The Wild Bunch

Moving Day

2010-05-28T10:42:00.001-04:00

We're moving...blogs that is!

After a lot of thought and consideration, we have decided to take the next step in the world of blogging. We have started a new site where you can find lots of info about what's going on with us and the kids, plus a whole lot more. Look for our favorite recipes and projects around the house (we're thinking about putting in a garden, that should be a good one).

I've actually been blogging over there for about two weeks, so come catch up with us and make sure you read all the way to the first post, it will explain a lot :)

So come move with us and we hope to see you soon at our new home Red, White, & Home.

The Best Job In the World

2010-05-09T21:36:00.007-04:00

Being a mom is the hardest job I have ever had. It's not glamorous or exciting; it's long hours with little sleep or rest; sometimes it's down right disgusting. But, it is the best job I have ever had. It's rewards are in kisses and smiles, hugs and giggles.

Thank you Paige and Collin for allowing me to be your mother, I love you with all my heart. And to my mom, thanks for being the best example; I love you too.

Paige has been working on her letters, this is her very first Mother's Day card to me, completed with just a little help. All day long today she kept telling me "Happy Valentine's Day". I think she was just a little confused. But then tonight, I went to tuck her in and she said, "Happy Mother's Day Mom, I love you times a hundred." Agghhhh, melt my heart!!!

Just Keep Swimming

2010-05-04T20:59:00.004-04:00

Paige started swim lessons today in preparation for a busy summer at the beach and the lake. I was a little worried about how she was going to like them since we weren't able to get her in a class last year and the fact that she kept telling me that she didn't want to put her face in the water - but she did GREAT.

Although slightly timid, she finally did everything the teacher asked, all the while saying, "I can't do that" I wonder where they lean that SO early? But she could do it and she eventually tried every time, so I'm a happy momma. We had tears at the end because we didn't want to get out of the water, so I guess that means it was a success. Good thing too, because we are headed back to the pool on Thursday and twice a week thereafter for the rest of the month.

May Day Resolutions

2010-05-02T19:52:00.003-04:00

Alright, so I haven't been very good at keeping up with the blog lately. I even failed miserably at setting a New Year's resolution to start up again...it's now May and I haven't posted a single entry all year!!! So I'm making it a May Day resolution to begin again. What has brought on this renewed interest in blogging? I recently learned about a web site that will take your blog and bind all the entries into a beautiful book. I must admit that I've been bad about everything memory related lately (blogging, taking and printing pictures, and keeping up with the kids baby books) But being able to simply have my blog printed in a nice book - that appeals to this busy mom, so I'm making the effort.

I'm starting with a post that is mostly kid free. My mom came in town about a week ago and was so nice to stay with the kids for a whole weekend so Matt and I could get away. We went to the Greenbrier in West Virginia and had the best time. It was so nice to get away for a few days, reconnect, and just spend some time together. If you're not familiar with the resort, I suggest you check it out, it's beautiful. We did all kinds of things that we never take the time to do when we are busy being parents. We played checkers while having drinks, went to dinner without having to cut food, spent an afternoon on the river kayaking, went to the spa, and went bowling just to name a few things. We came back feeling rested and ready to wrestle the monkeys again. I'm secretly looking forward to our next get away!

Betrothed

2009-11-08T20:02:00.004-05:00

We were so lucky that we were able to visit with part of the Miller family over the weekend. Matt and Geoff were college roomates and did ROTC together. The Millers now live in Germany, but Kim and daughter Michaela were stateside for a few days and were able to come down for dinner and some play time. We have joked since the day that we found out that we were both pregnant with a boy and girl respectivly, that they would make a great pair some day. And, as luck woudl have it, they were born days apart. Collin on the 1st of Jan and Michaela on the 6th. Don't they make a cute couple? We were sad that Geoff couldn't come and visit too, but hope to see them all agian in the Spring!

A Cinderella Story

2009-11-08T19:25:00.004-05:00

Over the weekend, Paige went to a princess birthday party, for her very best friend Addison. They were instructed to come dressed in their finest princess attire. Then came a knock at the door and who could it be...

It was none-other than Cinderella herself. All of the girls were mesmerized, because of course it was THE Cinderella. She came and sang songs with them,

and danced with them.

They even had a parade around the house. She also gave them each some magic fairy dust to turn them into real princesses. They even got certificates so everyone would know that it was official. While Cinderella was explaining all of this, Paige pipped up and said, "but I'm already a princess." Agghhh, the drama.

Of course a Cinderella Princess party would not be complete without some face paint, and finger nail polish.

It was really a great afternoon. Paige came home talking about Addison and Cinderella all day long! We even had tears in the car, not so much for Cinderella, but becuase she didn't want to leave her best friend. Aren't they cute?

