Payton's Revenge

I guess after a whole day of taking crap from Jayden, last night Payton had just had it. Jayden doesn't always mean to be mean to payton, but he's 2 and paytons 6 months so you know...

Anyway, so last night I was just finishing up getting dinner ready when I hear Jayden kind of yelling "Mom...Mom....MOM...HELP!" I can't figure out who in the world is bothering him since Jaxon and Mykenzie are helping with dinner. So I turn around to see this (above). Jayden was crying and Payton was pulling his hard...Jayden couldn't get him to let go. I walked over and then Payton got this HUGE smile on his face. Oh I laughed so hard. I wish I could have gotten a picture of that smile, but I only got this cause the camera was right there!

It's my Party...

And all eat all I want to! Chris grilled me a fantastic steak and I made this blueberry cake (it's more like a coffee cake, but it was good anyway). It was a good birthday...28 isn't really all that different from 27...or 17 for that matter!

BYE, Dad!

We have this thing that we like to do...I believe it started from when I was younger at home. When Chris leaves in the morning, he gives everyone a hug and a kiss and then gets in his car. As soon as he walks out the door, the kids all RUN to the front room window to wave good bye. We used to race my dad up Montvale Ave. when he left for work. Anyway...Jaxon get's really mad if he misses it. (Like today, for example!) Here is Payton waving good bye to dad!

Happy Birthday, Ben!

Yesterday was Ben's birthday. (Ben is Chris' youngest brother) Ben is way into snowboarding... in fact he's doing that very thing right now as I type this! So I made him a snowboard cake. No cake mix, either...I made this puppy from scratch 100%.
here's Ben before we all dig in!

Happy Birthday, Benj!

The New Gang in Town

They are quiet but ruthless...at least that's what I hear. They will eat your trees and devour your bushes until all you are left with is a few useless twigs. But Jayden was SO excited to see them in our front yard this afternoon. 6 of them!

The deer have been coming down a lot since it got cold and all, but this is the first time we've seen them in the middle of the day. The beauty of living so close to the mountains!

Split Pea Soup, Anyone?

Payton has his first taste of peas last night.... I think its safe to say that he's not a big fan of it! I coudln't get him to eat hardly any of it. He kept spitting it out...not the normal just learning to eat spit, but really spitting the peas out. Every spoonful into his mouth created this face (above)! I guess we are 0 for 4 on the liking peas!

Dr.'s report

Not to take away from Mykenzie in my kitchen or anything, but some interesting things from Payton's doctor's appointment a few days ago:

payton is finally on the growth curve...he's in the 10th percentile...he's small, but at least he's on the curve

the doctor said that payton, at least cognitively, is catching up pretty quickly. He's nearly at the six month mark as far as brain development. His motor skills are better than 4 months (his adjusted age), but father behind his brain development.

Making Dinner

So we had pizza the other night for dinner. I hate to let the kids help with dinner. I know that is the worst thing ever, but it is such a pain in the behind. By the time they are done, the kitchen is a HUGE mess and dinner is less than I hoped. I rarely let them help me with anything in the kitchen...sad I know. I'm a bad mom, I know, but I HAVE TO CLEAN IT UP! and they pick at my creations. They eat the dough...jayden eats the flour (I so wish I was kidding...bread dough too...nasty!) So me letting mykenzie help with dinner is a BIG DEAL...a giant deal, actually. She got all the extra pieces of pizza dough and rolled them all out. I gave her free reign . She rolled her dough out into some sort of odd shaped oval. Then put sauce on it (after which Jayden tried to roll it out again...will my rolling pin ever be the same again?) and then a few pieces of cheese. (I'm not sure what she was going for with only a few pieces, but...)

By the time it came out of the oven, it was a little charred and no one wanted to eat it and the kitchen was indeed a HUGE mess. But she had fun.




and it was fun to watch her

Boys and Their Toys

So when Jaxon was two Santa brought him a little GeoTrax train that he loved and used ALL the time. He gave it to Jayden just a month or so before Christmas. For Christmas, Jayden got the GeoAir airport and GeoTrax Grand central station which all hook up and connect to the set that we already had. The other night, we got all the pieces together and Chris and the boys did their "boy thing". Chris was determined to use all the pieces, which I think they did. They airlane didn't have batteries, so they only had the 3 trains going, but I think they had fun.

Chris always tells people that having boys is so much fun because you can have an excuse to hang out in the boy toys section and buy cool toys. I think he enjoyed this as much as the boys did!


I love this one of Jaxon and Jayden
the three amigos

spectators

Six Months Old

Payton is already six months old! It's hard to believe he's already that old. This first picture is him in the hospital next to Mr. Lion. The next picture is him this morning with his pal Mr. Lion. Yesterday, he went in for his RSV shot and he weighed a whopping 14 lbs 8 oz! This kid is getting big and heavy.

We have a neighbor who had a baby a few weeks ago...5 lbs 13 oz. I went to go visit her the other night and held her baby...i can not believe Payton was EVERY smaller than that. I think I've already forgotten just how tiny 3 lbs really was.

We are so grateful that he has become such a healthy and strong little guy!

Presenting for the first time EVER...

The fantastic anderson 4:









and their parents
(it's even harder to take a picture of 4 than it was of 3!)

Experience

so a few weeks ago we went out to dinner with Sarah and Dirk (chris' sister and her husband). Jayden was himself...a little challenging to handle. As they stood up to leave, we offered to let them take Jayden with them. Dirk put it like this: you know when you play a game...especially like a video game...you can do beginner, intermediate or experienced. Jayden is the experienced level!

Memories

Anyone else remember these great times? Mom does laundry all the LIVE LONG day and then the kids fold while they watch a movie?relived it yesterday!

Thanks Betsy and Renee

Gingerbread Men

Thank you Lisa and double O Jim...we had so much fun!

First Foods

So this Christmas Vacation Payton tried his first baby cereal. He did OK, meaning almost all of it was on his bib and NONE of it in his tummy!




I can't wait to try again, but Jayden flushed the rest of the box of cereal down the toilet before church on Sunday...so we have to buy some more! (gotta love that kid!)

CONGRATULATIONS!

We are so excited for Betsy's and Tanner's wedding coming in about 6 months! Yeah for you guys! We love you both and can't wait for you to move up here near us ;)

Uh...Uh...Uh...Uh Happy Birthday!

OK, so here are our New Years pictures. We ordered some Chineese take out and watched A Christmas Story (what is this time of year without that movie?!). We wrestled, we read Harry Potter 5, we played the wii and we partied! Here are some pictures from the festivities!




The kids LOVE to wrestle with Chris and I, as you can see on their faces. They usually are all set to go for an hour or longer, but we usually half to call the match because we are so tired!
please excuse the no make-up, hair not really done look I sported for two weeks while Chris was home from work and Jax from school. I just couldn't put in the effort to look nice...sorry!


Me and Payton again...trying to avoid getting smacked!









Payton getting his groove on!

We wish you all a very happy new year!