Alexis Turns 5!

Alexis was very lucky to have two birthday celebrations!  Brett's parents were going to be out of town on her actual birthday so we went to their house to have a little celebration the week before her birthday.  We were also lucky to have my dad there because he was in town for a business conference.  We went to our favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch and then had cupcakes and ice cream.  Alexis picked out this little cake with cupcakes!

She was super excited for her birthday!  

Jaxon was too!  

It was so nice to be able to spend time with my dad before and after his conference.  It had been over a year since we saw him.  Jaxon is old enough now to enjoy watching him make cookies. 

Alexis was also eager to help.  She has enjoyed helping him make cookies before and talks about it often.  We were lucky because he was able to make them two different times. 

This is Alexis on her actual birthday.  We had a lot of fun going to Party City to pick out all the decorations and balloons that she wanted. 

Traditional birthday donut!  

The kids really got behind on sleep during my dad's visit and Jaxon really had a hard day this particular day.  This was the calm in between the 2 storms.  He threw a huge tantrum before Brett got back with the donuts.  He calmed down enough to sit down but that didn't last and he threw another tantrum before he could eat his donut.  There was nothing that seemed to set him off, and it is unusual for him to act like that. 

He finally ate his donut after he calmed down.  

After we had lunch, Alexis was soooo excited to open her presents.  

She has been wanting this Rapunzel dress for months.  

She went to a birthday party last September and ever since then she has been talking about the cake.  It was a princess cake with rainbow cake inside.  It was a bit of an effort to get one but we were finally able to and she was so excited. 

Even though she had been so insistent on the particular cake, she hardly ate any of it!  

Good thing Grandpa was there to help keep Jaxon's hands clean.  Jaxon hates it when his

hands have stuff on them. 

She was also lucky enough to get an Elsa dress.  She loves to wear costumes and has been rotating between her new Rapunzel dress and Elsa dress several times a day since she got them.  She loves the Elsa dress because it is very long.  I can't believe that she is 5 now.  The time just flew by and it seems like just yesterday she was a little baby.  I can't believe she will be starting kindergarten in the fall.  I wish there was a way to slow the time down somehow.  It seems like the more I want it to slow down, the faster it seems to go.  I love how excited she is for her birthday and other holidays and I hope she keeps that excitement as she gets older. 

After getting enough sleep the next few nights, Jaxon's mood improved drastically!

Spring 2018

We were in Michael's a few weeks ago to get some picture frames and Alexis came across a kit for making a bunny hutch.  She enjoyed decorating a gingerbread house so much at Christmas time and she was very excited at the thought of being able to decorate another house for Easter. 

She couldn't wait to get started.  

Brett helped her a little but she did most of it herself.  

I am so glad there are things like this she can do that allow her to be creative.  She just loves it so much. 

Even though the terrible two's have hit, Jaxon is still overall a very sweet and easy going little boy. 

He gave up taking naps over a year ago but every once in a great while, he will fall asleep on my lap. 

This picture is so funny.  He has these little covers on his feet that came with a kit to wash car windows.  He found them in a cupboard and insisted on having them on his feet like socks.  They were extremely slippery but he was being so stubborn about it.  He wasn't having the best day and just decided to cry while eating dinner. 

Valentine's Day 2018

Alexis is excited for any holiday.  We go to Target every week to get groceries so she always sees the different candy that is on display for whatever holiday is coming up months in advance.  She has many weeks to look forward to a specific holiday.  

The kids got a few little presents first thing in the morning from me and then Brett gave them a few little things when he got home.  They both loved it. 

Alexis has always liked to line things up.  More than a few times in the past she has lined up toys and gave them something to eat.  It was so funny when Jaxon did the same thing one day with no help from Alexis!  He lined these little bunnies up and gave them blocks as food.  Alexis did the exact same thing on Easter a few years ago with these same bunnies but gave them actual candy. 

When these two get along (and they usually do) it is the sweetest thing ever.  

They love ice cream cones.  

There isn't much time now until the new baby will be here.  We still haven't picked out a name.  We had Alexis and Jaxon picked out as names before I was ever even pregnant and when I was pregnant with Jaxon and before I knew he was a boy, I had another girl name picked out but picking out another boy name has been quite difficult.  There have been some we have liked but nothing has quite stuck yet.  Maybe we just have to wait and see him.  The last month or so has been hard and the next month will be even harder.  I have been super uncomfortable and it is hard trying to keep with with Alexis and Jaxon.  I wish I was able to do more stuff with them right now because it will be a big adjustment for all of us when the new baby is born.  The next month is going to fly by and I am trying to enjoy the time we have until then. 

Jaxon's 2nd Birthday!

I'm not sure where the last two years went but Jaxon turned 2!  The kids love getting special balloons for their birthdays.  Jaxon picked out a Mickey Mouse and Peppa Pig balloon.  Alexis also got to pick out a balloon and she chose a Little Mermaid one. 

Alexis picked out the kind of cake she thought Jaxon would like.  She loves chocolate so naturally that is what she chose!  

Jaxon didn't seem to mind though.  

Jaxon enjoyed opening some of his own presents this year.  He had some practice since Christmas was less than a month before! 

Alexis was still willing to help him though and he didn't mind.  

They were so cute playing with his new toys together.  

Jaxon is really good at sharing.  I hope it is a quality he continues to have.  

My Honda Civic

I had my Honda Civic for close to 13 years.  I bought it when I was single and it was a great car.  It towed all my stuff from New York to California when I got married.  

Since baby #3 is going to arrive soon, I knew that it was time for a bigger car.  2 car seats fit in the back but left no room for the front seats to move back.  That was fine for me because I need the seat closer to the front anyway but it made it impossible for Brett to ride in the car.  Unfortunately 3 car seats would not have fit in the back.   

When I was cleaning out the car, Alexis came out to help me.  She eagerly got into the drivers seat and buckled herself in.  It was so cute. 

It was a sad day when I had to say good-bye to my Civic.  It seems like a silly thing but I had it for so long and it has been with me through so many changes in my life.  I will miss only having to fill up the gas tank once every 2 months and will miss that it only cost around $30 to fill.  That being said I am very grateful to have a bigger vehicle with a lot more room! 

Christmas 2017

We usually go to New York for Christmas.  I think since Brett and I have been married this is the third Christmas we have spent in California.  The first one was when Alexis was not even a year old yet and the second one was right before Jaxon was born.  Alexis definitely knows what Christmas is all about and was eager to leave some treats for Santa and his reindeer. 

The kids got a kitchen set and that was the first thing Jaxon saw and was excited to try it out.  

Alexis just loves everything about Christmas and it is so fun to watch her and how much she enjoys it. 

She was very excited to receive a "Frozen" microphone that plays music.  

I know these years won't last forever and it makes me try to appreciate these times even more.  

Jaxon was excited to receive some "Peppa Pig" toys of his own.  

Both kids have really enjoyed playing with their new kitchen set.  The both received some food, dishes and baking sets to go along with the kitchen.  Jaxon really enjoys using the pot holder to get "hot" food out of the oven.... or refrigerator.