The DelMonico Diaries

Two firsts!!

2011-09-08T21:22:00.005-04:00

Back in July, Aidan started kindergarten. He has his days, but overall he has done great. He likes it for the most part, but it has been an adjustment to be going to school all day, every day. He is going to a year round school, so he has gone for 6 weeks, and has been tracked out for almost three. I have not decided if this year round thing is good or not. We'll see how it works when he has to go back next week! I am very proud of my big boy, and still cannot believe he is in KINDERGARTEN already!

The second part of the firsts this year is that Peyton started preschool. I never thought i would see the day! We had been talking to her about it for a while, but she insisted that she was not going because she didn't know the teachers and was scared of them. We got to the point that it would be ok if I stayed there until she knew the teachers. The preschool we chose allowed that so that was not a problem. So I thought, OK we are going to do this. Right before we handed in the application, she insisted again she was not going to go. So with a lot of thought we decided with Aidan at school I could sort of do the home school preschool thing until next year. (normally i would have just tried it with her, but over the summer we "tried" a dance class and it was HORRIBLE!!) Well, Peyton had other plans! She decided three days before school started that she knows the teachers are nice and "when am I going to get to go to school mommy?" I could not believe it. I guess she just needed to come to that conclusion herself. So needless to say, we signed her up! And don't you know, I walked her in, she put her backpack away and started playing. She asked me to stay for a couple of minutes, but when I said it was time for me to leave she said "OK" and let me leave. I was expecting her to be clinging to me and screaming and crying, but luckily she surprised me and that was not the case. When I picked her up the teacher said she had a great day and was the teachers little helper all day. Peyton loved it and had a great time and cannot wait to go back Friday. Just like Aidan I am so proud of my "not so little anymore" girl. You both did such a great job!
As you can see, she was very excited that morning!

Aidan's 5th Birthday party

2011-05-15T20:57:00.009-04:00

Aidan's birthday is next week, but we decided to celebrate a little early. If you know him, you know he loves superheroes. So, it was no surprise when he picked out an iron-man theme!

Actually, he couldn't quite decide, so he decided on iron-man decorations and a Thor cake!
Happy Birthday to my big 5 year old!
Being silly with friends.

Peyton and Stella patiently waiting for cake.
Very happy boy!
Everyone helping with presents.
He has been wanting this lego set for a while. He was very happy to get it!
Aidan had a great time! He loved playing with all his friends, and seeing family.

Peyton's 3rd birthday party!

2011-03-27T13:31:00.035-04:00

March 21st was Peyton's 3rd birthday, so on Sunday, the day before, we had her party. An Ariel, Little Mermaid party, that is. Peyton had been talking for months about this day. What decorations she wanted, what kind of cake/cupcakes, and of course what toys. I don't think there was a day between Christmas and her birthday that she didn't ask "how many more days till my birthday Mommy?"

Well,the day was finally here, and this is what she looked like most of the morning. The party wasn't until three so I think it was hard for her to contain her excitement and wait.

Once she relaxed a bit, she was fine.

Little Mermaid decorations that Peyton hand picked.
She was very excited about this cash register from Aunt Sara and Uncle Kevin. We play grocery store almost every day.
Aidan was very good at helping her open her gifts.
Happy girl!
Sara came early so Peyton had plenty of time to be a cashier. And she finally decided to put on her party dress.
We had lots of good snacks,
and pasta and pizza for dinner.
It was a beautiful day so the kids had a great time playing outside. The favorite was playing Star Wars with our neighbor Eric.

Sweet August watching the big kids play!
Aidan loves babies. Here he is hanging out with Merin.
Even Peyton had a blast playing Star Wars with the boys!
Enjoying a big bite of pizza. The girl can eat up to three slices in one sitting!
We were also celebrating Nick's 13th birthday. Hanging out with one of his friends, Josh. We didn't see much of them. Teenagers apparently like to be alone!
My attempt at a little mermaid cake. Most of it turned out, but the face is kinda scary. Oh well, it still tasted good , and Peyton didn't mind.
The kids waiting for cake.
We sang to Nick first,
then it was Peyton's turn.
Aidan showing off his blue tongue from the frosting.
Big smile from the happy birthday girl!
Blake and Aidan enjoying cake.
Peyton and Jack about to dig in!
Stella and Henry eating their cake outside.
Looks like Elliot likes the cake too!
Messy cake face!
Very messy cake face!
The kids are patiently waiting for the gifts, although Aidan doesn't look very happy about it.
Peyton excited about her fairies!
Peyton loves this bear. She named her lovey bear and takes her everywhere, including to bed every night.
All the kids closely watching her open!
Peyton posing by her huge princess picture. Now all we need is a new house to hang it in!
Thanks to everyone that helped us celebrate. You all helped to make her birthday a special one!

Holiday decorating!

2010-12-26T20:20:00.012-05:00

We have been very busy this past week making and decorating many holiday treats. The first was the gingerbread houses. I decided to make my own house this year so they would be edible. They were fairly easy to do except the putting together part. I had to hold them together for a while to let them dry. Anyway, this is what they looked like before the kids started decorating.

Aidan placing the candy in just the right spot, while Peyton is eating the icing.
That was her favorite part, the icing. She licked the bowl clean and then asked for more.
We also made a couple of gingerbread men to go along with the houses.
The finished product. Peyton's is on the left and Aidan's on the right.
Next were the sugar cookies, and once again the icing was her favorite.
Aidan didn't think it was too bad either!
Working very hard.
The kids picked the icing colors they wanted to use. We used purple and pink (Peyton's choices), and blue and yellow (Aidan's choices).
Adding the sprinkles was a ton of fun. Of course to the kids the more the better!
Peyton's finished cookies.
Aidan's finished cookies.
The kids had a great time decorating, and we had a great time watching them have so much fun!

Making Christmas cookies

2010-12-19T21:22:00.009-05:00

Today Sara and Nick came over to make cookies. The kids liked helping for a little while, but Sara and I did most of the baking.

One of their favorite thing to do is stir. Peyton helping Aunt Sara stir her cranberry cookies.
Aidan and Peyton helping Aunt Sara again!
Helping roll the thumbprints in nuts, and then making the print.
Peyton really liked putting the cinnamon candies on the rice crispy wreaths.
One of the cookies the kids really did help with were the nutter butter snowmen. I dipped them in white chocolate, and then the kids decorated them to make a snowman.
The finished product!
Rice crispy wreaths.
Cherry nut balls.
Thumb prints and mexican wedding balls.
I had a good time making the cookies and watching the kids decorate. Thank you Sara for helping! Now I just have sugar cookies and a gingerbread house to make!

NC snow day #2

2010-12-16T08:18:00.004-05:00

It is snowing again here in NC. Very unusual for this early, but we may actually get more snow on Saturday as well.

Unfortunately, it is not the nice, fluffy snow you can play in. It is the wet, rainy kind. The kids were not very happy that they could not play in it.
So this is what they did instead. Snuggled together to watch a movie!

Disney on ice-Toy story 3

2010-12-11T15:22:00.013-05:00

On Wednesday night, we went to see Disney on ice-Toy story 3. The kids enjoyed the show, but by the end they were ready to go. Peyton danced a lot, and her favorite part were the barbies.
Aidan's favorite part were the toy soldiers.

Everybody waiting for the show to start.

After we found our seats we decided to go get some snacks. Aidan is being a nice big brother by helping Peyton down the stairs.

The kids each decided on ice cream dipping dots.
Peyton enjoying chocolate,
while Aidan is enjoying rainbow ice.
YUM!
We were in the first row of the second level, which was great because the kids could stand up to see without bothering anyone.
Alien claw game part.
Woody and Jesse.

It was hard to get pictures because it was so dark, but the videos turned out pretty good, so here is one of everyone.

Riding in wagons with friends and planting flowers

2010-11-07T18:12:00.006-05:00

Just a few fun things we have been up to lately.

Riding in the wagon with friends!
Going to IHOP for the free scary face pancake on Halloween weekend!
Building huge block towers!

Planting and watering new flowers and seeds!

Smores

2010-11-06T20:08:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, since the nights started getting cooler, we decided to break out the fire pit. Of course when there is a fire, you have to roast marshmallows. And when there is marshmallows, there must be smores. So that is exactly what we did.

The kids with the neighbors waiting for the fire to settle a little, so they can get started roasting.

The kids had a great time roasting the marshmallows, but didn't like eating them. I know, crazy! The adults took care of the eating part,no problem! The kids did decide it was a good idea to steel all of the chocolate and eat it.

So we were left with only marshmallows, which was not problem, as you can see!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-02T20:05:00.012-04:00

We had a great Halloween! We started out with a chili and beer bread dinner. We met up with neighbors and friends outside for a little playtime before heading out.

Peyton the kitty cat all dressed and ready to go.

