Mid to End of Summer Activities

Busy, Busy, Busy - our summer this year! After our July 4th vacation to WV (seen below), we kept busy with playdates, the pool, a 3 day Princess Ballet camp, a quick business trip to Cincinnati with Robert, and a visit from our old friends in WI. Below is a slideshow of some of the highlights:

Kim, one of my dearest and closest friends from growing up, came to visit one weekend while Robert was MOD (Mgr. on Duty at the hotel, where they stay all weekend). Kim's hubby was out of town and we decided to have Girls (and Kids) weekend here! Kim lives in Madison, WI- now just 3 hours from us! Tommy (Peyton's age) and Emma (almost 2) had a great time playing with Peyton and her toys, at the playgrounds and swimming at the neighborhood pool!

Next Peyton went to Princess Ballet Camp for 3 days, 1.5 hours each morning. They dressed up like Princesses, did Princess themed arts & crafts and learned some basic ballet moves. Ever since seeing her new friend Olivia's dance recital in June, Peyton has been dancing and twirling where ever she could. Her birthday gift from 'WillNic' couldn't have come at a better time - a classic black leotard and purple tutu! Peyton would even change her clothes based on well they 'twirled' (we've been wearing LOTs of dresses this summer)! The last day they put on a little show for the parents. I tear up every time I watch this; she is just so precious in her little attire, such an angel. Here's part of it, complete with Princess music:

The end of July business called for Robert in Cincinnati. Since I still feel as though we haven't seen him much or spent much time with him (still getting over short 9 week absence this winter during move process and the fact that he wasn't able to go on Family vacation with us over the 4th - AND the fact that most nights he's not home from work til 7/7:30pm), Peyton and I decided to join him. Just a 5.5 hour drive from us, we had a great, quick visit in Cincy. There less than 48 hours, we swam in the hotel pool twice, dined out, went to the Newport Aquarium as a family, ate lunch outdoors watching the river and city center across the way. Peyton's favorite part was riding up to our room on the 15th floor in the glass elevators! It was a great, little (and CHEAP) getaway!

Princess Peyton and her Prince Frog at Cincy aquarium!

Few thoughts by Jennifer Hines....

Wow, it's Labor Day weekend -where does the time go? I have to tell you I have been DREADING the approach of winter - our first full winter in the cold tundra of the Midwest! After getting a little taste of it this past winter while house hunting and moving in around Easter (late March) with the gray skies day after day after day, I'm actually nervous about the bitter cold, blistering winds, and no sun for months (Robert will be buying me a medicinal sun lamp)! THEN I read about the Farmers Almanac reporting higher than usual precipitation for the Midwest in Jan. & Feb. - GREAT, just what I wanted to hear! On the bright side, Peyton LOVES the snow - making snow people, throwing snowballs, and sledding. We may even get to introduce her to cross-country skiing, something Robert did as a kid growing up in Michigan. Wish us (really just me) luck this winter!



A funny kid story - I have been having blood drawn lately (still trying for baby #2 you know) quite a bit. There is one tech that actually hurts when she does it. Normally having blood taken barely causes you to blink, as I told Peyton all brave and adult-like (she usually goes with me). Well, Tech A", we'll call her, put the needle in and I blurted out "Ouch!" and squeezed Peyton's hand too tight! It burned going in, continued to sting while in, and really stung when it came out! Apparently Peyton overheard the story as I told it to Robert but never said a word. Since then, I had my blood done several more times, 2 of them with "Tech B" (the good, pain-free one!). While there, Peyton did ask if she was the good lady or bad lady. I told Tech B my experience with Tech A and was glad she (B)was in again that day. Well, just this past week, we were back in and Tech A (bad one) was in. I didn't say a word, even make a face, just played brave and naive. Peyton immediately says, "Mommy, is that the bad lady that hurts you?" -right in front of her; I didn't know whether to laugh out loud or leave and try another day! I pretended not to hear, as the Tech was writing and asking me questions. Peyton asks again and I say No. Sure enough, even though I'm preparing for the entrance of the needle, I grimace and squeeze Peyton's hand too tight again. Peyton says, "She IS the bad lady, Mommy". I was sooooo embarrassed and praying that Tech A didn't have a clue what Peyton was referring to. Peyton told me to squeeze her hand really tight, if I want to and Tech A just laughed and told me how beautiful she was. OH MY! I cracked up laughing upon leaving and had to call Robert to tell him the story! Little Peyton didn't realize what she had said and was confused by our entertainment (and my embarrassment)!

Okay, quick teaser...

It's been a long time since I last posted anything - 10 days of vacation, craziness afterwards with playdates, getting ready for school, etc....all good excuses, right?! Peyton started her 1st day of 4 year-old preschool on Monday and loves it! All summer long, she kept asking when she could go back to school! Thankfully with 2 camps, lots of playdates, the pool within walking distance, several rounds of company, and 2 1/2 vacations we were able to keep busy all summer! Here's her first day of school snapshots -

I still cannot believe my baby is 4 years old and will start Kindergarten next fall - wow, where does the time go??

I will work our trip to Cincinnati, Princess Ballet camp (Peyton is just the cutest in her little bun, leotard, tights and tutu!), and family trip to Ludington, MI - one of the best, most relaxing trips I've ever been on - just what the doctor ordered for all of us and a great way to end the summer.

July 4th Vacation

Peyton's BIG Adventure to West Virginia for the Fourth of July, 2008!

July 4th vacation we spent with Robert's family - all 12 of us (minus Robert who had to work) - in the mountains of WV. BEAUTIFUL, scenic area....BUT a long curvy-windy drive, 14 hours, especially in a motorhome when you are prone to motion sickness! But let me tell you, I'm now a spokeswoman for Dramamine - it works WONDERS!! Peyton had a blast being with all her cousins, who she absolutely adores - Noah - almost 6, Wyatt - 3 mos. older than Peyton, Abbey - 2.5, and Haylie- almost 2. They played, swam, blew bubbles outside the room, even saw deer up close and personal, as they were right out our windows/door each day looking for leftovers of any kind!

