AP times 3

Aidan's Advent, Day 23

2011-12-24T00:05:00.000-06:00

That Sally! How did she ever attach herself to our pendant lights in the kitchen?

We finished up our Christmas shopping today, and also finished our Christmas wrapping. Hooray, we're finally ready for Christmas! It wasn't without a bit of difficulty though - testy shoppers, unhelpful store employees, and a head-strong preschooler made me lose my patience on more than one occasion:( Luckily, Aidan and I snuck in a cuddly two-hour nap and balance was restored! I heart naps!!!

Aidan's advent activity today was to go look at Christmas lights. We started by stopping at Starbucks, one of Aidan's favorite treats. He always orders the same thing - chocolate milk and a birthday cake pop. Yum!

We went to three houses tonight - the creepy one on Falmouth in Prairie Village, the Kryger home at 133rd & Roe, and the "Ultimate Holiday Tree" house on the 6600 block of 131st Street. It was the first time we visited the last house, and we loved it! The LED lights reminded us of the downtown Marriott light display. We didn't take many pictures, but you can learn more about the light displays all over JoCo here.

Tonight's book was one of my favorites - the Golden Book Christmas Story. It's important to me that Aidan knows the true meaning of Christmas, and the Golden Book illustrations are so timeless and wonderful.

See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 22

2011-12-22T23:15:00.002-06:00

I woke up this morning feeling well-rested...no wonder, it was 8:45! Aidan was sound asleep. I checked on him again at 9:30 and he pulled the covers over his head (exactly the way his daddy does when I try to wake him up). Finally at 10am, he called for me. Are you kidding?? I went to his room to get him up and commented that he slept a long time. His reply was, "Mom, I just want to stay in bed until Christmas." Sounds like a dream come true to me!

While he was sleeping, I was able to finish up our Christmas cards. Finally!

Once Aidan got up and around, he found Sally hiding in his Christmas book basket. It was the first time Sally hid within Aidan's reach, and he did a great job not touching her. It probably helps that we'd just watched the Elf on the Shelf TV special and Aidan saw what happened when one of the characters touched the elf and took his magic away.

Because we were so slow to get up and around, we missed our friend Emily's Baby Jesus Birthday Party, and we were really bummed about that. Aidan's advent activity today was to buy a stocking stuffer for his daddy. We can't show you a picture yet, but we had fun finding something! We also picked out a new pair of shoes for Aidan - rockin' black Sauconys with crazy bright neon green, and a North Face jacket. He dresses better than his parents do!

We got a glimpse of snow today and the first thing Aidan wanted to do was get a cup and catch the snow:

Aaron and Aidan wrapped the first present for our family tonight, and Aidan was so proud!

Aidan opened two books tonight. I think I wrapped too many! He opened Counting Christmas, a Karen Katz counting book, and Olive the Other Reindeer, about a dog who hears the line in Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer "All of the other reindeer" and thinks it's about her! It's a darling book and Aidan has liked it since last year.

In other news, I AM ON VACATION NOW! Hooray, hooray, hooray!See you tomorrow:)

Aidan's Advent, Day 21

2011-12-21T23:37:00.000-06:00

We found Sally atop the range hood today. She was cookin' up a storm!

Aidan was excited to find out that his activity today was a surprise Christmas Playdate with his friends Emily & Connor, Christopher, and Olivia & Elliot. We made homemade gingerbread Play-Doh for our friends and munched on fresh berries and s'mores snack mix (Golden Grahams cereal, chocolate chips, and mini marshmallows)! Aidan loved having his friends over, and I loved having their mommies over, who are dear friends of mine!

Tonight I had the rare chance to go to MyGym with Aidan and Aaron. It's their standing Wednesday date, but I didn't have any evening piano lessons so I was excited to go!

Tonight's book was Jan Brett's Gingerbread Baby, which we snuggled up in bed to read. Super cute story!

See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 20

2011-12-20T23:25:00.000-06:00

Sally just felt like hanging out today...

Aidan had a big morning - his very first Preschool Christmas Program!! He did an awesome job. Ms. Annye told us that he never sang any of the songs during music class, but he belted out every one of them this morning! Here's the video. It's long (about 9 minutes), but I thought our out-of-town family might like to see it.

We loved our front row seating, and we also loved that Grammy & Granddaddy could come and watch!

Aidan's Advent Activity today was to eat a "snowman treat" which I found on Pinterest. He was SO excited - we never eat doughnuts - and he ate both of them in about 2.5 seconds:)

Aidan's book tonight was a The Little Engine That Could Christmas story. See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 19

2011-12-19T22:13:00.000-06:00

Today we found Sally on my nightstand. Aidan thought it was pretty funny - this was the first time she ever showed up in our room!

