Anniversary!

Today is our 5 year wedding anniversary!  Can you believe it has been 5 years! Justin has actually put with with me and my slightly obsessive cleaning/organizing/etc. for that long!  (For a bit of nostalgia, I am adding a few pictures from 5 years ago to the album).

Due to the Easter weekend and the fact that Justin is working today, we celebrated our anniversary last wekend.  We had a little getaway.  Not really away, but we stayed downtown and went out to eat at a really nice restaurant.  I was even able to squeeze in a very much needed massage at the hotel health club.  It was great to get away.  Not that I don't love being mom and running our household, but it was nice to not have to think about any of that stuff for 24 hours.  While we were there, Payton spent the night at my moms.  We weren't quite sure how it would go considering that he has never stayed anywhere without us before.  But he did great.  He had a great time at Grandma Joy's.   He is always much more behaved for her than he is for us (isn't that typical) so it all went well.

 

On another note, Payton is still amazing me at what he learns and how fast he can pick things up.  He is working on spelling his last name and is beginning to write.    I have learned that he is ahead of the other kids at day care/preschool his same age.  I guess that helps balance out the minor behavorial issues we are having right now!  (See post below)

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter!

3 years olds...

Whoever developed the term “Terrible Twos” obviously did it before their child turned three!!  All’s that I can say is WOW, I don’t even recognize my child sometimes.  I have learned that I am not alone though.  I have been doing lots of reading and talking with other parents and most of them agree, that the Threes are much worse than the Twos.   With Two, we had the occasional tantrum, but nothing major.  And it was usually when he was overly tired.  But with Three, you get the attitudes, stubbornness and pushing every limit possible. 

They strive to be so independent at this age, which is great, but can also be part of the problem.  For example, Payton loves to help clean around the house and help me in the kitchen.  So he just doesn’t understand why when he is sitting on the counter helping me clean off dishes (and spraying water everywhere and flooding the kitchen at the same time) he has to get down, because to him he is helping.

I just keep telling myself that this is a phase and he won’t be three forever.  Only 8 months and 15 days left of the Threes.  (Not that I am counting or anything!!)

Girls night out and Texas

We had a very busy and exciting weekend!  My good friend from high school was going to be in Kansas City this weekend so I got to spend time with the girls on Friday.   We all met for lunch and then met again later for dinner and drinks.  We had a great time and I think we need to do it more often.  It was a much needed night out for all of us I think!

Then, the next morning Justin, Payton and I headed to Dallas, Texas!  We went down there to visit some friends of ours.  After the 8 hour drive we hung out at their house and Payton and their one year old daughter played.  On Sunday we spent the day at a Science Museum and an Acquarium.  The science museum had an adorable childrens section that the kids could play in.  Then we did a little shopping.  Justin had to go and check out their Dick's Sporting Goods.  (You would think that he sees enough of that store everyday!!)   On Monday we headed back to Kansas.   On the way home we stopped in Oklahoma at a park that had some waterfalls and caves.  The weather was so nice down there.  When we left on Monday, it was 82 degrees!  When we got home to Kansas, it was 32!  It was a nice break from the cold, but I am still sick of winter and I want it to be over!! 

 

Nothing much...

Sorry it has been such a long time since I last posted.  It has been pretty uneventful around here the last month.  We really haven't done much except a quick trip to western Iowa last weekend for Justin's moms surprise birthday party and working alot.  Payton and I are both fighting colds right now.  We are ready for winter to be over! 

Payton is really into coloring right now and doing craft projects and playing with play-dough.  He has gotten a lot better at coloring lately.  He still scribbles all over the paper, but now you can tell that he is actually trying to color specific things.

This is something he did a week or so ago:

 

He is also learning so much at day care/preschool.  He has learned how to spell his first name.  They are working on last names but he hasn't quite got it yet.  I asked him how to spell my name and he told me that I don't have a name!   In the last couple of months, he has also learned the seasons, the days of the week and the months of the year.  Here are some videos that i took from my cell phone.  (They are not the best quality since they were from my phone, but I think you should still be able to see them.

 

 http://images.video.msn.com/flash/soapbox1_1.swf
Video: spelling name

 http://images.video.msn.com/flash/soapbox1_1.swf
Video: months

 

 

Merry Christmas!!

I hope everyone had a good Christmas!  Ours was wonderful!  Payton was a lot of fun this year.  He was really into having Santa and his reindeer come to his house.  He had been talking about Santa for the entire month of December!  Once while we were shopping for presents we were at Cabellas, a hunting store, and there were deer displayed in and around the store and Payton told me and everyone else who would listen that those were Santas reindeer and they were coming to his house! 

 

We started off the Christmas festivities on Christmas Eve with Justins parents and sister.  They came to our house and we had a big dinner and opened presents.  We had a great time.  The only bad thing was that I completely forgot to get out my camera so I don't have any pictures to share from then.  Christmas morning we celebrated with the 3 of us in the morning and then that afternoon went over to my moms house.  My Grandma is visiting from Florida, so we got to spend Christmas with her as well.  Then on the 26th, I took the day off of work so Payton and I could stay home and play with new toys all day long! 

 

As much as I love Christmas, I was ready for it to be over and to get my house back in order.  We are also glad to have daddy home more and back to working normal hours instead of those crazy holiday hours.  I am looking forward to a happy, healthy and exciting 2008! 

Happy 60th Grandpa Gene and seeing Santa

I am a little behind on my blogs, so I am going to try and recap...

The weekend of the 16th I went to Iowa for a quick trip to see my dad for his birthday.  Happy 60th Birthday Grandpa Gene!!  While I was up there I got to visit with some of my friends and their kids.  Payton stayed here with Justin and while he worked mom watched Payton.  Mom, Lindsey and Kellen took Payton to see a Holiday train that had Santa on it!  Payton loved it!  I will put some pictures in the album section.

Happy Birthday!

Payton turned 3 this week!  My baby is such a big boy now!  We feel so lucky to have such a loving, caring, smart and funny little boy in our lives.  It is so hard to believe that he is already 3 years old.  But on the other hand, it is amazing  to see all of the things he has learned and how much he has changed through those years.  

 

3 months:

 

6 months:

 

18 months:

 

2 years old:

 

3 years old:

 

 

Payton had a fun birthday weekend!  On Saturday my mom and I took him to Union Station and Crown Center to see the holiday train exhibit and lots of Christmas decorations.  Then we ate at the Crayola Cafe.  On Sunday we celebrated his birthday with a Disney Cars themed party.  He had a great time and got lots of thoughtful gifts.  We started the party with a bit of a meltdown, but when you mix a 3 year old with no nap and presents and a cake that he can not have yet, it isn't pretty!  After the meltdown, then he was good to go!  On Monday (his actual birthday) he brought Cars themed cupcakes to school.  That night we took him to Chucky Cheese.  He had a great time there.  There were so many things to do there he couldn't decide what to do first!  He just kept running around he was so excited! 

I have added lots of pictures to the photo album of his birthday weekend.