Aidan met up with some friends, Simon the storm trooper, and Blake as wolverine. Aidan was spider-man of course!
August the chicken also made an appearance.
Peyton with her friend Jack the panda.
Nicholas dressed as a scary skeleton.
Elliot, the cutest pirate that you ever did see!
An attempt to get a picture of all the kids.
Emily as an awesome witch.
After all the playing and the pictures, it was time to actually go trick or treating.
Peyton had a great time and was not scared or shy at all. She heard the word candy and was all in!
It was hard work though so Jack and Peyton decided to rest when we got back.
Just a funny note: As we got farther down the street Peyton was concerned that she could not see our house. She kept saying " we're getting to far! I can't see my house,mommy!"

Also Jon and I had ti split up. He went with Aidan and the big kids, and went with Peyton the Jack, the little ones. Aidan made it around the whole block, while Peyton and I only made it up the street and back. Needless to say Aidan had a lot more candy.

We played a little more with friends and called it a night. Peyton is still wearing her costume, she loved it so much!

NC State game

2010-09-17T20:02:00.006-04:00

At the last minute, Jon's boss dropped a pair of clubhouse tickets to the State game last night, right in his lap. For some strange reason, Aidan ended up taking a nap yesterday, so he ended up enjoying the game with Jon. They were in the clubhouse, so there was food,and drinks, and desserts, and air conditioning, and soft leather chairs. If you so desired, you were also able to watch the game in an outside seat. Aidan had a great time. So much so that he was up until midnight telling me about it. According to him, there was not only football to watch, but other things as well. Like marching bands, and huge flags on the field, and sparkling parachute men.

It happened to be "honor the troops" night, so the whole side of the stadium held up letters that said "NC State" on one side, and " Thank You Troops" on the other. There was also a huge flag that people held up to cover most of the field. Aidan thought that was pretty cool.

Looking happy to be at the game.
His new face every time we try to take a picture.
Aidan and Daddy looking happy.
Aidan was very excited about the parachute guys. They took a while to come down, so he spent a while excitedly looking for them. He told me they had sparklers on their feet, which he loved. All in all, he had a great time, and I'm sure that spending time with Daddy just made his night!

Playing in the rain

2010-09-10T15:19:00.012-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, there was an afternoon shower. The kids decided it would be a good idea to go out and play in the rain. There was no lightning or thunder, so I agreed. They had a blast! We ended up being out there for at least an hour.

They weren't too sure at first. They said it was cold, but they took the plunge anyway.
They promptly ran back up the steps because the rain was cold,
but found a way to warm up, and then go back to playing in the rain.
For a good while all they did was run around my car and the front yard. Then they found the sidewalk chalk and drew for a while.

Our Neighbor Jack joined in the fun as well.
Eventually they made their way to the backyard and found a huge puddle.
They danced and splashed, and splashed and danced for a long, long time!
Until they were all soaked and
danced and splashed out.
The End!

The paci fairy came

2010-08-30T20:45:00.004-04:00

For a while now I have known that it was time to get rid of the paci. I think I let it slide because I thought Peyton would have really hard time with it, and I wasn't ready to deal with that. Jon and I finally decided it was time last Friday night. We had talked about the paci fairy for a couple days before hand. We told her the paci fairy would be coming to our house to get her paci's and bring them to all the babies who needed them since she was a big girl now. Also, she would be leaving a big surprise in exchange.

To my amazement, she has done awesome! Friday night she cried for about 10 minutes and then she was asleep, and slept through the whole night. Saturday nap was fine, but later that day she asked for it once, whined a bit, and that was it. Every night since then she has been fine. Like she had never used one. Aidan did poke her in the eye today and she asked for it, but she was justified! I'm so proud of her and very glad we decided to go for it!

She did ask for some specific things, which of course she got. New pink nail polish, a baby with blue clothes, and some more tattoos. I threw a couple other things in the mix that I knew she would like, just to make it really special.
When she sees me wearing earrings she tells me she needs some, so I got her clip ons.
I worked that morning so I missed her actually opening everything up, but Jon tells me she was excited and liked everything. Aidan was apparently more excited than she was though. Wish I could have been there, but he did take a video for me! I am so glad that is done and over with, and that she did so great!

Airplanes

2010-08-08T12:21:00.009-04:00

Back in May, we went to a small airport in Knightdale with Joe and Bronte, to take a look at some small planes. We were able to get up really close, and even got to look at the inside of them.

We also watched sat and watched many, many planes take off and land. I think this was their favorite part.

A plane getting ready to take off.
Very cute kids with an old airplane we were able to see!
They were also giving rides up in the airplanes, but we never got a chance because there were too many people waiting. We waited for over an hour and the wait was still much longer. Hopefully next year, because Aidan and Peyton were very disappointed!

Peyton Dancing

2010-07-23T18:11:00.003-04:00

Peyton really loves music and dancing. Dancing in particular. You can usually find her dancing around the house at various times throughout the day.

Dress Up!

2010-07-22T12:16:00.004-04:00

Lately Peyton has been into dressing up. We have a couple princess dresses and a pair of shoes she likes to wear. Aidan also likes to dress up as Iron Man. It's so funny and cute to watch them.

What the kids do to occupy themselves!

2010-07-21T10:40:00.009-04:00

Lately the kids play very well together. I love listening to them and all the cute little conversations they have with each other. Aidan is usually the leader and Peyton is happy to comply with his directions. This is just a few things they have been doing to occupy their time.

Dressing up. Translation: Putting blocks on every extremity to make yourself look like a robot.

Pretending to be a cat. Translation: torturing the cat!
Playing "mommy and daddy" with the kitchen being the house.
Stopping the dragon that lives upstairs, from coming downstairs. Translation: Putting everything imaginable, toys, pillows, etc. in front of the stairs.
Peyton decided to stuff her night time pull-ups and a hand towel in the toilet. Not a game Mommy likes very much!
My all time favorite: Cuddling!

Baseball game

2010-06-26T17:12:00.008-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, Jon, Aidan, Nick, Joe, and Owen went to a Bull's baseball game. On the way over it started storming, so the game didn't start on time. The boys got dinner and waited until it was time to start.

Once the game started, I hear everyone got right into it with cheering and yelling.
Aidan told me all about meeting " The Blue Monster," which he loved. He told me he took Owen's ball and wrote on it, and then he gave it back to him. He did the same thing with his ball too.
Of course the kids enjoyed snacks while they were there too.

The game started out slow, but turned out to be a success. The kids had a great time!

Thanks Aylin!

Tracy and Paul's wedding!

2010-06-04T14:52:00.024-04:00

Last Sunday, May 30th, Tracy and Paul got married at Duke Chapel. The Chapel, as well as the ceremony was beautiful. The reception was at Tobacco District, which was very beautiful as well. We had so much fun playing, dancing, and spending time with family.

We stayed at The Marriot so we didn't have to worry about driving. This is Aidan and Peyton getting ready.

Aidan looking very handsome!

Peyton was very excited about wearing her "princess dress."
They both looked adorable in their matching outfits.
Peyton decided to take a little nap on the way over to the church and slept through most of the ceremony.
Everyone walking in to the church before the wedding.
Peyton's favorite thing to do was to walk up the church steps, sit down for a minute, then walk back down.
Bronte dancing with her Daddy at the reception.
There was a cornhole game at the reception, which the kids loved. Although Peyton thought it was a slide. Hey, whatever keeps them occupied!
Aidan and Owen knew exactly what to do and had a great time throwing the bean bags back and forth. Luckily, disaster was avoided when Aidan managed to throw one over the balcony. It just landed on the ground instead of a table, and managed not to knock someone out.
It was really great to get to see family that we don't see a lot.

The kids had a blast. They got to splash their feet in water,
run around and play with each other,
eat cake,
and dance.

By the end of the night the kids were exhausted! They did really well considering we were there until midnight.
Peyton staring in amazement at everyone dancing.
The wigs even managed to come out.
It was a great time with great people.

Congrats Tracy and Paul!

Aidan's Birthday at Chuck-E-Cheese

2010-05-27T08:51:00.020-04:00

Last Wednesday was Aidan's birthday. When I picked him up from school and asked him where he waned to go for his Birthday lunch, he chose chuck-E-cheese. So, we met daddy and a couple of friends there to celebrate his birthday. We started off with a pizza lunch, and then the kids were off to play and have fun. They had a blast riding rides and playing a ton of games.

Aidan and Peyton had so much fun. Peyton was asleep before we were out of the parking lot. Thanks to Emily, Kara, And Brooke for celebrating Aidan's birthday with us and making it so much fun.

Later that night after dinner, we sang Happy Birthday with Nana, Grandma, A.Mary, U.Dick, and Simon.
The kids very much enjoyed their spider-man cupcakes. So much so that they each had two!

Thanks everyone for making Aidan's Birthday so special!

Strawberry yumminess!

2010-05-22T21:18:00.005-04:00

On Mother's day we picked about 20lbs. of strawberries. For the next week we had a ton of strawberries and fresh whip cream, strawberry pie,

and I made a whole lot of strawberry jam. We probably have enough for the next year.

Can't wait to see what I will decide to make the next time we pick a whole lot of strawberries!

