Aidan- 6 years old

Aidan,

My son, you are growing up and it seems like every time I look at you I am amazed at how quickly it all happened. I used to say that I could imagine being a mom to a baby or toddler, but not a KID! Well, now I am the mom of a "kid" and I am loving it.

You have done so many neat things this last year: learning to ride your bike without training wheels, learning to swim and read, going to school twice a week, developing more of a relationship with God, and becoming a Lego "master."

I really really enjoy you. You say some really profound things and a lot of the other things you say are just hilarious. You brought something to me the other day that said, "Mom's Night Out" on it and asked, "Is this yours Mommy? Were you just longing for it?" Your vocabulary and the way you use words is constantly growing and changing and it is so fun to witness. You are always asking me what things mean...today you wanted to know what "ruthless" and "insensitive" meant-words you read somewhere (you are such an awesome reader and LOVE to read).

You love to read books, especially comic books-your favorites being old Disney ones of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. You can sit for hours just looking and reading. You also like to listen to audio books and can spend hours doing that as well. Your attentiveness to stories and your recollection of detail is astounding!

You are still pretty obsessed with Mario-Super Mario Galaxy to be correct. You would play video games all the time if we let you.

Legos have been a huge hit with you lately as well and you love to build, take apart, and rebuild. I should probably insert here that I have to take them apart and sort them by color for you, but I happily do it just to watch you sit for a couple hours and work start to finish on something. You definitely love following directions and you won't redo a set that is missing a piece so we are pretty careful with keeping them together. 

You are still a ball of energy, passionate, and full of life. You love people, are very friendly, and still very much hate to be alone at all. You can spend hours playing outdoors with friends, jumping on the trampoline or swinging together. 

You have an insane memory. I am pretty sure you got that from me. Not only do you remember experiences and details about things, you also have memorized all the verses in your Awana book and then everything that you had to do for extra credit. 

Aidan, you are so much fun to spend time with and you are so full of joy. I love to watch your face light up or hear you full on belly laugh when you think something is funny. There is a never a dull moment with you around. You have been a blessing to me and I am so happy that I get to be your mom. 

I love you!

Mommy

So They Say...Funny Stuff I Don't Want to Forget

Nora was playing with a decorative cross that was sitting outside next to our koi pond. She looked up and said, "This is where Jesus died."

Nora praying one day as we got in the car (after a particularly not so great day full of naughtiness and my wrong responses): "Dear God, help us to be kind and good and that everybody can play on the Kindle." :)

Aidan was walking around the house with a stud finder. He put it on Enna and exclaimed, "This thing thinks Enna is made of wood!"

Asked Nora what happened to her face (there was a scratch on her forehead). She replied (sung to the tune of Jingle Bells) "Aidan, Aidan, Aidan all the way!"

Nora adding "d" to the end of things:
Do you want some root beerd?
It's a dinosaurd!
Juice makes my bottom sored.

Aidan explaining Gobstoppers:
"They get lighter and then they lose their strength."

I asked Nora what the snake's name was in the Garden of Eden. Her reply? "I don't know....naughty words?"

Nora asked me if we could pet animals at the zoo. I said, "No, I don't think so." She asked, "Are they fragile?" Aidan piped in and said, "Just the females!"

Nora stated after she had been punished: "My eyebrows are pouting!" (she often furrows her eyebrows when unhappy)

Aidan told Nora that her drawings of people did not look like people so he drew one of his own to show her how. She looked at his drawing and said, "That looks like a cricket!"

Awhile back I had told a story about my Grandma getting confused thinking a bar of soap she was given as a gift was supposed to be edible. She was gnawing on it and then exclaimed that it was soap and we all thought it was so hilarious. I don't remember directly telling this to the children, but they must have overheard because about a month later I was telling Nora not to eat toothpaste (she was sneaking in the bathroom during the day) and she replied, without missing a beat, "You said a Grandmother ate soap last day." I cracked up laughing and was shocked at her response.

Nora was walking behind Seth at the grocery store and he let out some gas (quietly). That girl has quite a nose and she loudly exclaimed, "Daddy, you have a stinky bottom!"

Aidan- 5.5

Aidan at 5.5 years old

Likes:

-holding/kissing/talking to Enna

-reading

-SCHOOL

-playing Super Mario

-playing with friends

-riding your bike

-Awana

New things about you:

Learned how to ride a bike without training wheels (10-7-13)

Started reading books on own with very little help sounding out words 

Earned your wings and first jewel at Awana

Started cleaning room by yourself and doing a great job

Aidan,

You are still a bundle of energy, 100% passionate about what you are doing. I love hanging out with you and listening to you talk. You absorb knowledge at a phenomenal rate. I love to hear your funny questions about the world and like how you enjoy life. You have taught me a lot about life and it's been fun to see you mature and grow. You are a good big brother and love your baby sister so much. We are still working on your relationship with Nora. You are a smart, helpful, and super silly. I can't believe you are already 1/2 way to being 6! It's fun to see you grow up, but I know I'll miss these years with you someday.

