Hayden turns 2

Hayden had a Cat and the Hat themed birthday after one of her favorite cartoons.  Grandma and Papa Reimer hosted and Grandma Vicki and Papa Mike came to help celebrate.  Aunt Missy, Uncle Josh, Aunt Chelle, Grace and TJ also came to her party.  Even though she had a fever and a double ear infection she was a trooper and enjoyed the day.  She loved all the balloons and wrapping paper.  She got a firetruck, some really pretty Xmas outfits, a Sit and Spin, a Dr. Seuss memory game, a toddler bed, a knitted cupcake stocking hat, a Disney library,  and some spending money for Daddy to put into savings.  Hayden was so happy to celebrate with her family.  It was a lot of fun.

Her favorite meal: "Macanoni"

Learning her shapes...

We've used wooden puzzles to learn...and she's really picked things up quickly.  She's so much fun to work with...

Shihata's Apple Orchard

A chilly fall morning we decided to beat the busy traffic of leaf lookers tour of NE Iowa/SW Wisconsin and head to an area apple orchard.  Shihata's Orchard was very kid friendly and busy with exciting things to do.  Hayden got to pick out her own pumpkins and apples to take home.  Shihata's owners had a tractor/hayride tour of the orchard and a small petting farm for kids to enjoy.  Hayden loved the miniature ponies Rudy and Ruby and the baby goat Billy.  There was equipment to play on and sweet treats to taste.
It was a great family trip to the Orchard.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

By Eric Carle.  Hayden's read aloud.

Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus.....

Grandma and Grandpa Wing took Hayden, Andy and me, with cousins Rylee Jo and Taylor to the Circus at the Mark in the Quad Cities.  This was Hayden's first opportunity to experience something so amazing. The Acts were very entertaining and got all of our attention.  Hayden was able to sit through most of the Circus, with frequent breaks to exercise her legs, and enjoyed the motorcycles in a cage the most.  Before the Circus began we all had the opportunity to go on the floor underneath the BIG TOP to see the entertainers and the star of the show Kelly Jo the Elephant.   Thank you Grandma Vicki and Papa Mike for such a fun afternoon!

Hanging out at Niabi Zoo...

Grandma and Grandpa Wing took the grand kids to the zoo for the day.  It was so much fun and Hayden got to experience a whole new world of animals.  She saw elephants, giraffes, gibbons, camels, zebras, bears, lions, kangaroos, parakeets, parrots, snakes, lizards, miniature horses and so much more.  Her favorite part was being able to hang out with her cousins and riding on the zoo train and the merry-go-round.  The train brought a smile to her face every time she saw it toot it's horn and drive by as we toured around the zoo.  It was a great adventure and she enjoyed every minute she got to spend with her cousins and Grandma and Papa at such an amazing zoo. 

The Happy Harvester....

Hayden was very happy to travel in our backyard to help Grandma Kathy pick some tomatoes from the neighborhood garden maintained and cared for by our nice neighbor Bud and his dog Casey.  She loved digging in the patch to look for the best "matoes" in the bunch.  The best tomatoes were picked for Papa Doug and G.G.  Hayden was a great little helper and I think Grandma enjoyed the extra help and showing Hayden how it is done.

The Crop Dusting Copter....

For days there has been a helicopter crop dusting fields around our area.  Hayden has discovered the helicopter and when she hears it over head she goes darting for the window to see if she can catch a glimpse of the pilot at work.

It just so happened she was eating dinner one night and the crop dusting helicopter was making it's rounds.  She enjoyed several minutes of watching the helicopter do it's work as it flew by over head.  I was glad to be able to capture her excitement on camera.

A mini pedi....

She already has a little fascination with her little toes, so I decided to give Little Miss Hayden her first pedicure.  She sat really still while mom painted her cute little toe nails in our bathroom. It only got a little messy, but she has admired her pink colored toes since.

The Clayton County Fair....

Hayden enjoyed her first experience at the Clayton County Fair.   The highlights of the trip were seeing the cows, sheep and chickens in their immaculate pens.  We even got her picture close to some rare doves and her eyes got as big as quarters when the roosters' would cock-a-doodle-doo....
Hayden even took the opportunity got to meet one of my student's FFA entries - up close and personal -to get her picture taken with mommy.  Everything was MOO - MOO - MOO after that.

Mom and Dad went to NYC....and all I got was a T!

But Hayden did get to stay with Grandma Vicki and Papa Mike!  She had a great time there playing with cousins Grace and TJ, Rylee Jo, Taylor and Millie. She loved Grandma's eskimo kisses and endless attention. Grandma Vicki even took Hayden to story hour at the Library.  She got to play some African drums and the most fun of all... run the long hallways.