Spring is Here!

Getting a fresh haircut to welcome in the spring season.

A new fascination with sharks (he knows at least 30 of the 350 different species) and the ocean led to a snorkel set purchase.  So far, they've only been used in the bath tub, but Kaden is anxious to try them out in the pool.  I'm hoping this new interest convinces Kevin to take us to Hawaii!

The Easter Bunny brought bubble bath...and a whole new level of fun to bath time!

The silliness brought on by spring fever is contagious - nude guitar concert, anyone?

On St. Patrick's Day we woke up to find that a little leprechaun left gold coins in Kaden's shoes and turned our toilet water green - much to Kaden's amusement and delight!  We celebrated the day with Lucky Charm's cereal and a green smoothie for breakfast. 

Kaden and Daddy intently watching March Madness.  Since our dear CATS weren't in it, Kaden decided to cheer for the "dirty birds" (a.k.a. Louisville).

Kaden and Cousin Boris, in from Amsterdam, playing in Igor's old Volkswagen Beetle.

Checking out the attractions at the Reptile Show - his favorite was the lizard with a blue tongue.  I was really proud of Kaden, he chose to pet every animal presented!  The ten year old boys sitting next to us weren't nearly as brave!

Kaden came up with the idea of inviting some friends over for movie night.  I have to say, it was a wonderful idea.  The parents dropped their kiddos off for pizza, popcorn, and a movie while they enjoyed a date night of their own.  All the kids had a great time...even though the movie was a little too old for them to completely follow.  The popcorn was the biggest hit of the night!

Kaden enjoying his latest gift from Pop - a radio controlled helicopter meant for a boy much older than three.  When Kaden isn't playing with it, Kevin is.

Kaden is into music of all kinds.  The first photo was taken at the Children's Music Festival at the Del Mar Race Track.  Kaden had a great time with his friend Charlie dancing to the tunes of Hullabaloo.  The second photo was taken before a recent church service - he likes the drummer and the guy with the pink guitar best.

Kaden is really into "helping" recently.  This night he decided to help me make the calzone we were having for dinner.  He is very thorough, following each step of the recipe to the letter, and, like any good chef, asks to taste every single ingredient before it goes into the mix.

Kaden and his favorite sculpture on a recent Mommy-Son date at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art.

One of Kaden's friends had her birthday party at Pigtails and Crewcuts, a local hair salon/toy store.  It was princess and knight themed and each child got a hair style of his/her choice.  Kaden went the rock 'n roll route.

The end of April has not been kind to my little boy.  First he picked up pink-eye, immediately followed by a sinus infection, and then, for good measure, a new virus accompanied by extremely high fevers.  Throughout all of these, he has had the nastiest of coughs - I can only imagine how much his little chest hurts.  After a couple of prescriptions, lots of fluids, and as much rest as he'll allow, I think he is, FINALLY, on the road back to being my healthy little guy.  It's comical in that the last time we saw Kaden's pediatrician she made the comment that Kaden is so healthy she only sees us around town and never in the office - the ultimate jinx!  

We also have two exciting new announcements!  First, Kevin and I put in an offer to purchase the home that we've lived in for the past few years and...it was accepted!!!  We are so excited about continuing to make this house and this community our home.  Fingers crossed everything goes smoothly and we will be the official owners come June! 

For those of you who know us, the celebratory bottle of sparkling cider should have tipped you off that our second announcement is of the happiest kind a couple can make - we are thrilled to announce that we're expecting our second child in the end of July.  Kaden is beside himself with excitement over the prospect of becoming a big brother.  He goes back and forth about whether he would like a brother or a sister, but has agreed that we let it be a surprise on baby's birth day.  For now, he thinks the ultrasound pictures show either a puppy dog or a giraffe.  Yikes, let's hope not!

Hippity - Hop

Kaden and Daddy dyeing Easter Eggs.  Kaden so enjoyed this activity, we did it three separate times this year.

Kaden at the Rec Center's Easter celebration which included an egg hunt (more aptly called an egg scramble) and meeting Mr. Bunny himself.  

Kaden and his Easter Basket

This year's loot included sand toys, bubbles, books, a t-shirt, bubble bath, Toy Story band-aids, a Muppets take Manhattan DVD, Jesse (from Toy Story) and, of course, lots of yummy treats!

After church, we joined a few other families for a yummy brunch and another egg hunt.