Happy Birthday Aidan!

2010-05-19T23:05:00.002-04:00

Aidan,

Four years ago today, you made me a mom, your mom. You are the best little boy anyone can ask for. You are a caring, loving, bright, silly, smart, fun little boy. You love your little sister so much, and are a great big brother to her. Most of the time you love to play with her and direct her, and explain what you are doing. You have a ton of energy, and never seem to get tired. Right now you like to ride your bike, play with your men, and do just about anything outside. This was your first year of preschool, and you loved it. You made a lot of new friends, and did great with your work and following the teachers directions. Your giggle is contagious, and you constantly make me laugh. Just tonight while taking a bath, you squirted me with the shower. You looked at me, and then we both cracked up. I have enjoyed being your mama for the past four years, and am looking forward to watching you grow and change. You are a great little boy and I am so proud of you.

I love you!

Happy Birthday!

Love Mama

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-12T18:06:00.017-04:00

Mother's Day started for me when I picked up Aidan from school on Friday. He could not wait to open his backpack and show me what he made for me. The excitement on his face was enough for me, but this very cute flower was an added bonus.

On Mother's Day morning the kids were up bright and early, so we were able to get to Mimi's before the crowd and have a great breakfast.

As you can see, Jon is really, really enjoying himself.
Aidan is into making silly faces now when I try and take his picture.
Nana and Peyton were having a good time eating all the good food as well.
Peyton especially loved eating at Mimi's. She had a taste of everyone's food.
After breakfast we went to Home Depot to pick out some flowers. I didn't get a picture, but Aidan picked out orange flowers, and Peyton picked yellow. They also picked me out some really cute yellow ones. When we got home they both helped put their flowers in a pot for the porch stairs. Mine were planted on the porch railing.

Next up was strawberry picking! We went to Pope's right in Knightdale and the kids had a blast.
Everyone excited and running to the strawberries with their buckets.
Peyton needed a little help, but she did a great job picking.
Aidan loved it, and did a great job all on his own. He filled about a quarter of a bucket all by himself.
Of course the kids were eating strawberries as they were picking them. There was strawberry juice everywhere. On hands, faces, and clothes.
Aidan's silly, strawberry face.
Peyton's strawberry face.
We all had a great time and ended up picking about 20lbs. of strawberries. We will be having strawberry everything for a while!

Jon's Birthday!

2010-05-08T21:26:00.007-04:00

On Tuesday was Jon's 36th Birthday! The kids could not wait for Jon to get home from work so they could sing to him. Peyton helped pick out the strawberry cupcake with pink frosting for her and Aidan to share. (Jon and I went to the cheescake factory for dessert! ) So after dinner they all got ready to sing.

Or actually, eat the frosting.
Peyton,
and Aidan really enjoyed that big cupcake!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Beach Trip

2010-04-18T19:46:00.030-04:00

A couple of weeks ago we were able to go to Ocean Isle Beach for a long weekend. We had a great time, and the kids had a blast. We were able to do lots of fun things, like:

Eat cheesless pizza,

and ice cream.
Play miniature golf,
play with cousins,

and build lots of sand castles.
Enjoy the ocean,
sand,
and waves.

Rest,
ride bikes,

and scooters.
Run,
and play,
and squirt by the pool.
We all had such a great time and can't wait to go back next year. Thanks Aunt Mary and Uncle Dick!

Visiting the Easter Bunny

2010-04-05T20:39:00.007-04:00

On Saturday our neighborhood had an Easter party. There was egg dyeing, an Easter egg hunt, and of course, the Easter bunny. Aidan and Peyton were so excited about meeting the Easter Bunny, but when we actually got there, they weren't so sure about him.

Aidan nervously watching the Easter bunny from afar.

This is the face Peyton made when we got closer and I asked her if she wanted to sit on his lap. She loudly said "No, I don't like him!"
We stood in line and Aidan was brave enough to stand next to him so I could get a quick picture. Meanwhile, Peyton is sitting on the floor because she didn't want to be near him.
They both really enjoyed the cupcakes,
and the egg dyeing,
and just running around and hiding in trees.

Peyton's 2nd Birthday party

2010-03-29T20:55:00.013-04:00

Peyton's Birthday started out with opening up Nana's presents. She got her some dress up clothes, which she was very excited about. She didn't waste any time taking off her pj's

and putting on her new clothes. She was hilarious. She could barely walk in the high heels, and she didn't have any underwear on, so her little booty was showing through her skirt.
I had baked the cake the night before but still had to decorate it, so Peyton helped.
Her version of helping was to "clean" the frosting container for me.
Then the party started, and she had a great time playing with all her friends.
Apparently a little too much fun because she had to stop and rest right in the middle of her party.
When she woke up, we were able to resume with all the festivities. First up was the cake. Peyton's favorite show is Yo Gabba Gabba, and her favorite character is Foofa. So, of course, that is what she requested for her cake.
Not too sure about everyone singing to her,
but she had no problem devouring the cake.
After the cake we did a pinata, and this is all the kids collecting the candy.
After collecting the candy, of course some had to be eaten.
Peyton had a great time opening up her gifts. For some reason after she opened up a gift, she took it out the door and set it on the porch. I have no idea why she did this, but it was really funny.
As I've said before, she loves her babies. This baby was one of her gifts, and she carried it around the rest of the day. It is now one of her favorite babies.
Peyton had a great time at her party, as did I. Thanks to everyone who made it so special.

Happy Birthday Peyton!

2010-03-21T21:34:00.018-04:00

Peyton,

Two years ago today you were born, and you have brought so much joy and laughter into our lives. I can't believe you have grown from this cute little baby,

into this beautiful little girl in such a short time.

You are such a determined little girl. You know what you want, and what you want to do, and you find a way to do it. At 22 months you decided you needed to potty learn, and you did it in record time.
I think your favorite person in the whole world is your big brother, Aidan. You want to do and have everything that he does. In fact, you told me today " I don't want to be 2, I want to be 4!" Of course, because Aidan will soon be 4. You two play very well together most of the time. I love to just sit and watch and listen to you guys play.
Aidan adores you as well. He loves to hug, and tickle, and love on you. He always protects you, no matter who is the one who is doing something you don't like.
Some of your favorite things to do these days are to "help" and watch us cook.
You love, love your babies. Lately Aidan plays the Daddy and you play the Mommy. You find a spot for your house, and then you wrap up, and rock, and love your babies.

You love books, and I love listening to you read them to yourself. Your little voice and version of the story is just so adorable.
Your new favorite food is an egg sandwich. English muffin with an egg, cheese, butter, and ketchup. You ask for one for almost every meal, and sometimes snacks.
Since Christmas, when you got your markers, coloring is another one of your favorite things to do. You not only like to color on paper, you love to color on yourself as well. Hey, at least you have a creative side!
Another Christmas gift was this tea set. You are finally getting old enough to play with it. You love it when I fill it with water and we have a tea party together. It's just so cute the way you fill up all the tea cups, then put cream and sugar in, and then drink them all.
You are very independent. You like to do anything and everything by yourself. You pick out your own clothes, get yourself dressed, brush your teeth, go potty, make your food, eat, and on, and on, and on all by yourself. You bring happiness and laughter to anyone who is around you. You are a beautiful little girl, and I am so proud to be your Mama.

I love you baby girl.
Happy Birthday!

Love,
Mama

Aidan's hurt arm

2010-03-08T14:49:00.005-05:00

The whole ordeal started yesterday while at jumping beans. Aidan was having a blast jumping around, wrestling with his friends, and sliding down the big slide. At some point while sliding down the slide he hurt his arm. I heard the scream and cry and had a feeling right away it was no simple injury. You can usually tell when it is not your child's "normal cry." The rest of the afternoon and evening he would not use his right arm to do anything. He just kept it at his side. This morning it was not any better so we brought him to the doctor to be checked out. After moving and feeling Aidan's arm, (this was painful for him) she thought his elbow was dislocated but wanted him to get an x-ray just to make sure. The doctor at the radiology place confirmed that his elbow was dislocated, so it was back to his primary doctor to put it back in place and to get a sling. Getting his elbow back in was luckily really quick so not much pain for Aidan. He has to wear the sling for a couple of days and he should be fine. I can tell he is already feeling better.

Aidan was great through the whole thing. There was a little crying when the doctor was moving it around and squeezing it, and a little when they were placing his arm for the x-rays, but that was it. I told him how proud of him I was, and that we would go get ice cream for being so brave. He then told me that "ice cream would make his arm feel all better." Now on to "trying" to get him to be careful with his arm for a while.

Snow Day

2010-01-31T21:49:00.008-05:00

This weekend we had a snow/sleet/rain storm. It started Friday night and lasted through most of Saturday. When the kids woke up Saturday morning, they were so excited to see the snow. All Peyton kept doing was walking from window to window saying "there's snow out there, see?" They could not wait to get outside and play. We had to wait until a little later in the day because it was so windy and sleeting. We finally made it out and the kids had a great time.

