Friend of The Week

Aidan is FRIEND OF THE WEEK this week at school.  I knew it was coming up and had to be a very serious situation because we were sent a calendar at the beginning of the year with every one's week pre picked and a short letter on how to prepare.

While I love the fact that his teachers are trying to think outside the box and do something a little more hands on involving the parents outside of the classroom tell me why they think that a 4 year old is going to come home, open the "FRIEND OF THE WEEK" binder and read the 6 pages of what that entails.  NEWS FLASH. They aren't. The parent that has worked 8 hours all day, come home to cook dinner drive the family to Noodles and Co. , folded 4 loads of laundry,  bathed and put to bed her four year old and prayed for an extra ten minutes where she might actually be able to shower herself will have to read it when all she really wants to do is over pour herself a glass of wine, get in her bed, flip through the catalogs from the mail that day and beg her husband to rub her back.

So "FRIEND OF THE WEEK" looks like this.  It's five days of "activities" you do with the giant stuffed Clifford that has been sent home with your child.  Every night you get to read the same Clifford book.  (This is actually a nice change from hearing Adam sing off tune the Puff the Magic Dragon jingle.)  Since Aidan's teacher was out sick on Monday we are being punished we are a few days behind on our activities and didn't get the tote bag full of dog, book and binder until yesterday.  As usual I was running around the house at 1am trying to put together his "3 or 4" items to share with the class and his favorite book. Oh you bet your happy a** I put Puff right in there. And I hope Aidan makes his teacher read it not once but 25 times and says "sing, sing, sing" like he does with us every night.  Back to the 3 or 4 items.  They are recorded in the "binder".  Well of course I pressure myself to be creative because every other mom is going to see what we shared via the pictures we have 2 days to take and develop (who does that anymore) and glue in to the binder. 

Our selections look like this: The wood checker set Aidan covets.  It comes with 40 pieces that will inevitably be left behind at school.  See where I am going with that one?  Yup, my kid plays checkers. Wait, no he doesn't but you will think he does because of the picture.  Next up, a plastic fireman. Because we have 500 of them and I think it will sound nice if I can convince Aidan to say something to his class about how brave firefighters are and how his grandfather bribed the fire department to let him ride on a truck once (that is actually a true story). The third item, a plastic photo album that Aidan likes to carry around. Obviously with the best photos I've ever taken with any and all family members inside.  I need those moms to know that while they see me day after day in no make up and yoga pants, I actually do get dressed and know what mascara looks like.

Tonight, I'll be making a Clifford puppet out of a "kit" they included in our binder (Yeah!) and I will probably be at Kinko's around midnight printing color copies of pictures I took of the Kid with Clifford in different outfits last night so no one would know I cheated and got all this done a few days early so I won't miss CMA's Country Christmas on Thursday night. 

Can't wait!

As Usual, a fuzzy iPhone photo.  Aidan and Clifford at the vet last night.  Clifford and Scout got treated for fleas. Are you dying over those Moose antlers? Me too!

**For the record Aidan has really been looking forward to this week (I have been pumping him up for it) and is loving having Clifford home and that alone makes the little bit of work worth it!**

I'm Clueless and a visit with Santa picture

I am at such a loss this year when it comes to Christmas for Aidan.  He literally has given me almost no ideas as to what to get him for Christmas.  How will he feel about Santa if he brings him nothing?  Adam and I made an unofficial plan to try and spend  more money on "experiences"  than toys.  We feel like he burns through toys and it would really be nice to continue to make great memories as a family.  We could do such cool stuff with the money we spend on Christmas toys that he has outgrown in months time.  With that being said, he still has to have some stuff to open on Christmas morning.  We could have accidentally already bought him everything he has ever wanted.  Whoops.

My best friend Candace watches Aidan a few days a week for me and she recently caught Santa on a slow day at the mall and had this picture taken of Aidan and her son Cole. Are they not the cutest? 

I quizzed Candace on what Aidan asked Santa for during his visit but she was clueless too.  Aidan said he asked for a monster truck. So one thing on the list.  I'm racking my brain.  Who has good ideas for me?

Parenting Tip

Here's one for the books ladies. How do you get your child to eat calamari?
Answer: Tell them it's chicken.
Works every time and with any other food that can be breaded and fried. I should write a book.

My Boys

I never get tired of watching these two together.

Lately they love to read books at bedtime on the iPad.

