Nice Hat

I just have to share this picture. Noah loves to put anything he can on his head and call it his "nice hat" .... today he found an old hat of mine, put it on and said "look at me mommy, nice hat." He looks so cute because the hat is so big on his head, but he loves it and wore it all around the house. Oh, how this boy melts my heart!

The Morning After

So the first thing the boys did this morning upon waking up, of course after Noah got his morning cup of "nilk," was to start playing with the new garbage truck, or "bahtich man" according to Monkey, that Grandma and Grandpa sent Noah for his birthday. Those of you who know my boys well, know their intense love of the garbage man. Strange, I know, but ever since Hayden was two, we have been watching the garbage get picked up twice a week. Noah's obsession (and I am serious when I say obsession!) started sometime this summer when he started talking and began to understand what the sounds of the garbage truck indicated. I tell you it's every Tuesday and Friday we're out on the driveway, sometimes still in our pajamas, watching the garbage get picked up. So, you can imagine both their excitement to have a new truck to play with, one that you can push a lever and it automatically lifts the dumpster and dumps "real" garbage into the back. Who knew I would come to know so much about how a garbage truck works? That's what happens when you have two boys I guess.

After eating breakfast and getting dressed, we ventured outside to enjoy the cool weather before making plans for the day. Noah enjoyed some practice time on his new bike, which you can see is a bit big for him still as his legs kind of just dangle in the air above the pedals. One day soon, we hope, his legs will be long enough to reach. For now, his big brother enjoys "sharing" it with him and it's pretty cute to watch them both go for a ride.

Monkey turns 2!

Today our little monkey celebrated his 2nd birthday! From the moment he woke until the minute he closed his eyes, our little boy was celebrated and loved by many. We brought him into our bed this morning, with big brother too, for some family snuggle time and sang him "Happy Birthday" ... to which he replied "hap birday to you" (with a strong emphasis on the you) over and over. I caught it on our video camera and know we will love looking back in the years to come.

In order to keep things simple, especially since Noah didn't really have a clue about it being "his birthday", this evening we had Grampy and Uncle Jeff over (Grammy is still in Seattle visiting with the new baby and Samuel) and a few friends for dinner, cupcakes, and "mee meem." Everything turned out great for Noah and he was especially proud of himself when he blew his candle out. The smile on his face after we sang to him is one I will forever cherish. Though I wish all of our friends and family could have been with us, please know wherever you are, you are with us in our hearts.

Thinking back two years, and remembering how quickly this little boy of ours entered our lives, in retrospect it fits his personality perfectly. He is on the go constantly, curious and quick to follow his brother everywhere, eager to make a run for it whenever he can, yet also content to be snuggled up in my arms. When I ask Noah, "Who's my baby?" and he replies "I yam," I realize how grateful I am for his life and all that he has brought us in the last two years. May there be many healthy and happy years to come for our two year old boy!

Brother Buddies

I caught a few snapshots this morning of the boys snuggling in our bed. As Noah transitions from two naps down to one, we find him still very sleepy in the late morning. He loves to cuddle up in our bed and go "night night" ... here you can see him laying with Hayden in a rare moment of calm and quiet.

Picnic in the Park

On our way home from picking Hayden up at school, he asked if we could take a picnic to the park and have our lunch there. Chris and I didn't have to think twice about our answer, and as soon as we got home I began making sandwiches and gathering a few other things to take with us down to the park. We loaded the boys in their wagon, with our picnic too, and walked down to enjoy a family lunch together. The weather was beautiful and perfect for eating outdoors. After lunch, the boys enjoyed playing for a little while before it was time to head back home for Noah's nap. Times like this remind me of what it is truly important in my life and I realize that it doesn't matter what we're doing as family, but it's spending time together that matters most. These days with Chris flying and being gone, our time as a family is sometimes limited -- today was a perfect chance for the four of us to just be together and I loved every minute of it.

Halloween

Buzz and Rex

Earlier this week, with Halloween approaching, the boys and I were invited over by my friend & teaching partner, Jennifer, to trick-or-treat with her girls, Ellie and Lia. Though I appreciated the invite, I decided we would just stick around our house and go through our neighborhood and then pass candy out later. As the day of Halloween came, I had to work and throughout the day, contemplated taking Jen up on her offer to join her family for the night. I soon learned her little ones were not feeling well and realized it was for the best that the boys and I stay close to home. When I was picking the boys up that afternoon, my friend Heather called and offered for us to go trick-or-treating in her mom's neighborhood with her family. Though I considered sticking to my plan of just staying at home, I realized I really didn't want to take the boys out alone again this year, and accepted her last minute offer to trick-or-treat with them. Not realizing how much I was missing Chris not being with us, I am really glad I decided to switch our plans for the evening.

Our Little T-Rex

Buzz and Rex

Buzz Lightyear

My Sweaty, Tired Boys

Even though it was still very warm, Hayden had a great time trick-or-treating with Carter, he even kept his purple hood on the entire night, which I was completely surprised by. Noah was the cutest little dinosaur walking around, helping himself to candy from all the nice people in the neighborhood. After about an hour of filling their pumpkins with treats, I packed up two very sweaty boys, still in costume, and drove over so their Grammy and Grampy could take some pictures and see them dressed up. Just a picture or two later, the boys were visibly exhausted and so began the transformation from T-Rex and Buzz to Noah and Hayden. They looked adorable in their costumes, but poor Hayden was so hot and sweaty he probably lost 5 pounds from wearing his "plastic" suit. Noah was pretty warm to, and kept saying "mommy, my hair wet", though the material of his allowed a little bit more air flow. It's a good thing the boys have a little cousin up in Seattle who can use these costumes again, as I am certain sweating won't be an issue there. I'm already thinking ahead to next year and am thinking perhaps dressing the boys as surfers .... I am sure they can't get too hot in swimming trunks!