Life in a Mound of Flowers

Christmas Part Two

2011-12-30T15:21:00.006-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas weekend with all of my family in town, as well as Peter's dad and brother. The boys seemed to really enjoy everything and are now thoroughly enjoying all the new fun toys and games!

Our baby Jesus birthday celebration! Hayden had been waiting all month to celebrate all that we had been talking about.

Leaving cookies for Santa!

Santa got everything set up exactly as requested :-)

New train table and accessories for Hayden and...

and tool bench for Parker!

Hayden made a last minute request to Santa for his favorite candy...

Some very lucky little ones!!

From our family to yours...Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Christmas Part One

2011-12-30T15:02:00.005-06:00

We spend the weekend before the big day in Oklahoma with Greg's family. Everyone had a great time and lots of fun playing with different people for a change! We went on a light tour around town, so Hayden thought that was a lot of fun, too!

The before...

and the after, although this one was ready to go without the wrapping paper!

The whole wrapped gifts and such was very interesting to Parker!

An exciting game of Cars 2 Trouble!

There is always time to play ball.

Parker: Month Eleven!

2011-12-29T15:23:00.008-06:00

Another month has gone by, and Hayden is counting down to Parker's birthday! We have had a fun month with all of the holidays. He has become a super crawler...he is crazy fast when he sees something he wants! He loves anything to do with Hayden, whether Hayden likes it or not! He got another tooth, for a total of six already.

Stats: 23 lbs 7 oz. (87%) 30.5 in. (90%)

A few other things:
* he pulls up to his knees still
* he says ma-ma, da-da, bawl (ball)
* loves to play 'catch' with a ball...he can throw pretty well!
* he loves cheese, peas and pasta; also he tried blueberries, ham, and green beans
* he is very loud...loves to her himself screech and yell more than ever!

And in picture form:

His new face...usually accompanied with some sort of yelling!

Looking like a giant in Lorelei's swing!

Very into his light up music toy.

He LOVES his blankies...they are perfect for chewing on :-)

Playing with Hayden!

Ball play!

A little bit of noise :-)

Holiday Happenings!

2011-12-29T14:10:00.006-06:00

We try to hit up as many holiday festivals and fun stuff as we can! We didn't get to as many this year because of various other going on's with the whole selling the house thing, very raining weather, and nap time for Parker!

We went to the Gaylord at the beginning of the month for brunch and the sights. We didn't make it to The Ice this year...figured Parker wouldn't really be a fan!

Checking out one of the trees!

Everyone loved watching the trains...Hayden looks forward to it every year now!

We had an Elf on the Shelf arrive at our house this year. He was named Brodie after his friend who recently moved away! He was a busy guy and truly brought the magic of the holiday to Hayden :-)

The first hiding place!

Lots and lots of fun!

Fun party time at school.

Watching the light show at church.

The tree!!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-29T11:40:00.005-06:00

We headed to Houston for the Thanksgiving week. We stayed busy with a trip to Galveston and Moody Garden, playtime at the house, and shopping in the rain at the outlets!!

Testing out a shark cage!!

Posing with a black lemur type monkey!!!

Just playing around.

Tearing bread for the stuffing!

Treats for Turkey Day :-)

Yummy turkey treat.

Wearing a bit of our dinner :-)

Football and horseshoes with Daddy!!

A little holiday preview!

Football Season!

2011-12-29T10:58:00.006-06:00

We had a great time all fall going to the TCU games and cheering on our Horned Frogs! Parker spent a lot of time napping in the stroller, since the games were all in the afternoon due to the stadium construction this year. Hayden didn't care for our temporary seat locations due to the speakers being directly above us...he still does not like loud noises. The weather wasn't too bad beyond the first game and the last, so we spent a lot of time in our tailgating spot. The season ended with a 11-2 record, which was pretty good a new, young team. Big 12 here we come next season!!

Sporting his jersey.

Sitting for a quick rest!

Parker is enthralled with can tabs...

and bottles!

Hangin' in the shade of the tents!

They gave out sprayer fans at one of the hot games :-)

Watching an away game at home with Lorelei!

And a picture for Greg and his first team!

Parker: Month Ten!

2011-11-21T09:39:00.008-06:00

Parker turned 10 months old last week! He had a busy month with Halloween, football games, and being on the move. We started crawling about half way through the month...two months earlier than Hayden! He is having a great time chasing the cat and getting into mischief.

Stats: 22 lbs. 8 oz. (85%) 30in. (90%)

A few things from the month:
* He got 2 more teeth in for a total of 5!
* He tried chicken pieces, banana, carrots, veggie 'fries'...still can be really picky but getting better with meals.
* Sleeps through the night...mostly :-)
* Figured out how to put a ball in a hole.
* Loves to drop thing s from up high or just a toy when he is on the floor!

And some pictures:

He finally mastered the sippy cup!

Still loves to jump, jump, jump!

Getting into trouble...

Pulls up to his knees.

The Crawler!

Happy Halloween!!

2011-11-04T10:09:00.006-05:00

We had a great time for Halloween weekend this year. We didn't have just one dressed up...there were three!! Hayden had a hard time this year deciding on a costume. He finally found something, and it was a big hit with everyone he saw. He got to wear it to two October birthday parties, his party at school and of course on Halloween! He has come a long way in the dress up area :-) Parker didn't really haev an opinion on his costume and wore it without a problem, and Lorelei was hardly awake for anything!

Hayden at his class party.

Hayden's class in costume!

Pumpkin carving time.

Some Halloween day treats!

Introducing Buddy the dinosaur!

And Baby Dragon!

And with baby Lorelei...she's really into Halloween :-)

Hope you had a happy and fun Halloween!!

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere

2011-11-04T09:57:00.005-05:00

The season of the pumpkin patches has come and gone, now that Halloween and October have pasted. We only made it two times this year to the local one (and once was Hayden's b-day), and we went to the Dallas Arboretum again for their Pumpkin Village. Happy fall!

Fun times at the FM Pumpkin Patch!

Playing at the Dallas Arboretum with more pumpkins than you can imagine!!

Parker: Month Nine!

2011-10-24T21:59:00.006-05:00

Nine months old and continuing to grow...taller at least!! We are back to not eating again due to being sick and getting in new teeth, so we actually lost weight recently. Still above the curve though :-) Parker has started to become more mobile and looking more like a little boy than a baby! His hair is getting really long but you can't tell because it is so light blonde!

Stats: 21 lbs. 8 oz. (65%) 29.5 in. (90%)

A few things from this month:
- the first top tooth popped out (you can see it just barely in his 9 month photo on the right)
- we roll everywhere and then can sit up from lying down all alone
- he got really productive with eating but now just milk and puffs
- tried Cheerios and strawberries...not a fan of anything chunky
- reaches his arms up when you go to pick him up

And in pictures:

His favorite toys are balls!!

Parker and his best girl Emma :-)

When he does eat, he is not neat and clean!