Deb and Bobs New Digs

You already know my parents sold their house and are living in a rental until they decide where they want to go.  Well  they have been looking at the same condo for a few years.  It's the condo that inspired them to put their house on the market in the first place.  Well, they BOUGHT IT!  It's been a few weeks since they purchased it and they finally took us over there! It's totally unfinished.  When we are done with it, it will be GORGEOUS!!!

Here's a peek at their new place. 
**It's a mess right now, as all the builder has been using their space at a catch all for leftovers from other condos!
***PICTURE HEAVY POST***

Their FRONT door.  They actually have a "back door" as well. It's all the way down the hall! 

Aidan says "Come on In!"

Aidan is standing in the Foyer.   It's hard to tell in picture but it's octogon shaped.  My parents are planning on putting a big chandelier here with a round table in the center!

Immediately to the left are two closests and there is also a HUGE powder room. The door is not visible in this photo.

Straight down the hall on the left is the dining room (not pictured b/c it is full of junk) and this is one side of the living room.  The fireplace will have a chunky mantle added and one of my favorite pieces of my parents artwork is being hung above.

View of the french doors leading out to their balcony.  Sorry for the terrible iPhone photos! Their balcony is is round which I love and there is plenty of space for a grill and furniture.

They have the best view of the pool!

 In Aidan's words "It's wonderful, I love it." 

Back inside is the other side of the living room.  There are going to be wall to wall book cases here.  My mom has requested a 60" TV for this wall as well. 

The hall to the bedrooms.  Plenty of wall space to hang some of their art collection.

Adam standing in the Master Bedroom looking in to the master bath. The door way you can see on the left is their closet.  I could move in there and be happy. 

Adam standing in the hall outside of the Master. On the left are two doorways to the other two bedrooms.  And on the right near Adam is the guest bath and behind him is the "back door".

 A photo of the outside of the building on the parking deck side. I love the look of it!

I didn't even take a photo of the kitchen space because it's going to be so different from what it is now. 

I cannot wait for them to start work on it and I really can't wait for them to move in so they can be settled again. I know it's a bummer for them to be in that rental. They are hoping to be in my May!



Black Friday & Breaking Dawn

We survived Black Friday in the best way!  It was a little crazy getting to the mall and getting parked (the exit off of the interstate was backed up for miles!) but once we did, we had a successful night of shopping! With the excpetion of having to order one thing for my FIL off the interent and practically all of Aidan's stuff we are pretty much done! I was trying to calculate in my head how much money we saved and I think it's somewhere close to $700!  We shopped for 8 people so that's a pretty great savings. It feels so good to have most of it done and now all we have to worry about is enjoying the season!  I have a ton of stuff I want to get done around here before I can even think about putting up a tree but I am all set to decorate!

I love all the time you get off around the holidays! It's been so nice to have Adam and Aidan together all to myself! I have only been home for 2 days and I feel like we have done so much! Tonight Adam and I saw the new Twilight movie Breaking Dawn, Part 1.  We aren't huge Twilight fans but we love going to the movies so we thought we would see it. I could have waited for it to come to ON DEMAND but I am glad I got to see what all the fuss has been about.  And now I wonder what. all. the. fuss. is. about.  Now I have to see what happens in Part 2. 

via



Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!!  I hope you are somewhere enjoying the company of your loved ones and something really yummy to eat!! 
I for one will be spending the day with my boys, my brothers and my parents. We are kicking the day off with the annual Thanksgiving Day parade here in Charlotte. In case you are unaware the parade in Charlotte is the 4th largest in the country.  Who knew?

I was in charge of dessert again this year and my brother Bobby requested my turtle Cheesecake from last year and I would never let him down! It looks amazing! The recipe if your interested is here. I am honestly just so flattered someone would want to eat something I made twice!! =). I might be getting good at this cooking thing! Something else to be THANKFUL for!

Believe it or not my husband has convinced me to go Black Friday shopping tonight at midnight!  I don't think he has any clue what he is getting himself in to but it should be fun.  If anything it's an excuse to spend time alone with him!

As always I am really so thankful for all of you, my readers.  I love this little space of mine on the internet and you make it that much better!

Happy Thanksgiving!



I'm Thankful

(Tags Here)

I'm THANKFUL for all the time this weekend I get to spend with my family. I'm THANKFUL for our friends, they are our second family. I'm THANKFUL for our sweet little house. During the holidays I feel like it's busting at the seams with love and baked goods. I'm THANKFUL for our health. I'm especially THANKFUL everyday that I was chosen to be a mom to the cutest little man in the world and for my marvelous husband Adam. He makes my world go round. I am so proud of how hard he works and what an incredible provider he is for us. He's also really handsome and makes me laugh all day.

