On the Move

Getting Ready And he's off...
Brady has figured out how to walk using his "walker" and he has gotten pretty fast! I hope it is still a few months before he figures out how to really walk!!

Halloween 2011

Payton and Caitlyn The Leach kids getting ready
Trick or treating in downtown Naperville

Payton

Brady

This year we went trick or treating in downtown Naperville again and it will maybe be the last time. It is always so crazy down there and every year I say we won't go the next year. LOL! Payton had fun and I guess that's all that matters, right?

On Halloween all the neighborhood kids and parents got together and we all headed out around 5ish. Many of the older kids ran ahead and finished a good 20 minutes before the others. Payton had a blast hanging out with his buddy Caitlyn and they stuck together the entire time. After getting candy we all hung out at the Rosenbergs house and had a delicious pulled pork dinner.

Pumpkin Carving

In order by artist....Kristy, Payton, Brady & Graham The boys with their pumpkins
Payton seriously trying to carve the pumpkin

Fall at Grizzly Jacks

My water babies This picture cracks me up!! Poor Emmett's head is cut off.
Jen and the kids

Payton and Brady

On the jumpy pillow

Love this face!

So sweet...

All the cousins

We continued our tradition of heading out to Griz.zly Ja.cks in October to enjoy the fall weather, colors and pumpkin patches. The weather that weekend was great! A couple of years ago we found a really cute pumpkin patch/apple orchard. They have so much for the kids to do such as ponies, a bounce pillow, a park, slides, tunnels, animals and tractors to ride. I think Brady enjoyed his first experience there :)

Zoo Trip

Love this sweet goofy face Riding the carousel
Hanging out at the zoo with Gaia and Grandpa Al

While Graham's parents were in town for Emma's birthday, we decided to take a trip to Brookfield Zoo. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate very well, as it was a bit chilly that day. We still managed to have a good time and even a picnic.

First soccer Game

Payton playing goalie The "Three Amigos" on the field together

Payton began his first season of fall soccer and is loving every minute of it. He has practice once week and a game every Saturday. Graham and I are having fun watching him grow and become more aggressive when playing. He is learning to get in the pack and get the ball a little more, although this all depends on the day and his mood. :) You can still find Payton sometimes acting goofy either on the side line or on the field...we are still working on this! LOL!!!

Brady 6 months

Ok so this post is also a little late but since this is the theme lately, no big deal! Brady started baby food just shy of 6 months and loves it!! At about the time he started eating baby food, he began weaning himself from nursing. He has also decided he doesn't like the bottle much either, only taking around 3oz a feeding! He is the exact opposite of Payton, he loves food and doesn't like the bottle. He eats around 1-2 jars of food 3 times a day, including oatmeal in the mornings. He is getting the hang of the sippy cup but doesn't choose to drink from it much.

Brady finally started sleeping through the night at 6months. When I say sleeping through the night I mean without eating :) He will still wake up once for the paci and once for a diaper change but he goes right back to sleep. He goes to bed around 7:30, sometimes earlier, and wakes up around 6:15 on work days and 7am on the weekends. He started sitting up on his own around 6 months but is now a pro at it. He started to "worm" crawl at 6.5 months and got everywhere he wanted to go this way. It was pretty funny to watch! He can now crawl the correct way, beginning at 7.5 months.

Brady is such a happy baby!! This kid literally smiles all day long. All you have to do is look at him and say his name and he gets so excited! He is pretty much a go with the flow kid, not complaining about much unless he is tired or hungry. He still likes to be held but is beginning to find out how exciting it is to be crawling around instead. The gates need to go up soon!! He is talking up a storm, babbling of course and has found his screaming voice!! He loves, loves, loves his big brother. Payton can get him laughing so hard and he just follows Payton around like a typical little brother. I can't wait to see them play together as they get older.

Good Friends

Seafood boil
Graham and his boys (Payton has a caterpillar on his middle finger that he is trying to show the camera)

Payton & Bella

Our good friends, Mike & Sarah, came up for her Mom's 65th birthday for a week. Unfortunately, we had already gone back to work so we were only available to see them the day of the party but we were happy they didn't mind us coming up. Payton and Bella had a great time playing together and trying to stay out of trouble. Sarah's parent's house backs up to the Rock River so the view was beautiful and so relaxing. The weather was perfect that day too! It was so nice to catch up with them and to see Bella again! It was a long day but definitely worth it to see them. We are hoping to make a trip to Texas over summer break and spend a couple of weeks seeing all of our friends down there.

