constructing

We've constructed some fun things lately: a turkey napkin holder at Home Depot, a new set of painted shelves for KC's room, and recycled pumpkin pansy planters at Aiden's school.

interview with ab

Here is a funny tidbit of conversation that I think sums you up fairly well right now:
Auntie Lizzie: What should I name the baby?
Aiden: Wart the wiggler!
Mom: What's a wart?
Aiden: It's a thing in your hips (while doing a little shimmy)

One word to describe you would be: Little, no, no, no not that! Don't write that! write Five!

 Why do you like being a kid? Because I get so much presents at Christmas... mostly on Christmas kids get presents.

 If you could be any animal, which one would you be and why? Tyrannosaurus Rex because I love dinosaurs and my favorite is the T Rex!

Tell about a funny time in your life. Playing Kung Fu Panda with daddy and Keaton and I always get to be the snow tiger... I mean cheetah... or no I mean leopard!

 What is your favorite thing to do? Why? Play legos because I love legos especially the Star Wars, pirates, super heroes... alllll legos!

 What do you love most about your sibling? He's cute.

 What was the nicest thing you did for someone? Do the calendar and the dish station at school and the weather!

 What do you think you will be doing 10 years from now? Be a professor!

 What is the grossest thing you can think of? Poop, definitely ghost poop!

 What is your happiest memory? The hurricane when I got to sleep downstairs and play legos all day!

on your fifth

On your fifth birthday, you scored your first goal at soccer! It was assisted by the kid who usually scores all the goals and you were so excited that we were all on the freezing cold field when you scored. Not that I actually saw you score because your poor pouty lip brother had all my attention. But I did see the victory run with your gloved finger peace sign.... Your life is in this transition already where you spend a great deal of time independent from us, but we can still be there to celebrate with you. I realize more and more how true it is that my job as a parent is to parent myself out of a job... You are our silly, yet serious thinker that we will set free with the knowledge that you can always swoop in to celebrate with us!

On your fifth birthday, you built your own turkey napkin holder at Home Depot kid's workshop and declared that you liked using screw drivers more than hammers.  You also built your own new Ewok lego set that is now your new favorite.

On your fifth birthday, you went to see the Hobbit at a local community theater with your dad.  You said that you weren't even scared by the big dragon because it was just a costume!

On your fifth birthday, you asked to go to Red Robin and order exactly what you want.  Mac and Cheese and two cups of chocolate milk!  They came out to sing to you and you contained your excitement as you stared down your giant ice cream sundae.  You shared it with your brother.  You couldn't even finish it.

On your fifth birthday, you stayed up way past bedtime at the Halloween Town First Christmas Party of the Season at our fun and creative friend's house.  You grooved to the kid's DJ and ran around the house (even outside in 40 degree weather) keeping up with all the big kids.  You ate some of the coolest cake in town.

halloweentown

Billed as guaranteed to be the last Halloween and first Christmas party of the season, our friend's hosted another epic kid's party.  The xmas decorations were transformed into spooky skeletons.  The cake was a nod to the Nightmare Before Christmas movie. The gingerbread house a close second.  Our cookie ate some skeleton delights and even grooved as a cookie on the dance floor.  The big milk guy ran around with some old and new friends on a sugar rush frenzy.   

around the sun

We celebrated five times around the sun with Aiden's school last Friday. The kids all helped him sing as he carried the earth around the candle sun. The teacher asked him what he would like to do when he turns five and he answered quickly, "Create a number roll!" He even drew a picture of him at five on his birthday timeline with his number roll.

When I look at the length of all that paper he used to create his birthday timeline I am floored.  Floored by a five year old that is equally floored by his fun birthday presents!  Thx Lulu for the Ewok legos especially, Aiden says every five year old needs those ;)  And the fun motorcycle remote control cars from his Nana and Grampa helped keep us busy during the storm - Awesome!  He also cannot wait to spend his gift card loot soon - Thx thx thx!  There is more coming soon in the birthday celebration department next weekend and beyond ;)  We'll just make it a birthday month!

19 months

Dear Huggie Monster!  