It's important to us that Aidan learns about giving to others, so I was excited for today's activity - to donate money to a Salvation Army bell ringer. I overheard Aaron talking to Aidan about people who are less fortunate than we are, and how we have to help them out. It filled my heart with so much love for them both. I am so proud to have Aaron as the father of my child and my partner in life. What a blessing he is!

Aidan and Aaron came to LUMC tonight for our Kindermusik Christmas Party. Aidan had a lot of fun, and I was excited to introduce both of them to my Kindermusik families.

Our book tonight was How the Grinch Stole Christmas, one of my personal favorites. "What if Christmas - gasp - was something MORE?"

It is, indeed.
See you tomorrow.

Aidan's Advent, Day 18

2011-12-18T23:07:00.000-06:00

Sally was perched atop the "tamometer" (thermostat) today. Perhaps she was protesting the temperature at which we keep the house?

We had breakfast with family this morning. Nothing beats Grammy's pancakes with bacon and sausage! After breakfast, we split up - some went to Cabela's & the Legends, and some went to Archivers; some, including Aidan and Aaron, stayed at Grammy's house. When we came home, this is what we found:

For the first time in 3 weeks, Young Pennington napped. For two hours. Right on the floor. Ahhhhhhhhhh.

Our advent activity tonight was to visit the Plaza Lights. It's such a magical place in my opinion. We're not sure how much Aidan enjoyed it, but it was fun for us - and with unseasonably warm weather, we were able to drive with the windows down!

After dinner, all three of us played with a huge container of hand-me-down Play-Doh and accessories from Aidan's cousin, Emily. He loved it!
Our book tonight was The 12 Bugs of Christmas, a super cute pop-up book. He laughed a lot and enjoyed counting the bugs on each page.

See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 17

2011-12-17T23:36:00.000-06:00

Was there an emergency we didn't know about? Sally was driving Aidan's fire truck this morning!

Today we had a very special Advent surprise - Aidan's aunts, uncles, and cousins on the Ludwig side came to visit, and we celebrated Christmas! He LOVES seeing them, and since it is such a rare occasion that we're all together, it was a special time for all of us.

Aidan LOVED his gift from Grammy and Granddaddy, a cool new tool bench!

The No-Napper was wired for sound tonight - he ran non-stop, most of the time without any pants on (no surprise here). When we got home, we thought he'd go straight to bed, but he reminded us he needed to unwrap a new book. He opened Under My Hood, I Have a Hat, which was a gift from Ms. Annye and Ms. Nancy at Parents Day Out two hears ago. It was fun to revisit a book that Aidan loved so much when he was so little.

Aidan ended his night by going to bed in his clothes and sleeping with the steamroller that Aunt Neece, Uncle JR, Adam, and Emily gave him. A great day for everyone!

See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 16

2011-12-17T23:18:00.000-06:00

Sally must have been thirsty today - we found her drinking from one of our Tervis Tumblers!

Aidan's advent activity today was to buy his mommy a stocking stuffer with Dad. For some reason;) I wasn't given a picture of this activity. Aidan has tried to tell me several times what he bought, but I just cover my ears and go "LALALALALALALALALALA" really loudly until he starts talking. I'll find out in about a week what he chose!

Aidan's book tonight was one of my personal favorites, Uncle Mugsy and the Terrible Twins of Christmas. I met the illustrator at Holiday Mart many years ago and have always loved this book. It's about a selfish old bulldog, Uncle Mugsy, whose twin niece and nephew come to visit and pretty much ruin everything, but also put Uncle Mugsy in the Christmas spirit for the first time. The illustrations are amazing!

See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 15

2011-12-15T23:15:00.000-06:00

Sally hid E.T. style this morning, among the stuffed animals on his dresser. She was snuggled up between Buzz Lightyear and a Jayhawk - not a bad place to spend the day!

Aidan's activity today was to take Christmas gifts to his teachers at preschool. We made these cute Reindeer Nose crafts and attached gift cards to the backs of them. He thought they were really funny, and was very excited to pass them out!

Tonight's book was Santa Mouse. Later, He Who Throws Huge Tantrums at the Mention of Naps wanted "quiet time in his room with the light on and door open" at bedtime. Within about 2.5 seconds, he was snoozing away. Poor little guy, he NEEDS to nap and is so exhausted in the afternoons and evenings. :(
See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 14

2011-12-14T23:18:00.000-06:00

This morning, Sally was found wrapping her arms around a bottle of olive oil on the stove! Aidan thought that was pretty hilarious.

