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Blog Post: Where's my baby?

Tue 2 Mar 2010 21:34:07 CST

If time truly does fly when you're having fun, then I must be having an absolute blast. It seems like it was just yesterday Aiden was a baby on the verge of crawling and experiencing all that this new mode of transportation had to offer. Yet today I was going through pictures from the past few months and came across this picture of Aiden on Christmas morning.

I found myself staring at the picture and wondering what happened to my baby because staring back at me is not a baby or even a toddler, but a little boy. A little boy who has mastered crawling, walking, running and climbing. A little boy who has interests (still trains, if you're wondering). A little boy who time after time impresses me with his ability to communicate.

Recently, I received an e-mail about child development. I have been receiving these e-mails since I first found out I was pregnant and always look forward to reading them. I'm not sure when the sender of the e-mails changed, but just the other day I noticed that instead of reading "My Toddler This Week", in its place was "My Preschooler This Week". What?!?! How is that even possible? It doesn't seem all that long ago that we were so excited over each new word Aiden was learning, and now that excitement has shifted to the clever things he says and the conversations we have with him.

Oh, sure...there are days when I miss Aiden as a baby or a toddler. But I have to admit that I am thoroughly enjoying this phase of life most of all. I love watching his imagination flourish with each passing day, and I love that I am able to bear witness to this. I also love his burgeoning sense of independence, even though it has lead to some intense power struggles at times. But what I love most of all is the incredible opportunity to be that sweet, thoughtful boy's mommy - an opportunity I thank God for each and every day.

Blog Post: It's Impossible

Mon 15 Feb 2010 16:40:16 CST

I was recently having a bit of a stressful day. Nothing necessarily bad had happened. It was just one of those days where lots of little things occurred on the same day which raised by stress level, along with my blood pressure, I'm sure. In an effort to distract myself, I played with Aiden who always loves someone who is willing to play trucks or trains with him. I decided to instigate a round of "Guess What?" that Adam and Aiden usually do together. By the time we were done, the stresses of my day seemed to melt away. Our exchange went like this:

Me: Aiden, guess what!
Aiden: What?
Me: That's what!

[giggles by both me and Aiden]

Aiden: Mommy, guess what!
Me: What?
Aiden: I love you!!

Yeah, it's impossible to have a bad day after a conversation like that.

Blog Post: A Princess and Her King

Wed 6 Jan 2010 19:57:18 CST

There are many times each week that Aiden says something that makes me either laugh or melt. Yesterday, in an attempt to get Aiden to take a nap, I brought him to our bed. Part of me knew all of my efforts would be in vain as he had a power nap on our way home from town, but still I pressed on, knowing that the rest of my day might go more smoothly if Aiden would take a nap. But alas it was not meant to be. Once I gave up the dream, Aiden sat up and stared at the picture of me and Adam on our wedding day. Despite all of the frustrations Aiden had managed to throw my way that day, he made me forget all about it for one moment when he said, "Mommy, you look like a princess! And Daddy's the King!"

Blog Post: Try again

Tue 5 Jan 2010 15:59:33 CST

One of Aiden's favorite presents he received for Christmas was the 80-piece set of play food. Today while I was trying to work, Aiden told me he was going to make me yunch (also known to most people as "lunch"). For the next ten minutes, he proceeded to give me choices: juice or milk, cheese or bacon, cake or pizza. I learned rather quickly that there was a right answer and a wrong answer. On one occasion when he asked me if I wanted cake or pizza, I responded with "cake". He was quiet for a couple seconds and then he smiled at me and said, "Do you want cake or pizza?" I was a bit bewildered since I thought we had already established that I wanted cake. So this time I told him I wanted pizza. I was immediately handed a slice of pizza. Apparently my answers were predetermined, unbeknownst to me. He never told me I couldn't have a particular item, but he would ever-so-sweetly repeat the question, in the hopes that I would change my answer. So for our pretend lunch, I had pizza, bacon and milk, rather than the requested cake, cheese and juice.