October Catch-Up

2009-11-01T18:53:00.009-05:00

Wow, it's been a busy month and I haven't been great with the updates, so be prepared for a long "catch-up." Earlier in the month we took the kids to go pick apples. We found a great farm in Winchester, VA that had all kinds of things for the kids to do. Among picking apples, there were pumpkins, animals, food, and music. The weather was beautiful and we had a great afternoon. Of all the animals they could pet, both Paige and Collin like the goats the best. They were very friendly and even Collin was grabbing for them.
After visiting the animals, having some lunch, enjoying a hay ride across the farm, it was time to load up on apples. Paige thought it was pretty neat to be able to pull them off the tree, although we kept having to steer her away from the ones with worm holes.

By the end of the day, I think Paige had eaten about three whole apples. Oh well, there are worse things...

"I want one from the top"

Later in the month, Paige's preschool class visited Sneeds Farm to pick out pumpkins and have a picnic. Of course Collin and I had to tag along. Here is her class, aren't they cute all decked out in their jeans and red shirts? Can you find Paige?

Best Friends!

Picking out the perfect one.

Mom, I want one too!

Collin standing up to check out the goats of course.

Lastly, the kids were able to feed the chickens. I thought that Paige would be a little timid as the chickens were rather aggressive, but she had no fear and was a little disappointed when the feed ran out!

The weekend before Halloween our good friends Meredith and Aaron invited us to participate in a Halloween parade and contest. The contest was for the best "dressed" stroller. Since Collin was going as Charlie Brown, Aaron built him a snoopy house that fit over his stroller. It was SO cute and we did get lots of compliments. But seeing as how this was our first year, we had no idea of the competition that we were in for. There were some awesome entries. We may not have won, but we will definitely be prepared next year. (PS - Aaron is dressed as Charlie's best friend Linus)

Charlie Brown attacks Tinkerbell!!!!

The week before Halloween, Noni came to visit. She and Paige carved pumpkins on night. Paige was a much bigger help this year than she was last year, she actually dug out some of the insides.

Noni, however, did the carving, of Tinkerbell of course!

Collin got a pumpkin too! Somehow I didn't get a picture of him with the finished product, but his was just a silly Jack-O-Lantern. He also had a great time and helped fish out the insides. I think he ate more than he helped, but that's ok - pumpkin's a vegetable :)

Halloween night was filled with more fun. We meet up with Aaron and Meredith again, who invited us to a Halloween party some friends of theirs have every year (Carrie and Bill). We all got into the spirit a little, along with Tinkerbell and Charlie Brown, I wore my kitty ears and Matt dressed up as House.

Of course we had to pull out the snoopy house again!

Paige came home with quite a bit of loot. The street that Carrie and Bill live on really goes all out for Halloween. By the time we were finished, Paige could barely carry her trick-or-treat bag.

In other news, Collin is 10 months old today! He is growing up so fast and is now pulling up on everything and I know that it won't be long before he is running after Paige.

Hope you all had a great October and a very Happy Halloween!

9 Months and Presents from Popi

2009-10-01T19:59:00.009-04:00

Collin is 9 months old today! It's hard to believe how far we have come in the last year. One year ago, we moved across country to Virginia, I was pregnant with Collin, and Paige was just starting to potty train. Now, we have a little boy that's no longer a baby and a pre-schooler who would rather be at school than at home with mom.

Collin has been growing and changing so much in the past few months. He is no longer doing the "inch-worm", but is crawling all over the place, he is beginning to pull-up on things, he no longer likes baby food, but eats mostly table food, is beginning to wave, and throws his arms up in the air if you ask him how big he is. Here are a few recent pictures of him, watch out, his smile will melt your heart!

O course, I had to add some of Paige too. Here she is being shy for the camera...

...and here she is hamming it up!

It's fall again, which means it's Stars season again. What would be the start of hockey season without some new gear from Popi. We had a nice surprise in the mail the other day, Paige got a pink hat in the mail to go with her pink jersey from last year. She loved her hat so much that she had to wear it all afternoon while decorating paper pumpkins.

Collin got his first big-boy hat. Yes, it's a Stars hat and yes, it is camouflage. For those that haven't heard yet, Collin has a very large head for his size (98 percentile to be exact). The pediatrician tells us (after measuring every one's head in our family), that it comes from his daddy. So, this hat is not an infant hat, not even a toddler hat, it's a youth hat. So when I say he got his first big-boy hat, I really mean it.

We didn't even have to adjust it as small as it would go! Oh well, it must be all those brains in there. At least his head doesn't look disproportional to his body.

