The Adventures of Payton and Parker

Fun November visit and Christmas?!

2011-11-26T19:58:00.000-06:00

My parents came down for a few days to visit recently and we had such a good time! (parker loves to stand in the carts at whatever store we go to)

making a k'nex pirate ship

Parker's favorite place to be (held by gong gong)

my two little monkeys

and...yes, already putting up christmas decorations?! how can this be? :)

santa's little helper

Catching up

2011-11-01T20:13:00.002-05:00

I haven't been that great at posting regularly on the blog lately, so I thought I'd at least post some pictures of what we've been up to lately!

visiting a cute pumpkin farm with good friends

enjoying hot chocolate (payton's favorite drink! even though it was not that cold this particular day)

picking a pumpkin to take home

Woody, the cowboy, and the alien! (getting ready to do the trick or treat path)

the alien refuses to wear his costume!

costumes, round 2, Tigger and Eeyore with Rapunzel, getting ready to do libertyville trick or treating.

visiting Shedd aquarium with friends. We had a such a great time! really a wonderful place

Parker LOVED the kid's water section

all wet (I was trying to get a picture of him with the dolphins in the back, but he kept running towards the water stuff... :) )

Payton (dressed as a penguin), enjoying the penguin playground slide.

Costume parade day at school (With his best girl- friend)

With his best friend at school

Parker's latest favorite thing to do, play in the pile of stuff that we recycle. I did not place him there, he has learned to climb in.....

Trick or treating with friends on halloween!

Walking

2011-10-25T22:32:00.000-05:00

At 14 months, Parker has started taking a few wobbly steps (first video). Second video is of Payton/Parker playing with a box...

Parker's First Birthday

2011-09-13T20:07:00.000-05:00

I think I have said this almost every month of Parker's first year....How is it that our baby is already 1!! A few weeks ago we celebrated his first birthday! The weather was just perfect that day, sunny and in the 70s so we were able to enjoy great weather and great company and food! Here are some pictures that captured that day (in random order)...

foyer decorations showing the monthly Pooh pictures

Party favors for the kids

a partial picture of the "new to us" swing set mike built recently (fireman pole, ladder, swings, climbing rope, etc..)

Payton with some friends playing in a tent outside

the other half of the swing set mike built

enjoying weather outside

elmo and cookie monster cupcakes (elmo is one of parker's favorite characters..)

smash cake

he is very interested....

until it actually gets on his hand.....

not to sure about this....

the icing on his face, I confess is from me...trying to get him to go for it...notice the smash cake in corner of picture is not at all smashed... :)

family photo

I made way to much food as usual, and forgot to take a picture of everything!

big brother eating his lunch... with all the excitement mom and dad did not remember to make him eat real food....

parker surveying what all the kids did to our house... :) he loves it!

some food tags...

thanks to everyone for coming! it was such a special time for us to celebrate with everyone our baby turning one!

11 months old!

2011-08-14T08:20:00.002-05:00

Guess who is 11 months!! this month, it has started to become difficult to get photos of parker looking at the camera AND smiling at the same time....

11 month photo with pooh!

monster sized carrot from our garden

Payton in his favorite spot. He Still Loves chess!

Garden Update

2011-08-05T20:59:00.000-05:00

Even though we've been having some crazy weather here, we've still enjoyed gardening! most of these pictures were taken a few weeks ago, so now, things are probably bigger or possibly dead (like our snow peas which do not like hot weather...)

carrots, parsley, and pepper plants in square foot gardening box.

beets! (my first attempt this year, and surprisingly, they ARE very easy to grow and delicious when roasted!)

tomatoes

zucchini

raspberries

kohlrabi (sp? this grows very easily, and tasted like broccoli stems basically)

snow peas

parker is getting into all sorts of things these days. Here he is at one of his favorite spots, our indoor recycling bin...

One of Payton's daily activities this summer, his kindergarten/first grade book. I meant to buy the "preparing for Kindergarten" book, since he still has another year before kindergarten. However, I apparently bought the bridge to first grade by accident. Too bad I didn't notice until he had done about 20 pages and I was thinking that they sure do expect alot of kindergarteners (i.e. subtraction, reading stories and answering questions, calculating money from coins, etc)! oops!

green onions (sorry photos out of order)

payton posing with his bunny sign. I would like to note, that since the sign has gone up, we have not seen any bunnies...

payton's favorite part, picking harvest from the garden!

the bunny in the garden

2011-07-29T21:00:00.001-05:00

Recently, I saw a baby bunny (wild) hopping around in our garden. I thought it was so cute, so I told Payton to hurry over to come see it. He came over and we watched it hop around our garden for awhile and finally it ran into our neighbor's yard. After he saw the bunny, Payton asked for some paper, a marker, a popsicle stick, and some tape...At the time, I wasn't sure why he needed all these things. After a few minutes, this is what he made:

In case you cannot tell, it is a "no bunny" sign for our garden.

Payton was not really that impressed with how cute the tiny bunny was. He was more concerned that the bunny would eat all of our vegetables in the garden...so he made the sign...and stuck it in the garden...:)

p and p enjoying swinging almost every day this summer. Payton can now swing by himself! (in other words, no need for mommy or daddy to push him anymore... :) )

New milestone

2011-07-18T22:05:00.000-05:00

Parker has finally learned how to crawl.

Enjoying his new pool/ball bit:

10 months and Portland

2011-07-10T20:48:00.000-05:00

Over the 4th of July we visited Harriet and Chuck in Portland. My parents also flew out there too, so we had a mini family reunion for about a week in beautiful Oregon.

While we were there, Payton went fishing for rainbow trout with Uncle Chuck and Daddy and caught some big ones!

We went on some hikes and enjoyed the beautiful scenery...I won't say we all enjoyed hiking (maybe because we are city people at heart), but thanks Harriet for finding "family friendly" hiking trails!

Payton learned how to play chess from Uncle Chuck. He had asked us to teach him before, but we thought he was too young.... Apparently, we were wrong. He took a major interest in this game and even started playing the computer and on his DS, when Uncle Chuck was unavailable to play him! (thanks for teaching him how to play Uncle Chuck!)