Love, Mama

Aidan: 5 year letter

Aidan,

My little boy is growing up and it's really hitting me hard. I think this is the first birthday where I really felt that "please stop growing" feeling. While it is a blast getting to know you more and more as you mature and get older, I am a little melancholy that you are now more of a "kid" and not so much a "toddler/preschooler."

I always found myself looking toward the 5 year mark with longing in those first couple years of your somewhat demanding life, but now I wish that I could go back in time and just have a few days with you again as a baby, a 1 year old, a 2, 3, and 4 year old.

Beyond the reminiscing though, I have come to really like you. Not just love you deeply (which is very true), but really like hanging out with you. You are full of life and wonder and watching you learn and develop certain skills is a fascinating process. I love the way your mind works and how quickly you catch on to things I teach you. You have a steel trap memory, so I have to be careful what I tell you because you will always remind me, even days later!

Some of my favorite things to do with you/memories we have been making:

Reading the Bible together in the mornings while we eat our breakfast (you are an enthusiastic listener)
Building Legos
Teaching you to read
Reading to you (especially some of the chapter books we have recently started)
Playing card games or board games
Teaching you to play the piano

Things I don't want to forget about you EVER:

The way you giggle
Your contagious smile (you are constantly smiling)
Your sweet cuddles (only when we read together!)
The way you are always coming up with solutions to problems
The way you help me with small things (like untying my shoes)
How you just "get music" and play things on the piano or play piano songs on the recorder
The way you light up when talking about your current obsession and the way you get very serious in explaining every single detail to me
How you want to be with me every second (even when I find this a little annoying, I know I'll miss it someday)

Aidan, you are my favorite little guy! You make life fun and exciting and I love to learn things with you. Just today we were talking about pottery and stone mills and watched YouTube clips about them. It is so fun to see your fascination with learning and to learn along with you. I am excited what this next year will bring as we start on our homeschooling journey together.

You a still a very routine guy. You like to know what is coming. You don't like change all that much and you want things the same way day in and day out: like eating p.b. and honey sandwiches for lunch, listening to one song on repeat at bedtime, having your legs rubbed a certain way, and watching t.v. in the early morning.

You are starting to show a lot more responsibility at your age. You are doing better with making your bed, getting dressed, brushing your teeth, and doing other little jobs around the house (putting clothes away, emptying silverware from dishwasher, picking up toys).

You are a lover of people and definitely an extrovert. You can play outside all day in the freezing cold as long as you have a friend with you. You never get tired of being with other kids and you are always being friendly (yelling to anyone within earshot). You are very good at including people and your main goal with friends is to have fun.

You are becoming more sensitive to the Lord and I love listening to you regurgitate Biblical knowledge. You love going to church, and you also love reading the Bible. Whenever we read about the things Jesus did during His time on earth you say, "I believe in these miracles." I love hearing your statements of faith in God as you grow and mature in your knowledge of Him. I pray that one day you come to know Him very personally and intimately.

Aidan, my biggest prayer for you is that you would love the Lord with all your heart, be confident in who you were made to be, and live out your full potential. I pray that you will pursue your talents and gifts and that I will help you become the young man you are destined to be.

I love you forever and always,

Mama

Aidan: 5 year interview

Favorite Color: Red

Favorite Toy: Legos

Favorite Tv Show: Jake and the Neverland Pirates

Favorite thing to eat for Lunch: meat, cheese, and crackers

Favorite Game: Super Mario Galaxy

Favorite Animal: Turtle

Favorite Song: Mario theme

Favorite Book: Ultraheroes comics

Favorite snack: Saltines

Favorite thing to do outside: Play baseball

What do you like to take to bed with you: Blankie and Woody

What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast: Bagel and cream cheese

What is your favorite food: Hot dog

What do you want to be when you grow up: Fireman

What is your favorite instrument: Drum

What is your favorite place to go: Zonkers

What is your favorite thing to do with Daddy: Play baseball and on the Wii

What is your favorite thing to do with Mommy: Legos

What is your favorite season: Summer because we swim

Aidan's Super Mario Party!