It's begining to look a lot like fall

2009-09-28T19:10:00.004-04:00

We have been in the new house for about two months now. All the boxes are unpacked, pictures are hung on the walls, and although there are still many projects to do, it truly feels like home now. The weather has started to turn cooler and a jacket is definitely in order when taking Paige to school in the mornings, but the afternoons are still warm and we are enjoying eating out on the patio as often as we can, especially since we know that soon it will be too cold. The changing seasons, left me wanting to spruce up the front door. We haven't done much to the outside since we moved in and I thought that a pretty new fall wreath, might do the trick for now. I started with a plain grapevine wreath and just started adding fluff and stuff until it looked about right. This is what I ended up with. I think it dresses up the front door. I would love to hang it with some sage green ribbon I have, but haven't figured out just how to do that yet, so for now the green wreath hanger works.

How big is Collin....

2009-09-21T15:03:00.002-04:00

He's SOOOOOO big! 9 month check-up (two weeks early)
27.5 inches long
20.11 lbs

Dancing Queen

2009-09-16T19:54:00.003-04:00

Paige started tap and ballet lessons today and I think that she really liked them! Her teacher is Miss Nicole and she said that Paige was a little shy at first but seemed to warm up quickly. I think that it really helped that her friend Hannah from school was in her class too. Miss Nicole said that Paige was so funny because she would ask her to do something and Paige would reply, "I can't do that, it's too hard" and then she would do it. So, they are going to work on not using the "can't" word. After class on the way home when asked what she learned Paige told me that she learned to "plies", not a bad start for the first day of ballet. She also told me that she knew which foot to use since one had a pink dot on it (I'm assuming that they are working on distinguishing the right from the left). It should be a fun year, I can't wait for the recital at the end.

Back in Bussines

2009-09-12T09:49:00.013-04:00

Hey there! I bet you thought we had forgotten all about you. I know that it's been forever since we have posted an update, but we've been a little busy around here. So much has happened since we got back from our summer travels that it's hard to know exactly where to begin. We have moved into the new house and have satellite internet, it not quite a fast as cable, so I won't be posting ever picture that I have taken over the past two months, but here's a quick catch up on what's new with the Wild Bunch!

We are moved!!! We moved out of the townhouse in Falls Church on August 1 and into our new home which we couldn't love more. We are so blessed and excited to have lots of room for the kids to spread out and play outside. All of the boxes are unpacked and most of the rooms have been painted thanks to lots of hard work by Noni!!! I still have the guest room, the office, and the entry way left, but am hoping to get them done in the next month. If I can keep my house clean for more than 30 seconds, I will post some pictures of the house and all the projects that we have taken on.

If you ask Paige, one of the best things about the new house is the swing set in the back yard. We spend most afternoons after naps outside playing. Paige loves the slide, she goes up and down, up and down, up and down.
Collin is perfectly content to hang out in the swing.

Collin continues to grow like a weed, we are now eating lots of table foods, which he really prefers to the pureed baby food. He will still eat it most of the time, but he has his moments where he just spits the baby food back out until you give him something that he can do himself. So independent!

Other happenings this past month included Paige's 3rd Birthday!!! Hard to believe that she is already three, although some days she acts like she is about 14:

"Paige, what did you do at school today?" "Nothing!"

"Paige, how was your nap?" "FINE!"

No, she's not developing an attitude at all. I think that we are going to be in trouble when she actually is 14!

We did have a birthday party for Paige. It was mostly family and a few of our friends as she hadn't started school yet. But she had a blast opening presents and soaking up all the attention.

Paige also started Preschool the week of her birthday. She goes three days a week from 8:10am until 12:30. She wears the cutest little uniform, khaki or navy pants or skirt and a blue, white, or red polo. So adorable. She is usually a little timid when we first get to school and tells me that she doesn't want me to leave her at school by herself, but once I'm gone she seems to have a blast. She always has lots to tell me when she gets home. Her teacher called the other day to talk about how she was adjusting and we both decided that besides being a little shy, Paige is doing great and starting to make some good friends.

So grown up! She is also going to start ballet and tap next week after school. Her teacher tells me that she loves to sing and dance so I hope she will like the dance lessons.

Collin is now 8 months old!!! Hard to believe this one too. He's looking very mischievous in this picture. Have no fear though, it's not just a look - he is very mischievous. I can tell he is going to be one to get into way more things than Paige did!

The weather has started to turn a little cooler this past week, so we have really enjoyed playing outside in the afternoon. Paige loves to take Collin for a ride in the wagon. Sometimes I think he likes it and other times, he looks at me like, "mom, come and save me"

Something smells...fishy

2009-07-13T23:21:00.007-04:00

After a beach day to recover from our full day at the Zoo, we tackled yet another day packed with activity at Sea World. Once again Paige seemed to like Shamu the best and could not get over how big he jumped and splashed. It was fun to see her get more excited about the animals this year, especially the ones she could touch and feel.

Collin's still too young to have a clue about what's going on, but he seemed to enjoy his day out in the beautiful weather.

Hanging with Nana waiting for Shamu.

Touching the starfish in the tide pools.

