I have completely neglected our blog lately. I have tried to sit down and update it… I really have! But every time I get in front of the computer, there is usually a stack of bills or work that take priority over it.
The last few months for us have been extremely busy, but in a good way. (Well, mostly good. I have been very busy at work lately. We are in the middle of a large conversion and it is keeping us working a lot. There are many nights that I am logging in from home and working after the kids go to bed.) But, besides that, the kids activities and school (holiday parties, book fairs, PTO meetings, football, swimming…etc…etc…!) is keeping us on our toes. Especially close to the holidays. Justin also works a ton around the holidays. Working retail, that is to be expected. He refers to me as a retail widow from about the beginning of November until January 1! This year was especially crazy, because he switched stores in September and got the job of Store Manager in December. We are so excited for him! After all of the many years of working towards it, he finally has his own store. Somewhere during this time, we all got sick as well. That just added to the craziness!
The only time I get to myself to get things done are between the hours of about 10pm and 1-2am. (It is 12:47am right now…See what I mean!). So, the little bit of time that I would have had to update the blog, I decided that sleep sounded like a better idea. Yes, that is correct…I choose sleep! I have tried to catch up the last few months in a few different posts below…so they may be a bit rambled as I try and remember what we all did!
We had a great 2011 filled with lots of fun memories. I am excited for what 2012 has to bring for our family!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Christmas festivities!
This year was filled with tons of fun holiday activities! I think the highlight was Paytons school musical. Each year the Kindergarten and 1st grade classes do a winter musical. This year it was called the Littlest Christmas Tree. It is mostly singing, but there are some speaking parts as well. The kids try out during class and Payton got the lead role of Santa Claus! We were so proud of him! The other speaking parts had one or two lines and he had 10 that he had to memorize. We worked hard and practiced almost every day! He looked so adorable in his costume! They all did so good and we were so proud of him! I think at the end of the musical, my sister, my mom and myself were all crying! (Shocking, I know!)
In November my mom and I took the kids to Branson for the weekend to go to the Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City. I have never been to Branson, (not that I remember at least, apparently I went as a child). But, it was a really pretty area and I am sure it would be a lot of fun in the summer! The Christmas lights and parade at Silver Dollar City were so neat. We booked a lunch with Santa and that was a big hit for the boys. Unfortunately, with Justin working mandatory weekends during the holidays, he didn’t get to go with us.
One of the other fun things we did was go on a hayrack ride through our neighborhood! Our subdivision puts it on every year. Santa was there and they had a hot chocolate bar!
We had a really great Christmas this year. The boys are so into everything Christmas related. Easton loves the lights and trees and Payton is all about Santa. Easton really got it this year that Santa was coming to his house. If you asked him what he wanted he would say, Choo Choo, Elmo, both! On Christmas Eve we were tracking Santa on TV and Payton was so into it! He had to find a globe so he could figure out exactly where they were talking about! It was so fun that the boys were so into everything. It really makes the holidays so special. After we did our thing on Christmas morning, we went over to my moms and celebrated over there as well. I was worried that the boys would not last as they were up late on Christmas eve and then the long day on Christmas, but they did great! I was actually really impressed with both of them. Especially Easton, I was sure that he was going to be tearing into presents and such, but he always waited his turn and did so good!
In November my mom and I took the kids to Branson for the weekend to go to the Old Time Christmas at Silver Dollar City. I have never been to Branson, (not that I remember at least, apparently I went as a child). But, it was a really pretty area and I am sure it would be a lot of fun in the summer! The Christmas lights and parade at Silver Dollar City were so neat. We booked a lunch with Santa and that was a big hit for the boys. Unfortunately, with Justin working mandatory weekends during the holidays, he didn’t get to go with us.
One of the other fun things we did was go on a hayrack ride through our neighborhood! Our subdivision puts it on every year. Santa was there and they had a hot chocolate bar!
We had a really great Christmas this year. The boys are so into everything Christmas related. Easton loves the lights and trees and Payton is all about Santa. Easton really got it this year that Santa was coming to his house. If you asked him what he wanted he would say, Choo Choo, Elmo, both! On Christmas Eve we were tracking Santa on TV and Payton was so into it! He had to find a globe so he could figure out exactly where they were talking about! It was so fun that the boys were so into everything. It really makes the holidays so special. After we did our thing on Christmas morning, we went over to my moms and celebrated over there as well. I was worried that the boys would not last as they were up late on Christmas eve and then the long day on Christmas, but they did great! I was actually really impressed with both of them. Especially Easton, I was sure that he was going to be tearing into presents and such, but he always waited his turn and did so good!
