Aidan is 11!

Happy 11th birthday to my biggest boy! We've got a LOT of changes and transitions happening in our family right now, not the least of which is us moving (our last night in the only house he's ever know is on his birthday!) and starting 6th grade in August at a brand new school without any of the friends he knows from elementary school. But I'm proud to say that Aidan is handling everything like a champ so far, and setting a great example for his brother and sister like always. I love this handsome fella with all of my heart!



And now I'm going to start what I hope will be a nice new birthday tradition: an interview with the birthday boy. I think it'll be cool to look back on his answers to see how they change over the years. Makes me wish I'd started it sooner! Though I will say that he's certainly not long-winded like his mom...:) I had to dig for a few more details here and there.

• How old are you?   11
• What is your favorite color?    Sky blue
• What is your favorite book?    Divergent
• What is your favorite food?    Pizza
• Who is your best friend?    Will
• What is your happiest memory?    Going to Great Wolf Lodge with my family
• Why do you like being a kid?    Because I can have fun
• What is one word to describe yourself?    Awesome
• If you could be any animal, which one would you be?    A Lion
• What’s your favorite thing about school?    Reading
• What makes you laugh?    My brother
• What do you want to be when you grow up?    A Businessman
• What do you love most about your brother and sister?    They are awesome
• What is your favorite thing to do with your family?    Watch TV
• What do you think you will be doing 10 years from now?    Working
• What advice would you give your parents?    Do your best!

Mom's note: we certainly don't spend all of our time watching TV, but we've found some family shows we like watching on the weekend (The Amazing Race and Once Upon a Time are two that we really like).

Eight.

Today, my sweet Logan turned 8.



I feel like birthday posts are getting increasingly harder to write without becoming redundant. I mean, I could write mushy gushy mommy brags all day long because my kids are just plain awesome, but I won't. :)

Pretty much everything I wrote last year for Logan is still true. Doing amazing in school, great brother, kind, sensitive, sweet. He's an awesome kid and I couldn't be more proud of him.



So instead of copying and pasting from last year, I thought I'd do an interview with him.

• Favorite person in the whole world? "My mom" (awwww!)
• Favorite color? "Orange"
• Favorite TV show? "Teen Titans Go"
• Favorite sport? "Soccer"
• Favorite book? "Mark of Athena" (in Rick Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series)
• Favorite food? "Burritos"
• Least favorite food? "The chicken you make" (gee, thanks buddy--I make a lot of different kids of chicken dishes...)
• Best friend? William
• What do you want to be when you grow up? Logan said "I don't know" so Lorelai chimed in and said she wanted to be a princess when she grows up. For what it's worth. :)
• What are you really good at? "Soccer"
• What would you buy if you had $1000? "Magic (The Gathering, like Adam collects) cards and a phone"
• If you could have one wish what would it be? "To have super powers, like to be able to control the wind."

This year, we had a small birthday party at our house with his local cousins and three friends from class.



He got a new bike (a day early, since Lorelai ruined the surprise, ha!), some books, and a birthday trip to Frankie's Fun Park today.






We played arcade games, rode go carts, did the batting cage for the first time, and played putt putt.









Happy birthday to my (not so) little Logan! I love you more than words.

It's still summer

Gotta be honest—all this talk of it now being fall kind of makes me mad.

I know Labor Day is supposed to signify the end of summer, but it's an unofficial end—one that I refuse to accept. While I don't hate fall by any means, I'm not eager to welcome any sort of cold weather. At all. After the winter we had last year, I can't imagine many people would blame me. ☺

So I'm hanging on to every official day of summer, right up until September 23. And every warm day after that, for that matter!













Pictures are from Aidan and Lorelai's birthday pool party. I could really use a LOT more days like that one. Perfect summer weather.

Four years old, and not a baby

This girl, oh my. Sweet, sassy, smart, funny, silly, loud, opinionated, friendly, loving. And now she's four!





When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she said "I don't know." When I asked her again, she said "Grandma." Another time, she said "chicken nuggets." And then when I asked her yesterday, she held up seven fingers and said "I want to be this many. Like Logan." Well I can't help her with the last request, but the rest was done and done. We had a pool party for Aidan and Lorelai on Sunday with both Grandmas, and then we went to the pool again tonight and had a Chick-fil-a picnic.