Sippy cups are for chewing on not drinking unless someone else is holding it for him.

We're almost there!

Practicing our standing (he did not pull up himself...we're not that good!).

And...isn't this how everyone sleeps??

Hayden's Birthday Party...#2!

2011-10-14T10:09:00.009-05:00

We wanted to be different this year for his birthday party with friends, so we went to the local pumpkin patch for a special October themed party! It was a lot of fun, even thought we had a weather scare...a front came through right after we had our hayride! Thankfully we just had crazy wind and the rain held off until later that night. It got a bit rushed with that but everyone still had fun :-)

A little bit of Hayden!

On the hayride..you can see the ominous clouds coming in!

During the hayride there was a stop along the way to the mini pumpkin patch, and each child was able to pick out their own small pumpkin to take home :-)

Hayden and his choice.

Hayden and his girls...Emerson and Jaylee!!

Lauren, Hayden and Sutton

Food, fun, and friends!!

Decorations and such.

Cupcake and singing time!

We reset the scene at home for gift time!!

Happy 4th Birthday Hayden!!

2011-10-07T15:59:00.005-05:00

Last Sunday Hayden turned 4!! He had a party with all the family and our neighbors, and he chose Thomas as his theme for his first celebration!

The official birthday picture!

Birthday dinner of pizza and watermelon!

The ever important presents...

to be opened with friends!

Cake time :-)

Happy Birthday to you!!!

Sports and Stuff...a Hayden Catch Up!

2011-10-06T15:32:00.008-05:00

We've slacked a bit on what Hayden does these days besides go to school! So here is a bit over the past few months!

Over the summer, in addition to swim lessons, Hayden and his friend Connor took a sports class at a local gym. They combined basic football, soccer, and baseball skills with gymnastics.

Showing of their ribbons on the last day!

We started our first round of sports last month...T-Ball! It may be the funniest thing we've all ever seen. They are very cute but trying to keep all 10 paying attention is like getting the cat to listen! It took a couple weeks but he is really catching on to the basic rules and happenings of the game. He has a really great time, and he has three good friends on his team!

Hayden (and the whole family :-)) spent most of his free time at home playing with his best pal, Brodie, who lived next door. We had to say 'see you soon' to our some of our best friends and for sure, best neighbors, this past Monday as they start a new chapter in Colorado Springs. Hayden is looking forward to flying on a plane to visit!!!

Scootering!!

Brodie and Hayden :-)

Parker: Month Eight!

2011-09-26T10:19:00.005-05:00

Last week Parker hit 2/3 of the way to one years old! He has started to become a mover in his own way and a bit of a yeller...an new way to 'speak' has been discovered. He is trying to help me out and sleep a little better! He is still super easy going, and is proving to be great at restaurants (thankfully nothing like Hayden!), and he adjusts well when his napping schedule is off.

Stats: 21 pounds 5 ounces (85%) 28.5 inches (80%)

A few things from the past month:

* he slept through the night one whole time!
* he is trying to figure out the sippy cup
* feeding time is becoming super easy and he LOVES puffs and mum-mums
* he noticed the airplanes when they fly over
* a bit of stranger danger is starting to creep up

And in picture form:

Loves to take every toy our of his bucket and chew on each individually!

LOVES his puma cat Annabelle!

Moved up to his big boy car seat...thanks Mimi :-)

We get his face a lot...when he is sitting up he straightens his arms and legs at the same time...grrrr!!

First tailgate...forget 21 how about 8 months!! Go Frogs!!

He is a roller for sure...getting closer to a crawler we think.

First Day of School 2011!

2011-09-09T22:54:00.005-05:00

Hayden had his first day of his THIRD year of pre-school this week! He was such a little guy here :-) This year he went right in, no tears. He even asked me at 'meet the teacher' to just drop him off! He was a little sad that some of his best school buddies would not be in his class. A few of his girl friends are in his class and one little guy from last year. We requested his teacher this year...that's a teacher for ya! So far she seems really great personality wise for Hayden, and he still loves school!

Checking out the trucks and such at 'meet the teacher'.

Official first day photo!

Heading into class!

The tradition of the first day surprise continues...my apple cake is getting better :-)

And no day is compete without matching brothers!!

Parker: Month Seven!

2011-08-23T13:55:00.006-05:00

We have reach beyond the half way point to seven months! Parker went on his first big vacation, and is really beginning to understand what is going on around him. He still loves to smile at people but also grabs at faces now too!

Stats: 20 lbs. 5 oz. (85%) 28 in. (80%)

A few things from this month:
* he decided that eating was alright but nothing unless it is smooth, no chunks or thick things
* he can gum down puffs and mum-mums
* he can pretty much roll but would rather sit up
* no, he still doesn't sleep through the night

First ride on a swing while in Vail! Looks like he enjoys it!

The two teeth from last month are fully out :-)

Just because!!!

Enjoying the cool Colorado weather.

Sitting up like a big boy!

Eating...sort of!

Someone LOVES to jump! He literally cannot stop jumping unless we remove him from it...he fell asleep jumping the other day!!

Parker has started chatting again...he discovered a new voice! He thinks the Exersaucer is also for jumping.

Colorado...The Rest

2011-08-22T15:57:00.007-05:00

One night we took the gondola up the Vail Mountain from the Lionshead Village area. This was as close a winter activity they had, since there were no alpine slides close by to ride on! Hayden thought it was great, and had it been free we would have been doing it every day!

Going up!

Someone felt chilly :-)

Our one photo at the top of the mountain...yes my eyes are slightly closed, the air there was horrible for my eye allergies!

Mimi and Hayden hiking with some hiking poles!

Going back down the gondola.

We have squirrels, they have chipmunks!

Hayden and Greg.

Turquoise Lake.

One night we drove out to a ranch that did a family night...think dude ranch and cowboy fun!

Complete with an old wooden playset.

Some cattle roping and horseshoes were in order.

Of course no ranch outing is complete without roasted marshmallows!

Just because!!

No trip is complete without a round of mini golf for the crowd. Don't be jealous but I was the winner by several strokes!!

Hayden was very serious but very quick...he played four rounds of 9 holes!

Greg, Bean and Albert...he and his bench are for sale in case anyone is interested!

Colorado...The Boys

2011-08-22T15:35:00.005-05:00

Colorado is such a fun place in the summer because everything is done outside. Hayden has not played outside here at home really since June. It's sad! Hayden rarely naps when we travel but he did every day in Vail! Vail had some of the best parks I have ever seen, and you can literally play outside all day, every day.

The stream was a source of constant amusement and fun! Even Parker was into digging in the dirt :-)

The pirate ship park was amazing...it was right in the middle of the village and surrounded by resorts. There is always time for a swing in the mountains, too! We hit up 3 of the 5 city parks while we were there.