Visiting the local book store..Payton smooching off Harriet's mango drink.

The bookstore was not that exciting for Parker, so he fell asleep on the walk home.

Since Harriet and Chuck live downtown, we did alot of walking (to the grocery store, to the park, etc) and even rode the train. This was Payton's first time on a real train (i.e. not the little ones at the mall or zoo). He was pretty excited...

Getting ready to go swimming at the pool.

visiting multnomah falls. It was truly spectacular, pictures do not do it justice. If you ever visit Portland, it is a must-see!

Parker gained a lot of confidence on this trip as far as pulling up on things and even....crawling!(video coming soon)

On the plane ride home. Who knew the safety insert was soo interesting? They spent a good amount of time reviewing it...

And finally.....look who is 10 months old!! Parker is now a crawler! He has 5 teeth and 2 more coming soon. He loves to eat anything that is on someone else's plate. He still loves the water (bathtub and pool). He loves being on the swing (in our backyard and at the park). And he always wants to play with or touch whatever Payton is doing....And...His hair sticking up is still all natural... :)

9 months!

2011-06-16T07:43:00.001-05:00

Look who's 9 months old! So hard to believe...Parker has almost 5 teeth, and loves to eat what we are eating. He refuses to eat mashed up baby food anymore. He loves water (little pools, the faucet, taking baths). No crawling yet, but if he needs to get somewhere, he will roll his whole body or scoot.

New Tricks

2011-05-24T22:16:00.000-05:00

First time "playing catch" with Daddy

Playing peek-a-boo (although first few seconds of video Parker is distracted by the video camera...he just loves all things electronics :) )

8 Months Old and Misc

2011-05-14T21:19:00.000-05:00

Look who is already 8 months old!

What is Parker doing, you may be wondering?

Watching his big brother take a bath.....He was crying just moments ago because he knew his big brother was in the bathtub but he could not see him.So, I propped up a bunch of pillows on our tile floor in the bathroom so he could see his big brother.

Sleeping baby

Scooter riding Payton. Even thought he is wearing a winter jacket, I will say this was taken just recently. Crazy midwest weather....

Can you see Parker's first 2 teeth coming in on the bottom? :)

Our first harvest of our garden this year! Rhubarb!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T22:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Easter! We've had a relaxing long weekend.

Payton and Daddy rafting at the small pond near our house...

Riding the carousel at the zoo.

The boys after easter service.

Our family.

Easter baskets!

Parker is very interested in the eggs.

Payton loves to pose for pictures with Parker.

Now, Parker realizes Payton has some pretty cool stuff in his basket too...

and he goes for it...

not a very clear picture, but I just thought the expression on parker's face was funny.

impromptu easter egg hunt in our backyard with the neighbors.

Payton loves playing with our neighbors and they are so great with him.

Easter egg hunt with our playgroup friends!

Notice the winter jackets, it was and is still chilly up here! We are really looking forward to warmer weather!

7 months old

2011-04-12T20:56:00.001-05:00

Parker is 7 (and a half..) months old! He really is a pretty laid back, happy baby, except when he is hungry or tired. He has finally learned to roll both ways and he now sits up pretty well. He is very curious right now and will try to grab anything within his reach. His favorite food right now is pear (mashed up) and he loves mum mums. And fyi we do not put anything special in his hair to keep it growing straight up! :) that's natural...I'm thinking it will eventually flatten right?

and just for fun, here is payton's 7 month photo...

my 2 sweet boys

Rainbow Trout Season!

2011-04-08T20:45:00.000-05:00

The last two days, Payton, with a little help from dad, has caught 8 rainbow trout.

Footage of his first catch:

Picture of two monsters that Payton caught on the first day:

Today's catch:

However, since Payton is still picky about food, mommy and daddy get to enjoy the spoils:

6 months old photo shoot and writing

2011-03-07T08:12:00.000-06:00

Parker is 6 months old! He is very curious, always grabbing at anything in arm's reach. He can sit up with support and has just learned to roll over from back to front. He drools a ton and has started eating a little bit of solids 3 times a day. So far it seems his favorite is carrots, just like his older brother...He is now almost 21 pounds!

Thanks to one of my friends suggesting the Letter Factory dvds to help Payton learn how to read! Payton had been begging me to teach him how to read, but it wasn't working out so well. Thanks to Gong Gong and Po Po for getting him the dvds for Christmas. After quickly learning all the letter sounds, he has started to be able to read and now has taken a big interest in writing as well. Below is his 3rd birthday card he has written this year all by himself for one of his friends (i forgot to take a picture of the first one, so this one will have to do). (full disclosure, I wrote the "and" because he said he didn't feel like writing it) :)

Random February Pictures

2011-02-27T22:59:00.000-06:00

A few pictures to show what we've been up to the last several weeks. Most of the snow has melted from the blizzard, but it's still COLD outside. So, we still spend alot of time indoors. We are really ready for warmer weather! Parker and Payton love each other so much, it's is so cute.

Parker is almost 6 months old. His eczema has improved alot over the last couple of months, so he's definitely overall been a much happier baby. He still loves the exersaucer.

Focused

He drools a ton and has discovered his tongue.

Have I mentioned how much he loves this thing?

The Blizzard of 2011

2011-02-02T15:09:00.000-06:00

A blizzard hit chicago yesterday night. It's safe to say we have never seen so much snow in our lives!

video of payton trying to climb the "snow mountain" in front of our front door...

our backyard, that back fence is at least 6 feet tall...

the front garage, photo credit to our neighbor...:)

staying warm inside..

4 and 5 month pictures

2011-02-02T12:23:00.000-06:00

Parker is 5 months old! He is a Big little baby at 20 pounds already!

4 month shot with Pooh

He loves this exersaucer, definitely his favorite place to be right now

5 month photo

And yes, we are totally snowed in due to the blizzard of 2011! more pictures of that coming...

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T17:15:00.000-06:00

busy december

best shot in their christmas sweaters

curious george cake at playgroup party. How is it that our baby is already 4?!

