Busch Gardens...

Last weekend, we took the boys to Busch Gardens down in Williamsburg for a pass holder preview day of the park. I was very grateful that the weather was nice because the day before was pretty warm. I was also grateful because, even though I threw up Friday morning, I seemed to be feeling better after being sick all week. Paul even came home early from work one day to take care of me and the boys. Beckett also threw up before we left, but, overall, did pretty well on the trip considering he caught whatever illness I had. Then Payson threw up in the car, but that was only from getting car sick. He doesn't do so well on long trips.

We ended up having a great time and didn't spend one dollar in the park because we packed food. Payson went on all the rides again, but isn't the biggest fan of the faster and higher ones. Paul also had to accompany Payson on all the rides this time because I am pregnant. More than anything, Payson was SO EXCITED to see Elmo and the rest of the Sesame Street characters. Beckett was a trooper and hung out most of the day while Payson had fun. Hopefully next time Beckett will be walking so he can enjoy the rides too.

*Let the rides begin...*

*Paul comforting Payson.*

*Sesame Street Show.*

*"ELMO!!!"*

*Payson meeting Elmo

after the show.*

*Giving him a hug.*

*I could only take pictures

from the doorway and this

was my view of the best

pictures they took...

which we were not going

to pay $20 for.*

*Balloon ride.*

*One of the few smiles

we got from Payson

while on a ride.*

*His new thing when we

tell him to "make a funny face".*

*Mr. Beckett waiting for

Payson on a ride.*

*Such a good boy.*

*"Funny face".*

*"Say HI!*

*Waiting in line for the

carousel. The only ride

Beckett and I could go on.*

*Mommy and her boys.*

*On the carousel with Daddy.

I love this picture.*

*Blowing Mommy kisses!*

*On the Log ride with Daddy.*

*Paul went on a big ride

while the boys rested.*

*Payson's last ride,

which he did not like.*

Before we headed home, we found a really cute public animal farm that was around the corner from our hotel. It was a great activity to make the boys tired enough to sleep the entire way home.

A couple cute pictures of the boys playing in a box this morning before Paul left on his trip.

Pinkalicious, Build-A-Bear, Gymnastics and More...

First, a few cute pictures before

I share about our week...

*Payson sitting in a booster

next to Daddy at Red Robin.*

*The boys having

fun in the bath.*

*Payson smiling for me.*

*....and Beckett too.*

-Pinkalicious Party-

When my friend asked me to design an invitation for a Pinkalicious party, I agreed but had no clue what that was. I assumed it was another one of her great ideas for a G.N.O.- "girls night out" party. It turns out that Pinkalicious is a children's book, but I had no idea because I don't have any girls, yet. The book is about a little girl that eats so much pink food, so she turns pink and then has to eat green food to change back to normal. The party was very cute and the boys had lots of fun with all the other kids.

*Payson eating his pink

cupcake that I helped decorate.*

*All the kids at the party.

Payson is on the far right.*

*The invitation I designed.*

-Build-A-Bear-

We have made it a tradition to make a build-a-bear after we find out the gender of our baby. So last weekend we went to the mall and made Irelyn her bear. It was great timing, because we ended up picking out the St. Patrick's Day bear, which fits perfectly with Irelyn's name. Payson was very excited to participate in every step of the process. He helped stuff the bear, he picked out the heart that goes inside and he helped give the bear a "bath".

*Payson just after he gave

the heart a kiss.*

*Putting the heart inside

Irelyn's bear.*

*Giving the bear a bath.*

*Irelyn's Bear!!!*

*A taggie blanket that

I made for Irelyn.*

-Gymnastics-

Two Saturday's ago Payson started his parent/tot gymnastics class. Payson is the only boy signed up for the class, but there seem to be plenty of sibling brothers that end up joining in. During his first class (which I didn't get any pictures of), he was more into observing things and a little freaked out to try out all the gymnastic stations. They start off the class with stretching, then they rotate through the stations, then play with balloons (which is his favorite part), then we all play with a huge parachute and sing a couple of songs, and finally end the class with some more stretching. As a reward for all their hard work, the teachers give out stickers at the end and Payson LOVES stickers.

Payson's second class was so much fun. He was more outgoing than the first class and tried all of the stations. Luckily, the teachers don't seem to mind all of the siblings joining in, so we let Beckett loose and he was so excited. At only 10 months old, he is already so daring and outgoing. He really loved jumping on the trampoline with his big brother and we were so surprised that he could hold on to the uneven bars. He even loved doing a somersault. He was a natural and somehow knew to put his head down while we helped him roll over. It was so funny to see how excited he got when he landed. Overall it was so much fun and we are really looking forward to see how Payson progresses during the rest of the classes.

*Payson on the trampoline.*

*Balloon time!*

*Beckett jumping with

Daddy on the trampoline.*

*Holding on to the uneven bars.

He LOVED it!*

(click on the picture to

see his face close up.)

*Doing a somersault.*

*So excited when he lands.*

*Payson taking a nap with

Daddy after he woke up

from a nap in his bed.*