Payne Update

Ha! I haven't written that phrase in ages!!! I haven't had a ton of time lately to update the blog. It's been insane at work and getting to the computer at home is a joke. So here's what's been going on with the Payne family lately.

Ayden is getting bigger every day. He's trying to be so independent but still has moments where he's my baby. He still loves riding in the backyard on his 4wheeler and playing with play dough. He's totally an arts and crafts kid. Anything to do with scissors, glue and paint...he's all over it. This fall we're going to get him involved in karate and soccer. Ayden absolutely loves school. Today is show-and-tell and he brought in this key chain that I gave him from work. It looks like an energy efficient light bulb and when you press it, it's a flashlight. I couldn't believe he chose that to take to school but he loves it! On the 30th he's having a pajama party at school. All of the kids and teachers show up in their pajamas! They read bedtime stories, eat popcorn and drink hot chocolate. Ayden can't wait!

This coming Monday I'm visiting The Primrose Academy where Ayden will probably go to school in the fall. In Georgia, kids are required to attend Pre-K, but the program is paid by the Georgia Lottery. Since it's not paid by property taxes, the public schools don't have to offer the program. Tyrone Elementary has become so overcrowded, that they dropped Pre-K to make more room for grades K through 5. Daycares and private schools can offer Pre-K whether it's paid by the Georgia Lottery or not. The Primrose Academy is not funded by the lottery so we will have to pay the tuition, but I'm hoping it's not $6,000 like another private school I looked at.

Jameson is also growing like a weed. He's getting taller, but not gaining a lot of weight. He's still in a size 4 diaper (Ayden wore a size 6 at this age) and can't wear 2T pants because they fall right off his waist. Right now his passion is yelling at the dogs. When it's time for the dogs to go outside, he stands in the hallway yelling towards my bedroom where Bonnie is sleeping. Boo Boo! Boo Boo! This continues until Bonnie slowly makes her way to the back door. He also loves tossing the dog toys at them and screeching at the top of his lungs to get Clyde to howl. I need to invest in a pair of ear plugs. Every night when I make dinner, Jameson sits on the kitchen counter with a wooden spoon and the sauce pan "cooking" with mommy. He can't sleep the entire night in his crib. Around 2am he'll crawl out and come in by me. I wake up to "mummy....mummy....MUMMY" and toss his butt in bed between me and Jason. The last couple of nights, he's woken up around 11pm and I've taken him back to his room where he'll sleep until about the time I'm done with my shower. He's can't stop playing with his miniature Hoover vacuum cleaner and shopping cart. I'm about to throw both of them out the window. His vocabulary is growing daily. We're now up to cat, shoes, juice, eat, down, night-night, no, stop, Boo Boo, Clyde Clyde, mummy, daddy, choo choo, moo cow, cheese, hot, go and mine.

Jason is in Alabama...again. I'm sooooo ready for these jobs to be done! He's almost done with the Ulta stores in Tuscaloosa and Hoover, but just started the rough-in at Huntsville. I was just informed that they may have one more to do in Montgomery but it's still in the bidding stages. I had Jason inform Rob (the owner) that he's been cut off from baked goods until he stops sending my husband out of state. Since Rob's wife (her name is Jamie also) doesn't like to bake, this is actually a serious threat. The office is used to getting cookies, cupcakes, muffins, brownies and cake delivered on a regular basis. No more. Jason had a blast this past Saturday taking Ayden to see the Monster Trucks at the Georgia Dome. They didn't get home until after 11:30 and Ayden managed to stay up the entire time. He's been working on his attitude with the boys and I can tell a difference with Ayden already. Jason really wants a 4wheeler so we'll probably be looking into that this summer. I want the kitchen done first!

Jamie has been doing pretty good considering it's been insane at work, her husband is barely home and the house seems to be surrounded by chaos. My idea to "Simplify" hasn't being going so well, but I think I'll be able to work on it some more once January passes. I'm really looking forward to the Scrap Etc Event and the Keith Urban/Carry Underwood concert in April. We have some Wisconsin visitors coming down in 2008 as well. Debbie will be down for a couple of weeks in April, my dad and Mary Joy will be here in May, Scotty is planning on coming down in April or May and Tom and Roxanne are thinking about July. Now if I could only get Nikki and Erin down here, my world would be complete!! The southern Paynes will be in Wisconsin July 18th-July 27th. The last weekend will be spent in Minnesota where Ayden will be standing up in my cousin Jen's wedding. I'm just looking forward to seeing a lot of friends and family that we haven't seen in a year or more!

Well, duty calls. Everyone have a fantastic Thursday!!!