"Daddyn" and "Mommyn"

Lately, we've been helping Peyton learn to spell Peyton, Reagan, Mommy, and Daddy. Every time we write Mommy or Daddy, Peyton insists on adding a "n" at the end. We can't covince him otherwise. He's technically not wrong - since our actual names end with n. But he has no way of knowing that right now!

Reagan continues to find new spaces to crawl into and new things to pull up on. The other day, I caught her behind the end table, about to grab the cord to the lamp. This morning she was playing in our bathroom and pulled up on the edge of the bathtub. She stood there for a good ten minutes "playing the drums" on the edge and squealling and shreaking at herself. She was very proud of herself for finding a new noise maker!

I've also been meaning to write about Awanas last week. It was the annual balloon launch. The kids released about 400 red, orange, and green balloons with bible verse tags and church info attached. Peyton was right in the middle of the group when the balloons were launched. He absoluted squealed with delight at the hundreds of balloons floating away! I've never seen him make such an excited expression! It was precious!

Boy, all boy!

Peyton is really into things getting smashed lately. Yesterday, he and Reagan and I were playing in the front yard. He grabbed a handful of mulch and threw it into the street. When I asked him why he did that he said, "So the cars will come and SMASH them!" (big, big emphasis on smash!)

Reagan's 9 month pictures

More 9 month pics in Spring 08 folder

Reagan's Crawling!

Reagan is now officially on the move! She's been crawling for almost a week now and is an expert! On Monday, we got her really motivated to move by dangling one of her favorite toy's (a tv remote) in front of her. By Wednesday, she had figured out that by crawling, she could get from room to room without having to wait for anyone to come move her. Today, she crawled from one end of the house to the other!

She is definitely making the most of her new mode of transportation. Several magazines and a book on a low shelf have already been destroyed. She has discovered Peyton's basket of cars and loves digging around in it. Today I caught her playing with the handles on the buffet cabinet and quickly moved her before she could figure out how to open the drawers. She also enjoys pulling the moss out of the pot plant and banging the blinds against the patio door.

Yesterday we caught her standing up in her crib for the first time. Today she pulled up on several toys and pieces of furniture. She is very proud of herself these days!

Peyton and Reagan actually "played" together for the first time this week. Reagan crawled into the office and discovered how to rattle the fireplace doors. She was really cracking up at herself! Peyton decided to get in on the action and began rattling the fireplace doors on the living room side. She would rattle and laugh, and then he would rattle and laugh! Although we typically don't allow the fireplace doors to be rattled like that, the moment was too cute and precious to stop!

Reagan has also discovered Peyton's sacred Blue Bear. Whenever she see him on the floor, she makes a beeline for him, which really agrivates Peyton, of course. Fortunately, all he does is grab Blue Bear away. We've tried teaching Peyton to give Reagan a substitute toy (which he usually does) and have encouraged him to just keep Blue Bear out of Reagan's reach, but that's just one battle we'll have to fight for a while.

Today was Kid Care Recognition Sunday at church, which just means that all of the Kid Care families who don't attend CCBC were invited to church today. The kids put on a "Mini Spring Sing" in both worship services. Peyton put on a more exciting performance this time around, at least in the first service. He sang more and followed more of the hand motions. Of course, the video camera battery was dead, as was the camera battery, so we don't have a record of better performance. For the second service, Peyton made it through half of the first song before running off the stage and into the audience where we were sitting. He wasn't upset; he just decided that he didn't want to perform any more!

Peyton is always singing these days. He knows a few lines of a lot of songs, so I usually end up hearing a medly of his favorites of the day.

Peyton is facinated by the construction along 121. He loves to talk about the men "making the road" and "smoothing out the dirt" and "putting the dirt way up high so cars can go up" (referring to building of the overpasses).

Where is Reagan?

All four of us were playing in Peyton's room the other day, and, for some reason, each one of us, expept Reagan, left at a different time. A few minutes later, Dustin and I realized that Reagan had been left in there alone, and we hadn't heard a peep from her. Dustin quickly raced back only to find Peyton's room empty. He searched the hall, playroom, and Reagan's room. The situation became even more perplexing when he heard her babbling. He went back into Peyton's room, lifted up his quilt, and discovered her "hiding" under the bed, apparently taking Simba hostage.

Spring Sing?

Well, I somehow got duped into doing my first blog tonight...it was either this or clean the bathroom, and I've done that before and know it's not any fun, so I figured I'd give this a try and see if I like it any better. :-)

Anywho, Peyton had his big end-of-the year program and open house at KidCare (his preschool--but you probably already knew that) on Thursday. It all began with me dropping off LeNan and Peyton at the door, parking the car, getting Reagan out, and then running the half mile from the parking lot to the church with an umbrella in one hand and pushing her stroller with the other as the heavens opened up and a perfectly ill-timed monsoon poured down on us.