The Betty Ford Botanical Gardens...the highest botanical gardens in the world. Hayden had so much fun running around the bridges, looking for orange things, and watching the water features. There was of course a huge park here as well!

Hiking around Turquoise Lake.

Vail Village and Lionshead Village fun times!

Pony ride up on the mountain top!

Hayden became Caitlin's official photographer...actually took a lot of good pics once he got the hang of the camera!

Colorado..The Scenery

2011-08-21T21:23:00.005-05:00

Of course I have a ton of pictures and one post would be a bit ridiculous, so they will split among a few! Vail was just beautiful, like you would expect. We had never been to this middle section before. We have been all around the perimeter multiple time though. The town itself was so cute, just how a little mountain town should be. I really, really want to see it in the winter now!!

This was the stream, Gore Creek, that ran along our resort and pretty much everywhere we went along I-70! The water was crystal clear but COLD!

Vail Village area.

I am standing on our balcony right now...that's how close he was. The resort was pretty much built into/on the side of the mountain.

All the slopes are missing is the snow for ski season!

We drove about 2,000 feet up the mountain to Lake Turquoise (elevation 10, 200'). It was so much cooler even than Vail was up there. It is apparently turquoise do to "stuff" left over from mining back in the day.

Looking down into the valley as we made our way back down the mountain road!

Parker: Month Six!

2011-07-31T17:55:00.006-05:00

Well, I am only about a week and a half past due this time, so an improvement! We have reached the half birthday point, and man did the time fly. Goes much faster when there is already another one to keep up with :-) Parker is really getting a personality and beginning to act more like a baby than an infant!

Stats: 19 lbs (75%) and 27.5 in. (95%)

A few things from the past month:
* he got TWO teeth...3.5 months earlier than Hayden got one in!
* he is gathering some nicknames...Smiles, Chubs, Junior Boots, Doodlebug
* started liking to eat food
* passes toys from one hand to the other
* does not sleep through the night but has mastered napping

And in pictures:

We found our toes...this is what he is doing whenever he wakes up from sleeping in his crib!

Sits up with just a little help :-)

Working on those two teeth.

Joins us at the table for dinner...

to chew on one of his favorite toys!

Still isn't bored of Hayden!

Beach Trip!!

2011-07-27T09:16:00.005-05:00

We spent several days with my 2 close friends and our parents in Galveston again this year. What fun....even better than last year since we rented at a resort neighborhood with pools and a beach club, in addition to just the beach! It was a super relaxing time, and the beach where we were was so nice.

Ocean time...watch out!

Parker LOVED the ocean...we had sand and seaweed in our mouth :-)

Busy in the sand creating.

Emy and Hayden with some of their sand creations!

Driving his truck up and down the beach making tracks.

Parker also loved his pool float...he could 'chew' and kick his legs as much as he wanted!

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-15T16:41:00.002-05:00

Just a few pics to show we celebrated the day!

Some red, white and blue treats!!

The must have fourth of July wear :-)

Swim Lessons for Hayden

2011-07-15T16:13:00.004-05:00

Well, to say Hayden is a swimmer would not be quite correct. While he loves the water, will play in the pool for hours, run into the ocean, don't ask him to put his head in and actually swim...not yet anyway! In June he did an intensive two week, every day session in the level one class for three year olds...he didn't pass! Needles to say he is now in a once a week for the rest of the summer. We have made great improvements and hope to be in the next level for the fall session...we can't say enough about how great Auqukids has been :-)

Parker: Month Five!

2011-07-15T15:40:00.010-05:00

Well we are now one week from him turning 6 months but better late than never! There will just be two updates close together. Hopefully I can keep what he did when straight, at least mostly. He is growing like a weed...literally! He is huge, and muscular due to the constant 'running' we still do at all times. He still very happy and super smiley!

Stats: 18 lbs. (90%) 27 in. (95%)

A few things from this month:
* now we are too big to hoist our self and roll to the belly, so more practicing!
* still no sleeping through the night...sigh
* he loves Hayden, even if he just looks at him
* started solids right before he turned 5 months...interest is not really there :-)
* went on his first vacation to San Antonio

Puts something in his hand into his mouth...sorry it's so dark.

Hit's the pool for the first time!

Seriously, my brother is hilarious!!!

Loves to chew and make drool :-)

The inaugural day with the Exersaucer!

Testing out some always delicious rice cereal.

And last but not least we have acquired this awesome skill!!!

Last Day of School!

2011-06-01T15:44:00.005-05:00

Last Friday was the last day of Hayden's second year at school! On the Wednesday before they had their end of the year pool and splash party, which was really fun for all of them. He has had such an exceptional year and I can't wait for Parker to have his teacher when he is 2!!

Hayden already knew all his letters at the start of the year, but now he knows all the sounds, counts to at least 50, writes his name and a host of other letters, knows EVERY shape even the odd ones, recognizes words, adds and even subtracts in his head small amounts. Yes, we are worried with a mister smarty pants on our hands!!

Water time with friends!

Official last day picture :-)

Last day goodies...new things for some summer fun! Yes, we are a bit Cars 2 excited!

Normally for the first day of school I make an apple shaped cake, but for the end of the year Hayden helped make confetti angel food cake instead!

I know I am not alone is saying this, but Hayden goes to one of the best schools around. I am hard to impress when it comes to preschools, you know! Hayden's teacher took time to make a scrapbook for each child, that's 20 kids between both of her classes. It was an amazing gift!

Sea World

2011-06-01T15:24:00.005-05:00

Everyone had a great time at Sea World! We went on the Sunday of that weekend, and it was great. Not crowded at all, plenty of room in the stands, and no wait to get on the rides! Hayden had a great time doing everything!

Shamu, well technically a relative!

Watching Shamu, not the camera!

The sea lion, walrus, and otter show.

Hayden LOVES to ride rides, even the small roller coasters!!

We fed the dolphins (and the sea lions)!

Hayden had the time of his life in the Bay of Play playground and splash park...we could have sat there all day!!

And what is a day at an amusement park without a picture with a character :-)

San Antonio Trip

2011-05-28T16:00:00.006-05:00

Last weekend we took a quick trip down to San Antonio with my parents and Caitlin and Peter. Hayden had seen the commercials for Sea World an had been wanting to go...he went to the one in San Diego 2 years ago but of course he has no recollection of that and he really didn't enjoy it! I split the posts up since we had so many fun pics from Sea World, so this is the other part of the trip!

We stayed at the Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch, right by Sea World. They had a great pool area and we could hardly keep Hayden out of it! Our first night, we lucked out and it was campfire/s'mores night!!

Giant water cannons are for squirting Uncle Peter!

Swim time for everyone :-)

This is our cheese face by the campfire...

where lots of children were wielding sharp sticks around!

The final product...he only ate a couple bites which was more for me!

Walking along the Riverwalk after the boat ride.

Watching the boats go by while we waited for our delicious lunch :-)

Parker: Month Four!

