Little Moments

 My little man is growing way too fast!  

I started this blog to journal our life as a family and I must say that lately this blog has been seriously lacking the cuteness that is Jayden Scot (yes, it's Scot not Scott... family name) I want to remember everything and with Jay-man growing and changing a million miles a minute I feel like I'm already forgetting little things.  So without further ado, the star of the show... Mr. Jay 

Jayden, Jayden, Jayden... 

Where do I even begin?  You are the sweetest little man. You bring so much joy and laughter into our lives. 

 You are such a character!  You are very friendly and make friends wherever we go. 

You are always so happy when it's time to eat.

You are a very messy eater, but if anyone can pull off wearing their lunch it's you.

You are the best little shopping buddy.  I always have so much fun shopping and running errands with you.  You love trying on accessories and posing for pictures and of course you always make some friends along the way.

You especially love visiting grandma at the candy store, I think you're finally clueing into what they sell there. 

You're quite the ladies man and love to flirt!  I'm hoping this isn't a preview of your teenage years to come...

You have the most gorgeous long eyelashes.

You love trying on your daddy's shoes and at a size 16, these are some big shoes to fill!  Hopefully when you grow up daddy's shoes will fit you because he has quite the shoe collection.

I love this little smirk you make when you're trying not to laugh.

You looove your daddy.  He works a lot and spends one of his days off a week at the Fire Station.  Daddy works so hard to try and give you the best life he can but sometimes you don't get to see him that much.  It's so precious to watch your face light up when you see your daddy and whenever he walks in the door you greet him by running to him with your arms over your head for him to pick you up while yelling, "Hi Dada!!"

 You are such a cuddle-bug and your dad and I love it.

You love Starbucks.

We don't get Starbucks that often but you can spot that green straw anywhere and always want to sample the goods.  I ended up buying a travel cup, I fill it up with water for you and you love it.

Whenever we go in the car for more than 10 minutes you fall asleep, you're the sweetest sleeper.

You love your uncles,  I'm so thankful that you have such great role models to look up to.

You're Auntie Claire sometimes watches you on Saturdays when Mommy has to work, she loves you lots and spoils you like crazy.

 Baseballs, Basketballs, Footballs, Tennis balls... you love playing with balls.  You've got quite the arm too!  We spend most of our days either at the park playing with balls or at home on the sport court playing basketball.  "Ball" is the first word you say every morning when you wake up, you also have just started saying "hoop" except you say it in the cutest way, it sounds more like "hup!"

You not only like playing sports, you like watching them too!  People are always so impressed with you when we go to Richie aka Uncle Dick's basketball games.  You watch every detail and are so entertained, it's so precious.

Another one of your favorite things is going to the Fire Station.  Daddy usually turns on the fire truck's lights and you clap.

We love you so much sweet baby boy.  You bring so much joy to our lives and every day is fun adventure with you.  Your sweet nature and loving personality are so precious.  I love watching you grow, but often feel like time is flying by way too fast.  Thank you for being such a good boy, I'm so proud to be your mommy!  We love you Mister Man.

friends that are family

A few weeks ago my cousin and partner-in-crime, Kristen, came to visit with her husband Ed.

  We had the best time!  Josh and I have never had so much fun with another couple... they're the best.  It suuuucks so much that they live all the way in Nashville.  Our adventures while they were in town range from a nice day at the zoo, to a crazy night on the town where I may or may not have led a person or two to believe that Ed was in fact Dierks Bentley's drummer earning us free adult bevs all night.  

Even though we had some crazy adventures, the best times we had with them were just hanging out at home and doing nothing.  Jayden adores his Uncle Ed and Auntie Kristen.  I took this video while we were all just hanging out one night, Ed is super musical and a drummer (just not Dierks Bentley's) and can basically play any instrument he picks up...

Did you check out my little man's moves?!  Too funny!

  It breaks my heart that they live so far away, come back you guys!!

Do you have family or friends that live far away?  How do you deal?  I guess if nothing else, it makes the time that we do get to spend together even more special... and praise sweet baby Jesus in heaven for Skype!!

*WARNING: Picture overhaul from Ed & Kristen's trip still to come... 

I'm currently sorting through the hundreds of pictures of their trip* 

A day in the life of a toddler

Today I am linking up for "Tips and Tricks Tuesday" for moms with my blog friend Meagan.

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Before I had children, when I’d go to the grocery store and see a little kid in the cereal aisle screaming and crying, I’d shake my head. Why was it that every time I saw a toddler, he or she was throwing some kind of fit? What could be so difficult about spending the day playing, napping, and eating? Now, after living among their kind, I should apologize. Not to you, but to them. Here’s the sad truth: for toddlers, the world is a rough place full of squelched mysteries, restrained freedoms, and nonsensical commands. I think I’d rather be fourteen again than be a toddler.

What does an old, forgotten Goldfish cracker from the bottom of a car seat taste like? What kind of pattern does yogurt make when it splatters onto the floor? What sound do cookbook pages make as they are torn in half? These and many other great discoveries are often stopped by us, the big people in our toddlers’ lives.

How frustrating! What must it be like to get stopped by a security guard time and time again? To be constantly redirected and rerouted as you tried to go about your day, without an understanding of what you had done wrong? What if you sat down to read the newspaper and drink your coffee when suddenly — out of nowhere — some giant swooped down and plopped you in front of a pile of plastic blocks? You bet you’d protest. You’d holler your tush off.

So what’s the reward for a toddler’s natural curiosity? A little freedom and encouragement? No, just the opposite. Oppression! We pin them to furniture all day long: the stroller, the car seat, the high chair. All of the straps! All of the restraints! How maddening it must be to sit, captive, in front of a tray covered with food you can’t identify or don’t remember liking. No wonder it’s so often tossed to the floor.

And does anyone like being forced to perform for strangers? “Blow a kiss. Clap your hands. Wave ‘bye bye.’ Give Aunt Lisa a high five. Touch your nose. No, not your toes … your nose. Okay, now touch your toes. Blow another kiss. Let’s turn on some music. Dance. Dance!”

Do I need to even mention the language barrier? How much can these chubby-cheeked kids actually understand? Twenty percent? Thirty percent? Two percent? They don’t really understand us. We don’t really understand them. Every day must feel like an endless, torturous game of The $100,000 Pyramid. Anyone can see how badly toddlers want to communicate with the outside world. Does a day go by without a toddler picking up some object and holding it to his or her ear like a telephone? “Lo! Lo! Lo!” my son used to yell into a toy truck. Who was he calling? Was he trying to get help?

Of course, in the end, we parents still have to be the bad cop again and again — and again. Toddlers have to eat. They have to sleep. They can’t run into the street every time they notice an open door or scribble with indelible green marker all over the sofa. But I just want the record to reflect that I feel for them. And, in about fifty or so years, I want the toddlers of today to remember my solidarity with their cause and please treat me with care.

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So moms and dads of tantrum throwing toddlers, I hope this has given you some insight into the mind of your little one...  If nothing more, I hope this gives you just that much more patience and understanding when you're having "one of those days!"