October is in the running for my favorite month and the age you are right now may be my favorite.  You run up on the playground, throw your arms up and giggle out "Huggie" with a squeal as you squeeze with everything you have.  You especially like to greet your friends and even mommy's friends this way... Hugging your sing and sign teacher, even your doctor and the nurse carrying your shots.  What a friendly guy.

It really stands out this month that you understand when something is posed as a question.  You say "Yeah" with a big kid voice.  If I ask if you wanna go pick up your brother at school, you say "Let's go Choo Choo!"  Every vehicle is a Choo Choo lately and Daddy works in a choo choo.  You love sitting in the driver seat before getting in your chair, and you ask for "keys!" and you can just get the tip in the slot.  You get extra excited if I hold your hand and actually turn on the ignition.  

You now really rough house with your brother. It's sometimes straight up wrestling and sometimes a football type blocking game where I taught Aiden how to gently get you off his tummy when you pin him down.  I'm realizing with little boys they just want to get crazy, but I'm teaching you a controlled crazy - Is that possible?  

The librarian at story time claims that children like to hear the sound of a parent's voice.  This seems to hold true because you will quietly listen as I answer your brother's funny questions, like why do we use cotton balls and do shimmies always shake.  If I give a funny answer you laugh right along with your brother.

You have a habit of calling out "Daddy..." as if you really want to start a conversation and then repeating it over and over.  I like it when Daddy asks you when he gets home, "How've you been?" - and you enthusiastically answer "Gooood!"  You will come up and ask for kisses with a cute mwah sound.  

If you get frustrated trying to out a lid on something you have the funniest "Meh" expression.  Without fussing or crying you will say "no tanks mama" when you dont want your yogurt.  All of your expression is much clearer now.  You are especially good at a quiet disgust by making squinty eyes and a scrunched up nose.  When a friend goes out of turn on the slide or takes something from you, you show off that disgust face and try to tattle and point.  

You understand dirty and clean which you made clear when you tried cleaning the bathroom with your toothbrush.  You'd point at something and say dirty, then rub it with the old toothbrush and say "all clean!"  You enjoy painting with wipes in between to keep your fingers neat - You reach out your arms saying "Mama, dirty!" with a look of disgust until you get ahold of a wipe.

You will sush me with that little finger and when I ask if you want me to be quiet you say "oh yes!"  When eating some meat at the Indian restaurant you did not like, you yelled "spicy' very clearly and made everyone laugh.   You make this funny face with your bottom teeth sticking out when you are peeved, like when we were out in 45 degree weather watching your brother's soccer game.  You made it to the third quarter but then we had to duck in to the car.

You like to call all footwear, even boots, shoes.  You like to stomp around in your green froggy boot hand me downs.  I think you think all shoes are dirty now.  You like to get a paper towel or swipe the dish towel and take it over to the pile of shoes and try to clean them up.

You are a pretty good eater overall, but sometimes you ignore food offers until you are really hungry.  One time we handed you a little piece of pizza and you bit it and bit all the cheese off in one swipe.  Your auntie joked that it looked like you were skinning the pizza.  You regularly use a fork without gouging the table or your plates.  You can cut with a knife very carefully and slowly.  You do not like sitting in your high chair very often.  We can usually amuse you just long enough at restaurants by playing games like sugar packet hide and seek. 

Whenever you see someone sleeping in a book you call the person sad and you give me a big frowny face.  If I just explain that the person is sleeping you get weepy.  If I ask you to show me how to sleep, you scrunch up your little eyes and slam your head into the nearest pillow. You saw a blowup snowman lawn decoration shivering at the store and you thought he was sad too.  

Making your own turkey napkin holder at Home Depot and being Proud with a capital P.  You unprompted ran to get your toy tools to help daddy fix the door knob.  You enjoy playing the kitchen cupboard while I get dinner ready, and you pretend to cook up some cowboy and horsey toys.

 You can now undress completely, although you occasionally get your head stuck in your shirt. This is another step towards independence that I remember well with your brother.  We aren't into yicky little potties, so the potty training will wait until you can get on the potty yourself.  But you do use the potty before bath and tell me when you are pooping.

