Our First Gingerbread House

Hayden and I had some Mommy and son craft time while Evan was taking a nap yesterday. We put together our very first Gingerbread House! Those kits you can buy in the store are great. I really must preface this by indicating there is no way I made this thing from scratch! However, I highly recommend having your own icing piping kits because squeezing the icing out of the provided plastic bag was quite a mess. Hayden of course did not mind the mess one bit. He kept calling the icing glue because he could not fathom how icing was able to hold together the magnificent construction of this wonderful little house. He finally believed me when he ask me why I was eating the glue off my fingers and I convinced him to try it.

Just getting started with the trim...
Hayden in the midst of our decorating blurted "Run, Run - as fast you as can - you can't catch me - I'm the Gingerbread Man!"



A little Gingerbread Man decor

Coming along nicely

So proud of my Gingerbread House!

All I Want for Christmas is a Cardboard Box !- Everyone sing....

So you might remember back a few weeks back when Hayden told me he "already had 1,000 toys." He apparently is already bored of them all because he and his brother have resorted to fighting over the small space in a single card board box. The living room was literally filled with wonderfully fun toys (so we thought) and this is what they want to play in. They are both quite upset here. I initially wanted to rescue but knowing they were safe from harm Steve thought thought this to be a great "Kodak moment." Well, here you are folks - a beautiful Kodak moment. Is it safe to say our Christmas shopping is complete? Who needs more toys when you got boxes in the attic?

"The Best Gift of All" - Christmas Program

These are the pictures from Hayden's Christmas musical at his preschool. The children were so precious to watch and did a great job. I kept asking him about the program leading up to it and he didn't seem to want to tell me anything about it or sing any songs from it so I wasn't sure what to expect from him when we arrived. However, I guess he was hiding the surprise for us because he sang his little heart out and even threw in some of the moves. You can view the below post for a few video clips I put together.

"The Best Gift of All"- Christmas Program

brief clips from Hayden's preschool Christmas program - too cute!

CLICK TO PLAY --- (**NOTE --- STOP BACKGROUND MUSIC PLAYER ON THE UPPER RIGHT FIRST BY CLICKING PINK BUTTON BEFORE TRYING TO VIEW VIDEO)

"Mr. Mischief" Dispatches 911 ....

So you think your 1 year old cannot dial 911 - what are the odds, right? The adventures of "Mr. Mischief" continue and his feats become more daring each time.
Last night Evan was going through a major fuss session. Nothing would make him happy. He was just walking around crying and rolling on the floor. He didn't want to be held yet he didn't want to be put down. He just wanted to cry.
After several minutes of crying he found the cordless telephone. A sudden hush falls over our house and all is well in the world (if even for just a few minutes!). He thought the blue numbers were pretty as they lit up and he liked the fun sound it made. He was soon babbling to the phone with a smile and walking around with the phone happily punching numbers.
My sister who was over warned me to be careful as he might dial 911. I told her I doubt that he would push that sequence and I didn't care if he dialed long distance by accident because we have Vonage and it's free. Bottom line for me was that he had finally quit screaming for the moment and as long as I was watching him what could really happen? I could hear through the phone from where I was and it just sounded like an operator telling him to "check the number and dial again." He liked the recorded lady talking to him, right. Dumb, dumb Mommy!
I reset the dial tone periodically as he was walking around and within a few minutes the phone rings.
"This is 911 dispatch - Is everything okay? Someone just called from this number?"
"Oh, yes. I am sooooo sorry! My 1 year old was playing with the phone and must have somehow dialed it. I am so sorry!"
"That is fine, Maam. However, we are required to send a dispatch officer for anyone who dials 911 just to make sure everything is alright. Just tell them your child was playing with the phone."
"Okay. Again, I am so sorry - GULP."
I then went and got dressed back from out of my pajamas so I wouldn't look like something out of "COPS" when the officer came to the door. I then prepared Hayden who was very excited about the policeman coming for a visit. My sister was obviously amused with this little situation that I had allowed to transpire.
The officer came about 30 minutes later after a much anticipated wait. I opened the door with Evan in my arms and I pointed to him saying, "He did it." Evan got away with warning and fortunately was not handcuffed and taken away in the back of the police car.