Feeding the bat rays. These were my favorite, they are SO soft! Paige had a hard time getting them to actually take the fish out of her hand, but playing in the water was just as fun, especially when the rays would come by and splash water with their "wings". By the time we were finished she was drenched - salty fishy water...yummm!

Tuckered out!

We have one more day left here in sunny San Diego and then head back to Dallas for a few days before heading all the way East, where the daunting task of packing our house and moving awaits us... I think tomorrow will be a beach day for sure!

San Diego Zoo

2009-07-13T22:48:00.012-04:00

After the 4th of July, Matt headed back to work and to take care of a few things with the new house and the kids and I traveled west to visit my Nana. The first full day we were in town, we went to the San Diego Zoo. Collin had a great day riding and snoozing in the stroller.

Last year, Paige wouldn't go anywhere near the animals in the children's zoo, but this year she had no fear.

Here she is being silly with Noni.

From the moment we arrived at the Zoo, Paige was intent on seeing the giraffes.

My own little giraffe.

Beyond just getting to see the giraffes, she also got to feed them. Once again, she had no fear even though their heads were as big as she was. She got to feed them three "biscuits" and after each one, she would jump up and down yelling, "he ate it, he ate it!" This was definitely the highlight of the day!

Other favorites included the Giant Panda's...

...and the polar bear exhibit. Here we are outside of the enclosure where they have several bears that you can climb and play on.

And here's the same picture from last year. What a difference a year makes. Paige has grown and changed so much and I was just a few months pregnant with Collin.

More fun with the Polar Bears.

The day was packed with lots of excitement and no naps, I'm not sure we made it out of the parking lot before both kids were sound asleep in the back.

Lake, Fun, & 4th of July

2009-07-09T23:36:00.021-04:00

At the end of June, I packed up the kids and headed to Texas to visit friends and family. It's the first time we had been back since we moved at the end of last summer and Paige and Collin had a great time playing outside, swimming, and soaking up all the Texas heat.

Paige still has a hard time understanding that she cannot take things away from Collin when he is playing with them, but here is a rare moment when they are actually "playing" together. Hopefully this will continue as they get older!

We borrowed a jumperoo from some family friends of ours which Collin absolutely loved! He jumped so hard and so long one day that he rubbed a little blister on his toe. It didn't seem to bother him though, he was only upset when we made him get out!

Playing out on the deck.

Yes, that is another bucket on her head.

When we were still living in Temple, Paige had a very good friend Lauren that she still talks about. We were so lucky that Lauren and her mom were able to come up to the lake one afternoon. The girls had a great time playing once they warmed up to each other and the moms loved catching up.

Some of Paige's favorite things to do at the lake included going out on the boat...

and swimming in the water. She has definitely become a little fish!

Let's not forget the jet skis too. "Popi, go faster!"

Getting a croquet lesson from Noni.

Matt joined us for the long 4th of July weekend. He gave Paige a lesson on how to treat the flag. Here she is holding it high!

Happy 4th of July.

The fireworks were also a big hit. For the next several days every time we went outside Paige was insistent that we do more "sparkles".

Paige-isms

2009-06-19T20:52:00.006-04:00

Before you ask...yes, that is a bucket on her head.

Kids say the darnedest things, especially two (almost three) year olds. I decided that I should start writing down some of the strange and silly things that Paige says so that I won't forget to remind her of them when she's a teenager. here are a few of my favorites...

My good friend Ginny: Paige, do we live on Earth?
Paige: No, we live in TX?
(by the way, we do not live in TX anymore, we live in VA)

Paige: Mommy did you get a sticker at the Dr?
Mommy: No
Paige: Was it because you weren't very good?

PAIGE SPEAK:
Hang-a-burgers (Hamburgers)
Lellow (Yellow)
Cuz-ba (Because)

I hope that this becomes a regular thread, so check back often for more silly things out of the mouth of Paige :)

Weekend Project

2009-06-15T20:22:00.003-04:00

Well, we are getting closer and closer to our trip to TX, which means we have less and less time before our big move. I should be using this last week and a half before heading south to pack boxes and get organized, but where would the fun be in that? Instead I have been thinking about decorating and doing a little shopping. Last week I found this great unfinished crate that I thought would be perfect for collecting all those odds and ends on Collin's dresser. A couple of coats of paint and stain later, this is what I came up with. I love the aged look and it looks great on his dresser. I can't wait to see it in his new room.

5 MONTHS!

2009-06-08T21:00:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it! My how time flies...