Today's advent activity was to make a reindeer out of Aidan's feet and hands, which is an annual tradition. I'll update with pictures later.

Tonight's book was a favorite: Snowmen at Night. A little boy notices that his snowman doesn't look the same as he did the night before, so he starts to wonder what exactly they do at night while we're sleeping! Aidan's favorite things the snowman did at night were having a snowball fight and playing baseball.

See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 13

2011-12-13T23:42:00.000-06:00

That Sally. We found her hanging from the ceiling fan today. Can you believe it?

Aidan's advent activity today was a special treat: Hot chocolate and marshmallows after school! Can't you see the excitement in his eyes??

After Kindermusik and before bed, Aidan opened the book The Crippled Lamb. WOW what a great message - my friend Rachel recommended this book, and it was wonderful! It's about a little lamb named Joshua who looks different than the others and can't walk or run as well as them. He gets left behind when they migrate to a new meadow, but Joshua finds himself in the barn where Jesus was born, and is able to keep baby Jesus warm with his wooly coat - showing that we all have purpose in God's Kingdom. SO sweet!

In other news, it seems that Aidan is never wearing pants in any of his advent pictures. Rest assured, the child does own pants. He just chooses not to wear them:) See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 12

2011-12-12T23:49:00.000-06:00

Sally was hanging on our Christmas artwork in the living room today - silly elf! Aidan talks to Sally quite a bit, telling her when he makes good decisions (and bad decisions too!). It's really cute.

We pulled double-duty on the advent activities today, going to Crown Center to see Santa (to make up for Day 4), then visiting the Hallmark store there to pick out Aidan's annual Christmas ornament. We buy him one ornament each year - he can choose the ornament all on his own - and when he grows up, he'll have a good start to his own Christmas tree.

It was wonderful seeing Santa with NO LINE this morning. Aidan had a lot to tell Santa, including all about his Poppy working for the railroad, what he wanted for Christmas (not a short list), all about the Crayola playground leading up to Santa...you name it. Luckily, Santa was up for the conversation!

Aidan chose this ornament, a police car driven by penguins that sounds alarms anytime you get close to the presents in the trunk:

Aidan's book tonight was The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree. I think he was tired of having his picture taken by then!

See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 11

2011-12-12T23:41:00.000-06:00

I'm a day late posting this one - Aaron and I had a *DATE* Sunday night! Yahoo!

Aidan found Sally in his advent calendar today, pointing to his card of the day. It read "decorate Christmas cookies"! Aidan loved baking the cookies and decorating them. It was very hard for him to wait until they were cooled down enough to frost them, and to EAT them!

Aidan's babysitter (and my piano student) Amelia came over while Aaron and I went out, so they unwrapped his storybook together: Mater Saves Christmas!

Aidan's Advent, Day 10

2011-12-10T20:51:00.001-06:00

We found Sally inside my piano today! What was she doing in there?

Today's "advent-ure" was a Christmas Music Dance Party! It was lots of fun - we love to be silly together, and we are fully aware that none of us can dance! :)

After a yummy dinner with our friends the Bergmans, we came home to unwrap a new Christmas book: The Polar Express! Since Aidan loved the movie so much, it was no surprise that he loved the book too. I have a feeling we'll be reading it quite a bit this Christmas season.

See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 9

2011-12-09T21:53:00.001-06:00

Traveling to the North Pole every night can be a dirty job, so it was no surprise that Sally showed up in the bathtub today!

Aidan woke up asking to play with "the activity" - we couldn't figure out what he was talking about until he ran to the NATIVITY and played with "the characters." That Jesus fellow, he was definitely a character;)

Today's Advent activity was a fun one - watch a Christmas movie! Aidan's love of trains made it a no-brainer: we chose The Polar Express! None of us had seen it before, so it was a treat for the whole family. AND...what an awesome movie! I can't wait to watch it again. Do you hear the bells ringing? I do!

We made popcorn on the stove and sprinkled it with two different toppings. Aidan was in heaven.

Tonight's book was Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear. It's about a mouse who is brave enough to take presents to a bear in a cave, and finds a present for himself along the way.

See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 8

2011-12-08T23:56:00.001-06:00

When Aidan awoke this morning, he discovered that Sally the Elf had indeed flown out of his room last night and visited Santa. Sally reappeared on our kitchen table, driving Santa's sleigh! Oh my! Does Sally have a license for that thing?

