Ending March

March has been a really good month for all of us. Hayes had spring break the week following Easter, so we decided to go up to Pennsylvania to spend my birthday, Easter and the following week.

I had a great 29th birthday. My Mom treated me to a manicure/pedicure appointment in the morning and then babysat the boys so that Chris & I could go out to dinner and drinks with 2 of my girlfriends from high school and their significant others. We had a great time just hanging out, eating, drinking and chatting. :) I couldn't have asked for a better birthday.

Easter was another great day. My sister and her family came over to my parents house and we had an egg hunt and the Easter bunny brought all 4 of the boys baskets. The kids had a great time and we all ate way too much of my Moms delicious Easter lunch.






The rest of the week we did various things. Spent a little time at a nearby playground, went to GiggleBerry Fair in Peddler's Village where we rode the carousel and the boys rode a few rides. We also spent a day at the Philadelphia Zoo, which was great as always.

The boys had a great time visiting with their Nana and Granddaddy and cousins. Hayes didn't want to leave, but I convinced him with the fact that we were going straight to his friend C's birthday party on the Saturday that we left. We left PA early Saturday morning and drove to Herndon, VA where we used to live for a good friends birthday party. Hayes had such a good time and just loved seeing his friend C again.




After a few hours of fun we finally made the drive back home.

My new 'Do

This past Saturday I treated myself to a new hair-do in celebration of my 29th birthday which is this Saturday, March 22nd. I think it came out really well and I am quite happy with it.

Spring has sprung!

Spring seems to have arrived a little early around here. Last week, we enjoyed quite a lot of outside time due to the nice weather. Both boys love to be outside, especially playing in the sandbox or going on the slide in our backyard.

And it continues....

Potty training is still going pretty well with Hayes. He had a 2 day hiatus Monday and Tuesday of this week because he has strep throat and I could barely get him to move off the couch, let alone go to the bathroom. It does not seem to have effected him though. He is back to his regular potty going schedule today! He has completed his first chart of stickers and has moved on to a new one, which I am hoping is the last one. He has to get more stickers this time to receive a reward so that should help. He also seems content to just be going now, so I am not sure the reward is so important to him anymore!

Things have been going fairly well around here. Once we get all this strep throat out of here, we will be even better! Bryce just finished a round of antibiotics for it and has actually had it twice in the last 3 months! Last weekend our friends came for a visit and the kids had a great time together. It was the first time we had a "sleepover" as Hayes calls it. :) I am just amazed at how fast these kids are growing!

And so it begins....I hope

As many of you know we have struggled with getting Hayes interested in potty training. Well, the time seems to have finally come and he is making an attempt to get it down. We are still far from being potty trained, but he is at least interested in trying. He has a reward chart where he gets a sticker each time he goes, as well as chocolate of some kind, either a hershey kiss or a few M&M's. Once he gets a certain amount of stickers in a column on his chart, he receives a car from a set we purchased for him just for potty training. So, far he has gotten 1 car and is on his way to getting a 2nd. Keep your fingers crossed that our days of diapers with Hayes are over! :)

A trip to the circus!

Today we went and saw Ringling Bro's & Barnum & Bailey's circus show called Over the Top. We had such a great time. Bryce loved all the music and lights and was dancing almost the whole time. Both boys loved the animals. Hayes was excited by everything and didn't seem to know where to look first. Afterwards, we asked Hayes what his favorite part was and he said, " The paper (confetti) falling and the elephant that pooped." Chris' favorite part was definitely the motorcyclists that rode around in the sphere shaped cage. I personally found that part nerve racking, especially when there were 6 of them riding around there at one time! We all had such a wonderful time. The circus is a truly uplifting and magical sort of show! :)

Digging

We have been enjoying the nice weather we have been having lately. Although, I do find it disconcerting that its been so warm in February. Anyway, this past weekend Chris needed to replace a pile of mulch that was leftover from a tree stump that we had grinded down. He needed to dig out the mulch and replace it with dirt and Hayes was right along side him, helping out!


Hayes has become quite a good helper with things both inside and outside the house! He is becoming such a big boy!

Show Week @ The Little Gym

Today was Hayes' last day of gymnastics at The Little Gym
Family was invited to attend the gymnastics class and participate some as well. The kids got to show everyone what they had learned over the course of the session. Our whole family attended. Bryce had a blast running around in the gym and trying out everything. Hayes did a great job showing us how he does kicks, jumps and lots of running! He also walked across the beam for us as well. We all had fun amidst the chaos. The Little Gym really does offer some great programs. Hayes will be starting a new session next week, but this time he will be in their sports skills class. Gymnastics just wasn't his thing.

Day to Day

I realized it had been a while since I posted so thought I would give an update. Not a whole lot has been going on with us. We are busy with our usual activities. Hayes is still enjoying preschool and learning more and more everyday. Bryce has been talking more and more each day and just went to the Dr for his 18 month checkup! I just can't believe he is already 18 months old. Time has been flying by. Chris started another semester of grad school and I have been keeping busy with trying to get healthy and driving the boys around. :)

Christmas-part 2 & New Years

The day after Christmas, the boys and I got up early and drove to PA where part two of our Christmas holiday would begin. We spent time at my parents house, where my brother, sister-in-law and niece were also staying. Hayes & Bryce loved playing with their cousin, Grace. Aunt Kathy & Uncle Fred arrived the next day from Mississippi, and then the following day Chris came in on the train and my sister and her boys came over for the day. Saturday was the Payton Christmas celebration. It was pretty chaotic since there were 5 children under the age of 6 opening presents, but we had a great time and the boys got a ton of great presents and Chris & I made out pretty well too!