Movin' On Up

2009-05-24T15:52:00.010-04:00

We've found a house! As many of you know, over the past few months, Matt and I have been on the hunt for a new house. It took a lot of looking and researching to find the perfect one, but we finally did and couldn't be more excited about it. We decided to settle in Stafford, VA, which is south of the DC metroplex near Quantico. The house sits on 3.5 acres on the edge of town and has lots of room for the kids to run and play. Here are a few pictures: BACK

VIEW FROM BACK DOOR

FAMILY ROOM

BREAKFAST NOOK

KITCHEN

FRONT FOYER FROM UPSTAIRS

COLLIN'S ROOM

MASTER BATH

We are currently scheduled to close on July 1 and hope to move towards the end of the month after returning from TX. We would love for you to come and visit after we get settled.

Yummy in my Tummy!

2009-05-24T15:47:00.004-04:00

When we came back from FL, Collin was a little over 4 months old and ready for some cereal. Most kids take a while to get the hang of eating solid foods off a spoon; not mine though! By the third bite he was eating it up like a champ. That doesn't mean though that it still wasn't messy.
BEFORE DURRING

AFTER

Key West

2009-05-24T15:33:00.011-04:00

At the end of April, we were so fortunately to spend some time in Key West with Noni, Popi, Aunt Joni, Uncle Jake, & Nana. Paige had a wonderful time with all the family and especially loved playing in the pool. We stayed in a cottage on an island right off of Key West and took a little shuttle boat back and forth between the main island of Key West and the resort. Hanging at the beach.

At the pool.

Little fish.

Swimming with Aunt Joni.

Jumping to Popi.

Ice cream at the pool.

Sunset sailing.

All things Girly

2009-05-24T15:27:00.002-04:00

A few days before we left for Key West, I was sitting on the floor in the living room giving myself a mini pedicure and painting my toe nails. Paige was fascinated with what I was doing and in the cutest little voice she asked me, "mommy can you do that to mine too?" And thus, Paige had her first experience with having her toe nails painted. That night when Matt went to give her a bath, she was very concerned that her pretty pink toes would wash away in the tub and did not want to get them wet. With a little coaxing though, she was finally convinced that they would indeed still be pink when she got out.

Air and Space

2009-04-23T20:55:00.007-04:00

The last day Scott was in town, we headed to the National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Located near the airport, this museum contains all the really big stuff that won't fit on the National Mall. Among the highlights was the space shuttle, Enterprise.
Paige, reading about the fighter planes

Look how tiney Paige looks in front of the Lockhead SR-71A Blackbird

Aunts and Uncles at the Zoo!

2009-04-23T20:45:00.008-04:00

When we got back from KY, we had some very special visitors. Both Aunt Kendi and Uncle Scotti came to visit. We had a really great time. On Saturday the weather was beautiful so we decided to head to the zoo. This was Collin's first trip to the zoo and both kids first time to ride the metro. The animals were very active and we had great views of the giant panda's, the lions, and the orangutans.

Farm Fun, Baptism, & Easter

2009-04-23T20:13:00.012-04:00

This year, we spent Easter weekend on the farm in KY with Matt's mom and family. Paige had an especially great time playing on the farm and checking out all the animals. The newborn lambs were a really big hit. She had lots of fun chasing after them; here she is getting a closer look with Pop.

Before we knew it, it was Sunday morning and time for church!

Since moving to DC, we have yet to find a church that we feel at home at. So, while we were in KY, Collin was baptised in Matt's mom's church: The First Presbyterian Church of Millersburg. Here he is getting ready for his big day! He wore the same christening gown that both Matt and Paige wore.

We asked our dear friends, Meredith & Aaron West, to be Collin's Godparents and were so excited that they could join us in KY.

After church, we returned to the farm for lunch and an Easter egg hunt. Paige's cousins: Megan, Brianna, & Lindsey were there too. It was a little cold out, but that didn't stop them from having a great time. The highlight of the hunt though was when Paige found a real robin egg. Unfortunately, she thought it was a chocolate egg and went to try and lick it. Thank goodness Meredith was there to swat it out of her hand. In the process it broke and yolk went everywhere with the wind. I wish we had a picture of Meredith's face, it was priceless!

3 Months Old

2009-04-02T16:55:00.003-04:00

Collin is three months old already and he can do all sorts of neat things! He holds his head up well enough to sit in the bumbo seat, he reaches and bats at his toys, grabs onto things and doesn't let go, and most importantly laughs and smiles at you when you talk to him. I often wonder what he must be thinking as we all make fools of ourselves. He also pushes up really well when laying on his belly and often flops over onto his back - I know it won't be too long until he is log rolling across the floor!

Best Buds

2009-04-02T16:41:00.002-04:00

Collin may not know it yet, but he has a best bud! My good friend from high school lives just down the road and has a son (Bobby) who is only two and a half months older than Collin. We often have play dates even though at this point I think the mommies get more out of it than the boys do. In the past few weeks Collin has discovered his hands and what an amazing thing they are. They go everywhere with us and are lots of fun to chew on. On this particular day, Colling was going to town, chewing on his little fist, when Bobby rolled over and thought that he would try it out too. Too bad I missed the picture of that, it was awfully funny when it happened.