Decorating christmas cookies at bday party, i went over board with the cookie stuff and food as usual... but Payton had so much fun and that's what counts!

reading the Christmas story on Christmas morning.

opening presents

helping parker open his presents

family shot (thanks for braving the cold and snow to spend Christmas with us, we had so much fun!)

reindeer cupcakes, payton's request for his birthday

Fun in the Snow

2010-12-30T22:33:00.002-06:00

Sledding: Payton w/daddy (Attempt 1)

Sledding: Payton w/daddy

Sledding: Payton w/neighbor

Payton putting the finishing touches on our snowman

Payton making a snow angel

Reenactment of Christmas Program

2010-12-21T20:27:00.000-06:00

These 2 videos are for friends and family who did not get to see Payton perform in the 2 Christmas programs that he was in this year. Enjoy!

3 months old

2010-12-09T07:28:00.000-06:00

Parker is 3 months old! He loves it when you sing to him and he loves to be held. He's pretty good at tummy time already (even though he is in the 75th percentile for head size!). He is already wearing 6 month clothes.

Payton is really good at making Parker smile. Parker just loves watching his big brother.

Payton trying to teach Parker to hold a rattle

almost...

almost got it...

success

Payton with his "joseph" coat craft from bible study. and....the fly swatter (which he has used to kill more flies than mommy or daddy, no joke)

Little Drummer Boy

2010-11-30T22:08:00.001-06:00

Here is a video that Mike took without Payton knowing it. He's singing a song he learned from school.

Thankful

2010-11-26T18:38:00.000-06:00

so thankful for these 2 blessings in our lives...

2 Months old

2010-11-03T15:56:00.001-05:00

Somebody is 2 months! almost 15 pounds and 23 inches (97% and 50%, respectively) and does love to coo and smile, but not for the camera...I guess i am not picking the right time of day to take pictures

I don't think he can look more sad?

or distracted

or tired

or bored (blowing bubble with his mouth here)

maybe we'll get a smile with the 3 month photos! :) We love you Parker and can't believe you are 2 months old already!

Brothers and Halloween

2010-11-02T21:51:00.000-05:00

Payton loves Parker

Payton loves taking pictures with Parker

Parker loves his big brother too

One of these days, mommy will catch both of them smiling at the same time....

Parker the bear and Payton the cowboy

Tired out from collecting candy from the neighbors for mommy and daddy to eat... :)

Action shot of the cowboy running to all the houses for lots of candy...

Brotherly love

2010-10-04T08:39:00.005-05:00

1 month

2010-10-03T09:55:00.001-05:00

It's so hard to believe that Parker is already one month old! We just took him to the doctor for a checkup and he is now 11 pounds 12 ounces. The doctor made it a point to do the math and tell me that Parker had gained 3 pounds in 25 days!

Parker at 1 month

and just for fun, Payton at 1 month

Payton has been such a good big brother. He always wants to just hug and kiss Parker, it's really really cute.

First bath photos

Welcome Parker Joonyong Lee

2010-08-31T20:11:00.001-05:00

Praise God that the pregnancy and delivery went well. Roberta is doing fine and our new son we weighed in at a hefty 9 lbs, 8 oz. We are very grateful for those who have been praying for us. We are the three Lees no more.

The Beach

2010-08-28T22:36:00.003-05:00

We have lived here now for a little more than 2 years and yesterday for only the second time, we took Payton to the beach (Lake Michigan). Once we got there, we kept thinking why don't we come more often? It's only 15 minutes away and it is really beautiful. The weather yesterday was perfect as well (high 70s). Payton had so much fun playing in the water (although we was scared at first).

building sand castles with daddy,

collecting rocks, and

feeding birds

Flying a kite

2010-08-25T22:46:00.007-05:00

It was a beautiful, sunny day for flying a kite. Payton asked me this morning to help him and he waited patiently all day for me to come home.

Outdoor play II

2010-08-17T13:57:00.002-05:00

Payton on the hit-a-way jr

Outdoor play

2010-08-17T13:39:00.002-05:00

Payton's first attempt at riding the scooter

Random

2010-07-26T15:17:00.000-05:00

So, I've been totally slacking on blogging lately. I would like to blame it on morning sickness, tiredness, being hot all the time and having a 3 year old...but...they kind of seem like lame excuses, so I will just apologize for being lazy about updates lately! so here are some random pix and updates from us.

Payton's first ever official school picture (from this past spring). He's just growing up too fast, I tell you...

In June, we picked strawberries from our patch almost everyday and he gobbled them up. I wonder if that's why now, he seems to not want to eat strawberries anymore?

A pix with one of his best friends, and they are actually both looking at the camera and smiling! unbelievable! :) They are just too cute.

Mike officiating at his cousin's wedding in cali, last weekend.

Payton getting his first "tatoo" at the zoo, courtesy of ....

Gong Gong and Po Po, who came to visit us a few weeks ago! We had so much fun with them when they came to visit.

caterpillar picture. Apparently, I did take a picture, but just forgot about it! I'll just blame it on being pregnant... about 5 more weeks to go. We appreciate you keeping us and the baby in your prayers!

Butterflies

2010-06-29T06:37:00.000-05:00

We've been having a great summer so far. Payton's been enjoying summer camp a few times each week, playing outside almost daily, and we're enjoying the nice weather.

One fun summer activity we did was order a butterfly kit. We ordered caterpillars on-line. I have to admit I was surprised they arrived alive in their little container. (also forgot to take a picture of them). After a couple of weeks they built cacoons and then...left them...here's the empty cacoon picture.

Then, Payton (with the help of some sweet friends), released the butterflies!

What a fun and interesting experience for all of us! We will probably do it again next summer!

