Roberts Family Blog

Hey everyone!  Be prepared to hunker down for a long read.  Much updating to do.  Our life continues to be eventful and busy as the holiday season approaches, and every day I'm so thankful to all the friends and family who brighten every day and make our lives so much happier for their presence.

I'll start with two weekends ago, which is where I left off!  We took the boys to the airshow in Fort Worth, with the special goal of seeing the Blue Angels perform their show.  I have learned to anticipate that Hayden will potentially melt-down in strange situations where there are a lot of people (or a stadium - thankfully none at the airshow), so I was prepared to deal with some fear.  Well.....before we even parked the car, he was saying "go home, go bye bye", etc.  Nate and I decided we were going to push for this because we knew he would like it in the end, because he LOVES anything to do with airplanes.  The whole way walking into the gates he was negotiating with me, going so far as to tell me if we went home he'd take a nap!  That's when I knew he was serious   Anyway, we got into the airshow and there were TONS of people, and a fighter jet was flying overhead complete with a sonic boom - LOUD is an understatement.  Even I was a little scared!  Well Hayden pretty much shut-down, asked to go in the stroller, and pulled the blanket right over his head to go to sleep!  Poor kiddo slept for about an hour and when he woke up he slowly got into better spirits.  He finally agreed to walk with me to get some sno cones, and conveniently that is when they switched it up from a quiet stunt plane to another loud fighter jet, of course!  Every time it flew near Hayden would ask me to cover his ears and he would bury his head in my shoulder, and then when it flew away he'd crane his neck everywhere looking for it and asking "mommy where did plane go?".  That's when I figured out that he was enjoying it.  Finally it was time for the Blue Angels and Nate put Hayden up on his shoulders with his big earphones on to dull the noise.  Holy amazement.  What talented pilots and what a great show!  Totally worth it.  Hayden was a tiny bit scared, but there were no tears, and he stayed up on Nate's shoulders the whole 30 minutes or so.  It was truly a display I will never forget.  And even if I was in danger of forgetting, little Hayden will never let me - ha!  Every day we talk about the Blue Angels now, and how they are "really really loud, and really really fast" and they "do loops".  He constantly asks me to look at "pictures Blue Angels" on my computer.  He went from scared to obsessed in one 30 minute show   Here are some pictures from the day, complete with little Pierce asleep in the stroller with his earplugs in - what a cutie.

The very next day we had the pleasure of picking my brother up at the airport from London for a 10 day visit!  Of course Hayden kept asking if "uncle jeffrey's plane do loops"?  I told him I sincerely hoped not!  It was so cute at the arrivals area at DFW.  Hayden remembered Uncle Jeff from his visit 3 months ago, and was ready to run up and give him a big hug when the gates opened from customs.  Well Hayden saw Uncle Jeffrey and literally this little boy got down into a crouch on the floor, covered his eyes, jumped back up, ran around in like 3 circles with a huge smile on his face, and then ran to give him a hug.  Hands down one of the top 10 cutest moments of his life.  Pure excitement - he could not contain himself!  Our visit with Jeff has been so much fun and they've surely bonded.  One of the highlights was a trip to the zoo last Friday.  Of course after the airshow debacle, I was sort of sure he would be scared, but just when you think you have them figured out, they surprise you!  He was THRILLED and not even a bit scared.  We strolled through the whole zoo, saw every animal, the whole time with our tour guide Hayden running out ahead of us and telling us what animal he saw, and usually what sound they make too!  The funniest part was that the rhino was a triceratops   And Pierce even got into the fun at the aquarium section.  It was a beautiful day, and so wonderful to see my little boy, who is sometimes so scared, just enjoying an event with such unbridled enthusiasm and joy.

And how can we forget Halloween!  Last year Hayden was a spider and was wearing a cast, and was decidedly afraid of all things Halloween related.  This year was a much greater success.  His dino costume was a huge hit, and once he figured out that trick-or-treat involved getting "treats" in his Backyardigans candy bag, he was sold!  What a fun day.  A few of Hayden's friends came over with their parents and we did the whole trick-or-treat thing for an hour or so, then came back to our house for a big BBQ and let the kids play off their sugar high.  We've even parlayed the whole Halloween candy experience into an effective potty training tool!  He gets a skittle every time he uses his potty chair and it's working wonders.  We've just had to ramp up the teeth brushing regime, but it's worth it   And what can I even say about our Itsy Bitsy Spider, Pierce?!?  I mean do they come any cuter?  Of course I am biased, but our littlest man just hung out in the wagon, enjoying the other kids in their costumes, and occasionally chewing on his buddy, Jake's, Mickey Mouse ear.  All with a huge Pierce smile.  We have a funny running joke about Pierce.  Lately everyone will be talking about something Hayden related or family related, and we will suddenly stop and say "but THAT baby", emphasis on the "that" and it's just so funny.  "But THAT baby" is so beautiful, or sweet, or funny, or substitute any favorable adjective, and it's like the constant refrain of the day.  We are still waiting for a roll, but "THAT" baby is so darn cute and fuzzy it's not even funny