Magic Moments

To capture Aiden in his true colors, we had Britt take some shots of him in his super cape and rain boots. I'm guessing that years from now I'll look back and these pictures will be some of my all-time favorites.

We had a family photo session a few weeks back and I've been waiting and WAITING to post the pictures. They are so sweet! They were taken by our friend, Britt Fluth, of Be. Photography. She did a great job! I have loads of them, but since my laundry is also waiting and WAITING, I'm just posting a few. They were taken in Downtown Anoka which is one of my favorite places on earth. If we never get to buy a house there, at least I have these pictures as memories. Doesn't Britt have a great eye for photo opportunities? I have so many more I'd love to share! For now, enjoy these. I know I am. We are headed out to buy tons of picture frames today....I can't make up my mind which one to choose so I know I'll be hanging a lot of them.

My friend, Julie, sent me this article and I just LOVED it. Aiden plays his days away for the most part. I find it funny and maybe ironic that most of his toys are left untouched. He has a small collection of things that he plays with...his bat, a ball, maybe a football helmet, wooden spoons, a set of funnels from the dollar store, the dinosaur card from the memory game, a homemade crown from a birthday party, a super hero cape, rain boots, and a hanger. That's about it. I think I'm done buying expensive toys. ;) Anyway, I could post a picture like these pretty much everyday of Aiden busy doing who knows what but obviously involved in some sort of elaborate and fanciful plot. I LOVE it! I think perhaps the hanger is used for hunting Gruffalos, but I can't be sure. ;)

Dear Daddy, Happy Daddy's Day! Where would I be without a Daddy like you? Thank you for teaching me so many things...especially for sharing your awesome dance skills with me. I love you SO much! Love, Aiden Untitled from Jenny on Vimeo . Tom and I are SO blessed! We have amazing Dad's and we could never hope to fill their shoes. Happy Father's day! We LOVE you so, SO much!

Finding the perfect name is no easy task. I was 9 months pregnant before we agreed on "Aiden" and while I love the name and it fits him perfectly, it is also the #1 most popular name of the DECADE! We probably would have chosen it anyway, but Aiden will probably hate us when he goes to school and there are 4 other Aidens in his class of 15. So...this time around we are looking for that "perfect" name. Not unusual, not common, with a meaning that we love, and a name with decent initials. It's tough. We think we have a name picked out for a boy and girl and I've been scouring every baby name list there is trying to make sure it's not a growing trend, the name of some less than desirable celebrity, or means something wierd in a different language. In my research I've read many, many lists....exotic baby names, trendy baby names, unique names, sporty names, old fashioned names, contemporary names....and many more. Every now and again I come across ...

I have the entire day and night to myself!!! Almost....I'm on-call today as back-up doula (more on that later) but my mom has Aiden and I am free to do as I please until I get called in or until 6 o'clock...whichever comes first. Untimately this means I am kid free, I have some free time, and I get a date with my hubby. It also means that I'm a bit bored. I guess I just don't know what to do with myself when I'm not multitasking. The house is strangely quiet. There are a million things I should be doing but I can't seem to get off the couch. It feels so strange without a busy, busy 3 year old talking my ear off, following me everywhere, and leaving the huge mess in his wake. I keep coming back to the same question and I just can't figure out an answer. What on earth did I do on Saturdays before I had a child? Tom asked me what I wanted to do tonight and the following list rolled through my head: Zoo, Children's Museum, Ice Cream Shop, Kiddie Pool...

Aiden wouldn't ever choose to sit down and draw. It doesn't matter how many cool marker sets I buy, he isn't really into fine motor tasks. That being said, his skills seem to develop when I'm not looking. Our preschool curriculum got about 95% finished and then I got pregnant and everything fell apart around here. So, now that I'm feeling a bit more motivated we are trying to finish up. Yesterday we sat down to practice writing letters. Aiden does a pretty good job tracing letters and yesterday he tried his name on his own. It looks pretty good, right? He doesn't understand the concept of picking up your pencil and using proper strokes, but that will come with time. He had a little help with the "n" but the rest he did on his own! He also drew a family portrait! I just asked him: "How do you draw a person?" And he started with a head and added eyes, a smile, and legs. I love this developmental stage. I'll be framing this draw...