Friday, September 30, 2011

Fall Ball



Hayley has finished up with another round of Tee Ball. I think she liked it a little more this time around. Here are a few highlights (and funnies) of the season:

*Hayley can now hit the ball with the coach pitching to her, instead of off of the tee. If she's concentrating and in the mood to focus.

*She now knows that after batting, you drop (not throw) the bat, and keep the helmet on. Last season she kept tossing the helmet and keeping the bat.

*She's pretty good at stopping the grounders with her mitt, but she also thinks it's pretty funny when she misses the ball and it goes right between her feet.

*When Kade's mom told Kade and Hayley that after someone from the other team hits the ball they are supposed to catch it and throw it to first base, they were both a little surprised. Kade's response, "Get out! Really?"

*Hayley and her little friend Kade had to be separated at practice one night. Because the were fighting? Nope, not so much. Because they kept holding hands, and were trying to bat and catch balls while still holding hands. Kade's mom bribed him at the next game that if he could keep his hands off of Hayley for the rest of the next game, she'd buy him ice cream. My response to her? "You know this will be the story of our life for about the next ten years right?" We both had a good laugh, but seriously, they are like the little couple. Hayley got hurt the other day, and after she decided she was fine, she and Kade walked back over to his house hand in hand, with him patting her shoulder. Yeah, we'll see how long the ice cream bribe will work for.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Little Reader Girl



I love the "thank you" and bow at the end. What a little ham!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Princess Party

With Hayley only having nine girls including her in her kindergarten class, I wanted to have a little get together so they could celebrate going off track. I was thinking to have all of us meet up somewhere and get some lunch and let the kids play. I was telling my mom about how I wanted to organize something, and she started talking about how fun a Princess Party would be. Pretty soon I was suckered in. She was right, the girls were in heaven!



We strung beads on our princess ribbon crowns, had a princess relay race, and played some Princess Switch.



Then we had a princess fashion show. Here are all of the princesses during the finale.



We finished off with a Princess Tea Party Lunch and cupcakes. We also had a little talk about how we need to act like princesses at school too, and invite and accept others when we are playing. Yep, I may have had a hidden agenda. But I think I got the point across, and I know that all the girls had a good time. I did too. Two adults, six kindergarten princesses, and one little toddler prince made for a very fun afternoon. (Thanks for all your help mom. I couldn't and wouldn't have done it without you!)

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Kangaroo Zoo

Every time we go to Swiss Days, they have a bunch of these big bouncy houses and slides. They cost tickets and the money from ticket sales go to the local school. Now I'm all about a good fundraiser, but each ticket costs $1.00 and each bouncy thing-a-ma-jig costs two to three tickets. I think you can see where I am going here. Highway robbery, right? All the other years, I have gotten suckered into this scam at least five or ten dollars worth, but this year, I half-kiddingly said to Hayley that if she waited until we got home to Salt Lake, I would take her and a friend to Kangaroo Zoo. She jumped at the chance, and the next weekend Aisly, Hayley, Jackson, and I were headed off to the indoor, air-conditioned, one-flat-fee goodness that is the Kangaroo Zoo.



Hayley and Aisly had tons of fun, while Jackson was content to chill in his stroller and play in the water that I pretended I didn't notice he was dripping onto his stroller tray. Technically, I probably spent more money that I would have at the Swiss Days bouncies, but we got a lot more play time out of these ones. Plus, Aisly thanked us for taking her without any prompting from any adults. How I love a child that's been brought up right. And it's so nice that Hayley is getting old enough to bargain my way with, and usually convince her. :)

Monday, September 19, 2011

"Hurt"

This past weekend should have been pretty chill... Hayley playing with friends, an outing to get Jackson's haircut, Sunday dinner at my mom's. I guess Jackson decided to spice things up a bit for us, and nearly give me a heart attack in the process.