Aidan's advent calendar listed another charitable activity today: take gloves and hats to the Christmas tree at school. This is an annual service project, and we were excited to participate!

Aidan opened Who is Coming To Our House tonight - a story about how the barn animals prepared for Jesus' arrival. Super cute:)

In other news, Aidan is on day six of no nap. He *needs* to take a nap, but is refusing, so our days have been pretty long this week. Because he hasn't been sleeping in the afternoons, we started leaving him at school for the full day today, which is only about 90 minutes longer than before, but it gives me a chance to get some work done...much needed!

See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 7

2011-12-07T23:54:00.001-06:00

We're not sure how it happened, but Sally the Elf snuck into Aidan's room this morning before he woke up. She was hanging from the hooks above his Christmas tree! Sneaky!

Today's advent calendar read "write a letter to Santa." I let him answer all of the questions, and it turned out pretty funny:

After Aidan and Daddy got home from MyGym and Chick-fil-A (their weekly Wednesday date), He Who Still Hasn't Napped was pretty tired, but awake enough to open another Christmas book. Though this photo doesn't show it, Aidan was very excited to read about his favorite monkey!

See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 6

2011-12-06T23:46:00.001-06:00

Aidan found Sally the Elf poking out of his stocking today. Silly Sally! Where will she be tomorrow?

At Aidan's school today, they made lists of what they wanted for Christmas. It was no surprise that Aidan asked for a cement mixer. I wonder if Santa has heard?

Our advent calendar let Aidan know that he would be shopping for a toy for Toys for Tots today and donating it to the collection site at my Kindermusik studio. Each semester I put on a service project for the 200+ families who are enrolled at InJoy Music, because I feel strongly that you're never too young to learn about charity and generosity. Anyway, Toys for Tots is our fall service project, and here's what Aidan chose for a very lucky boy or girl:

Aidan recently discovered Chutes & Ladders, and though he doesn't quite understand the concept of losing:), he loves to play!

Aidan's book of the day was If You Take a Mouse to the Movies. We love the "If You..." books, and this was no exception!

In case you're wondering what Aidan's mommy and daddy would like for Christmas, that's easy. We would like for AIDAN TO TAKE A NAP. It looks like he may be giving up his nap, much to our chagrin. So, if you happen to see Santa and have a chance to put in a good word for us, we'd really appreciate it! I think we've been pretty nice this year!

See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 5

2011-12-05T22:33:00.001-06:00

Aidan found Sally the Elf sitting on a shelf today - imagine that! The Elf on the Shelf was hiding on a shelf;)

We had a fun day playing with Emily and Connor at Kidscape at the Johnson County Museum. Of course, his favorite room was the one with the trains.

Our advent calendar today let us know we'd be getting the Little People Nativity out. His favorite part is making the Angel sing "Away in a Manger" and he also loves playing with Baby Jesus.

Aidan's book today was a fun one - it has the words to Frosty the Snowman. He was a bit camera shy, but at least you get a good picture of the book! See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 4

2011-12-04T22:14:00.001-06:00

What was Sally the Elf thinking? This morning, Aidan found her in Mommy's jar of Skittles for her piano students!

Aidan's advent calendar let him know that he would be spending the day at Crown Center. Each year, my piano students perform Christmas music at the Westin and Aidan has been each year since he was born. We like to work in a trip to see Santa, but the line was too long this year. That will have to come later this month!
Aidan enjoyed looking at the gingerbread village...

...and LOVED eating at Fritz's, as always!

Tonight's Christmas book was Redheaded Robbie's Christmas Story. LOVE this one, and the sweet message it conveys about the true meaning of the holidays.

More tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 3

2011-12-03T20:48:00.001-06:00

Aidan woke up to find Sally the Elf sitting on top of a curtain rod in the living room. How did she get up there???

Today, Aidan's Advent Calendar let him know he'd be having breakfast with Santa at his school! Since Daddy sleeps during the day and Mommy works Saturdays, Grandma Pennington took him and they had a great time!

Aidan made sure to tell Santa that he wanted a cement mixer, as well as a very large recycling truck that was up for silent auction.

It must have been the magic of Christmas, but somehow, the silent auction was won and the recycling truck went to Grandma's house. We also bid on and won front row seating for Aidan's Christmas and Spring preschool programs! YES!

After doing a bit of Christmas shopping and going out to dinner, Aidan opened his next Christmas book, which was a big hit:

See you tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 2

2011-12-02T23:28:00.001-06:00

Aidan woke up this morning by asking to see where Sally was hiding! Silly elf, Sally was peeking out of our family organizer in the kitchen!
After a fun day at school, which included making a cool jingle bell necklace, Aidan ended his day with his second advent calendar activity: getting a Santa beard made out of bubble bath!

