The Riggins Family

Christmas in Austin

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 21:39:00 +0000

Merry Christmas! After spending 5 days in Houston enjoying Christmas with my family, Chad, Clayton, and I had a little Christmas at home. We knew that Santa was going to bring some pretty big presents, so we had him route them to our house. Here are a few of my favorite snapshots of the morning. Clayton, understandably, was a little overwhelmed and had to open his presents slowly. My theme for this year was "pretend." Clayton is coming up on his second birthday and his imagination is really beginning to take off. It is funny, though, because at 22 months, he is still pretty literal and is able to take our expectations and translate them into most situations. For example, he knows that the oven, stove, and microwave in our kitchen are hot and that he isn't suppose to touch them. He quickly translated this idea to HIS kitchen and hasn't really grasped the idea that it is really pretend. When Chad or I turn on the hot areas (oven, stove, and grill), Clayton says "Hot. Don't touch." I think he will get the hang of it soon enough, though. Enjoy!

The tree before Clayton came in the room.

He made a beeline for his trampoline. Which, by the way, was a little bigger than "Santa" was expecting.

After the trampoline, the kitchen caught his attention.

Chad snapped a shot of me trying to play pretend with Clay.

More toys.

Back to the trampoline with Daddy!

Mommy, of course, had to buy Clay a few books!

Starting to get a little overwhelmed.

Trying out his new playscape.

Clayton was adamant that I hang his "Ugly dolls" on the Christmas tree. His Grandma and Granddad put them on their tree in Houston. So cute!

Clayton outside in his playhouse. I made him wear his new hat from Matu.

A mix-matched but VERY warm outfit!

Happy Halloween!

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:40:00 +0000

Halloween '09 was definitely the best ever! Clayton dressed up as an elephant, and we walked to several of the neighbors to give him a feel for Trick-or-Treating. My mom, dad, and sister my, Lara, were able to join us in the festivities. At first, Clayton refused to wear his elephant head but by the end we were able to distract him enough to get it on him. He looked soooo cute! He also learned how to say "Trick-or-Treat." At one point, I was carrying him in my arms and one of our neighbors was handing out smarties. I picked a piece for him and he said "more." It was so funny! My parents definitely enjoyed spending time with Clayton on Halloween. Lara, of course, took some great pictures so definitely check out her blog, too. Happy Halloween!!

Sweet Berry Farm

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:50:00 +0000

This morning, Lara, Chad, Clayton, and I drove to Marble Falls to pick out our pumpkins at Sweet Berry Farm. It was a quite a different experience from last year! When we went last October Chad and I carried Clayton around the entire time and set him down where we wanted him for a picture. This year, as usual, he was our energetic, funny man. He was definitely the life of the party for the three of us. Here are a few pictures from our fun outing.

Cute Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 19:37:00 +0000

Here are two cute pictures that I recently took of Clayton. In the first one, Chad and I had planned to SHARE our popsicles with Clay after dinner one night last week. He decided that he wanted to hold BOTH popsicles. It was really funny! In the second photo, he is eating an apple on the way home yesterday. Enjoy!

Clayton's Second Haircut

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 03:00:00 +0000

After dinner tonight, Chad and I decided to take Clayton for his second haircut. It was getting a little long in the back. We went for a shorter look this time. Here are some pictures of him and his new haircut.

Before

After

Learning Fast

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:55:00 +0000

It has been awhile since my last update, and I couldn't pass up sharing some of the cute things that Clayton is doing at almost 20 months. To start, he is still such a verbal kid! He is finally saying Mommy - hallelujah! I have been waiting since he started saying "da-da" at around 8 months. He is also saying Lala, boo boo, ouch, ew, and uh-oh (while covering his mouth). He can count to 5 and say other numbers randomly (see below). He can say his ABC's, hot, cold, up, down, on, and off. He is using more gestures with his talking, too. For example, he directs people around by pointing, and if he wants you to sit by him he pats the ground. He blows kisses, makes animal sounds, knows his facial features (mainly nose and eyes), and sings the clean-up song in the evenings. We have been working with him on cleaning up and he is finally initiating it on his own before bed. He is in his second semester at the Little Gym and is independently doing forward rolls and kicking/ throwing a ball. Clayton is also obsessed with toothbrushes and will brush his teeth as often as he can convince us. He LOVES his Sherbie doll and pacifier. He calls them both "pappy." His imagination is beginning to take off and he often uses objects around the house to play pretend. Recently, he used a measuring cup and a big serving spoon to feed Lala and me "bites." With all of these new developments, Chad and I have also had to start working with him on making good choices. He has had to sit in "time-out" more frequently lately as we teach him our 3 main rules. He can't hurt himself, others, or throw things out of anger. Last Sunday, after several time-outs, he even walked into his room and initiated a time-out with only a verbal warning. He is so funny! I am really enjoying this stage in his development. He grows in so many cute ways everyday. Stay tuned for more updates...