Gardening Year 2

2010-06-21T19:56:00.000-05:00

This is year 2 of our garden and it's so fun that this has become a family hobby. We all have really enjoyed it again so far this year! Payton loves to help plant the seeds, water the plants, and pick the harvest. It's still early in our season here in the midwest. Some of the things we are growing...

blueberries

blackberries

tomatoes

peaches

raspberries (kind of out of control this year)

snap peas, pole beans and various herbs, via square foot gardening

strawberries (They've done well this year. Last year we got 3 to eat, this year we've enjoyed about 150!)

rain barrel (trying to be more green :))

A New Friend

2010-05-31T19:50:00.006-05:00

Payton has a new friend, a guinea pig. He named him "Bubble". We think he's pretty cute. He's got a gentle spirit, squeaks when he is hungry (which is very often), and let's Payton pet him as often as he wants to (which is ALOT).

One of Payton's favorite movies is G-Force (for those with no kids, it's a movie about talking guinea pigs). So, when we first got Bubble, Payton would talk nonstop to him and then occasionally, would say to me in a sad voice, "mommy, the guinea pig doesn't talk." Now that we've had him awhile, he is fine with having someone to talk to and play with, even if it doesn't speak back. Here is a video of him reading one of his favorite books to his new friend.

Thank God for Small Diversions

2010-04-11T20:48:00.005-05:00

On Friday, after a particularly grueling week of school, I stopped by a local lake on the way home and went fishing to decompress. For the first time, I managed to catch my limit of rainbow trout. We cooked up two and gave the others to our neighbor. They were very tasty (Roberta has a great recipe)!

The Potty Book

2010-03-21T09:30:00.004-05:00

For awhile now, Payton has been memorizing his favorite books, so that he can read them to himself. One of his current favorites, is the Joshua and His New Potty book (thanks Auntie Sharlene and Uncle Albert for the book!). The below video is kinda long, and may sound crass to anyone who has never potty trained a toddler...just a warning! :) But, this blog is partially for our family memories, and as parents, we thought it was impressive that he memorized almost word for word this long book and of course we think it's cute (even though every other word is poo poo or pee pee)... :)

Snow Days

2010-02-09T20:36:00.003-06:00

I know the northeast has been getting way more snow than us lately, so I can't really complain... But we've been getting our fair share... As I write, there's a winter storm warning outside with blizzard like conditions supposedly. It's been snowing all day today and Payton took a few moments to enjoy the snow a bit today (thanks to our neighbor for the great pix).

yes, he is wearing gloves, they are just covered in snow... and no those are not snow pants, just sweats...also covered in snow...

i thought it was snowing kinda hard, but they didn't seem to mind!after doing a snow angel...

Not Likely to be the Next American Idol

2010-01-18T23:20:00.007-06:00

It seems Payton has inherited Roberta's musical genes (kidding! Roberta is actually a fair piano player and singer). Here is Payton attempting to play the keyboard (yes, double entendre) and sing. It's not bad if you can overlook the completely arbitrary melody coming from the computer. For those of you sensitive to that kind of thing (and some pitch issues), you have been warned.

Here are just three of a rather impressive volume and assortment of songs he knows:

Jesus Loves Me...

Jesus Loves the Little Children...

Theme song from Wonder Pets

Snow Day

2010-01-18T22:55:00.006-06:00

It was sunny outside today and Payton has been cooped up in the house playing too much video games so i took him outside to finally take down the Christmas decorations and have some fun in the snow.

Sledding take 1

Head first!

Snow angel--snow was rather hard than fluffy but a valiant first effort (he said he learned this from Ni Hao, Kai Lan)

Family Time

2010-01-08T08:10:00.004-06:00

We had a great time with our family over christmas!

and this one, i just thought was funny - He really wasn't happy with me at the time! :)

Little People

2010-01-08T08:00:00.004-06:00

Payton with his little buddies from texas

posing by age again!
aren't they all so cute?

Balloons

2009-12-19T11:50:00.006-06:00

This past week, we had a little party to celebrate Payton's birthday. That morning, he came downstairs, and immediately he knew it was the day of his birthday party...how you ask? because I was filling up about 30 balloons with helium. For the past month, that has been his only request. "mommy, on my birthday, can I have balloons?" over and over again....

my attempt at making an elmo cake.

I did an "elmo" themed party and possibly may have gone a little overboard on the food by making too much... :) But, the important thing is that Payton had fun! He and 7 of his bestest friends played, ate, and decorated cupcakes.

Some Firsts

2009-12-06T21:06:00.002-06:00

First time, helping decorate the tree. He really enjoyed hanging the ornaments up.
Posing with the santa hat and christmas decor.

First Christmas song that he has ever sung... not sure which song this is or where he learned it from, but it sure sounds like it should be a Christmas song... :)

First christmas program. His class is the front row. Can you tell none of them really knew the song? At least it seems he is enjoying himself... :)

Itsy Bitsy Spider....by our little munchkin

2009-11-22T21:55:00.003-06:00

Trick or Treating in the mall?

2009-11-07T22:30:00.003-06:00

Besides going on our street trick or treating, we also learned that you can trick or treat in the mall here! there were tons of kids doing this at the local mall we went too. Payton refused to wear his costume, but I did manage to at least get him to wear an orange shirt. He also refused to say "trick or treat". He would just hold out his bucket to everyone passing out candy... After we got home, he decided to tell his pet about the fun he had....

Eeyore ....again

2009-11-07T22:04:00.003-06:00

I did buy a tigger costume for Payton this year. But when he saw the Eeyore costume in his closet (from last year), he really wanted to wear it again. So...even though it was a little short, and it wasn't as easy to zip up as last year, I think it still fits sort of?!

Here he is with his trusty elmo bucket. Which was also an easter egg bucket, so at first he told me he was so happy to go crack "eggs" again (boy, he has a good memory). He didn't seem too upset though when I explained we were going around to other houses to ask for candy (not eggs).

So happy at the thought of getting candy.

Copying me, trying to take a vertical shot of him because I realized I wasn't getting his whole body in the picture.

Then, we went next door to go trick or treating with our neighbors....well, the cute kids (all older than P), were so excited that they came out yelling and a few had some scary costumes on, so P got super scared. I carried him to 2 houses with the kids and then finally on the 3rd house, he walked by himself....

notice, he does not look too happy, even though he is getting cookies, chips, and candy (this house gives good stuff!)

leaving house with great stuff, still kinda sad... :( he was just soo scared of the couple of the costumes, that we went home after that. Waited until the scary costumes were gone and then continued for a few more houses. I think we went to a few more houses than last year, but not by much. Poor little guy, was so scared!