You love watching everything going on outside the big windows in this place.  When there aren't big leaf or garbage trucks you wait patiently to spot a squirrel or animal friend.  The day before you were born your brother and I visited baby squirrels my animal rescue volunteer friend was helping raise.  I bet based on your "wirl" fascination that you wanted to greet the world so you could meet those squirrels too.

After seeing the real helicopter everything became a zoomy helicopter flying around. You loved visiting the fire station and being in awe (about as much as me) that they let you use the fire hose.  You are pretty steady on your feet and also pretty strong.  You love shimmying around in your sock feet or spinning on the bum of your velour pants.

You were excited to say how old you are to the doctor by holding up one finger.  You hardly flinched during your flu shot to show your brother how brave you are (while he pulled a turtle and stuck his head and legs inside his shirt).  Then a few days later when we went in for your appt, you recognized the tray with the shots on it and said "ouch" - the nurse laughed and you giggled back.  Even those two shots in a row didn't phase you much.  Tough guy.

Playing a soccer game and getting so excited that you run over to me for hugs in between your moves.  Then while hugging, you kick your little legs up in the air like a happy doggie.  If I give you something that you like you offer a huggie as a thank you.  Your favorite this is attempting to eat pens and empty yogurt drink containers.  You love the feeling of the electric toothbrush on your achey teeth and gums.

You will ask me questions in reverse, like you will ask me, "Mommy, Tummy?  Show me!"  Then you will come up to use and say "deese Mommy's toes" or "tickle daddy toes!"  Although toes sometimes sounds like doahs ;)  You loved shining the flashlight around and saying "What dis?" and carrying it on Halloween time all on your own.  That bouncing light and cookie belly up on daddy's shoulders was pretty funny.  

You enjoy being a fun tagalong buddy with your brother.  You and I get more adventures all to ourselves while your brother is in school.  It is a fun new era that will balance out the crazy and the calm.  Thanks for always sharing hugs along the way.  I love you, Mommy

field trip

Yesterday was Aiden's first 'full day' at school.  I was so glad that we got three extra bonus days off before he started in on full days.  His teacher suggested it and we're going with her suggestions since we trust that she will have more time to work with him individually when there are less kids in the afternoon. He says that is his favorite part of school when he "gets lessons with the teacher" and he even gets a second playground time to run off more energy.

He was excited to help pack his lunch (a feat because they want everything to be waste free, so no baggies or wrapped food). He wiped out nearly everything in his new box.  He had his first rest time with a roly poly he was pretty excited about.  He even had an extra hour of chess club after the normal 3:15 pickup.  He wasn't tuckered out like I expected him to be and wanted to go straight to the park to meet up with KC's little buddies.

Last month Aiden's class went on a field trip to visit the veterinarian at the local Pet smart.  KC got to be the tagalong guy and thought it was way cooler than nap time.

hallow complete

Halloween day went off without a hitch (minus no school since it was still without power). We went to two library story times, one was meant for KC and one for Aiden, but they love to be tagalongs at each other's programs. The first included a costume parade around the library and several rounds of If You're a Monster and You Know It! The second included ghost puppets that learned to listen to their mom before eating anything. The skeleton brothers hung around the neighborhood most of the afternoon enjoying being outside again and trying not to slip on all the wet leaves. We went to a get together with all of Aiden's rowdy school friends in our neighborhood. The kids ate up a fruit monster and made mummy bagel pizzas. Then we hit the streets with perfect crisp 55 degree weather. This band of troublemakers collected lotsa candy and even tried trick or treating at their teachers' house (although she was at a church meeting -bummer). We made it home with 136 pieces of candy and KC's new favorite phrase, Tak A Tree Can-da puh ease.

happy

Happy, happy Halloween! We woke up to another bonus day off from school thanks to Aiden's school still being without power.  Woot, I added a costume parade at the library to our morning fun!  It got us out of the house in our skeleton jammies... since Aiden wanted to "save" his costume for later on tonight ;)

Everyone loves a slimy pumpkin?!

 It's a superhero pumpkin with an M crown for the Milkman and many other hidden superego symbols per Aiden's imagination... like a bat, a shield and a V...

 Mummy pumpkin daredevil bagel pizzas for Aiden's snack week Halloween treat (which will hopefully last until school is back in session!)