Hayden's 2nd Birthday!

Hayden's Birthday was pretty low-key. 

We invited Brian & Sarah over for fajitas and cupcakes 

(since those are two of the boys favorite people), 

and we had some good old family fun.

We made a spider pinata using a punch balloon -newspapers and paste, 

and I must've layered it on a bit thick cuz it took like a week to dry completely. 

 I figured if I was going to teach the boys to whack something with a bat

 it ought to be something they can feel free to smash in real life as well.  

The boys kept beating it into the ground even after it fell from the tree. 

It took them a while to notice there was stuff inside.

(His cool shades were one of the cheap "Goodwill" pinata prizes.)

One of the presents was this elephant butterfly catcher game -the boys loved it! 

Good party finale before Uncle Brian and Aunt Sarah headed home.

Hayden is such a sweet boy.  He is so eager to please and always willing to help me.  The other day when I drug the cat box outside to change the litter, I turned around, and Hayden was standing there, arm outstretched, holding the pooper scooper with a sweet smile and a "Here you go Mom!" Another morning I woke up to find a dog turd on the living room carpet (some of the joys of having pets), and after lamenting I turned around to find sweet Hayden holding a stream of toilette paper out to me with a condoling "Here you go Mom."  He is so perceptive and smart.  He is very strong willed and I'm still trying to figure out how to handle that aspect of his personality, but along with it he has a hard working determined nature that will enable him to accomplish great things in life. 

I took the boys to Mc Donald's for ice cream the other day, and as they proudly trotted back to the play area holding their gigantic cones, an older Grandpa fellow asked Hayden teasingly "Well thank you...is that for me?"  Without a moments hesitation Hayden nodded and said "Uh huh! Here you go!" as he stretched out his arms to give his cone away.  It took the man by surprise and he commented on what a sweet giving boy Hayden is. We sure do love him to pieces!