2011-05-28T15:19:00.006-05:00

Last week Parker turned four months old...on the 20th! He went on his second trip, this time in the car. He did really great and slept most of the four hours...I still prefer a plane ride but it wasn't too bad! He had his first Easter, which let me tell you he thoroughly enjoyed and was really paying attention :-P

Four Month Stats: 16 lbs. 4 oz. (70%) 26.25 in. (90%)

A few things from this month:
*we are still trying to roll from back to front...I think by next month for sure
*he is really recognizing people and smiles when he see's those he knows
*we have developed a real laugh...I'll try to get a video for next month
*he loves to watch little kids...they make him laugh and smile like crazy
*grabs for objects and bats at toys on the play-mat

First carousel ride!

Testing out the Bumbo chair!

We had several cold days from the end of April through the middle of May, so I had to dig through the few items I had saved of Hayden's.

Happy Mother's Day!

Hanging out at his first craw fish boil :-)

Now when he sees his bottle he excitedly opens his mouth and pulls your hands and the bottle towards him!!

DKH Field Day

2011-04-29T16:30:00.005-05:00

Hayden's school had their first ever Field Day today. I don't know if everyone had field day when they were in elementary school, but we always did. It is just a bunch of relay types "races". They seemed to have a great time!

I like to call getting a bunch of three year olds to move together is like corralling cats!

Soccer ball bowling.

Obstacle course.

Bean bag tosses.

A little Rita's Ice and Goldfish for a job well done!

Easter

2011-04-29T16:14:00.006-05:00

Another great Easter celebration, this year with two sets of Easter baskets!

We dyed eggs...

received treats from the bunny...

dressed in our Sunday best...

played with new things...

and hunted for eggs over and over and over again!

Downtown Aquarium Adventure

2011-04-29T15:43:00.006-05:00

Since we had a few days off from school last week, the little ones and I headed back home for a few days. We decided to venture to the Downtown Aquarium. There are a few of these across the country, and they are owned by Landry's, so everything is over the top! It's pretty cool in that there is an aquarium, a huge ferris wheel, and other rides in the middle of all the downtown buildings.

Sharkey, the Mascot

We rode the carousel no less than 4 times...Hayden always had to ride the shark.

To get to the shark house, you had to ride a train...so right up someones alley!

Just because!

It was one of those things where the sharks and fish are all around you. This guy was resting on the glass right above us!

The big fish tank right across from our table. It surrounded the entire restaurant. Hayden really likes that big fish to his left...it was bright turquoise.

Just for fun!

This guy was at the end of the Mayan exhibit!

Parker: Month Three!

2011-04-20T10:27:00.006-05:00

Well, we have reached the three month point! Parker is really changing and growing up. He is still a really good baby...except for the spit up still!! We are all ready for that to end :-) He is growing, growing, growing...moved to size 2 diapers and 3-6 month clothes already. He is super smiley, and loves to watch his big brother run around and play.

Three month stats: 15 pounds and 25.75 inches, 70% and 95%

A few things from this month:
* he is desperately trying to roll from his back to his front now
* he has slept through the night a few times, otherwise he gets up between 5 and 5:30 for a quick snack
* he is becoming quite the "talker"
* he is trying to grab and hold things

And in picture form:

We have found our hands and the pounds of drool that go with it!

Loves him some TV!!!

Hanging out with the toys.

With Hayden :-)

Smiles in his coming home outfit...almost too small now!

A bit of conversation time!

Eggs, Ducklings and Fun...Oh My!!

2011-04-20T10:10:00.006-05:00

We had a busy Easter themed past weekend. On Saturday we went to an egg hunt at one of my friends neighborhoods and on Sunday one of my close friends had an Easter themed birthday party for her daughter!

Waiting patiently to start!

Hayden and Aaron

Off on the hunt...

for candy treats :-)

No Easter birthday would be complete without an egg hunt, bunny bounce house and baby ducks and a bunny to pet. Such a fun party...happy birthday to Jaylee!!

Everyone ready to hunt...

for more tasty and fun things!

Hayden keeping track of his girls, Emy and Jaylee!

Hayden and Emy couldn't get enough bouncing in!!

Look how cute!

Happy Birthday Greg!

2011-03-30T18:03:00.002-05:00

Parker: Month Two!

2011-03-22T16:10:00.006-05:00

Parker turned two months old this past Sunday! Time is going by much faster this time around. Hayden keeps us busy, so not much sitting around time for us! Parker is still a really good baby, minus the spit up on a regular basis. Hayden loves to see him every morning when he wakes up and rub his head :-)

Two Month Stats: 12 lbs. 14 oz. and 23.5 in., just over 75% in both

A few things for this past month:
- only waking up once in the night...up to 8 hours at a time
- super alert when he is awake...always watching with his big eyes
- likes having his head rubbed
- flew on an airplane
- realized he likes taking a bath
- likes to stand and push up and down
- reaches for toys
And in picture form:

Watching.

Loves to stretch when he wakes up.

SMILES!!!

Really enjoys tummy time :-)

Toys are fun!

Our biggest achievement, due to love of tummy time....Rolling!!!

Happy St. Patty's Day

2011-03-22T16:05:00.002-05:00

Just a few pics from St. Patrick's Day...green and all!

Lucky charm jammies!

A first lesson on the iPad!

Sporting their clover shirts.

Everyone working on a special green dessert in their green!!

Parker: Month One!

2011-02-22T15:08:00.007-06:00

Well, Parker is already one month old...and a couple days! He is just over 10 pounds and just under 22 inches. A few things he started doing in his first month:

- he generally wakes once in the night
- is on a pretty regular awake and sleep schedule
- when he is awake, he is very alert...we call him big eyes, since they are always watching something
- he almost has mastered smiling
- he holds his head up really well...but still is jerky with the arms!
- he is discovering his hand and can sometimes get them in his mouth when he wants to
- he does not like to take a bath
- he loves to be outside
- he has started "chatting' with you when you talk to him

There are the big eyes!

Busy watching his toys.

Cuddling in the swing.

Starting with the tummy time!

Distracted by a blanket!

Valentine's Day!

2011-02-20T20:01:00.006-06:00

Hope you had a wonderful and loving Valentine's Day! Hayden had a fun party at school, made homemade cards for his teachers and family, went gift shopping with Greg, and read many holiday books.

Valentine outfits.

Happy 1st for Parker!

That's a good card!!

Sweet treats and treasures for Hayden...

and Parker, too :-)

Reading Parker his new book!

Last but not least...sweet Valentine's treats!!

Happenings with Hayden

2011-02-20T13:33:00.008-06:00

With Parker's arrival there hasn't been as much talk about Hayden, so here is what he spends his time doing these days!

Perfecting recipes in his kitchen.

Making things at school...happy late groundhog's day.

Helping with the ironing.

Mac truck time.

Playing outside.

Bringing the Cat in the Hat home from school for the weekend...he has his own cat as well.