Photo Album: Aiden and Camdens Birthday Parties

Fri 27 Nov 2009 21:04:00 CST

Photo Album: Deer and Turkey Hunting

Sun 15 Nov 2009 21:33:00 CST

Blog Post: Soaking it up

Fri 30 Oct 2009 11:02:42 CST

As a stay-at-home mommy, there are numerous moments throughout the day (some more than others) that serve to reaffirm my and Adam's decision for me to stay home with Aiden. Sometimes it is witnessing Aiden doing something for the first time. Other times it is a sweet moment with Aiden. One of these sweet moments happened today while Aiden and I were playing together. He told me that he wanted to roll his Thomas the Train ball back and forth. Since this activity requires very minimal activity on my part (especially given the fact that I had just given Aiden "horsey" rides around the living room), I was more than happy to oblige. As we rolled the ball back and forth, Aiden started to laugh. He then said, "I love playing with you." It was all I could do not to scoop him up and cuddle with him, which would have killed the moment. So I smiled at him and told him that I loved playing with him, too. We kept rolling the ball back and forth, all the while Aiden continued to laugh. As if the moment couldn't get any better, he rolled the ball to me and said, "I love playing with my friends." Awwww...it makes me melt just thinking about it. He considers me his friend. I know that all too soon there will be times when I may not even rank as one of his friends and will simply be his mom. But that's okay because right now I am soaking up each and every moment with him and the friendship we have.

Blog Post: Nebraska and bi-polar weather

Fri 30 Oct 2009 08:08:36 CST

Judging by the 12+ inches of snow I can see from my windows (and the fact that it is still snowing), one would think we have officially bypassed fall and headed straight into winter. Bummer. Yes, bummer indeed. If there were one season I would love to bypass every year it wouldn't be fall which brings with it fun, warm sweaters (which I now love again after growing to loathe them by the end of the previous winter), hot chocolate (which I can now drink in public without feeling like a freak - yes, I love hot chocolate all year round), and the beautiful fall colors on display around our farm...just to name a few. It would most definitely be winter with its cold (sometimes bitterly cold) temperatures, lack of anything green and growing, snow, dreary cloudy weather for days on end. I could go on about all of the things I really dislike about winter, but I'll spare you the depressing list.

But...in true Nebraska fashion, the forecast for tomorrow is 58 degrees and sunny. Go figure. Normally such crazy weather wouldn't really bother me. However, this afternoon we were planning on heading into town to go trick-or-treating with Aiden at the businesses on the town square. So I probably don't need to tell you just how bummed I was at 6:45 this morning to already see a foot of snow on our front porch. It's a far cry from the weather last Halloween - warm and sunny. Having lived in Nebraska for 11 years now, I am still not used to this back-and-forth weather which wreaks havoc on my allergies and consequently my asthma. Oh, well.

So with the saying "When life hands you lemons, make lemonade" in mind, I will go make myself a cup of hot chocolate and watch a movie with Aiden while we cuddle on the couch. Much to my delight, Aiden has chosen "Elf" for our viewing pleasure. I think this day is starting to look up. *contented sigh*

Blog Post: Who's the Man?

Thu 29 Oct 2009 20:06:59 CST

One of my favorite times of the day is getting Aiden first thing in the morning, regardless of the time. Aiden is quite the chatterbox from the moment he wakes up until he closes his eyes at night. And the things he says frequently elicit either a chuckle or an all-out belly laugh from me. One such instance took place recently as I was chatting with Aiden in his room in the morning. The exchange went something like this:

Aiden: Mommy, the Man is awake.
Me: (trying to figure out who "the Man" is) Oh, really?
Aiden: Yeah.
Me: Um, okay. So...should we change your diaper?
Aiden: The Man doesn't need a diaper change.
Me: (blank stare) Are you the Man?
Aiden: Yes, Mommy. I am the Man.