Happy Thanksgiving! I am off to bake until the sun comes up!

The Adventures of Aidan and Scout

Aidan loves Scout! Every morning the first thing out of his mouth is "can I get Scout?" and the last thing every night is "can I kiss Scout Goodnight?"

Once in awhile they play a little rough and last night Aidan took a bite to the eye lid. We try so hard to tell Aidan to keep his face away from Scout because he doesn't know not to nip at him. We are working on Scout with his biting but he's still a puppy. He will hopefully outgrow it.

Adam was out of town on business and I had walked to the kitchen to grab a glass of water when it happened. All of a sudden Aidan started screaming. I knew the dog had bit him. When I first got to him, there was blood everywhere. I really did think at first glance that we might be in for a trip to the ER for some stitches.

Once Aidan was calmed down (he freaks at the sight of blood) I was able to clean him up and realized it was a small cut that just wanted to bleed a lot! We got the boo boo bear and he was good as new.

Scout felt terrible and wouldn't leave Aidan's side. We had a little heart to heart about him injuring my baby. Haha!



Sweet Potato Casserole

I love when people share great recipes! I've been making this casserole since I got married and it's a huge hit! It's more like dessert than a side dish! Enjoy!!!!

Worlds Greatest Sweet Potato Casserole (because I said so)

2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 stick butter
1 1/2 tablespoon vanilla

Blend together and pour into baking dish.

Topping

1 cup chopped pecans
6 tablespoons flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 stick butter (soften)

Mix topping and sprinkle on top of sweet potatoes.  Bake @ 350 for 35 minutes.

Happy Almost Thanksgiving!!

(pic via )

Full Circle

This is the post I did over on Naptime Diaries last week. Thought I would post it here for everyone to read!!!


Hey y'all faithful Naptime Diaries readers! I'm April from You, Me & The Kid. I feel so super special to be here posting on the infamous blog of Jessi Connolly!

Writing this post on Jessi's blog is a full circle blogging moment of sorts for me.  You see, Jessi's blog is the first blog I.EVER.READ. I guess you could say, she partly inspired me to start blogging.  Here I am three plus years later, writing a post.

When I first started reading, I have to be honest...I wasn't a huge fan.  I didn't get all the scripture and I couldn't relate to her living all the way across the country with three kids.  I knew I had to be missing something because she is loved and adored here in blog land.

Even though I swore I disliked her blog, I kept coming back.  Every day reading, checking in to see how she was.  I had to know how she was doing it with three babies.  Where she was with loosing her baby weight.  Where she and Nick were on their church planting journey. Something kept bringing me back.

I think I thought Jessi had it all figured out.  I started to realize the "dislike" was more "envy" than anything. I was envious that she had the strength to put on her blog when she was happy and when she was really, really sad. That she could start a project and admit she would rather just spend time with her family than finish it. I was envious when she took the kids to school with LIPSTICK on and that she looked so beautiful after having three kids and I was still a disaster after one.  I was envious of her incredible faith in God.

Slowly, I started to realize the reason I loved her.  It wasn't that she has it all figured out, because really, who does?  It was that she really was just a normal girl trying to be a good Christian and a good mother and a good wife.  And isn't that what we're all trying for?  How could I not relate to that? 

And now this blog of hers, it's my INSPIRATION.  I used to greet my hubby with yoga pants and crazy hair every day.  Now, I try my best to throw on some make up and the jeans he thinks my butt looks cute in.  And I've worn lipstick to preschool once or twice.  I almost thought about running.  =) . I'm nowhere near making Quinoa but it's the thought that counts right??  Most importantly I've learned to be happy where I am in my life.  Find the good even when it's muddled together with tons of bad.  And even though I have days I feel like my best isn't good enough, HE always does.  

Thanks for reading and Jessi, Thanks so much for having me.

Movie Night

We spent the day in the country with our friends Mike and Chelsea. Now we're home watching Pirates of The Caribbean 4. I love Saturdays!

A Little Announcement

Naptime Diaries

 I am blogging over at Naptime Diaries today! Go over there and check it out! I love Jessi's blog and you will too! I pinky swear.  She also has this wonderful Etsy shop with the world's cutest prints.  I had her make two custom ones for me months ago and I still only have one framed. Who does that?  I need to get the other one framed and hung because I have been dying to show them to you! She also now has Christmas cards and the perfect advent calendar. We've never done one but I might have to start that's how cute it is!

