Catch Up Post Numero Uno-Fall Festival

There is like one million things that have happened in the past months that I haven't blogged about so I must.  This blog afterall is my virtual scrapbook for the KID!

First Up...Aidan's Fall Festival

Everything the pre school puts together is always great for the kids.  Fall Festival is an opportunity for the kids to parade through the soccer fields in their costumes for all of us parents to see and then they do some cookie decorating and there are several other little things for them to do.  The even have a small pumpkin patch!

This year for Halloween Aidan was a football player. I think you already know that from the Halloween post I actually posted on time!  When I dropped him off for school the day of Fall Festival I was so excited for him because two of his best buddies were also dressed up as football players but they were so envious of Aidan's eye paint. Proud mommy moment that I thought enough to add all the extras to his costume!

Halloween Parade

Cookie Decorating

Getting ready for the "hay ride"

Candace and Cole came over and joined us.  We had a great picnic and I got to dote on my sweet nephew. I mean is Cole not the cutest?! He is walking and trying to talk up a storm.  I love to ask him for hugs.  Look at those eyes, those cheeks, that complexion! He is just perfect!

Hay ride with his buddies. 

Next up...our annual family trip to the Pumpkin Patch!



So is life...

I can't believe it's been a week since I posted on here! After that long November of posting everyday maybe I needed a break? 

And I'm just so busy.  But who isn't? I realize that just because your busy doesn't look just like mine, it doesn't mean you aren't walking around with 1,000 thoughts running through your head as well.  Everyone is busy.  It's the holidays!  Tis the season to be busy right?

Today is Aidan's half birthday.   4.5.  I say it all the time but where has the time gone?  I'm home today with him because he's been running a fever for two days.  He has no other symptoms and isn't complaining of anything hurting him so we don't really know what is up.  When Adam gets home later this afternoon I plan on sneaking out to the cupcake shop to pick him up a cupcake to celebrate.  Hopefully his fever will go away and his special treat will bring back some of his personality. 

Thanks for checking on us.  More interesting posts to come this week...

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!