Baseball Birthday Party

We had a birthday party for Jaxon with some of his friends up here in Illinois. I had been asking him since November what kind of birthday party he wanted. Every time I asked, he insisted on a baseball birthday party. Trains? Airplanes? Cars? Nope, baseball Mama. So, baseball it was!

I did not get as many pictures as I had hoped, but here's what I have:


Jaxon and friend, Griffin, trying to pull all of the balloons down from the ceiling.


Dakota, in her baseball dress, playing with friend, Ali.



Dakota's friend, Nora.



Ethan, reaching for popcorn, peanuts and Cracker Jack.



Hi Ayden!!



Sweet Dakota wanting to join the bigger kids at the picnic table. Every time I put this bow on her, Jaxon asks me, "Mama, why did you dress her like Minnie Mouse?"




SPOON RACE:
Jason decorated some ping pong balls to look like baseballs. The kids raced across the room trying to keep them on their spoons.

Go Jax Go!


Then they decided to race with the spoons in their mouths. This got pretty silly with the 3 year olds.








BALL TOSS:
I bought a blow-up chair that is in the shape of a baseball glove. The kids took turns trying to toss the ball into the glove.








Ready to open presents mom!



Gator Golf from the Parsons family.



T-ball set from the Wolfe family.



The only thing Jaxon asked for was a baseball glove. So, Daddy went to the local sporting goods store and bought Jax his first "real" baseball glove. Page sent presents up with Memaw and Jax got this awesome Royals helmet from Page. He is all set for t-ball this spring.


He loved being sung to.



Ice cream sundaes in baseball helmets.



This is actually a picture of my practice cake from the week before, because I forgot to take a picture of the actual cake with my camera. There is a picture on my mom's camera I just need to get it from her.

Happy Birthday Day!

Jason was all over the country (literally) on Jaxon's birthday, so I wanted Jax to feel special from the minute he woke up that day. I had a few things planned, all of which included his favorite things. He spent the morning opening gifts and playing with them. For lunch, we went to McDonald's (the one that has a Play Place Mommy) and came home to two boxes of presents from grandparents. After naps, he opened the presents and then played with more new toys. Dinner was a buffet of "Jaxon's Favorites" and birthday cake for dessert.

Happy Birthday Day Jaxon! Presents from Mommy, Daddy and Dakota.




Doughnuts for breakfast! He would eat doughnuts every day if I let him. Unfortunately for him, I don't buy them, but made a special purchase for his special day.



Opening his card and present from Sissy.


A new motorcycle that does wheelies from Dakota.



And a Lightning McQueen sleeping bag from Mommy and Daddy.



Thanks Memaw and Papa Schu for the presents!



Cars!



Clothes!



Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Hager for the presents!



It's Sheriff and Red from Cars.



And a spelling game for the fridge!



Cars from the movie, Cars, all lined up and ready to race.



Dinner buffet! From left to right; Mac and Cheese, Grilled Cheese sandwiches, fish sticks, Cheetos and milk.

Birthday Take 1

Jason had a trip out of town on Jaxon's birthday, so we decided to celebrate it a little early. We had a birthday day with Mommy, Dakota and Daddy, then a birthday day (on his actual birthday) with just Mommy and Kota and finally a birthday party with friends up here in Illinois the following weekend.

Here's the first celebration with Mommy, Daddy and Kota on February 7:

I just threw this picture in randomly...The 7th is Jason's actual birthday and Jax and I cooked Daddy all his favorite foods; BBQ Brisket, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and cheese tater tots. And for dessert I made creme brulee. I forgot to take pictures of the before, but judging by this picture of the after, you can tell how good it was.



Daddy reading the card from Mommy and Daddy to Jaxon.






A NERF gun!!

And now my life will never be the same. Mainly because I keep finding little darts all over my house. And because Jason has since gone back to Wal-Mart to buy himself one so that he and Jaxon can simulate wars and gun fights at the OK Corral and whatever else boys do with guns. And my life will never be the same because a NERF gun is all Jaxon asked his friends, Ali and Ayden, for and of course that's what they got him. That's right folks. Within one week, we went from no guns in our house to three NERF guns! Not much longer Dakota and we can escape the madness that is NERF guns and head to Chicago for some Magnificent Mile shopping and American Girl.

BLIZZARD

Here are a few pictures from the blizzard that swept the mid-west in February.

Looking into our backyard as the snow was starting to come down.



The next morning. Jax was amazed by the amount of snow that had drifted on to our deck.



Good Morning Sissy!



The city sent out the plow/salt trucks first thing the next morning and this one got stuck at the end of our driveway for awhile.



I was hoping this picture, of freshly bladed snow, would show how deep the snow was.



Jaxon heard us say we were headed outside to shovel the driveway, and he insisted on coming to help. He grabbed his shovel and dug right in clearing the snow.




This is Jason standing in our drive. The snow was almost to his knees. After nearly a half hour of shoveling, our next door neighbor came over with his snow blower and finished the drive for us. Without the snow blower we probably would have been shoveling all day!

Baking Cookies

Am I the only one who has an urge to cook and bake while snowed in? I guess it sounded warming (if that's a phrase). Jaxon asked Daddy to get him a step stool so he could help Mommy cook.

Helping scrape the cookie dough.



And clean the scraper after all that hard work.



And clean the fingers. Note to friends and family: this is the first and last time anyone has ever licked a scraper, beater or fingers while making cookies in my kitchen. You are safe to eat future cookies made by the Riggs' family. Well, I can't guarantee your safety. Oh never mind. Jaxon and I are dough eaters - sorry it's just the way it is.



My little man helping me wash dishes after putting the cookies in the oven.



Each dish got rinsed for a minimum of 5 minutes. I guess he wasn't taking a chance of leaving a sud on those dishes.