Dreaming No Longer Necessary

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas......NOT ANY MORE!! The snow came yesterday, finally! Aidan has been dreaming and dreaming and his dreams finally came true! The white stuff fell from the sky in truckloads yesterday.

Yesterday morning, we were getting ready for church and the snow was falling. We headed out for mass and got stuck in the driveway. Paul jumped out of the car, threw a shovel in the back, rocked us back and forth and we were on our way. Needless to say, there were very few of us that made it to church.

We barely made it through the door after mass and Aidan was dressing in layers ready to be snow-bound. Paul and Aidan shoveled and played in the snow for 2 1/2 hours and had a blast. Then, at 4:30 in the afternoon, I received a call from the school announcing that school had already been closed for Monday. Ummmmm, OK? I don't get that, but whatever! For Aidan, it was the perfect ending for an already perfect day!

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

As you all probably know, ABC played "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" last night on television. At the start of the show Aidan got off of the couch and went wild dancing and just cracked us up. The video is not that great because it was taken with Paul's cell phone, but you'll get the idea.

Preparing My Heart

Paul just left for a business trip and Aidan is at school. Even though Advent doesn't truly begin for another couple of days, I am making a point to give myself at least 10 minutes of silence each day this season. I am doing this as my advent gift to myself. I am doing this to truly savor the season. I am doing this for my own sanity.

This week I find myself holding on to the Thanksgiving holiday and gaining excitement for the upcoming Christmas season. I am making a promise to myself to prepare my heart for the advent season. I am cherishing this moment of silence and am thinking about the many things I have to be thankful for.

May you be truly full of thanksgiving...I know I am. In a kinda stream of consciousness sort of way.

For my hubby,
my child,
my extended family,
my neighborhood,
my parish,
for education,
the school my child attends,
and all of his teachers,
our work,
our recreation,
our dog,
our home,
our cars,
our favorite books,
our plants,
oil in the burner,
gas in the tanks,
food in the pantry,
our porch,
our friends,
Aidan’s sports teams,
the warm clothes on our backs,
the memories of sweet vacations,
the changing seasons,
beaches,
decent wine,
decadent desserts,
bagels,
good beans to grind for my coffee,
talk radio,
meaningful music,
a nearby parking space when it's raining,
finding money in a pocket,
a handwritten letter in the mail,
reading a good book,
finishing a task,
breathing easier after a check-up,
for blog comments,
hair-coloring,
a compliment,
unexpected surprises,
for fast shipping,
for free shipping,
dark chocolate,
raspberries,
ok, chocolate raspberry anything,
fires in the fireplace,
dinner on the grill,
birds at the feeder,
company on long drives,
a clean room,
a down comforter,
losing a few pounds,
lifting someone's spirits,
walking outside,
for Advil, and allergy drugs,
for doctors on call,
for quick recoveries,
for safe travel,
for forgiveness and second chances,
for gifts given and those received,
for police and fire and EMS personnel who work on holidays,
for our faithful military,
for our constitutional freedoms,
for the chance to try again,
for answered prayers,
for Jesus, Mary, the saints, the Church, the Sacraments.

Moving Along

Thanksgiving has come and gone. I can hardly believe it. The weekend was very relaxing. Aidan and I made different types of candy on Wednesday. Thursday, we celebrated Thanksgiving with my family at my uncle's home with lot of great food and an abundance of love. Black Friday is always a great time. I wasn't in the market for much, but I always love to go out anyway. It is the thrill of the hunt that draws me in every year. Saturday we spent the entire day at Paul's parents home. His younger sisters were in town for the holiday so we got to spend some quality time playing Wii and chit chatting. Sunday, we put our Christmas tree/decorations up.

Now that our Christmas decorations are up, I am so ready for the advent season. I have already started on a good note. Typically, I make it a point to get our Christmas cards out the day after Thanksgiving. Needless to say, I haven't even decided on or taken a picture for the card yet. And you know what? I"m not worried. I plan to fully embrace this advent season. I'm focusing on my time with Paul and Aidan. I don't want each and every night to be filled with a laundry list of things that need to get done in order to make the holiday a success. Afterall, there will always be things that need to be done. And they will get done.....eventually. And if they don't, our Christmas will be fabulous anyway.

Aidan is in the shower right now, which is why I am taking a second to update this blog. As soon as he is out, we'll be reading the next chapter of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" that we started last night. In fact, I think I just heard the shower turn off, so I must go now.

I just thought I'd do a quick update to let everyone know we are still here and that I haven't forgotten (totally) about this blog.

Until next time.....

Playing Catch Up

First of all, I'm sorry about missing the last two Photo Fridays. I know, I know, two in a row. I had every intention of posting last night, but I put in a 13 hour day, for the second day in a row, at work yesterday and I just couldn't bring myself to turn the computer back on when I walked in the door.

Besides being ridiculously busy at work lately, things have been going pretty well. We had a new driveway poured because we were in desparate need. It was in pretty sad shape. So sad, that whenever we got out of the car Aidan would run down and ask if he could chuck a rock (aka. cement from the driveway) into the street. For some reason, he never got tired of asking that question even though he knew the answer before he asked it.

Aidan has a new cousin and she is darn cute!! Natalie Jean was born on October 30th to my cousins Kandi and Chuck. She is a truly beautiful baby and Aidan was thrilled to be able to visit her at the same hospital where he was born. He has been excited about her for several months now and was just in awe at how tiny she was. Congratulations to the happy family!!

Halloween was lots of fun. We had 3 trick-or-treating events before halloween, so by the time the actual holiday actually rolled around, Aidan was just as happy passing out the candy and playing catch in the front yard, as he was actually trick-or-treating. I volunteered to work the halloween party at Aidan's school this year. I took a half day off of work and thought it was going to be so much fun. Boy, was I wrong. There were so many parents there that I felt like I was more in the way than of any help. It was loud, the kids were beyond excited and I watched the clock the entire time wishing the day would come to an end! Part of the problem was that as soon as I walked in, Aidan thought it was time to go home and so he spent most of the party asking when he could leave. I couldn't be mad though, because I had to side with him on this one. It was just utter chaos and home sounded like a much happier place.

Football season officially ended for Aidan today when they were knocked out of the playoffs this morning. Aidan was sad, but we've signed him up for winter football that will start in January....and best of all, it is indoors!!!! He is going to play on the same team and have the same coach and we are so thankful. He really had a wonderful coach this year.

