More Outdoor Fun...

The kids LOVE riding their scooters and bikes, and especially jumping on the trampoline.  There are tons of leaves on the trampoline right now, and love to flop and slide around in them.  It was fun trying to get some action shots.  Maddy loves to swing, and of course there is only so much he can do outside right now.

Sleepy Time Fun

This is what almost every night looks like, and I love it.  Of course I love it because it means we are all about to go to SLEEP which is a GOOD thing, but I also love just getting cozy and watching the kids play together.  Channing loves to help with Maddox, and Jaxson loves to scare me to death by leaping from couch to chair to coffee table, doing flips and looking like he is going to break his neck and for some reason I let him.  Guess I am thinking the more tired he gets, the longer he sleeps!  Channing usually can only sit still so long, then she jumps in.  They watch sprout every night before bed for a few minutes... they love Nina!

Outdoor Fun!

Lately the kids love to be outside most of the afternoon when they get home from school.  It has been such a beautiful february, with hardly any cold weather, and lots of warmth and sunshine.  They are little monkeys climbing all over the jungle gym, and Maddox loves his new little push car he got for his birthday.

Happy Birthday Maddox!!!

To Our Little Maddy:
I've been thinking about all the words I want to say to you after such a love filled first year of your life.  Every time I think of you, see your smiling face, watch your little booty as you crawl through the house, all I feel is adoration.  You have blended in effortlessly with Channing and Jaxson, and they love you as if you had been here all along.  Your hair is wild, your cheeks are chubby, and your teeth have grown in about 3 feet apart.  I love every inch of you.  You love to play, and your favorite thing is for me or Daddy to sit in the floor with our legs out, and you crawl in and out of our legs over and over and just giggle the entire time.  You plow through whatever Chann and Jax are doing like a bulldozer, and thank Goodness they are so patient with you.  You have had some ups and downs with your sleeping, but finally you sleep all night again, and we are all much happier for that!  You have eaten dog food, and loved it (yuck!), dumped over very heavy humidifiers full of water, ripped pages from books, broken expensive sunglasses into pieces, and so you have earned the name "honey badger" in this house.  It is pretty fitting based on what I saw on YouTube!   But no matter what you do, little honey badger, we love you more everyday!

About the party:
I truly tried to keep this party very simple, and all about Maddox.  I also tried to keep it small.  However, the house we are living in has such a little kitchen and living room, and even though the invite list was short, it got very crowded very quickly.  It was a cold, nasty day so we were all stuck inside.  I'm so thankful for the giant playroom we have because that saved us.  Maddox is my little monkey (when he's not being a honey badger!), so a monkey party was perfect.  I found a cute fondant cake topper online, and cute little banana cupcake toppers, and just got a yummy cake and cupcakes from Kroger (they make a good cake!).  Target sells the paul frank napkins and plates, but they were running low, so I had to mix with solid colors.  Laura made delicious and cute cookies, and Allyson made little monkey labels for the party favors.  For the favors, I stuffed cellophane bags with bananas and banana flavor candy.
Maddox ABSOLUTELY loved his cake.  Not that he ever once smiled while he was eating it, but based on the fact that he devoured the entire thing, I'm guessing he was a fan.  The party only lasted an hour, and we were so happy to have our sweet friends and family celebrate with us!  Happy Birthday Maddox Gray!