Rainbow Trout

2009-10-30T20:30:00.002-05:00

If you know my husband, you know that he loves to fish. And even though we no longer live near galveston, it seems he has found even more places to fish here than where we used to live. His new favorite place is a pond that is annually stocked with rainbow trout. Here is his recent catch.

doesn't he look happy?

He cleaned and filleted (sp?) the fish and I cooked it using Alton Brown's recipe. The recipe only requires a few ingredients and it is sooo tasty! We've made it a few times and it is probably one of the best fish recipes I have ever tasted! Of course, I forgot to take pictures before we gobbled it up, but if you need a fish recipe, this one is very tasty!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/good-eats/pan-fried-fish-recipe/index.html

Pumpkin Farm

2009-10-29T20:58:00.003-05:00

We went to another farm last week. There were pumpkins and the normal animals, but there were also little mechanical rides. Payton had a blast!

He really likes riding horses...
and feeding animals...

a baby calf! so precious monster trucks! his favorite ride, look at the concentration on his face!
and the little munchkins posing for the mommies... they were so well behaved in letting us take this photo! (even though I think mine looks angry... :), it was the end of the day, I don't blame the little guy). We've been having alot of fun at all the different types of "farms" around where we live. :)

Longhorn in Training

2009-10-17T21:11:00.002-05:00

Mike and I weren't the only ones excited that UT beat OU today....

Yes, Jesus Loves Me

2009-10-10T14:18:00.002-05:00

After we put Payton down to bed at night, sometimes he sings songs to himself. One of his favorites is Jesus loves me. I recorded him one night, so we could remember how cute he sounds. The video is black because, the lights are off in his room, so don't worry it's not your computer!! Notice how he tries to reach the "high" notes. Also, if it sounds like he has something in his mouth while he is singing, he does! it's a pacifier, and really, I'm going to bite the bullet and break him of this habit before he turns 3!! (i hope)

Crazy weather

2009-10-10T14:12:00.004-05:00

Here we are at the zoo in mid september. Pretty warm day, eating an icee (one of his favorite treats)!

2 weeks later at the zoo again....fleece, hat, gloves...brrrrr! cold!!
And last night, our first freeze! Not sure when I will get used to this crazy weather...

Apple Picking

2009-09-30T14:50:00.002-05:00

We went apple picking for the first time at an orchard in wisconsin last weekend. Bffs in the wagon getting ready to go apple picking.
working hard picking apples
He was very proud to pick his own apples

Enjoying the fruits of their (or mostly their daddies') labor.

Picking apples was actually really fun. The orchard was huge with dozens of different kinds, including asian pear trees! We must have each tasted at least 10 different kinds of apples. It is more expensive than just buying them at a grocery store, but it's so much more fun to pick your own, right? I think the kiddos and mommies would at least agree (maybe not the husbands).

Pre Pre School

2009-09-19T00:37:00.002-05:00

Payton recently started "pre" pre-school, once a week. Isn't he so cute with his little backpack?

I was really anxious about it (and still am a little), since we've never left him in a "school" type setting. He was sad at first, but apparently ended up having a great time. After his first day, he kept talking about how much he liked it and what he learned there for the rest of the week! It's very bittersweet for me, he's growing up so fast! Soon, he'll be off to kindergarten (well...in 3 years)....

Fishing

2009-09-13T20:46:00.004-05:00

Previously, I had posted about Payton loving to catch "fish" with his new fishing game we had gotten at a garage sale. Well, today, we took him real fishing, in the small lake across the street from us.

We didn't use live bait, instead, we had little plastic fish as bait (i'm no fisherman but i think they are called lures?). So, at first, payton was super excited to reel up his pole numerous times and see the "small fish" that he caught. Then, Mike actually caught real fish and Payton called these the "big fish" (see video below).

What's growing in our garden?

2009-09-06T15:05:00.003-05:00

What's growing in our garden today? tomatoes. Favorite use would be on bruschetta or in a caprese salad.

eggplant, favorite use, stir-fried with mr. yoshida sauce.
cucumbers
broccoli

and...this odd looking plant? the tomatillo...we actually haven't harvested any of these yet, but we thought they look very interesting...

Big Rip!

2009-09-04T17:20:00.005-05:00

Remember seeing all those funny home videos shows with seemingly a good portion of the material having to do with guys getting pegged in the nuts by some errant flying object (why do we find that so funny)? Well after this incident, I realized that sooner or later (hopefully much later), I'm going to be that guy in the video. Despite not practicing much, Payton's hitting skills and power are noticeably improved.

Is this odd?

2009-09-01T12:53:00.003-05:00

We went to the zoo a week and a half ago, Payton just loved it. Notice the cutoff shirt, it was a nice day, a little hot for illinois standards i think, about 80 degrees.

Yesterday, this is what we were wearing (in the morning). Last night i think it was about 43 degrees. Just crazy in my opinion. Is our summer weather already over?

Also, i've been mulling over potty training payton for months now. But, things keep coming up (or rather I keep making excuses to put it off) so i didn't do it... except, at his 2.5 year checkup, the doctor said, I should at least be sticking him on the toilet once a day (even if he's scared, which he was at first). well fast forward 2 months. and 4 days ago, payton just decided to basically potty train himself. 48 hours of no wet diapers (even overnight), i was absolutely shocked! I was beside myself and couldn't believe that possibly, I wouldn't have to ever clean up accidents and make him run around naked with a potty next to him for 3 days and repeatedly ask him if he needed to pee?

well, since then, he has reverted back somewhat, and decided that sometimes he doesn't want to sit on the potty, which I'm completely ok with, since I hadn't really "trained" him. I'm just hopeful that I still won't have to "train" him using the no diaper method. And really I'm pleasantly surprised because I've never heard of a toddler "training" themselves?

