Alex,
So we left off in the last post with your 3rd birthday. But of course the July birthdays weren't over quite yet. We celebrated Gram's birthday at the Museum of Transportation. Gram loves you so much, she wanted nothing more than to spend time with you and Declan at your favorite place for her birthday. We had so much fun riding the train and looking at the "Big Choo-Choos." We even got some pictures at the St. Louis 250th Birthday Cake.
August came and you and I decided to have a day to ourselves, so we went to Grant's Farm. You like feeding the goats from outside the pen much better than inside now:
And you think the mist bridge is the best thing ever invented:
Of course we had to take a picture with the "Silly Geese" for dad:
And a snow cone to watch the animal show:
It was some great mommy and Alex time!
We also spent a lot of time with your friends Braden and Cate. You and Braden have so much fun together!
As summer was coming to a close, we FINALLY made it to a pool. We had so much fun splashing around in the water with Aunt E! You also enjoyed a strawberry slushie:
We went to yet another Frisco Friday this month. It is one of your very favorite things to do, so we try to go whenever we can:
Getting train tracks painted onto your arm (your go-to):
After Frisco Friday, we went out for some frozen yogurt. You kids had so much fun together!
By the middle of August, it was time to celebrate the August birthdays. Alyssa (8/12), Grandma Joyce (8/13), Aunt Elizabeth (8/14) and Declan (8/15). We went to a winery to celebrate and had a great time. You and Lyssie loved the band:
Then we celebrated Declan's First Birthday together by going to the Botanical Gardens Children's Garden. You had so much fun playing in the covered wagon and the canoe. You weren't so sure about the slides, but you loved the splash pad. Mommy and daddy made you and your brother dress up as Native Americans for Gram. Neither one of you were too thrilled about that!
Declan especially hated this . . .
You at least tolerated it and even put on a little smile for Gram:
You loved steering the boat:
Hands up over the bridge:
You refused to wear your swim trunks all summer long!
Your favorite part of the whole trip was acquiring "Chipper". Poppy catches chipmunks in his yard and you like to go with him to release them in the park. So it was only fitting that we found you your own chipmunk!
And here we are celebrating Declan at our home!
And of course you and Declan loved playing at Sylvan Springs Spray Pool. It was fun towards the end of the summer because Declan was more mobile and could play with you more:
Rounding out August was our friend Keegan's birthday party. Keegan's mommy, Abby, cuts your hair. You had so much fun at the birthday party. There was even a bounce house in the back yard. So much fun!
Once September came, it was Labor Day. We had a great weekend hanging out and BBQing. We even had your friends over for some fun times too. We took Braden and Cate to the Spray Pool for one last hurrah before it closed for the year:
You and Declan absolutely LOVE the Museum of Transportation and we have a membership, so anytime the weather is nice, we are there!
On another mommy and Alex night, I took you to Chuck E. Cheese and taught you how to play air hockey. It was a big hit!
In mid-September, you went on your very first field trip with school. We went to Eckert's Millstadt Farm. You had a great time during the whole thing, but I think your favorite part was riding on the School Bus:
Here you are with your best friend Johnny:
About to board the bus:
You and Johnny were so excited to ride on the bus!
You with your friend Chase:
Eating some yummy apples!
You with your friend Emma:
Hands up over the Mississippi River!
At the end of September, we went to the Museum of Transportation again, but this time with Gram, Poppy and your cousins, Will, Harrison and Louise. It was so much fun to see all the big Choo Choos with your cousins. It was a special day at the museum that day and they had face painters and other fun activities. You and Harrison were two peas in a pod that day and had so much fun together!
At this time, you FINALLY started peeing on the potty, so you moved up to the preschool class at school.
Daddy and I were so proud of you, so we decided to take you out to dinner and for ice cream to celebrate:
In early October we decided to go Apple Picking. It was unseasonably cold on the day we chose, but the sun was shining and we had a lot of fun. Grandma Gerry and Paw Paw came with us. We picked lots of yummy apples and then you and I rode the little train around until it was time to go home:
This time you decided to go in the pen to feed the goats. It went alright until the rocks got into your sandles.