Finally, he unwrapped his second Christmas book, Who Will Guide My Sleigh Tonight? It is a fun tale of how Santa chose reindeer over other animals like tigers and dolphins to lead the way on Christmas night.

More tomorrow!

Aidan's Advent, Day 1

2011-12-01T23:54:00.009-06:00

We have a lot of fun stuff planned for this Christmas season. Aidan has had a lot of questions - where does Santa live, what's he doing, when will he be here, where is the snow, how tall is Jesus...you name it.

This year, we are starting several new traditions. First, the advent calendar:

I got this idea from a blog I love and love the way it turned out. It's made from a hanging shoe organizer. Instead of putting treats or toys in it, I've put a fun activity or experience on the back of each card. We can keep mementos or other items from the day's activities in the pockets, and I've left enough room to add a picture each day - hello, instant scrapbook!

Today's activity got Aidan really excited - he got to put up a Christmas tree in his room! He loved seeing it light up and we're looking forward to adding ornaments to it over the next few weeks.

Our next fun tradition is that I've wrapped 25 Christmas books and put them in a basket.

Aidan can choose one each day to unwrap. I'll leave the unwrapped ones in the basket so he can read them over and over if he'd like. They're not sorted in any particular order, but we made sure he opened this one first:

Elf on the Shelf!

He had a lot of questions about the elf, but loved reading the story and decided to name his elf Sally. We're looking forward to seeing all of the places Sally decides to hide this December, and hoping that it curbs some not-so-flattering behaviors along the way!

I hope to keep up with the blogging this month (and beyond!), so bear with me - and Merry Christmas!

Fall Fun

2011-11-20T18:44:00.006-06:00

We started our Sunday by making pumpkin pancakes for breakfast - YUM.

While we were eating, Aidan and I started talking about last week's activities at school, which centered around Friendship Week. When I asked him what he thought friendship meant, he said, "Friendship is something that we share." I thought that was pretty profound for such a little guy!

After breakfast, we started a fun project for Aidan's teachers for Thanksgiving. Finished product to come!

Monthly Aidan: 2 years, 6 months

2010-12-17T23:41:00.008-06:00

OK, I realize I've been the hugest blog slacker on the planet:( The days have passed faster than I can imagine, and out of nowhere we have a two-and-a-half year old. Aaron reminded me the other day that we're halfway to age five, and I just can't even handle that!

So here's a look at our sweet, sweet BOY who is no longer a baby...

At 2.5, Aidan:

-weighs about 33 pounds and is just over three feet tall

-knows all of his letters and the sounds they make

-can count to twenty

-speaks in complete sentences

-refers to himself in the third person

-can tell you his full name

-will tell you he's five if you ask his age

-goes to Kindermusik on Mondays, MyGym on Wednesdays, and Parents Day out on Wednesdays and Fridays

-loves cars, fire trucks and trains more than just about anything

-enjoys watching shows on TV like Super Why, Sesame Street, and Little Einsteins

-has absolutely no interest in potty training

-builds tall creations and calls them all "The Eiffel Tower"

-pretends to take (and teach!) piano lessons

-can name most instruments he hears on recordings or on TV

-wears 2T-3T shirts and 2T pants, size 7 shoes

-sleeps 8pm-7:15am and takes a 2-3 hour nap

-will eat most fruits and vegetables but is pretty picky about meat

-is not picky about Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets

-has developed an adoration for chocolate milk

-can tell us which streets to turn on to get to Grandma's house

-has a memory like an elephant

-likes to holler from his crib each morning: "MOM! MOOOOOOOOMMMM!" or "Open Aidan's Door!" or "MOM! MEATLOAF!" or "Moooom, where ARE youuuuu?"

-still loves Toy Story but also asks to watch Leap Frog Letter Factory daily

-has developed a new nighttime routine of laying in bed with us and singing songs. His current favorite is "Cheezus" - Jesus Loves Me

-loves to help in the kitchen

-knows that when he sits in time out, he has to put his hands in his lap

-prefers to put his toys in time out instead

-talks about the weather like an old man

-is a challenge but a joy, sweet to the core, precious, smarter than he needs to be, and perfect in every way. We are so blessed to be his parents.

Daily Aidan: 8/16 Cheeeeeeeese!