Meeting old and new friends

2009-08-17T11:52:00.005-05:00

Payton had a busy week in texas catching up with old and new friends.
meeting baby E for the first time (only 1 month old!)
swimming with baby F (giving her a kiss to help her feel better about swimming, she was a little scared)
Playing with M. Previously only skyped. First time meeting in person. They played really well together.
Hanging with C and N, thanks B and L for hosting us!

Meeting H for the first time, such a cutie.

Group photo in age order. So cute! no one looks happy, but there are all sitting on the couch so nicely for their mommies to take pictures... :)

Family Fun

2009-08-15T14:55:00.005-05:00

We had alot of fun visiting family in Texas.

the three muskateers (cousins)

hanging with hodebegiwith harmoni, and eating frozen bananas

auntie even made a special trip down!playing with gong gong and po po

Gardening

2009-08-14T13:38:00.005-05:00

Just got back from a wonderful (and HOT) trip to texas. So much fun to see family and friends. Payton was quite exhausted though...
then rolled off the couch slowly...
still slept for another hour like this after getting home from the airport.

Even though we had no produce in our fridge for dinner the night we got back, our garden has been producing, so we were able to eat from some of that.
It's been alot of fun trying out different vegetable and fruit plants and watching them grow. In July, our raspberry bushes gave us something to pick everyday for about 3 weeks. Payton loved it!

slip and slide

2009-07-23T22:35:00.005-05:00

Last weekend, we got to hang out with uncle kenny who was visiting. All week Payton would randomly say " Did you have fun with Uncle kenny?" Basically, when he asks a question like that, he wants someone else to ask him the same question back, and then he smiles and says "yes"....so I'm pretty sure he is looking forward to seeing him again in a couple of weeks!

Earlier this week we went to playgroup and Payton and I had a great time. He got to eat with his buddies at the kid's table!

And, he discovered his love for water slides. He probably climbed up and slid down this slide at least 20 times. He loved it so much!

Fishing

2009-07-22T15:07:00.004-05:00

One activity that I have sorely missed since moving to IL is fishing. Recently, I have discovered that the wide but narrow retention pond that is across the street from our house is full of bass and bluegills. According to one of my neighbors, someone in the neighborhood stocked it years ago with personal catchings and it has since taken. It's not the most access friendly--you have to walk down a steep bank through tall weeds, where I spotted a family of skunks, contend with lots of mosquito, and stand in the water (I bought rubber boots) because of tall cattails blocking casting lanes--but the hassles are offset by its proximity and its productivity (averaging about 4 bass in 30-45 minute sessions and as many bluegills as you want to catch).

Several weeks ago, I set up an inflatable boat and took Payton on an enjoyable boat ride in the pond (sorry, no pictures).

Here's a picture of the biggest I've pulled out so far (18/19 inches!).

Love for Animals

2009-07-17T20:33:00.004-05:00

Payton and I got to visit the zoo with Auntie Harriet earlier this week. The boy seriously loves all animals. (do all toddlers?) anyways, we had a blast and he got spoiled rotten by his favorite auntie, riding the train, carousel, sky lift,
horseback riding (second time in his life ever!),

feeding birds,

Petting goats,
and of course, ice cream! (and yes, he ate the whole bowl all by himself, shared just a little with us...) What a fun spur of the moment trip!

Joy

2009-07-04T07:21:00.005-05:00

Joy is what I see on his face. Happy 4th!

A Present

2009-07-03T15:37:00.004-05:00

Payton and I had alot of fun with Auntie Angela at the Botanical Gardens.

It was a "hot" day (80's), so he played in one of the fountains.

With one of his favorite Auntie's, and first nanny!

Angela bought Payton a train lollipop and dinosaur gummy and for the next several days, Payton would not stop talking about how, Auntie Angela bought these for him (and how is was a Present)...he calls them "choo choo lollipop and dinosaur nummies". I think he's finally understanding when someone gives him a present and he loves it!

Catching "fish"

2009-06-29T13:58:00.002-05:00

Since moving here almost a year ago and having a house and yard, we realized there were many things we needed (esp yard stuff), but didn't have...That's when we discovered garage sales! Not all garage sales are created equal, but when you find a good one, you can get some great things for next to nothing. We've become hooked on them and love to go if we have free time on a weekend...

This past weekend, I went to a neighbor's garage sale and she had the below fishing game for 50 cents. It's not in 100% working condition, but it has provided payton with hours of entertainment.....

Strawberries

2009-06-24T15:14:00.005-05:00

We went strawberry picking this morning at a local farm. It was alot of fun actually! Payton picked a few and then realized....

It was more fun just to eat them. So, while Mike and I were picking, Payton just ate and ate and ate...

Here he is very excited over all the loot! (and still eating strawberries)

We originally went for the experience, but then realized it's a pretty good deal too...all the above strawberries fit in a gallon sized basket, for just $6.75.

On another note, since it's strawberry season (at least here in illinois), here is currently my favorite dessert to make with strawberries..Strawberry Brownie Torte

Really, if you have the time, you should make this, it's soo good!! :)

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Strawberry-Brownie-Torte/Detail.aspx?src=etaf

singing and dancing

2009-06-23T16:47:00.003-05:00

Payton loves to sing and dance. Here he is singing the theme song to his Favorite show, "Little Einsteins"

He also loves to "dance"...especially to live music.

May

2009-06-18T21:55:00.013-05:00

A few weeks ago, we went to Madison with my parents to see my sister and brother in law graduate from UW! Congrats guys!

They've now moved off to a warmer place on the west coast...:)

Hanging out with Uncle C in his garden.

Picking and blowing dandelions, currently, one of Payton's favorite hobbies.

Walking to the graduation ceremony..Payton loves to hold umbrellas...even when it's not raining, which in this case, it was not.

After the ceremony, showing his "muscles"... This is where we spent most of our time during the actual 2 ceremonies, in the hallways...as 2 year olds don't like to sit still or whisper (well, at least our 2 year old does not do either of those things). At least, I was able to go inside to see both H and C get their diplomas and cheer!

