back to school

Aiden had a good day back to school after the week long vacation.  I was worried that we were delivering Mr. Crabby Appleton, but his teacher assured me that he was happy today (and even completed most of the 100s board himself).  When we were leaving school I told him that Gran and Pop left a surprise for him.  He rushed straight to the door and found his first clue!  The postman rang the doorbell half way through and he thought that Gran and Pop were coming back to surprise him.  Broke my heart a little to tell him that they were still going back to Ohio, but they will be back soon!  The treat hunt was a hit, here are some tidbits:

Treat Hunt from LB on Vimeo.

While J and Aiden ventured out to the library for the Flea Circus show (a huge hit - there is a photo I snagged off the library Facebook page on the left - you can see Aiden way off to the right), I started my last RISD class for my degree!

I can hardly believe the hours and hours I've spent on this program are all coming down to this final studio.  I think it will be a challenging semester but I welcome the distraction from "that business in my belly" (as my professor called it - you can tell she's not into kids, eh?  but she's been very supportive and I'm lucky she will be accommodating)

I don't think I ever shared my final lighting studio project from last term.  

Right around the time I finished this set of photos, it was also a treat to get a note from my old art teacher from high school from a photo I'd submitted to their alumni art contest.  The winning photo was from Cape Cod earlier this summer and it was fun to see it in print in the HB magazine.

wrap up

 As we close out a week in grandparent heaven, I again owe my folks a huge thanks for all the smiles and the help and everything else... I could never express my gratitude often enough!

We all trekked around a bunch all week long and I thank them for keeping our energy up (mine especially). In addition to all the other fun already up here, I can't forget to mention:

The Music Show with Wayne Potash where Aiden picked up a new favorite song he calls June Bug - It's actually a harmonica song called Juda.  My mom liked some of the songs so much that she was even recording some of the lyrics for later.  No photos, but the Penguin waddle and jumping is easy to remember. My favorite was when he asked if the kids wanted to break into some rock music and Aiden jumped off my lap to dance.

The Animal Experience show, where Aiden was usually facing away from the animals (who knows maybe they were too creepy crawly for him?) and had a chance to pet Spike the hedgehog after the show.

The Magic Show where Aiden was so excited by the magic wands that got bigger and bigger.  He shook his head no nearly every time the magician asked for a volunteer.  He seemed most excited by the ring tricks and when daddy surprised him by showing up to join us.

train trip

We trekked down to Newport on a pretty nice February day during the Winter Festival.  We ate at Busker's a great Irish pub kinda of place.  I gobbled down some Irish mac and cheese (with ham and peas - yum!), J enjoyed a huge Sheperd's Pie (he shares!), and my folks had huge lobster chunks in their bisque. (Aiden still doesn't believe that we eat lobsters - because he thinks they are too pinchy to eat!)  Once our tummies were happy, we headed to the train depot.  We took a train ride across Aquidneck Island, which included info on the wildlife of the shore, info about the Navy's aircraft carriers, and old metal puzzles where you try to remove the ring (which I am good at thanks to all the trips to historic sites as a kid where the gift shops were well stocked with old fashioned puzzles).  Aiden was a bit bouncy the whole trip, and entertained himself with renditions of the chicken dance, pretending with daddy, and giggle fests with his grandparents.

 

Here is where Aiden is explaining to the naturalist that his mommy doesn't use sponges to clean.

 

Although these pictures may seem like we were out an extra $10, Aiden was a happy boy.

Newport Railroad from LB on Vimeo.

space

This week included a few peeks at space exploration!  Aiden will tell you he wants to be a space ranger when he grows up (getting more specific from his original - I want to be an adult when I grow up - which still makes me laugh), so this was training ;)

Thanks to a friend on Facebook, I heard that the International Space Station was going to pass by view here around 6:30pm for three nights in a row. We missed it the first two nights, but we think we caught it the last night.  As our dinner got cold inside, we were pretty cozy outside on a very clear night.   It flashed by much quicker than expected, and looked a lot like a very bright shooting star traveling all the the way across the night sky.