Photo Album: Moms Birthday

Sat 24 Oct 2009 22:19:00 CST

Blog Post: Take it easy

Tue 20 Oct 2009 08:18:43 CST

As the parent of a nearly 3-year-old little boy, there have been countless times that I have pondered the enormity of the task of raising Aiden. His needs are diverse in that not only does he need to eat regularly but he also needs to learn how to be a good steward of his things (which is something we've been working on lately). Taking care of his physical needs requires a lot of my time, so I guess it makes sense that thinking about what I must to do to meet all of his other needs causes me some anxiety.

So it was very fitting that I received the following devotional by e-mail today from my mom. (Thanks, Mom!) Given that the vast majority of my friends have children who are still at home, I thought I would share this.

Take It Easy
by Charles R. Swindoll

Proverbs 22:6

Maybe it's because I just had another birthday. Maybe it's because I'm a granddad several times over. Or maybe it's because of a struggling young seminarian I met recently who wishes he had been higher on his parents' priority list than, say, fifth or sixth. He was hurried and ignored through childhood, then tolerated and misunderstood through adolescence, and finally expected to "be a man" without having been taught how.

My words are dedicated to all of you who have the opportunity to make an investment in a growing child so that he or she might someday be whole and healthy, secure and mature. Granted, yours is a tough job. Relentless and thankless . . . at least for now. But nobody is better qualified to shape the thinking, to answer the questions, to assist during the struggles, to calm the fears, to administer the discipline, to know the innermost heart, or to love and affirm the life of your offspring than you.

When it comes to "training up the child in the way he should go," you've got the inside lane, Mom and Dad. So---take it easy! Remember (as Anne Ortlund puts it) "children are wet cement." They take the shape of your mold. They're learning even when you don't think they're watching. And those little guys and gals are plenty smart. They hear tone as well as terms. They read looks as well as books. They figure out motives, even those you think you can hide. They are not fooled, not in the long haul.

The two most important tools of parenting are time and touch. Believe me, both are essential. If you and I hope to release from our nest fairly capable and relatively stable people who can soar and make it on their own, we'll need to pay the price of saying no to many of our own wants and needs in order to interact with our young . . . and we'll have to keep breaking down the distance that only naturally forms as our little people grow up.

Time and touch. Listen to your boys and girls, look them in the eye, put your arms around them, hug them close, tell them how valuable they are. Don't hold back. Take the time to do it. Reach. Touch.

When you are tempted to get involved in some energy-draining, time-consuming opportunity that will only increase the distance between you and yours, ask yourself hard questions like, "Could my time be better spent at home?" and "Won't there be similar opportunities in the years to come?" Then turn your attention to your boy or girl. Hold nothing back as you renew acquaintances.

Take it easy!

The two most important tools of parenting are time and touch.

Blog Post: Have no fear...I am here

Thu 15 Oct 2009 20:13:35 CST

So it's been a little while since I've posted anything, and I'm sure you all are wondering just where exactly I have been. I wish I could wow you with wonderful tales of all of the exciting things that I have been doing in my absence. But alas such tales will have to wait for another day as I haven't been doing anything remotely exciting. A lot of my time has been spent willing and praying that my body heals as I have been suffering from what seems like mere allergies at times and other times seems like something more akin to everyone's favorite fall friend....the common cold. I'm feeling a lot better and will be back as soon as I can form coherent thoughts. Because I just can't bring myself to subject any of you to the ramblings of a medicine-infused woman who so desperately wants to write yet finds everything she types bordering on gibberish. You're welcome.

Blog Post: Commonality

Tue 6 Oct 2009 17:24:43 CST

What do a kitchen towel, sweatshirt, couch, and my capri pants have in common? To the untrained eye, not much. But anyone who has spent time with Aiden knows exactly how these four items are the same. I'll give you a hint...trains. Still don't know? Well, what is one thing trains need? Track! Armed with that information, you can now see how these seemingly unrelated items are very important in the daily activities of the train-loving little boy who lives in our house. He will make a track out of any parallel lines, whether they're on the side of my pants, a shirt that Adam is wearing, or the stitching on our couch and loveseat. I wasn't quite sure what was going on the first time he started running a train along my leg. When I asked him what Thomas was doing, he matter-of-factly told me that Thomas was going on the track. It was then that I realized to what track he was referring. Aiden sees "tracks" wherever we go. I can tell that I spend my days with someone who is fixated on trains as I too am beginning to see them when I am out and about.

