All Grown Up

Our routine with Brayden after Alexander goes to sleep is to crawl into Mommy & Daddy's bed (usually it is Wally and I with Brayden in the middle) and get under to covers and we all watch the last of Miss Spider and Little Bear, and then he is off to bed. Tonight, it was just Brayden and I (Daddy is working extra hard, so that means long hours both week day and weekend) and on this evening he took off my glasses and put them on and asked to have his picture taken....I jump at this moment because he will actually sit still for me to take his pic. It was cracking me up to see him with the glasses on, he looked like a little school boy and not my bouncing-off-the-walls toddler. Too cute, B!

Happy Birthday, Rayne...How does it feel to turn 25?!

I just wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my big sis...it was actually yesterday, but a little shout out is better late than never. To celebrate my sister's b-day on the blog, I will share my favorite story... We are 8 years apart, so I have always had truly someone to look up to, poor Rayne, though, because of that she had to be a saint, otherwise I would tattle tale, baby sisters...what can I say. This isn't the story, but I remember she was listening to her new cd she had bought with a neighbor friend and I had happen to walk by and the cd was full of explicit lyrics, I being very young was shocked to her what was playing and that my big sister would be listening to that, I at this point had never heard my sister cuss so didn't think she would listen to that. Then I grow up to the same age that my sister was when I heard her listening to that cd, and I am listening to Marilyn Mason....sorry, Rayne. So my favorite memory when we were younger, I was in elementary school and she was in high school, on our early release days, and sometimes not, she would come and pick me up from school (I loved being called out of class a little early from everyone else to go home early), and we would go and get ice cream. We usually went to McDonald's by our house and since it was early, there was a retirement home that would take their residents to go play bingo up at the McDonald's, and I loved watching them play. I didn't know then that the time spent with my sister would hold a special place in my heart....I was just a little girl getting ice cream at the time.

Now she is a wife and a mother, and a fantastic one at that, and now Sadie will have special memories of getting ice cream with her mother as I once did. Wow, how things have changed, really, we've just grown up. So, Rayne, Happiest Birthday, I love you, and thanks for being my big sis....I cherish the memories I have with you and look forward to the ones we will make and share when we are 80.

Brayden & Alexander Together....These Are The Moments A Mother Loves

The boys playing with daddy
Playing soccer with a balloon
Go Alexander!
What is behind this curtain
"Mom, where is Brayden?"
I see a foot peeking out
Boo! There's Brayden....sneaky little boy
Our evenings watching Little Bear....one boy down, one to go

Now that Alexander is older he is more aware of his brother and has a grin from ear to ear and kicks his feet with excitement when he sees Brayden. In the morning when it's just he and I before Brayden wakes up I ask him "Where's Brayden?" and he perks up and makes a noise that almost sounds like he is saying "Huh?". So here lately since Alexander is scooting around and of course older the boys have actually been enjoying each others company...still at times Brayden will snatch Alexander's toy away and say "Mine!" (we are working on sharing and trying to get rid of that wonderful word) or he will rough play with Alexander, forgetting he is still too young for that. But these, as a mother, are the moments I love and have been waiting for...not to rush Alexander growing up, but to watch my boys be brothers, a special bond and love that no one or thing will be able to take away or replace.

Family+Fun+Football=Sunday

Alexander at play
Yasmeen, Brayden, and Noora
Noora trying to explain something to Wally
Wally being silly with Noora, Noora thinking he's lost it
Ihab and Alexander having a stare down
Alexander won, he has looks that could kill :)
Alexander with his Great Aunt
Brayden amused us with pretending to be asleep b/c Alexander was sleeping and getting attention
Brayden found a new toy....who knew a basket would be so fun

Brayden chasing Noora

The kiddos laying in the leaves
Climbing the light pole
Brayden loved the leaves and throwing them in the air

Sunday morning we were up early and off to see Wally's side of the family and have breakfast. Wally's mom made a very yummy breakfast for a large group we have become....I think it was 13 and that is just the immediate family. After breakfast, we sat around and chatted, watched the Yasmeen, Noora, and Brayden play (I never thought that Brayden would play so well with them with the age gap, but he loves being with the big girls), and the babies Mariam and Alexander play and slowly start to interact.