Call Me Old Fashioned

 Recently I was on Facebook and a friend of a friend that I am "friends" with because we met once, posted this as her status:

"If you want something and your husband says no...Do you order it anyways??? And it will have to go on the credit card because it's not available in stores??? What to do???"

I took a screen shot of every one's responses.  I blacked out any names and pictures for their privacy and because I didn't know a single one of these people.  You can see what my response was at the bottom.  There were people that posted past me but I think you get the point from these responses.



Like I said, I don't know any of these people. I could very well be taking these answers out of context BUT I couldn't believe that not a single one of these women suggested she honor her husbands wishes to not order the item.  There is of course always something that becomes circumstantial.  For instance, Adam's surprise party.  For weeks leading up to it, I budgeted a little bit of what we would normally put in savings for the party.  In the end I came clean. 

I grew up learning from my parents extremely traditional relationship where everything was shared and the saying "what's mine is yours" was one to live by.  I 100% realize that is not the norm for a lot of people.  I know times have changed dramatically and now you hear of more and more couples keeping separate bank accounts. But truthfully, for me, it's not about the money that is going to be spent or who works harder for their money.  It's the fact that I choose to respect my husbands feelings because I expect him to respect mine.  If the shoe was on the other foot, I would be upset that he went behind my back after we had a conversation prior to the purchase and I thought we had an understanding he wasn't going to buy whatever it was.  I was most blown away by this comment made by the girl who originally posted the status "...always have a secret cash stash ( I put all my babysitting $ in mine, but you can take out cash at the groc too and it looks like u just  bought groceries)."   I'm starting to think from the sounds of it that I missed a memo.

Make sense or completely ridiculous to you?  I've had this screen shot on my computer for weeks now because I wasn't sure at first if I even wanted to blog about it.  I thought it over and my feelings didn't change on the subject so I figured I would put it out here to see what other women thought.

Am I the crazy one??

The Good Life

I'm not naming names (cough, Scout) but someone is breaking the rules around here and taking naps in my bed.  I want to kick him out but really he looks so cute!

Weekend in Boston

I spent the weekend in Boston with one of my best girlfriend Mariann this past weekend.  I had the best time I have had in FOREVER! 

She and her Fiance Mike picked me up at the airport and we stopped for Mexican on the way home.  It was so great to catch up and laugh hysterically until I was literally almost in tears.  It was also then that Mare asked me to be a bridesmaid!!! Of course I said "yes" and I couldn't be more honored that she asked me.  We have been friends for a long time and I can't think of anything I would rather do that stand next to her on her big day! She has been there for every big event in my life and now it's her turn!!!!

Saturday morning Mare's Mom, Dad and Sister in law Sarah picked us up and we headed in to the city to scope out the venue for her wedding reception that is in August.  I felt so special Mare invited me to participate in all this fun wedding stuff this weekend.  She is getting married at a gorgeous Catholic church and her reception is at the Boston Harbor Hotel. I had stayed there before with my parents but I had never seen the Wharf Room.  It. is. AMAZING.

pictures via

After that, we parted ways with her dad and the girls set off to make one of the biggest decisions of Mare's life thus far.  I mean after the decision she made to marry Mike! Ha!  We went wedding dress shopping!  I had never actually been wedding dress shopping with anyone before! Obviously I had done it myself but this was so much more fun!  Mare has an amazing body so she looked gorgeous in everything!  She tried on at least ten dresses at two stores before I pulled a style she had yet so try on.  The second she came out in it, I could tell by the look on her face this was it.  I was so excited when she started smiling and said "I think this is it, I feel like a bride in this".  She had chills.  They put a veil on her and the tears just started flowing.  She hadn't felt that way about any other dress so I couldn't help crying.  She looked absolutely beautiful and I know Mike will be blown away when he sees her come down the aisle in just a few months! 

Mare's Mom was sweet enough to treat us dinner.  I thoroughly enjoyed the company and the conversation. I was sitting there thinking how much Marebear and I's lives have changed in the past ten years and how incredibly blessed I felt to be sitting across from her after all these years sharing such a momentous day in her life with her and the other woman that are most important in her life.  I know I am so lucky to have such a great friend in Mare and I can't wait for her big day!!! I especially can't wait to show you pics of the dress!!!