Payton is 7!!
Payton turned 7! Seven seems like such a big number! It seems so much older then 6 for some reason. So hard to believe that my first baby is 7! Payton continues to amaze me on how bright, sweet, sensitive and caring he is. He is a wonderful student and is a great big brother. We could not be more proud of him. This past year he has really changed. He has gotten over being shy and is the student counsel representative for his class. He pretty much loves everything about school. He has gotten much more into sports and loved playing football (especially when he was playing quarterback) and enjoys swimming.
On the day before his actual birthday, I went had had lunch with him at school. Eating lunch with a bunch of elementary school students is always very entertaining! For his birthday we decided to go with an astronomy theme. He likes to study the planets so it seemed fitting. We just had some local family over to the house and ate and had cake and he opened presents. Most of the gifts he got from us where space themed. He really likes a moon that we hung on the wall that he can change to the different phases. On the day after his birthday, to celebrate some more, we took him and a friend of his to Incredibowl to go bowling, play miniature golf and laser tag. They had a great time! Overall all I think he had a great time turning 7!!
On the day before his actual birthday, I went had had lunch with him at school. Eating lunch with a bunch of elementary school students is always very entertaining! For his birthday we decided to go with an astronomy theme. He likes to study the planets so it seemed fitting. We just had some local family over to the house and ate and had cake and he opened presents. Most of the gifts he got from us where space themed. He really likes a moon that we hung on the wall that he can change to the different phases. On the day after his birthday, to celebrate some more, we took him and a friend of his to Incredibowl to go bowling, play miniature golf and laser tag. They had a great time! Overall all I think he had a great time turning 7!!
Fall 2011
Our fall was pretty much filled up with football. Mostly Payton, but Justin and I managed to make a very quick trip to Iowa City to catch a Hawkeye game! (By very quick, I mean we left at 10, right after Paytons morning flag football game. Drove 5 hours to Iowa City, checked into the hotel, changed, and walked up to the stadium with enough time to walk around a bit before the 6pm game. Then drove back the next morning!) That’s okay though, we had a great time!
The rest of our Fridays were filled with practice for Payton and games on Saturdays. We were actually really sad when the season was over. The boys got along great and we really enjoyed the other families. (It was nice though to have Saturday mornings back!) At the end of the season, Paytons team made it to the Championship game. They ended up getting second place! We were so proud of them! None of the boys had ever played before and they improved dramatically from the beginning of the season. Payton usually played quarterback so he didn’t get to score that much, but he did make a couple of touchdowns the last few games. And, yes, I cried! Football also carried through to Halloween! Easton dressed up like an Iowa football player and Payton was a referee! Payton also wanted to be a vampire though, so he did that one for trick or treating! (I wasn’t so sure about that one for school, so we played it safe at school and did the ref costume there!)
The rest of our Fridays were filled with practice for Payton and games on Saturdays. We were actually really sad when the season was over. The boys got along great and we really enjoyed the other families. (It was nice though to have Saturday mornings back!) At the end of the season, Paytons team made it to the Championship game. They ended up getting second place! We were so proud of them! None of the boys had ever played before and they improved dramatically from the beginning of the season. Payton usually played quarterback so he didn’t get to score that much, but he did make a couple of touchdowns the last few games. And, yes, I cried! Football also carried through to Halloween! Easton dressed up like an Iowa football player and Payton was a referee! Payton also wanted to be a vampire though, so he did that one for trick or treating! (I wasn’t so sure about that one for school, so we played it safe at school and did the ref costume there!)
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Nov 3, 2011
I haven't had time to do a blog and hope too do one soon....but in the meantime, I have added lots of pictures to the Fall 2011 album! Enjoy!
Monday, October 10, 2011
October 2011
Yes, we are still here in case you were wondering! I can’t believe it has been this long since I updated the blog! Life just moves way to fast! Payton is now in football, which is twice a week, so we are trying to get in a groove of that with swimming, school stuff, plus the other house hold chores, etc and both working demanding jobs!
