Nephew Nolan

We got the chance to babysit our nephew Nolan for a few hours this afternoon. He is four months old and quite a little stud. Payton and Brady love their cousin. PR showers him with kisses, and Brady does his best to put Nolan's pacifier in his mouth. It sometimes ends up in his eye, his nose, etc., but hey, he's trying! I had fun playing with the black and white setting on my camera. Here are a few shots...

Spring Fever

The weather is getting warmer, the grass is getting greener, and we are excited to be able to spend time outside! Last night, we drove up to Daniel's Park and had a tailgate picnic for dinner. Afterwards, we had a blast hiking around and climbing on the rocks. We can't wait for summer to be official!

Arrivederci Mullet Man

Our son Brady has grown quite a mullet over the last few months. You know, business in the front & party in the back. Actually, his was more like a party all over. We've talked about getting a haircut for several weeks, but I've grown a little attached to the 'do.
Sunday I went outlet shopping with a friend. Payton told me over the phone that they had a surprise waiting for me at home. Well, Brady looks like a new man. His dad gave him his first haircut outside on the patio. He did a pretty good job!

Live, In Concert, (& Slightly Off Key)!

Payton has recently added a new song to her Top 40 List (other songs on the list include Had A Bad Day, Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, and Bust A Move). We like this one a lot!

FYI: You might be wondering what she's wearing around her neck. That is a blanket/sling that she uses to carry around her "baby Nolan."

Pop Quiz...

There are two clips embedded below. One shows the 2008 NCAA Slam Dunk Contest Winner. The other shows our son Brady showcasing his own slam dunks. I know that it is incredibly hard to tell them apart, but see if you can figure out which one is Brady!

A Fun-Filled, Friend-Filled Weekend: Part 1

We spent this past weekend hanging out with some of our closest friends. On Friday, we headed over to Gwen and Tim's place. The weather was great, so we had a blast playing at the park near their house.

There is a creek that runs right next to the playground. PR knows that if she brings her rubber boots, she is allowed to explore. She loves looking for snakes, minnows, and any other creepy crawlies that might be lurking in the water.
Sometimes, those rubber boots aren't so great for balance!
The boys had an awesome time swinging on the swings and going up and down the slide. Brady worked hard to climb up, and RJ laughed hysterically as he slid down.
We had a great night, and now we're even more anxious for summer!

A Fun-Filled, Friend-Filled Weekend: Part 2

On Saturday, we spent a few hours with our friends Jesse & Kacey and their kiddos. We headed over to what PR calls "the jumping place." A warehouse filled with giant blow-up jumping toys. The kids (and the parents too!) had a riot. Here is a video of our adventure...

A Tribute To Diego's House Of Balls

A few weeks ago, my dear friend Gwen posted a lovely story about the new addition to her son's playroom...Diego's House of Balls. She told the world how amazing the plastic-blow-up-tent-with-50-plastic-balls was and how much RJ enjoyed it. She also said she got the idea from her mom Nancy who had decided to buy Diego's House of Balls for US as a joint birthday gift for PR and Brady.

Well, my kiddos have certainly enjoyed this fabulous toy...
Gwen also expressed the joy she experienced knowing that 1) I do not have a playroom, and 2) I am slightly obsessed with having an uncluttered, clean house.

This is what Diego's House of Balls looks like 75% of the time (pay special attention to the floor)...This is what my house looks like 75% of the time (pay special attention to the floor)...For these reasons, I wish to pay tribute to Diego's House of Balls (not to mention Gwen...and Nancy...). Thank you. Thank you so much.

A Dino Lovin' Diva

Payton has a very unique combination of passions. She LOVES all things girl--pink, dresses, plastic high heels, unicorns, make-up, etc. On the other hand, she absolutely ADORES dinosaurs, science, and playing in dirt and puddles. I think that this balance is one of the things I love most about her. She'll always keep life interesting. These pictures pretty much sum it up...

Pink Fast Biter Teeth (her name for t-rex's), can it get any better?

A rubber lizard, plastic dinosaur, and fluffy pink pony with a heart on it's rear. I found these sitting on the counter this morning...she loves them all.