Aidan all ready to go out.

Peyton all ready.
They had fun playing with trucks in the snow,
sledding,
more sledding,
and of course, eating the snow. Although I don't have a picture of Aidan, he also loved eating the snow. Peyton was so funny. She would find a spot, lay face down, and start eating it. She would then get up, find another spot and do it all over. I could not stop laughing.
We had a lot of fun this weekend out in the snow, and I think the snow will be here for a couple more days to enjoy.

Making crabcakes with Nana

2010-01-11T18:21:00.006-05:00

On New Year's Eve Nana and the kids made crabcakes for dinner. They helped Nana crush the crackers. They were great at this part. I had plenty off crushed ritz's everywhere.

The next step was to roll the crabcakes in the crackers, roll them into a ball, then push them onto the pan. Peyton still has not moved on from the crushing part. Grandma is sneaking her another one to crush.
Trying to roll it into a ball.

Grandma is looking a little worried at this point. She has good reason because...
this is what they looked like when they were all done. At some point someone decided to add whole and crushed crackers on top of the crabcakes. My mom just ran with it and we just fixed them later.
They turned out really good and and the kids had a great time making them.

Indoor playground

2010-01-07T22:48:00.005-05:00

Since it has been so cold here, Emily and I took the kids to this indoor playground yesterday. There was plenty of stuff to climb, jump, swing, and twirl on. The kids had a great time just running around after each other. It's not too big of a place so it made it easy to see what all the kids were doing. Unfortunately we were not able to stay very long because they close for lunch, so we will be going back very soon.

cuddle time

2010-01-07T22:31:00.002-05:00

When Peyton wakes up from her naps she usually needs a little cuddle time before she gets up and plays. Usually it's me she sits and cuddles with. Today she decided to sit and cuddle with Aidan on the couch while he was finishing up his show. I just thought it was the cutest thing. It's really nice to see how much they really love each other, especially when there are days when all they do is fight and annoy each other.

Christmas Eve/Christmas 2009

2010-01-05T14:27:00.023-05:00

On Christmas Eve we had family over for dinner and lots of good treats. I think in this picture Peyton got into some vegan fudge.

Aunt Sara can never wait to open gifts so she gave the kids her gift.
They were entertained for a while making playdoh burgers and fries.
Mmm. Doesn't that look good?
On Christmas morning the kids slept until 9 from having so much fun the night before. Getting ready to come down the stairs.
They were so excited and started grabbing gifts right away.
And then they spotted these: Peyton found her 4 wheeler and now can ride alongside Aidan in his jeep. Aidan found his new bike, that we later had to take back, because Jon got the wrong one. He saw a spiderman bike at the store and had his heart set on that one. We took this one back and he now has a spiderman bike. I knew this was going to happen because on Christmas Eve he was telling everyone that Santa was bringing him a Spiderman one. It was too late then to bring it back, so we just blamed it on Daddy instead of Santa.
Peyton loved her 4 wheeler and kept driving it around the house.
They had a great time opening gifts,

and then playing with them all.

I think the markers and paper were one of their favorites.

Later in the afternoon we went to Uncle Joe's to exchange gifts.

Later that evening we had everyone over our house again for dinner. We had a great time celebrating with everyone!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T13:00:00.004-05:00

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year. We had a quiet, but fun night at home. We enjoyed lobster tails, crab cakes, and shrimp for dinner with our moms. Later we then enjoyed some beverages while we watched Ryan Seacrest's New Year's Eve show. Hope you all had a good night as well.

Note: Peyton did not actually drink any beer. The bottles were all empty. The pictures were taken on Christmas Eve while everyone was at our house for dinner.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T14:46:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas to all! Hope everyone is having as much fun as us.

Christmas cookies

2009-12-22T22:37:00.016-05:00

On Sunday Emily and Blake came over to decorate sugar cookies. We set the kids up with different color icing, paint brushes, and sprinkles.

Blake busy painting the icing on the cookies.
Aidan and
Peyton very busy working as well.
Of course you can't forget the sprinkles. All the kids loved this part. So much so that every cookie has more than it's fair share of them.
Along with the decorating, there was plenty of eating as well.

I think each of them ate their weight in icing and sprinkles.
Today Aidan and Peyton helped Nana and I make some more cookies. Aidan and Nana making balls out of the dough and then rolling it in cinnamon sugar.
Making cookies is a very tiring task!
Showing off his finished product.
Peyton helped in other ways, she made sure we always knew where the vanilla was and that we had plenty of it.
Aidan rolling the cookies in powdered sugar.
Peyton also helped with the cleanup. She washed all the dishes!

Snowman

2009-12-17T21:35:00.003-05:00

After the snowball fight, and things settled down, Jon and Aidan were able to build a snowman. Aidan had so much fun and thought it was the coolest thing. The two of them were outside for what seemed like forever building the little guy.

Oh, I'm glad someone managed to take pictures because Aidan informed me he knocked him down and stepped on him after they were done.

Snowball fight

2009-12-16T22:22:00.007-05:00

While in Buffalo, before the blizzard, we were lucky enough to see, and play in, some pretty , fluffy snow.

Aidan is getting ready to play,
and run, and jump, and fall in the snow.
It was a perfect night to break out a snowball fight. The snow was perfect to pack and find a target. Sara trying to flee as Kevin gets ready to strike.
During the entire fight Peyton was nice and warm, and safe in Nana's arms. She did get to watch from the porch and she thought it was hilarious.
Fun was had by all, and I'm glad we were able to play in a little snow.

Snow storm in Buffalo

2009-12-12T21:51:00.011-05:00

While we were in Buffalo visiting family, we were lucky enough to experience one of their famous Lake effect snow storms. Living in NC for the past six years, I kind of forgot what a real snow storm can be like. I have to say though, I really DO NOT miss it. I'm so glad we live here in NC now and do not have to experience this.

It was very, very windy making it impossible to see 2 feet ahead
This is actually not the worst. You can see some in these pictures

On the back deck showing how much snow has fallen
Due to the high winds a huge tree fell down right in front of my Grandfather's house. Thankfully it did not hit the house and no one was hurt.

The storm started Wednesday night and all through Thursday. I don't think I have seen that much snow in years. I sometimes think I miss it, but not anymore. I have been reminded what a snow storm can be like. All the schools were closed and there was driving bands. It was freezing, and windy, and not the fluffy pretty snow you can actually play in. As soon as you went outside you were blasted with snow and wind.

If you do have to venture out, the process of getting yourself and two kids dressed is a nightmare. Shirt, sweater, heavy jacket, hat, gloves, boots, and a blanket. By the time everyone is dressed, you're exhausted. I guess what I am trying to say again is that I am glad we live here now.

The night before the storm, Peyton started running a fever. Of course it would happen at the worst time of the two weeks we were visiting. I spent all day Wednesday talking to my insurance company and calling doctors to try and find somewhere to take Peyton. At seven in the evening we finally found a doctor that would see her in the morning. The worst part of the storm, by the way. The Doctor was actually my Ped when I was young. He was actually closed on Thursdays too. He drove all the way from the next town, in a major snow storm, just to see Peyton. I really wish more Doctors were like him. He obviously really cares about people. Thank goodness he did see her because she ended up having bronchitis with a bit of pneumonia. I don't know what would have happened if we didn't find him.Thank You Doctor Patel!

Playing Horsey

2009-11-24T14:43:00.004-05:00

One of Aidan and Peyton's new games is horsey. Aidan is the horse and he gives Peyton rides on his back. It is so great to see them playing and laughing together. They were laughing so hard on this day that Aidan was having trouble getting off the floor.

He did finally manage it and Peyton was very happy to get to ride the horsey.

Halloween

2009-11-01T17:41:00.007-05:00

Iron Man and The Fairy Princess all ready to go trick-or-treating.

On a mission. When she realized she was getting candy, she was glad to go up to every house.
Peyton stopped to ride in the jeep.
Walking down the street with neighbor friends.
Aidan and Blake trick-or-treating.
The kids had a blast! We went up the one side of our street and then back down. At that point it was Peyton's time to stop. Aidan and his friend Simon wanted to keep going, so we did. Aidan filled two buckets with candy. At 8:30, after 2 hours of trick-or-treating, he insisted that it was not time to stop because he didn't have enough candy yet. I don't remember how I convinced him to stop, but eventually we made it back home. We have enough candy for the whole year!

NC State Fair

2009-10-25T14:18:00.013-04:00

On Thursday, Jon took off of work so we could go to the fair. It turned out to be a great day. It was 80 degrees outside, and it was can day. You just had to bring canned goods to get in.

We started our day by riding a couple rides.

First the tea cups:
then the merry-go-round.
driving a car.
Next up was playing a couple games. Jon and Aidan played a squirt gun game and on their first try they won. Jon and Peyton played the fishing game and she won a little pink whale.
Peyton spotted the ponies and said she wanted to ride, but when I tried to put her on it she was not having it. We actually tried twice. So instead we just watched Aidan have fun riding.
Peyton decided it was time for a nap,

and Aidan decided it was time to ride every ride possible.

