Christmas Fun!

Ok. Where to start? Well many people might look at the craziness of our Christmas holiday and think wow Aiden is really spoiled. Well let me assure you, those were my first thoughts lol. However, at much deeper pondering, while looking at the plethora of new great things Aiden got for Christmas that are continually strewed throughout my house, I can't help but feel he is so lucky. Lucky to have so many people who love him so much that they think of him on such a grand scale during the most giving season of the year. So thank you to everyone, we really feel so blessed to have you all in our lives.

For Christmas Eve we had a very late night, opening presents with Erik's family until we had one exhausted little man on our hands. Though he did make out like a bandit there (a play kitchen, an art easel, play tools, and so much more- about 15 items more) that was just the beginning. Come Christmas morning this exhausted little man actually seemed too tired to open presents. In fact his first real course of action was finishing Santa's left over milk (good thing I had poured it 5 minutes before he woke up) and eating the other half of the cookie Santa just couldn't finish lol. Hey the kid has always had food priorities.
Santa this year came and left many great things Aiden. And to be perfectly honest it couldn't have come at a better time. We've been noticing that lately a lot of Aiden's old toys were starting to seem to little for him. Though we never anticipated the abundance of gifts that he received this year, they honestly have been a nice, change of pace for him. And while I love them, I also can't help but feel like my little baby is slowly slipping away toy by toy. I know he is a full energy, somewhat defiant, normal, toddler - I just can't help but look at him and feel that twinge of nostalgia.

<--- Just for a little explanation - he got a set of dinosaur stamps and was ready to put a stamp on his belly (thanks to the little gym for that one lol).

After we opened our presents at our house we headed over to grandma and grandpa's house and begin to open even more presents! LOL. There we enjoyed a nice, relaxing day. We had breakfast, hung out with family and opened presents. Here Aiden got great movies, books (Please parent's by the book Personal Penguin - it's hilarious!) and was very excited to get a child's doctor's kit - it was a big hit! Take a look at how excited he was to give Erik a shot - lol it's quite hilarious how quickly he went to healing us all! Here's some more pictures from our fun day!

So since Christmas it's still been a bit of a whirlwind. All of the sudden our house looks as though it's exploded. Though we are paying extra special attention to cleaning up before we pull out another toy, sometimes the pure excitement of all these new toys are just too much. Also to add to the excitement, Uncle Nick, came home for a visit.

So to end this blog I'm going to post more pictures of Aiden playing with all of his new fun toys and what not. I know this blog was primarily pictures but the next one will hold much more substinance. Hope your holidays were as fun and exciting as ours.

Madness I tell you, madness!

Welcome back everyone! I honestly meant to write sooner and get through one holiday at a time, but well the holiday season proved to be much more of a whirlwind than I originally anticipated... oooh foolish, naive, me! So for the sake of not making this blog terribly long and cluttered this is the before Christmas one and my next will cover Christmas lol.

Well we'll start with Thanksgiving, which was wonderful. Erik, Aiden and I journeyed to California by car to visit Nick and Crystal and we had a ball. First of all we were so pleasantly surprised by how Aiden did on the drive. I'll admit we were really nervous but thanks to Dave's portable DVD player, lots of fun new snacks and a couple of stops along the way - we made a successful journey too and from their house feeling very lucky (knock on wood this lasts). During our stay we got to enjoy their lovely new house, their three fun doggies (which Aiden still talks about), great food, and a lot of laughter. All in all it was a great get away for us and a nice chance to broaden Aiden's travel experiences.

Also one big mention for our holiday season was getting our puppy right before we left for California! Tops came into our home and lives and from day one acted like he knew the house was his. Though his name was given by Aiden (Because he wanted him named Triceratops) it fits him perfect. I have never met such a clumsy puppy as this dog. He's hilarious and Aiden and the dog together are a great match. Aiden is constantly asking "Can Tops come too?" when we're walking out the door to run errands. It's just so nice how easily this dog has fit into our lives and hearts, he's such a playful little love bug and we're happy he's found a home with us.

Before we get into the madness that was Christmas I have to mention a few more things like, Aiden seeing a hockey game. Our little sports fanatic still reigns, it was hilarious! I wish everyone could have seen how fascinated he was with the whole experience and how by the end he was yelling "Go Scorps!" with the rest of the crowd. After we sat down a worker at the arena came up and gave him a real hockey puck (as seen in the picture) and he was sooo excited. What a trip this son of mine is!

One other fun adventure before Christmas was the festival of lights. This year was Aiden's first year and it was particularly special because of some great new lights. Though were were really bundled up (it was freezing when we went) he thoroughly enjoyed seeing the huge dino and airplane while sipping on some hot chocolate, and of course watching the train toot toot by at the Bio Park - a must see for Aiden.

Though we had high hopes for a white Christmas we didn't get one this year. However, we did have a few snow teases before the holiday - here are those pictures.

Well I hope these pictures give ya'll a great sense of how fun and crazy our before Christmas time was. In the midst of all this I was finishing up my semester at school and though this season was absolutely hectic - we still had a blast. Now we'll start with the Christmas blog... =0)

He name is Ceratops!