Mommy is so proud that she assisted her son in his first involvement with "the authorities."

So embarrassing!

Thanksgiving Hayden Football Scrapbook Page

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Wouldn't Believe it if I Hadn't Heard it Myself !

This is a special conversation in the car on the way home today.......
Mommy and Daddy, "Tomorrow is your birthday, Hayden!"
Hayden, "But I don't want another birthday."
Mommy and Daddy, "You aren't having another birthday party. It is your birthday tomorrow and we are going to give you your presents from us."
Hayden,"Why are you going to give me presents?"
Mommy and Daddy, "Because we love you, Hayden."
The following is verbatim I promise......
Hayden, "But I already have 1,000 toys at home!"

Oh goodness- I laughed out loud I couldn't help myself. Steve looked at me and knew exactly where it came from. I guess the next time Hayden tells me he is bored and I remind him he has 1,000 toys to play with he is taking that very seriously.

Is it possible for a 4 year boy to actually recognize that he has too many toys?!!! - and Christmas is 4 weeks away.

Happy almost 4th birthday, Hayden! We love you oh so much!

Happy Thanksgiving!

These are some pictures I took of Hayden playing with some family boys on my father in laws side of the family - Brandon, Jack, and Bo. They are Grandson's of my father in law's cousins that we spend every Thanksgiving with.
Their little noses and ears were turning so pink from the cold but they didn't seem to mind a bit. They ran around without a care in the world - just enjoying the moment. That is something I love so much about watching happy children. If you could hold their laughter I swear at times you think that life is pure bliss.
I was getting so cold myself that I wanted to go back in but I got sucked into the delight of the boys that I soon found myself on the ground with my camera snapping picture after picture. For a few minutes, I actually forgot about the cold. I wanted to capture a day of Thanksgiving through the world of little boys.
The other pictures you see above are of sweet Cassidy. Poor thing was the one girl out of four little boy cousins playing football together. She was feeling left out of football festivities and ran down a few houses to a tire swing to console herself. I followed her over to chat and grab some pics of her too. Before I knew it she had forgotten all about the boys leaving her out of the game and she was enjoying my attention and the great tire swing of course.
It was a lovely Thanksgiving Day.

By the way, the older boys were very kind in playing with Hayden. They rooted for him and told me that he scored 14 touchdowns. When he scored he would scream "Touchdown!" and hold up his Longhorn sign with pride. The touchdowns by the way have evolved from 14 to 16 in Hayden's recount over the past two days.

A Day in the Life at Home With the Boys.....

10:30AM - Evan is napping. What shall we do Mom?

10:50AM - Let's drag out every single toy we have onto the living room floor

11AM - I'm bored - now what, Mom?

Lunch - Always a great way to break up the day!
Enough with the pictures, Mom!
12:37 PM- Let's play in the bathtub!

1:14 PM- Let's tickle the ivory keys for a bit !

I sit and wonder if they really might be the next Mozart and Chopin

1:27PM - Let's stand on the couch and play with the blinds now - When is Daddy coming home, Mom?

The Boys Birthday Party

We decided to throw the boys a joint birthday party this year. We figured Evan wouldn't care about sharing the spotlight and Hayden could make it all about himself anyway. We went to Planet Pizza. Wow - What a crazy scene that was but the kids had so much fun! Hayden was a great big brother and helped Evan blow out his candle.
Our family helped make the party extra special. My mother in law made the darling Buzz Lightyear cakes per Hayden's request from Toy Story. My sister in law Melissa provided and put out the adorable Buzz Lightyear decor. Grammy supervised little E with a smile for us to make sure he didn't climb out of his high chair. He has a tendency to do that these days :=) In fact, all 4 of my Mom's sister's dropped in to the party to say hi. Aunt La La played air hockey with Hayden and made sure he had a blast playing games until his heart was content. It meant so much to us to know how much everyone wanted to make the day so special for the boys.
We are so thankful for our special friends and family.

Happy 1st Birthday "Little E"!

So Evan turned 1 this past Wednesday and he is officially walking as of this week! I cannot believe it has already been a year. It breaks my heart a little knowing my baby boy is growing into a toddler. He is such an incredibly adventurous and happy little man.