Nicki Minaj Sings With Sophia Grace

If you haven't seen the YouTube video of little Sophia Grace singing Nicki Minaj's Super Bass you have been living under a rock.  Ellen recently  invited the girls on to her show to perform the song and surprised them with a visit from Nicki Minaj herself.  The video is just too cute!

Blogging From Boston

I haven't been able to check the blog because I have been traveling this weekend! I am in Boston with one of my best friends Marebear doing all kinds of wedding stuff!! She asked me to be a BRIDESMAID! How exciting!!!

The weather here is amazing!!! New England really knows how to do fall! The trees are all the most gorgeous colors!!

Back home Adam is working hard to get some of the tile done in our bathroom!! Here's a sneek peek!!! We went with a marble subway tile and I couldn't be happier! 



11/11/11

Eleven is my lucky number so I love the date today!  11.11.11 seems to be an especially lucky day.

I made some big wishes today but we all know if you tell a wish it won't come true so I'll keep mine to myself. 

I am headed to Boston to see one of my best friends Mariann. We are going to be shopping for her wedding dress! I can't wait! I feel so lucky that she values my opinion enough to invite me to come for the weekend. We've been friends for a long time and I am so excited she is getting married in August!

The boys are going to get some things done around the house while I am gone!

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

10 Random Facts About Ape

1. I have a titanium rod inside of the femur in my left leg. When it's cold it hurts like a mamma jamma. My best friend Candace has one in her right leg. We are twins.

2. My hair color is naturally red. I've been coloring it blonde for 15+ years. Every time I think I want to grow it out, I get like 6 inches of red roots and run to get color.

3. I hate folding laundry. I've been known to start the dryer over and over to prevent myself from actually having to fold it.

4. I got engaged in the car. So did my parents.

5. When I was in labor with Aidan, I walked around Wal Mart with my mom for hours. I stripped in the women's section to change in to a pair of sweat pants I just had to put on right there. I was uncomfortable!

6. Speaking of being pregnant, one of the most embarrassing things that has ever happened to me...my mom and I were running side by side on treadmills at the Y when all of a sudden I just stopped, sat down and flew off. At which point my mom started screaming "she's pregnant!"

7. Since moving in to our house 5 years ago, we have painted the kitchen 3 times, the dining room 3 times, the living room 2 times, our bedroom 3, Aidan's 2 times, our bathroom 3 and our playroom a whopping 6 times! My hubby has patience.

8. I have to visit TJ MAXX/Marshall's @ least once a week. I know when new stuff is coming in weekly and it's the best retail therapy because it's CHEAP!

9. My first car was a Volkswagen Cabrio. My Dad bought it for me and I loved it. Until it caught fire. Yup, I can say "well I drove it until it caught fire".

10. I've had migraines my entire life. I always know when I'm going to get one because I start to see black dots on everything. Sometimes they are so bad I can feel the pressure of people walking on the floor. Weird?

My Dad Makes Me Proud

My Dad recently purchased a cabinet manufacturing plant here in NC.   Governor Bev Perdue recently made an announcement about the company and the number of jobs they will be bringing to the county.  Some of the news channels in the area covered the story.  Of course she does this when any company has a significant number of jobs to offer to the unemployed but it's still pretty exciting.  And the fact that my Dad started out as a rep and now owns his own manufacturing plant is HUGE!  We're all feeling extra proud of him these days. 


Here's Gov Perdue's Press Release from 10/28

Cabinet Manufacturing Company to Create 136 Jobs in Rutherford County
State Grant Helps Gourmet Group Open in Rutherfordton

Gov. Bev Perdue today announced that Gourmet Group LLC will acquire the assets of Geppetto Kitchens and expand the manufacturing capacity of the plant. Gourmet Group will continue to produce the Geppetto brand of kitchen cabinets over the next five years. The project is expected to create 136 jobs and the company expects to invest over $2.3 million in the project over the next three years. The project was made possible in part by a $270,000 grant from the One North Carolina Fund.

“My top priority is creating jobs, and today’s announcement is a great example of a company investing in one of North Carolina’s heritage industries,” said Gov. Perdue. “Our terrific business climate and skilled workforce have been instrumental in moving industries like cabinet manufacturing into the future. We welcome Gourmet Group to our state.”

Gourmet Group will undertake aggressive but measured growth of the Geppetto brand through both geographic expansion and new product development. The company will manufacture its own doors and drawer boxes internally, reducing both costs and production lead times. The location in Rutherford County was selected because of the ample labor supply and excellent community college training resources.