BaNoi and Papa Come to Town

We were excited to welcome BaNoi and Papa back to San Diego for a visit.  Kaden had lots of activities planned - our little tour guide likes to show his extended family his favorite parts of the city.  Our first stop was the Birch Aquarium.  As usual, he wanted to take the bus there.  I'm not sure what he likes better, the bus ride or the aquarium.  Once there, Kaden ran around showing BaNoi and Papa his favorite exhibits...and kept wondering why they didn't keep up!  Kaden also wanted to show them the Midway Aircraft Carrier.  Again, he wanted to show BaNoi and Papa the highlights of the tour and couldn't figure out why they spent so much time listening to the audio tour.  Turns out that Papa was listening closely and filling out a kids' tour sheet so that Kaden could earn his wings!  Their last night in San Diego, we took in the sunset.  It was a nice visit and we look forward to seeing them again soon.  

The Waite's Visit

Kevin's friend from childhood, Garry, is a fantastic guy.  That being said, the very best thing about him is his mom, Mary Waite!  She and her husband, Larry, were out in San Diego visiting Larry's son and they took the time to stop by and say hi.  We are so happy they did!

The Sweetest Day...Made Even Sweeter

This year, we celebrated Valentine's Day from sun up to sun down.  It started with a special breakfast, giant love bug balloon, and a little gift (a book and a trash grabber tool).  We continued the celebration with an especially sweet party at Kaden's preschool.  Little did we know, the sweetest part of the day was yet to come.

Brooke, Natalie, and Kaden at the Valentine's Day party.

Our friends, Natalie and Mark, were expecting their second child to arrive via scheduled c-section on February 21st.  Their little girl, however, just couldn't wait and decided that she wanted to celebrate Valentine's Day as well.  So, on February 14th, we welcomed Brynn Laurel to this wonderful world.  She is a tiny bundle of love and it was perfectly fitting that she be born on the sweetest day of the year.  This unexpected event provided Kaden and Brooke with the opportunity to continue their Valentine's Day celebration with an impromptu sleepover!  While I was at the hospital with Natalie, Kevin proved himself to be fully capable of handling two three-year olds.  He took them to the park, fixed them dinner (which they both ate), picked out a movie, read them books, and got them ready for bed, proving to me he can do a whole lot more than he lets on when it comes to childcare duties!

The following day I took Brooke to the hospital to meet her little sister, whom she insists on calling Belly Button.  Kaden was enthralled with the hospital asking about each and every contraption in the room.  His favorite part was the "pee box," otherwise known as Natalie's catheter.  Fingers crossed all this interest means he'll end up in the medical field like his Uncle Paul!!  He was also intrigued by the new little person everyone was making such a fuss over.  He was very gentle and quiet and loving to Brynn, and is looking forward to the day when he gets the opportunity to hold her.   

Winter Trip to KY

Kevin came home one day in December and told me that he needed to travel back to the east coast for two weeks at the end of February.  As I am nowhere near brave enough to single-parent for two weeks, I called Gammi and Pop and asked if they would mind visitors.  Not surprisingly, they jumped at the idea.  The dates couldn't have worked out better as Gammi was planning a surprise party for Pop's 70th birthday.  She could think of no better surprise than having Kaden at the party to greet Pop.  So, we started scheming and the surprise was pulled off brilliantly.  Our visit was just as bright!  Kaden had all sorts of new and fun experiences but, when asked what his favorite part of the trip was, he went on and on about how fun it was to play in Gammi and Pop's basement.  I guess it helped that Gammi and Pop made for pretty excellent playmates!  

On Our Way

We left incredibly early in the morning so I allowed Kaden to stay in his "cozies" for the first flight.  The pilot on the second flight allowed Kaden to sit in the cockpit and touch all the levers and buttons - I'm not sure how the FAA would feel if they knew that!

Sleepover with "Dr. Uncle Paul"

The first night we stayed in Louisville with my brother, Paul.  That way we were able to drive into Lexington on Saturday and surprise Pop at the party.  I was surprised myself at how well Kaden did adjusting to the new sleeping arrangements.  You'll notice Kaden is posing in the photo below - he asked me to take it.

Surprise Party for Pop's 70th Birthday

Gammi planned a wonderful surprise dinner party to celebrate Pop's 70th birthday.  Kaden loved that he was in on it!  I think Pop was pretty pleased too.  Kaden behaved like a little gentleman through the salad course, then he asked if he could watch a show while the adults ate, toasted, and generally had a good time.  He made himself right at home!  I wish I had gotten a photo of Pop's cake - our valiant efforts to keep Kaden's little fingers out of the icing failed miserably.  Every time we turned around he was at it again.  Thank goodness it was a big cake and the guests got the half that his fingers didn't destroy.