Playing with his electronic games.

Taking care of his baby.

Coming up with great imaginative stories when he plays trains.

Of course loves the baby play mat.

Jumping!

Being a great big brother...he has done so great.

Snow, Ice, Snow, and More Snow

2011-02-20T13:12:00.009-06:00

A little late in posting all of these but better now than never! January and the beginning of February was very wintry!! We had 5 days off from school...a record of some sort I believe.

Our first round of snow was the second week of January..just and inch or two but still something for Hayden!

The first snow was just enough for making a snowball!

The first five days of February it did not get above freezing here in Texas! In fact, the wind chill the first couple days was at or BELOW 0 degrees...it was VERY cold. The first day was actually ice, not snow and that all turned into sheets of ice everywhere for days!

Parker's first snow :-)

It is a -1 wind chill at the moment....even that bundled we only made it about 8 minutes before we were just too cold!

Walking in ice...literally! We didn't have any injuries until later in the week when he slipped on a patch on our front walk.

It is very hard to make a snowball when it is actually pieces of ice and sleet!

Day 4 of the winter storm brought us several inches of actual snow, on top of all the ice. Much better for playing, especially since it was in the 20's not the single digits!

Hayden loves to make footprints!

Trudging through the snow :-)

Last, but not least, some icicles!

Our final snow, so far, was the following week but it wasn't enough to photograph or play in!

Brothers :-)

2011-01-28T15:53:00.007-06:00

Hayden enjoys checking on his new baby! We have found him looking in at him when he is sleeping in his crib. He likes to 'pet' his head and make sure that he has his baby milk when he cries!

Just saw my baby Parker!

Giving Parker his present for his birthday :-)

Second day to see him!

Hanging out together at home!

Parker Ethan's Arrival

2011-01-28T15:31:00.005-06:00

Parker Ethan joined our family on January 20, 2011 at 5:56 pm. He weighed 8 pounds and 12 ounces and was 21 inches long. He has been a wonderful addition to our family! He is a clone of his big brother Hayden when he born :-) A few things we have discovered about Parker..

- he LOVES to sleep...day and night

- he LOVES to eat

- he has super sweet blond hair, with slight curls in the back

- he has blue eyes and chubby cheeks

- he he does not like to have his clothes off and isn't a big fan of diaper changes

- he loves to snuggle and be swaddled up

- he is very calm and mellow

- he rarely cries...mostly just a whimper

Here are some pictures from his first week!

Just after he was born :-)

First full day

Heading home.

Just hanging around!

First time outside!

Parker Ethan's Room is Ready!

2011-01-08T13:19:00.005-06:00

The day came yesterday...we finally finished the new nursery for Parker! He is set to arrive no later than January 20th, so we were done in time! Here is the tour:

Here is what you see from the doorway...as much as you can through the camera.

These are on the wall to the left of the doorway, waiting for the real hand and foot print.

From there you get to the dresser/changing area.

We are looking forward to using the new chair. It is very comfy!!

The crib wall.

A close up of the crib.

The print above the crib.

This shelf is on the wall to the right of the crib. Hayden is getting a photo op for now, and my friend Daniela made the super cure card that I framed. This, in coordinating colors, will go in the blank space after Parker is born!

Rose Bowl Champions!!

2011-01-06T12:46:00.003-06:00

A BIG congrats to our TCU Horned Frog Football Team on their win in their first ever Rose Bowl game over Wisconsin...21-19, making them 13-0 overall!! It was so exciting to have the opportunity to watch our school play for such a momentous feat. We couldn't make it this year but next time for sure!! We spend the afternoon cheering them on with my best friend Sabrina, all of her family, and most of mine, with some other friends mixed in!

The two biggest 3 year old TCU fans...Hayden and Emerson!! They were going crazy whenever anything exciting happened in the game!

Dancing to the music!

Getting on his game face with Greg.

Had to take some time to refuel for more cheering!

Obviously we weren't there to capture this moment, but the Star Telegram had this great celebratory picture!!

Christmas Celebrations

2011-01-01T10:23:00.004-06:00

This was truly a wonderful Christmas, with Hayden really getting into the spirit of everything and understanding it all!

Christmas Eve

We celebrated Baby Jesus' birthday this year for the first time. He really understood it this year!

The Tree...

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning for Hayden!!

Merry Christmas from us to you and a very happy, safe, and healthy 2011!!

Christmas Part One!

2010-12-20T14:37:00.002-06:00

Over the weekend we had Greg's family from Oklahoma in town to celebrate Christmas a little early. Hayden had a great time with his Grammy and Grampy, and also his Aunt Jill and Dean. He was very lucky to get such fun gifts and he has been busy trying them all out!

A Visit With Santa

2010-12-19T19:33:00.002-06:00

We did pretty well this year with Santa...went right up but then got a bit apprehensive. He was a little upset though that after he went to talk to Santa the one gift he wants was not given to him after the visit!

December This and That Around Town

2010-12-19T19:17:00.005-06:00

Hayden had fun riding The North Pole Express in Grapevine again this year! We headed there with my mom's group, which of course included his best pal Connor-Boy! They had fun wearing matching jammies.

Getting ready to head out!

Santa strolled through each train car for a quick visit.

A few days later we headed back to Grapevine in the evening for the Main Street Christmas Days they have every weekend. If you have never gone, I highly recommend! It never fails it was chilly but luckily there are also some great shops along the route for when you get cold!!

Hanging out with the polar animals :-)

Watching the light show!

Last year we made just a gingerbread tree, so this year we went all out and tried a house. It was a bit more work than anticipated but it turned out alright! Hayden is very proud to show it off and talk about all the candy decorations on it.

ICE! at the Gaylord

2010-12-06T10:35:00.005-06:00

We decided to take Hayden to see the ICE this year. It was Charlie Brown themed this go around. The Gaylord is also a great place to visit and walk around at the holiday time, even if you don't' go to the ICE. He looked very cute in his big parka and hat and gloves! He liked touching the ice, which you are not really supposed to do. He did mention a few times that it was cold in there...around 12 degrees or so! He also had fun walking around the resort and looking at all the trains. He could have done that all day!

Bundled and ready for the ice!

Once we were inside.

Not too bad for it being 12 degrees!

All of the characters and scenes were very accurate and cute.

The very last thing you walked through was a giant nativity scene...far to large to fit in a picture.

The End!

Busy watching all the trains!

Checking out the life size gingerbread house.

Happy Holidays!!

Thanksgiving Week

2010-11-29T15:29:00.007-06:00

We had a super fun week back in Houston for the Thanksgiving holiday. We had a full table of 16 for turkey and sides! It is always so nice for Hayden to see aunts, uncles, and cousins he can't see regularly. We were also able to go visit some of Greg's cousins who live in the area. We had lots of fun times, and of course some good shopping!

Busy with the Thanksgiving cookies...don't try to offer help with the sprinkles. All four trays were for Hayden to decorate!