Payton is actually really enjoying football. We were not sure how he would like it as he doesn’t really like any sports that involve being too aggressive. But this is flag football, and he is the quarterback, so not too much aggression there! He can throw really well. We were pretty surprised. His team is doing really well and he really likes the other boys on the team and we really like the other parents. Justin started helping the first week and has kind of stepped up to be an unofficial assistant coach. He is loving it. He has actually adjusted his work schedule to be off for practices and games! He actually passed up tickets to an Iowa game because he didn’t want to miss Paytons game! We are heading to Iowa City this weekend though, but not until right after the flag football game!
Besides football, Payton has had a pretty busy and fun month! Earlier in September, he won a chance to ride in a local parade (the largest parade in Kansas) from the place that I get the kids hair cuts. He was so excited and felt like a rock star. He loves parades, and to be in one was even better! Then, later in September, I took Payton to see Taylor Swift in concert at Arrowhead Stadium. He was so excited! The concert was at night and we had the cheaper seats that were way up high, which made for a wind tunnel! So, it was pretty chilly! I was thinking that he would be one of the youngest kids there, but I was shocked, there were so many little kids. I think there were more kids then adults at the concert. It was a good show and he had fun! This past Friday, Paytons school went to the zoo. It was a trip that was supposed to happen in May that got rescheduled due to rain. So, I took the day off and helped chaperon. It was fun and I think the kids had a great time!
Easton also had an eventful month, but not in a good way! He had to have surgery, again! This is #3 for him! A few weeks ago, he was saying that his ears hurt. So I took him in and one of his ear tubes had fallen out (this is normal after a year or so), and that ear was infected. We already had a followup with the ENT doctor scheduled for two weeks later. By then, both tubes had fallen out, he had another infection, and it was obvious based on the audio tests and some other stuff that the doctor mentioned that he needed tubes put back in. He also recommended taking out his adenoids as well as sometimes this can help. They were able to fit us in that week, so I had to run around and make lots of phone calls to get ready for it. Mainly, I had to get approval from his cardiologist that he was cleared for the surgery. Surgery went great and we were back home in a few hours. He was a little groggy from the anesthesia the first day, but later he was back to himself! I stayed home with him that day and my mom was able to take the next day off of work to stay home with him so I didn’t have to miss anymore work then I already have.
Other then surgery, Easton is doing great! We are working on potty training a little and he is proving to be much more stubborn then Payton ever was! He is still a chatter box and loves to play with Payton. They actually play really well together most of the time and Payton likes to read to him and teach him things. He is also becoming quite the flirt, especially when it comes to Grandma! He has also started saying, “Ewww” if he sees something he considers dirty or gross. It is pretty cute!
Things are good here, but just a constant stream of activity that I know is going to get worse once they are both in school! That is okay though, we are having a great time doing it!
Payton is actually really enjoying football. We were not sure how he would like it as he doesn’t really like any sports that involve being too aggressive. But this is flag football, and he is the quarterback, so not too much aggression there! He can throw really well. We were pretty surprised. His team is doing really well and he really likes the other boys on the team and we really like the other parents. Justin started helping the first week and has kind of stepped up to be an unofficial assistant coach. He is loving it. He has actually adjusted his work schedule to be off for practices and games! He actually passed up tickets to an Iowa game because he didn’t want to miss Paytons game! We are heading to Iowa City this weekend though, but not until right after the flag football game!
Besides football, Payton has had a pretty busy and fun month! Earlier in September, he won a chance to ride in a local parade (the largest parade in Kansas) from the place that I get the kids hair cuts. He was so excited and felt like a rock star. He loves parades, and to be in one was even better! Then, later in September, I took Payton to see Taylor Swift in concert at Arrowhead Stadium. He was so excited! The concert was at night and we had the cheaper seats that were way up high, which made for a wind tunnel! So, it was pretty chilly! I was thinking that he would be one of the youngest kids there, but I was shocked, there were so many little kids. I think there were more kids then adults at the concert. It was a good show and he had fun! This past Friday, Paytons school went to the zoo. It was a trip that was supposed to happen in May that got rescheduled due to rain. So, I took the day off and helped chaperon. It was fun and I think the kids had a great time!