Clayton's First Haircut

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 21:07:00 +0000

On Friday, Chad and I took Clayton to "Cool Cuts 4 Kids" for his very first haircut. It was long overdue - no pun intended. We were planning to take him on Saturday morning but decided to drop by the hair salon after dinner the night before to scope it out and make an appointment. He seemed to feel at ease right when we walked in. It was later in the evening so they only had one other little client (he, he) getting a haircut. We went for it, and Clayton was SOOOOO good! He didn't get upset at all. Luckily, they had a high interest fire engine for him to sit in and Barney was playing on their TV. It was the perfect scenario. The salon had a list of haircuts to choose from and we opted for the "layered" cut. It isn't that much different from what he had but it looks a lot more uniform and stylish. Here are some pictures from our fun evening.

A side view of Clayton's hair before his haircut.

A front view of Clayton's hair.

Getting comfortable. The stylist had to deal with a little "wiggle worm." Watching Barney.

Putting on his smock.

At this point, he had to lean over to still see Barney. So funny!

"Lady, you're making this really difficult"

Summer Gymnastics

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:59:00 +0000

For anyone who is around Clayton often, you know that he is a ball of energy. He is constantly on the go: climbing, running, dancing, etc. He's extremely inquisitive, likes to figure out how things work, and enjoys entertaining other people. I heard from a friend about the Little Gym and decided that it would be a perfect outlet to release some of Clay's energy. At the moment, he is in the "bird" group with kids ranging from 10 to 19 months. So far, he has learned how to forward roll, donkey kick, follow one step directions (this is sporadic), and can almost hang from the parallel bars. It has been such fun watching him interact with the other children (it is mostly parallel play) and entertain the adults in the room. Today, I signed him up for a class in the fall. He will be joining the "beast" group which will have kids ranging from 19 months to 2.5 years. He will be a little young in this group, but his current instructor thinks that he is on the upper spectrum of the bird group and wouldn't get much out of another semester. His class in the fall will be on Saturdays which will make it possible for Chad to attend. Here are some pictures from his class today.

At the beginning of class we always start in a circle for a group activity. Here is Clayton picking his bell.

After group time, the kiddos spend time exploring the equipment. The instructor will stop the music periodically to teach a skill and then we are encouraged to try it with our little bird. Clayton's favorite free exploration activity is definitely climbing!

We did a few forward rolls on this cheese mat. Giving Mommy a cute, "fake" little smile. For some reason he loves to put his mouth on the bars - yuck!

He found these little yellow cones and spent a lot of his free time today stacking them. Other children would come by and take some to other areas of the room and he would collect them to stack again. It was pretty funny.

During our group time at the end of class, Clayton really enjoys the bubbles!

"An Apple a Day keeps the Doctor away!"

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:42:00 +0000

Clayton, Lara and I had lunch at Panera Bread today. Clayton loved biting off of his very own apple. Here are two videos Lara shot. Too cute!!

Finding Ways to Beat the Heat

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:19:00 +0000

The summer heat wave continues to produce 100+ temperatures in Austin. Clayton, Chad and I are always looking for ways to beat the heat. Here are some recent pictures of Clayton cooling off with water.

Cute Videos of Clay

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:48:00 +0000

As usual, Clayton is as cute as a button! He is learning so quickly and loves showing off all of his cute little talents. He is beginning to use more words which is helpful because it eases his frustration with communication. In the first video, he uses the word down with my assistance. In the second video he shows how he can clap along to the song "If your happy and you know it..." Earlier in the day, we were watching Barney and the song came on so I showed him how to clap. Once Chad got home, we were all sitting in the living room visiting and the taped Barney came back around to the song (I am known for turning on a television show and then accidentally having it play all day because I get busy and forget to turn it off. ) Clayton surprised us both by clapping at the right times to the song and doing a really cute shimmy dance! Unfortunately, I didn't have my flip out at the time, but I caught him again in the evening. Well, it was kind of staged because I turned the song back on especially to tape his cuteness :) He looks a little "too cool for school" but just as cute! Enjoy!

