Apple Picking

Apple picking is a must do in Michigan each and every fall!   Lucky for us, today was a day off from school...a day off to enjoy the cider mill. 

Allie and Ayden each strolled through the apple trees with their personal apple picking bags. We helped each other pluck of a few golden delicious and some other red scrumptious apples. It didn't take too long before our bags were filled. Ayden ate his way through the orchard. 

 

 

We couldn't leave without taking our yearly photo next to the famous apple sign!  Look HOW TALL THIS FALL!!!  These two sure have sprouted up!

Allie's fave this year...Apple cider slushy!  Ayden was content with his plain 'ol apples. 

Happy 2nd Birthday Party, Ayden!

Happy Birthday Party to this little pup!  Ayden absolutely LOVES dogs!  He points, smiles, and yells, "DOGGIE!" every time he sees a dog walking in our neighborhood, out the car window, or even on TV!  He loves, loves, loves dogs...so naturally, he loves CLIFFORD!

Ayden was DOGGONE cute in his Clifford shirt and party hat!  He even let me put it on him for some photos...and smiled!  Yahoo!  He really is 2!  BIG sissy, Allie, matched her little bro with a super cute Clifford dress too!

 

 

I got to work making all of Ayden's decorations at the beginning of summer...I knew once August came around, I would be busy, busy with school.  His decorations came out oh, so cute!  Red, black, yellow and blue TWO! Lots of Clifford's, bones and paw prints filled our house.

 



Ayden served his little pups...pup-eroni pizza, hot dogs, pup-corn, paw-sta salad, fruit kibble, doggone good grapes, puppy chow (chips and Doritos), and pup-cakes and ice cream. 

 

 

Ayden's party guests had fun making a Clifford craft and coloring, reading lots of Clifford books, and playing in the yard with all his doggone fun toys!

 



Time for LUNCH!  Yum!  Yum!  Ayden was the first one to start eating and the last one at the table...he LOVES his munchies.

Happy Birthday singing time!  Ayden was all about his singing, cupcake and candles.  He even wore his hat...AGAIN!  What a good boy!  He smiled and blew out his candles successfully!  Then, gobbled up his PUP-CAKE!

Time for gifts!  He dove right in and opened up ALL his gifts.  He had a few helpers, but he loved ripping off the paper and seeing all his new toys...and his BIG sissy was hoping he would share with her.

 

 

Thanks everyone for coming to my BIG birthday party!  I loved my pup-cakes and seeing all my friends and family.  Thanks for the super fun gifts!!  I love everything!  I will enjoy reading my Clifford Birthday book in the years to come and will think of my friends and family when I read your messages.

 

 



 



Happy BIG Birthday, Ayden!  We can't believe you are TWO.  I just love giving you a one-of-a-kind birthday party year after year.  I look forward to our two-year-old adventures to come this year.  Happy 2nd Birthday!  We love you!

Ayden is 24 Months

Today marks the day of our very last Sticky Bellies photo shoot for the Hammerick family.  This handsome guy has been our Sticky Bellies model from the moment he was born, having his first photo in the hospital room in which he was born.  Ayden has cooperated very well for all of his photos.  He would sit when asked.  Thanks to Allie jumping around behind me, making silly faces and noises, Ayden would smile and giggle when I pointed the camera his way.  Towards the end, Ayden would voice his preference where we took his photos...he usually wanted to go across the street to the benches for his shoot.  We've been having our photo sessions for 2 YEARS...24 MONTHS!  I'm a little teary-eyed knowing that this was the last time I would peel that monthly sticker off my baby boy's shirt to add to his baby book.  My how Ayden has grown!

At 2 years old (or 24 months in Sticky Bellies time) Ayden is silly, happy and loving.  He enjoys playing with cars, puzzles, anything in the kitchen cabinets and dishwasher, and he loves to go outside.  Ayden is shy when he meets new people.  He loves to read books and sing.  Ayden likes to eat mac 'n cheese, smoothies, ice cream, noodles, Gogurt, watermelon, and apple juice.  Ayden continues to go to bed well and sleep through the night.  He usually wakes up between 6:00-7:00 am.  Ayden loves his sister and always wants to play with her and be with her.  Ayden uses his manners and will say please when asking for something.