There was a new activity at Grant's Farm this year . . . Feeding the Parakeets. You weren't so sure if you wanted to do it, but with mommy by your side, you went in and started to enjoy it.
When a bird hopped on your stick, you freaked out a bit so mommy took your stick and you warmed up again.
You were about to take the stick back when all of a sudden the bird flew up and landed on your head. Let's just say that was the end of the parakeets that day. You were NOT happy!
Of course, it's nothing a snow cone couldn't make feel better:
And of course, you still call it Gram's Farm:
We went to yet another great Frisco Friday in October with Braden and Cate. You all had so much fun decorating cookies and getting your face painted. We went out for frozen yogurt again too. Always a great time!
A couple weeks later we met up with Braden and Cate again to go to Notre Dame's Fall Festival. You guys had so much fun decorating pumpkins, getting your faces painted and playing fun carnival games. You even won the big prize (a big jar of M&Ms) and you were so excited!!!
We had your second field trip with school this month as well. We went pumpkin picking at Stuckmeyers' Farm. It was a lot of fun starting with a hay ride and then lots of running around and playing. Much like the apple picking trip, you liked the bus ride the best!
You really liked the corn maze. You and I must've run through that thing at least 10 times while we were there!
They had a costume/trick-or-treat day at the Museum of Transportation so we went there again. You and Declan had so much fun all dressed up and riding trains.
We also took a family trip to the pumpkin patch this year. We went to Rombach's Farm.
You and Declan rode the train together:
And since it was clearly Halloween time, you had your costume parade at school. It was windy, so you had to hold your hat on! We had a great time celebrating Halloween at your school:
Dad and I decided to do a Turkey Trot with you guys this year. We had a lot of fun running through Forest Park with you boys. Although I must say, you guys had the comfiest ride! You really liked the hot chocolate after the race!
At the beginning of December, we went to Eckert's to get our Christmas Tree. You and Declan had a great time walking around the fields searching for our tree. We got a good one again this year!
Shortly after getting our tree, it was time for St. Nicholas to pay us a visit. The night before, we had cookies and watched the Veggie Tales movie about St. Nicholas. I think it was still a bit over your head, but you still seemed to enjoy it. Then we put out our stockings and shoes and you went to bed. Then St. Nicholas left you this:
christ
After opening your gifts from St. Nicholas, we had more Christmas fun ahead. It was the day for the Cor Jesu Breakfast with Santa. You and your brother had a great time eating donuts, playing, doing crafts, and dancing:
It took us a couple weeks, but we finally got around to actually decorating the Christmas Tree. You enjoyed helping daddy put the lights on and putting the ornaments on this year. We also made some yummy hot chocolate that was so rich none of us could even finish it! It was a great time!
Your favorite ornament/toy, "Black Engine"
We also celebrated Christmas at your school. You and I ate some lunch together then you had a blast playing with your friends. You especially loved the snowball game!
Another Christmas thing we did this year is go on a Polar Express Ride. Daddy and I went all out even getting you the "Hero Boy" pajamas. It was a truly magical experience. You were very concerned that the train was actually going to leave without you and that you would have to hop on. You kept saying, "I want to get on NOW!" Once we got on you were doing just great and had so much fun:
After all the pre-holiday festivities, it was finally time for Chrismas! We went to Gram and Poppy's house for Chrismas Eve and to Grandma Gerry and Paw Paw's house for Christmas day. Of course you and Declan opened gifts from Santa at home on Christmas morning. Your favorite gift was a train that "goes by itself." We put the train around the tree and you were just mesmerized. You also loved your new Polar Express Train set and your new games.
You also loved this gift from Aunt E - A book with a head lamp:
After the holidays, we took advantage of our time off and went to the Science Center. You always like going to the Science Center. You and Declan really like the bridge and the little cut outs to look down on the traffic. You sorta like the dinosaur. You ALWAYS ask to go see it, but when we get there, you definitely keep your distance.
And finally we rounded the holidays out by going to see the Christmas Lights at Our Lady of the Snows. We let you and brother sit in the front seat to look out at all the lights. It was a lovely evening.