A Visit from Grandma and Granddad

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 01:28:00 +0000

This weekend we enjoyed a visit from my parents. We ate at Kirby Lane, frequented the park, and visited the water sprinklers near our house. It was perfect and Clayton had a blast! It is so wonderful to see how much he loves and enjoys my parents. His affection is reciprocated 100%, of course! It takes no time for him to warm up to them, and he is consumed with keeping their attention. For example, at breakfast on Saturday he would do his famous fake laugh and then watch everyone to make sure that they were looking at him - too cute! Later in the day, he was holding Lara's phone playing her music and dancing for Mom and Dad. It is so fun to watch him be a ham! Lara is usually the object of all of his affection, but even SHE took a backseat to his love affair with my mom and dad!! Here are some pictures from our weekend.

"I'm so excited and I just can't hide it!"

Watch me, Granddad!

I can go down on my tummy!!

Catch me!

Laughing with Granddad!

Having fun together!

Park Extravaganza!

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Now that summer has FINALLY arrived, Clayton and I have loads of time to enjoy the local parks in the Austin area. My friend, Tessa, sent me a list of parks & pools that a friend compiled using a Stay-@-Home Dads website and a Moms with Multiples website. It is very extensive. I thought it would be fun to write an occasional review on the parks as we visit. Here are a couple of parks we've visited most recently.

BRENTWOOD PARK (off of Burnet Road in Austin):

This park is located next to Brentwood Elementary School. It has large shade trees, plenty of swings and a large playscape with a ramp. It is pushed back from the road with lots of field space for an energetic 16-month old. Here are a few recent pictures:

The Verdict: We really like Brentwood. The ramp on the playscape makes it very toddler friendly. Clay was able to navigate all by himself with ease (this is becoming more and more important as he pushes for independence). It has small steps that are great for short legs and lots of field space for him to run and explore without me having to protect him from traffic. We've been back 3 or 4 times! I give it 5 stars (on a 1 - 5 star rating system).

BEVERLY SHEFIELD PARK (off of Burnet in Austin)

As you drive in, the park is located around the corner from the pool and tennis courts (The pool, by the way, is fantastic. They allow floats). It has two playscapes and lots of shade trees. It has a big playscape with a ramp and a smaller playscape under a canopy of trees. The only draw-back about the big playscape was that there were a few drop offs (dangerous for fearless 16-month olds) and getting to the big slides were a challenge. You have to climb this wiggly, round ladder thingy. All in all, Clayton was very independent at this park, too.

The Verdict: Highly Recommended! It was another great park for a toddler. A lot of the newer parks that we've attempted have the playscapes too high off of the ground. This one was low to the ground, secluded from urban noise and traffic, and near a sweet pond with turtles. I also give this one 5 stars!

Check back for future park review updates!

Fun in the Sun

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Sun, 31 May 2009 02:02:00 +0000

Late this afternoon, Chad, Clay and I visited the water sprinklers at a local park. After spending the first few minutes watching from the sidelines, there was no stopping Clayton from running in and out of the water. He has been walking (well, mostly running) now for around 3 months. This new found independence both thrills and scares him. He is pretty new to large group situations and still wants to know Mommy and Daddy are nearby. At the sprinklers today he would leave us to run through the water and then would come back for a hug and reassurance. It was really cute! After playing in the water, we walked to the sandpit. Here are pictures from our family outing.

Lunch with Lala

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Sun, 31 May 2009 01:50:00 +0000

This morning, Clayton and I drove into Austin to visit Lara. We visited her apartment, took a trip to Brentwood Park, ate at Phil's Ice House, and went shopping at Old Navy. We had a really nice visit! The highlights for Clayton were Lala's M&Ms, ketchup on his fries, and the playground equipment at the park.

Using a Spoon

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Fri, 08 May 2009 02:16:00 +0000

Here is a video of Clayton feeding himself with a spoon. Before tonight, he would dip his spoon in the food and then wave his spoon flinging food all over everything. This was the first time he dipped his spoon and then put it in his mouth. Can you tell Chad I are excited? We're dorks! Enjoy!

Isn't this the cutest?

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Mon, 04 May 2009 02:24:00 +0000

This weekend, Chad and I went through Clayton's bedroom and closet. We went through his clothes, toys, bottles, bibs, and burp cloths to put in the attic until baby #2. In the process, I found a photo album of my family that Clayton got FOREVER ago. I put it in his book basket in the livingroom, and he found it this afternoon. He looked at it, and looked at it, and looked at it... Then, he brought it over to me and I named everyone in each picture several more times - at least 3. It was really sweet! Here is a photo I snapped of him.