(the girls above - Haylie, Abbey, and Peyton - have on matching t-shirts that say "Grandma Magnet" that Peyton gave them for Christmas last year)

(Peyton asking the deer what they are doing and how they are in her very motherly voice)

What a shock I had the first morning opening my lodge door to find a deer standing there! Thankfully I didn't scare the deer the way it scared me, as the kids were able to come and see him up close...so close that I shut the door, afraid our new friend was about to come in! While at the Canaan Resort in Davis, WV, we even took a dinner train ride through the mountainside, seeing more beautiful areas, creeks, rivers and even Bald Eagles in the wild! Driving home we saw fireworks out the motorhome windows - the kids were so excited! A good time was had by all and we were all POOPED after our trip!

Okay, so I'm still behind but I'm getting there with my updates....so many things to do always and so little time always. I just need a few more hours each day to get more things done and crossed off my To-Do list! Next time bunny pictures, Peyton's Princess Ballet camp, a visit from old friends, and our quick trip to Cincinnait with Robert last week.....OH, we do leave for vacation (Ludington, MI - where Robert's grandparents lived, just a block off the beach on Lake Michigan) on Saturday, so not sure when I'll update again......

Peyton and her new Mia American Girl doll -both dressed as the Princesses they truly are!

Enjoy the rest of your summer; it's going by too quickly!

Things that go bump in the night....

The other night it was Peyton 'going bump in the night'. I awoke to a thud followed by Peyton screaming crying and Willow (our dog) frantic. I rushed to Peyton's room to find her climbing back up her stool into bed. I asked what happened and she said she had fallen off the bed and hit her head on the nightstand and it hurt soooooo bad. A 2.5 foot fall is far for someone that is only 3.5 feet tall! Trying to calm her (and myself!), we snuggled in. Not only was she hurt (no bump), it scared the stuffins' out of her, as well! She was afraid to close her eyes and typical Jennifer was thinking...if you hit your head, you're not supposed to go right to sleep, right? At 2:30AM I didn't want to wake Robert to ask him. We chatted a few minutes and she said all pitiful "Does Daddy know I fell out of bed?" Oh my, DRAMA! She fell asleep shortly, as I stayed a few more minutes watching her. The next morning she was fine and didn't even remember her big trauma!

I realize I'm a month behind on the blog but had to share this story. AND we have BABY bunnies in our back yard! More on that next with pictures!

Our American (Birthday) Girl!

June 28, 2004 - the day our precious angel was born, four years ago - hard to believe. What a great birthday we all had on that Sat., June 28, 2008! Woke up to Peyton's favorite breakfast - her dad's scrambled eggs and toast - then headed out for "the city" - downtown Chicago. We got to American Girl Place about 9:30am, and good thing we did. By 10am it was already PACKED! The city was also packed that weekend with the Taste of Chicago going on, the Cubs/White Sox game, AND Gay-Pride weekend...OH MY!

Peyton was soooo cute and so funny walking around this amazing place (the doll store), as though she couldn't see it all fast enough! Soooooo many dolls and sooooo many outfits. We went in with the intention of only buying her an outfit for the new AG doll Grandma Hines had found at a garage sale, but Daddy was quite taken with the place and Peyton's reaction and decided we should buy her the 2008 doll - Mia, Girl of the Year - .....and some outfits for her! We spent about an hour and half in the store and then made our way towards Rainforest Cafe. The place was right up Peyton's alley with the animals, rain, and even a mascot to take her picture with (after all, she is a Disney girl, you know, and LOVES the characters)!

From there we walked around downtown, hitting famous Michigan Avenue and all the great (expensive) shops. The people watching was the best! We did manage to find a great $4.99 bargain at the Disney Store - a new Ariel swimsuit for Peyton. I think that's the cheapest I've ever gotten out of that store! By 2:30pm Peyton was toast and we headed home for a rest and Peyton's request for dinner - grilled steak and homemade mashed potatoes. It was a great day!

Peyton's BIG Birthday Party!

With moving to a new state and leaving all the friends Peyton had ever known (in her whole life of 3.5 years!), having a birthday party with all her new friends was a big deal. We decided to go all out for her, having 18 kids (some siblings of her friends) and their respective 20 parents.....it was CRAZY! The last BIG party we had was for her 1st birthday and now I remember why! Parties here are very different from the way Robert and I grew up and the parties we went to in Charlotte. Here, it seems to be all about who can outdo the other and spending $$$$....renting HUGE carnival size moon bounce houses, catering food - the last party we went to here (just 2 weeks before Peyton's party) had 3 ponies for the kids to ride, as well as getting their own cowboy hat (30 kids)! Robert said on the way home that he guessed we would be known for the poor-man's parties in the neighborhood!

We had a backyard, water-themed party (old-school style) complete with 2 slip-n-slides, an activity pool, and even a mini-moon bounce borrowed from a friend. The kids had a great time and Peyton said "it the best party ever in the whole wide world" - makes all the stress and hard work more than worth it....and makes a mushy mom's heart just gush! We even had some old friends there, as my good friend Kerry and kids were in town visiting her hubby's parents in Aurora, just down the road. Peyton's cousins - Noah, Wyatt, & Haylie - came from MI, as well as their parents (Rob's older sister Chrissie & hubby Pete) and Grandma & Grandpa Hines - Peyton was in heaven having her family there, too! After a full day of non-stop playing, Peyton was toast, zoning out at 6:30pm upon opening her gifts. She slept 13 hours that night!