Special Note: I will continue to attempt posting Photo Fridays, but I'm not making any promises from now until the end of the year as to their frequency. I have been under an incredible amount of stress lately and it has caused me some minor health issues, so I've made a promise to myself to make this holiday season the season to say "no." I apologize that Photo Friday just started and I am alredy backing out, but it has to be done. I'm not making a ton of commitments, a ton of appointments or scheduling a ton of activities. We will do only the one's that I think I can handle with the minimum amount of stress and that is it! My rule of thumb is if I don't want to do it, I'm just not going to do it.....period! This season, which according to the Christmas music that is already being played on the radio, has officially begun, will be one focused on my health and spending quality time with my family.

I will update along the way, but just don't feel the need to check this blog weekly at least until the beginning of next year. I will definitely be updating, but not on a weekly basis. I've had to start saying no to commitments already and unfortunately, this is one that was at the top of the list.

See you in a week or so......

Photo Friday

This little creature took up residence in our backyard recently.

Please Be Advised....

Photo Friday will not take place this week. It will resume next Friday. Thanks to all of our readers and see you next week!

Lil' MVP

Today was another great football Saturday! It was a beautiful day to be on the sidelines....sunny and 80 degrees. That is the way I like my football games. Rainy and cold is no way to go!

The boys played their hearts out! They were sweaty little balls of energy the whole game and it showed! It was their best game yet! I was so proud of every one of them, but one little guy stood out above the rest. After each game, the coach hands out a gold medal to the player who he considers that games Most Valuable Player. After 6 tackles and 2 touchdowns, I present todays MVP....

Aidan was thrilled to accept the medal today. Can you see the excitement in his eyes?! I have never screamed so loud for a football game in my life. By the end of the game, I was shaking like a leaf from the excitement. I don't know how I will ever survive this sport as the years go on. It is intense!!

Congratulations, Spartans! (By the way, the day the team chose their name, Paul shook his head in shame). Congratulations, Aidan! We are so proud of you, Spartan or not!!

Photo Friday

Are you ready for some football?!

Since Aidan was about two, we knew he would love organized sports. He enjoys playing any sport with anyone! He has played 3 season of soccer and this past summer he played his first season of t-ball. Now, he is playing flag football. Even though, football has always been Aidan's favorite, I didn't think that I would enjoy watching this sport, because I really thought he was too young....and I don't know a single thing about football. However, he is getting ready to play his fourth game of the season and I have to admit, it is my favorite sport to watch him play, so far. When I watch him, I can just tell that he is truly, truly happy. He bounces up and down with glee and runs like I've never seen him run before. He talks non-stop about football and NEVER tires of practicing at home. Even though I don't have a clue what is going on from a technical stand point, I do know that it is my little boy out there and I am incredibly proud of him. He is having the time of his life and I am really enjoying being a football mom!

In the above picture, Aidan is wearing the yellow pants and has the ball. Run, baby, run!

Homework Update

After school was a little hectic today. Aidan was scheduled for a dentist appointment and I knew they were going to give him a flouride treatment. I also knew that he wasn't going to be able to eat for about an hour after that, so he had to eat right after school. This was fine with him because he is typically STARVING after school. So, we ate dinner and went to the dentist (no cavities, YAY!) Today being Tuesday, it was also homework day. When we arrived home from the dentist, I asked Aidan who he wanted to help him with his homework and guess what? He picked me! I was so thrilled, not because I wanted to do the homework, but because I knew that I was not stressing him out as much as I feared. My prayers have been answered!

Photo Friday

This week marked alot of things in Aidan's kindergarten world. Today, was dress up day. This meant that 1) Aidan didn't have to wear his uniform and 2) he had his school pictures taken today. He wasn't really thrilled about the dress up day because, well....he's a 5 year old boy. He could care less about wearing preppy button up shirts and dress pants. He would have rather worn his school uniform because he can wear shorts (at least until the end of October). He doesn't care that he has to wear uniform shorts with dress shoes because, well...he's a 5 year old boy.

This was also the first week that he had homework. We were told at kindergarten orientation that once homework began, it would be sent home every Tuesday and Thursday. I thought this was fabulous. First of all, it was only 2 nights a week and second, we could plan around homework nights.

Last week, Paul was out of town on business and I was really nervous because I thought it would be the week that homework started. I was fretting about having to deal with the homework alone. I have "issues" with anything school related and that includes homework. I couldn't even imagine having to deal with the anxiety that homework brought. For me, it is really about the anxiety, not about the homework itself. I mean, come on, how hard can kindergarten homework really be? So, you can imagine the sigh of relief that came from our home when I frantically rifled through the yellow folder last Tuesday only to realize that I had been saved! No homework. I was safe for another week. Most of all, I was safe. Paul would be home next week and I had every intention of letting him handle the homework demons.

This Tuesday, I opened the folder and saw the homework page. I knew it was coming because on Friday, the teacher sent home a note telling us that this week started homework. I can hear my friend Trista saying, "you have got to get over your issues with school." I know she is right and I have tried really hard not to project any of my feelings on to Aidan when it comes to school. I had planned Aidan's favorite dinner Tuesday night to celebrate the first day of homework. I pulled the homework out of the folder and asked Aidan if he wanted to do the homework now or after dnner. I thought it would put a positive spin on it if I made it his choice. After we went round and round about homework, Aidan ended up in his room crying and I was slamming pots and pans around while trying to finish dinner. But, no matter how hard I thought I was trying, I obviously failed. I'm not even sure how we ended up in the argument about homework, but, we did. So, after I calmed down, I went to his room to find him hiding in the closet. I asked him why he was so upset and he said that he didn't think it was fair that he had to do homework when daddy never had to do any homework. Deep down, I felt sorry for him, but I calmly rationalized with him. Luckily, I had read a post by my friend, Josie, about a school related discussion she recently had with her daughter and used the same story with Aidan. Thank you Josie, for your calm, rational...wait, is that the same Josie I used to work with (just kidding)?!? Anyway, we marched right into the kitchen and finished the homework in about 10 minutes. We also got through Thursday evenings homework without fail. Although, I did leave that day for Paul to handle. Needless to say, I feel so much better that the first homework assignments are behind us and we stopped for a slurpee on the way home today, to celebrate....again!!

Charles, this one's for you!

I know it's not Photo Friday, but I'm posting this for Charles. He specifically asked me about Photo Friday, so at least I know HE is reading my blog. This one's for you, pal! Thanks for reading!

Photo Friday

Photo Friday

Doggy....never leave home without him!

You Know You've Made The Right Decision When...

On Friday night, Aidan and I were relaxing after getting ready for bed. We decided to play a couple games of Uno, which has quickly become his new favorite game. During the game he looked up at me and said:

Aidan: "Mom, I love you. You're the best mom ever."
Jenny: "Thanks, Aidan. Why do you think I'm the best mom ever?"
Aidan: "Because you let me go to [insert name here] school and I really love it there."
Jenny: "I'm so glad you like your new school. Daddy and I think you're going to do really well and we are so proud of you."

I was a little worried about Aidan starting kindergarten because his preschool teacher told us that she didn't think he was ready for full day kindergarten because he couldn't sit still. However, he seems to have adjusted just fine and this seems to be the perfect fit for him. I think the routine and structure is exactly what he needed.

We are so blessed to have been welcomed into this school/church community. As I write this post, I can't help but think of my favorite prayer. I have it hanging in our home, as well as at my office and look to it often:

"May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith. May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let his presence settle into our bones, and allow your souls the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of you."

Photo Friday

In an effort to start using this blog more frequently, I've decided to try something new. I'm going to start something called Photo Friday. It is very simple....every Friday, I post a photo. It may or may not include an update or caption, but hey, at least you'll be promised a photo.

Today's photo is one of my favorite pictures of my guys from this summer!

Happy Photo Friday everyone!!

What Did You Do Today?

When Aidan comes home
At the end of the day,
There's a question I ask
As he scurrys to play.
"Tell me, what did you do in school today?"

"Nothing. I did nothing today!"

Perhaps nothing means that he played with blocks,
Tied his own shoes, or found beautiful rocks.
Maybe the monarchs hatched today,
Or mabye he found a new friend to play.
Maybe today was the very first time
His scissors followed a very stright line,
He learned a new song, and sang all the words,
Or he touched a feather from the strangest of birds.
When you're five and your heart has wings,
"Nothing" can mean some wonderful things!

First Day of School

This morning went very smoothly. Aidan woke up, got dressed and we were soon on our way to the first day of school. He was not happy about having to tuck his shirt in, but got over it very quickly when he found out that he got to wear his new shoes to school today.

The drive to school was very uneventful, but beautiful. When Paul and I got married almost 11 years ago, someone told me to take the time throughout the day to remember the little moments. That was such great advice and I've tried to do that with so many things in my life. As I drove Aidan to school I remided myself to take everything in. It was very foggy and the moon was still high in the sky trying to shine through, giving everything a frosty glow. Aidan was listening to "Land Before Time" so the music in the car was as dramatic as the sights.

By looking at Aidan, you would have never known he was nervous. I should have known something was up, though, when he refused to eat breakfast. (He gets that nervous stomach from me!) As we got closer to the school, we got stuck by a train. Aidan got a little frantic, insisting that school would be over by the time we got there. Mind you, we were only about 3 minutes away from the school at this point. Once I reassured him that mommy would never make him late for his first day of school, he seemed to recover quickly. We had to park a block away from the school and as we were walking up, Aidan sqeezed my hand and said, "mommy, I'm going to miss you." At that point, I wanted to turn around, buckle him safely back into the car and ride off into the rising sun....but thought better of it. Instead, I put on my bravest face and said, "You're going to have so much fun and the day will go by so fast, you won't have time to miss me." As we made it to the school grounds, the older kids were in "the pen," which is the gated area next to the school that the kids so eloquently named. Aidan's eyes got bigger as we got closer and I noticed his grip once again tightening. He looked up at me and said, "Do we have to go in THERE?" I assured him that we would not be going in there, proceeded to march right past the bigger kids, walked right through the front doors of his school and right into his classroom. Once inside his classroom, he let go of my hand and took control. He went right to his hook and hung his bag up, put his nametag on, and sat on the appropriate square on the rug. He was all smiles from that point forward.

In the meantime, I had taken control of my own destiny. I knew that I was not going to want to leave at 8:00 when the bell rang as we had been instructed to do the night before. So, I signed up to volunteer at the school from 8a.m. until 11a.m. This was the best move that I made and highly recommend it. I didn't feel like I was being shoved out the door right when the bell rang, for my child to fend for himself. I simply waved goodbye and walked down the hall to volunteer my time. I met two other moms who had the same idea that I did. While we were working in the lunchroom, the kindergarten class went on a tour of the school and Aidan's face lit up when he saw that I was still at the school. After my volunteer session, I marched right into the principal's office and spoke with her about creating a kindergarten directory. I thought it would be a great way to gain a sense of community within Aidan's class....afterall, we are going to be with most of these families for at least the next 9 years.

When 12:00 rolled around, I found myself lined up outside with the other parents waiting for the bell to ring. Aidan came strolling out as cool as a cucumber. We walked across the street with a classmate and her mom to check out the latch key center. The kids immediately took toys off of the shelf and started playing. They didn't want to leave. Aidan and I ended up going to lunch with this classmate and her mom, as well. It was the perfect ending to a perfect day.

I couldn't have asked for a better first day of school!! Aidan has already asked when he could go back to his new school!

Oh, by the way....I've now had the chance to go through the dreaded blue folder filled with papers. I've sorted them into two piles.....a reference pile and a "needs to be completed and returned to school" file. I've also created a calendar list with due dates and important happenings and feel completely at peace with my new role as a kindergarten mom. Isn't it amazing what a little organization can do? My mom says I have control issues. Call it what you want, but I am a much happier person when I have a LIST!!!! List....er, I mean, Life is definitely good!!

Orientation

Last night was kindergarten orientation. To be truthful, I went there looking for peace. I thought after I was there, met some of Aidan's classmates, met some parents, met some teachers, saw how everything was going to be, I would feel better. However, I came out feeling completely overwhelmed. I had a folder full of due dates and papers that needed filled out. By the time we arrived at home it was going on 9 p.m. and Aidan was super hyper. I didn't have the energy to face the blue folder filled with papers. However, I knew that I had to at least get the emergency card filled out.

I crawled into bed at 11:30 feeling very anxious. At 1 a.m. I was still staring at the clock. I had this sick feeling inside of me. I was so nervous. I was nervous that our alarm clock wouldn't go off, nervous that Aidan would run out of time in the morning, nervous that I put the wrong paper in his backpack. I felt like I was the one going to school in the morning. I was so flustered that I had let my own emotions of school come flooding back. I want Aidan to feel differently about school than I did!!

Don't Blink

For Aidan, this week marks the end of summer camp. He was really worried earlier in the week because we didn't have his school shoes yet. So, yesterday I surprised him by picking him up early from school to finish getting the few odds and ends that are needed for kindergarten next week, including school shoes. He has been really excited about starting "big kid" school and is thrilled with his new Transformer backpack and lunch bag.

Last night, as we were getting ready for bed, I was telling Aidan that I hoped he would have a great day at school tomorrow because it would be the last time he saw this set of teachers and alot of his friends until summer camp next year. He got this really serious look on his face and said to me, "Mom, I don't think I'm ready for kindergarten yet." At this point, I wasn't convinced that he was really concerned. I thought maybe he was using this as a stall tactic for going to bed. I explained that after his last day tomorrow, we would go for a bike ride in the Metro Park and go for ice cream to celebrate his last day of preschool. Then, I gently reminded him that he would have 4 days off to get ready for kindergarten and I was sure that he would be ready by next Wednesday.

However, after he fell asleep, I began thinking. Was I ready for this? I mean, I've been preparing myself all summer but this was it. We are in the final days of preschool. As I watched him sleep so peacefully, I was reminded of the new Kenny Chesney song, "Don't Blink".

Paul and I talked long into the night about how we were excited for Aidan to start kindergarten. We know he will do well. He enjoys learning new things. He strives to make us proud by making good decisions. But we are also afraid. These last 5 years went by so fast....in the blink of an eye. My fear is that once school starts, the next 13 are going to go by even faster.

"Don't Blink. You just might miss your babies growing like mine did."
-Kenny Chesney

I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable Labor Day weekend. I'll be spending quality time with my wonderful little boy whom I couldn't be more proud of. I truly am the luckiest mom in town!!

What's in a Name?

Aidan: Mom, why do you call me Aidan?
Jenny: That's your name....Daddy and I chose it for you.
Aidan: Well, I wanted a different name.
Jenny: Really? Like what?
Aidan: Nevermind....it's too late now.

Never a dull moment around here.

How To Tell if a Car is a Dodge, or not

On the way to Aidan's T-Ball picnic last night, I (apparently) looked in the rearview mirror.

Aidan: Mom, what were you looking at in the mirror?
Jenny: To see if there were any cars behind us.
Aidan: Well, did you see any?
Jenny: Yes.
Aidan: What kind?
Jenny: A large, white one. (It was some sort of SUV)
Aidan: (trying to maneuver himself in his carseat to see behind us) Oh, mom, that's a Dodge Dealer.
Jenny: How do you know?
Aidan: See that Big G-M-C on the front of the car? That means it's a dodge dealer.

Hmmmm....I guess I know now.

Just a Little Longer

At the beginning of the summer, Paul and I cleaned out Aidan’s closets and drawers. He had so many clothes that didn’t fit him anymore and some clothes that fit him, but he wouldn’t wear because, well….he is picky.

Since then, I have been mulling around the idea of a garage sale. I don’t mind the work of the garage sale, but my heart just can’t get rid of all of the baby stuff. We have EVERYTHING. We haven’t rid ourselves of anything baby. We still have all of the big stuff, such as a crib, a high chair, a changing table, etc. We have all of the medium stuff, such as excer-saucers and bouncy seats. We have clothes coming out of everywhere and just as many, if not more, toys. Just when I convince myself that I am just wasting space in our basement with all of this stuff and go down to sort through and begin the garage sale process, I pull out a piece of clothing or a toy from when Aidan was an infant and I just can’t do it. I look at the outfit that we brought him home from the hospital in and I just can’t imagine people rifling through the stuff in my garage.

I recently had a conversation with a co-worker regarding garage sales. She just had one and was trying to talk me out of it because it was just way to much work. The conversation suddenly turned deeper as I explained the real reason I was avoiding the garage sale. She told me that I should wait until I was ready to let go of all of the stuff before having a garage sale. I have thought a lot about this conversation and decided that I WILL wait. Eventually, I will be ready to let go of it all. The reality of the situation is that we probably won’t have any more children, but we haven’t made any permanent decisions. But for now, I will just keep the stuff in my basement. It’s been there this long, it can wait a little longer.

This morning, Aidan wanted to wear these bright blue/fluorescent green buzz light year shorts to school. I knew he had a fluorescent green shirt that would match, but since he had previously refused to wear it, we put it in the basement with all of the clothes that didn’t fit him anymore. So, I went down to the basement to drag it out. Well, of course, I had to dig through so many memories (I mean, clothes) to find the thing and it just made me sad. I looked over at Aidan who was standing eagerly over the box waiting for the fluorescent green shirt to appear and he suddenly looked so tall. I can’t believe how much he has grown. I am so proud of the little boy he has become, but it seems like just yesterday when he fit so perfectly in my hands. I eventually found an equally bright blue buzz light year shirt that matched his shorts. I didn’t search any further for the fluorescent green shirt. I shut the box, turned off the lights and headed up the stairs, content in the fact that all of the baby supplies will remain in our basement for a little while longer.

My favorite part of summer...or is it?

This weekend is a time that I look forward too all year. The Summer Festivals and Street Fairs have arrived! Usually, they are on two different weekends, but this year, they both took place this weekend. It is a time when you wander the streets looking at different arts and crafts, eat yummy fair foods and simply enjoy the good ol' summertime.

On Friday, we attended the Art Fair with my mom. I was looking forward to it all week long, but when we arrived, I was a little disappointed. For some reason I felt rushed and I was really nervous about having Aidan with us. This is the first year when he wasn't in a stroller and I was just paranoid about where he was at all times. He was really good and held our hand most of the time, but I was still really uneasy.

Today, Aidan had a birthday party to go to. It was for a three hour time span. After we dropped Aidan off at the party, Paul and I headed to the Mid-Summer Festival. I thought I would enjoy it more if I didn't have to worry about Aidan. Again, I was disappointed. I liked the vendors much better than the Friday night Fair, but still, my heart wasn't in it. Paul and I wandered around long enough to kill some time before we had to pick Aidan up at the party. Although, I will say, it was nice to wander hand-in hand with Paul for a couple of hours.

We arrived at the party to pick up Aidan. He had a fabulous time and, of course, didn't want to leave. A clown came to the party and painted the kids faces. There were hot dogs, macaroni and cheese and all of his summer camp friends.....a perfect combination for a 5 year old boy. All of the little girls chose to have their faces done up like little fairies or butterflies. When I saw Aidan, I just gasped! Ahhhh...the joy of little boys!

Later in the evening, we drove over to a local park to throw rocks in the river. Really, I used it as another opportunity to play with my camera....Paul and Aidan did the rock throwing. When we got to the park, there was a family feeding a ground hog. This thing was eating right out of their hands! I couldn't believe it. One of the boys offered Aidan some peanuts and he was able to feed it too. It was really cool....I had never seen anything like it before in my life. And, of course, I didn't miss this photo opportunity! I think I know why I was so disappointed in the summer fairs. I would rather be taking photos....

Happy Birthday To Me!

Even though my birthday is not until the 23rd, I already got my present! Because Paul wanted to make sure that everthing was in working order, etc., he let me have my brand new Canon Digital Rebel XTi camera! This camera is SWEET!!!! I can't tell you how excited I am and have been taking pictures like crazy. Along with the camera, was a 4GM CF card, a telephoto lens and a case to hold all of my new toys. I've had the camera for about 3 days now and have taken almost 500 pictures. Hey, there is alot to learn on this new toy! I felt really special to have received such a generous gift!

The Pre-School Graduate

You were six months old and full of fun

With a blink of an eye you were suddenly one.

There were so many things we were going to do,

But I turn my head and you were two.

At two you were still dependent on me,

But independence took over when you were three.

Your third birthday, another year I wished to ignore,

But as I lit the candles there weren't three but four.

Four was the year that you really strived,

Why, look at you now, you're already five.

Now you're ready for books and rules,

This is the year that you go to school.

The big day will come and you'll be anxious to go.

We'll walk through the doors, going oh so slow.

As I drive away and you wave good-bye

I'll feel that lump in my throat and a tear sting my eye.

For when you walk back through the doors and jump all around,

You'll be wearing your cap and graduation gown.

Time goes by so fast its hard to believe,

Why just yesterday you were home with me.

So I am holding these moments as hard as I can,
Because the next time I look I'll be seeing a man...

The Release

As I mentioned in a previous post, Aidan received a Butterfly Garden for his birthday, from Paul's mom. It was a very cool gift. I never realized how quickly butterflies grew.

We sent away for our butterfly larvae. When they arrived, they guaranteed that 3 out of the 5 would make it to the butterly stage. We noticed a difference in the size of the caterpillars overnight. They grow very rapidly. After about a week in the caterpillar stage, they turn to chrysalids. After about a week in this phase, beautiful butterflies appeared. We are proud to say that we were able to transform all 5 of our larvae into butterflies.

Of course, the difficult part for Aidan was the release. He cried and cried. We were finally able to convince him that they would die if we didn't release them. When he was ready, he unzipped the lid of the observation habitat and the butterflies (affectionately named: Annie, Leo, June, Quincy and Rocket....after Disney's, Little Einsteins) flew free.

We learned alot about butterflies, but Aidan's favorites were:

• They drink kool-aid (sugar water) just like him.
• They taste with their feet.
• They have 10,000 eyes each.
• They breathe through their tummy.
  

The most wonderful man in the world

On Thursdays, Paul doesn't get home until at least 8 p.m. due to his golf league. Aidan and I take this opportunity for some quality mommy/son bonding. Yesterday, for some reason, mommy just wasn't good enough.

As soon as I picked Aidan up from school he asked when Paul would be getting home. Paul and Aidan have always had a great relationship. Paul is a very hands-on dad and Aidan couldn't be happier about that. At first, I didn't think much about him asking for Paul, but when he started asking at regular intervals, I started to wonder what was going on. Aidan was excited to find out that we would be making our own pizza for dinner. This was a good distraction as he was starting to get whiny about Paul not being home. After dinner, he said that he, "wished daddy was home because he wanted to go out and toss the football." I said, "well, mommy can do that with you." Aidan was excited about the idea of teaching me how to play football. Again, I thought this was the distraction he needed. Aidan continued to ask for Paul throughout our game of catch. Finally, I said, "don't you like playing with mommy?" Aidan told me that he did like playing with me, but that he just missed his daddy. After about 40 minutes of playing football, I suggested that we go inside, take a bath and read some stories. During the bath, he again said that he missed his daddy. I asked, "what do you miss about daddy?" Aidan responded, "I miss him because he is the best daddy in the world."

After the bath, we read a little golden book. Right as we got to the last page, Paul came through the door. Aidan was thrilled. Paul took a shower and the two of them climbed into our bed to watch the basketball game. Aidan was so happy....falling asleep right next to daddy.

I guess sometimes, a boy just needs his daddy! I am so happy that Paul is so involved in Aidan's life and that Aidan treasures that relationship. I am so proud of both of them. THIS is just one reason that I am married to the most wonderful man in the world.

I love you, Paul!

The Orioles, Cardinals & BlueJays

No....I'm not talking about baseball teams.

I'm talking about birds. I love when spring arrives. Summer is my favorite season, but there are many things I like about spring, as well. One of them is the birds. When I was home on maternity leave, Aidan and I spent alot of time watching the bluejays. He was facinated by the birds motion and I was facinated by their beauty. Since then, we've always fed the birds and it has become sort of an addiction for me. We have several feeders in our yard now and they attract ALOT of hungry birds.

One of our feeders is a hummingbird feeder. I was starting to get frustrated with it because it wasn't attracting any hummingbirds. Well, guess what started feeding at our hummingbird feeder?! A Baltimore Oriole. I was so excited that I went right out and bought an oriole feeder to add to the mix. Wouldn't you know, the very next day, hummingbirds started showing up.

Those darn little hummingbirds are just to fast to capture on film!

Pauls mom bought Aidan a butterfly garden for his birthday. We sent away for the catepillars. They grew and have formed chrysalides. We are currently waiting for the butterflies to emerge. We are excited to add them to our flying friends!

I'm Baaaaack

So, I bet you thought I fell off the face of the earth. Nope. I've been here all along....just been too busy to update the blog. So sorry.

Since spring has arrived, we have been busy playing taxi to a very energetic little boy. Aidan is playing soccer and t-ball this spring/summer, so we've been busy with practices and games. It is just too cute for words to watch these games.

I didn't think I'd like to watch t-ball, because I figured I'd be bored stiff. Afterall, baseball is boring enough when grown men play. I'm telling you, it is like watching a comedy show. Some of the little girls are so small and petite that they cannot even lift the bat. One of the kids is a very young 4 and she is hysterical. She is either standing there with her mitt over her face or chewing on the lace to her mitt. Other times, the ball is hit to first base and you'll see the kid playing third base, dart across the field to chase after the ball.....along with all of the other kids on the team (including those that had recently bat and are standing on a base, waiting to run to the next base. It makes me laugh just thinking about it.

By the end of the night, most of the kids are more interested in playing in the gravel or picking dandelions, depending on their position at the time.

5th Birthday Celebration

The week after my sisters wedding, Paul, Aidan and I went away on a mini vacation to an indoor waterpark to celebrate Aidan's birthday. Aidan requested this over a party and we thought it would be nice to get away after all of the wedding hoopla in addition to the birthday celebration.

We left for the waterpark the day before his birthday. When he woke up he asked if he was 5 yet. We explained that he wouldn't be 5 until the following day, but we were going to start the celebration early. The next morning when we woke up at the hotel, Aidan again asked, "Mom, am I 5?" After confirming that he was 5, he got the biggest smile on his face and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!" It was so precious....I wish I would have gotten it on video. Priceless, I tell you. Priceless!

Then on Saturday, we celebrated with cake and ice cream with our parents and siblings. There were too many pictures to post, so I've created a video montage instead of posting individual pics. I hope you enjoy. We had an absolute blast!

April 14, 2007

Sorry, I haven't updated in a while. April has been a whirlwind of activity for us. We have had a blast, but I'll be glad when I can call April history.

On April 14th, my sister got married and Aidan played ringbearer for the 5th time. I've gotta give him credit...he is 5 for 5 in making it down the aisle. What a trooper. This was the first wedding where he was old enough to really enjoy the reception and that he did!! He shook his little booty all night long. So much so that we had to give him motrin that night because he was crying that his feet hurt him so badly.

Happy Belated Easter!

Aidan's enthusiasm started early on Saturday morning. He knew he was going to attend a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese, then he was going to color eggs with his aunts and uncles that evening. Early Saturday morning he complained of a sore throat and stomach ache so we gave him children's pepto bismol, tylenol and pushed forward with our day. He refused to miss the parties. He had a great time at the birthday party and an even greater time coloring eggs with grandma, grandpa, Aunt Denise and Uncle Randy. He even won the "best egg" contest and won a stuffed bunny which he named Thumper.

However, by the time he got home he was exhausted and running a fever. Paul gave him some tylenol and he was asleep within minutes. We woke up early Sunday morning, administered motrin for the fever that had come back overnight and went on to mass. I knew he was sick when he didn't ask for a single piece of candy after finding his Easter basket. He just went to our bedroom, crawled in and closed his eyes. We let him rest for a bit before heading over to Paul's parents for our Easter celebration. He played for about a half hour with Uncle Randy, we ate brunch and then he climbed in my lap and never left for the rest of the day. He kept falling in and out of sleep.

Needless to say, this morning the doctor diagnosed strep throat. Ughhh!! So, if anyone is in need of a chocolate fix....we've got tons of uneaten chocolate!! The Easter scrapbook pages will be skimpy this year, but I couldn't go without at least one. So here it is....the lonly Easter pic!!

Before You Turn 5

Aidan has several friends at school who share an April birthday, so he's had lots of cupcakes this week. Each day he will come home and say, "it was [insert name here] birthday today, he's 5. Am I five?" So the final countdown has begun. He will turn 5 in 12 short days.

This morning, as we were getting ready for school, the following conversation took place:

Aidan: "Mom, what is your job?"
Jenny: "Well, one of my jobs is being a mom."
Aidan: "Do you like your job?"
Jenny: "Being a mom is the best job I could ever have."
Aidan: "Why do you and daddy kiss me so much?"
Jenny: "Because we love you so much we can never get enough. Do you know that we love you?"
Aidan: "I guess" then he looks at me out of the corner of his eye and errupts in laughter. Then we break into a ticklefest.

After I dropped him off at school, I played the conversation over and over in my head. Aidan, there is something that I want you to know right now. Right this very moment. Today. Before you turn 5.

I have learned more than I ever dreamed possible from you. You are the reason I get up in the morning. You put the most smiles on my face. You make me want to be better, all the time. You influence every choice I make; everything I do. I love you to the moon, Aidan Thomas!

In Loving Memory - Uncle Steve

I come again to report another death in Paul's family. Pauls Uncle Steve passed away Tuesday evening, very peacefully. Uncle Steve is Great Grandma Olle's brother. I'm sure she was waiting at the gates of heaven to welcome him home.

I can remember having family gatherings at Uncle Steve's farm. We would BBQ, go on tractor rides, play baseball and just enjoy being a family. Paul has very fond memories of going to the farm as a child. When Paul and I were expecting Aidan, we picked out a cute overall outfit that had tractors and cows all over it, just so he could wear it on his first trip to Uncle Steve's farm.

Uncle Steve was a very simple and very happy man. What a treasure he was to our family. He will be greatly missed.

Spring has Sprung!!!

Spring has sprung! Well, at least for today. The forcast calls for snow on Friday, but today we enjoyed 72 degrees and a glimpse of whats to come!!

At 3:15, I sent my boss a note saying that I was scooting out of work early to enjoy the weather. I am so greatful to have a job with such flexibility!! By 4pm, I had picked Aidan up from school and stopped at the local 7-11/gas station to fill the car up with gas and grab a small slurpee for a very giddy little boy.

Once at home, Aidan played on the monkey bars and showed off his swinging abilities (he doesn't require a "pusher" anymore....bonus!!) I listened to Paul and Aidan go on an "adventure" around the playscape as I cleaned up an entire winters worth of dog feces. This is not a very exciting job, but I was so excited to be outside that I was thrilled with even this task. I think this is the earliest that I've ever been able to clean the yard. 2 bags of feces later (this is the time when a dog lover could learn to love a cat!), I was ready to join the adventure. I couldn't believe that just two days ago there was snow on the ground and today spring flowers are starting to peer through the uglyness of winter.

We continued our fine spring day by grilling chicken outside and going for a walk. Paul and I enjoyed the fresh air and conversation, Java enjoyed the smells and marking many lawns and Aidan enjoyed his first (of many) bike rides of the year.

We ended the evening with a trip to the ice cream shop. Mmmmm, I'm a sucker for mint chocolate chip!! I'm sad with the prediction of tomorrows colder weather, but am so thankful for the wonderful today!!!

If The Shoe Fits

I am a working mom. I work full-time (40+) hours a week. When I was growing up, I always thought I would be a stay-at-home mom. However, after Paul and I were married and decided to have children this idea was not a reality for us. The bottom line is Paul and I both have to work. Could we have a smaller home? Yes. Could we spend less here and there? Yes. Could we choose public schools over private schools? Yes. But the reality is that the answer to these and other questions wouldn’t change our situation.

When Aidan was born, I had the luxury of staying home with him for 7 ½ months. I was on disability for 6 weeks and took the remainder of the time under the Family Medical Leave Act. I was so blessed to be able to stay home for those months, but the guilt I felt when I had to return to work was almost unbearable. I felt guilty about EVERYTHING!! So much so, that I couldn’t enjoy the time I was home in the evenings because I felt like I always had to “make up” for lost time. This created stress and ultimately, more guilt. I was being consumed by the guilt.

In the beginning, I felt like I always had to defend my decision to return to work to my family, friends, peers and co-workers. I had a friend, who is a stay-at-home mom make the comment to me, “I am a single mom with a paycheck.” Her husband works long hours and is always out of town on business. When he is home, they are really leading two different lives. That truly is a main reason as to why Paul and I decided that I would work outside of the home. Right before Aidan was born, Paul had the opportunity for a job outside of the state, that paid enough where we would have been comfortable with me staying home and raising our child. However, Paul would have had to work many hours, be on call all of the time, and essentially put work first. That would mean leaving Aidan and I behind most of the time. That was not a sacrifice that we were willing to make. Paul wanted to be a hands-on dad. In addition, Paul and I didn’t want to sacrifice each other, and ultimately our marriage, either. Not only are the three of us growing as a family, but Paul and I are growing together not only as husband and wife, but as parents. When Aidan is grown and moves out into the world on his own, I want to know my husband. I don’t want to realize all of a sudden that I have to start our marriage over because Paul focused all of his energy on working so that I could focus all of my energy on raising our child. We want to share both of these experiences and responsibilities.