2010-08-16T23:00:00.007-05:00

Daily Aidan: 8/15 Poppy's Record Player

2010-08-16T23:00:00.005-05:00

Daily Aidan: Summer PDO Artwork

2010-08-14T21:17:00.007-05:00

Daily Aidan: 8/13 Alphabet Jammies

2010-08-14T21:17:00.005-05:00

Daily Aidan: Peachwave

2010-08-12T22:31:00.007-05:00

Aidan enjoyed some Peachwave with his friends Isaac and Lucas today. Whoever invented the concept of self-serve frozen yogurt is GENIUS.

Daily Aidan: Breakfast with Friends

2010-08-11T23:55:00.007-05:00

Daily Aidan: 8/10 Giddy-Up!

2010-08-11T23:55:00.004-05:00

Riding the mailbox like a horse...

Daily Aidan: 8/9 Swimming with Daddy

2010-08-10T00:00:00.010-05:00

Aidan is fortunate that one of his parents is willing to be seen in a bathing suit in public!

Daily Aidan: 8/8 Aixois

2010-08-10T00:00:00.007-05:00

Perusing the menu at one of our favorite knitting meet-ups

Daily Aidan: Blast Off!

2010-08-07T22:08:00.006-05:00

Aidan's new favorite TV show is Little Einsteins. He loves to pat, pat, pat & blast off, and asks for "Rocket" about 27 times a day. It is only shown at 3am on Playhouse Disney, so we are very thankful for the DVR!

Daily Aidan: 8/6 Mixing it Up

2010-08-07T08:14:00.002-05:00

The child loves small appliances.

Daily Aidan: New Shoes, Just Like Daddy's

2010-08-05T23:55:00.004-05:00

Tired boy, but SO loving his new tennis shoes!

Daily Aidan: Grill Master

2010-08-04T22:48:00.003-05:00

Grillin' at Grandma's House

Daily Aidan: His New Easel

2010-08-03T21:48:00.005-05:00

Aidan LOVES the new easel that attaches to his train table! It has a felt board, magnetic dry erase board, puppet theater curtain, and butcher paper roll. Toooo cool.

Daily Aidan: "Hands, Mama!"

2010-08-02T23:03:00.010-05:00

Though he's a great eater, Aidan is not the biggest fan of getting his hands dirty.

Daily Aidan: 8/1 Deliciousness

2010-08-02T23:03:00.006-05:00

A trip to Grammy's house earned Aidan a bowl of blueberry crisp with vanilla ice cream. Yummy!

Daily Aidan: Lawn Care

2010-07-31T20:09:00.004-05:00

When Grandma's lawn service comes over, Aidan has to get his mower out as well.

Daily Aidan: Hangin' with Cousin Kyle

2010-07-30T19:50:00.002-05:00

Daily Aidan: Mowing the Mac & Cheese

2010-07-29T20:47:00.004-05:00

Mommy is in Ohio on business, so Aidan and Daddy are having a boys' weekend!

Daily Aidan: 7/28 Sophie's House

2010-07-29T20:46:00.005-05:00

Aidan had a fun playdate with Sophie today, and had his first experience with a juice pouch. Um, he sucked the whole thing dry in one big gulp!

Daily Aidan: The Thunder Rolls

2010-07-27T21:41:00.003-05:00

Aunt Martha & Uncle Steve, thanks for the cool OKC outfit!

Daily Aidan: Corny

2010-07-26T21:40:00.003-05:00

As long as no one interrupts his corn-eating, all will be right with the world.

Daily Aidan: The End of a Road Trip

2010-07-25T23:24:00.003-05:00

Aidan, your parents feel EXACTLY the same way.

Daily Aidan: Deliciousness

2010-07-24T14:30:00.003-05:00

Aidan, Braum's. Braum's, Aidan.

Charmed, I'm sure.

Daily Aidan: Chips and Salsa

2010-07-23T20:30:00.003-05:00

One toddler + Toy Story on Mommy's phone + a bowl of his own salsa = Peace and Quiet at Jose Pepper's

Daily Aidan: Fun with Lauren

2010-07-22T19:24:00.005-05:00

Aidan was excited for his friend Lauren to come to piano lessons today. She normally comes to Mommy's studio, so this was a special treat. They played cars together, and Aidan talked Lauren into putting his Jayhawk socks and Keens on for him. Fun was had by all :)

Daily Aidan: Goodbye Summer School

2010-07-21T20:51:00.003-05:00

Aidan's last days of PDO are today and tomorrow. We made these buckets (hat tip: eighteen25) for his teachers and filled them with Popsicles and Sonic gift cards.

Aidan has had an awesome time at school this summer. He always looks forward to seeing his teachers and, according to them, is always well behaved and sweet. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful place to take Aidan while Mommy teaches a few days a week!