Okay, so I jumped on the band wagon of themed birthday parties and went above and beyond my normal "keep it simple" mantra. It was one evening of browsing Pinterest that did me in with all the fun ideas. I just kept saying to myself, "oh, I have to do that!" and "that is simple to make, I can do that too!" Before I knew it, I was planning a party that was way above and beyond my 6 month pregnant self. :)

Sidenote: I know that this is not like an amazing party like some I view daily on the web, but for me, it was a big deal...so yeah, I set the bar kinda low (and am not ashamed about it).

So, first of all, I decided to make a pinata. Because, hey, I made one in 1st grade and remember in detail how much fun it was, so it should be a breeze. Note to self or any others thinking to do this project: start at least 5 days in advance so you aren't still decorating the day of the party! It was fairly simple, and I assumed Aidan would want to help, but he lasted through ripping the newspaper into strips and putting the first piece on...then he just wanted to wash the goop off his hands and do something else. I continued at it, day after day, layer after layer, until I had an aching back and a large ballon shaped paper mache ball to work with. The day of the party, I stuffed it with goodies (fruit snacks, fake coins, and fireballs), painted it black, added eyes, mouth, and tissue paper all over.... and then glued on the black paper chain. I then left the rest to the husband, who drilled a couple holes in it and got it rigged up the right way for the hitting to commence. 

Oh the finished project! I can hardly stand the fact that all my hard work is now smashed to pieces!

Since Aidan is obsessed with Mario, and I mean obsessed, we decided to have Seth (the husband) dress up like Bowser (the ultimate Mario villain). So we rigged up a cardboard shell, spray painted it and put party hats in it for spikes. I then used an old sweater I had lying around to make a hat with felt horns. It was a hit! Not too scary or overdone, but enough to make every child at the party stop in their tracks. I'm pretty sure Bowser's appearance was the biggest talk of the town for the next few days. :)

We had "Bowser" come and "kidnap" the Princess (a.k.a Nora) while the kids were playing in the yard. We had music cued up and everything which was really funny. I SO SO WISH WE HAD VIDEOTAPED IT! Seriously. It was hilarious. And Aidan got so into it while most of the other kids just stood there trying to figure out what in the world was going on.  He was chasing after Bowser and fighting him with everything he had in him. Of course, all the adults were cracking up at this point.

Then we had all the kids go on a quest to save the Princess. I started out by giving them each Mario hats that I sewed as party favors. Not all the kids wanted to wear one at this point, so we just let them do what they wanted (obviously). Oh, and we had one Luigi (Aidan's sweet friend from church that came  dressed for the occasion).

Our first "level" was to find Yoshi eggs that we had hidden in the front yard and filled with fake coins. This was a cooperative level and they all seemed to like it. We spray painted our Easter eggs white and dotted them with green paint. 

The next level involved them, lining up and going through a small obstacle course (tunnel, jumping over logs, and then smashing the Goombas). We made Goombas (another Mario theme) with balloons and they smashed them. I wish I had taken a close up of the faces I drew on them!

Can I just say I love this age? The boys were great and they were all so into each game. I was afraid at first they would think I was nuts, but they all got into the theme. In order to defeat Bowser they needed to get fire power by attacking the Chain Chomp (the pinata). Hence, the reason for the fireball candy. 

Then Bowser appeared again and started bouncing on the trampoline. I made "fire balls" out of old socks rolled up and tied with red fleece that I cut to make look like flames. These were perfect for throwing and no one could get hurt. They each had one and kept throwing them at Seth. I think this might have been the favorite game as "Bowser" kept throwing them back until he was finally defeated and offered up gold stars (stars I cut from that fun foam stuff). 

Again, hilarious to watch. 

So, then Mario came out with the Princess and all was saved! 

Then, we went inside to open presents. They were all so sweet and great during this part (which can sometimes be a nightmare). I was really impressed with all the boys.

And, then some playing outside while waiting for pizza for dinner. We had the party from 4:30-7:00 on his actual birthday so we decided to serve dinner. The boys were also pretty hungry after all the games!

Then we had pizza, followed by cake and ice cream! I made the cake using some little KNEX Mario motorcycles we bought for Aidan as a birthday present. I am not a cake decorator by any means, so I was pretty happy with the end result. I made some toadstool cupcakes to go along with the cake in case we didn't have enough.

And then I sent home some star cookies and fireballs along with the Mario hats as party favors!

All in all, it was a great party! I was pretty wiped out at the end, but glad that I pulled off everything. The kids talked about it for days so I think it was quite the hit. Don't know if I'll do it again next year or go for something more simple, but it was worth it.

Can't believe my big boy is 5 already!

Soccer!

