Rock-a-bye Baby...

I really do try to teach my children to be gentle with each other and with others, although you may not think so after viewing this video! Kaden had been learning to rock the "baby" while I rocked Makenna. Nick made a game of the song with Kaden and would drop him on the bed when the baby "falls." This is the result of a two-year-old combining those two ideas....

Job training

Kaden is looking at the possibility of a career in sports announcing...


...looks like he'll need to refine his social etiquette before pursuing that career.

The Joy of....

POTTY TRAINING!!!

Did I say joy? Well, the novelty of choosing fun underware and trying them on was fun, but when we got down and dirty, I can't say it was all that fun! We started in October. He has done fairly well, I think, but we still have accidents periodically (usually during Sacrament Meeting at church!).

I Wanna Be Like You, Dad!

Trampoline!

This Fall, we discovered the USA Gymnastics gym here in Gilbert. They hold open gym time for preschoolers and home schooled kids every day. In other words, you can pay a small fee and let your kids bounce, run, jump, and swing for 1.5 hours in a cool, air conditioned gym when it is 115 degrees outside. It is great!!! Kaden calls it the trampolines.

Kaden, My BIG Helper

Kaden's favorite thing to help me with is baking, because he knows there is always a "tweet" for him at the end.


One day, Kaden decided he was ready to help Makenna eat. He actually did quite well until she sprayed food all over him.

Kaden loves to "clean" the sink, but has to be seated on the counter to do his best work. It keeps him busy for a good 15 minutes or so. :)

Yes, he is putting away our silverware. It's like a matching game to him, and he usually gets the spoons and forks in the right area. Another good 15 minutes or so. :)

Attachment

Kaden is getting more and more attached to people. Grandpa and Grandma Balls left a few months ago to serve as full-time missionaries in San Jose, CA. Soon after they left, I caught Kaden stacking up books to get their pcture from it's normal place and putting it on a shelf that he would have easy access to. Pretty sweet!

The other picture is Nick's return from his big "hunting" trip in September. Ask him about it sometime! :) He came home sunburned, dirty, and smelly, but Kaden didn't care! He just wanted to give Daddy a BIG, long hug!

Visits to Paradise

Kaden loves to play with his cousins, especially if he gets to play outside with them! The last time we visited their house, I couldn't get him to come inside! These pictures are from a few trips to visit them in far-away Paradise Valley (booo!). We miss having them close!

Our Little Dancing Man

Kaden loves to dance (Nick wants me to mention that he loves to play ball, eat dirt, and many other "manly" activities as well). Anytime he hears music, he starts to move. The movement is usually initiated in one arm (which looks somewhat like a one-armed chicken dance), then spreads from there. Before you know it, he's doing circles around the room. One night, just before bedtime, we caught him in the act. Due to the late hour, his orientation was a little off. However, thanks to his "toughness," he got back up and got his groove on again. (As a side note, he wore out the play button on his little Dora CD player, so he's had to look to other musical sources for inspiration!) (Sorry for the dark video! We didn't have all the lights on!)

Kaden's 1st Birthday

While I don't think Kaden knew why we were celebrating, he sure had a lot of fun on his first birthday! I experimented with some fun cupcakes for Kaden and his counsins to enjoy, which Kaden managed to destroy in a matter of seconds, of course. Kaden seemed a little confused by the candle, the green furry thing on his tray, and the loud singing, as you'll see in his smile-less pictures. He sampled the green furry cupcake, nearly gagged when he took a large bite, then decided it was better as body paint. Grandpa helped him with a quick bath before he opened some gifts.

With the help of his cousins, he was able to open his gifts. I think they were as excited about new toys to play with as he was! Poor Nick was in bed, having suffered from food poisoning just hours before, so you won't see him in many pictures. He made one quick appearance to make sure we were all having a wonderful time while he was suffering in bed! It was a wonderful day for our little Kaden!

Hi Travis and Bryana!

I love to laugh!

Do you need a good laugh? I thought I should share this so everyone else could enjoy what I get to enjoy every day! The kid chuckles at the drop of a hat (or piece of bread, in this case). Isn't it wonderful to be so carefree and cute as could be?!

Piano Man

OK, I couldn't resist adding another one! Isn't he cute?!

Music Lover

Here's our little prodigy-in-training :). Whenever I sit at the piano, Kaden is sure to be close by. He puts his little hands on my feet while I pedal. Fairly often, I'll see him scramble off into the living room, hear him climb up to the piano, then plunk way at the keys. Don't worry Dad (Nick), we'll make sure he has plenty of exposure to sports, too!