In all his post-haircut cuteness on Saturday, he was bringing all his blankies and stuffies from his crib to my room one by one, climbing up on the bed, depositing them in the pile he was making, and then safely sliding down the side of the bed to land on his feet. He was on about round five of this game when I heard the CLUNK. Yes, that one, the one that no mother ever wants to hear. Yep, you guessed it, fell off the bed. Face first. I snatch him up, and notice two things. One, he's crying. Good sign. Two, he already has a mouthful of blood. Bad, bad sign.

I get him over to the changing table and mop some of the blood out of his mouth, and shudder as I realize what it is that is bleeding so much: he's totally ripped his frenulum. What is that you ask? It's the piece of tissue that connects the upper gum above your teeth to the upper lip. Why would I know what that is called? Because not two months ago our Pediatric Dentist told me that Jackson's is very low, and to be careful because it will rip and bleed. NO FREAKING KIDDING.

So I hold him, and try to keep him from swallowing too much blood, and try not to cry myself. I remind myself that mouth wounds bleed a lot, and that even if the scar for this one is nasty, it's inside his mouth when no one can see it. I think about how much I do not want to hold my two-year-old down while he gets stitches IN HIS MOUTH, especially since I am already a little spent from holding him down to get his hair cut earlier that day. And then I decide to call and get a second opinion before taking him in anywhere.

I call my mom and step-dad to explain the situation and they say that they will stop by. While we are waiting, Jackson has calmed down, and is acting fairly normal. He's playing quietly and his mouth seems to have stopped bleeding. At this point I decide to call the dentist, since he will be familiar with the injury and will have possibly dealt with it before. I was very impressed when he called back within five minutes of my leaving a message on the emergency line, and even more impressed when he actually discussed the injury with me since it seems that the only thing that I ever get from the doctor's office emergency line is, "Well, we can't really tell you anything on the phone, you better just bring them in." Anyway, so the pediatric dentist said that it is a very common injury, and if it is done bleeding and the child is acting fine, there's really nothing they would do for it anyway. They don't usually stitch it, and sometimes the frenulum grows back, and sometimes it doesn't, which is fine, because it doesn't really serve a purpose.

I am ridiculously relieved, call my mom and step-dad and tell them not to worry about coming, give Jackson some Tylenol for good measure, and move on with our day. Jackson has a puffy upper lip, and has walked around the last few days poking at it gingerly and saying "hurt" but he really seems fine. His mouth is healing, but I don't know if it will ever be the same as it was. At least I'll have a good story for him when he is older and asks why he has a big dangly, gangly piece of yuck at the front of the inside of his mouth.

So glad that our little boy is okay. The scary part is, with how much of a little monkey he is, I'm sure this is just practice for the years to come. If you are curious, and you have a strong stomach, the injury looked like this. Scroll down to the fourth picture. It still gives me the heebie-jeebies.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Baby Jail

Don't let pictures like this fool you.



This little boy can be trouble with a capital T. Here's his latest trick:



After a few nights of restless sleep, and a few days with lack of naps at all or Jackson hopping out of his crib and strolling out into the hall, we broke down and bought a crib tent. We just weren't ready to make the big move to a big boy bed when obviously he would have no interest in staying in it.



Not a happy boy that first night. But much, much happier once he was back on his normal sleep and nap schedule.

You know, I'm pretty sure that this is karma for me making fun of those kid leashes. Serves me right I suppose.

Monday, September 12, 2011

So Happy Together

We signed Hayley up for another round of T-Ball. Mostly because her BF/BFF (boyfriend/best friend forever) Kade was going to play too.



These two have so much fun together! Even when they are just playing in the dirt in the outfield, or watching the balls roll right by them. I don't think either of them realized until a few games in that you are actually supposed to go after the ball, get it, and throw it to someone. One thing at a time right?

Friday, September 9, 2011

Cabin Trip

For Labor Day we went up to the cabin at Bear River. It seems every time we go there, we love it more. It's just far enough away from civilization to be relaxing, but close enough to pick up necessities in Evanstan. You know, like when you run out of diapers. :)



We spent lots of time reading books, playing games, eating snacks, taking walks, and playing on the enclosed outdoor patio. And we made a run over to Swiss Days on Saturday. Such a fun, chill, needed vacation!