Most of me is devastated that there's almost no baby left in my baby. A fact that she's quick to point out whenever I call her baby instead of sweetie, by the way. She just doesn't understand that she'll always be my baby.

“I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living,
my baby you'll be.”
-Robert Munsch



These days, she likes:

• Going to the pool
• Coloring/drawing
• Super Why
• Watching videos I've taken of the family on my iPhone
• Fairy books (big girl chapter books)
• Baby dolls
• The color purple (just not her purple shoes...???)
• Bossing people around
• Arguing/throwing fits for no reason
• Being held by Mommy

Yes, my big (43lb!) girl still wants me to hold her. And it's still the same request as when she was little--"Mommy, hold you." And even when she wants me to hold her while I'm trying to make dinner or shop for groceries, it's super hard to deny that request. It's just about the only holdover from her babyhood. Sniff.





Age 3 was certainly a challenge, as I expected. But fortunately, I don't think it was as bad as it could have been. We obviously had our fair share of ridiculous typical 3yo behavior, but nothing that made me go insane.



I know we're now out of the woods yet as far as tantrums go (as evidenced by last night's bedtime debacle). But I'm looking forward to age 4. Seeing her emotions mature (hopefully!). Watching as she learns more and gets ready for kindergarten next year. Helping her become more independent. Watching her imagination grow.

She's remarkable, and very loved and spoiled. Happy 4th birthday to my sweet baby girl!

A double digit birthday

Happy birthday to my very favorite 10-year-old! It just blows my mind how we're already into double digits.



At 10, Aidan LOVES to read. His current obsession is Harry Potter and anything Rick Riordan. When he's not reading, in his spare time he likes to swim, play soccer, watch TV or play video games. That's why we have limits on the amount of non-educational technology he has access to for the week. :)

And he's still so friendly and outgoing. I so love that he can make friends easily and isn't hampered by shyness like I am/was. He came home from the first day of school already talking about his new friends. But Logan is still his best friend. Logan and Lorelai are so lucky to have a brother like Aidan.



Every year it never fails―I get emotional thinking about when he was born. In that moment, I couldn't have hoped for a better person to call my son, and he never ceases to amaze me. At 2:06 pm today at work, I looked at the clock and remembered the overwhelming feeling I felt that same moment exactly 10 years ago.



"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." ― Dr. Seuss

I've always loved that Dr. Suess book. And I love every bit of this simply amazing boy who's growing up right before my eyes. While I miss the little baby he used to be, I can't help but be excited to know the great man he's going to become.

"Kid, you'll move mountains!"



Love you so much, buddy.

34 kisses for 34 years

Yesterday, I turned 34. I just love it when my birthday falls on Memorial Day weekend--that extra day feels like a bonus birthday present. And you'd better believe I milked this birthday weekend for everything it's worth. I most definitely pulled the "you can't complain, it's my birthday" card more than once. While it fell on deaf ears after one too many shopping trips, I do respect the collective effort to make my day and weekend special. That included a sweet handmade birthday card, cute clothes Adam and the boys picked out for me, and 34 kisses throughout the day for each of my 34 years. The best.

We spent quite a bit of time relaxing and not doing much, except getting a tan.


a MUCH needed tan...

We also went out to eat. Lots. Sushi lunch on Friday with my friends. Date night with Adam on Saturday where we hit up Zinburger before finally seeing Divergent, and ending the evening with two slices of heaven from the Cheesecake factory (which we're still not done with, two days later!).


A bacon Bloody Mary, sweet potato fries and a Zinburger. SO yum!

On my actual birthday, we took the kids to Bob Evans for breakfast where we stuffed our faces and tried to forget about the terrible service. And because the weekend wouldn't be complete without yet another trip out to eat somewhere, we stopped at Moe's today after yet some more shopping. Whew!



We also spent a bunch of time at the pool, which I'm sure made up for an equal amount of time spent shopping, as far as the kids are concerned. :)





So cheers to 34 years! If this weekend is any indication, it'll hopefully be a good one!

Seven.

Happy 7th birthday to my sweet, charming, shy, funny, friendly, sensitive, crazy, athletic, smart, loving Logan.