Aunt Kendi Comes to Visit

2009-04-02T16:39:00.002-04:00

Smithsonian

2009-04-02T16:34:00.004-04:00

This month we ventured downtown to the Smithsonian with our good friends Ginny and Bobby. We spent most of the day at the Museum of Natural History with a quick peek inside the newly renovated Museum of American History. It was a great day and Paige had a blast. She especially liked the hall gems, jewels, and all things that sparkle. Of particular note was the Hope Diamond which she told me was just like Dora's crystal in Dora Saves the Snow Princess.

She also really enjoyed the large animal displays. I can see that another trip will be in our near future!

2 Month Check Up

2009-03-05T17:56:00.002-05:00

Collin had his two month check up today. He is doing great! He now weighs 12lbs 13oz and is 23.5 inches long. He is in the 70th percentile for both weight and height. Other than that he is very healthy and is doing great. He did get his two-month shots today though so he's been really cranky! In fact, there he goes again, more updates when he's not so fussy!

Wordless Wednesday

2009-02-04T08:13:00.002-05:00

Snow Angels

2009-02-01T22:47:00.006-05:00

We had our first big snow of the year last week so of course Paige had to get out and play in it. She has seen lots of snow before, but this was the first time she could play in it and actually remember it. She was really funny and the cold didn't seem to bother her at all, even though her mittens wouldn't stay on and her nose was running all over the place.

Hanging out at Home

2009-02-01T22:40:00.007-05:00

Here are just a few pictures of Paige and Collin hanging out at home. For the most part, we have settled into our new routine. Paige still seems to like her baby brother, although she does have her moments, especially when she says, "mommy put him down!"

Collin Matthew!!!

2009-02-01T22:20:00.014-05:00

So, this update is only a little behind - one month to be exact, but hey, we have a newborn. Collin Matthew made an appearance on New Year's Day and the past month has been filled with lots of fun and a little sleep. Here's a little about his birth:

We had been scheduled to be induced on Friday, the 2nd, but Collin had a few plans of his own. My water broke at home on new year's eve right before midnight, so shortly thereafter we headed to the hospital. Here we go: About 6 hours later, it was time to push. But once again Collin had plans of his own and it became apparent he was not tolerating labor well. My dr also thought that he was probably laying on his side so pushing wasn't going to do much to get him out. The decision was made that it was time to do a C-section. It wasn't what we had planed or expected, but at 6:57am, Collin was welcomed kicking and screaming. Here he is getting to meet mommy for the first time:

And now daddy:

Matt was great through out the whole experience. He watched the whole birth and even took charge of diaper duty:

Paige loved coming to the hospital to visit her new baby brother.

Collin Matthew Wilder

Thursday, January 1, 2009

6:57am

7lbs 8.4oz

20.5 inches

On Sunday we were finally, headed home as a family of four:

Christmas

2008-12-27T16:52:00.012-05:00

Christmas this year was quiet for us. As we are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Collin, most of the family decided to wait to visit once he decides to make his debut. It was however, no less special than any other year, as we filled the holiday with a few of our own traditions and lots of friends. We started by attending Christmas Services with some very good fiends of mine from high school, followed by cocktails in Old Town Alexandria (well cocktails for everyone but Paige and I). Once we got home, we decided that it would be a good idea to let Paige start opening some of her presents. The tree was full and they were mostly for her, as it was, it took us three days to get through them all.

Christmas morning brought new excitement. Paige knew that Santa had come to leave her presents, but got scared half way down the stairs. I think she thought that he was still in the house and wasn't too sure that she wanted to walk in on a stranger. Of course, once she discovered that there was no one there, she was overjoyed with everything she saw.

Santa was way too generous, he must have thought that she had been extra good this year.

Yes, that is a blue lolly pop that Paige managed to sneak out of her stocking before we had even had breakfast. Oh well, that's what Christmas is for. The only problem is that she had a blue mouth for the remainder of the morning.

After opening presents for the better half of the day. We had some other good friends of ours from college over for Christmas dinner. It was lots of fun and the food was delicious (I wish I could take all the credit, but Meredith and her mom helped out a lot!!!). Of course with all the excitement, I forgot to take pictures once they got here, but at least I got one of the table.

Since Christmas, Paige has had lots of fun playing with all her new toys. She definitely can't complain that she's bored or has nothing to do. Here she is painting with her new paints, and yes Popi, she did get a hair cut. Doesn't it look nice :)

Now that she is getting older, Paige got lots of games for Christmas. Matt and I both thought that this was a great educational activity that would be good for her, of course we forgot that we were the ones that would have to be playing the games with her all the time. It's only been two days since Christmas and I can't even tell you how many times we have played Candyland and Memory. This has to be my favorite though, here's Matt trying to figure out how to play her new Fancy Nancy game!!!