Happy Thanksgiving!

On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, we drove out to College Station to visit Santa's Wonderland. I highly recommend it if you live in the Houston area or are ever nearby during the holiday season. It is a huge drive through light show. There is also a village area with shops, music, animals, and food! Santa was also there, but we were not ready to visit him yet :-)

This is Texas after all!

We went on the hayride through the park instead of in the car...a must!

Lots of lights.

"Snow" in the village!

Indulging Hayden's love of petting zoos and pony rides!

The 'Elf on the Shelf' made his debut this year. While I don't' think he is fully grasping the concept, but he does like to read the book and look for the elf in the mornings. He does though fully understand the Advent calendar, especially the one after dinner with chocolate!

Football Time is Almost Over...

2010-11-14T21:01:00.006-06:00

We spend this Saturday cheering on out TCU Horned Frogs in the last home game of the season, and the last ever game in our stadium before it is imploded and rebuilt for next year. Everyone was able to come and have a great time. Hayden had so much fun and got really into the game this time around. He was busy cheering and yelling any time the crowd did!! The weather was a great help for the weekend enjoyment, too!

We tried all season to get Hayden to wear his new jersey. Thankfully he relented for whatever reason and chose to finally wear it for the last game!

What we will call a montage of two of the cutest future Frogs! Hayden and his best gal Emerson hamming it up for the camera. I think they would have posed all afternoon if we let them!

Hayden and Uncle Pete's in their matching jerseys :-)

Bubbles in the stands.

Hayden showing his Frogs!

Picture for the season.

Since it was the last game after 80 years in this stadium, everyone was allowed on the field for one last time :-)

No celebration is complete without a fireworks show!

Baby Shower!!!

2010-11-14T20:48:00.004-06:00

Last weekend four wonderful friends and my wonderful sister threw me a baby shower for little Parker. It was so great to have all my family and all my friends together at one time! I am so blessed to have such great people care about me and my growing family. My best friend Sabrina has become a great photographer and took all the great pictures!

Beautiful table set up!

Perfect cake and the decision on how to cut it up!

Caitlin, Me, my mom, and my Grandmother.

Jen, Caitlin, Me, Sabrina, Kari, and Kellie...all the wonderful people who planned the day for me!!

Thanks to everyone for all the special surprises for little baby Parker! I know he (and I!) will enjoy them :-)

Halloween Weekend

2010-11-01T20:37:00.005-05:00

We tried out best to it in as much as possible to round out what was a very fun and enjoyable weekend! We did all the Pumpkin Patches, so last Friday we started the final festivities with sugar cookie making. Hayden is a big fan of cookie making and is ready at a moments notice with his chair pulled up to the island for cutting and sprinkling.

They were delicious!!

Saturday evening was pumpkin carving time. I was actually able to find a really big, round guy this year, which made for a great jack-o-lantern! Hayden named him Jack...obviously!

Greg and Hayden were on pumpkin clean out duty. I do the carving :-)

The completed Jack, the jack -o-lantern.

There was a little surprise left by Jack for Hayden on Halloween morning...a special treat as he calls it!

New slippers for the winter and some holiday treats!

Well, trick or treating this year was a huge hit. Once we did a house, Hayden was ready to go to the next house and the next. I think it was more about the novelty of going and ringing the bell and actually saying 'trick or treat', more than the actual candy. Don't get me wrong, he is enjoying a bucket of candy at his disposal! He was practically running from house to house!!

The costume went on without any difficulties. Hayden is not much for dressing up and really doesn't do things on his head, so we were not sure until go time what would happen. We told him that if he wanted to trick or treat he had to wear his Pablo costume. With that, he was ready to put it on and even left it on after he was done...hat included!

Testing it out.

Here's Pablo!!!

Hanging with Brodie Buzz before heading out.

He's off!

Posing with his loot and Jack.

Enjoying the candy he picked out after he was back home :-)

Well, it wouldn't be an overview of the whole weekend if I didn't put this picture in...no your eyes are not deceiving you, Greg did indeed fashion a costume for Annabelle Puma from what was a felt bucket. You can imagine how much she loved it!

She promptly removed it from herself every time Greg put it on her!!

Pumpkin Fun!

2010-10-29T20:22:00.005-05:00

We hit up the regular FM Pumpkin Patch this past weekend for some family pumpkin time! The weather wasn't quite to the cool it is now but it wasn't bad. We had our yearly fix of kettle corn to round out the day!

Hanging out with some pumpkin friends.

Riding the train with daddy and looking cool in his shades!

Playing in and around the patch!!

Choosing the perfect Hayden sized pumpkin :-)

The family picture...to bad the Escalade was with us in the photo!

Yesterday afternoon we had our fall party with the mom's group I am a part of. We went to another pumpkin patch in the area for more pumpkins, a real train ride, and sliding and bouncing fun with all Hayden's friends.

Ready to head out on the train.

Wandering in the pumpkins!

Riding what seemed like a very tall rocking horse.

Wheeeeeeeee!!!!

The Plug Fairy

2010-10-28T20:37:00.004-05:00

We did something big last night...Hayden decided he was ready to get rid of his plugs, aka. pacifiers. He asked about it a couple days ago out of the blue. We had discussed it before but were not in any hurry and were going to let him decide in his own time. He was very excited that he was going to be getting a gift, and talked about being a big boy and that babies needed his old plugs.

We wrote the fairy a note about what he wanted and put everything in a bag, so it was easy for her to carry back to her fairy house.

Very excited about what he has done!

The excitement did not last long. When it came time to go to bed and realization set in, he was not happy, to say the least. Hayden's plugs were a part of his life...an extension of him when it came to sleeping. They even had an order and names. After lots of rocking and consoling, he finally fell asleep. He did wake up in the night and that is what he wanted. Luckily he only cried a little and fell back asleep with a little rocking fairly quickly.

This is what he found when he woke up in the morning. He actually missed it and didn't even realize at first because his room was still pretty dark! I think he had temporarily forgotten about the night before.

He was very excited to get his James train. It had to be opened right away.

Fast forward to nap time and the realization came back that there was nothing to put in his mouth. Something was again missing from the regularity of his life. He got in and out of bed several times, and then the crying began. We had to rock but he did finally pass out from his emotional exhaustion!

On to tonight, we are happy to say that Hayden went to bed without any tears and very little issue of something to put in his mouth. He did ask to get new ones at the store another day! We'll just keep changing the subject :-)

Autumn at the Arboretum

2010-10-21T10:32:00.004-05:00

We went to visit the Dallas Arboretum this week with our mom's group. They had a great area filled with all kinds of pumpkins and houses made from pumpkins...a pumpkin villages you might say. They also had lots of kid activities like crafts, music, photos, and face painting. Hayden's favorite was the small petting zoo!

Pumpkins and fall colors...to bad the weather wasn't very fall like!