Salaries will vary by job function, but the average annual wage for the new jobs will be $34,093 not including benefits. The Rutherford County average annual wage is $28,392.

“We are excited about this project and are impressed with the support we received from Gov. Perdue and the Department of Commerce throughout this process,” said John Wilson, chairman of Gourmet Group. “We had a number of opportunities in other states but the combination of educational resources, financial assistance and a strong labor pool led us to Rutherford County. This grant will allow us to accelerate our development program in support of our cabinetry business.”

The One North Carolina Fund provides financial assistance, through local governments, to attract business projects that will stimulate economic activity and create new jobs in the state. Companies receive no money up front and must meet job creation and investment performance standards to qualify for grant funds. These grants also require and are contingent upon local matches.

North Carolina continues to have a top-ranked business climate. Through Gov. Perdue’s JobsNOW initiative, the state works aggressively to create jobs, train, and retrain its workforce, laying the foundation for a strong and sustainable economic future.

Through the use of the One North Carolina Fund, more than 50,000 jobs and $9 billion in investments have been created since 2001. Other partners that helped with this project include the North Carolina Department of Commerce, North Carolina Community Colleges, Rutherford County Economic Development Commission, Rutherford County, Golden LEAF Foundation and the N.C. Rural Center.

 

Update on Scout

I know you all have been dying to hear about how the puppy is doing.  It's going pretty good.  He has had minimal accidents in the house and has really warmed up to the cats and loves chasing them around the backyard.  Luckily our yard is fenced in so I can just let him out of his crate and right out the back door to use the bathroom and he loves to play out there.  Aidan loves to let him chase him around.  He is sleeping great at night in his crate. He's never whined once! We really think he likes it in there.  He does chew stuff. I bought him some toys to chew so hopefully that will change but he was pulling up the braid in our jute rug in the living room and I was having a heart attach on a daily basis.  He totally ruined the rug in front of our washing machine. It was one of those deals where he got one thread loose and then unraveled half the rug.  Adam said I was looking for an excuse to toss it so he really helped me out. He is eating more which is great.  When we first brought him home, he didn't eat for 3 or 4 days and I felt so bad for him.  Now, I am regretting buying the expensive organic food because I imagine we will be running through it. He is a huge snuggler. When Adam and I are still up at night after Aidan goes to bed and he wants to snuggle, he sneaks in to Aidan's room, jumps on the chair at the end of his bed and then jumps on the foot of the bed and cuddles up next to Aidan. We've found him in there half a dozen times now.  It's pretty cute but I am not a huge fan of the dog in our beds.  I'm trying to chill out a little bit. Energy is not something he is short on.  On Halloween we took him trick or treating and had every intention of letting him ride in the wagon.  He wasn't having it. He walked the entire way! That's really all I have to report for now!  I'm hoping he's trained sooner than later and I can stress less about him peeing everywhere and really enjoy having a dog. Aidan is in love so I don't think he's going anywhere!

Taking a snooze on Mr. Harvey while he works on his iPad.  

side note: my husband is wearing thermal underwear because when it starts to get cold he acts like we live at the North Pole in an 3 bedroom igloo.

Snuck a pic of Scout in Aidan's bed.  I'm assuming it must be warm under Aidan's chin.

 

 Aidan getting dog kisses and cracking up.

 

 I just took this picture over the weekend. He is still so tiny.  And OK, he's cute. He's really, really cute.