He loved his first taste of birthday cake so much! I seriously thought he was going to eat the entire thing as he kept grabbing for the delicious cake and icing and smashing it into his mouth like he would never eat again. He cried when we finally had to take the cake away. He looked like he was eating himself into a sugar shock and we really wanted to avoid the birthday cake coming back up if you know what I mean. It was too cute.

As a side note, our little man does not like to sit in high chairs these days either. Fortunately he was wearing overalls and Steve had the genius idea to thread the strap through the middle of his overalls so he could not make his usual escape. I wish I had gotten a good photo of that! Evan fussed for a while but finally surrendered to the fact that he wasn't going to get out of that chair no matter how hard he tried. Once we had the cake in front of him he no longer cared about getting out of the chair anyway so it all worked out.

Oh how we love our "Little E"!

On a more serious note....

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

I can't even begin to count the number of times I have had to remember this lately. While this blog is full of cute stories of the boys and our little adventures so much more is going on behind the scenes. I have so many people in my life going through so much right now. The burdens weigh heavy on my heart. I want to fix things. I want to have the perfect thing to say. I honestly sometimes wish I didn't care so much. I can't believe I just admitted that but I feel the need to be real at the moment. I often lay awake at night thinking, worrying, and analyzing all sorts of "what ifs" in my mind but then......

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Okay God - so much easier said than done!

What is even more crazy about this post is that I have had it saved in my drafts for a few days and that Philippians 4:6 is EXACTLY what the sermon was about today . I was going to think about it some more and come back to try and finish what I wanted to say. I so wish I had published this on Friday just to prove the irony of my post. It was even more ironic that the preacher had the exact same after thought on the verse - it is easier said than done to be anxious about nothing. However, I know God in His grace and unconditional love for me understands. He continues to place this verse on my heart to remind me to trust Him.

I am supposed to be thankful in all circumstances. With all that I see going on around me I often find myself wondering if I would be as happy with God if I didn't have my health, my home, my sweet husband and beautiful children. Would I be as thankful to Him if tomorrow he took it all away? I would like to say so but I don't know.

I have someone in my life that I know whose heart towards God has changed because of circumstance. I often wonder myself how so many of these horrible things that happen everyday in this world fit into God's perfect will. It is often too much to even try to think about. However, I also know He never promised us happiness on this earth. He never promised me a successful career, a nice house, health or even people that would never hurt me as long as I was faithful. However, He did promise that someday He would make EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL in its time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 I realize lately that sometimes that is all I can answer to much of life's complicated questions - HOPE. I think sometimes we feel some sort of control or knowledge to find reasons for all the things we go through and tie them up with a pretty bow but it just isn't that simple. There are so many people that suffer beyond imagination every single day and not a single thing in their head could logically reconcile a purpose in it all if they didn't have HOPE in His promise.

I also know in retrospect I would not change any trial I have been through. I know I am stronger, more compassionate, and closer to the Lord than I know I would have been otherwise. It was always easier to stay away from God when you think you don't need Him.


Dear Lord,
I ask that you give peace to those in my life who are hurting and facing huge trials. I ask you bring them the peace that surpasses all understanding. I pray You remind them of the HOPE they have in You, that I have in You. Thank you for the trials You have placed me in my life too. I pray that you calm my anxious heart. It is 1 am and I am tired yet thinking of so much that keeps me awake late into the night yet again. I come before You as I am, mess and all and give these burdens to You tonight so I can get some sleep. I cannot handle them on my own. None of us can handle any of this on our own. Thank you for your ultimate sacrifice in your precious Son.
In Your Name I Pray,
Amen

Hayden's First Pony Ride..