First UK Basketball Game

While it certainly isn't the best season for the Wildcats, there was no better time to introduce Kaden to the best in college basketball.  His first trip to Rupp was great fun.  The only downside was that Dad wasn't able to join us.  Kaden sat in his seat and watched the game for approximately seven minutes, so I'm not sure Dad would have been too thrilled anyway.  I am positive that, in a few years, the two of them will enjoy many games together (and then I will be the one left out).  On this first trip, the highlights were his very own box of popcorn (courtesy of Pop) and meeting the paramedics and their fancy golf cart (on one of our many walks around the arena).

A Visit to The Craft Center

Dad was able to join us for our first and last weekends in Lexington.  On the last weekend, Dad took Kaden to The Craft Center to see UK's many NCAA Championship trophies.  In a turn of luck, they finagled their way into the practice facility where Kaden took some shots at the net.  He may prove me wrong, but I don't think basketball is going to be his sport.

Hanging Out At Home

Due to the ridiculously frigid temperatures, we did a lot of hanging out at home.  Kaden liked helping Gammi in the kitchen and riding over to the farm to help Pop feed the horses.  The other photos are of Kaden 1) talking on the phone to Dad and retelling all his adventures; 2) using the laundry shoot as an elevator for all sorts of stuffed animals; 3) helping Pop pay the bills; 4) playing Go Fish with Uncle Paul (I was just there to hold cards); and, 5) reading the Sunday funnies while having his breakfast.

Visiting Clyde Maggard's Work

One of Kaden's favorite things to do while in Lexington is to visit our friend Clyde Maggard at work.  Clyde is one of the men in charge at a construction equipment rental facility and, to Kaden, it is the best job in the entire world.  Being surrounded by giant construction trucks everyday and being able to drive them around the lot whenever you'd like, what could be better?  Clyde is so kind and patient that he lets Kaden try out each and every truck.  No wonder, "Kide" is one of his very favorite people!

Driving Randal's Tractor

As a special treat, another good friend, Randall Wells, invited Kaden over to try out his giant tractor.  Now, Kaden is convinced he can and should be able to drive just about any vehicle he so chooses.  It's going to be a long wait for him until he turns 16!  For me, it will happen all too soon.

The Bubble Room at the Children's Museum

For some indoor fun, we visited the Explorium.  Kaden's favorite room was the bubble room where he was able to make and pop giant bubbles.  Otherwise, neither of us were very impressed with the place.  Definitely something Lexington should improve - it could be fantastic.

Story Time at The Library

The Eagle Creek branch of the Lexington Public Library is great.  Every Wednesday they have story time for 3-5 year olds that is age appropriate, interactive, and most importantly, lots of fun.  Kaden had a blast listening to stories, making a craft, and singing songs.  He enjoyed himself so much that we had trouble getting him to leave.  After a quick one-man puppet show, and "one more book, peas, Mama" we headed home for lunch and a nap.

A Visit to the Transfer Station

Pop used some of his connections to allow Kaden to visit the Lexington Transfer Station.  Now, for those of you don't know what a transfer station is, Kaden could tell you all about it (essentially, it is the place garbage trucks drop off their garbage before it is consolidated and sent to a landfill).  We play garbage trucks at home EVERY SINGLE DAY, so there was no bigger treat than seeing a "real live transfer station."  They outfitted Kaden with a vest and hard hat and even allowed him to ride in the garbage truck with them as they dumped a load (if you look closely, in the passenger seat you can see his little head looking out the window).  They said he talked the whole time either describing what was going on or asking questions - they said he knew more about garbage trucks than any three year old they've ever met.  Trying to figure out if that makes me a proud mama?  The experience definitely made an impression on our little man - now, in addition to playing garbage trucks, we also play transfer station! 

The Creek

One day, it warmed up beautifully and we spent as much time outdoors as we could.  Kaden's favorite part of the day was our trip down to the creek that runs behind Gammi and Pop's house.  He threw in  rocks to see how big of a splash he could make, sticks to watch fall over the waterfall, and wanted so desperately to wade into the chilly water.  I told him that would have to wait until a summer visit.  

Snow Day

The weekend before we left, Lexington received several inches of snow.  Gammi and Pop were disappointed because the snow forced them to cancel their annual Super Bowl Party, but Kaden was thrilled and couldn't wait to get outside and play.  Pop hooked the sled up to his tractor and took us for a few wild rides - the wilder the ride, the louder Kaden's giggles.  Kaden also took great pleasure in helping the men shovel and sweep the front steps (he loves being helpful and feeling like a big kid).  We did some sledding down the little hill in the backyard, which Kaden loved, but when we tried a bigger hill down the street, he said that going down was fun but that it was too hard to walk back up to the top.  He was so worn out, that on our walk home that he decided to just lay down on the sled and take a little rest.  

As always, it was a great visit home and we can't wait until the next time we get to see Gammi and Pop!