Hanging with Daddy

After a very long 11 days on the road travelling, Daddy finally returned home. I can't tell you how sweet it was to see Hayden jump into Chris' arms when he saw him walk through the door. It was a moment that brought tears to my eyes to see the genuine love that is shared between my beautiful child and husband. Several moments after Chris' arrival home, Noah could be heard chattering away on the monitor and so I went to get him up from his nap. As I picked him up out of his crib, he heard Daddy's voice from the kitchen and called out for his "dada" ... he reached out to him instantly and had the most precious look on his face, as if he'd just found something that had been missing for a long time. It was a look of pure and simple happiness; having Chris home makes our lives feel more complete. We sure did miss Daddy during this latest trip!
So later in the day after running a few errands, a swim, and dinner as a family (yay!), Hayden picked Little Mermaid to watch and opted for "Pirate's Booty" (a yummy, child-friendly snack of puffed corn and rice that has become quite the favorite snack in this home) rather than popcorn. Here are a few moments of the boys hanging out with daddy and watching a movie while enjoying their "booty."

Frozen Firecrackers

Before putting our day to an end, the boys went outside to enjoy a red, white, and blue "Firecracker" pop-sicle. This was Hayden's choice at the grocery store today, and because it's been a long week without Daddy home and we all needed a little pick-me-up, I gave in to my better judgement and bought them. Artificial coloring, check - artificial flavoring, check check - artificial sweeteners, check check check. Only the best for my boys ... okay, but seriously, before you go judging, remember back to the days when you your mouth would freeze while eating a pop-sicle just like it .... the kind that dripped and melted in your hand, and turned your hands, face, and yes, your tongue a shade of blue (or some other odd color that NEVER occurs naturally in nature). It's what childhood memories are made of! Anyway, they loved it - their mouths and teeth turned a certain shade of purple, and then they went inside to bed. Ha, just kidding ... I hosed them down first, dunked them in a bath full of bubbles to soak and then scrub off the sticky remnants of their sweet (this is what we call dessert in the Robb home), and then put them to bed. Tomorrow is another day!

Tot Town

Monday brought on another adventure for the Robb boys. This morning, we met my friend Nicole and her two daughters, Joleigh and Noelle, up near their house for a few hours of play. A local church converts their gymnasium into Tot Town from 9:30 to 11:30 on Mondays, creating an indoor (and cool!), safe, clean children's play land. All this and it's FREE (what more could a mom ask for?). From an inflatable bouncy slide (Hayden's top pick), balls and bikes, trains and trucks, sit n' spins, scooters, to a teeter totter and mini-slide, the kids had their pick of areas to play. Hayden and Noah had fun playing with their friends, and Nicole and I enjoyed spending time watching them. When I taught at Sheely Farms in Tolleson, Nicole was a Kindergarten teacher - we became friends and even though we've since left and gone on to other things, we have stayed in touch over the years. Her younger daughter, Noelle, and my little monkey, Noah, are just 5 days apart - little Scorpio buddies! After playing and helping clean up, we had lunch with Nicole and the girls at Chick-Fil-A. What a great place to end a morning play date ... after all, a few chicken nuggets, fruit and a little bit more play, plus a balloon - sounds like the perfect recipe to me. Toys, friends, and food - that's all we ever need!

SPLASH POOL

On Sunday, the boys and I drove over to have pizza and a "wee bit o' splashin" with our friends Heather, Lance, Tatum, and Carter. Daddy has been gone for a week on a trip and so I've been doing all that I can to keep my little boys busy. When I first told Hayden of our plan for the afternoon, which is an important part of preparing him to get ready to go anywhere, he did a little jig and sang "I get to see Carter, I get to see Carter" - pretty cute to see him dance around and get so excited. Hayden and Carter have been friends since they were born, and are exactly one month apart (more on this later), so whenever we can, we try to plan times for the boys to play together. All four of the kids do so well together, and Tatum is such a little lover of Noah. Anyway, we get to their house and eat pizza, a fav for the Robb boys, and then change to go to the pool. Up in Estrella Mountain (where they live) there is a great pool for all the residents with a shallow splash pool for children. A perfect way to burn off energy, especially here where it's HOT from sunrise to sunset. The water was a little cool, compared to Grammy and Grampy's pool which is more like swimming in a hot tub, but we all had fun and can't wait to go back for more splash time. Oh yeah - I owe you an explanation for the "more on this later" comment ... so on our way home, Hayden and I are talking about preschool starting soon and that he and Carter will be in the same class this year. He asked when Carter would turn 5, and I told him that Carter will have his birthday on November 4th, just like he would have his birthday on December 4th. You would have thought I shared with him the secret to eternal happiness! My sweet boy was so excited that he and Carter were both born on the 4th, that he says to me "Mommy, me and Carter are 4th brothers!" .... okay, if that doesn't melt your heart and make you just want to give him a squeeze for being so darn cute, I don't know what will.

Sunriver, Oregon

From July 7 to July 12, the the whole Robb clan met in Sunriver, Oregon for our first ever vacation together. What a perfect place to go to get away for a few days and enjoy the beauty of central Oregon. The house we stayed in was big enough for all of us, and in the room where the boys stayed was a bunk bed. I have to say they had more fun climbing up and down the ladder to the top bunk, and yes even Noah enjoyed a climb or two. We enjoyed renting bikes and exploring the property of the Sunriver Resort, and even saw a family of deer on one of our rides. The Deschutes River runs through the resort, and it was breathtaking to watch the sunset over Mount Bachelor as it reflected in the river. As you can see, we even took in a round of putting on the 18-hole family putting course. Hayden has been wanting to play golf so badly, and got his chance to practice. He looks pretty cute with the kid-sized putter in his hands. On one of our last days there, we drove the 13 miles or so up to Bend to explore the town. It was 77 degrees (which it hasn't been here in months) and there was a cycling race through the downtown area. That was a lot of fun to watch! We also stopped by Mirror Pond and took in the gorgeous views of Bachelor and the 3 Sisters peaking through the trees in the distance. I was ready to move and am looking forward to going again next summer. If your family is in need of a great getaway, we would highly recommend the Sunriver Resort.

Celebrating the 4th of July