Steve being the great husband he is agreed to take the boys to a birthday party at the Frisco Horse Park last weekend for one of Hayden's classmates at school while I stayed home to get rid of our old "stuff" in the community garage sale. He also was very generous to bring along the camera so I could get a glimpse of the party fun.
Hayden got to enjoy his very first pony ride and best of all play with his best friend in the world, Dylan. You will see Dylan is the other little boy in virtually of these pictures. If I didn't know better, I would think Dylan is the only other child in his class.
"Who did play with today, Hayden?" Mommy asks. "Dylan", says Hayden. "What did you do today as school, Hayden?" Hayden replies, "Played with Dylan."
They are like two peas in a pod. It makes me very sad though because Thursday was Dylan's last day at preschool as his family was moving out of state. We prepped Hayden and told him to tell him goodbye but I don't think he has yet really understood what it means. I am sure Hayden will start really asking me when I take him back on Tuesday to find his best buddy isn't there anymore. I think the two of them had a special bond being the exact same size - the most petite of the class. They have a chart of the heights of the children in his class ranging from 43 inches to 37 1/2 inches tall. Hayden and Dylan are both exactly 37 1/2 inches. They are two precious, precious boys. I know Hayden will adjust fine though. He is such a social little man and plays well with any child. We miss you already, Dylan!

Digital Scrapbooking!

So I am a bit behind on my scrapbooking... I just got into digital scrapping this year realizing that in reality I was not too excited about messing with the paper variety. It has become a small obsession of mine. These photos were taken last summer when I was pregnant with Evan. I was watching Hayden and Steve stroll along the beach together. Hayden was a bit unsure of the waves and sand on his feet but Daddy made sure he felt safe. It was such a happy memory for me.
I plan on providing a link to my digital scrapping gallery soon (if I can ever get caught up!)

Evan Using Hayden as a Walker!

VIDEO

Evan (aka "Mr. Mischief")thinks it is so much fun to use his brother as a walker. He just grabs on to the back of his shirt and goes. Hayden doesn't mind at all. He thinks this is a very fun game.I am so glad I got a bit on video!
NOTE- PRESS THE PINK STOP BUTTON TO THE RIGHT side bar to turn off music before you press the play button above so you can hear Evan squealing. Too cute!

The Boys Birthday Invitation

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE...

So most of you know that I have been working to try and start my own little gig doing custom photo cards. This is my creation for the boys birthday.
As you may have seen from previous posts my friend Tammy who is in the process of starting a photography business took the picture of Hayden on the upper left and Evan on the bottom right.

Happy Halloween!

We took some pictures of the boys in their Halloween costumes out by the neighborhood duck pond before we went Trick or Treating. They were the cutest Peter Pan and Anne Geddes bunny you ever did see! Our friends with precious little Kaitlin "Cinderella" joined us in the adventure.

Evan's First Hair Cut

Checking out this haircut thing..

Nothing to it!


Still going strong, Mommy!


Final Touches

Approving my photo



Picture Perfect!

On October 18th I finally took the plunge and got Evan's first haircut. I figured after strangers starting to say "what a cute little girl" it was time. I think I was trying to postpone as long as possible because if I didn't cut his hair it made me feel like he was still a tiny baby.
I took him to Cool Cuts at Toys R Us. It is the same place that Hayden gets his haircut and it was either the same chair or the chair next to where Hayden got his first haircut. They are able to distract the kids with little TV's, video games, and a car to sit in equipped with steering wheel and all.
Evan was a perfect angel. He did not shed a single tear! He was entranced with his steering wheel and little television playing in front of him.
He didn't even fuss when I initially had to make the diversion back to the store to purchase a pair of socks for him. It is against code to have babies without socks/shoes getting a hair cut. Hayden always had shoes on but I gave up with "E" because he always rips them off within seconds of getting into the car. Oh well, we got some extra socks.

Pumpkin Patch

CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE



Click above image to enlarge!

Visit to the Neighborhood Pond - Oops- 5 Weeks Old!

I must initially excuse this posting as it is only 5 weeks late (taken the second week of September). I took these pics as part of a photography class I was taking at the community college. I learned a lot of fantastic things....

1) my camera can do much more when it is not set on Auto :=)
2) I have a lot to learn about manual settings and photography in general
3) I had no idea that photography was so technical
4) I am inspired to want to be a better photographer
5) in looking at my pictures I can learn more about me - never would have thought!