Its a Busy Life

When I think back to the days before I started working, I felt like I had way too much free time. I was always busy with Little Gym classes or swim lessons and I loved to meet my girlfriends for lunch. But if an errand for the house needed to be run or I wanted to schedule a dentist appointment my calendar was wide open. Now, if I have something to do, I'm worried about finding the perfect time to schedule it during the work week or waiting until the weekend. I am amazed at how many businesses close at 5pm every afternoon. I now know why the entire world is out on Saturdays and Sundays. The problem with this? It cuts in to our time as a family. Family time is something I have always loved. I've worked hard to create routines and traditions for our family. I am fully aware of the fact that the last thing Aidan wants to be doing on his Saturday afternoon is watching us pick out tile or getting my oil changed. But so is life and those things must get done. For a while I was really flustered that I wasn't getting it all done and my time with the boys was being jeopardized. The same was going for my housework. This is what I've come up with. Every night once Aidan is in bed, I do something around the house. I'm constantly trying to keep up with laundry but I'll dust the entire house one night and clean the bathroom another. If I have to run an errand I try to do it on the nights Adam works late and turn it in to a fun field trip for Aidan and I. If my parents are around, I'll drop him off for a half hour or so to spend time with them. On the weekends if we have something that has to get done around here, we dedicate half the day to that and the other half we plan something for the three of us together. Lately, we've loved going to dinner and a movie or finding something to do outside in the evenings since the weather is perfect. It may sound trivial to a lot of you but it really is making me feel a lot better knowing when I get out of work, all I have to worry about is making it home to my boys, spending the night with Aidan, knocking out that little chore I have allotted for that night and then curling up with Adam on the sofa to watch a movie. I'm not stressed about having the whole house spotless every day. That's something I was trying to accomplish and I started to see Aidan spending a lot of time in front of the TV and I just hated that. Since we've changed things up a bit, I can count on one hand how many times we have even turned the TV on. It took me a while to realize being the perfect wife, perfect mom and perfect employee wasn't realistic. There's always going to be something I can't control and doing it all is a lot of work. It is OK if the laundry doesn't get folded for a couple days because the laundry will always be there. The moments I was missing with my family were gone forever and that is something I couldn't live with.

That's how we're making it work. How about you?

Sunday Funday Sort Of

I really didn't have much in the way of plans for our Sunday but I knew that Adam had to work all day and was looking forward to some time alone with Aidan. I thought maybe we would take a bike ride to have lunch or throw the football in the back yard. Saturday night I realized that those things were not going to happen when Aidan woke up with a fever and a terrible cough. We were able to get him comfortable and back to sleep. This morning he woke up with a low grade fever so after breakfast we climbed back in my bed and spent the day watching movies and napping. The day may not have gone the way I had envisioned it but I still got to spend the day with my sweetie. And he sure does love his Mommy snuggling him when he doesn't feel well. He's tucked in bed safe and sound and the hubs and I are settling in to watch Sunday night HBO. Hope you all had a great weekend!

Saturday's are for...

Snuggling your puppy.

November. One Month. Every Day.

Yup that's right. I'm going to blog EVERY DAY this month.  I've joined BlogHer's NaBloPoMo.  AKA National Blog Posting Month. AKA the month where I could loose my mind trying to find things to write about.  AKA the month I could totally forget about Thanksgiving because all I can focus on is ONE. MORE. POST.  Actually I love a good challenge and BlogHer is helping out by giving us daily writing prompts so that we don't have to do it all by ourselves.  Don't you just love those girls over at BlogHer?

So, even though I have posted everyday this week without prompts I thought it would be fun today to use all the prompts from this week to write this post. In a quick little list? Sounded fun to me.  So here goes:

(pretend like these are in order from Tuesday to Friday and not vice versa)


Friday, November 4, 2011
When you are writing, do you prefer to use a pen or a computer?
What's a pen? People still use those things?  Does that answer your question?   I'm glued to the laptop.  I can't help it.  Maybe it's our generation.  But I do love my handwriting hmmm.....


Thursday, November 3, 2011
Can you listen to music and write? What song did you hear today?
Sure. I'm great at tuning things out and focusing.  I've heard tons of songs today.  We listen to Pandora at the office.  And not a single one is coming to mind because of the answer above. 


Wednesday, November 2, 2011
If you knew that whatever you ate next would be your last meal, what would you want it to be?
Sweets!!!  Tons of them. Cupcakes,brownies, cookies...and the batter from all of those.  YUM! Wouldn't you just die if you ate at that junk and then someone said "oops, my bad, last meal is next week."


Tuesday, November 1, 2011
What is your favourite part about writing?
It's funny, I think if you asked me on the street what my favorite part about writing is, I wouldn't even think about the blog. I would probably tell you I'm not a writer.  But here I am and I guess part of me is.  I think what I love most about writing and specifically this blog is having an outlet to TYPE out all the things going on in my head about my husband and son, design, other relationships, our day to day lives.  It far better than any scrapbook  I could have ever put together.  It's what's in my head and in my heart about the good, the bad and everything in between.  I think the best part of all of that is that I wrote it and it's here forever. 

See you tomorrow!

The World's Longest Move

It felt that way anyways. And I really didn't do that much. You don't realize how much stuff you have until you have to move it in to a house three times smaller than the one you are moving out of.