First Days of Kindergarten

Payton, Tyler & Chase waiting to go in on their first full day of school Payton & Tyler
At his seat

Payton with his teacher

This post is a couple of weeks late but better late than never, right? Payton's first day of Kindergarten was only 30 minutes long and a parent/guardian had to accompany them. I was a little sad that because we are in the same district, this was also my students' first day where they came with their parents so I was pretty sure there was no way that I would be able to take Payton to school. Luckily, Graham just had an institute day that day so his boss let him take a couple of hours off to go take him. The 30 minutes includes finding their seat, putting away their supplies and listening to the teacher talk about arrival and dismissal with the parents. Payton was so excited!! I believe things happen for a reason and someone was looking out for me that day because none of my students had the last name that started with L-Q (my middle session of kids/parents) and it also just so happened to be the same time Graham was taking Payton, so I was able to scoot out of school and meet them at Payton's school. What a fun surprise for both me and Payton! When we left his school, he was even more excited for his first full day of Kindergarten the next day!

My parents came and walked with Payton and his buddies to school for the first full day since both Graham and I had to work. He could barely contain his excitement :) Payton and his friends Chase and Tyler were all ready, complete with new backpacks and lunchboxes. They all went in without tears, from the kids at least, and had a great day! I still can't believe he is there all day!! He absolutely loves his teacher and school. He was so upset when school was cancelled the other day due to the heat. I am so happy he loves it so much, makes it much easier on Mom and Dad. Let's hope his love of school and good behavior continues:)

Lake House

Payton playing Wii and Ryan pretending to play View from the dock
Cutie pie, Ryan

Matt playing with the boys

Heather & Matt's lake house

Brady, Graham & Payton playing

This past weekend we went to our neighbors, Matt & Heather's, lake house in North Webster, Indiana. The last two years Graham and I went to their house and left Payton with my parents but this year we brought the kids with us. It was so much fun sharing it with them. Heather and Matt adopted a little boy from Russia just around Christmas time and Payton just adores him. He had so much fun playing with Ryan all weekend. When we got to their house, the room Payton was sleeping in had two single beds in it. Payton immediately came out and asked if Graham wanted to sleep with him or with Mommy. He was so excited about the chance of having a sleepover with Daddy that Graham couldn't say no:) So, Graham and Payton slept in one room and Brady and I in another! LOL! Matt and Heather were great hosts and we had so much fun. Can't wait for next year!

DuPage County Fair

Payton shucking corn Driving the tractor
This year my Dad had some free tickets to the DuPage County Fair so we decided to take the family. It was ok but really stinky and very HOT:) Payton had fun exploring, looking at the stinky pigs and goats and watching some pig races. We managed to bypass the carnival rides on our way out and left with only buying a snow cone, victory!

Ragbrai

Grandpa Al, Payton & Graham at the finish line Father & Son
Brad (Al's cousin), Al & Graham

Dipping their tires into the Mississippi

At the finish line

Riding in to the finish line

In Walcott, IA (last stop before the finish line)

Here they come!!!

Waiting patiently with his sign to surprise Daddy

For the past 4 months, Graham has been training for Ragbrai, which is a bike ride across the state of Iowa. He bought a new Trek bike for the occasion, along with many accessories. Graham's dad wanted to do Ragbrai for his 60th birthday and Graham was excited to do it with him. I was excited for him to do it too but didn't realize how many hours per day the training would require. I also didn't realize he would be gone for 8.5 days!! The boys and I survived (with only some minor house issues to take care of) and Graham had a great time. Here was their daily mileage...

Sunday 59.5 miles

Monday 65.4 miles

Tuesday 100+ miles

Wednesday 56.1 miles

Thursday 57.5 miles

Friday 74.9 miles

Saturday 65.6 miles

Their days were pretty much the same, wake up and ride, stop for breakfast, ride, eat lunch, ride to destination and eat dinner. The towns they rode through were filled with spectators, festivals, entertainment and food. Sounds like a big party to me :)

I had toyed with the idea of taking the boys to Iowa on the last day to surprise Graham but was trying to figure out how to do it with Brady, the heat and his naps. Thanks to my Mom who insisted she take Brady for the day, Payton and I had a great day just the two of us and it made it so much easier to make the trip. We left around 9:30 am and arrived in Walcott, IA at about 11:45am. The town was pretty much dead so we were able to park easily and stake out a shady spot. Al, Graham's dad, texted me when they got into town and by about 12:30pm they were there. Graham was excited, although apparently he had kind of had an idea we were there! Payton had made a sign and was so excited to hold it up to show Daddy and Grandpa Al. They stopped and hung out with us for a bit before riding their last 15 miles to the finish line.

Payton and I got back into the car and rode to Davenport to meet them at the finish line. We found awesome parking and were there about 20 min before they got there. We were able to get some pictures for them and then head on home. Graham had to go back to Des Moines to get his car so he unfortunately couldn't come home with us; however he did wake up the next morning at 4am so he could be home shortly after the boys woke up. Payton and I had a great time spending the day together. He even told me that he liked doing something with just me:)

We are so proud of him and Grandpa Al for accomplishing this goal! I have to admit, I am very happy its over!