Halloween Bliss

We had the perfect Halloween, and it was made even better because we got to watch Hayden enjoying the ultimate kids' holiday.

Hayden was Superwhy for Halloween (for those unfamiliar with this PBS show superhero, you can learn about him here). Look closely at his costume. Yep, I made it. I feel like I should be awarded a Nobel Prize or Medal of Freedom or something for sewing it--I don't mean to pat my own back, but I feel like this was a major accomplishment. Hayden LOVES his costume, and he's worn it for pretty much 72 hours straight (even to bed and to Costco, though I did draw the line at church).Jonah was Darth Vader, but he slept through the trick-or-treating, so we never actually put him in his costume. He did get to wear it for our church party, which was the day before, but we didn't get any pictures--I'm a bad mom. Jay was a karate guy (complete with missing tooth), and I went as a chef.Some dear friends, the Bangs, invited us to their new house for a Halloween party. Several of our closest friends from our old neighborhood were there. We had the greatest time eating yummy food, watching the kids play, and taking them trick-or-treating. Here are all the kids (minus two babies), and then the mommies. So fun (and a bit crazy too)!

Hayden was a professional trick-or-treater. Once he figured out the drill, he went from house to house in record time, even out-pacing the older kids in our group. And he loved every minute of it. Dogs and mummies barely phased him. He proclaimed "I love my candy!" However, he went a little too fast at one point and took a spill on the sidewalk. It must have shaken him up a little because at the next house, he said "Merry Christmas!" instead of "trick or treat." Ah, what a cutie.

Fun at the Fair

We discovered a magical place (at least it is magical for 2 year old boys)--the Arizona State Fair. The fair has several of Hayden's favorite things in one place: farm animals, rides, bad-for-you-but-oh-so-yummy food, bright lights, race cars smashing into each other, and a big crowd for people-watching. We went during "happy hour," so all rides and several food items were $1 each. We ate corn dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, cotton candy, and chocolate-dipped ice cream. I was very tempted by the deep-fried Snickers bar, but in the end I resisted only because I was so full on other fair food. We watched the figure 8 races, where cars race and smash into each other around a muddy figure 8. It was little boy heaven.

Hayden and Jay in front of the bunnies (this one looked like his favorite stuffed "bunny rabbap" at home)
At the Lego exhibit.
Jonah was so good and smiley the whole time.
Hayden's favorite ride was the pirate ship. He asked to go on almost every adult ride we passed, including some that were so high and fast that even I wouldn't dare go on them. So, when he asked to go on the pirate ride one last time before we left, and he said "please" in his sweetest, most convincing voice, how could we say no?

Ball of Jonah

Jonah found his toes this week!
Now he's aiming for his mouth. Trying once...

Twice...

Third time's a charm!

Brokeback Cowboy...and other funny moments

I think kids, my own two in particular, can be such fascinating, delightful little people. They always surprise me with the cute and funny things they do. These moments are what makes being a mom so great, and they help memories of tantrums and sleepless nights quickly fade away. Here are some of the highlights from the past couple of weeks.

Brokeback Cowboy

I left the black pumps I wore to church yesterday in the kitchen. After his Sunday nap, Hayden went over to the pumps, put them on and said "I'm a cowboy!" Ummm...I'm not sure what Hayden thinks a cowboy is. We'll have to work on that.

Darth Hayden

I know several little girls who go everywhere in their princess dresses. This is what my son wants to wear every time we go out of the house.

Also, Hayden calls it a "light-siever."

Bye-Bye Mullet

Jonah's dark, fine newborn hair has started to be replaced by lighter, fuzzy baby hair. However, his newborn hair in the back hasn't fallen out, it's just grown longer, giving Jonah a distinct mullet. So, we decided it was time for Jonah's first haircut (at three months old!)

Before:

After:
Isn't that better?!

Don't Bother Me

For some reason, Jonah loves to have his face covered when he sleeps. If I don't cover his face when I put him down for a nap, he's now learned how to do it himself. This is what Jonah usually looks like when he sleeps.
Happy Guys

I don't know how it happened, but both of my boys are generally happy, smiley guys. They just came that way--and I love it!

Hotel Baughman

We've been lucky to have some fun visitors at our house the last few weeks. First, we had my former college roommate Kristina here for a long weekend. She was sweet enough to come down during some of her time off, and I loved having her here. Hayden was definitely enamored of "Ki-tina," and so was Jonah.

On her first day here, we went to a Diamondbacks game. Our poor D-backs got killed, but we had a great time anyway. We ate lots of candy, Hayden got to give the team mascot a kiss, and we watched some fireworks after the game.

The next day, we went to Sedona to see the beautiful red rock formations and to have a picnic at Slide Rock state park. Slide Rock is a natural waterslide and we brought Hayden's swimming suit so he could play in the water. We had never been before, and once we saw how cool the waterslide was, we three adults were sad we hadn't brought our swimming suits. So, Hayden got in his suit and was into the water in no time, but as soon as Hayden jumped into a shallow pool of water, he looked up at us with huge terror-filled eyes. The water was ICE cold, and he was too frozen in place to move. I should have checked the water before he went in, but I figured that it was OK since there were so many other people in the water, including lots of kids. After that, we were all content to sit on a bridge with our feet in the water (which was about as much of the ice cold water as I could stand).

We also watched a lot of girlie movies, got pedicures, and went outlet mall shopping while Kristina was here. It was a great weekend--thanks for coming Kristina!