Easton also had an eventful month, but not in a good way! He had to have surgery, again! This is #3 for him! A few weeks ago, he was saying that his ears hurt. So I took him in and one of his ear tubes had fallen out (this is normal after a year or so), and that ear was infected. We already had a followup with the ENT doctor scheduled for two weeks later. By then, both tubes had fallen out, he had another infection, and it was obvious based on the audio tests and some other stuff that the doctor mentioned that he needed tubes put back in. He also recommended taking out his adenoids as well as sometimes this can help. They were able to fit us in that week, so I had to run around and make lots of phone calls to get ready for it. Mainly, I had to get approval from his cardiologist that he was cleared for the surgery. Surgery went great and we were back home in a few hours. He was a little groggy from the anesthesia the first day, but later he was back to himself! I stayed home with him that day and my mom was able to take the next day off of work to stay home with him so I didn’t have to miss anymore work then I already have.
Other then surgery, Easton is doing great! We are working on potty training a little and he is proving to be much more stubborn then Payton ever was! He is still a chatter box and loves to play with Payton. They actually play really well together most of the time and Payton likes to read to him and teach him things. He is also becoming quite the flirt, especially when it comes to Grandma! He has also started saying, “Ewww” if he sees something he considers dirty or gross. It is pretty cute!
Things are good here, but just a constant stream of activity that I know is going to get worse once they are both in school! That is okay though, we are having a great time doing it!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Back to School!
Payton is now a 1st grader! He has been in school now for just about 2 full weeks and says that he loves 1st grade! He has some of his same friends in his class from last year. I thought that he would have some back to school nerves, but nope, he was ready to go! He said his favorite subject is math, which is no surprise to us because his brain seems to work in numbers! He even learned how to do multiplication over the summer and has started doing some simple division. This year after school we are sending him to an after school program at the school through the YMCA instead of having him go to the daycare that Easton goes to. (Payton will continue to go there over holidays and breaks, etc). This means at night I have to pick up kiddos in two locations. It has been a bit chaotic getting to two places, but I am sure we will get into a groove soon. Payton likes the after school program, but it has taken some getting used to from Easton. He is used to seeing Payton at his school everyday, so in the evenings when he gets in the van, he always says, "where P go?"
Even though we are having summer temps, with school back in session and school activities, it seems like summer is over this year. (But that means football starts next weekend!) Also, our pools all closed early around here last week for the season because of some virus that is going around. That is a big time bummer for us. The boys are both fish! They just love the water! Payton continues to go to swimming once a week and I think we will let him keep going for as long as he wants. It is one sport that he really loves to do and he is pretty good at it.
Easton is really starting to communicate like a mini person now! His new phrase is, "what you doin' mommy?" or "I comin" He really likes singing the songs that he learns at school and following Payton around. One funny thing about Easton is when he is mad, instead of throwing a tantrum, he just sits down and stares you down. Like if we are coming in from outside and he wants to stay outside. He will just sit in the ground right where he is and glare at us! Or, if he is in time out and you tell him to say he is sorry for whatever he did, he will sit there for ever and refuse to say it and just glare at us! It is actually pretty funny. We have to watch ourselves from laughing when he is being disciplined for something. He is a silly boy!
I finally scanned in Eastons 2 year pictures from June, so I uploaded them, and I also added a few more pictures to the Summer of 2011 part 2 album.
Even though we are having summer temps, with school back in session and school activities, it seems like summer is over this year. (But that means football starts next weekend!) Also, our pools all closed early around here last week for the season because of some virus that is going around. That is a big time bummer for us. The boys are both fish! They just love the water! Payton continues to go to swimming once a week and I think we will let him keep going for as long as he wants. It is one sport that he really loves to do and he is pretty good at it.
Easton is really starting to communicate like a mini person now! His new phrase is, "what you doin' mommy?" or "I comin" He really likes singing the songs that he learns at school and following Payton around. One funny thing about Easton is when he is mad, instead of throwing a tantrum, he just sits down and stares you down. Like if we are coming in from outside and he wants to stay outside. He will just sit in the ground right where he is and glare at us! Or, if he is in time out and you tell him to say he is sorry for whatever he did, he will sit there for ever and refuse to say it and just glare at us! It is actually pretty funny. We have to watch ourselves from laughing when he is being disciplined for something. He is a silly boy!
I finally scanned in Eastons 2 year pictures from June, so I uploaded them, and I also added a few more pictures to the Summer of 2011 part 2 album.
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