Play Land

I am so far behind in my blogging that I had actually forgotten about this until I looked through the world of frozen photos in my digital camera. In may Erin and I had made two trips downtown to Art Sparks and on the last trip we discovered a play land adjacent to the McDonald's. After the kids ate their happy meals that came in the paper sacks (by the way, what happened to the actual boxes, that was the best part of the happy meal) we headed to the mega play land. They had some huge swings that made the kids look tiny when swinging in them. Poor little Aidan was miserable with all the sneezing that he was doing thanks to the excessively high pollen counts in the great Ohio Valley. If anyone ever gets a chance to check out this play land it won't disappoint!

Happy Daddy/Dad Day

This year for father's day Jeff joined his brothers for some golf in the morning and then a late lunch with my family at Aunt Jilly and Uncle Travis' house. We then visited Papaw and Dede for a few hours. Later when we got home Hayden gave Daddy his gifts which was alot of tshirts and some sham wow rags, an egg slicer and a basting brush. Hayden had fun telling Jeff what his presents were as he opened them for Daddy and Landon enjoyed playing and eating the paper. Both our boys are so blessed to have Jeff for a dad. He is such a patient and hands on dad. Hayden wants to emulate him and gradually everything is all about daddy or dad as he has started calling him on occasion. It's funny because Jeff likes when Hayden calls him Dad and I don't like it one bit when he calls me mom. I ask him who's that I don't know mom and then he corrects himself and says mommy to which I respond. He is already growing up fast enough and I just not ready for him to leave behind the days of calling me mom. That's one more way for me to keep him little just a little longer. Gone are the days of him saying "hold you" and now he says "hold me, mom" I mean "hold me, mommy". I tried to get him to continue with the hold you's but Jeff said that it is one thing to have him continue with mommy but entirely different to teach him to continue with incorrect grammar.

Livin' the Lake Lifestyle

I think I could get used to the lake lifestyle on weekends. This past weekend we went with Jason, Danielle and Kayla to Cumberland lake and stayed at Jerry and Dianna's condo. It was nice having the place to ourselves. The weather was great and the three day weekend was especially nice. Hayden and Kayla swam in the pool on Friday and our little boy grew fins as he did not want to get out. He only stopped enough to take potty breaks and fill up his tummy for the energy to swim more. Hayden and Kayla surprised me that they were swimming independently with floaties and body swimsuits. Kayla actually had a swimsuit with flotation's boards built in and Hayden had the old fashioned swimsuit with the round inflatable inner tube sewn in. Hayden was all about doing it all by himself. That is his newest catch phrase, "all by myself, mommy" He didn't want us to help him and after just a few minutes he was jumping in and swimming all around the pool. He loved the independence. The following day we went on the boat and he was "so e-cited". When he saw the boat he squealed and clapped. Once the boat took off he wasn't so sure about the wind. He told us it was too windy and to turn it off. After closing the wind shield the wind was less forceful and he was fine. Jeff and Jason knee boarded which Hayden was unsure of his daddy being pulled behind the boat but they both did good and got up with little difficulty. Hayden swam in the lake and even took a cat nap on the boat. Unfortunately Kayla was a little out of sorts from several days of being out of her routine and so she didn't join us on the boat but later that night she made a comeback for the annual cookout. She and Hayden played on the swing set and then after dinner the band started and Hayden brought out his best dance moves. He danced and danced and finally at 11 we called it a night although I think he would've continued if we would have let him. Sunday we swam some more and drove around in the golf cart then packed it up and headed home.

Happy Half Birthday Landon

Can you believe it? Really! Can you believe Landon is already 6 months old. Where does time go. This is so bittersweet for me. I really wish he would stay a baby for much longer than 12 months.

Happy Birthday Danielle

Best of Friends
Homemade strawberry icecream

Havin' so much fun

Dede and Nana being the big kids they are

Time for a water break

Higher.. Higher

Daddy trying to be a big kid

Blake

Hayden

Kayla

Iceberg straight ahead

Wasn't kidding when I said June is packed full of birthdays.....
June 2 Carson
June 3 Jeff and Audrey and Micheal
June 4 Deanna
June 5 Ty
June 11 Danielle

I'm sure I missed someone so if I did please post a comment so I can acknowledge your day.