Blog Post: Ladies and Gentleman

Sat 3 Oct 2009 19:43:04 CST

There are times I get a glimpse of what Aiden's future interests will be. One thing I'm becoming more and more certain of is that Aiden will a shoo-in for any drama productions. He definitely has Adam's dramatic side. Yesterday, Aiden and I were with Connie in the library at the high school when Aiden stood at the top of a set of stairs and said quite loudly, "Ladies and Gentleman! Boys and Girls....who wear glasses!" I just couldn't stop laughing, which of course Aiden noticed. So he blessed us with an encore performance. So yeah...I will be completely baffled if Aiden isn't in drama someday. Because at nearly three years of age, he's already a natural.

Blog Post: I've been summoned

Fri 2 Oct 2009 16:37:22 CST

It's official. I have been summoned for jury duty in a county in which I have resided just two short years. The length of my residency in this county is only noted because I know of several people who have lived here for 30+ years and have yet to even fill out a juror questionnaire. Such is my luck, I guess. When I dropped off my completed questionnaire, the district court clerk informed me that they had sent out approximately 600 questionnaires and that they only had one jury trial last year. For each trial, the judge picks out a group out of that 600 to appear for jury selection. So as you can see, I am apparently destined to serve on the jury. Oh, sure, there is a possibility one or both of the trials scheduled will settle in the eleventh hour or I may not even be selected for the jury. But given my luck so far with this jury term, I will not be holding my breath in hopes of avoiding any service on a jury.

While I have to appear at court promptly at 8:45 a.m. next Tuesday, Aiden will be enjoying himself immensely as he will be having an opportunity to play with some other kids his age. Adam's mom, who usually watches Aiden for us, will be out of town, so I was on the hunt for a back-up babysitter. Adam's dad came to the rescue by suggesting the wife of one of his Pioneer customers. She does daycare and watches some kids around Aiden's age. Since neither Aiden nor I had ever met this lady before, we stopped by for a visit this morning so that we could meet her and give Aiden a chance to spend some time with the kids.

Aiden just loves to be around kids, especially kids his own age. So it came as no surprise that he quickly warmed up to the other kids and was soon running around the house with them as if they were long-time pals. He was enjoying himself so much that he did not want to leave. Later, when I asked him if he had fun playing with the kids, he said, "Mommy, I want to go back and play with them." Yeah...he'll do just fine.

Blog Post: Not yet

Mon 28 Sep 2009 14:56:10 CST

One of my favorite things about being a parent to a nearly three-year-old little boy is the things he says. A perfect example of this happened today while I was working while Aiden played with his toys. Adam commented that he was impressed by Aiden's ability to figure things out. He then asked Aiden, "Are you a genius?" Aiden looked up at Adam and in all seriousness replied, "Not yet."

Blog Post: I'm at a loss

Mon 28 Sep 2009 08:51:27 CST

While there were many treasures to behold on the Junk Jaunt, there were also many items which left me at a loss for words. Some were bizarre. Others were humorous. And then there were those that are simply indescribable. Now that I have a blog and camera of my own, there was no way I was leaving my camera at home, just in case I needed to document anything of interest, humorous or otherwise. So enjoy some of the little nuggets from our two-day jaunt.

Jon and our first funny of the day: the Butt Buster

On a table of free junk, I found this poor boy's school picture

There's just something funny about a toilet by the side of the road.

We got a chuckle out of their product placement.

This rapping frog was hilarious!

This homemade pontoon can be yours...if the price is right!

This display grossed me out a little...some of these were slightly used.
I'll let you figure out which ones.