Bryce and I opening presents

Daddy & Hayes opening presents

Hayes & cousin, Grace, trying out Grace's new tea set

Hayes & cousin, Jacob

Hayes giving Grace a ride on her new tricycle

Hayes after playing princess dress up with Grace

Chris & Bryce

Hayes and cousin, Austin

We were at my parents house until New Year's Eve where we headed to Herndon, VA for lunch with the Aldorisio clan. Hayes & Caitlin were quite happy to see each other and Hayes did not want to go home! Caitlin got a game called Hullabaloo for Christmas the kids played, they had a great time.

Hayes & Caitlin (notice Hayes on the computer, he is his father!)

Miss Megan

Hayes & Caitlin playing Hullabaloo

We made the drive home and spent New Year's Eve at home. The boys went to bed early because they were exhausted from our week long celebration and Chris and I watched a movie and ended up going to bed around 10:30, because we were also exhausted. So, we were all asleep when the new year rang in. Happy 2008!

Christmas-part 1

Christmas was a very extended holiday for us this year. The boys started off the weekend before Christmas by getting a kitchen set from my parents. Both of them love it and have been cooking away.




Of course the big box that the kitchen set came in was also very popular.




Christmas Eve, Hayes got ready for Santa by leaving out a plate of cookies and carrots for him and his reindeer.


Christmas morning we spent some time as a family so the boys could open their presents from us and Santa and we had a big breakfast, where Bryce had monkey bread for the first time! :) Santa brought Hayes a rocket ship playset and Bryce a Sesame Street camper playset. Hayes got a set of wooden blocks from us and Bryce got a toy piggy bank that counts, sings, etc.




After we opened presents at home and had breakfast we headed over to Mom Mom & Pop's house to open presents with Chris' whole family. The boys of course got spoiled there. We also stopped by Sid & Regina Jones' house for the annual brunch. Later that day Mom Mom made dinner at our house for all of us, Pop, Aunt Beth and Eli, Aunt Beth's friend. We had a wonderful Christmas, but were exhausted by the end of the day.

A Bryce update

I realized the last few posts have mostly been about Hayes, so I thought I should give an update on how Bryce is doing.

He is growing bigger and bigger everyday! He is now 17 months old! Where has the time gone? He loves Elmo and anything with wheels on it. He is also starting to show a big interest in Thomas and trains. He talks non stop now and has so many words in his vocabulary that I'm not even sure I could list them all, but here is a sample of a few:
Up
Down
All done
Yes
No
Quack
Moo
Hayes
Mama
Dada
Apple
Banana "Nana"
More
Pooh-for Winnie the Pooh
cookie "Cook"
Hi
Bye Bye
Car
Cup
Choo-Choo

And like I said I'm sure there are more, but he talks so much its hard to keep track! :)

He is now running full speed ahead and trying to jump. He loves music and singing especially Wheels on the Bus, which is his favorite song. He has also been starting to count and usually gets to 3. :)

This is what Bryce does when you ask him where the Big Boy is. :)

GardenFest of Lights

I am backtracking a little, but we went to see the GardenFest of Lights at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond on December 11th. We had never been to the Gardens before and were amazed at how much there was there. They had most of the gardens lit up with brightly colored lights, archways of lights and even mazes made out of lights! Hayes had a great time! Bryce enjoyed looking from the stroller, he was pretty tired that night. The above picture is of Hayes' favorite part. They were glass balls lit up to look like bubbles and there were large frog statues all around it.

Hayes really liked the butterfly benches outside the conservatory!

Hayes' Preschool Concert

On December 13th, Hayes' class along with the other 3 year old classes hosted a sing-a-long concert for the parents. Hayes sang a long, but not in the most enthusiastic way. :) Here is a video for you to see how it went.

Dr. Fauerbach?

Hayes and I made the trip to PA to visit with my Mom and to see Playhouse Disney Live! in concert with my sister and her boys. Hayes had a great weekend with his cousins, although the concert itself was pretty lame.

Saturday morning I came downstairs to find Hayes giving Bailey, my parents dog, a checkup! Perhaps we have a Dr in the making! :)

A time to give thanks

A belated Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Things here have been a whirlwind the past week or so. All of us have been sick with a cold and it seems I am the only one who is hanging on to it still! We did manage to have a nice Thanksgiving though, despite the nose blowing and coughing. My parents came down from PA on Wednesday and spent a few days with us. The boys love having their Nana & Granddaddy around! Thanksgiving day, Chris' parents, sister, brother and future sister-in-law came over and we had a really nice time. I will say that I felt like I was in the kitchen cooking most of the day, which didn't really make me feel too thankful. I think next year we will down scale a little. We have so many leftovers!

Yesterday, the boys enjoyed having a whole day with their Nana and Granddaddy. We went to their favorite playground and played and then out to lunch. Unfortunately, we had a huge weather change yesterday and it went from being 75 degrees outside on Thanksgiving day to a high of 50 degrees yesterday! It was also quite windy yesterday so the playground visit was only about 25 minutes.






Now that Thanksgiving is over, I feel rushed to get things done for Christmas. We will be decorating our tree either this afternoon or tomorrow and also putting up other decorations. Christmas does not seem very far off to me and I have this sense of being rushed! Whatever happened to that feeling of things going by slowly when we were little?

The holidays also bring on some stress for both Chris & I. Chris is extremely busy at work right now, he is actually there right now. When you work for a retail company Black Friday is a big day, so he has been working extremely hard all week. We are looking forward to the end of the holidays because it means his work will slow down some and I will be on my own with the boys less.