This past weekend we went to a cookout at Jason and Danielle's. This was a great party complete with a rented bounce castle (I think Deanna and Dianna may have enjoyed it as much as the toddlers), rainbow swing set/playhouse, yummy food and great company. We had no idea when we left the house at 1 that we wouldn't be home until nearly 9 that night.
Hayden was recovering from pneumonia but was feeling up to the party and was fever free so we went. No one would have known he had been suffering days earlier with 3 days of 102 fever and was so pitiful. I have not seen him look like this before and hope to not see this again. He had dark circles under his eyes, no appetite, wanted his mommy to hold him all day and while he tried to sleep. He started on antibiotics for presumed pneumonia after the third day of fever that wouldn't leave him and within 48 hours our Hayden was back.
At Danielle's we made sure he took frequent breaks to come in and cool down and hydrate. Seems like everyday he is doing something that makes us chuckle and this day was no different. He was up in the playhouse and was looking out the telescope when he proclaims, "ICEBERG!" Where in the world did he get this from. I immediately picture the scene from Titanic when the watchman yells "Iceberg, straight ahead!" Now Hayden hasn't seen this movie and hasn't even heard of the titanic. I can only imagine this must have been something he picked up from his two newest pals, Dora and Diego (or Digo as he calls him).
After playing all day in the heat, Jeff and Jason took Kayla and Hayden up to the community pool only to find it locked. At this point it was getting late and I knew Hayden would fall asleep on the way home. Danielle was kind enough to let Hayden take a bath at her house and Kayla was kind enough to share her tubby toys with Hayden. After getting all cleaned, we headed out and Hayden cried and cried for Kayla. He was all tear streaked and slobbery; so much for clean little boy. He cried and cried and then Kayla, standing on the front porch, started crying for Hayden to come back. It was so cute seeing them both with out stretched arms crying for each other. I was willing to bet Hayden would have fallen asleep before we even managed to get out of the neighborhood but he cried almost half the way home for Kayla. I was finally able to get him to stop by pretending to call Kayla on the phone to see where she was. Finally he conked out in the back seat.

Audreys Birthday pool party

The Birthday Girl Learning to Swim

Addison and Avery
"I'm so cold"

"Uncle" Ty with Landon and Avery

If you want to have the pool all to yourself just pee in it!
Mommy and Landon
The cutest little cupcakes
The homemade birthday cake
One thing that no other little one on Jeff's side of the family has is a summer birthday. Audrey has the best birthdays.... pool parties. It's hard to believe Audrey is two. We had a great afternoon watching the little one's (Hayden, AJ, Audrey, and Avery) and the big one's (Jeff, Pete, Kevin, Keith and Ty) splash in the pool.

Erika handmade the cake and cupcakes and Minnie was the theme. She did a great job and they tasted as good as they looked. I am hoping we get to hang out more over and Aunt Donna and Uncle Rob's so the kids of all ages can play in the pool. The kids have so much fun and the adults have a pretty good time as well. This is the same pool Jeff and his cousins grew up playing in and now the next generation is doing the same.

Seems like life just happens so fast. I wish it was like the DVR and you could play it in slow motion. I am just trying to etch all these fun times in my mind to pull them out later when the kids are grown and I'm sitting in my rocker wondering when they will be back to visit with their kids.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Take me out to the ball game, Take me out with the crowd.Buy me some cookies and dip n dots. I don't care if I never get back, Let me ride, ride , ride on the merry go ride. If they don't win it's a shame. For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out, At the old ball game.

Thanks Ty, Erika and Audrey for a great Sunday at the ballpark. We all had a fun time despite the heat and humidity. We'll have to do it again!

Somebody's been Sleeping in my Bed

Linus has never been allowed in Hayden's room. I am not worried about Linus hurting Hayden it's more I'm afraid he would disturb his sleep. Either by barking out the window or jumping up on the bed. Well I was cleaning the house while Hayden layed down for his nap and I happened to glance into his room and this is what I found. Certainly doesn't look like Linus was disturbing Hayden's sleep. No the dog has not been allowed back and shortly after the photo I made Linus leave. I told Jeff I don't want to just let Linus sleep with Hayden without using this as a motivator for something. I keep waiting for Hayden to become afraid of sleeping in the dark or being alone in his room or the infamous monster under the bed. That's when I felt like it would be beneficial to bring Linus to the rescue and assume the role of the protective dog. He looks really protective and ferocious doesn't he. Well if your a monster in a closet or under the bed he might just be.