{Cutest Mover}

{World's Smallest Uhaul,  Self Portrait at red light while following Uhaul with hubby in the back}

My parents and my brother Bobby spent A WEEK moving furniture an Adam spent Thursday night helping my Dad move their biggest pieces of art and two sculptures. Each piece had to be transported individually in the back of the Uhaul. Adam sat in the back of the truck to make sure the paintings didn't move in transit while my Dad drove. I think it's fair to say we are all glad that this move is over with. Until they move in to their condo in a few months. I'm hoping we will be able to convince my Dad to use a moving company next time.

{Last Pic old house}

Thursday night before I left, I walked through the house one last time and soaked up my last moments there. I snapped some pictures of the house all lit up and told Aidan stories about all the great things I loved about it. By the time Adam met me at home I was a little bit bummed out.

Leave it to my husband to cheer me up. He said the truest thing "Ape, it's not about where you are, it's about who you're with." 

And then before I knew it, the Decot's no longer lived in Dilworth.

A Few Days Off and Aidan's Four Year Check Up

I took last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off to help my parents with their move, to get some things done around the house and to get in some Dr appointments.

By far the most exciting appointment was Aidan's 4 year check up! I always love to go to the Dr and see how much he has grown. Our little man weighs 46lbs and is 41 inches tall! I almost died when they said he weighed 46lbs! We think he is so skinny but he is in the 90th percentile for weight. He's apparently a little big for his height. We're going to cut back on his juice intake and see if that helps a bit. I'm not at all worried about his weight but I don't want it to become an issue so we're going to try and be pro active. He is in the 60th percentile for height. I was hoping that the percentiles would be reversed! Ha ha! My side of the family is quite tall so hopefully he will get our height! I guess only time will tell.

I was dying to ask our pediatrician what she thought about me still having Aidan is his convertible car seat. When Adam dropped him off for a field trip last week at school he noticed almost all of the kids were already in back less booster seats. Aidan is still under the weight and height requirements for his seat so I haven't moved him out of it. I just don't at all feel comfortable moving him to a backless booster. I get chills thinking about how little protection he would have God forbid we were in an accident. She totally agreed with me. Although the NC law states he does not have to be in his seat, they recommend it.  It would make my life so much easier to move him to a booster but I'm just not ready. At the same time I don't want Aidan to feel like we are treating him like a baby so I am going to probably shop for a booster with a back and a harness that can be removed when the time is right. 

Unfortunately Aidan was due for two immunizations and his flu shot. We tried to prep him a little bit before the nurse came in to administer them. I didn't want to freak him out but at the same time I didn't want him to be blindsided now that he understands what is going on.
He did great with the first two. Adam held his hands and I let him watch a funny You Tube video on my phone. The third shot must have really hurt because he almost jumped off the table and started screaming. I was immediately in tears. It never gets easy watching your child in pain. So there we were Aidan balling and clinging to me for dear life and I was trying so hard to make sure tears did not run down my cheeks.  We were such a mess! Aidan was totally wiped out after that. We consoled him with ice cream and Polka Dot Bake Shop cupcakes. After the conversation on watching his weight.  Judge me. I'll do anything to make him feel better and Adam is even worse!

Our pediatrician verified what we really already knew...he is perfect. He is above average or right on track with all of his developmental milestones.  His vision and hearing are perfect. One of the million reasons I love our pediatrician is because she is in her own practice and spends a lot of time getting to know each of us. She commended Adam and I on how well we were doing with Aidan and I felt proud of us. When we brought him to his first appointment there with her we felt like babies with a baby. We've come a long way and learnt a lot.  Most importantly that having Aidan is the greatest thing we've ever done! You are so big Bud!!!!

Halloween 11'

Halloween was a hit at our house.  Aidan was standing at the door with costume in hand when I got home from work.  Some friends of ours came over, Adam turned our wagon in to a hay ride, we grabbed a few Sam Adams Octoberfest  for the adults and we were off! 

This was the first year Aidan would walk up to a house all alone and actually say Trick or Treat. He was in utter shock that it was that easy to get candy.  His eyes almost bulged out of his head when he turned around and looked at us at the first house.

Adam and I kicked leaves walking arm in arm talking about how much better Halloween is when you can see it through your own child's eyes.  We swapped stories about our own Halloween nights as kids. We made our last stop at my parent's and Aidan was happy to share some of his candy.  On the way home Aidan fell asleep with his football helmet in one hand and a Kit Kat in the other.  It was a perfect Halloween.