The "Happy Bin" filled with all manner of happy creatures...
even creepy clowns.

Blog Post: Junk Jaunt 2009

Sun 27 Sep 2009 19:51:55 CST

I have been looking forward to this weekend for quite awhile. For most people, it was just another ordinary weekend in September. But for me and many other people, it was the Junk Jaunt 2009. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, the Junk Jaunt is basically a 300-mile continuous three-day yard sale in central Nebraska. There are people from not only all over Nebraska but from other states as well. If you hate going to garage sales, then the Junk Jaunt is definitely not for you. But after having Aiden, I have suddenly become more interested in them. I love being able to get new toys for Aiden, but I can't justify the cost necessary to do so on a regular basis. So thanks to the Junk Jaunt, Aiden gets an infusion of "new" toys at a fraction of the cost for us. Everybody wins! I have also done my own trash-to-treasure projects using things I find on the Junk Jaunt.

Friday was the first day of the Junk Jaunt, and unfortunately for me and Adam, our day began even earlier than it was supposed to. Despite not needing to get up until almost 6 a.m., we both were wide awake at 3 a.m. As you can imagine, that made for an incredibly long day. Aiden got less sleep than he normally does, so that in conjunction with an earlier wake-up call translated to an incredibly moody little boy on our hands. He was super excited to spend time with Emmy, but meltdown after meltdown left my and Adam's nerves understandably frayed. And this was all before 9 a.m. Thankfully, with Adam's mom, sister and brother-in-law also along for the Junk Jaunt, there were other adults on hand to help with Aiden when Adam and I were nearing our wit's end.

But in true Aiden style, there were several times he did something to remind us just how much we love him and his presence in our lives. We were at one of our many stops today which found us in an old school. In one particular room, there was a small auditorium. There were items for sale on the stage, so some of us walked onto the stage. Aiden turned to face his "audience" and said, "Ladies and Gentleman!" After a stunned silence, we all looked at each other and started laughing. Realizing this created laughs, Aiden repeated it again but this time with a twist: "Ladies and Gentleman and my Dad!" Yeah, Aiden was being incredibly cute and funny...and he knew it.

Saturday went very well, too. We all managed to find more treasures. Aiden was much more well-behaved, although there were some bumps along the way. After lunch, Adam's dad took Aiden and Emmy to a park for a couple hours, which was the best thing for Aiden. He was in a much better mood having been able to run around like a crazy child and play with Emmy and Papa.

All-in-all, even with the temper tantrums thrown our way by our lovely son, it was a great weekend. We were able to spend some quality time with family and sift through other people's junk in search for our own treasures. What a better way to spend a weekend?! Yeah....I know. There are many other better ways to spend a weekend, but honestly, this one definitely ranks up there as one of the best...at least in my book.

My two favorite boys

The amazing view from one of our stops

What cute little munchkins!

Aiden loved having his Uncle Jon push him on the swing

Adam and his new friend

Aiden was full of giggles while he tackled Papa

Blog Post: A timeout for Chick

Fri 25 Sep 2009 19:50:25 CST

Given that we are currently navigating the treacherous waters of the Terrible Two's, it should come as no surprise that Aiden is no stranger to the joys of discipline. He is well aware of "The Look" and what it means should he proceed on a frowned-upon course of action. But I had a glimpse recently of just how well those moments have made an impact on him

A few days ago Aiden and I were enjoying a nice quiet afternoon together. We were snuggling on the couch and watching "Cars" which is thankfully not requested nearly as often as it used to be. For those of you familiar with the movie, we were nearing the part when Chick Hicks causes The King to crash. All was quiet (with the exception of the TV, of course) when Aiden suddenly shouted. Startled, I asked Aiden what was wrong. He looked at me and seriously told me, "Chick was naughty and needs a spanking and a timeout." I agreed with him that Chick was indeed very naughty by hurting The King and thought the matter was over. Yeah, I was wrong. Aiden again reiterated his position: "Chick was naughty and needs a spanking and a timeout." Ummmm....okay. Aiden went to bed that night knowing justice had been served.