My mom came to stay with us the next weekend, and as always, Hayden loves it when "Boppa" is here. Jonah also loved his Grandma--he smiled and talked and smiled at her some more. We had a relaxing weekend watching General Conference, and we also went shopping, took Hayden on a merry-go-round, canned peaches (thanks, mom!), and stayed up too late watching Lifetime movies. I really wish my mom lived closer--I could get used to having her around.

We had a great time with our visitors, so if anyone else would like to come stay at Hotel Baughman (it's free!), we are currently taking reservations :)

Drive-In Movies

The local drive-in theater had a free movie night a few weeks ago, so we decided to take advantage of the free family fun. I hadn't been to a drive-in since high school, and I had forgotten how cool a drive-in really is. We watched the movie Up, and Hayden had a permanent smile on his face through all two hours of the movie. He thought it was the greatest thing ever to watch a movie from the back of the car. Jonah fell asleep just as the movie started and stayed asleep the whole time. If you're looking for an inexpensive family outing, I highly recommend the drive-in!

Oh, Cute!

The other day, Hayden ran up to where Jonah was sitting, looked at Jonah and said "Oh, cute!" in the sweetest and most admiring-gifts-at-a-baby-shower tone of voice I'd ever heard him use. And, I had to agree with him. Jonah is pretty cute. In fact, both of my boys have been pretty darn cute the last few weeks. Here's the proof:

Hayden was very proud that he put on his shorts "all by myself." If you look closely, one of the pant legs is around his waist.

Hayden asked to hold baby Jonah and then he told me to take a picture. He knows a good photo-op when he sees it.

Jonah didn't appreciate having his feet tickled.

Jonah in all his chubby glory.

We went to an open house for a local gymnastics place last weekend, and we had a great time. They had ice cream, crafts, balloons, and a face painter. Hayden requested a puppy face, and he went around for the rest of the day saying "Arf, arf! I'm Hayden puppy." He was absolutely devastated when he found out he had to wash it off before bedtime.
The boys dressed up in their Sunday best. I had to bribe Hayden with fruit snacks to get him to hold still for the picture.

Jonah lounging on the couch.
"Oh, cute" indeed.

10 Things I Love

We were able to go to Utah for two weeks at the end of August, and instead of a play-by-play of our trip, I thought I'd highlight 10 things I love:

1. My Husband

Jay took his 2 weeks of paternity leave for us to take the trip, and I absolutely loved having him around all day for 2 weeks. I was reminded of how much he really is my best friend, and I just like hanging out with him.

2. Cherry Hill

We spent a day at the waterpark of my youth with the Pulleys and the Sorensens. Hayden was a little cold and tired for most of the day, which explains why he isn't smiling in the picture. But, we had fun anyway! As a kid, I could play non-stop there, but I must admit I got winded climbing the hills and stairs for the waterslides after a while. I'm getting so old!

3. Haircuts

A trip to Utah means a visit with my favorite hairstylist. I was long overdue for a haircut, and Kathie Lee didn't disappoint!4. Family

We packed a lot of family time into two weeks, and I loved it! Jonah was able to meet his Grandma & Grandpa Baughman and his Grandpa Thurgood for the first time, along with the Sorensens, several Baughmans, the Thomases, several Higleys, the Terrys, and several Thurgoods. We also got to spend some time with my mom and the Pulleys. Hayden was very happy to be reunited with his cousins, and when we got home to Phoenix, he asked if we could go back to Tyler's house in the morning.

5. Jonah's Smile

Jonah started smiling right before our trip, and he smiled like crazy at all his new friends. In this first picture, he's smiling at his Aunt Erin, who is always guaranteed to get a smile out of him.

6. Rock Band

Erin & Steve introduced us to this addicting game on the Wii, and we played it well into the night. Our awesome band, Claymation Hamburger (a "Better Off Dead" tribute band), has taken the Rock Band world by storm, so look for it at a concert venue near you.

7. Jonah's Blessing Outfit

We had Jonah's baby blessing while in Utah, and it was a very nice gathering of family. Jonah wore this adorable outfit that was lovingly made by his Grandma Baughman. Hayden wore it at his blessing, and now Jonah wore it--it will be used by all the Baughman boys and is destined to be a family heirloom. During the blessing, which was held at the clubhouse for Erin & Steve's condos, Hayden wanted to be in the circle with all the men, but I was able to talk him into just standing behind his dad and folding his arms. It was very cute.

8. Thanksgiving Point

We visited Thanksgiving Point twice on our trip. The first time, we visited the gardens, which were breathtakingly beautiful. I would love to take walks there every day. On the second trip, we visited the dinosaur museum, which was absolutely packed, and the children's garden. Needless to say, Hayden totally loved the dinosaurs, especially the big one on the side of the museum building.

9. Roommates

I was able to meet up with 3 of my 5 freshman year roommates, and I love these girls! Kristina, Lindsey, Mackenzie and I met up for dinner at Buca Di Beppo and ice cream at Hatch Family Chocolates. Ahh, good times. It was so nice to see them and catch up (though we missed you, Kelli and Melissa!)

10. Depeche Mode

Jay and I had tickets to see DM, and we were able to be about 20th row on the floor. The concert was sooooo good! I love me some Depeche Mode, especially Dave's signature move of spinning around with the mic stand while he dances.

Congrats if you made it through all 10 things!