Poor little Reagan was sopping wet, but still managed to look cute in her waterlogged attire. I apparently ignored the sound of hundreds of children rustling around in the worship center as I passed right by the entrance on my way to go find Peyton wherever he might be. After making a trip across the church only to discover his empty classroom, I made my way back over to the sanctuary and apparently continued to ignore the sound of hundreds of children scurrying around as I proceeded to ask someone where all the kids were.

The person standing there at the entrance of the worship center teeming with tons of tiny children politely informed me that they were all in the worship center. Yeah, I found them! Anywho, we fought our way through the crazed mob of parents and grandparents wielding a small arsenal of digital photography equipment and eventually met up with LeNan and Peyton down in front by the stage.

Everything else went off without a hitch...except for Peyton's slight emotional breakdown just before the program started. Fortunately we got him settled down enough to at least just stand up there on stage with his classmates. And speaking of just standing there, I have 20+ minutes of video footage showing Peyton doing just that if anyone is interested. Just kidding, sort of...I don't mean to sell my little guy short...he did occasionally clap and stomp, and he put on and took off his sunglasses on cue, and he even did a little lip-syncing at times!

Seriously, sort of, it was a sweet "performance" and Peyton of course stole the show just by being so cute up there. After the show, we went over to Peyton's classroom to look at all his schoolwork. I noticed that all the kids had made rainbow paintings as part of a Noah's Ark lesson, and so I immediately began scanning the wall for the black blob with Peyton's name on it, but was quite impressed to find a very well done collage of different and separate colors instead!

Anywho, it was a fun night that you're no doubt rather bored reading about by now, and besides my carpal tunnel is kicking in, so I'll sign off for now. Maybe if LeNan blackmails me again you'll see another blog from me sometime in the future. :-)

Reagan's New Habit

Reagan's "new habit" is twirling her hair. We don't know anyone who does that, do we? ;)

Reagan's First Tooth

Reagan has her first tooth coming in... it's barely starting to stick out of her bottom gum. Yeah! First tooth!

Week with Granmommy & Grandaddy

Granmommy & Grandaddy spent their spring break last week in Texas - well, it was Granmommy's spring break and Grandaddy's "working spring break!" Here's a review of the week:

Tuesday - Granmommy, GranGran, and PePa arrivefrom Greenville in the afternoon. After visiting a while with GranGran and PePa, they head back home, and the rest of us head out to dinner. Granmommy spends the night at our house on the new airmattress in the playroom. Peyton LOVES the new airmatrress! He loves watching Daddy blow it up and "blow it down".

Wednesday - Peyton has speech class in the morning. Daddy is working from home today, so, at lunch time, we all pick Peyton up and go to a nearby park for a picnic. It is extremely windy and Peyton worries that our hair will blow away. Grandaddy comes in from a few days at Southwestern Seminary and we all go to dinner at Chic-fil-a and then take Peyton to Awanas.

Thursday - Peyton goes to Preschool. Reagan, Granmommy, and Mommy run errands to get ready for Saturday's party. Long naps in the afternoon! That night Granmommy and Grandaddy stay with the kids, so Mommy can go watch Daddy play in his soccer game. Daddy's team wins!

Friday - Peyton gets to hang out at Granmommy and Grandaddy's hotel in the morning. Then it's off to "Wiggy Play" (The Wiggly Play Center in Frisco)! Again - long afternoon naps! Mommy and Daddy get ready for Saturday's party. Booboo of the week occurs - Peyton falls into the coffee table ear-first. No blood, fortunately, just a very bruised ear. Uncle Kelsey and soon-to-be Aunt Bethany arrive from Atlanta.

Saturday - Breakfast at Granmommy and Grandaddy's hotel - the best breakfast in the Metroplex! We pig out on Texas French Toast, omlets, pancakes, and other yummy foods! Peyton points to Bethany and says, "That's a Bethany" - which becomes the joke of the day. Then we head home to get ready for the engagement party! Bethany's parents drive in from their over-night stay in Memphis and get to meet Kelsey's parents for the first time! Relatives and friends arrive. Peyton and cousin Kendra have fun playing together. Reagan entertains everyone with her smiles! Granmommy allows Peyton to play with her old digital camera during the party, and Peyton takes hundreds of pictures of Blue Bear and his own nose. After the final guests leave and the kids go to bed, Mommy, Daddy, Bethany, and Kelsey go out to eat at Snuffers. A very long, but very fun and special day finally comes to an end!

Sunday - Church with Kelsey, Bethany, Granmommy, and Grandaddy. Lunch at Jason's Deli. More long afternoon naps! Then, sadly, everyone heads to the airport to fly home.