One of the pumpkin houses. They were all themed after a childrens book.

More pumpkins!!

All the different types of pumpkins...some were not so pretty.

Loving the animals and feeding them their hay.

State Fair of Texas

2010-10-18T10:35:00.005-05:00

We took Hayden to the state fair for the first time last weekend. We tried last year but it actually rained almost every day and this year it didn't rain at all! We went in the evening, and everyone had a lot of fun....highly recommend for little ones! There are all kinds of things for them to do once you get inside.

The first thing we did was climb in construction machinery!

When we actually got started walking around, we hit up the Children's Farm area. It was set up like a real farm, with different stations of what you would actually do on a farm. You had to get dressed, collect food, feed, animals, milk cows, plant seeds, drive the tractor, and sort your findings. At the end of the station they each got "paid" for their hard work and were able to trade in their pretend money for a real snack!

The child tractors were surprisingly hard to maneuver!

One of Hayden's favorite parts was the car show. You could actually get in any car you wanted and "drive"!!

Rides in the Midway!

Happy fall from the fair and Big Tex!!

Happy 3rd Birthday Hayden!!!

2010-10-07T17:04:00.005-05:00

Hayden turned the B-I-G 3 over the weekend!! He's all grown up :-) He had such a fun and busy weekend. He really enjoyed blowing out candles and opening presents just for him!

The Big Boy!

Opening his goodies! Yes, Annabelle Puma must always be involved whether we want her to be or not!! We're in a weird smile stage it seems :-)

Hayden chose to have Backyardigans again this year, so we did...time for wishes and sweet treats!!

Gym Party with Friends!!!

2010-10-07T15:47:00.004-05:00

Hayden had his friend birthday party at Excite Gym, and it was so much fun for everyone! There were a lot of tired and hungry kids after all the running, playing, and jumping. Everyone had a blast!

Happy days when you turn 3!!!

Parachute time got everyone involved and laughing!

Jumping with his very first friend, Miss Emerson!!

All the friends :-)

Zoo Day

2010-10-07T15:33:00.004-05:00

Last week we headed to the Dallas Zoo with my mom group. Hayden had fun running around, and on the rare occasion looking at animals. I used to go to the Dallas Zoo when I taught, and I was never impressed. If you are going to have a zoo, at least give the animals some room to roam. There is a new part since I was last there for the elephant, zebras, lions, and all the African Savannah folk. It was very nice and a vast improvement from where they used to live. I've seen it, and I'll stick with Fort Worth!

Those silly penguins!

Checking out the animals of the Savannah and always keeping track of where we were on the map and where we were going!

Hanging with some crocs and friends.

Riding on the monorail around the exhibits with Connor-Boy!

Playing in the children area :-)

Last but not least a ride on a zebra before we went home!!

Getting Ready for Baby...

2010-09-19T16:15:00.004-05:00

We have at most just over 17 weeks left until the arrival of baby boy number two. No, there is no name...you will know when there is! Things will have to monogrammed and labeled, so it will come before the actual day! We are getting a pretty good head start on the basic necessities. The diapers are being collected, the new outfits are being bought (Hayden's newborn stuff is all the wrong season :-)), the furniture is here, and the bedding has been narrowed down. For now, everything is just piled up in the guest room :-)

Hayden has a favorite new baby item...the snap and go stroller. He was so excited to see that Mimi got him a new buggy for his elephants and puma cat!

Back to School!

2010-09-13T16:56:00.004-05:00

Hayden headed back to his wonderful pre-school last Wednesday. Sadly it was during a topical storm, and we couldn't do a traditional picture outside nor could he play on the playground. Poor teachers!! He went right in this year all by himself, with no tears, and has been doing great every day since. He goes 3 days a week this year! His new teacher seems really great, and his assistant teacher is the same from last year, so he is really excited about that.

Posing on the first day...before we entered the stormy weather!

The second day, for an outside picture :-)

Last year when Hayden started school, I tried to come up with a 'tradition' we could start every year on the first day of school. So again this year we did a special cake and a little present!

Already working in his new cutting practice book!

Cowboys Classic: TCU 30 - OSU 21

2010-09-06T15:33:00.004-05:00

We headed to Cowboys Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, to attend TCU's season opener! It was a great day, especially since we won. We did some tailgating before hand, with burgers and hot dogs, and luckily the weather has finally 'cooled' slightly to a comfortable low 90's. It was really neat to see the stadium, considering Cowboys tickets cost an exorbitant amount and we probably would never have seen the stadium otherwise! It is about as big as it could be!!

Heading into the game!

Inside and the world's biggest TV screen...the lighting came out a bit off with the roof in the stadium open.

We had great seats right at the bottom of this staircase (first row!) and right against the gray platform...thank you Groupon!!!

Go Frogs (times 5)!!! I never caught him when he was just doing the two
fingers :-)

Congrats to the TCU Horned Frogs on your first victory of the season! We are looking forward to another great 12 weeks of college football fun :-)

Hayden's First Live Show!

2010-08-30T16:21:00.004-05:00

We hit a milestone for Hayden this weekend..our first live stage show! We of course had to see Nick Jr. Storytime Live, since his favorite show, The Backyardigans, was there! It was pretty cute and he was entranced the entire time. You were not allowed to take pictures, so they are few and far between, and not fantastic! The lady in the red shirt monitoring that was sitting about 6 feet from us, so we had to be sneaky. It wasn't until the second half that I though to turn the flash off and see what I could get.

Entranced with his favorite's...

The Backyardigans! Got this off the website for memories sake!

Hanging out during intermission.

The Wonder Pets!

The ending dance number!

Hayden sang the theme song for The Wonder Pets, his second favorite part, for us at dinner and drank his milk out of his souvenir cup, complete with curly straw!

This and That Over the Past Several Weeks

2010-08-09T16:01:00.006-05:00

We have had a mish mash of stuff over the past month or so. Nothing too exciting! We headed up to Tulsa for the Forth of July holiday. Hayden does not like do it yourself fireworks in any way. Maybe by next year he will like the real fireworks.

Sporting his red, white, and blue!

Hayden's biggest news is that he is a big boy now and uses the potty. It has been a little over a month with not a single incident. We have even traveled and flown without problem! He is even dry at night and naps, although he has been that way for quite a few months. We decided to wait until summer, when he decided he was ready. We did a sticker chart, with prizes, at first but he quickly didn't need it nor did he care about it! I am very excited to go over six months without any diapers. Now I am jut stocking up on the tiny ones!

Hanging out in some big boy underwear :-p

At the end of July, we flew down to Houston (Hayden's favorite past time is flying...he wishes he could do it everyday!) do go to a close family friend's wedding and just hang out. We spent several days not doing a whole lot, except playing with fun toys and swimming in my parent's pool! Hayden has a great time when all of his "people" are together.

At Mimi and Grandpa's house the toys of choice are the Brio train and this one, Marble Works. He played with both any chance he got, and chased kitties the other times!