The big slide,
the four wheeler,
the motorcycle,
and the dragon. We also went on the ferris wheel, but I didn't get a picture.
When Peyton woke up we decided to go check out the animals. We seen cows, sheep, horses, chicks, pigs, goats, rabbits, chickens, and ducks.

It was a very fun and exciting day. When we got home Jon and I were exhausted.

NY trip Sept.09

2009-09-30T22:22:00.019-04:00

About a a month ago, on Labor Day weekend, we took a week long trip to visit relatives in NY. We were crazy and decided to drive the 10-12 hours.

This is the very beginning of the whole trip. This day we drove to Baltimore to visit one of Jon's friends. We figured it would be good to split up the trip. It was awful. It ended up taking almost 8 hours because of traffic.

The kids had lots of stuff to keep them busy while driving. Aidan and Peyton reading some books.

Lunchtime!
The next morning we woke up and drove to Norwich NY. This is during the annual golf tournament on Sunday. Aidan loved the golf carts and even got to drive it around with Daddy.
Peyton loved the golf carts too and had fun pretending to drive.
On Monday morning we left Norwich and drove to Rhinebeck NY to visit Grandpa and Irene. This is at their lake, where the kids had a blast swimming.
This is Peyton after she got out of the water. She insisted on wearing her hood and Aidan's hat.
In the meantime, Aidan went fishing with Grandpa and Daddy. He loved it and waned to go again, but we never got a chance.
Aidan and Grandpa watching Wally.
Aidan loves bugs, so one of his favorite things to do while we were there was to go find daddy long legs with Irene. They live around a lot of trees and water, so there is a ton of spiders and bugs around. Aidan was in heaven!
Of course there was no time for naps so he was pretty tired when bedtime came. He was asleep before 8 most nights, very rare for him.
This is the first time we tried to leave. We had the van backed, PJ's on, and tired kids that were going to sleep most of the trip. About a half an hour down the road we had a flat. We called AAA, they put on our spare, and we had to turn around and go back. We couldn' t take the chance of driving with a donut. The funny thing was that Aidan slept through the whole thing.We were able to put him right in bed when we got back. After we remade all the beds, of course. Peyton, on the other hand, was wide awake through the whole thing and would not go to bed until after 10.
The next day we took our time and left after lunch. Another 12 hours and then we were home. Driving was tough with the kids, but we are glad we did it. Looking forward to next year when Peyton is a little older and the drive should be a little easier.

Aidan's first day of preschool

2009-09-28T21:08:00.003-04:00

My computer has been broken for forever, so this is the first chance I have had to write about Aidan's firs day of school. He has been going for about three weeks now, and he absolutely loves it. I knew he would like it, but I didn't think he would like it so much that he doesn't even say goodbye to me. He just jumps out of the car and basically runs into the door. He always says how much fun he had, and is very eager in the morning to go. Jon even had to leave early one morning cause he was so excited to go. I have to say it is much better to have him love it and not care one bit to leave me, than to have to deal with crying ad not wanting to go. He did a little trial run over the summer and he cried the first day, and was a little sad the second. He is getting to be such a big boy, and I am so proud of him for being so brave.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-08-19T12:41:00.002-04:00

My two cuties!

Funny faces

2009-08-13T21:00:00.002-04:00

Body art

2009-08-12T15:23:00.005-04:00

Peyton loves to draw. She doesn't care if it is with a crayon, chalk, marker, pen, or pencil. When I saw her the other day gathering up paper and a pen I didn't think anything of it. She gathered her materials and went and sat on the chair in the living room.

This was her showing me what she was doing when I went to check on her.
She was very good at pretending to draw on the paper...
when she was really drawing on herself.
This is the end result. She was very proud of her body art.

Storytime with Grandma

2009-07-26T21:57:00.001-04:00

Ice Age 3

2009-07-03T20:26:00.005-04:00

Today I took Aidan to see his first movie in a theater, Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. He loves dinosaurs, so when he saw the previews for the new Ice Age movie, he informed me that he wanted to see it. I had been wanting to take him to the movies for a while now, and I thought this was the perfect time. We went with a couple of friends, Emily and Blake, and Kara and Stella. About 20 minutes into the movie, Aidan and I were the only ones left of our group still watching the movie. His friends were not too fond of the theater yet. He loved it. He looked so cute sitting in the chair, eating a snack, while watching the movie. He was a little antsy toward the end, wanting to walk around and switch seats, but after an hour that is understandable. I'm sure we will be enjoying many more movies together in the future.

Meeting Diego

2009-06-20T20:32:00.005-04:00

Diego is one of Aidan's favorite shows, so I thought he would like to meet him in person. Well, not so much. As soon as we walked into the room and he spied Diego he hid behind my leg and would not let go. He would not go anywhere near him. In order to get out of the room you had to walk past him. I just about dragged him to get out of there. When I asked him why he did not like him he said " he's too big and I do not like his hair like that." A good excuse, I thought. He did look a little creepy.

Here is Aidan clinging to my leg for dear life.

Remember, I love you.

2009-06-10T22:11:00.002-04:00

For a little while now, Aidan has been somewhat difficult. I am told it is his age. Apparently at age three some crazy thing happens to most children. At least according to many other mother's of three year olds. The biggest problem is listening. Everything is "NO" or "I don't want to." It can be me asking if he wants to read books or telling him it's bedtime. I have been giving him consequences and choices and that seems to be helping. The last couple of days he has been so sweet. He's like a totally different child. It's very weird that he can be so different from day to day. Lately he has been saying the cutest thing. Out of the blue he will say "You know mommy, I love you. Remember?" I can be playing with him, or making lunch, or playing outside and he will stop what he is doing and say that to me. It melts my heart. For a split second, it makes forget all the "I don't want to's" of the day.

Aidan's 3rd Birthday party

2009-05-27T21:17:00.009-04:00

Last Saturday we celebrated Aidan's 3rd birthday with lots of family and friends.

We all enjoyed plenty of food...
singing "Happy Birthday" to Aidan...
reading birthday cards...
and opening presents.
Then there was all the playing with friends....
and giving them all jeep rides.

Oh, and the cake. Aidan asked for a dinosaur cake. Specifically a triceratops cake. Luckily a friend had made one before and gave a pictorial on how to make it. So, it was 1 in the morning the night before the party and I had just finished decorating the cake. I had been doing so for about three hours. It looked really cute and I was so relieved to be done. I started cleaning up to go to bed and I looked over and part of the cake had cracked in half (apparently you are supposed to use supports). I was so tired I couldn't do anything about it. So, the next morning I woke up and started to try and "save" the cake. It actually turned out pretty good.

Here it is while we are singing to Aidan:
P.S. Originally I was going to just leave the cake. We were just going to cut and eat it anyway. I told Aidan I had made his cake but it had broken. He informed me that I had to fix it cause he didn't want everyone to see the cake broken.

Aidan is THREE!

2009-05-19T21:49:00.004-04:00

Today Aidan turned three years old. Three years ago today I was about to become a Mommy. I didn't have any idea how that would feel until he was born. Sure, I could imagine, but I never really knew until the moment he was in my arms. It was one of the best feeling in my life. I could not even begin to describe the love that poured out of me.

Aidan has become such a little boy, a little person. He is full of energy, he is extremely funny, very strong willed, and intense. He knows what he wants, and doesn't have a problem telling you. He likes many thing to be a certain way, like he needs to line up his cars before we leave the house or go to bed. He loves to be outside. If we could spend all day, every day outside, he would. He loves to play with critters. Ants, lady bugs, dragonflies, he loves them all. He loves his sister, although he likes to beat her up a little as well.

To celebrate Jon got out of work early, and we took Aidan to chuck E cheese to play some games. It was really nice to be able to spend time with just him. He picked out Moe's for dinner, and then we headed home to the rest of the family for cake and ice cream.

When we got home this was waiting for him from Nana and Grandma:
the kids had so much fun with this. They played with it until bedtime.

Aidan wanted a dinosaur cake. This is what I made for today. Stay tuned for the cake for Saturday's party.
Aidan gobbled up the cake and had a frosting face to show for it.
Peyton also got to enjoy a little cake, and enjoy she did! She ended up with a frosting face too.
Aidan had such a fun day! He didn't want to go to bed. (does he ever?) Jon brought him up crying because he did not want to stop playing with his new toys.

Aidan, THANK YOU for making me a Mama, your Mama. I love you! Happy Birthday!

Ocean Isle

2009-04-23T14:57:00.021-04:00

Last weekend we went to the beach in Ocean Isle to visit Aunt Mary and Uncle Dick. Every year they rent a condo for two months and this year we were finally able to make it. It was our first time at a beach here in NC, and the kids first time ever.

The first day Peyton loved the ocean, but the second day she wasn't so sure.

Aidan, on the other hand, loved it.

I love this picture, so I had to sneak it in.
Aidan and Peyton loved collecting seashells...

and digging in the sand.