People, to this day, say to me, “I don’t know how working moms do it.” Just this week, I had someone say to me “I don’t know how you find time outside of work hours for anything more than dinner and getting the kids to bed.” Well, sometimes that is all we have time for in the evenings. But, it is not all of the time. It is not even the majority of the time. It takes a lot of time, energy and organization to make it work. We work together and it takes all three of us to make it happen. We have learned our steps of this dance in life together and we are a stronger family because of it. We didn’t make this decision for our family in one night. We put a lot of thought and discussion into it and I am confident in our decision. I no longer feel guilt about being a working mom because I have seen that it works for us. It took time for me to realize that this WAS the right decision for us. But the reality is, Paul and I have a wonderful marriage and Aidan is a well adjusted little boy. Really, I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Now, am I saying that if the opportunity presented itself that I wouldn't stay home and raise my child? No. Am I saying that anyone who can stay home and raise their children but chooses to go back to work is a bad person? No. Am I saying that a family who chooses for one parent to work while the other solely raises their children is a wrong decision? Definitely not. Honestly, how could I? I don’t walk in those shoes. I only walk in my shoes and I can say, without a doubt, that the shoes I am wearing fit well!! The decision that we made is right for OUR family.

My New Scrapbook Companion

I'm always looking for a new scrapbook companion. I have my ol' faithful friend, Trista...but due to geography it is a little difficult. Trista and I try to attend a scrapbook weekend once a quarter. We make it a girls weekend.....scrapbook all weekend, stay up until some riduculous hour in the morning solving all of the world's problems and enjoy our wine and cheese. It makes for a fabulous time and allows us time to catch up.

However, if I only scrapbooked on these weekends, I would be further behind than I already am. I have scrapbooked with my cousin, aunt, co-workers, sister-in-law, etc. All are great scrapbook companions, but none of them quite the die hard that I am.

Last weekend, I was on one of my scrapbook weekends with Trista so this week I've been talking alot about scrapbooking. Aidan has looked through my pages and decided that on Friday night, after daddy left for bowling, he and I would scrapbook. I was thrilled (as I am with anyone who wants to scrapbook with me). We set up the card table, pulled out all of the supplies and got to work. Aidan was most excited with my mini paper cutter. In fact, he couldn't understand why I had two and thought I was pretty selfish not to give one to him. He has so much to learn! Anyway, he completed his entire 4*4 album kit (which I purchased for $0.75 at an after Christmas sale and was saving for an opportunity like this.) After he finished his album he decided that he was going to crop his pictures for next time. He proceeded to cut the pictures into several small pieces. When I told him to separate his pieces into a pile of trash and a pile to keep for next time, he swiftly swept the entire pile into the box for keeps.

Now he's ready for the big time! He told me that Ms. Trista would be surprised the next time I went scrapbooking because I would have my baby boy with me. I'm sure Ms. Trista would like to scrapbook with Aidan...he is definitely into quantity.

While I thoroughly enjoyed my evening with Aidan and will probably scrapbook with him again in the near future, I think I'll keep those weekends for me and my dear girlfriends!!

In Loving Memory

It brings me great sadness to report that Paul's grandma passed away this evening. I consider myself incredibily lucky to have called her my grandma, too.

Picture taken: 7/9/2005

January 3, 1913 - February 10, 2007

Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal.

Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up...

....To Be Cowboys!

Every week during the winter, Aidan's school has "Crazy Days." These are themed days to break up the winter months when they don't get to go outside as frequently. Last week it was so cold that there were many school closings in our area. Last weeks crazy day also happened to be cowboy day....one of Aidan's favorites. In the morning he was getting dressed and just couldn't believe that daddy wasn't dressing in his cowboy clothes for work. Hmmmm, maybe we should all take that up with our bosses. Cowboy day might just break up the work week, no matter the weather. Don't ya' think?!

I can see the look on my boss' face right now.....and that just made my week happier!

They Might Be Giants

Last night we attended an open house at the school where Aidan will go to kindergarten. We are already enrolled, but the principal urged us to attend and we happily obliged. I think we talked it up a bit too much for Aidan, because he wasn't real thrilled to be there. He was a bit withdrawn and moody, to say the least.

His mood perked, however, when we got to the gym. He was a little disappointed that he wasn't able to play basketball, but gained his excitement back when he was choosing his new gym uniform. They have a choice between sweatpants (cuffed or straightleg) or wind pants. I thought for sure Aidan would choose the sweatpants. Against Pauls better judgement, Aidan has always been a fan of them. However, once he saw that the windpants had zippered legs, the decision was made. What is it with zippered legs that make little boys go wild?! So, windpants it is!

Even though Aidan wasn't in the best of moods, I was glad that we attended last night. I learned that one of the little girls that is currently in his preschool class will also go to the same kindergarten. What a relief....although more for me than for Aidan as he could have cared less at the time. We also got a peek at some of the other children who were scoping out the school and could possibly be his future classmates. HOLY COW!! All of the kids towered over Aidan. I never thought of him as short, but last night he looked so tiny. Gulp! After wandering through the school and checking out the cafeteria, gym, computer lab, etc. I calmed my fears. I have just come to the conclusion that those other children might be giants!

Look At Them Now

When I was downloading the pictures that I took for the previous post, I couldn't believe how quickly Lacee and Hollee have grown.

Lacee and Hollee are my cousins, Tammi and Rodneys, girls. They were the flowergirls when Paul and I got married 10 years ago. They were so sweet then and are even sweeter now. They have grown up to be such beautiful girls. They are typical teenagers. They love boys and are always on their cellphones. They are so kind and sweet!!

After I downloaded the pictures from this past weekend, I pulled out my wedding album. You have to see it with your own eyes.

Hollee & Lacee - 1996

Hollee - 2007

Lacee - 2007

To Lacee & Hollee:

May the sun shine, all day long,

everything go right, and nothing wrong.

May those you love bring love back to you,

and may all the wishes you wish come true!

Crazy about Cousins

We had a family gathering this past weekend, to celebrate my cousins upcoming wedding. Congratulations Timmy & Faith!

An amazing thing happened at the gathering....all of the youngest generation were in the same place at the same time. I couldn't miss this photo opportunity. It will probably NEVER happen again! So here they are.....

Back: Kaylea, Chelsea, Brittany, Aidan, Josh

Front: Hollee, Lacee

Cousins are cozy wherever they're from;

They feel like your family whenever they come.