Swinging and swimming.

Best Wishes to Jeff and Katie!

Braved the heat for a quick photo!

"My mouth turned blue!!" said Hayden. There was a candy bar at the wedding. The blue Sixlets were a hit with him.

Dancing time!!

In other news...IT IS HOT HERE!!! We're on like day 10 of over 100, and it is supposed to continue until at least the middle part of next week. I'm really wishing for a tropical storm or something to cool us down and water our lawn :-P Some days it is almost too hot to go to the pool, so we stay inside!

Shaving cream painting...also will clean anything. I used this method in my classroom to clean crayon and marker stains off tables and walls!

We keep the coupe in the house for cool driving!!

Baby #2!

2010-07-24T09:50:00.003-05:00

Well, we officially announced baby number 2 this week! He or she is expected to arrive in mid-January 2011. Hopefully in a few weeks we will be able to find out the he or she part! So far everything is going well. The baby is growing on track and is generally a few to several days larger than the expected growth, so we'll have to keep an eye on that!!

This time abound the pregnancy has been the almost complete opposite of the one with Hayden. I had not a single symptom with Hayden, and this time I have had most of the "traditional" symptoms. Now that I have reached the second trimester though, they have mostly subsided. Thankfully since school is out we have been able to relax a lot and hang around the house as needed!

7 weeks...hardly anything!

13 weeks...a real person!!

We'll keep you updated on the excitement and what goes on as time gets closer!

Walt Disney World Trip

2010-07-19T10:17:00.004-05:00

We had a fantastic time treating Hayden to his first trip to Disney World, and he had a blast! He was the perfect age to really take in all the magic and excitement that Disney has to offer. Everything was new and exciting to him. We did as much as we could with the time that we had. We went to each park and saw the highlights. Unfortunately Florida was having a very rainy and extra hot June, which made things a bit uncomfortable at times. We ended up missing out on a lot of the parades because they were canceled or delayed. We have so many great memories and pictures, though so it was more than worth the trouble!

A misting spray bottle was a must for Hayden!

Playing at Donald's water spraying boat!

Ready for action...Disney toy buses in hand!

Enjoying a cupcake at our character dinner.

Greg's company just opened a ride at Epcot.

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!!!!

The Rides!!

2010-07-19T10:03:00.005-05:00

We did as many rides that Hayden was allowed! There were a couple that had dark spots in them, but that was the only time he was a little unsure :-) The weather as times put a damper on getting more rides added to our list of completed, so some had pictures and some did not! Some of Hayden' favorites were the Nemo ride, the Dinosaurs Twirl, the Race Cars, and the Magic Kingdom Train around the park!

Our first ride...in Animal Kingdom.

Some of the older crowd...

Spinning in the Teacups!

Aladdin's Magic Carpets

Hayden's first driving lesson!

Heading off to and riding his first roller coaster! They are in the middle car without the canopy.

The Characters!!

2010-07-18T21:15:00.006-05:00

Someone had a blast getting autographs and pictures with all the Disney characters, and his name is Hayden! He did pretty good with his collection. Luckily there are still plenty of empty pages for his next trip to Disney!!

The Book!

Green Army Man...Toy Story

Lightning and Mater

Handy Manny

More Toy Story

The Classics!

We had dinner with Goofy and Pluto!

Friends from the Hundred Acre Wood!

Nemo and Friends!

Chip and Dale or is it Dale and Chip!!

Marie from the Aristocats...meow!

Clearwater Beach, FL

2010-07-18T18:28:00.004-05:00

The first part of our Florida trip was spent in Clearwater, where the water is super clear and the sand is white! It was our second beach excursion of the month, so we were already in the mind set of relaxing! We never left the island area, so it was just a lot of pool, beach, and hanging out time. There is a great little 'downtown' with tons of restaurants, a great playground right on the beach, boardwalks, and lots of areas so you can walk where ever you want to go.

Fantastic water!

Ready for action.

There was lots of building and digging going on!

Relaxing in the warm ocean water :-)

Strolling along the boardwalk in front of our hotel.

They had a cute trolley system that went on a route through the hotels and downtown area. Hayden is a true lover of transportation, so it was a necessity!

Swinging on the beach!!

Sometimes the pool was nicer than the ocean, since it was so hot!

There is nothing like sunset at the beach...

Beach Trip Number 1...Galveston!

2010-06-10T15:50:00.006-05:00

We spend last weekend in Galveston , with lots of adults and 4 toddlers! It made for some very fun times. We stayed in a couple of beach houses and did a whole bunch of nothing, except swim and go the the beach! Hayden liked the beach last year, but he loved it even more this year. We even went no shoes in the sand, which if you know Hayden is a huge feat!

Super fun pool time!

Diving in!!

Testing out the waves!

He spent a lot of time filling and pouring with watering can.

There was better water if you went out a bit in his head :-)

Busy with a building project!

Can't have beach cook out without four toddlers roasting marshmallows!!

A tasty prize!

Mmmmmm....

Last Day of School!

2010-06-02T09:01:00.002-05:00

We had the last day of our first year of preschool yesterday! I am fairly certain it means nothing to Hayden, but we tried to celebrate it! I sure am ready to not be rushing all time to get up and get dressed for a while!!

A final pose with the backpack...we're big on the over-exaggerated smiles these days!

A special new toy for the summer. I didn't get a picture of it put together but you can imagine from the picture :-)

He had his end of school party last week, so he was very busy checking out the goody bucket for new treasures!

Hope everyone has a great summer...it's already super hot here, so summer has already unofficially begun for us!

A little of this and a little of that!

2010-05-27T18:20:00.004-05:00

The past few weeks have been pretty normal...not much to document. Here's a few random things!

A dramatic reading of The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

A super fun swing!

A little backyard time before bed.

Making the first batch of summer ice cream is so fun!

Riding rides at the Grapevine Festival!!

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-09T17:19:00.004-05:00

It's been a dreary and cool, but very nice mother's day here! Hayden made a card at school, with his thumb's (he's sure to tell you that part), and said 'for moder day' when he gave it to me after school last week. We went o brunch at the Omni in Las Colinas this morning with all of the family that was here for Caitlin's graduation. It was very nice. They had activities for the kids and treats for the moms!

Showing off his masterpiece!

There were also real purple flowers from him.

Super fun cookie decorating...

and eating!

Just for fun, build your own ice cream sundae :-)

Happy Mother's Day!

Fire Station!

2010-04-20T15:01:00.005-05:00

Earlier this month we went to visit the local fire station with our playgroup. A group of two year olds isn't really into touring the station itself, but they were all very interested as soon as we went out into the garage with the trucks!

Everyone got the plastic hat and you'll notice that everyone else has black...somehow someone snagged the only red one.

Intently listening!

Checking out the inside of the truck.

Posing with a real fireman!

So much fun with all the friends!!