Another favorite activity was playing with the water spout used to rinse off the sand.
There was a pool there as well which was a big hit with both the kids.

We all had a great time and can't wait to go back next year. Thanks Aunt Mary and Uncle Dick!

Easter 2009

2009-04-12T20:25:00.007-04:00

We started off our Easter celebration by coloring eggs on Saturday. It was a beautiful day, so we did it out on the deck. Aidan was very excited and had a great time coloring and then putting stickers on all the eggs.

The Easter bunny hid all the eggs so when Aidan and Peyton woke up they searched the house to find them all. Aidan was so excited every time he found one. Peyton even managed to find a few all on her own.

Here are the baskets that the Easter bunny brought for Aidan and Peyton.

Of course Nana had to make the kids baskets as well. Aidan is enjoying all the chocolate.
Peyton did not get any candy, but she managed to find a jelly bean. She loved it by the way.
We also had an egg hunt outside with Bronte and Nick with plastic eggs filled with candy. Peyton loved playing with all the eggs.
Peyton looking very cute as a bunny.
We had dinner here with most of the family. It was a great day watching the kids excitement and spending time with family.

Aidan and the baby frog

2009-04-11T20:47:00.003-04:00

Aidan is a typical boy. He loves bugs, and lizards, and frogs. Ants too. The other day he found a baby frog in our yard, and he was in heaven. He snatched it right up and carried it around in his hands, and even let the frog jump on his shirt. He watched him jump around and found a puddle for the frog to play in. He was very gentle with the frog, which doesn't come easily to Aidan. I think for some reason he was a little nervous about picking up the frog because his little hands were shaking. Maybe it was the excitement of it all. Either way it was very cute. I love seeing my kids discover new and exciting things.

Peyton's odd eating habits

2009-04-06T14:40:00.006-04:00

A couple of days ago Peyton did not take a nap. So of course by dinner time she was so tired she did not want to eat. She went to bed at 7, but at 11:30 she decided to wake up very hungry. Jon and I took her downstairs and gave her yogurt and veggie booty. Here she is enjoying her midnight snack. I sure hope she does not make a habit of this.

Even the cat was wondering what was going on.
This is how I found Peyton eating her snack the other day. Laying down on the kitchen floor.
She now regularly eats her snack this way.

Miss independent!

2009-03-26T20:49:00.004-04:00

One of Peyton's new things is she likes to feed herself. If I try and feed her , or give her something she cannot do herself, she will not eat it.

Here she is eating spaghetti all by herself.

Inspecting it very carefully...
and then shoving it into her mouth.

She has a spoon, but believe me it was not used to eat. She basically would take big spoonfulls and dump it on the table. She thought it was pretty funny. Spaghetti was everywhere when she was finished. All that matters though is that she ate and had fun doing it!

The party

2009-03-24T20:48:00.008-04:00

Peyton turned 1 on Saturday, so of course we had a party for her. We had a lot of family and friends over to celebrate with us. Even though Peyton really had no idea what was going on, we all had a good time.

For the first time I decided to make something other than a plain rectangle cake. I made a butterfly cake, and then ladybug and bee cupcakes. I must say, the cake turned out pretty darn cute.

I didn't get a picture of the cupcakes, but here is the cake:

Here is all the food people brought and I made. Crazy, I know!
Here is Peyton while we were singing Happy Birthday.
Aidan sitting right next to her singing.
The cupcake. She didn't know what to do with at first, but once she took a bite she loved it. When she was done it was in her hair and all over her face.
Peyton could care less about opening her gifts so I ended up opening all of them. She found the balloons much more interesting.
She has a great time playing with the balloons and their strings.

Happy Birthday!

2009-03-21T17:48:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Peyton!

Today Peyton turned 1. Sitting here thinking back to the day she was born, seems like just moments ago. This year went by so fast. It was crazy, amazing, emotional, and a joy. I love you baby girl. Thanks for picking me to be your Mama.

Peyton

2009-03-10T10:27:00.006-04:00

Peyton will be 1 in a little over a week, and I wanted to mention all the cute things she has been learning lately. For about a month now she has been walking. It seemed as though one minute she was just taking a couple steps, and the next she was walking around the house. I rarely see her crawl these days. I am very proud of her, but at the same time it makes me sad that she is no longer a baby.

She has been saying a few words and animal sounds. Her favorite thing to say is" Uh-Oh."It is so cute when she says it. Most of the time she is eating and when she drops something she says it. Peyton, just like her brother, loves dogs. She still hardly ever says mama, but she says doggie very often and clearly. She of course says daddy and her own version of Aidan. She can say "up " when she wants me to pick her up, and she has said ball a couple of times as well. I have been trying to teach her the sound each animal makes. So far she know what sound a snake, a bear, a dog, and a duck make. She loves the Old MacDonald song. I'll hear her through out the day saying " E-I-E-I Ooo."

Peyton loves stuffed animals. She like to hug and kiss them all the time. She will be playing and I will look over at her and she will be laying on top of a stuffed animal giving it hugs. So cute! When I ask for a hug or a kiss, she will give me one too. She loves to be outside riding in her little red car, or just playing in the grass. She also likes to play cars outside with Aidan. Aidan has taught her how to drive the cars on the ground and make a brrr sound. She likes to play with her hair while trying to fall asleep or while she is nursing. I love watching her. It is one of my favorite things that she does.

Peyton definately has a mind of her own. She knows what, when, and how she wants things. You most certainly know when she does or does not want something. She tends to thow fits, and go limp, and fall to the floor if you take something away she can not have, or tell her not to do something. I can't help but laugh when she does this. I do not know if this is a girl thing or not, but I do not remember Aidan doing any such thing. I think I'm in for it when she is older.

My baby is turning into her own little person, and I am enjoying every minute of watching her do so. Even though it makes me a little sad that she is getting SO big SO fast, I can't wait to see the changes in her that the next year will bring.

Picture tag

2009-02-16T21:11:00.003-05:00

Kara tagged me a couple days ago to open up the sixth picture in my sixth folder. So here it is:

This is last summer when Aidan was in an art show. This is him by his drawing he submitted for the show. It was really cute. The show was at a local wine store. There was a little showing with each kids submission, name and age, and a reception with snacks and drinks. We knew a lot of the kids in the show so it was really fun. It was really great looking at this picture and remembering what a great time this was.

Aubrey, you are the only one left I know to tag. Kara tagged everyone else I know that have blogs. So Aubrey, open up your sixth picture in your sixth folder, and lets see it!

I wear my sunglasses while baking

2009-02-16T08:05:00.003-05:00

Saturday morning Aidan and I made lemon bars for my sister. Apparently the batter was very bright because he just had to wear his sunglasses while stirring it.

Aidan is such a good helper and loves to watch and help cooking and baking. Maybe he was using the glasses as protective gear. When he is done helping stir there is usually stuff all over the counter and walls.

Peyton is on the move

2009-02-15T10:14:00.003-05:00

Peyton started walking around the house a couple days ago. Before that she would only take a couple steps at a time. Now, I'll look over and she'll just be walking across the room. She's really cruizin now. Go Peyton!

If you give a mouse a cookie

2009-02-11T19:40:00.007-05:00

Aidan loves babies. So when we watched Elliot one morning, he was happy and eager to help.
He brought him toys to play with and helped me feed him a snack.

He also tried to read him a book. It didn't work out so well because after about 30 seconds, Elliot crawled away. Aidan didn't seem to mind too much, he just kept right on reading.
Thanks Aidan for all your help!

Dance baby dance!

2009-02-10T14:22:00.003-05:00

Aidan and Daddy time

2009-02-08T18:51:00.004-05:00

So, with Jon home a lot more, I am getting to see the very cute things that Aidan and Jon do together more often. Both Jon and Aidan like to play men, so they spend a good amount of time together doing just that. One of my favorite things to listen to is the two of them playing men in the shower. When getting ready for a shower, I usually see Aidan run down the stairs naked, grabbing the men he wants to take in with him, and then running his naked self back up the stairs. If you know Jon, you know he likes to save money. So every Sunday when the paper comes he cuts all the coupons. Recently, this has become one of Aidan's favorite activities as well. He gets to spend time with daddy while learning how to use scissors.

Here they are at the kitchen table today cutting out the coupons:

Jon, thanks for being such a good Daddy!

The circus

2009-02-07T21:26:00.015-05:00

Today the whole family headed out to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circus. It was Aidan and Peyton's first time, as well as mine.

Here we all are waiting in line to get in to the pre-show. It was Sara, Kevin, Nick, Jon, Aidan, Peyton, and I that went.

Outside, while waiting to get in, Sara bought each of the boys a program. Here Aidan is with his on his back.
We went an hour before the actual show to the pre-show to meet the animals and people in the circus.

Here is one of the men on stilts.
Here is Nick wearing his clown nose.
Jon an the kids in our seats.
Peyton fell asleep before the circus started and spent the first half of it this way.
Aidan watching intently.