Proud Mother

Well May 22, 2010 marked a monumental moment in Hayden's life. No not his first steps, first words, first tooth, first sleeping through the night but this was a first. It was the first time he made it through an entire hour of Sunday school. We owe a big thanks to cousin Addison who went to Sunday school at our church for the first time and offered Hayden some words of encouragement and some "big sisterly" support. He really didn't want to go and was crying out for Aunt Andrea as she handed him over to the nursery staff. Through the glass they peered and Mom and Andrea both said he looked so pitiful but left him at my request. After Landon was dedicated we dropped him off in his classroom then decided to walk by Hayden's. I couldn't believe my eyes. He was sitting at the table for the lesson and chatting with Addison and touching her arm. I do not think I have been as proud of him as I was then. Jeff and I went to church and anxiously waited to see if his child id would show on the screen. Both our children made it the entire service. When we went to pick up Hayden we peaked in to see Addison playing and then happily helping clean up toys as Hayden sat in the middle of the room looking lost and sad. He started to rub his eyes and tears were near so I quickly gave the attendant our ticket and they brought him to me. We praised and praised him for staying in school and heard all about his hour long stay in the nursery. They brought us Addison as well thinking they were fraternal twins but
because I didn't have her ticket they had to put her back in the classroom. The volunteer told us they thought they were twins and that Addison was very motherly towards Hayden and tried to comfort him. She then told us she also acted like the big sister to him and was eager to inform Hayden as to what he was not allowed to do. Jeff and I have tried numerous techniques from bribery, positive reinforcement, consistency and countless trips to collect our son after twenty minutes of sobbing. This is the first time our son wasn't a red faced, swollen eyed, snot and slobber covered child when we came to get him from the nursery. We had told him if he made it through the entire school lesson we would take him to buy an electric toothbrush like ours. He remembered our promise and as guests returned to our house to celebrate Landon's dedication we pulled up to the local Walmart to purchase a toothbrush of all things. He has brushed his teeth countless times since and has even taken his toothbrush to Dede and Pawpaw's house too. Now I wish I could say this was not a one time only performance but sadly it is. He has not returned to Sunday school since. Last week when we tried he cried the whole way to church and begged "pwease mommy don't make me go to school, pwease, no wanna go" He was so worked up that no amount of praising or reward was going to work so instead he had a choice. Go to church with us and sit, stand, sing and be quiet as we are required to do or go to school and have fun. He chose church with us. As we walked to the escalator our conversation was as follows:

Me: Yep somehow I think this is going to be a great time from his viewpoint. What kid doesn't think it's fun to ride the escalators!

Jeff: Ohh no. We're not taking the escalator. We're taking the stairs.

As we go up the stairs Hayden is all smiles and happy that we did not abandon him yet again at Sunday school.

Jeff: Hayden this is not going to be any fun at all; we're going to church.

Oh great! I'm sure that sounded great to those walking beside us. Son please learn that church is no fun. Your not going to like it at all. Somehow I don't think that is the message we want to send our son. No he didn't mean it that way at all but to a bystander or say an impressionable two year old that is exactly as it sounded.

Well he made it through the hour and fifteen minute service. He did fantastic. He modeled everything we did; stood when we did; sat when we did; clapped as those were baptized and tapped his foot to the music as we did. He seemed to enjoy himself immensely and had a look of satisfaction on his face. Needless to say I don't think he will be going to Sunday school anytime soon.

I remember when I was about 4 and my friend Rachel had been attending preschool. Mom thought it would be a good idea for me to go as well and so she enrolled me into the same class as my best friend. I think I went all of two, maybe three times, and HATED it! I cried and pleaded for her not to send me back and you know what? She listened and respected that at 4 years of age I wasn't ready to take on preschool. I look back on that and think how she could have handled that situation differently and told me that I had to go. What impact would that have had on me. Would I still have loved school as much as I did when I finally went to grade school? I don't know but I do know how I felt that I was heard. So after many failed attempts when Hayden was 1 year old and a few failed attempts at 2.5, I am going to do for my son what my mom did for me and not only hear him but respect that he just isn't ready yet. It will happen soon enough and I'll let him be the one to let me know when he is ready.