15:58 And the time that they came up to visit us we found out I found out by ultrasounding myself that you were a boy.

16:08 Penny Finally Found You know what? So yeah, we found you-know-what and so then I

16:19 Call Grandpa I called Grandma and Grandpa Grandma and Grandpa and I'm crying on the phone not because I didn't want to have a boy. But sometimes when women are pregnant their hormones are crazy. And so it was just like a shock in the middle of everything and I remember Grandpa laughing hysterically on the phone belly. And do you remember how Grandpa would laugh so hard his whole belly would Shake that's how hard he was laughing Santa laughing and then he overnighted to camo outfits for his grandson.

16:59 Overnighted them to the house. So when grandmother and Grandpa came and brought all the presents, they were all pink and Ruffles because at that point everybody thought we were still having a girl and we didn't tell anybody we told Grandma and Grandpa and we told Grandma Keyser. Those are the only people that we told that you were actually a boy and then when we send out birth announcements we sent out blue ones and then everybody sent more stuff because they had all bought girl stuff. So now than they sent more boys stuff.

17:34 So that was pretty funny and that's all in those books those letters that that I've written to you for 5:05 yet. Haven't I know you were still writing in it couple weeks ago. I tried to write you a letter every week and sometimes it just got crazy. And so then I would open the book and is bo g's, it's been 4 months in here. I will write this in here. You better I will it'll be cool.

18:13 So now I'm going to ask you a question. What is the proudest moment of your life so far?

18:24 Well that a couple of them. Do you want one or two?

18:30 Speak on one of my proudest moments is actually I've had

18:37 For simultaneously

18:41 And it was when I was a finalist at the spelling bee at the Mercer County Spelling Bee the first time the second time the third time for the fourth time.

18:50 All of them that's yeah. I remember to start in 5th grade in Mississippi this class and then I guess

19:02 The 6th Symphony. Yeah, that was pretty cool. We are very we're always proud of you, but we are really proud of you then. I remember my first word that I missed some 5th grade was miserable. That's right. It was and I thought it was what I mean. Come on. That's what it is is mist and drizzle but come on. How was a 5th grader supposed to know what that word means? Yep. That's okay.

19:30 That's all right, and you know, honestly.

19:33 That was a day that and all of those days are days that I'm so glad that you're proud of yourself. And there are so many people proud of you watching that because up until that point.

19:51 Nobody expected you to be able to do that to get up in front and do that kind of thing Place 6th grade. I was in 10th Place.

20:09 Cuz I got out almost immediately.

20:12 Seventh grade. I was in fourth place, which because people didn't get half the words right place. You take great and my other products moment is Special Olympics bowling.

20:25 Aisha

20:27 Got first place in my division you did and you did very well on the back. Yes, but

20:36 Yeah, pretty good score of 130 something like that. And then it was my fact that have the pictures on my phone and I don't remember what they were still have them. That girl from

20:52 University of Mary oh your coach that you're laying coats at Grace or whatever her name was.

20:59 Yep. She has really nice throws pretty proud of me, too. That's pretty cool. So what did it feel like going out there and getting a medal?

21:08 In which event the bowling?

21:12 That sounds great. Did it being on the top? Were you nervous? Just waiting for everybody else to get their stuff and then you got yours last last 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1. Yeah, I was very surprised cuz it's like I don't think I did that good cuz I know Johnny was Johnny was

21:35 Up there too. But I remember I was like what Danny wasn't on your team know right? He was on a different team my team know I think he was on a different team cuz he got a gold medal too. Cuz it was League like they swapped Lanes, but

21:57 Oh, yeah. Well, I remember it was like 648 pins or something like that, which makes no sense to me like the way they score it like it's like in first place what the score score of the score of 648 pens or whatever like that is how many pins are knocked down.

22:15 I don't know if that's how that works. Cuz then they handicapped they handicapped. It didn't know how that were scratch or something.

22:26 Where will we be in 10 years?

22:29 Where will we be in 10 years? That's a good question. Where do you think we're going to be in 10 years?

22:37 My guess is that I'm probably going to be well, I'm 16 now. I'll be twenty-six. Why do you think you might be in 10 years?