Next thing you know, it is lunch time and we are still hanging out, so pizza orders are taken and 30 minutes later we are eating pizza and a football game is beginning. Along with eating pizza, there is still more play, more talking and catching up, and a little more tv watching due to football playoffs. Brayden was quiet funny, he fell in love with a mesh pop-up basket, and was chasing Noora in circles around the living room for a good amount of time. Alexander was his usual good self even being off his normal schedule that day and the day before.

We finally left after the football games (sad about the Cowboys), dinner, a little meltdown from Brayden since it was his 2nd day of no nap, and being out of formula for Alexander, since we had only packed for being gone for a couple of hours, and ended up borrowing some from Nehal, now it was really time for us to go since bedtimes were quickly approaching.

Happy Birthday Shout-Outs!

We have had very busy couple of weekends here lately celebrating little ones turning another year older. Lots of fun was had by us all, but Brayden is not going to know what to do when he's not getting cake when our weekends settle down again. I just wanted to say Happy Birthday to all the kiddos with late December early January birthdays; Sadie, Bailey, Abby, Collin, Max, and Piper!

I would have pictures to post, but I forgot my camera :(

Another Yummy Dinner At The Spauldings

Aunt Judie

Brayden being silly
Ring Around the Rosies....
....We All Fall DOWN!
One of Alexander' silly faces
Grammy w/ her grandkids



At play in the kitchen
Ronnie and Brayden watching football
Sweet Alexander

Rayne on the Sit N' Spin...weeeeeeeee

Thank Ron, Rayne, and Sadie for opening up your house to us for some fun, football, and a yummy BBQ dinner...oh yeah, and the cookies :). We all got together Saturday evening because my Aunt Judie was in town. Last time she was here Brayden was turning 1, and Alexander was just 5 weeks along in cooking in my belly. So this time, Brayden and Sadie were little grown-up up toddlers, and Alexander was out of the belly to meet his great Aunt Judie.

The dinner, was fantastic...southern BBQ style, so you better believe I went back more, topped with yummy chocolate cake and ice cream. The evening was fun and the room was filled with the sounds of toddlers at play, hoots and hollars of football watchers, and chit-chat and laughter. Brayden and Sadie were as always fun to watch and play together, as they are both into the lovely word "Mine!" but with that they still were giving with there hugs and kisses to each other. They really had fun playing and singing Ring Around the Rosies with Rayne, my mom, and I... I think their favorite part was falling down.

Aunt Judie it was great to see you and the Spaulding family, thank you for having us over.

Play Date With Ally & Abby

Brayden and Abby at play

Abby, Ally, & Brayden
Brayden giving out hugs

On Friday, Ally and Abby came over to hangout w/ me and the boy for a few hours so Ally and I could catch up and Brayden, Alexander, and Abby could play. As always we had a great time with them, and look forward to the next time we can get together. Plus, Brayden has been talking about Abby non-stop since the last time they were here...come to find out when they were here he had really been asking for Ally, just got the names confused, but was constantly in Ally's lap or wanting a hug from her. Here I thought he had a girlfriend. Brayden has been funny lately, if I have a friend over or if we are somewhere with adults to want to be held by other women in the room.

Case in point, at Max's birthday party this weekend, he had a crying fit because he wanted to be held by Aubrey, but we told him "No", I know, we are mean parents, but she has a little girl of her own, and she is pregnant, so that's the last thing she need is to hold a toddler. He finally calmed down when he was able to sit next to her. I can't complain too much when he does this, this is what makes him my snuggle love bug....when I think I am going to go crazy with him bouncing off the walls, he will come a give one of us a hug w/o us asking. Lately, when Alexander has gone to sleep for the night Wally, Brayden, and I all snuggle in the bed with Brayden in the middle and watch Little Bear. One of my favorite parts of the day, it will become my absolute favorite when Alexander gets older.