Shame on you, Chick Hicks!

Blog Post: My new definition of "sleeping in"

Sat 19 Sep 2009 10:23:29 CST

Just a few years ago, my Saturday mornings usually started whenever I wanted. I went to bed at a time that suited me because I could count on sleeping in, all cozy in my warm bed. I'm not much of a morning person, so such an arrangement suited me perfectly. But ever since Aiden's arrival my Saturdays (and most days, for that matter) start much earlier. I knew the day would come when "sleeping in" would be a time much earlier than I had grown accustomed to, but to be honest, this change has been a bit hard on me. I am still not a morning person, although I think there has been some improvement in that area. There's nothing quite like a giggling, happy little boy to snap me out of my morning funk. But on the flip side, nothing can inhibit my trek out of my morning funk quite like a crabby, whiney little boy.

Lately, Aiden has decided that mornings should begin promptly at 6:30, which should not even remotely be an option, in my opinion. There have been wake-up calls even earlier than that, but thankfully those are incredibly rare. To make this 6:30 start to my day even worse, he hasn't been sleeping very well at night for the past week or so. Some nights he wakes up crying so hard that we need to go attend to him; other nights he will just start talking and will keep talking for awhile. Then there are the fun nights where it's a combination of crying and talking. So in addition to these "fun" nights, I worked at the office more this week to help fill in while another assistant was out. Such a combination made for a very long and tiring week.

I headed to bed a little early last night in anticipation of yet another early morning. I slept great for the first time in over a week, which is partly due to the lack of activity coming from Aiden's room. Finally...a night where he didn't wake us up. He is usually such a fantastic sleeper, so these rough patches are even harder to adjust to. But my favorite part of my night's sleep was getting to sleep in. My son graciously let me sleep in past 6:30 today and didn't wake me up until nearly 7:30. Yep...I am definitely a mom when my definition of "sleeping in" is anything past 6:30. But I wouldn't change it for anything!

I don't mind being up at 6:30 a.m. for this face

Blog Post: Me and my over-active imagination

Fri 18 Sep 2009 20:05:13 CST

A couple nights ago I was getting ready to relax with Adam and watch some television when I remembered that I had not yet put our cats River and Simon back in the shop for the night. We put them in the shop every night to protect them from the hazards of the country night life (i.e., creatures who definitely do not have our cats' best interest in mind). It is these hazards that keep me indoors after sunset. I have a pretty good imagination which is great at times and certainly not at others. I consider it a pretty unfortunate disadvantage whenever I need to head out of the house and into the black expanse after sunset.

So after grumbling about having to go outside, I venture forth. I called for River and Simon who emerged from the blackness. Their emergence sometimes startles me a little as they are both mostly black with very little white fur so it is is really hard to see them coming until they are practically on me. The three of us headed to the shop which weirds me out a lot less now that River and Simon's presence has helped with our mouse problem. (I just can't seem to shake the image of that nasty opossum I found in there a couple weeks ago. Yikes.)

I quickly left the shop so that River and Simon wouldn't follow me and started walking back to the house. I wasn't very far into my stroll when I began feeling anxious with a touch of paranoia mixed in, as if something was watching me. I told myself that I was just being paranoid and that I would make it to the house in one piece. All was going well until I heard a noise. It wasn't the kind of noise that instantly gives you goosebumps. The best way to describe it was the sound of my stomach growling. The only problem with that scenario was that I had just eaten, so there is no way my stomach was growling. Yeah....all prior willpower to meander back to the house dissolved in an instant once I really contemplated the source of that noise. Insert over-active imagination and I suddenly found myself running, not strolling, back to the house.

I felt a bit foolish afterward for running as if something was chasing me, but I've had enough run-ins with "nature" since we moved to the farm. I'm not anxious to have yet another one any time soon.

