Hayden and the Scooter

Hayden has been cooped up indoors pretty much his entire life! Now that the weather is starting to change and he is mobile, he is up and rearing to go into the back yard to discover all the great things nature has bestowed us. We have a great backyard. There are lots of places for a little boy to explore and it's park like setting makes it a really nice place to spend time.

We have trucks, bikes, and scooters for the kids to play with. Hayden has taken a liking to a particular Spider Man Scooter which used to be Michael's. He drags that scooter all over the yard. He tries to ride it on the cement and in the grass. The wheels are really slow moving so it's great for his little self to learn how to ride. He has insisted on bringing it into the house when we come inside so he can ride it and drag it around the house. He truly loves this scooter.

I'm really looking to summer so the kids can spend a lot more time out there. We'll get a Slip N' Slide and maybe a kiddie pool. I'm hoping it will be "the place to play" with a lot of kids running around the back yard with Popsicles in hand. I see myself watching the brood while reading a book and sipping a Vanilla Coke Zero. After frolicking in the sprinklers we can all walk down the street to the park and take long walks on our trails along the Tualatin River. Maybe pick a few blackberries along the way. Yep, that's how I'll be spending my summer for sure!

Cookies Thanks to Grandma

My Mom sent a cookie decorating kit to the kids for Easter this year. It came with some really pretty cutters and some sugar sprinkles in springtime pastels. So, the other day I bought some Pillsbury sugar cookie dough and a rolling pin and told Michael what we were going to do. Well, today it's raining and Jayden was not able to play so Michael and I decided it was a perfect afternoon to do our cookie project.

Michael had a blast cutting out the shapes and decorating with the sugar... he likes to go heavy on the sugar. We popped them in the oven and out popped some beautiful and colorful cookies.

After they were cooled and Hayden was up from his nap we all had a cookie to try them out. I'm happy to say we were successful and they were really yummy.

Thanks Mom!

Houston We Have an Aquasaur!

After months of trying we finally have hatching! I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to see the speck of a thing swimming about it the Aquasaur bowl. The first batch I tried on Christmas produced zero prehistoric swimmers so I wrote to the manufacturer and they sent me a new batch of eggs to try. I decided to wait until the weather warmed up a bit to try again. So, Sunday I decided to give it a go once again. Yesterday I was slightly, but not surprisingly disappointed when there was still nothing to speak of swimming around. Today I decided to put the lamp over the bowl again to see if that would help...

Voila! Two hours later we have two swimmers. At this point they are about the size of Horton's Who's but who cares! As far as I'm concerned I have succeeded in breeding these three-eyed freaks of nature.

Stay tuned to see how they grow!

Springtime

One thing I do love about living in Oregon is the change of seasons. Although, I could do with a lot less of the rainy season. Well, change is in the air around here and it's so refreshing. Flowers are blooming, leaves are budding, and tress are beginning to blossom. It's also been raining a lot less and so the boys are able to once again enjoy the back yard and play outside.

This change of season also for some reason gets everyone in the mood to get busy and get stuff done. I always think of a Bonanza episode where Haas gets "Spring Fever" and kind of goes crazy... well that's how it feels. I've been cleaning the house and organizing thing's that have been neglected for a while... Mike has been busy in the yard clearing out the flower beds and getting rid of all of the damage winter has caused.


Hayden, now old enough to explore the back yard is in awe of all the cool stuff there is to do and see. He toddles around and picks up every rock and goes into every nook and cranny. His favorite game is "_____ the baby" which Michael and his friends love to play too... (just fill in the blank with what ever you choose and that's the game).

The birds and the squirrels are going crazy for the food we put out. Pretty soon I'm sure we'll see little baby squirrels . I saw a humming bird the other day right outside our kitchen window.

Anyway, I can't wait for it to warm up just a bit more so we can really enjoy spending more time out doors. But, right now the air is electric and the mood is in full swing. Portland is getting ready for spring and summer and I'm happy about that.

Hayden's First Haircut

Well, I finally couldn't deny it any more. Hayden needed a haircut. His hair is special to me because it's just like mine except it's a beautiful blonde. I have been so in love with his hair I was reluctant to get it cut. However, I didn't want to follow in Kate Hudson's footsteps and have my boy looking like a "girlie boy" so I caved.
We decided Michael would go first so Hayden would have a clue about what was about to happen to him. He sat in his stroller and watched his big brother get his hair cut like a champion. Michael has always been pretty cooperative when it has come to grooming. Hayden on the other hand proved to be rather squirley and would not let the lady cut his hair. I don't know how we didn't loose an ear that day because cutting his hair was like landing a 747 on an aircraft carrier. But, in the end his hair was trimmed perfectly and looks great! I'm so happy with the way it turned out. It's still a tumble of curls but now it's just under control.
It's funny, I HATED my hair growing up. It wasn't easy having a frizzy fro especially when the Charlies Angles "wings" were so popular... I didn't truly know how to work with my hair or the power of product until I was in my 20's. I always hoped my kids would not get cursed with my hair but now that I see Hayden's I am so protective over it and so proud of it. Everyone comments on it when we go out. I no longer see it as a "gene gone bad" but now see it for what it is... beautiful.

True Joys of Motherhood

Today as I was putting Hayden down for his nap I experienced one of the true joys of motherhood. Those of you who have kids will know what I'm talking about. Every now and then something happens and you connect with your child in such a way that it stands out. It becomes a memory that you will always carry with you; a connection that etches your heart.




So, as I was changing his diaper and he was on the changing table he puckered his lips to give me a kiss. It's a silly pucker. He sticks his bottom lip out and looks up at you as if to say "kiss me!". So, I welcome this because he seems to be rather giving with the kisses with everyone except me. So, if he's offering a kiss than I'm sure going to take it. So, we play kissie until he's all changed and dressed then I pick him up and he rests his curly head on my shoulder. I rubbed his back for a second and he looked up at me... gave me a kiss, then rested his forehead on my forehead and patted my cheek. All the time he wore an adorable smile on his face.

It was a brilliant moment I will never forget. It felt like he was saying "I love you, Mommy".

So, I gave him a hug and into the crib he went. When he wakes up he probably wont remember that moment. But it's ok. I'll carry it for the both of us forever and ever.