Welcome back everyone! It has been one exciting and hectic month here, so please forgive me if I seem all over the board! We left off last time with Halloween just around the corner and I have to say we had a blast! Aiden got really into being a baseball player and especially enjoyed the not-so-common treat of candies! So just for the sake of how cute he was I'm posting Halloweeny pics!

Well beyond our Holiday fun there has been a lot going on. Aiden started going to a gymnastics class once a week and he loves it! It's so nice to watch him run around and play on the stuff I loved growing up around. He's gotten really into it, it'd just be nice if he would appreciate the help of the teachers a little more and do the structured activity more often, but who can blame a kid with all that fun stuff around!

Oh now for the name of our blog - it looks as though we are getting a puppy. If all goes well (and please cross your fingers b/c this has been somewhat frustrating) we'll have our little shepherd mix pup on Wednesday. When trying to come up with a name for him Aiden declared "He name is Ceratops" - Ceratops is for triceratops of course, he's a little obsessed with dinosaurs! So in the spirit of Aiden's great little imagination and enthusiasm we have dubbed the pup "Tops". Pictures will come as we adventure into having a puppy around the house. It's been a lot of fun having a kid with such a great imagination - he helped naming his three new fish the other day. The name he picked for one was "Gut", and now we also have a "Mickey" and an "Omps"- which of course is how he describes how one eats things.

Well it has also come to all of our attention that Aiden has finally got the real temperment of a two year old. LOL - wow this kid has an attitude on him. Tonight while preparing dinner he kept trying to play around the stove - a big no no in our house. When I asked him to play in the living room he refused, when asked again he yelled "No I won't go there, you go there mama!" - Ummm needless to say he spent the next two minutes in time out after that one. Ahhh Lord help us! I think the hardest part is not cracking up when he's so adamant about it - his little serious face is almost too precious to discipline - almost. =0)

One other thing that we're struggling with is Aiden's sleeping times. He still is having a hard time sleeping through the night. Because of this his nap times are even more necessary. Lately during his naps he's been waking up just to cuddle with me for another 30 or so sleepy minutes. I can't say that I'm complaining - I know that all to soon, cuddling with mommy wont be a cool thing to do anymore. So for now I'll relish in the moments. =0)

On one other note I just wanted to say a huge congrats to our new President of the United States. Clearly the people have spoken and we are all rooting for you.

Ok well folks it's been fun sharing these pictures with you - keep up with us for more!

Not da little one, da BIIIGGGG ONE

Well fall is definately in the air around here and that means two things: Chiles and Balloons! As you can see from the pictures above Aiden and grandma were picking a batch of chiles today (not hot ones lol) - oh how he loves their garden!

This year Aiden's Balloon Fiesta experience was very interesting. Last year he was very enthusiastic about the big balloons, he found them absolutely fascinated. This year however, well, not so much. We are in that lovely stage of toddlerhood where everything he loved before scares him. Fun - lemme tell ya. So regardless to say, the balloons only set well with him at a distance.

Then when we attempted to go to the Balloon Glow - well the weather got the best of the Balloons and it was cancelled due to winds. We went with a fun group, it was Erik, Dave, Anthony, Crystal, Destiny, Aiden and I and still had an awesome time watching fireworks and eating yummy food. However, once the fireworks started Aiden was not to thrilled with the "booms" that he so happily imitated just months before. So he cuddled into mama and we enjoyed them with covered ears. =0)

So beyond balloons and chiles, we are very excited for fall. First of all there are gymnastic classes to go to, pumpkin patches to visit, corn mazes to go through and Halloween Costumes to finish. This year Aiden will be a Baseball Player (shocker, I know, huh). And as the fall progresses I can't help but wonder where is all the time going? I think back to just two falls ago and I had this sweet little baby, going to my classes at Evergreen and now... well times they have a changed. I have a full blown toddler and it is fantastic.

Today I couldn't help but reflect on what a joy Aiden is. I know I probably say it a lot, but really he is so incredible. Right now he's really starting to deal with emotions. For instance after he purposefully spilled apple juice all over my papasan chair, he promptly got a time out and once he was done came over to me to declare that "Mama's saaad" and then tried to fix it with a hug. He's also asserting how he feels about things. His declartive "I not go ninite," was almost cute enough to get him a few extra minutes of awake time, almost.

One of the funniest things Aiden has been doing lately is the inflexion in which he is giving certain words when he speaks about them. For example anything with the word "little" automatically is said with this tiny, squeaky, mouselike, tone. On the flip side anything "big" is said with a deep, growly voice and often the word "HUGE" is used. It is histarical. He is also very quick to point out who has what in terms of size. For example: Today while cleaning mama had the "BIG VACCUUM" and Aiden went and grabbed his elmo one simply to declare that Aiden had a "little one." Too funny!

Well hope this blog finds you all well! More is definately to come in the next couple months with all the holiday's approaching. Love and miss you all!

