Adam and Hayden… rocking out together with his new Guitar Hero game (and Hayden’s new guitar!  Thanks, Grandma!).

Any time Hayden gets near a piano, he climbs up on the bench and gets ready to play.  These pictures are from his grandparents apartment in New York and his friend Lily’s house (although it’s his friend Kirsten in the picture).  The other day at work while I was making beds upstairs I heard Hayden on teh piano downstairs.  I went down to stop him (it’s not our piano… I can’t afford to let him break it) and I saw him sitting properly, playing notes, and singing!!  (I couldn’t recognize the tune… it must have been his own composition.)  I went to get my camera, and when I got back he noticed me and ran toward me with a big smile, arms wide, yelling, “Mommy!”  (Can’t complain about that!)

It’s always fun to have Daddy home, even if he’s resting on the couch because he’s sick.

Until he takes away the remote control you were playing with.

I don’t think these ever made it onto the site.  If they did, then enjoy them again and just thank God that I updated finally. 

Grandma Deb’s, Grandma Cross’, the Smith Family, the Tallman Family, Grandpa Preuss’, Great Grandma Eitel’s… We managed to visit all family branches in 5 days!  (Very impressive if you consider one was in Pennsylvania and called us up on Friday to invite us over on Sunday!)

Hayden made out like a bandit… trains, TWO kitchen sets, a scooter, a puzzle, books, a sit and spin, blocks, Legos, a Power Wheels Jeep (that my mom will have to bring down some other time!  We’re going to need to take two cars up when we have two kids!  We barely fit this year!!), a toy laptop, a sled, a teddy bear, musical instruments, Goldfish crackers (always a favorite!), race tracks and Matchbox cars… We were so pleased when Grandpa Joe gave him a Visa gift card so we could go buy him more toy shelves.  

If we don’t have a girl for the next child, what are you all going to buy?  ;)  

It’s amazing how much fun a toddler can have with simple household objects. The other day Hayden spent an hour stacking cups together. Just regular plastic cups, not any special toy. Today he found a small step stool at work. He’s having a great time: sitting, straddling, crawling over, picking up and carrying, attempting to stand… I never knew there was so much fun to be had in a step stool!
In all of this, it’s nice to know that even if we don’t buy the “right toys” to help Hayden’s development, God will find a way to give him what he needs.

Mom and George came to visit in early November (and I’m just now blogging about it). They watched Hayden while Adam and I went to a financial seminar at church, and then on Sunday we all went to a train show and to Northlandz, a very large train set up that’s only a few miles from us. It was pretty impressive, even to me. Eight miles of tracks. It takes 2 hours to make it through.
Here’s some of the highlights: