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.