Then the last mission of the space shuttle Discovery launched the next day.  We peeked at the online coverage and Aiden asked why they were talking "so seriously" as they prepped the flight.  Being a real space ranger is serious business little bud ;)

bubble show

Despite the crowds and Aiden's protests about not wanting to go places occasionally (I'm hoping this phase ends quickly), we've made it out to quite a few of the vacation week shows around here.  He usually ends up liking the show, although today after a music show his review was "not so much my favorite." Here are some fun snaps that PopPop captured with his telephoto at the bubble show at the mall.

puppet show

We were at our favorite library (with all the vacation week kids and other regulars) for our first Sparky's Puppet Show.  This is some sort of RI institution, but I have to admit that I was much more excited for the Aiden Puppet Show after sitting for almost an hour on the hard ground with my pregnant belly.  I think my uncomfy sit bone clouded my view of the puppet show.  She kept changing up the regular favorite stories, including the gingerbread man getting away at the end!

 Aiden was such a lucky boy when our new realtor came to our listing meeting with a cookie monster cupcake (and cinnamon buns for the rest of us!)  We are officially listed and already have our first showing today.  Fingers are crossed for some miracle sale with just the right timing for July!

sleepy

This is one sleepy boy that I found in the doorway of our living room after I was finished rinsing our lunch dishes a few weeks ago. I thought these photos were pretty funny because they reminded me of the itty bitty curly newborns that all these photographers love to pose.

date day

This may be my favorite Aiden drawing yet.  He rushed to make it after we brought his class fish, Peek-a-boo, home for the vacation week.  He wanted to show that the fish was part of his family (see him in his tank above the two cats in the bottom right)  The circles are where all our body parts enter the clothing - He says, "Here is the spot that you stick your head through!"  He also drew belly buttons for us.

We are super lucky during this vacation to have Gran Gran and Pop Pop in town!  Aiden was so excited for them to come into town.  He's in grandparent heaven and it's so nice for me to take it a bit easier as he rides around on Gran and Pop's backs ;)

To kick off the vacation week, we found a new babysitter!  I was so happy with myself for tracking down a new sitter since I kept striking out with people we already know.  My main goal was to find someone to sit for Aiden while we tour the Alternative Birth Center at the hospital next month.  It is an all day event, so I wanted to test drive our new sitter before the long day and it was a good excuse for a date day.  Aiden balked a bit when we said he was staying at home with Lisa and we were going to go out, but he quickly bounced back when I reminded him of all the fun things he could do with her just like he used to do at home with Rebecca.  He seemed really thrilled with her and when we got home asked if she could stay with us all the time - that's a pretty good review!

J and I went to see a movie at the Avon (which we hadn't been to since before Aiden was around!) called Another Year.  It seemed like it would be my ideal movie - no plot, improvisational style, British.  Well, it turned out to be laughable how much it lacked a significant plot and the characters were just sometimes painful to watch...which was sorta the point of the movie so I guess it was well done?  We also grabbed some favorite falafel on Thayer before heading home.... The afternoon away was worth being sure that Aiden was happy with his new babysitter.

They drew a ton of drawings together - Here are some of my favorites:

 A "quick card just for you" Mom and Dad!

 He said that this was us as super heros "The Super Healers" with our circle capes on!

 This is us floating in outer space - where the planets, comets, and sun are all flying around!

crafty love bugs

We've spent the week crafting from the big box of crafty fun that Gran and Pop sent Aiden for Valentine's Day.  We kicked off with the love bugs idea that Gran had mentioned.  Aiden made sure that it had a belly button and plenty of buttons.  The two different colored eyes was intentional and one eye was red because according to Aiden "then you know he's in loooove!"

I'm always looking for simple crafts where I think Aiden will like each step.  This one can also be categorized in the pennies category - since it cost nearly nothing.  A little red paint on a toilet paper tube (Aiden loves using the big adult brush) then snip them, crease folds for hearts, then string onto a pipe cleaner, and voila, a heart wreath.  I found this fun idea here:

http://www.momtriedit.net/2011/02/recycled-heart-craft.html

Card sorting and tiny paper clip pinching to make a "surprise" banner for daddy on the mantle - Lucky daddy has some sort of surprise waiting nearly everyday:

Friday, 2:30pm

This is the way to spend a Friday afternoon before a February vacation week - outside, with a scooter and just a vest, surrounded by snow and warm air, with neighbors out and about.

 Watching the basketball action from the "summer chairs"

 You might get in some soccer on the one yard in the neighborhood where the snow has melted.  And if you're really lucky, your favorite friend may regift you one of her valentine's with a pop on it!

Yes, if you are very observant, Aiden's proud of his backwards pants (he fully dresses himself).