His favorite part was the animals. He loved the horses,

and the elephants.

I didn't catch the tigers, but he loved them as well. He loved the parts when their were animals involved, but when they left he kept asking where they went. He didn't care much about the people hanging from the ceiling or the contortionists or the dancing people. Other than the animals, he like the motorcycles, other vehicles in the show.

Peyton did good for a while. She slept for the first half. She woke up, clapped and danced for a while, and then decided she didn't want to sit anymore. I had to take her out and walk her around and let her climb the stairs a couple of times. I was a able to peak in every so often and watch from the standing area.

All in all everyone had a good time. For my first circus I really liked it, and so did Aidan.

Change is good, I hope.

2009-02-04T12:56:00.003-05:00

So, one of my friends just wrote a post about moving out of their house to a bigger, new one. The title of the post was, change is good. I'm hoping that is true for us as well. Jon just got laid off yesterday so it will be a big change for us. I can't remember a time since we have been together that he has not had a job. He didn't really enjoy his job, he had to work way too many hours, and it didn't pay that great. It still payed the bills, it was still a job. Change is good though, right? I'm hoping he will find something that he really enjoys doing, not have to work so many hours, and will pay a little more. Is that too much to ask? Maybe that was the plan for us. Maybe Jon losing his job is supposed to force him to find something he enjoys doing, and will allow him to spend more time with us. A push in a better direction. In my gut I feel we will be O.K., but the fact of not knowing what is ahead is really difficult.

The things they say!

2009-01-31T20:03:00.002-05:00

It seems that Aidan has been talking forever. It's hard to remember a time when he wasn't speaking. Lately though, the things he says amaze me. I can have complex conversations with him. He is such a little person. Some of the things he says are hilarious. I wonder how he comes up with it, what his little mind is thinking at the time. The newest thing he has been saying is " B why?" I'll tell him to do something and instead of saying " because why?" or just "why?" he says " B why mommy?" The first time it came out of his mouth I could not stop laughing. It took me a minute to realize what it meant. Now that is his regular response whenever he wants to know why. They say "kids say the darnedest things" and that is absolutely true.

Making music

2009-01-29T17:46:00.003-05:00

So, do I have future drummer's, or what?

25 random things

2009-01-28T21:07:00.002-05:00

So a couple of people have asked me to write down 25 random things about myself. Ever since I was asked a while back I have been trying to think of things. This was not an easy thing for me do do, but tonight I finally sat down and came up with some things to write. So here goes:

1. My dream job? I do it every day. I am lucky enough to stay home with my two kids and watch them play, laugh, and learn new things. I get to teach them, guide and assist them, and even argue with them.

2. That said, being home with Aidan and Peyton every day tending to their needs, is one of the hardest and most selfless things I've had the pleasure of doing.

3. I really, really need a bigger house.

4. My favorite sound by far is hearing Aidan and Peyton laugh.

5. I love to read, but haven't read a grown-up book in 2 1/2 years, but that's O.K for now.

6. The fact that we are not having any more kids is very depressing for me.

7. I hated high school and never wish I could go back.

8. I love photos. Right now I have 200 photos waiting for me to put them in an album.

9. I feel guilty that I don't have time to pay attention to my animals.

10. I've been told I'm crazy because I don't like chocolate. I like white chocolate.

11. I am not artistic at all, but I really wish I was.

12. I love red wine.

13. I met Jon in college while I was dating someone else. I was blessed with in-laws that I love.

14. Other than something happening to my kids, my two biggest fears are public speaking and death.

15. I wish my grandparents taught me how to speak Italian.

16. I really miss snow around Christmas time.

17. I hate, hate, hate the summers here in NC.

18. I want to learn how to play the guitar and piano.

19. At first I resisted the blog thing. Now I'm a blogaholic.

20. My family is the most important thing to me. I guess that's why they all live in my house right now, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

21. At one point I had 13 piercings.

22. I have 3 tattoos.

23. My favorite TV shows are Fringe, Grey's Anatomy, House, and Lost.

24. I've watched General Hospital ever since middle school.

25. Jon is the person who has made me the happiest as well as the angriest.

O.K. There you go, I did it. (Kara) It was really hard, but I'm glad I finally did it.

Showing off!

2009-01-25T20:35:00.028-05:00

I just wanted to post some recent, favorite pictures of our adorable kids.

Here is Aidan wearing his sunglasses, in the house, with his PJ's still on.

Aidan working on a masterpiece.

Peyton modeling pigtails.
Peyton sporting the Pebbles look, with a snap pea crisp hanging from her mouth. (By the way, Jon did this to her hair.)

Aidan and Peyton playing with their new barn together.

Sledding on snow day #2

2009-01-21T20:31:00.000-05:00

Since there was still snow on the ground today, Emily and I decided to search for some sleds to take the boys sledding for the first time. After many calls to various stores, Emily finally found some.

We headed out to the golf course to find a good sledding hill. After two failed hills with no snow left on them, we found the perfect one. Just big enough for them to go a little fast, but small enough for them to pull their own sleds back up.

Here is Aidan and Blake getting ready to sled down the hill together.

After going down, Aidan actually loved pulling his sled back up.

Peyton was back home napping with Nana, but Elliot ventured out to look in on all the fun. He had a nice cozy seat on Emily's back.
Here everyone is walking back to the car after having a ton of fun.
Aidan loved sledding. I was very happy he found something he liked doing in the snow. The whole ride home he kept saying he wanted to sled some more. I wish the snow would last a little longer, but it looks like it will all be melted soon. Oh, another plus was he was so exhausted that he was asleep by 6:30.

SNOW

2009-01-20T15:34:00.000-05:00

Last night we were put under a winter storm warning. They said to expect 2-4 inches of snow. I was hoping it would happen , but didn't quite believe it. It never snows when they say it is going to, at least not "real" snow like back home. To my surprise, this is what we woke up to this morning:

So I went digging through closets, found our gear, and bundled up to go play in the snow. I was a little disappointed that Aidan did not really like the snow. He pretty much whined the whole time and didn't want to kneel or sit in the snow. He didn't want to go back inside though. He did like making snowballs and he had fun riding his bike on the snowy road.
Of course when we came back inside we had to make a nice, warm cup of hot chocolate.

Peyton's 9 month well baby check

2009-01-17T15:33:00.000-05:00

On the day of Peyton's 9 month check, I was expecting a non-eventful trip to the doctors. Weigh in, measure length and head, and a couple shots. No biggy. We have done this plenty of times. Instead I came out feeling like I was doing something wrong. I was told that Peyton was not gaining enough weight. At her 6 month she was 15lbs. 10oz. She is now 16lbs. 2oz. Meaning that she only gained about half an ounce in three months. The doctor asked how much she was nursing and when I gave my answer she told me that it was not enough. I knew that was not true, but it still upset me to hear the doctor tell me that. Apparently, she fell off her 25 percentile curve and is now in the 10th percentile. I know these curves are based on formula fed babies. I know I am nursing her enough and often. I see how much food she eats on top of nursing, but it still bothered me. I keep telling myself she is fine, she is meeting all her milestones, she is just a little peanut. Peyton is a healthy, active, happy little girl. I still hear the doctors voice in the back of my head every once in while though.

I wonder if it upset me so much because Aidan was the total opposite. I never had anyone tell me he wasn't gaining enough. They were all amazed at how much and how fast he was gaining. Aidan weighed 16lbs. (what Peyton weighs now) at 4 months. That's crazy!

Avocado's...yum!

2009-01-10T23:46:00.000-05:00

I have been giving Peyton avocado's for a while now. They were one of her first foods. I usually dice it up and give it to her to eat. Today I was using a spoon to scoop it out and feeding it to her. She did not like that idea. She wanted to feed herself. So I just handed her the half of avocado. This is what she did with it.

Here she is scooping out the avocado with her hand.
She was having so much fun with it. She loved it and could not get it in her mouth fast enough.
When the avocado was gone she tried moving on to the skin. She actually bit off a piece and was chewing on it. At that point I thought it necessary to take it away.
Well, needless to say, Peyton was not very happy about that. I guess I will be heading to the store tomorrow to buy more!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T11:16:00.001-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I hope everyone has as good of a morning as we did.

Peyton is 9 months

2008-12-23T17:16:00.000-05:00

On the twenty first, Peyton turned 9 months old. She is all over the place now. After three months of army crawling, she finally crawls on her hands and knees. She still can't go very fast so when to wants to get somewhere quick, she resorts back to army crawling.

Here she is trying to climb up the stairs. Lucky for me , the first stair is a little too high for her to get up.

Peyton trying to be like her brother.
After all, Aidan is her favorite person.

Peyton has such a personality all her own now. She is very determined and doesn't like it when I stop her from doing what she is trying to do. She lets you know she is not very happy, that's for sure. She is a funny little girl. She likes to play around with us and Aidan. She is a mama's girl. If I am in the room no one else matters. She likes to cuddle and give hugs, which I love, of course. I can't wait to see what the next nine months with Peyton brings.