I don't want to jinx myself, but I kind of feel like Logan has turned a corner in this last year. The meltdowns are less frequent and less intense, which is a huge deal. He's still sensitive and gets his feelings hurt pretty easily, but he's learning how to handle that better. And his teacher told me the other day that he was really "adaptable and go-with-the-flow." Say what?! Music to my ears, for sure.

He's doing amazingly well in school. Blowing his assessment scores out of the water, in the top learning group for each of his subjects (reading, spelling and math) and really seeming to enjoy it. When I asked him if he was raising his hand in class to participate, he said yes. When I asked if he got the answer right, he gave me a coy little smile and said "I always get the answer right." I love seeing that confidence coming from him.

He's still so good with his sister, loves playing with Aidan, and makes friends left and right. He's maturing right before my eyes, and I love seeing this glimpse of the man he could turn out to be.



Some other things I want to remember about Logan at age 7:

• He's into Skylanders and Pokeman, making a beeline straight there with no hesitation when birthday shopping with Grandma and Grandpa. He's also into Legos like his brother, and they're still saving up for the Death Star together.
• He likes reading Flat Stanley, Captain Underpants and Frannie K Stein books. He's got excellent reading comprehension and reading fluency (MClass level K; goal for beginning of 1st grade is E), but he still prefers to be read to at home.
• He's much less inclined to spend his allotted technology time sitting on the couch watching a TV show--he'd much rather watch Adam play his League of Legends computer game.
• He's still super athletic, although we don't have him in any organized sports right now. I think we might try basketball this winter.
• He's a whiz at arcade games, just like his dad.
• He can seriously chow down on some food. I swear, he eats burritos and bananas Conehead style!

*******

I totally dropped the ball this year and didn't plan any kind of official party. Instead, his special request was to have breakfast at Dunkin' Donuts and go to Adventure Landing to play some putt-putt and arcade games.



We had a great time, just the five of us (ahem, no matter what Logan says to the contrary after his feelings got hurt during a Lorelai tantrum...). And tonight we'll have a pizza party with Grandma Ellie and cousins Shaun and Raina. Low key, but enjoyable.



To my Logie-lou, I couldn't be more proud of you if I tried. You're an amazing person, and I'm so excited to continue to watch you grow and learn. Tonight at 5:40, I'll hug you tight and remember the moment you came into this world and into my life, changing it forever for the better. I love you more than words.


Cheer up, buttercup! It's your birthday!

Birthday froyo and dollar store shopping for the win

Happy 34th birthday to my hubby! The kids have been so excited about his birthday for some reason. Lorelai especially, who has serenaded him with Happy Birthday several times before today. And when I tucked Logan in to bed last night, he said he was so excited about tomorrow because "it's pep rally day, PE and Daddy's birthday!" So cute. :)


She's being sweet, not trying to get away, I swear. :)


This weekend, I took the boys shopping for Adam's birthday. We went during Lorelai's nap to make things more efficient, and after some initial "whaaa, I don't wanna go shopping!" whines, they were really into picking the perfect gifts for Adam. They had some very specific things in mind (one of which we couldn't find, so it'll go on our Christmas list) and got some great ideas as we browsed. They didn't even complain too much when I dragged them into DSW to look for shoes for myself, which ended up being a great move on my part, since we happened upon a great pair of happy socks for Adam.



When Lorelai woke up from her nap, I took her to the dollar store like I did with the boys a few years ago to get "a pink present for Daddy." Before we left, she even asked him if he liked pink. He said yes, he does have some pink dress shirts. She was SOLD.

It was a hilarious trip, and I'm so sad no one else was there to enjoy it with me. Maybe 3 is a bit too young to give free reign over getting Daddy "anything you think HE would like" because I really don't think he'd have much use for a pink coin purse, a princess puzzle, a Minnie mouse figurine, a tiara, or hair clips. I literally laughed out loud multiple times at some of the things she chose. By the time we got to the check-out lane, I (and probably everyone in the store) was sick of hearing myself say "we're shopping for Daddy, not you. What would Daddy like?"