Some people have many; most people have some.

Cousins are cozy wherever they're from.

Are they not the cutest bunch?!

Granola Moms....To Be or Not To Be

We were just finishing up our evening....getting lunches packed for the next day, getting pajamas on, brushing teeth, etc. A TV commercial was playing in the background, for Cymbalta. It was a drug commerical. I could hear the commerical but I can honestly say that I really wasn't paying attention to it. Apparently, it had Aidan's full attention.

Television Commercial: (after rambling on about such and such side affects and who this particular drug was right for and who it wasn't) "Ask your doctor if Cymbalta is right for you."

Aidan: (in a very serious tone) "Mom, is Cymbalta right for me?"

Hmmmm, I wonder what other things he's picked up from television. Maybe those granola moms are on to something.....

Note: If you're not sure what a Granola Mom is, check out my friend, Tristas, blog.

Kindergarten Bound

Yesterday was a holiday for my company. I had an appointment to register Aidan for kindergarten at 9am. However, I woke to festival of school closings and the appointment had to be cancelled. Deep down, I was a little relieved. Naturally, I am excited for Aidan to start kindergarten, however, I am sad as well. We will forever be saying goodbye to the toddler stage of life and we are getting further and further from his baby days. Needless to say, Aidan and I cuddled a little closer last night.

This morning, however, the school called and asked if I could come in to register today. TODAY!? But, I wasn't prepared. I had all of my paperwork in order, immunization records, birth certificate, baptismal record, but I was not at all mentally prepared. I had prepared myself for the initial registration all weekend, but I was not prepared for this call and for the registration to proceed so quickly after I escaped yesterday. As I gathered my papers and headed out to the car, I thought to myself. How silly? How can you not be prepared? You were ready yesterday and it is simply registration. It is not as if he has his backpack strapped on and is walking out to the bus stop.

As I turned onto the street with the school, the big yellow bus was parked out front. As the bus got larger, my heart sank deeper. Ughhhh, I did not want to do this. I did not want Aidan to turn 5 so soon. I did not want him to go to kindergarten all ready. I did not want to admit that my baby is growing up. I was buzzed into the school and I opened the front door. The SMELL overtook me. It was THAT smell....that SAME smell that made me sick to my stomach for the first month of high school. There is something about schools that do me in, and this was no different.

I turned the corner and the principal was there to greet me. She was smiling and knew exactly who I was. (She should. She was expecting me, right?) She ran through EVERTYTHING with me. She answered almost all of my questions before I had a chance to ask them and was patient as I muddled through the remaining few that I had. She took me down to the kindergarten room to see their new gym uniforms. Apparently, today is gym day and she was really excited about the new uniforms. She gave me a schedule that would take me through the summer to the first day of school....when I will recieve a supply list, when I will receive uniform information, when I will receive whatever else it is that I am supposed to receive prior to the first day of school. She explained kindergarten round-up and how the first week of school would go. She was so confident about everything and made everything seem like it was under control. This woman must know me. She must know that she had to say everything I wanted to hear or I was going to lose my mind. Huh, you would think she has done this before?

So, here we are....the middle of January, not even 5 yet and already ready for kindergarten. I am happiest when I have all of my ducks in a row. I'm happy that all of the paperwork is submitted for registration. I'm happy that the confidence in the school we chose was confirmed today. I'm happy that we are not on a waiting list for kindergarten. I'm happy that everything is set in motion for the fall.

Hmmmm, how come I don't feel so happy then?

The Burning Question

Last week, my skin was very oily. I decided that in addition to my normal face wash, I would try a face mask that claimed to produce a deep clean for extra oil control. Perfect!! Just what I need, right? You just put the stuff on, walk around looking like an alien for 10 minutes and VOILA...your skin is back to normal. Afterall, I typically have normal skin and I shouldn't require alot of product to get back to normal, right?

Well, after about 5 minutes after the mask application, my eyes were watering, skin was burning and I ran to the bathroom sink to wash it off. Everything looked fine. The next morning, as I washed my face I noticed little bumps everywhere on my face....and I mean everywhere! I couldn't see the bumps so I figured my skin was just going through a shock from the mask (and silently vowed never to use that mask product again.) A day or so later, the bumps didn't clear up and I thought it was acne. I had heard of adult onset acne, so I thought I would try to catch it early and lower the blow. So I borrowed a friends product (a television advertised product for acne). After one use, I thought my face was going to fall off. It was bright red, burning and itching. Paul said, "That is not acne, there is something wrong." and I panicked.

I ended up in the doctors office with all of the products that I used, so the doctor could see all of the ingredients involved. As soon as the doctor walked in, she asked, "what have you gotten into?". As she looked through my bag of product she just shook her head and said that I shouldn't be using any of those products....especially the Television advertised product. She told me that I have a chemical burn on my face. She banned all of my products, including my original face wash. I am applying hydrocortisone twice daily to treat the burn.

Will I ever get my skin back....that is the question?!?

Friday Fun

Tonight, we had a hodge podge of appetizers for dinner, for two reasons. One, I didn't really feel like cooking anything and two, we had some leftover stuff from our New Years party that, if not eaten soon, was going to go bad.

Aidan was thrilled because, to him, it was like a mini-party. We let him leave the TV on during dinner and we kind of just ate off of the serving plates. We didn't have out traditional table setting.

Towards the end of "dinner," Aidan grabbed the last pig-in-a-blanket and, with a very devilish look said, "hmmm, who should I give this too?" and proceed with a game of Eenie Meenie Miney Mo. Except....here is Aidan's version:

Eenie-Meenie, Miney Mo. Catch A Tiny, Tiny Toe.

The New Year

Today was back to work, back to school and back to life as we know it. It is sad that the vacation and Christmas season is over, but it was refreshing to start out 2007 with a bang!

For the first year since we've been married, Paul and I hosted a New Year's party. We celebrated with my mom and dad, Paul's mom, dad, brother, John & his wife and sister, Denise and her husband. Oh, and of course, Java and Dante (Randy and Denise's dog). It is nice to be able to begin a new year with family.

The boys started out rather aggressively with a game of "Finger Flingers." It is a nerf-type invention....rockets that you literally fling with your fingers. The boys were having a blast.

At one point, Aidan stopped playing Finger Flingers to play board games. However, the adult men (and I use this term loosely) decided to continue flinging! Hmmmm, I wonder who the bigger kids are?!?

Paul and I decided that we were going to surprise everyone with a midnight toast. It went over so well, that we've decided to make it our New Year's tradition. Each year, a different person will compose the toast.

Toast to 2007:

May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings, slow to make enemies, quick to make friends. But rich or poor, quick or slow, may you know nothing but happiness from this day forward.