Aidan started his first season of soccer this fall and it has been so much fun for us. He loves his weekly practices and games. I actually really enjoy watching and can't wait for next season. He isn't the most aggressive player and he tends to like twirling and pretending to be a superhero more than going after the ball, but I think as he gets older he will really enjoy the game more. He is at the perfect age for getting started (4.5) and I am glad we didn't start any earlier. For now, he just loves to run around with the other kids and get to eat snack at the end of the game! :)

Aidan: 4.5

Aidan is at a great stage right now. I really love seeing his interests take off. He is very curious about how everything works and likes to break things down into processes to understand them. He does not like being forced to try new things, but what he does put his mind to he will accomplish. He loves being around people and loves giving presentations at his homeschool co-op. He does not like doing any sort of songs with motions though. :) I can see a little boy emerging from this energetic preschooler and I am so excited to watch him grow up. He loves to be read to and that is one of the things I love sharing with him. He has such a good attention span for books, stories, and puzzles and he is actually really good at games. He beats me at Monopoly Jr. all the time! 

Last Day of Preschool

So, blogging has taken a huge backseat right now. It is hard enough for me to remember to take pictures, but then to actually document anything just seems like it takes me forever. We are just busy.

Aidan had his last day of preschool May 24. It was such a major blessing to have him go this year. He really loved it and made some really good memories. He would ask if every day was a school day and be immediately disappointed when it wasn't. He went 3 mornings a week, and while it was hard on me doing all the driving back and forth, I was grateful we were able to have this opportunity.

Here's his first and last day of preschool pictures. And, yes, he is wearing the same shirt. :)

He really has grown up a lot this last year. So hard to believe!

4.4.12: Celebrating 4 years of motherhood!

Aidan's birthday was on a Wednesday this year which is one of his "school days", so we made cupcakes with green icing (to go with the color of the week). They turned out wonderfully and were so yummy. And yes, I snuck some zucchini in there with all the chocolate goodness.

It was an odd day because I received the news of my Grandpa's passing as we were packing up to go to school. So, I was in a weird mood, feeling sadness, relief, stress from being late to school, and joy over the birthday celebration. 

Nora loved that she got to sit with the "big" kids and have a cupcake too. It was super sweet and she got chocolate all over her face and dress.

After a busy morning at school, we came home, ate our lunch and took a nap up until it was time to pick up my mom (Mimi) from the airport. The kids were absolutely elated to see her.

After dinner, we gave Aidan his big birthday present from my parent's: a big boy bike! We found a steal on Craigslist yet again. He was thrilled and is now into going super fast up and down the street (hence the helmet).

To Aidan: A birthday letter

Dear Aidan,

You turned 4 two days ago and I missed writing your letter on time. My grandpa passed away the morning of your birthday and it was an odd day of celebrating both your life and the new life my grandpa is now experiencing in heaven.

You are a remarkably energetic, fun loving, all over the place, free spirit. You have grown up so much in the last year. You see the world through a lens of possibility and excitement and yearn to gain knowledge about everything around you. You are full of questions, full of laughter, and full of fun.

Aidan, you are a non stop machine of strong willed determination. You know the way you want things and you will fight for them to stay that way. You cling to routine and hold onto preconceived ideas with such ferocity that you are not easily convinced to let go of your silly notions.

You eat the same things almost every day. You are not one to try new foods, but not one bit afraid of new people, places, or experiences. You are a social butterfly, always ready to jump into a group of people and play with no hesitation. You love school and ask to go every single day.

You want to be constantly on the go and I am starting to doubt that will ever change. Your need for constant change of environment is so strong that we are often taking trips to the park and library so that you can let loose your energy.

You are still a lover of music and I can see your love for drumming developing even more. You love to watch music videos, listen to music in the car, and play your instruments. You definitely listen closely to music and you seem to have a good sense of rhythm too. I will not be at all surprised to see you one day fulfilling your dream to play in church.

I can't believe how much my life has changed in these last 4 years. I am so glad that you made me a mom and am very blessed to have you for my son. I love you for all the things you are are and for what you are yet to be. I am proud of you and love seeing you develop and grow more into a big boy. You are very special, unique, and talented and I believe that God has big plans for you. You have already impacted my life more than you know and I can't wait to see what the future holds for you.

You bring so much joy to my life and I am so thankful that I get to be a part of yours.

Love you forever and always,

Mommy

Two crazies

So yesterday, my children did not nap. It was a long day. Anyway, here they are on their nap strike wearing nothing but pink headbands and underwear/diapers. I just had to try and get a picture. Unfortunately, none of them really turned out and it only took about 30 seconds for Nora to start crying instead of laughing as her personal space was invaded by her brother ( the saga of her life right now).