Magic Moments

It was a day that I had been dreading for awhile...and thus I had also put it off for awhile. But I knew I didn't want to have a baby in tow when I took Aiden to his first dentist appointment, so I finally bit the bullet and took him. Since Aiden warms up very slowly to new things and is very sensory sensitive, I imagined the worst...something along the lines of a nightmare. However, Aiden did surprisingly well. He eventually refused to wear the bib because he said it was too crunchy and bothering him and wouldn't let them spray water in his mouth because he thought that was "gross." But other than that he was cooperative and well behaved. The staff was patient with him and he got a good report. So, all is well that ends well and the good news is that as long as everything continues to look good he probably won't have to have an actual cleaning until he is much older. The wait got a bit long so puppy got his teeth flossed. I'll admit, the wait ...

I could have written these exact words. I love this article! http://www.themobsociety.com/2011/08/he-is-wild-and-why-thats-a-good-thing/

Can you believe that we didn't go to the cabin this weekend? We headed into St. Paul and had a fun packed day at the Children's Museum. I'm not sure who had more fun playing...Aiden or Tom and me. Who doesn't want to play in the sand on a rooftop in St. Paul? The life of a turtle We made paper.... Cooked at the restaurant.... Played with the water... (maybe he'll be an engineer someday...these pipes were certainly fun to figure out) The Lego castle might have been the biggest hit. How cool is the Knight made totally out of legos? We came home all tuckered out....this lasted only until Aiden convinced Daddy to read to him. And even though Aiden has a tiger mask that we've bought him, his homemade one from the class he went to all about lions has been his first pick. He and Daddy were reading about lions so Aiden thought it only fitting to wear his mask.

I've been planning this birth since I first found out I was pregnant. Many woman share their birth stories and are excited to do so, but Aiden's birth was so awful I don't think I will ever share all the details. I just don't want to relive it. As awful as it was, it was also an eye opening and learning experience. I learned the kind of birth that I don't want. I also learned about the kind of birth that so many woman have and learned that it doesn't have to be that way. I didn't make good choices surrounding Aiden's birth. I blindly chose an OB and a hospital and said "yes" to whatever the doctor and nursing staff suggested. After 30 hours of labor, mostly by myself since Tom had no idea what to do and the nurses were less than helpful, I gave birth via c-section to a lifeless baby who spent 5 days in the NICU. The most awful part is I have no memory of giving birth or holding Aiden for the first time. A couple years after having Ai...

We were all three laying in bed last night. It was late for Aiden and early for Tom and I....however it seemed that Aiden was wide awake while Tom and I were just about to drift off. If it was a stalling technique, it was quite good....I guess we'll never know. Aiden: "Mama, do animals have testicles?" Mama: "Boy animals do." Aiden: "Well, does Puppy (his stuffed puppy) have testicles?" Mama (while Daddy was laughing): "Is Puppy a boy or a girl?" Now, this question totally stumped Aiden. I'm not sure if he had ever thought about Puppy being a boy or a girl, but in that moment I think he figured Puppy was a boy however I could tell his wheels were turning trying to figure out where Puppy's testicles were if he was, indeed, a boy. Aiden: "Where are Puppy's testicles?" Mama: "Aiden, testicles and penis' are parts that nobody else can see or touch. So, since Puppy is pretend he doesn't have testicl...

I'm approaching year 2 of preschool with Aiden. And while I've made no decision on whether or not to keep him home for the long haul, I'm so glad I've done a couple years at home so I know a little bit about what I'd be getting myself into should I decide that school at home is what is best for us. Last year I put together my own curriculum. It was easy-peasy since school with a 2 year old is mostly about playing and just learning letters and numbers. School with a 3 year old is still just about playing, but Aiden could be classified as a pre-emergent reader. He knows letters, he knows a lot of sounds, he can rhyme, he knows books move left to right, and he's starting to understand patterns and sequences. He has yet to put together sounds and doesn't totally understand that sounds combine, but he's getting there. At just 3 he knows alot! Just because he could be reading certainly doesn't mean that he has to read so I have time to build a real...

It was a big weekend at the cabin. It started off with the delivery of Pappy's new boat! Pappy was very excited as was his "crew." The arrival...surveying the scene. Boat rides at Sunset with The Captain. When The Captain wants break Tom likes to assume role of First Mate Part of The Crew The Happy Couple....who like to share their toys with us. ;) Tom and Aiden were in charge of leading worship for a youth retreat going on up at the cabin. Tom and his backup did a great job. Aiden even got a new guitar for the occasion thanks to Marme. It's a bit bigger than his others have been and has a better sound than the others. He was starting to not play with Tom because he told me he didn't know how to play songs. He still can't play songs, but this guitar sounds better so he's being a bit fooled. Aiden told me his old, little guitar was the perfect size for Sage. Before we know it Tom's band will go from 2 members to 3. ;) ...

When I was pregnant with Aiden I think I spent most of my pregnancy in mourning because I always imagined that pregnancy would be a special time that I would cherish and love. I had visions of sitting around, rubbing my belly, sewing quilts, and eating chocolate bon bons while my husband rubbed my feet. HAHA! None of that happened and I quickly realized that I am a person that HATES pregnancy and I see it as a means to an end. I had to get over the fact that even as miraculous as pregnancy is, I hated it. I knew what to expect this time around...or what not to expect....so even though I'm more than anxious to say farewell to this gestation period, I'm not sad about hating my state of being with child. And even though I feel every bit and more of being 6 months, chasing a toddler, cleaning a house, and working provide quite a few distractions. Sometimes I even forget that there is a miracle growing in my belly. But things are seeming more and more real as the big day qu...

We're in the heart of cabin season and our weekends have become a familiar routine. We spend as much time at the cabin as we can and about 8:30 Sunday night you will find us joining the other mourners on HWY 10 as we leave our care free summer lives Up North and head back to the city where work and responsibilities never end. Even though we would love to prolong our time at the cabin we come back with our hearts full of blessings and gratitude that we've been given such a sacred place to enjoy. Aiden feels the sadness too...last night he said, "Mama, the cabin is so beautiful, I don't want to go home." He speaks for all of us. My beach baby Aiden is becoming more of a fish and quite comfortable in the water. Popcorn with Mame...truly a special treat We've been enjoying other summer time treats during the week like the pool and the park. I'm getting that itch for Fall to be here where we can enjoy cooler evenings and start new thing...

Dinner was yummy tonight. I happened to stumble upon two "keeper" recipes so I thought I'd share. Shoyu Chicken 1 cup soy sauce (I used Teriyaki sauce) 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup water 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, chopped 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root 1 tablespoon ground black pepper 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional) 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional) 1 teaspoon ground paprika (optional) 5 pounds skinless chicken thighs I didn't use the optional ingredients (except for the paprika) or the ginger (cause I don't like ginger). I scaled the recipe back, used chicken breasts, and blended the marinade a bit in the magic bullet first. Tom grilled it and it was pretty yummy....especially with this side dish: Benihana's Fried Rice 1 cup rice uncooked 1 cup carrots 1 cup onions 2/3 cup green onions 3 tablespoons seaseme seeds 5 eggs 3 tablespoons soy sauce 5 tablespoons butter ...