With January came a bunch more birthdays. The first one was Grandma Gerry's. Grandma Gerry loves you so much she wanted nothing more than to celebrate her birthday with you, Declan and Lyssie at Frisco Friday. She had a great birthday with you guys!\
The next birthday we celebrated was daddy's! You and Declan were so excited to get up and give daddy his birthday gifts:
Daddy also wanted nothing more than to hang out with you and Declan for his birthday, so we went to the Magic House. You and Declan had a lot of fun in the Doctor area taking care of the babies.
You also love the fishing hole. I think you guys could hang out here all day long fishing out of the pond, dropping the fish back in and then following it back to the pond.
And of course the best part of dad's birthday is eating the leftover cream cheese frosting straight from the mixing bowl:
Your hair was starting to get a little shaggy, so we decided a hair cut was in order. Before we headed out to get your hair cut, however, daddy thought it would be hilarious to sculpt it into a Mohawk. Yes, this is what daddy does for fun these days:
Since we showed up at the salon with all that product in your hair, Abby had to actually wash your hair before cutting it. You seemed to like it!
You are doing so many things and really exerting your independence right now. When we give you "options" of things you can do and you do not like any of the options presented, you say, "No, those are NOT my options!" When we go to bed, you like me to sing "What a Wonderful World" lately and after I sing, "I see friends shakin' hands, saying how do you do? They're really saying . . ." you love to belt out, "I WUV YOU!" Oh and you have learned how to zip up your own coat:
Things you love right now:
School. You love going to school right now and you love your teacher, Ms. Jen. Your best friend is named Johnny. Sometimes you guys are so in sync you even wear the same shirt:
Your stuffed animals. George and "Other George" are still sleeping with you every night along with Puffy too of course:
Grocery Shopping. You love when we go to Schnucks because they have little carts that you just absolutely love to push around. We really have to watch you because sometimes you get a little carried away, but for the most part you are pretty good with the little carts:
I should also note here that you insisted on having the meat in YOUR cart!
Helping mommy bake. Of course you ARE only 3 and sometimes there are mishaps. This particular time I think you dropped a spoon into the bowl while it was mixing . . . oops!
Licking the beaters. Going along with that, another of your favorite things is licking the beater after we are done baking. You ask over and over again while we are baking if it's time for you to have the beater yet. You are always thrilled when we are finally ready to put whatever we were making into the oven!
Taking care of your brother. You are such a good big brother and you are always there to take care of your bro!
You push him on the swings;
You showed him the ropes at school:
You make room for him in the basket (that Aunt E pushes you around in):
You go down the slide with him
You feed him ice cream:
And you don't seem to mind it when Mommy and Daddy dress you alike. (P.S. this is daddy's doing, not mommy's)
Popsicles. Every family day, you always want a popsicle for dessert. Sometimes Gram even lets you eat them in the tub!
Happy. You love the song "Happy" by Pharrell Williams. You and Aunt E dance to it all the time:
Play Dough. You love to play with and help me make Play Dough:
Bacon. You are still really into bacon. We went to First Watch for breakfast and you gave me this . . . it really meant a LOT coming from you!
Candy. You LOVE Candy! I often bribe you with candy to go on the potty. One time I bought you a huge lolly pop to bribe you to sit on the potty. You could only have it if you were sitting on the potty, lol!
Bubble Baths. You love to put the bubbles on your chin and say, "Ho, Ho, Ho!" You love it when I get my "beard" on and do it with you too:
Long trains! You LOVE long trains! The longer the better. You will pull them all over the house and you try your best to keep them away from your brother.
Eating popcorn and watching movies. You and Declan can't get enough of this! You are both pretty good about sharing the popcorn, but I'm not gonna lie, I walked out of the room for two minutes and you guys had it ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE.
Being Silly. You love to just do silly things all the time. You even put on mommy's big boots. It was so funny!
Being like Daddy. You love to imitate your dad. Sometimes he even lets you shave with him:
You still don't like going to bed, but sometimes your sleepiness gets the best of you right in the middle of play:
Alex, it has been a great half a year. Things have only gotten better since. You are turning into such a sweet and loving little boy. I'm so proud to be your mommy!
Love,
Mom