Ayden wore his "Birthday Boy" shirt to daycare to celebrate his birthday on Friday...it still fit him after a whole year!  Here's one-year-old and two-year-old Ayden!  Ayden brought freeze pops for all his day care friends to help him celebrate. 

My Dearest Ayden...you bring us so much joy everyday.  We love you so much and enjoy each and every day with our silly, curious, kind-hearted, and sweet big boy.  We look forward to watching you grow into an even bigger boy.  We love you!

First Day of Pre-K

Allie was as excited as ever to go to school this year...she was mostly so excited because she was going with her momma! 

SCHOOL: Gretchko Elementary
GRADE: Pre-K
TEACHER: Mrs. Bairski

Allie went to school with her new Hello Kitty backpack, matching lunchbox, snack bag, and water bottle.  She hugged me goodbye with a smile and set off for her first day of a great school year...and no tears!  Hooray!

Thanks Mrs. Bairski for taking such good care of our Allie girl...she loves you already!

However...poor Ayden did not share the same excitement as Allie.  He cried and cried all morning after Allie and I dropped him at Lynnie's.  Hopefully by next week he won't start crying as soon as we turn into her subdivision.

Back to School Breakfast 2015

My little caterpillar is venturing off to school this year...hungry for learning!  I have confidence she will blossom into a beautiful butterfly!

BACK TO SCHOOL BREAKFAST this labor day was Hungry Caterpillar style.  Lots of fun new goodies to help this little worm, inch her way through the school year.

 

Allie was excited (of course) and couldn't wait to open her present.  Lots of hungry caterpillar goodies...a book, pencil, eraser, notepad, workbook, stickers and felt story cutouts to use to tell this beloved story.  How cute?!?!

Allie got to work right away practicing writing her letters while she "ate through 7 grapes" of her breakfast caterpillar.  Happy last day of summer and BACK TO SCHOOL!  May this be the best school year yet!

 

Summer Semester

This summer, by far, has been the FASTEST summer ever.  It has flown by!  I can't believe we are back to school (and back to work) tomorrow.  I'm always sooooo sad when summer ends...didn't it just begin?!?!?  My heart is heavy thinking about not spending so much time with my littles. My early mornings workouts with Ayden have come to an end. Allie and I will no longer be able to read our library books and watch reruns of Full House while Ayden naps. We won't be able to run up to the park with the double stroller to play the morning away anymore.

Although my precious moments will have to wait a whole year to occur again...I can look back on summer 2015 with fond family memories. Memories of evening Popsicles and ice cream; after dinner walks behind the mini-coupe through the neighborhood; our vacations up north, down south, out east, and to the tropics. This summer was also filled with...

...friendships and playdates...

 

 

 

...backyard quality family time...

...Vacation Bible School...

 

...gymnastics classes...

 

...and Impressions 5...

 

 ...just to name a few.

Although summer vacation has come to an end, I'm looking forward to taking my Allie girl to school with me...as she begins her Pre-Kindergarten year at Gretchko Elementary...my NEW school! The mommy in me wants to reflect on one more summer gone goodbye...while the teacher in me is reporting on my two little friends this summer semester.

AYDEN HAMMERICK:
Ayden is silly, snuggly, and a happy boy.  He earned the name Spiderman this summer due to the fact that he mastered his cabinet climbing and can successfully reach the top to turn on the faucets.  Ayden is working on his temper.  He will often fall to the floor and cry if he does not get what he wants.  Playing outside, taking walks and going bye-bye are a few of Ayden's favorite things.  Although he is improving, Ayden loves his Mommy and cries when she leaves.  Ayden continues to love to read and will ask for another book to be read to when it's bedtime. 

ALLIE HAMMERICK:
Allie is cheerful, loving, and helpful.  At times she can be sassy and will need reminders to be a good role model for her brother.  This summer, Allie learned to swim without floaties in swim class.  Allie continues to work on riding a two-wheeler and is making good progress.  I just love how caring Allie can be with her brother.  She comforts him and will help him often.  I'm so proud of how well Allie uses her manners when she is with her friends and at her friends' houses.  She makes sure to say "Thank you for having me" when leaving.  Allie can count past 100 and has started to read word families.  Allie continues to work on her letter sounds.