Daily Aidan: At the Piano

2010-07-20T22:34:00.003-05:00

He's still crossing his feet...and looking too cute for words while playing Mommy's piano.

Daily Aidan: Guitar Hero

2010-07-19T22:53:00.003-05:00

Aidan heard that chicks dig guys with guitars, and immediately started honing his mad skills.

Daily Aidan

2010-06-16T23:32:00.003-05:00

Evidently, Aidan now knows how to climb up on the kitchen chairs. Finding his friend Sophie's birthday presents was an incentive:)

Daily Aidan

2010-06-15T23:29:00.002-05:00

Aidan loves his new Toy Story towel, a birthday present from Grandma P!

Daily Aidan

2010-06-14T23:02:00.005-05:00

If Aaron had any doubt as to who Aidan's father was, it was proven today when Aidan ate his weight in KFC coleslaw.

Daily Aidan

2010-06-13T22:12:00.004-05:00

Aidan's 2nd birthday party was today! We were so blessed that the torrential rains held off long enough for our two-hour party. More pictures to come:)

Daily Aidan

2010-06-12T23:34:00.003-05:00

Aidan had an ice cream date with Eleanor, who is moving to Florida. They had fun running around the store and doing a bit of "reorganization." We'll miss you, Eleanor, and your parents too!

Daily Aidan

2010-06-11T23:37:00.004-05:00

Aidan got to meet Baby Henry this week. It wasn't too long ago...

...that Baby Aidan was the one getting introduced to everyone!

Daily Aidan

2010-06-10T22:42:00.003-05:00

Having fun with Ben on Mommy's new digital piano

Daily Aidan

2010-06-09T23:39:00.004-05:00

Aidan's been paying more attention to his trains lately. His favorite part is making them go over the bridge and yelling "WHHHOAAAAAAA!"

Daily Aidan

2010-06-08T23:46:00.004-05:00

Catching up on his texting

Daily Aidan

2010-06-07T23:46:00.003-05:00

Aidan's school artwork from May

Daily Aidan

2010-06-06T22:48:00.004-05:00

(In Buzz Lightyear's voice): This isn't sitting, it's watching Toy Story...WITH STYLE!

Daily Aidan

2010-06-05T11:30:00.003-05:00

Finding an American flag on the Boudreaux's Butt Paste tube equaled a good five minutes of uninterrupted entertainment today.

Daily Aidan

2010-06-04T18:20:00.003-05:00

Aidan loves the fishes 'cause they're so delicious...gone goldfishin'

Daily Aidan

2010-06-03T23:06:00.003-05:00

1/2 pint later, we are pretty sure the child likes blackberries.

Daily Aidan

2010-06-02T22:55:00.002-05:00

Best purchase of 2010 so far: a 50-cent flag from Michael's.

Daily Aidan

2010-06-01T22:48:00.003-05:00

Aidan loves this Buzz Lightyear at Target. Mom and Dad do not love the $130 price tag.

Daily Aidan

2010-05-31T22:40:00.005-05:00

Viva la spicy chicken at Chick-fil-A! Aidan wasn't sure he wanted to get too close to the big cow...
...but he loved having a little cow of his own to take home!

Daily Aidan

2010-05-30T20:56:00.002-05:00

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Uncle Jason invited us over for a barbecue and Aidan loved playing in the baby pool.

Daily Aidan

2010-05-30T00:19:00.004-05:00

Thanks Grandma P for this cool Buzz & Woody shirt:)

Daily Aidan

2010-05-28T22:43:00.004-05:00

Our little fly boy. Great Granddaddy Max would've been so proud :)

Daily Aidan

2010-05-27T23:12:00.001-05:00

I'm so in love with this little guy.

Daily Aidan

2010-05-26T22:54:00.001-05:00

One of my families brought me homemade guacamole last night - guess who is hogging it?

Daily Aidan

2010-05-26T22:46:00.002-05:00

5/25: Cruising in the 'hood

Daily Aidan

2010-05-24T23:26:00.003-05:00

Daily Aidan

2010-05-23T20:47:00.003-05:00

Reading with Daddy

Daily Aidan

2010-05-22T21:50:00.003-05:00

Dancing on stage at The Donut Whole while Mommy and Auntie Jen ate a maple bacon donut. Yes, you read that right. Donuts + bacon = LOVE.

Daily Aidan

2010-05-21T09:50:00.003-05:00

Busy summer days are upon us! Aidan started his day with Ms. Nancy and Ms. Annye at his last Friday PDO. He's going to miss Ms. Annye, but looks forward to seeing her in a few years at preschool.