A crazy hail storm.

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 03:04:00 +0000

Here are some picturew Chad and I took after a crazy hail storm we had here in Austin. Unfortunatly, Chad and I were both driving home for the evening and got caught in a downpour of ice! Our cars are rippled with dents - yuck!

Clayton was VERY confused!

Recent Videos of Clay

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:01:00 +0000

Chad and I are amazed at all of the cute little things that Clayton does everyday. His personality is really starting to shine through as he becomes more mobile. He is quite the bossy britches - just like his mommy, as Lara would say.

In the first video, you'll get to see how Clayton spent most of his weekend. In the house, then out of the house, etc. In the second video you'll see our new bedtime routine. I've tried multiple times to make reading a part our routine, to no avail. Recently, however, Clayton has been really interested in having us read to him. As a teacher, I definitely want to inspire a love for reading but this new interest in books is all Clayton!

Spring Break: Family Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 01:53:00 +0000

Early this morning, we took a family outing into Austin. We started with a workout around Ladybird Lake. I am training for a 5K and was so proud of myself! I finally ran 1.5 miles! This was a big step for me, and I'm now halfway to my goal. After running, we ate breakfast at Austin Java Company, went shopping at some of the downtown shops (Chad finally bought some pants that fit at Patagonia), and visited the local farmer's market. We bought a few tomato plants and a peach bush. We also bought a glass of local root beer and Clayton quickly claimed it as his own. We planned to let him try a SIP but he threw a fit and kept saying "See, see!!" It was hard distracting him!! Afterwards, we went by Home Depot and bought some more plants. They were having a really good sale and we found some great drought resistant plants. Then we headed home and started our planting project. We have a really small backyard and decided to give it more of a garden feel. The pictures don't do it justice - I love it! We still need do some planting, add a border, as well as add more soil. We also plan to do some landscaping to our front yard. While we were working, Clayton had a really good time telling Tilley what to do. He kept walking around, pointing, and yelling, "Till." Here are some highlights from our day.

Working out.

Breakfast

Before:

After:

Spring Break: Trip to the Park

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 01:42:00 +0000

Fun, Fun!! Clayton, Grandma, Aunt Lala, and I went for a trip to the neighborhood park. Clayton enjoyed taking his blue convertible out for a spin :) He looked adorable in his new outfit that Matu gave him. His golf outfit reminded me of Grandad Taylor. Here are a few pictures:

Well...I think I'm gonna head out. My blue convertible is waiting.
Clayton: "See the ducks."

The ducks seem to have put Clay in a trance!

Swinging with Grandma.

Spring Break: Playdate at Ashley's

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 01:33:00 +0000

Luckily, Clayton and I were able to see friends again today and have another playdate! Meghan and her little cuties, Eva and Max, came over to Ashley's for lunch. Again, it was so fun watching Clayton interact with the other kids. I also got to meet little Max for the first time! It was really great seeing everyone!

Clayton & KP are buddies!

Hugging KP's big stuffed animal.
Here's Clayton's full-face hug.

Meghan and Eva

Spring Break: Houston Zoo

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 01:22:00 +0000

This afternoon we met friends at the Houston Zoo. It was so fun watching the babies see the different animals. Clayton was much more aware than during his first visit over Thanksgiving. It was also really fun having a "Mommy playdate," too. Unfortunately, Clayton missed his first nap and ended up sleeping through most of his zoo experience. Here are some pictures of our outing.

Mommy, I don't like my new hat!

The babies enjoying the sights.
Wearing Aunt Lala's sunglasses.
Laughing in the car.
Hudson was so sweet to let Clay borrow his stroller!
A quick family picture :)
Clayton wasn't grumpy AT ALL!
The beautiful little Lluvia.

Clayton Walking

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 02:29:00 +0000

Today, I took some videos of Clayton walking. He's doing so well. You'll see that he is completely ignoring me in all of the videos. It takes a lot of concentration at this point :)

Learning how to Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Jean, Chad and Clay) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:22:00 +0000

Today, Clayton finally took his first unassisted steps for me. Last week he started taking a few steps at Granny and Pa's. I've been waiting to see it with my own eyes. This evening Clayton took a few steps and I was able to catch one of his attempts on video. Chad and I are so proud of him!!