First Ice Cream Cone

I will admit it- I am a mean Mommy! I have never allowed Rhylan to have an actual ice cream cone! On the rare occassions that he has indulged in a frosty treat, I have always gotten it for him in a bowl- I just don't want to deal with any additional mess. Well, tonight, that came to an end. Rhylan specifically asked for a cone, while doing the sign language - and saying "Peee-ase Momma? I peee-ase have cone?", all while giving those longing, pitiful eyes. So, Jason and I caved (and really, if you could see him when he does this, you would understand how easy it is to cave!).

He actually did pretty well, and the mess was contained to a minimum. It wouldn't have mattered how large the mess, the sheer joy it brought him would have made it all worth it!

A Day at the Arch

We had a visit, in our new home, from wonderful friends. We had a great time together, enjoying the company, watching the children play, the mommies went shopping, and shared wonderful meals. It was a great weekend!

The highlight was our trip to the arch. The kids were so excited about the whole adventure.

Looking at the Mighty Mississippi

It's pretty obvious how eager they are to get to the top- The Arch!

Brayden in front of the Old State Capital

On the way up in the tram

A "view" at the top!!

Monkey-ing Around

Our Morning at Monkey Joe's (a HUGE- and very clean- indoor play place). I have a feeling we will be there a lot during the colder months!

First Day of Kindergarten

My baby has started kindergarten!! Excitement would be an understatement for him right now!

He could not wait for today- he is so eager to get in there and learn (I hope that never dies!), and make new friends. As crazy as it has been for us, I don't think that our move could have been timed any better- for him to be able to get right in on the first day, not have been here all summer without knowing other kids, and for it to be kindergarten vs. a later grade when the kids have all been together in the past, and have friends already.

Last night the school had an open house so that we could meet the teacher, drop off supplies, etc. He was so thrilled, he didn't want to leave to come home.

Here he is on his way down the kindergarten wing:

And in front of his locker. (They use towels to lay on during rest time. He purposely chose the bright orange one so that it would stand out from the other kid's...... notice the towel in the next locker, which happens to belong to the other Brayden!)

Here he is this morning, all dressed and ready to head out to the bus stop:

Here comes the bus!

And he never looked back, waved, gave a kiss- He was a man on a mission!

Six Flags for a SIX year old

Months and months ago, we had promised Brayden a weekend of going to Chicago and taking him to museums. This is all he wanted to do for his birthday. Well, the fact that we suddenly had to move, and were in the process of doing so, during his birthday week, put a damper on those plans. So instead, he chose to go to Six Flags for 2 days while Jason tied up loose ends at the old house, and we were waiting to get into the new one.

He had a BLAST! He loves meeting the different characters, and loves riding the rides- the scarier the better! He was disappointed when he couldn't go on certain rides because of being too small. Fearless!!

Meeting Bugs Bunny at the Main Gate

Posing in a car from the Screaming Eagle- a huge wooden roller coaster, and one of his favorite rides

Shark Bait!!

His good friend from Champaign came down to spend the night at the hotel with us, and Brayden's actual birthday at the park. They were so happy to see each other!

Swimming at the hotel pool after dinner

The two buddies- such innocence

Our whole gang

They Say It's Your Birthday

Brayden celebrated his 6th birthday (and last day in Champaign) with several friends at the Children's Museum. He had a great time! He had chosen a "Go Green" Theme (honestly, I didn't see what they did to make it a theme, basically let the kids play- but they had fun, so it doesn't matter). It was a great time, and a wonderful way to see all of his friends before moving to our new city.

Oh--- and by his own suggestion, he requested not to receive any gifts! Instead, he asked his friends to bring pajamas or books to donate to children in need/homeless/waiting for adoption, through The Pajama Program. He was thrilled to see a good sized box pretty well filled up with donations, that we will be sending in for him (as soon as I find the box in this move!). We were very proud of him for wanting to do this, and to see how proud he was of himself after collecting everything was amazing. We are hoping to make this a tradition- our boys want for nothing, but I find it heartwarming that a child so young can understand the concept of having his needs met, and others in our world being less fortunate.

Petting a snake during the animal presentation

Guests playing at the museum

CAKE!!!!

Share A Coke.. And a Smile

There are a few of my Mommy friends that share my McDonald's Diet Coke addiction, and we will always call each other on our way to meeting for play dates to see if the other one needs one. Lately, however, I have noticed that my ice cold beverage seems to empty itself more quickly, and I don't recall consuming it. My friend, W, has been having the same issue.... And I think we figured out why:

Yes, I think I have another Diet Coke addict in the house- my first clue should have been the fact that every time we pass the Golden Arches, I have a little one shouting "Coke, Coke, want Coke Momma!!" from the back of the van!

Three Amigos

Rhylan, and his two good buddies (Calvyn and Garren) hanging out during a picnic lunch at the pool today. Just too cute not to share!!