After a road trip to Wichita, Aidan got to play with his friends Trevor and Breven.

He ended his fun afternoon by playing with Cousin Chase. They loooooove each other!

Daily Aidan

2010-05-20T22:52:00.003-05:00

I really need to stop buying toys, since this morning he really just wanted to play with a step stool and a makeup brush...

Daily Aidan

2010-05-19T22:05:00.003-05:00

Today was Aidan's last Wednesday of PDO. He has loved spending time with Ms. Nancy and Ms. Sandy!

After school, Aidan got a haircut and experienced his first hair product. Too cute.

Daily Aidan

2010-05-18T22:47:00.002-05:00

Telling Mr. Duck about his day

Monthly Aidan

2010-05-17T18:18:00.009-05:00

Aidan is 23 months old. Cue my tears...

At almost two, Aidan:
-is finishing up his first year of Parents' Day Out and has loved it
-loves to hug and kiss his toys and stuffed animals, but is still pretty stingy with humans
-is figuring out this whole gross motor thing. Thinks jumping, spinning, and demonstrating "UP" and "DOWN" repeatedly is the best
-throws the occasional throw-myself-on-the-ground-and-act-like-the-world-is-ending-tantrum
-protests diaper changes, triggering said tantrums
-says about 100 words. Current favorites include "Yeah Buddy" and "No Way"
-has two best friends named Buzz and Woody. Wears their clothes, carries them around, watches them on TV daily
-knows at least half the alphabet. Can identify the letter and what sound it makes
-will still choose fruits and veggies over meat
-has opinions and isn't afraid to express them
-sleeps 8pm-7:30am and naps from noon until 2 or 3
-wears 24-month and 2T clothes; size 4 diapers; size 6 shoes
-started role-playing a lot. Loves feeding, rocking, and playing basketball with his dolls
-is turning two a lot faster than we want him to!

Daily Aidan

2010-05-17T18:18:00.006-05:00

Checking out Grandpa P's safety gear

Daily Aidan

2010-05-16T21:11:00.003-05:00

This little guy could not get enough of our Bloody Mary Flank Steak tonight. Who knew?

Daily Aidan

2010-05-15T23:17:00.002-05:00

Aidan spent the morning with Grammy & Granddaddy, then fell asleep in the car and took a 4.5 hour nap. I think I'll send him there EVERY.DAY.

Daily Aidan

2010-05-14T23:56:00.003-05:00

I'll give you three guesses what he's watching.

Daily Aidan

2010-05-13T23:44:00.004-05:00

It's crazy to watch how good he's getting with silverware. He's so proud of himself - and we couldn't be prouder of him.

Daily Aidan

2010-05-12T23:19:00.004-05:00

First Chipotle. We're so proud :)

Daily Aidan

2010-05-11T23:12:00.003-05:00

Learning how to use Grandpa's camcorder

Daily Aidan

2010-05-10T23:17:00.002-05:00

Aidan LOVES to read. He will sit and read for up to 45 minutes at a time! Right now he's really interested in picking out letters, naming them, and making the sound they make. His current favorite is M. He'll find one and say "M. Mmmmmmmmm."

The other day, he found a W and called it an M. I explained to him that a W looked like an M but it was upside-down. His response? He turned the book upside-down, pointed to it again, and said "M. Mmmmmmmm." Smart boy...

Daily Aidan

2010-05-09T19:41:00.003-05:00

Temper tantrums: No Mother's Day would be complete without them.

Daily Aidan

2010-05-08T21:26:00.002-05:00

Aidan's Aunt Neece, Uncle JR, and cousins Adam & Emily came for a visit today.
Photos coming soon!

Daily Aidan

2010-05-07T22:21:00.003-05:00

This is the 7pm face of someone who chose to get up at 6am.

Daily Aidan

2010-05-06T22:20:00.004-05:00

Tonight was Aidan's last Kindermusik class of the spring, and his last Village (baby) class. He'll be moving up into the toddler class in June...and we can't wait to see him grow and thrive with the big kids!

Daily Aidan

2010-05-05T23:37:00.004-05:00

Today, Aidan came home from school with this package:

I opened it carefully to discover this:

A sweet scrapbook of pictures they've taken all year at school. SO sweet! What a thoughtful Mother's Day gift.

In other news, when did he get so BIG???

Daily Aidan

2010-05-04T23:54:00.002-05:00

Trying to fit into his baby doll's stroller

Daily Aidan

2010-05-03T21:31:00.001-05:00

April school artwork