Gingerbread house

2008-12-18T21:39:00.000-05:00

One of the things I wanted to do with the kids this year was to build a gingerbread house. So I rounded up Nick and Aidan and told them all about what we were going to do. They were both very excited and eager to get going. Especially when they saw all the candy.

They started off with both decorating a gingerbread man and a Christmas tree.
Aidan and Nick were having fun putting all the candy on the house and then this is what happened. The roof started sliding down and no matter how much icing I put on it would not stay up.
The boys didn't seem to mind, they just kept on decorating.
Even though the gingerbread house ended up looking like this, the boys had fun. That's all that matters.

Raleigh Christmas Parade

2008-12-13T09:37:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Emily and I took Aidan and Blake to the Raleigh Christmas Parade. In the freezing cold, I might add. So we all bundled up with three layers of clothing and headed out. This was Aidan's first parade and he LOVED it!

Halfway through the parade Uncle Joe and Bronte showed up to join in on the fun.

Aidan loved all the different marching bands and danced to every one.

One of his favorite thing that was in the parade was this monster truck. He was amazed by how big it was. Every so often it would stop and rev the engine really loud. Aidan thought it was great.

Here is Aidan showing me the ambulance, another favorite of his.

We stayed for almost two hours and still missed Santa. Even though it was freezing it was totally worth it. The boys really enjoyed it. We can't wait until next year!

I'm in trouble!

2008-11-17T20:36:00.001-05:00

For the past couple of weeks Peyton has been working on learning how to pull up on things. She started off slow, but all of the sudden she is pulling up on EVERYTHING!

There isn't anything that she won't try. I was eating dinner on a T.V. tray and she managed to sneak a peek .

She loves the gate even though it has fallen on her a couple of times.
Of course she like her activity table which plays music. She loves to get up and dance to the music. It's very cute.
Her all time favorite thing to stand up on is the train table. She actually has to pull up on the lego box first and then turn and grab the table. Very complicated. Oh, Aidan is not very happy about this one. She can now reach his trains which were once safe out of her reach.
I don't have a picture of this one , but every time I go in and get her from a nap she is standing there smiling at me from her crib.

She is growing so fast. I cannot believe she is almost 8 months already. Soon she will be walking and I will really be in trouble!

The big move

2008-11-09T11:38:00.001-05:00

My mother, sister, brother-in-law, and nephew are moving to NC! In two weeks! Holy cow. We all are very excited to be together again. I have lived here for five years, and since then we usually only see each other twice a year.

I am really excited for my kids too. My mom will get to see her grand kids grow up on a daily basis instead of through photos. They will have another Aunt and Uncle to love on them.

Most of all I am excited about my nephew Nick. Aidan and him are like two peas in a pod. They play together so well. Last time we visited...

they played men together...
played at the park..
and danced.

Congratulations Tracy and Paul

2008-11-04T20:16:00.000-05:00

CONGRATULATIONS!

Jon's cousin Tracy got engaged a couple of weeks ago to her long time boyfriend Paul. I wanted to say congrats and we are really happy for you two. Can't wait for the wedding!

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T22:17:00.000-04:00

Aidan had a blast tonight. At first he was shy about going up to houses and saying "trick or treat." He told Jon or I that we had to say it. Once he got the hang of it and knew he was going to get candy he was a pro. By the end of the night he was running from one house to another telling us "I go by myself." He would go to the door, knock, and then proceed to grab the candy out of the bowl as soon as the person opened the door. We had to tell him many times to wait until they handed him the candy. It was very cute though.

Here is Aidan a couple nights ago after we carved his pumpkin:

Aidan and Peyton in their daytime Halloween outfits:

Aidan was Mickey Mouse..
and Peyton was Minnie. (at Aidan's request, or should I say insistence)
Mickey and Minnie together. (love Peyton's scrunchy face)

Aidan going trick or treating all by himself
Both attacking the candy as soon as we got home.

Peyton had a great time too. She loved checking everybody out and watching all the kids running around.

Fall Festivals

2008-10-27T21:14:00.001-04:00

Last weekend our neighborhood had a fall festival. Aidan painted a pumpkin....

and played some games.
This is his spider ring he won.
This Sunday we went to another fall festival with Joe, Bronte, Michael, And Grandma.

Aidan was very excited to be able to ride a pony again.
This time Bronte was riding the pony in front of him.
We even had fun waiting in line to ride the ponies.
Bronte and Aidan are ver y happy to finally be next to ride.
Aidan played some games...
and won candy for prizes. He was very excited about that. He kept trying to eat it while waiting to play the next game.
Peyton had a great time too.
People watching got tiring after awhile so she took a little nap.
Aidan loved the fact that we had to ride a bus to and from our car. This is us in the back seat of the bus.
Aidan also went down a huge blow up slide that I did not get a picture of, and we went on the craziest hay ride ever. It was really fast and bumpy. The driver turned a lot and at the end went up a big hill. We then had to come down which was really fun. All of this in the dark was crazy, but fun.

The fair

2008-10-26T21:28:00.001-04:00

Last Monday we all went to the NC State fair. One of the first things we did was go into the UNC TV kids tent. Aidan made me take a picture of him in front of all the wooden figures.

Here are just a few:

We looked at some baby animals...

Aidan and Jon played a couple of games...

Aidan rode a ton of rides...

but his favorite thing of all was riding the ponies.
We all had a good time, but Aidan had a blast. I can't wait to go next year when Peyton can get in on the action.

Funny things Aidan says

2008-10-26T21:10:00.000-04:00

The other day I was in the car with Aidan and I was telling him we had to go to the mall so mommy could vote for a president. Aidan says all excited " a present for Aidan? " I thought that was very cute.

We were watching a show with an elephant behind some trees. The elephant stayed behind the trees the whole time so Aidan says to me " mommy, the elephant is locked, right? "

Tonight he told me that he is the boss. I don't know how he knows what that is cause we don't really talk about it.

In the car on the way to target I was talking to my Grandfather. He lives in NY so we don't get to see him very much. We were just there in September so he is still fresh in Aidan's mind. When I got off the phone Aidan told me that grandpa was outside on the porch drinking tea. If you know my Grandfather you would know that this is very funny because he never drinks tea, he drinks homemade wine. Also, very rarely does anyone else I know drink tea so I don't know where he got that one from.

She's on the move

2008-10-17T17:19:00.000-04:00

Peyton is not crawling yet, at least not on her hands and knees. She is doing what her brother did and is army crawling. Hopefully she will not be walking at 10 months like him. Yikes!

2008-10-17T17:17:00.000-04:00

Where's the raisin?

2008-10-09T20:45:00.000-04:00

This is a funny story I always want to remember. Anytime I'm a little down I will think of this day.

We were on our way home from story time. I had given Aidan a box of raisins before we left to eat in the car as a snack. All of the sudden he starts screaming " my raisin, my raisin." I said " calm down." " What happened to your raisin?" (thinking he had just dropped them) The response I heard was something I definitely was not expecting. He said " the raisin is up my nose!" I pulled the car over and looked up his nose and sure enough there was a raisin up there. Far enough up there where you could not reach it, but close enough so you could still see it. I tried to get him to blow his nose but it would not come out. What was I to do, I thought. I ended up going to Beth's house cause it was not to far from the ENT if we could not retrieve it with tweezers. After a little coaxing Aidan let me stick the tweezers up his nose and get the raisin out. What a relief. I could not imagine having to walk in to the Ent's office saying I needed someone to take a raisin out of my son's nose. I'm sure they have pulled plenty of stuff out of kids noses, but still. He looked at the raisin, laughed, and then said he felt much better. Then began playing as if nothing had happened.

Who's the little boy in this picture?

2008-10-09T14:09:00.000-04:00

When Aidan was born with big blue eyes, and then started growing strawberry blonde hair, we always wondered were it came from. Well here it is. This is Jon as a little boy and Aidan is a mirror image. Crazy!

Aidan is the funniest kid in the world(according to Peyton)

2008-10-07T08:47:00.000-04:00

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

Peyton is 6 months old

2008-09-21T20:04:00.001-04:00

Peyton turned 6 months old today. It is such a short amount of time, but she has come such a long way.

Here she is the day after she was born. She has obviously grown a lot since that day.

She has learned to sit up, reach and grab things, smile, and laugh. She grew two teeth, she absolutely loves her big brother, and she loves to play super baby with her Daddy. She has become her own little person already. I am looking forward to watching her learn and grow as the next 6 months fly by.

AS of today we learned she likes sweet potatoes as well.

Peyton has teeth

2008-09-14T17:22:00.000-04:00

Peyton is almost 6 months old and the past couple of weeks she has been growing 2 teeth. She got the first at 51/2 weeks old and the other yesterday. She is getting so big already. I tried to get a couple of pictures of her teeth. If you look real close you can see them.

She can also sit up all by herself and manage to move herself around the room as well. She is pretty much following in Aidan's footsteps which scares me because he was walking by 10 months.