See you soon Ally & Abby, Greg hopefully we will see you soon, maybe we should do an evening get together soon.

A Family Evening Outing

So Wally came home early from work, and we decided when the boys got up from their naps to head up to Stonebriar, walk around, and have dinner. We got there and started to walk around, Brayden was out of the stroller so his walk was more or a jog over the excitement of not being in the stroller. You would think he never had freedom if you saw him, he was in a constant jog, so we headed over to the play area and just let him go wild in there. Alexander was in awe over the kids and play area, and chimed in with his screams of joy to the already loud area.

Finally, Brayden stopped playing and climbing to have a snack, so we left the play area to go have dinner...Brayden was a little worn out, but still did not want to go back in the stroller, so Wally carried him to Cheesecake Factory (yummy). It had been awhile since we all went out to eat together at a restaurant, so it was Alexander's first experience in a highchair out and about. It was wild to see the boys sitting next to each other, and I guess it was an experience only a mom would get excited and mushy over because when I brought out the camera, Wally, looked at me like I had lost my marbles. But today, honey, when you read this, you will be so happy that I took these :). Alexander was funny to watch as he was often distracted by other people around us talking, or busy munching on his rice cracker, or trying to steal Brayden cup. Brayden now is like a little well behaved man when we are out eating. Compared to 7 months ago, when he did not want in the highchair, and once in and got him distracted that only lasted for a few minutes and he would want down and fuss....so we ate fast to quickly get out. How quickly he is growing and maturing and communicating.

Our other sweet angel

I couldn't post pics of Alexander without posting pics of Brayden, and I finally got some thanks to him being occupied for a few minutes with breakfast. Even though he was still he would not look at me to save his life, I was doing everything I could think of to get him to look at me...didn't work.

One Of Our Sweet Little Angels!

Today during our playtime I got, in my opinion, some great pics of sweet little Alexander. It would have been sweet Brayden and Alexander, but Brayden wanted nothing to do with being in any pics, but to be behind the camera helping me take some great pics of his little bro, or as Brayden says, "Baby A". So great job to my little helper B, and that he was today, he even got his vacuum out when I got out mine to help me vacuum or "cean" as Brayden says.

SMILE! We've got teeth!

Alexander is finally getting his teeth. Last week I noticed left tooth starting to come in one morning when I checked, and the next day his left tooth was out a little more and hi right one starting to come in. So long to the gummy smile...it really is kinda of sad b/c it truly marks that my baby is growing up and not so baby anymore, but I am excited to see what kind of toddler he will be.

10....3-2-1...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Wally & I at the beginning of the night
Jobie & Danielle
Dave, Dave, & Wally
Jobie, Miki, and I
Happy New Year!
Wally & I-2008
Jobie celebrating 2008 :)

A part of me was sad to leave the boys and not be with them on New Year's, even though they would be asleep at midnight, but I was also looking forward to a nice and fun evening with Wally. To ring in the New Year, we dined with a nice four course dinner, danced away to Emerald City, and celebrated with great friends at the Gaylord Texan Hotel. It has been 2 years since Wally and I have gone out for New Year's, so this year we decided to go all out, especially since last year we were preggers at this time.

The next morning Wally and I left the hotel early so we could take advantage of having breakfast together. So we stopped at La Madeline for a nice breakfast and then headed home. Once we got home, Brayden stopped playing with his toys and yelled "Mommy, Daddy" and came running with arms wide open to greet us with big hugs, and Alexander sitting on Anna's lap (that's what the boys call Wally's mother, means grandmother in Arabic) also greeted us with a big grin and squeals of happiness.