22:46 Where do you hope to be in 10 years special golden birthday, September 26th?

22:58 I don't know. I never really I mean, you know how I like the power to time travel. You know, I've always want to go to the Future depends on what I don't know. I just I was like the future but the past isn't I know the past and history is supposed to be a good learning experience or something like that.

23:25 I don't want to go back in the past like 1804. There was a Civil War in blah blah blah or caveman days, but the

23:40 I don't know number that t-shirt that I made for your time traveler t-shirt. Yep. That's pretty cool. I know I think we still have that. On the porch. I think it is.

23:51 But

23:52 Yeah, I know. I probably be dead way in the future. But well, I'll be that way in the future will do well, duh.

24:00 But 10 years from now.

24:02 You think you do want to have her career? Do you want to be married with a family? Do you want to be traveling around the world?

24:13 Well, aren't you just want to graduate high school first and then figure it out that because High School sucks High School sucks. I mean, I was afraid of high school girls in 8th grade. I know like now that I've had to deal with them like Dakota Memorial with different. I mean it was different because I know they had the same problems and I do have some crushes but I mean the situation at Dakota Memorial and very different I should have had some crutches in Beulah to but I've tried to control it.

24:49 So I think in 10 years.

24:54 Dad, and I would like to be retired.

25:01 It is 2018 and 2028 Shelby married almost 35 years.

25:07 And so we would like to have a little house in the country with some land that we can have the chickens. Dad wants to get a milking goat. Yes. Oh my God and maybe a sphere but enough land that we can hunt and if there's a creek that be pretty cool and just kind of living the quiet life on Nickelodeon. They have a thing where you're a goat, you know what that stands for greatest of all time. I'm obviously a goat

25:39 Are you in the greatest of all time?

25:44 Well, there's that.

25:50 I don't know.

25:54 So let me ask you a question. So that's the way this goes back to you being little. So do you remember some of the songs that used to sing to you?

26:07 Yes, what were they you're My Sunshine? That was the first one that came to my mind to what was the other one? The only one I remember there was Little Drummer Boy and all that. I sing a lot of songs to you. And you were little. I know I also remember a bunch of games at me and Dad used to play too, but I'll get to those in a minute That You Are My Sunshine is one that my grandma saying to me and my mom saying to me and Corky both and then I saying it to you and then one day.

26:40 I remember if we were in your bedroom or where we were but then you saying it back to me when you were like two and that was really cool. I know it's if you were actually listening.

26:54 What what?

26:59 But I do remember that there was a little drummer boy there was

27:04 Puff the Magic Dragon

27:07 That was another one that we saying a lot. I remember a lot of I remember a lot of things when I was little and they're just all the sudden coming back to me. Like there was a bullfrog.

27:20 Because I like fruit flies.

27:25 Ran out to eat egg white noise frogs. I looked at it here in front of your favorite book. I know I looked it up on.

27:34 Google once and it said like that book is old like 1980s. I still have it yours in the memory box. I know you do used to be up in your cubby. But but but since you had to paint there was I put it in the memory box. Yeah, that's pretty cool to play with Dad or Captain my eyebrows out when I remember.

27:57 I know there's a like a

28:00 What's another what's the weather like in for?

28:03 Another an alternate version I think is what you call it.

28:08 It's mother. May I?

28:11 That's what it's called. Really?

28:15 How come it never works?

28:17 I don't know. I don't either.

28:20 That's fine. We like some of my teachers say.

28:23 May I go to the bathroom or they they're supposed to say may I go to the bathroom? It's like can I go to the bathroom now? You're supposed to say may I?

28:33 I can attend but may I know you might not okay sign?

28:39 But I remember that there was Red Light Green Light there was

28:44 Simon Says

28:48 Do we ever play Red Rover?

28:51 No, but I talked to you about us talked to a couple I think it was on Facebook. They had a thing where it's like what is something you remember playing as a kid? I said Captain May I a whole bunch of people said Red Rover.

29:04 We used to play Red Rover, but that was more a game where you had lots of kids to play it. Oh.

29:17 I don't know duck. Duck goose, duck duck goose, who played a lot of duck duck goose. I remember in first grade in mrs. Boyd's class. We played that in at the zoo.