Po Po and Gong Gong came to visit for a week in May as well. Payton had lots of fun with them!

Payton, excited to see photos of himself!

blowing bubbles, another favorite pastime!

The two loves in my life. Aren't they cute? :)

Tricycle Riding Already?

2009-05-15T08:03:00.003-05:00

Our neighbor recently gave Payton a tricycle. For the first week or two, he used his feet to move himself on the bike. I thought it would take him awhile to learn how to pedal but he proved me wrong! Here's a video of him just learning how to pedal. Currently he pedals super fast and I have a hard time keeping up with him! Maybe it's soon time for a 2 wheeler?

Say Cheese!

2009-04-28T14:00:00.002-05:00

When we say, "smile Payton!", these are the expressions we have been getting....

take 1

take 2

take 3

i guess tired of smiling.... matching solemn faces... :)

Madison

2009-04-24T22:13:00.006-05:00

We visited Harriet and Chuck in Madison last weekend and had alot of fun!

Currently, Payton's favorite dessert....Ice Cream! (not interested at all in seeing how ice cream is made - in the background)

Go Astros! :)

Having fun at the zoo, it was a gorgeous day!

Flashback! 1.5 years ago, Payton's first visit to madison....only 9 months old!

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-08T14:05:00.006-05:00

Last Saturday, Payton attended his first easter egg hunt! or, rather, since it was for 2 year olds, it was more like, how fast can your toddler pick up eggs? (see eggs just laying in the grass below)

Checking out his loot...

Happy with his eggs, elmo bucket, and swinging at the nearby playground.

Look Out Ladies

2009-04-06T12:57:00.003-05:00

Here comes a toddler with big "muscles"..... ;)

"A Rip"

2009-04-01T20:07:00.002-05:00

Learning the lingo.... "big rip!"

Future MLB player?

2009-03-31T13:46:00.003-05:00

Payton's new favorite sport....baseball! (mike is very proud.. :) )

Mowing the sidewalk

2009-03-08T19:29:00.003-05:00

On Thursday and Friday, we enjoyed a reprieve from the bitter cold. We took advantage of the high 60's temperature by spending some time outside. Here is one of Payton's favorite outdoor toys. After some more time on the slide and swing, we had to fight to drag him inside.

Singing

2009-03-07T20:01:00.003-06:00

Payton, recently started to sing. Granted, he's off tune, hums/mumbles alot, and usually only emphasizes the last word of each line in a song. Of course, we still think he is the most talented 2 year old in the world. See for yourself! :)

Did you also notice, he is trying not to look at the camera? I guess he won't be the next american idol...

Quick Kalbi

2009-03-05T12:35:00.002-06:00

One of the cons (or pro, I guess, depending on how you look at it) of living in a suburb, Faaaarrr away from the "city" is that you don't live near any cheap, good asian restaurants...as such, whenever we have the desire to eat asian (which is quite often!), i now have to learn to make it!

Currently, one of my favorite quick meals is to make Kalbi (korean ribs) using Mr. Yoshida's sauce. For sure you can get this from Sam's (not sure if you can get it anywhere else).

Just pour on ribs and add the following if you want to, minced garlic (from a jar), green onions, and sesame seeds. Marinate overnight and pan fry or grill the next day. I've had lots of kalbi over the years and honestly, this version tastes just as good as from a restaurant or made from scratch, and most importantly, it's so easy!

I'm always on the lookout for delicious, easy recipes (esp with Payton always wanting to "help mommy" in the kitchen. Please share with me if you have any! :)

The head bob

2009-03-02T16:00:00.003-06:00

Payton, the budding hip-hop artist

Narcissistic tendencies?

2009-02-25T13:02:00.003-06:00

Payton loves watching videos and images of himself. Here is a video of Payton laughing at himself despite his camera consciousness and having already watching the same short clip for about 10 minutes. It's also somewhat surprising that he let us take the video as long as we did since as soon as he sees us trying to take a picture/video, he usually stops what he is doing, extends his arms towards the camera, asking, "I see?"

Wrecked Car

2009-02-24T14:17:00.002-06:00

On our way home from church Sunday, we got into a car accident... Thankfully, no one was hurt. Those Britax Marathon car seats are totally worth their high price tag... Payton didn't even realize we were in an accident. Although, he must have thought it was weird that powdery substance had filled the car (after both airbags deployed)... The driver of the other vehicle ended up getting a ticket because it was his fault (he tried to turn on unprotected light and our car couldn't stop in time) and he got arrested b/c he had no insurance. Too much excited for a Sunday. But very thankful no one was hurt.

Can't sleep

2009-02-21T05:59:00.005-06:00

It's 6 AM and I've been awake for about an hour and a half. Was woken by Payton at 4:30 requesting milk. Poor little guy has a sore throat and runny nose Again.... (i think I gave it to him, since I'm feeling sick too). I think this is our 5th time being sick in the last 2 months. It's been a rough winter... Since I couldn't go back to sleep, and was starving, I decided to make something that I've been eating for breakfast very frequently for the last several weeks...The pictures are not of very good quality, but don't let them fool you. If you like avocado and cream cheese, you will like this sandwich!

Busted out the foreman grill a couple of weeks ago, great for panini sandwiches!

it was delicious! This is something, even Payton will eat and it's great because it takes only a couple of minutes to make.....

New Pet

2009-02-18T22:29:00.005-06:00

Payton got his first pet recently....a hamster.... See him below, getting super excited as he gets to feed the hamster some fresh food. It's been a couple of weeks now, and he still acts like this! It's very cute, he really loves the hamster... And, we haven't been able to agree on a name, so, so far, we all affectionately call him, "Hamster". We should probably come up with name soon, or his name will forever be "Hamster". We are open to suggestions...

