Rainy Day

It's a rainy day today---a much needed rainy day!! I love the idea of a rainy day--stuck inside, dry and cozy. The only thing that would make it better is if Aiden were here to ask me to build a tent out of sheets. Guess I'll have to wait for a snow day for that. The thing that makes me sad that he isn't here is that I got a call this morning from the school nurse saying that Aiden had been in her office because his teacher thought he had a fever--no fever--he just told the nurse that he missed his mommy! It took all I had not to hop in the car and bring him home to our cozy house.

Rebekah decided this morning that she was going to take the disks from Aiden's Nerf disk gun and make stepping stones for her little people. There are stepping stones at our Church and the kids love walking on them. I guess Rebekah wanted to share that fun with her little people. To make this cozy, rainy day even better, Mike came home from work early--the kindergarten cooties have set in and he is the first to have a cold. It's not good that he's sick, but it's nice having him in the house. Rebekah cozied up to him after lunch and promptly fell asleep. This rainy day isn't just good for the grass, it's good for the soul.

Birthday Boy!

Today is Aiden's 5th Birthday!! I was getting a little teary eyed this morning as reminisced with Aiden about his birth 5 years ago, that is until he asked exactly how he got in my tummy and then out. Luckily Rebekah saw a deer from the car window and the subject was quickly changed. Yesterday we told Aiden it was his last day of being 4. We made a huge deal out of it, so when he woke up this morning we measured him because we swore he had grown during the night. He loved it and we even wondered if shoes would fit since he was no longer 4. The most exciting part of the morning was not quite what we expected. Aiden's birthday surprise from us was a new Jets' jersey (reference back to the picture of Aiden in his 3T Jets' Jersey) and a fish tank (something he has been asking for for a long time). We're going tonight so he can pick out his own fish. You would think this would be the best part of the morning . . . nope---Aiden was MOST excited that he would be able to take a whole vitamin instead of half. As I told my friend Cindy that story, we both commented, "Oh, if life was only that simple!" I hope and pray that as Aiden goes from 5 to 6 and on, he continues to see life with those amazing rose colored glasses.


Happy Birthday Handsome Boy!

Fleas, Friday Night Fun and Fluffy Friends

It's one of those moments as a parent. Your son or daughter says something that you won't soon forget. Aiden was reciting what he learned in school that day. "Mary had a little lamb...it's fleece was white as snow..." Then, with a serious look on his face that still makes me giggle like ten year old, it just comes out mid-thought. "Mom, why does the lamb have fleas?" I had to turn my head and look at the ceiling to avoid having the boy see my quivering, ear-to-ear grin. That's all I will ever think of from now when I hear that song. Do they make a flea collar for lambs? Someone should tell Mary.

Friday nights are family nights here. Pizza, movies, and ice cream. A good way to unwind after a long week. I think more ice cream wound up on their faces than in their mouths. Thank goodness for the hardwood floors on the back porch. The carpet frowns upon those things. Once the sugar kicks in...it usual spirals into an all-out pillow fight (not even the dofg is safe) and a impromptu session of "dog-pile" on mommy. This may get a little more hazardous in about ten years. Unless we find a cheap chiropractor out here, that is.

Bailey has a new friend. When he was younger, he got a stuffed duck for Christmas. He immediately emptied it of the "quack" (batteries and wires all over the house) and all of it's stuffing. It looks like a pillow spontaneously combusted. He carried that awful carcass around for months...eventually losing it in the woods. Proper burial, I guess? We bought him another one and, like clockwork, emptied it of its innards. Now, he carries the torn up hide all over the house. If I find that nasty thing on my pillow, we're going to have another burial.

Green Day

If I wasn't a parent and I read the title of this blog, I'd immediately think of the band, Green Day. Ahhhh, but I'm the parent of a kindergartner who is "studying" colors in school. Today was Green Day for Aiden. On Saturday, several days before "green day" Aiden asked me when green day was. I was a bit interested in why he wanted to know about this particular color when blue is his favorite. One the other hand, his JETS loving father knew why and sat quietly with a smile on his face. I told Aiden that it was Wednesday and Aiden immediately declared that he would wear his JETS jersey for green day. The problem, the jersey is 2 sizes too small for him. I had actually just cleaned out his drawers a few weeks ago and found the jersey. I knew that this would be an article clothing that I would keep instead of passing it on to his cousin. I should have immediately packed it away so that Aiden would not have been able to go to school today wearing the too small shirt. But away he went, proud to be wearing the jersey of his Dad's favorite football team. As we walked to the bus, we talked about what they might do at school for "green day." He guessed that they might make zucchini muffins since zucchini's are green. I silently doubted that his teacher would make zucchini muffins for 19 kindergartners, so when Rebekah and I got home from the bus stop, we made a batch of zucchini muffins for Aiden to have when he comes home from school.

GOOOOO JETS!!

"Big Mommy"

It's funny that I start my first post on my first blog talking about the potty . . .it pretty much seals the deal that I'm a Mom. Rebekah has been "potty trained" for about 6 months now. She had been doing great, using the big potty at home and in public restrooms. All was well until we traveled to Myrtle Beach for our week at the beach. On the way we stopped at Chick-fil-A to use the restrooms and get some dinner to go. As Rebekah was using the potty, it flushed automatically. To say she was frightened doesn't do it justice (and I don't blame her). After that traumatic experience, using the public restroom was like putting a cat in water. She screamed so loud in restrooms that I was sure that someone was going to call Child Protective Services. We tried all sorts of ways to get her to use the potty--even looking for restrooms that didn't have automatic flushers. Her wonderful big brother even volunteered to go first so she could see that the toilet wouldn't flush. Over time she starting using the potty while we were out again. We praised her like she had just won a Nobel Peace prize. We told her what a big girl she was . . . the works. Yesterday Rebekah and I were at the grocery store and I had to use the restroom. She came in the stall with me and when I finished, I said "look at what a big girl I am." Rebekah quickly responded, "you aren't a big girl, you're a big mommy."