29:29 Oh, yeah, we did. We did. You know how you said you remember some of your teachers names from grade school?

29:40 Girls message Veronica kindergarten and first grade second grade and third yet.

29:51 Meisner in 4th and 5th grade

29:58 Does Sinclair and Sinclair and mr. Op in sixth grade? And that was all through grade school? Cuz they should move the 6th grade in elementary school. I remember mine and I had mrs. Post and Miss Furlong then first grade. What no first grade was Miss Furlong up to kindergarten teachers or no, Miss. Mrs. Post was Kindergarten then miss Furlong. Mrs. Nordberg, Miss Olson.

30:40 Mr. Houston, mr. Krause.

30:43 Fifth grade was mrs. Sorensen. Sixth grade. Was Miss Navid Ian and mr. Fichtner, cuz then I switch schools 7th grade was mrs. Fenner and 8th grade was mr. Seefeldt and mrs. Dahmer Sherwood Public School for kindergarten first second third and fourth grade. I started in Shorewood and then we moved to Racine and

31:24 Mr. Houston was at Crestview. Mrs. Sorensen was at caddy Vista.

31:34 Miss nibirian was at Jefferson Mr. Fichtner was at Trinity and then the rest of Eternity people.

31:48 I don't know if I can remember. I'm in. Order her but yeah, and I'm throws mr. Philly and I think he's still he was in Minot was me you wanted my not sure I'm not sure but then I'd mrs. Moss it which you know, that was difficult. And then there was mrs. Holton. Yes, freaky Marshall what's actually see him around town once in awhile yet?

32:11 Mr. Nelson, I heard he still there. This is mead difficult to

32:20 But then there was

32:23 Was that other one with mrs. Irwin, but she

32:27 See you when I hang out with your head when I hung out with their Birds dead it was.

32:35 I want to hear run through the Missouri ones room. He sometimes whenever I had ISS over there.

32:46 So

32:48 What is what is one thing that?

32:53 Cuz we're running we're starting to use up our time. So what is one thing that you want to tell me?

33:04 Anything in the world?

33:12 What's for lunch?

33:15 I can't help her head from a teenage boy. That's not surprising. I can't help it add Swiss Rolls for breakfast this morning. No, you didn't you had cereal and I have anything you want to tell me that all.

33:30 I love you, too.

33:33 And that's what I would tell you is that I love you very much. I'm very very proud of you. You have done amazing things in your young life and you will continue to do amazing things. Okay. I actually remember saying to

33:49 Kid shows. I think I was a young girl at the bowling alley. So you are a boy or girl has probably six or seven and I said cuz you still use the ramp for the bowling ball. And she said she was having some troubles like what the flick with the ball and stuff. So I said I said, I'll give you guys some advice cuz I think she's with her dad. I said there are three things not forgot what they were on there was

34:18 Do your best take your time? Have fun?

34:23 To do your best

34:25 Take your time.

34:28 Have fun and enjoy it. That's the fourth one. Enjoy it. Enjoy it.

34:33 Okay, anything else?

34:41 But you do that.

34:43 Okay, you go first I go first. So I think that you are an amazing kid. I think you're smart. You're funny. I'm smart. Aleck sometimes smart aleck. Sometimes you're funny. But I think deep down you are very caring. You're very caring and you're very sensitive and responsible, even though sometimes even though that teenager sometimes comes through and that's okay cuz we've all been there, but I think that you are a fantastic person and I think that

35:31 You are going to do great things because I think you're going to do terrific.

35:40 So

35:43 I know I can be kind of a jerk.

35:46 But I love you and

35:52 I know I can be kind of a jerk, but I try not like I don't mean it half the time even though you think I mean it like

36:00 I can get anxious once in awhile. But sometimes I just hard to control, you know, like Nyah.

36:12 That's where you were when you were his age. Yeah, so you've come a long way and I think that for everything that you have gone through.

36:25 You are turning into a very kind and caring young man and turn in * CK and will do very well.

36:38 And I love you. Love you, too.

36:41 I'll talk to you in a little bit. Okay. See you later. Love you. Bye.