It's time to build a word!

I wish it were possible to put into words just how truly incredible I think Aiden is. Practically every day I feel as though I am talking to a new kid, full of new ideas, experiences and joys. I swear somedays I can't get over the fact that he's two; a full of energy, little person who likes certain things certain ways. Yet... he is and with all of his interests and quirks so emerges this amazing person who I find is just so enjoyable to be around. I've not yet met another kid who really just wants to laugh as much as he does. His smile and his laugh are truly infectious, they just make every day so much more enjoyable.

So now onto our last couple of weeks. Well as you can see from the pictures we have discovered that we have a little pool shark (Dave actually got Aiden saying he's a pool shark - tooo cute!). Granted he's not tall enough to play so he manages while being very closely supervised, but he loves it. Perhaps because it has to do with balls, and we all know how long that obsession has been going on! Anywho it's a new form of a ball sport for him so of course, he's totally into it!

Beyond his fun new activity he has really shown a more enthusiastic interest in his letters the past few weeks. He helps me sing the ABC's in the car, points out letters he recognizes on anything, magazines, posters, books, etc. He even grabbed my huge literature book the other day and exclaimed "I'll read dis one!" Granted it's a far car from Mr. Brown Can Moo but we gave it a shot and he quickly lost interest. However, the best story was one from the other day. Now we have become pretty particular in what Aiden is allowed to watch on t.v. - there's just too many absurd children's shows these days. So really the jist of it is he only watches Curious George the Cartoon and Word World, both found on our wonderful PBS station. Well word world is interesting and for those who haven't seen it it's theme song is: "It's time to build a word! Let's build it, let's build it now!" Anyways, a typical Sunday afternoon and Aiden is running around playing and he starts to take off all of his magnetic letters off the fridge and sets them on the floor right in front of Erik. He then proudly looks at Erik and exclaims "It's time to build a word!" And I get so excited I sing "Let's build it, lets build it now!" And that's what we did, we built words and I relished in the fact that he instigated all of it. Oh and I wrote PBS a note thanking them for the age appropriate educational shows they provide and got a very kind letter in return.

So besides his letters/words Aiden is really into helping with things, hence the picture - Aiden putting together a bookshelf with Erik, oh and he also helped Grandpa put together a picnic table! Of course his helping consists of using his toy hammer to bang things and then mimicing what you do with other tools, but hey it is super cute! This past month he has also become very aware of his role in the scheme of things. For example, he becomes conscerned with who is going places. If I say "Come on kiddo, we're going to go to the store," then his typical response would be "Mama come, Aiden come too?" Or Dave's personal favorite, after he has placed himself somewhere, declaring "It's me in there!" It's really just so neat to see how his mind is developing in terms of how he's placing himself.

Well I suppose that is all for now, though I'm sure today he will say/do something that will make me want to run back here to record it! Hope this blog finds you all well. Love and miss you all!

I OMP it in da mouth!

Welcome back to our blog! I know, I know... I'm actually writing without a huge gap between posts - shocker! Things have been pretty hectic but in the last couple of weeks there's been some fun stuff to report! First of all Dave, Erik and myself took Aiden to the fair thinking it would be sooo much fun....boy were we wrong! Let's just say the fair will be better to try next year with him. Some of the animals and games left him in tears and I think the whole experience was just a bit overwhelming for him.

Aiden is getting a lot better going on the big boy potty! Yea - we are so proud of the progress he's making. He gets super excited to get his star sticker when he goes in order to eventually earn that cookie - the thing this kid will do for food! When had a minor setback when he refused to use the potty at mommy's house. Yea that was weird, it took moving his potty to the "big bathroom - the HUGE one (Aiden's words)" to get him excited about it again. LOL.

Well a lot of you have been asking for some pictures of our new house so I'll add a couple - nothing spectacular but a little glimpse at it!

So here are some views of Aiden's room and our kitchen/dining room, I promise more to come but I hope for now these work! So anyways, back to Aiden! You may be wondering about the title, well it is the phrase of the month for Aiden and it couldn't be funnier. Anytime he's about to eat anything he proudly tells us "I'm going to OMP it in da mouth" and makes that lovely OMP sound to demonstrate how. LOL it really is hilarious. IN fact the other day as I was packing an apple in my backpack for school he enthusiastically asked me, "Adien OMP mama's apple in da mouth?" When I told him it was mama's apple, he showed me his piece of banana and said "Oh Aiden OMP a banana," and walked away. I'm so going to miss these phrases as he gets older. Oh and this picture is of Aiden showing you all how he "Omps" lol.

Beyond that he is really making an effort to learn his letters and numbers - he is sooo excited when he regonizes one it melts my heart. He loves building, reading, coloring, playing with his music toys and of course anything having to do with going outside. Right now we're currently looking for a place to take him to do basic toddler gymnastics (so tumbling) which hopefully he'll start in the next month. He's also become so opinionated about really little things. Like last night he wanted the "green cup not da red cup" - I really love it.

Well hope this blog finds you all happy and healthy, we miss you!