After uploading the above video, it seemed kind of dark, so here's another, if you want to see a clearer picture of Payton's joy... :)

The Potty

2009-02-04T14:15:00.003-06:00

I bought a toddler "potty" a few months ago because I though Payton was showing signs of interest in being potty trained. Not so, he completely ignored it for months and only used it only as a step stool to see our fish... Recently, he started telling me, "I poo poo". and then he'd go sit on the potty. I tried to get him to remove his diaper and pants, but he refused...so, he just goes on the potty, does his business, but with all the clothes on. (sorry if this is TMI)

Does he looked pleased with himself? :)

Haircut

2009-01-27T20:14:00.003-06:00

So, I forgot to mention that Payton recently got his second professional haircut. Just like the first one (which is documented in this blog), it was a disaster! This time was worse, because he is stronger now. For about an hour, I sat in the salon chair, trying to find ways to pin him down so he wouldn't move. We also tried bribing with m & m's and chocolate chip cookies. It didn't work. Finally, after an hour of screaming, I gave up and ended the hair cut session. It looked even worse than before taking him into the salon. I go home with Payton and Mike notices immediately the terrible haircut. So we pin him down again and shave it short. Next time, we know not to shave the front. Thank goodness though, we won't have to cut if for awhile (I hope!)... :)

Here's a video "pre" haircut...Payton and I were having a disagreement. He kept wanting to take his shirt off..and I was insisting he wear it (since it is below freezing here in Illinois!)

Visitors

2009-01-16T20:59:00.004-06:00

Some of my dearest friends came to visit this past weekend.
Payton with Emily, Emily, Ophelia, and baby elijah!
Payton really loved Elijah so much. He called him "baby" and always wanted to look at or be near him.
Thanks for braving the cold ladies and visiting us! We had alot of fun! Miss you guys!

Payton is 2!

2008-12-28T21:01:00.005-06:00

Our precious little boy turned 2 today! Happy Birthday Payton!

Don't know if you can see the runny nose in the pix, but Payton, as well as mike and I have been passing a bad cold to one another...On top of that, Payton climbed out of his crib twice and onto the connected diaper changing table. The first time, I found him sitting on top of the changing table, I freaked out and he just laughed at me...By the second time, we realized, time for the toddler bed...well, it's been a week, and he just doesn't want to stay in his bed! The first night, I was trying really hard not to laugh, because, for a half an hour straight, he ran from his door to the bed and back again....and finally fell asleep out of sheer exhaustion...He doesn't do that anymore, but he still gets out quite frequently, and we are still trying different tactics... (like, reasoning with him, etc...) so, far, it's been a battle...we welcome any tips! :)

Gingerbread House

2008-12-15T20:36:00.004-06:00

We made a gingerbread house a couple of weeks ago when my family was in town. It was alot of fun, however it did not turn out as the picture on the box. I don't know why, when I bought it from Michaels', I had this idea in my head, that it would be so easy to do. Well, note to self for next year, making a gingerbread house is not that easy, especially if you don't follow the directions (which we did not), for example, like waiting 30 minutes for the walls and icing to dry, before putting on the roof...anyhow, payton had fun decorating. Notice the furrowed eyebrows, as he concentrates on putting the candy in the perfect place...

translation of what Payton is saying in the video below... "yellow"... "another one" :)

Choo Choo Trains

2008-12-11T21:49:00.003-06:00

Payton is absolutely in love with trains. Especially Thomas the Train. He calls them "choo choos".

I remember before having Payton, I would hear toddlers talking to their moms, and the mothers all seemingly understood every word they were saying, even though it sounded like gibberish to me. Well, I am now one of those moms. Payton can say a ton of words, but many may not be understandable to most people... :) my favorite word that he "says" currently is "ALLIGATOR". (if I was more computer savvy i would have edited this video shorter...so, you can always stop it after he says "alligator".... :) ) And, if you watch the whole video, i wonder, can you understand all the words he is saying?

Let it Snow

2008-12-06T19:32:00.006-06:00

The snow stuck for the first time, recently. So far, we've really enjoyed it. Mike was the first one out building a snowman on our street...

our street

Daddy helping Payton get on all his gear to go outside.

Payton's first experience with snow. He started to like it after a little while.

A week later, our snowman is still the only one on our street. I think only us native texans were excited about the snow... :)

Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T22:10:00.005-06:00

We have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We are especially thankful to Auntie Harriet, Uncle Chuck, Harmoni, Gong Gong, and Po Po for coming to our place and taking care of Payton (and us) over the past month, when we were in the hospital and during Roberta's recovery. Payton already misses all of you. Thanks so much for all your sacrifices and for taking care of us!

Laughing

2008-11-29T19:39:00.006-06:00

payton was shy at first, but then really warmed up to the Yu's, who visited us recently. it was great seeing you all, thanks for everything!

Picky Eater

2008-11-15T20:33:00.003-06:00

Can you guess Payton's favorite food?

Two of his favorites has to be...pickles and olives. Yeah, strange. In fact, we use his weakness for them to our advantage. He generally dislikes meat, which his superpower sense allows him to detect despite Roberta's best attempt to disguise and bury it in a spoonful of food. Yet, we can coax him to eat the occasional cheeseburger or chicken strips by bribing him with pickles.

One more pickle anecdote...It is likely that Payton discovered his affinity for pickles and olives from sharing our Subway sandwiches. Now, anytime Payton smells a Subway store (there is one in a Walmart that we frequent), something triggers in his big head and he immediately begins his repeated demands for...pickles.

Trick or Treat

2008-11-01T21:13:00.005-05:00

Payton's first trick or treating experience. He was Eeyore. Note the chocolate stains around his mouth. We had to bribe him with M&M's to get him to wear his costume.

the back of the costume.With "mickey mouse"

favorite part of the evening, looking at a dog.

It was unseasonably warm, poor payton was sooo hot in his costume...
Running home, because he really didn't get the idea of trick or treating and was even a little scared of taking candy from our neighbors... oh well, maybe he will have more fun next year?

Krolls Farm

2008-10-17T19:52:00.004-05:00

Last weekend we went to a farm with our neighbors, who also have a toddler named Payton.

Payton and Payton loved all the animals that you could pet at the farm. Above, they are looking at baby chickens. In below's video, they are still looking at the baby chickens. Our Payton, I believe, is trying to mimic chicken sounds.