Anyhow, these were actually taken over a couple of nights. The first night with Hayden wearing the baseball cap backwards feeding the ducks was a special just Mommy and son date! He got to feed almost an entire loaf of bread to a very eager crowd as you can see. I was a bit nervous that they might frighten him as close as they got but he was not scared at all. He was a bit surprised when one got close enough to grab an entire piece of bread out of his hand but all was well. ( DISCLAIMER- No ducks or children were injured in the "filming" of this production - ha)
Hayden was such a cooperative boy in letting me take my photo shoot of him though you can tell from the pics he was not all that excited but complied with my requests. I totally understood. Why pose for photos when there are hungry ducks to feed??!
This little outing was also very special to me as one of my favorite outings growing up was going to the lake with my Mom to feed the ducks.
The pics of Evan were from the second night. As you can see he was just busy staring off at the ducks in the distance and taking in the scenery. Mommy had a hard time getting his attention but at least I got some pics of those very kissable cheeks of his.

Mr. Mischief!!

So I have decided to change Evan's temporary nickname from Mr. Crinkle Nose to Mr. Mischief! (For explanation on "Mr. Crinkle Nose" you will need to look back to prior blog posting August 27th).
Anyhow, I cannot believe the feats this little boy can achieve.
The first sign he was a climber was when he climbed into his own exersaucer. I have never seen or known any infant to do this.
Whenever I am holding him on my hip these days he hoists his little feet up to my hip bone like I am a tree or something and tries to stand up on my hip so his head is level with mine. It is not comfortable for Mommy but most entertaining for him. He gets a better view. When I hold him against my chest he tries to climb over my shoulders and enjoys hanging over my back. I am not sure where he thinks he is going to go when he gets there but enjoys it none the less...
He learned already that chairs are things you can use to get on top of things. He can climb from Hayden's little chair, to the table against the kitchen island, to the island within seconds. Needless to say, Hayden's chair is no longer on the kitchen floor after meal time. It goes on top of the counter. If you happen to stop by my house without notice soon you will notice I often have things like chairs on top of my cabinets and tables now. We now have also pretty much blocked off the kitchen. You would think you could let him crawl around for a bit while preparing a bottle or something but where there is a will there is a way for my little boy.
He can climb and stand on window seals. (Don't worry - we keep windows closed and locked!) He can only reach the ones close to the ground on the first floor anyway.
We went to check on him in the nursery on Sunday to be told that he somehow managed to escape the bungie bouncer chair. They are not sure if he jumped or climbed but fortunately managed to make it to the ground safely.
I took the boys to Target yesterday. I had not turned my back for 15 seconds and "E" managed to stick his feet up back through the leg holes in the front infant seat of the cart, twist himself around in the seat belt, and was standing up facing the back of the cart by the time I turned around! Thank goodness I got him before he went overboard.
He also now uses Hayden as a "walker". I am hoping to get some footage of this soon. He stands up and grabs onto Hayden's clothes from behind and when Hayden starts walking, Evan is walking too. Evan squeals with delight and Hayden is equally amused that he can provide such walking assistance to his little brother. I have to remind Hayden to walk slow as little Evan is still learning. I have to keep them on the carpet as there is an inevitable tumble eventually. This just started yesterday. I probably am going to need to put a stop to it soon but it is precious beyond measure to watch as long as I am near by for "accident prevention."
I have to keep a close watch on this little man. He needs extra safety prayer these days too.