In the end, she was absolutely convinced he needed bath squirt toys ("there's a frog, Daddy likes frogs, frogs go like this {hops down the aisle}"), an orange squishy ball, and a pink jump rope. She was most insistent about the jump rope, but I convinced her to go with the mostly blue with pink accents (in the hopes that the boys would end up using it) since the happy socks we got him had some pink in them to satisfy her requirement.

I also let her pick out a card, and the one she pulled out was a pretty pink "To my sister on your birthday" gem. But right over the card aisle was a bunch of helium balloons, so she quickly abandoned the card in favor of a balloon. A better choice, for sure.

This morning, we sang happy birthday to Adam, tackled him with hugs/kisses and gave him the new socks to wear. This evening he opened more presents and we went out for froyo after dinner. Tomorrow we celebrate again with a home-cooked (by his mom, I get the night off from making dinner, woohoo!) mexican feast, as is tradition these days.

 

 Happy birthday honey, love you!

THREE.

3 years ago today, at 6:03 am, a baby girl was placed in my arms and I fell head over heels completely in love all over again. 3 years ago today, the best big brothers in the world met the sister they'd been asking for. 3 years ago today, our family became complete.

And today, I wish a very happy 3rd birthday to my most favorite girl in the whole wide world!






Pretty sure everyone is sick of me playing the "3 years ago today" game I've been playing all weekend. I'm caught up in all the nostalgia of the past week surrounding the births of my first and my last (poor Logie is all out on his own in September. Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!). Maybe moreso than normal, although I'm not sure why.

Maybe it's because not only does Aidan seem so grown up all of a sudden, but so does Lorelai. Double whammy! MY baby is no longer A baby. She's a legit tiny human with all of her words and opinions. Her do-it-herself attitude. Yes attitude. Her intentional (and unintentional) charm and sass. She has real conversations. She knows and does things now that amaze me. I still see her as my baby, but she tells me "I'm a big girl." Indeed. Sigh.



Most of the words I wrote about her last year remain as true as ever. She's sweet, beautiful, hilarious, smart, cute and even still snuggly (my favorite thing!). She's so full of personality--the "death by cute" count is at an all-time high (see also: Lorelai-isms).


Aidan was so sweet, making sure her glasses were on right and her hair was fixed before we went out for photos.


She's also still quite stubborn. I'm catching glimpses of the terrible threes--very stubborn and often irrational behavior. Hello, bipolar toddler! None of her tantrums have been epic so far, though. So I can only hope she follows Aidan's lead and NOT Logan's. Bless my heart if it's the latter.

She's adored by everyone--family and teachers alike. When the daycare director asked if she was ready to move up to the preschool class (she transitions this week), she said "Yes, but Ms. Kim's (her current teacher) gonna cry."





Some other things about Lorelai at age 3:

• She loves the color purple. The only present she explicitly asked for was purple sunglasses. (Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!)
• She asks to "dribe" the car all the time.
• She loves to wear dresses.
• She's a pro at walking in heels. (Thanks for the gift, Aunt Anna!)

• She like to carry a phone around and have pretend conversations with the grandmas, Raina and Luca (cousins).
• She likes to play hide and seek with the boys.
• The only shows she asks to watch are Doc McStuffins and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I can't convince her to watch anything else in bed on weekend mornings. Believe me, I've tried.
• She loves milk, likes water with ice, doesn't ever ask for juice. Wouldn't even drink the lemonade we made for her party!
• She loves for me to pick her up, and when I do, she gives me the BEST monkey hugs. Legs and arms wrapped tightly around me, holding me close.
• On the more frustrating side, she's still pretty hot/cold with her daddy. But she always asks for "Daddy after" to tuck her in after I do my story/lullaby thing.

We celebrated her yesterday with a simple family party at home, and this morning she woke up to balloons and snuggles. I took the afternoon off to surprise her class with some birthday treats. We went for a bike ride to the bus stop on her new bike, she played in her new tent for a while, then we went to Chick-fil-a for dinner and play time.



Anyway, I just love every ounce of this sassy and sweet girl (all 39lbs of her!) and sometimes I just can't believe she's ours.


(Photo credit goes to Aidan on this one. He was the only one around, and happily took the camera from me. I think I'll start training him on how to use it so he can do it more often! Too bad Lorelai wasn't smiling...)



XOXO, sweet girl!