Lessons Learned: Part 2

2008-12-27T16:34:00.008-05:00

Aunt Kendi came to visit for a few days after her finals before heading home to Dallas. The weather was really yucky, so we decided to take another stab at baking. This time the goal was to make Christmas cookies for Santa. It was a little more successful with two of us there to watch and help Paige, but as you can see the mess was just as big - if not bigger!

"I didn't make this mess..."

"Ok, yes I did!!!"

"But I promise that I didn't eat that cookie."

DC Sights

2008-12-27T16:23:00.003-05:00

This month has brought lots of excitement and lots of visitors. Earlier this month, Matt's Dad and wife came to visit. It was the first time we have been able to get out and see some of the sights that DC has to offer as a family. It was a really cold day, but we were still able to see some of the highlights. Like the Capital:
We also spent some time at the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. Don't let the pretty blue sky fool you, we were freezing!

I'm not sure that Paige was as impressed by all the history. She had a really hard time standing still and just wanted to run all over the place. That would have been great, except for all the signs reminding you to, "please be quiet and respectful of the memorial". I guess, they don't expect you to bring your two-year old.

Deck the Halls

2008-12-11T21:01:00.004-05:00

This past week, we finally put up our Christmas Tree. Paige had only been asking about it since Thanksgiving, but I guess that was our fault for telling her we were going to do it about a week before it actually happened. She had lots of fun though, putting the ornaments on. Of course our tree is very lop-sided. Most of the ornaments are right in front on the same three branches, two feet off the floor. Oh well, Paige is pretty proud that she did it, so that's what counts.

We finally convinced her to put some around the side.

And finally the angel on top.

Pickles and White Lies

2008-12-11T20:55:00.003-05:00

Here's how the conversation went the other night at dinner:

Paige: Mommy, I need more pickles for my burger.
Mommy: No, you need to eat your dinner first.
(finished eating, two helpings of pickles later...)
Paige: Mommy, I need more pickles.
Mommy: There are no more, you ate them all.
Paige: No, they are in the kitchen.
Mommy: No, you ate them all, they are all gone.
Paige: I need to see the jar.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-12-11T20:40:00.008-05:00

This year for Thanksgiving, we stayed home. With Collin set to arrive in just over a month, a big trip just wasn't in the cards. Although we missed being with some of the family for the holiday, Matt's mom came in for the big day and helped us cook and eat turkey. Of course Paige was ready to eat even before the turkey was cooked.

She was a big helper too, she started cooking in her own kitchen...

And then decided that it would be more fun to watch the grown ups cook...

And finally, she had to get in and really help. Here she is helping her Gigi peel celery.

Happy Thanksgiving from the Wilders!!!

Is is time to eat yet???

Finally, bring on the food!

And now my belly is full, nap time anyone?

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T21:40:00.013-04:00

Halloween for Paige started on Thursday night when we decided that it was time to carve her pumpkin.

hummmm...what's in here?

"ewwww, mommy, I need a napkin!"

Time for dad to step in and speed the process along.

Of course, what house with a two-year old, doesn't know who Dora the explorer is. Aren't you impressed with our carving skills?

And here it is all lit up!

Then on Friday night it was time to Trick-or Treat. Paige was a rose for Halloween, complete with a bumble bee trick-or-treat pail.

"One more house daddy!"

Time to check out the loot

Thanks for checking out our pictures, hope you all had a happy Halloween!

Lessons Learned

2008-10-31T21:08:00.005-04:00

I decided as a special treat on Halloween, that Paige and I would make homemade cut-out cookies. Here are some things that I learned:

1. When Paige begs to "let me do it myself" resist the urge to let her - nutmeg and flower will be dumped on the floor.

2. More dough will be eaten than actually baked into cookies.

3. Little fingers cannot resist the temptation to poke holes in freshly rolled out dough.

4. "I want a bite" translates to "I have already taken a bite of flour, dough, baked cookies, icing, sprinkles, etc..."

5. One bite out of multiple cookies tastes much better than eating one whole cookie.

6. Do not expect that anything of nutritional value will be eaten for lunch after the above activity.

7. It will take five times as long to clean up the kitchen as it did to make the mess.

8. The back deck will look like it has just snowed after brushing Paige off.

9. I will learn a lesson in patience, although Paige will not (two-year olds cannot wait for anything).

10. I will have great memories of our first real baking experience.

The Great Pumpkin

2008-10-29T15:42:00.003-04:00

Paige had her first movie night last night. We let her stay up late (and by late, I mean until 8:40pm) to watch the Charlie Brown Halloween special. It was lots of fun, we made popcorn and the three of us sat on the couch together. Paige thought it was pretty neat to watch cartoons late at night and of course she loved the popcorn, she kept saying, "it's a nice treat!"