Lunch Visit with MeMaw

Last Wednesday I took the boys to meet their Great Grandmother, MeMaw, at her place for lunch. She was so excited about our visit. She had a special table reserved for us in the dining room at her retirement community.
I brought a Happy Meal for Hayden as our best guesses would be that he probably would not partake in the meal choices available. MeMaw suggested it herself and I agreed that he probably would not eat the chickpea salad, apple chicken, and barley :=)
Hayden ate his entire Happy Meal and MeMaw gladly helped him arrange the french fries on his plate. He did eat a whole serving of red Jello which MeMaw spoon fed him the entire thing. I kind of chuckled to myself as Hayden did not once tell her he could feed himself the Jello. I know it meant so much to her. It was just precious to watch.
MeMaw could not have been more proud of her sweet grandsons. They both behaved incredibly and I could not have been more pleased myself. The lunch process there is almost an hour! She proudly showed them off to her friends and the staff at the community.
MeMaw offered Hayden a ride on her lap in her scooter. He at first was very hesitant and declined the initial offer. However, after a bit of coaxing he climbed into the chair and she showed him a few of the controls. He got to turn it on and off a couple of times and once he figured out he could make it move he was hooked! There was no getting off of MeMaw's lap. He rode around the entire community on the scooter with MeMaw and had a blast.
Hayden at one point told MeMaw, "Don't feed Evan carrots. It will make him sick." She thought that was hilarious. Carrots don't make Evan sick. She knew Hayden was protecting his brother from a vegetable he doesn't care too much for himself.
We went back to her apartment and she let the boys play around a while. Evan of course tried to get into everything but she didn't mind a bit.
It was such a special afternoon. I am thankful that God has blessed this woman at the age of 90 to be able to still enjoy and know her great grandsons. Some of my happiest memories are with her and I love her so much. The dedication and love she has shown to her friends and family over the years is beyond measure.

Happy Memory Highlights.... I will never forget playing cards with her while watching The Price is Right on the card table in front of the TV. We spent hours putting together 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles. (She was amazing at Wheel of Fortune and she frequently called out the correct answers before many of the contestants and she always was working a cross word puzzle from the Sunday paper). She read to us all the time and sung us to sleep as we listened to the grandfather clock chime in her and Grandpa's house at night. There was nothing better than a MeMaw and Grandpa Thanksgiving Feast! She gave Lauren and I our best childhood Christmas ever - two Cabbage Patch dolls EACH! I still remember vividly as she and my Grandpa pulled them out of the car Christmas morning. We could not have been more thrilled and I think she was equally if not more excited to give them to us. MeMaw is one of the most graciously giving people I have ever known. It brings her nothing but delight to give to those she loves. She always made me feel that I was loved and very special. WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH, MEMAW!!

My Beautiful Boys

My friend Tammy took these photos. She really captured the boys' essence I think. Let me know if you need a good photographer :=)

First Day of School for Hayden

So last week Hayden was officially back at preschool (aka. Mother's Day Out) 2 days a week. Isn't he getting so big? He officially looks like a little boy in those pictures. Where did my baby go?!
He proudly sported his brand new orange Pottery Barn Kids back pack, lunch box, and duffle bag lovingly given by Grandmommy.
Daddy wanted to be a special escort for the big day and helped Hayden learn where to put away his sleep mat, lunch box, and drink cup in their proper place in the hall outside his classroom door. He is so blessed to have such a good Daddy.
He was warmly greeted by his teachers Miss Susan and Miss Melissa. We are told they are some of the best in program so we know he will have a great year!
He will be learning a little Spanish this year as part of the curriculum. We will see how that goes.

.... On a side note - I was sitting with Hayden eating lunch yesterday and he started pointing out pictures on the shelf in our breakfast nook and telling me who the pictures were of and a brief description of each. He looks at an old picture of himself at the Pumpkin Patch and says, "There is me in a wagon." "There is Evan in his swing." Heres comes the most unexpected and precious comment of them all...... He sees a picture of me in my wedding dress and veil and exclaims, "Look Mommy, it is you as a princess!"
That comment from my sweet son will be forever engraved in my heart. If even for one moment I felt like a real princess, it was that one.

I Wonder Who Dressed These Boys on Saturday?

So I am in the kitchen as Steve brings the boys down from their rooms proudly dressed in their Texas attire in eager anticipation of the UT/TCU game (go Frogs- ha! ha!) - My Alma Mater was obliterated the second that Steve and I got together. I won't boast that TCU was actually ahead at half time.

Anyhow, Steve so happily paraded the boys around town running various errands enjoying a good "Hook 'Em Horns" here and there throughout the day. This will be something so special for my men to share together for many years to come.

Hayden got to stay up late with Daddy to cheer on the Longhorns who were in the end victorious 34-13! It brought such joy to see Hayden so excitedly copying the many shouts of "Yes!" and jumping up and down throughout the game. I was so relieved of their win. A Longhorn loss to TCU in the Sosbee household would have made for a very unhappy Sunday.