Halloween preparations

After last year, I decided that we (I) didn't want to take a ton of time carving pumpkins, so I found this super cute rub-on face at the craft store. It was SO easy and only took about 10 minutes - the perfect time for Ayden's short attention span. It's definitely something I'll do again, next year I'll look for a family of faces!

Ayden didn't miss out on carving pumpkins, though. My brother LOVES carving pumpkins and they invited Ayden over for a sleepover that included getting to help with the pumpkins!

It also included building a blanket fort, and I think, probably sleeping in it too!Ayden is so lucky to have such a loving Aunt and Uncle close by (and mommy and daddy are lucky too - we got a date night!)

I just realized that I didn't get a picture of Ayden dressed up to go to school yesterday. He wore his Buzz Lightyear costume because I didn't want his "real" costume to get dirty before Halloween.

Fourth Birthday - Round Two!

We had a family birthday party on Ayden's actual birthday. We did a brunch, so a big cake didn't seem like it fit. I decided to make cake pops instead that I saw here. They were quite difficult to make, but turned out cute and were pretty delicious!

The birthday boy!

He got lots of Toy Story 3 toys and Hot Wheels!

Second cousin Nate helping out with the presents.

Two pillow pets from Uncle Matthew & Aunt Dominique!!!

A yummy cake pop!

Ayden had lots of fun with Uncle Matthew and his new Nerf gun!!

Aunt Sarah, Uncle John, Gerret & Anneke sent some fun movies and a shirt just like Gerret's!!

Four Years Old

Well, my baby is now four years old! I can't even believe how much time flies. He is so much fun lately - smart, funny, independent, and so much more. He's starting to try to read a little bit, which is so fun. He has the best memory - which is sometimes a good thing, and sometimes not. He makes us laugh every day with the stuff he says and his outlook on the world! Happy Birthday Ayden!

Fourth Birthday - Round One!

Ayden had his first "friend" birthday party this year at Flip 2 It sports center. It was so much fun for the kids and fantastic that mommy could sit back, watch and take pictures.

Ayden with a couple of his buddies from school.

They had this thing called the bungee that took the kids way up in the air - the kids loved it!!Pretty proud of my cupcakes!!

Happy Fourth Birthday to my little man!

An unexpected sandbox...

When we took the pool down, we discovered that we now have a sandbox in our backyard, at least until the rain turns it into a muddy mess! Ayden LOVES playing in it and has taken all of his tractors, a few cars, and of course, shovels and buckets out there. He is normally not a kid to play by himself for long periods of time, but will play for hours in the sandbox.

One night, he needed a little hosing off...which led to Ayden watering the plants...

And daddy hosing Ayden off....

...and a little naked boy dancing around our backyard!

A fun night

Last night we went to the 50th anniversary party for my grandparent's church. They were being honored as charter members, so our entire extended family was there. It was a nice night and fun to get dressed up and spend time with the family. The "ceremony" part of things got a little long for Ayden, so Ken left early and took him home. I was still able to get some great pictures!

I took a couple of Ayden before we left...he looks so old in these!!

My grandparents - we also celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary last night!All of the cousins...I can't remember the last time we got a picture of all of us together.

Playing Catch Up

Well, school has started, so I'm back to having no time... Here are a few hilights from the last month or so...

Ayden had a sleepover at my brother & sister-n-law's and he was so excited to ride in my brother's car (he has a convertible). He was singing, "It's my first convertible ride!" over and over. It was pretty cute!

He's been all about dress up and playing pretend lately. This week, he's Doctor Newton - giving everyone in the house check-ups (us, the dog, and all of his stuffed animals)We had a fun playdate at the zoo with a bunch of people from Ken's work...there were 5 kids Ayden's age, and a couple more that were a little younger. The kids all had a blast! We rode the new carousel at the zoo for the first time. Ayden was very picky and had to ride on the snow leopard, not sure why, but he was very excited!

Another thing Ayden is really into right now is singing and any type of musical instrument...

When we were at my aunt & uncle's house, Ayden had a blast playing with the electronic drums...thank goodness for the headphones!!