Little Star

2008-10-27T20:35:00.003-04:00

Even though we have moved to the DC area, we are still huge Stars fans (that would be hockey for those that don't know). This past weekend, the Stars played the Washington Capitals in their only game of the season, so of course we had to sport our favorite team's gear. Paige's Popi had this jersey made for her the day he found out he was having a grandaughter, complete with her name and birth year. It only took about two and a half years for her to grow into it, but she sure looks cute in it now. For those who like to keep score, I'm sad to report that the Stars lost to the Capitals, but hey, it's still early in the season.

Cox Farms

2008-10-11T19:50:00.016-04:00

We've had lots of visitors since we moved. This weekend Aunt Kendi came to visit and we spent the day at Cox Farms. There was so much to do, including a 1007 lbs. pumpkin. Check it out, it was bigger than Paige.

We had fresh apples for a morning snack. Paige was a sticky mess after that.

We saw lots of animals while we were there including lots of piglets, cows, sheep, and turkeys!

Paige loved climbing the hay stacks. She's such a show off.

Paige's favorite part of the day was slides. There were all kinds and after every one, she would jump up and down and say "again"!!!

WEEEEEEEEEEE!

We walked through this big corn maze too, but don't worry, we didn't get too lost.

Paige wanted her face painted like all the other kids, so mom put on her artistic hat and painted a big orange pumpkin.

Before it was time to go, we had to pick out our pumpkins. First we picked out some little ones.

Then we went to find a big one. Paige really wanted one that was as big as her.

She even tried to hug the one she wanted and pick it up herself.

Finally, she and daddy picked out a perfect one.

We had a great day and soon it was time to go home. Thanks for visiting our site, come back soon!

Our Big Move

2008-10-11T17:27:00.007-04:00

Last month, we packed up our house in Texas and headed East. We've landed in Virginia in the DC area and have been very busy over the past month, getting settled in and unpacked! It took us three days to drive across country, but we finally made it and this is our new home. It has lots of stairs (something our other house didn't have), but it's finally starting to feel like home.

Paige was really good during our move, she especially like eating breakfast on the floor of the living room before our furniture arrived.

Once the boxes were delivered, she had a great time playing in all the paper. There was so much packing material that sometimes Paige got lost in mess. She didn't mind though, she always crawled out laughing and giggling.

The boxes were fun to play in also. We left one for her to build a "house" out of . It was decorated beautifully with crayon and even had a window.

Of course it was really nice when all her toys were unpacked, especially her princess stuff. She's such a girly, girl.

Anytime you all are in the DC area, we would love for you to come by and visit. We're finding more fun and exciting things to do every day.

Happy Birthday Paige!!!

2008-09-14T09:15:00.007-04:00

In August, Paige turned two! We had a great time celebrating, although it's hard to believe how fast she is growing up. Lots of family came into town to help with the festivities, there were lots of presents and lots of cake. Despite all the new toys, sometimes the things that are the most fun to play with aren't toys at all - like Gigi's big yellow purse!

Paige got this great car for her birthday. She has fun driving it around the house and taking her babies to the "grocery". I hope she enjoys it, it might be the only car she ever gets from us.

This year, Paige was able to blow out the candles all by herself. She really enjoyed her cake, and eventhough she still made a mess, it wasn't near as bad as last year.

We had a birthday pary for Paige and all her friends at the gymnastics center. They all ran around and played hard - I think that everyone had a good nap that afternoon. Before they could play though, they first had to streatch.

Swinging like monkeys is lots of fun.

Perfect 10!

Soon, it was time to head home and open presents. Uncle Scotty got Paige her first game, hungry, hubgry hippos. Of course now she wants to play it all the time and it sure is a noisy game!

Lake Belton

2008-09-13T23:51:00.006-04:00

This summer we discovered that we lived just minutes from a great swim beach at Lake Belton. Knowing how much Paige enjoyed the beach, we thought this was a perfect way to spend hot summer afternoons. We would take a picnic and spend the day splashing in the water.

We even went with Paige's best friend Lauren. They had a blast splashing and playing together.

California Fun

2008-09-13T23:26:00.012-04:00

It's been a while since we have caught up with many of our friends, so here's a look at what's been happening around the Wilder house this summer.
We spent the 4th of July in San Diego, CA. We took Paige to the Zoo one day. She especially like the flamingos and the polar bears, especially when the bears were swimming in the water and blowing bubbles. The zoo in San Diego has a great petting zoo too, but Paige wasn't too sure about the animals and was then ready to go after she triped over a goat laying in the sun. We also spent a lot of time at the beach and the pool. Paige loved running and jumping in the waves, picking up sea shells and making "drippy castels" with her Noni.

She even let her Aunt Kendi and Uncle Scotty burry her in the sand.

We also spent a day at Sea World. Her favorite was Shamu and his "big splashes". She also had a great time petting the star fish and splashing in the tide pools.