Blog Post: The joy of family photos

Wed 16 Sep 2009 21:18:56 CST

I have been a part of countless family photos in my nearly 33 years on this earth. Thankfully, I am unable to think of any particular occasion which resulted in some less-than-stellar photo ops, although I do cringe at some of my outfit choices over the years. But I don't know of a single person who hasn't regretted at least one clothing option. We have all been put in various poses by well-meaning photographers who apparently think unnatural is the new natural. The awkward head tilt was always a favorite of mine. I recently had the good fortune of stumbling upon a website filled with family photos. However, it isn't the kind of website you go to in order to find ideas for your next family photo. Some of these poor people have just fallen victim to another well-meaning photographer, however it is painfully obvious that a lot of these poses were the brain child of the participants. So enjoy it in all of its awkwardness.

Blog Post: Where were you?

Fri 11 Sep 2009 09:31:27 CST

There are so many events in history that elicit the question..."Where were you?" I grew up having adults tell me where they were when they first heard of JFK's assassination or the moon landing. Many significant historical events have taken place in my lifetime, but the one that sits at the forefront of my mind is the horrible events of September 11, 2001.

For me, it began like any other work day. The usual routine of convincing myself to crawl out of bed (despite the nearly overwhelming urge to go back to sleep), getting ready and driving the 5-minute commute to work. Normally my commute, which took me past the university, was uneventful, but that day the DJs on the radio station I was listening to started talking about a plane that had hit the World Trade Center. My stomach instantly began hurting as if I subconsciously knew something was terribly amiss.

I don't remember getting a lot accomplished at work that day as I spent a large part of my day glued to the television watching the events unfold. It just seemed like a nightmare from which there was no awakening. The images I saw are forever burned into my memory and are as vivid as they were eight years ago. The emotions are also quite strong, even now on this eighth anniversary. Upon visiting Fox News' website this morning and seeing an image from that infamous day, I instantly choked up as all of the emotions and memories from that day came rushing back.

While eight years have already passed since 9/11, it somehow seems as if it wasn't all that long ago. I was impacted by 9/11 as a citizen of the United States and in general as a human being, but there are so many who were impacted not only as a U.S. citizen and human being but also as a mother or father, brother or sister, son or daughter, best friend, co-worker...the list goes on. For them, today is a day not only of remembrance but undoubtedly of grief as they experience the emotions of 9/11 from a far more personal standpoint than mine.

But for all the ugliness of humanity that we witnessed that day, there was even more beauty to be seen on that day and the days, weeks and months that followed. Those murderous terrorists sought to strike fear in the hearts of all Americans, sending us into hiding. Yet they could not squelch the American spirit, which shines even in our darkest hours. People from all over the country converged wherever they were needed, refusing to play the role of victim. One of my favorite quotes from that day was by President Bush: "Today, our nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature, and we responded with the best of America." So today I remember not only those who were victims of that evil but also those who continue to protect our country and our freedoms both here and abroad.

Blog Post: An important lesson about Aiden and hunger

Wed 9 Sep 2009 09:26:36 CST

I am so thankful that I have Aiden to set me straight on many things that I have misunderstood for years. Today, while I was doing laundry, Aiden asked me if he could have a red food bar (i.e., strawberry Nutri-Grain bar). Upon looking at the clock and noticing that it was about lunch time, I asked him if he would rather have lunch instead. He pondered it for a moment and then informed me that he wasn't hungry. Okay...so I went back to folding laundry. Aiden then asked me again if he could have a red food bar. Confused, I again told him that I could make him some lunch instead of having just a food bar. He reiterated his position that he wasn't hungry but that he wanted a food bar. So apparently his state of hunger only applies to foods that I offer him, and not what he is wanting at that particular moment. Good to know.

The funny part is that not ten minutes later Aiden asking me for the exact same thing I was offering him for lunch. I asked him if he was hungry, and he told me he wasn't. Surprise, surprise.

Blog Post: A little known fact

Mon 7 Sep 2009 07:55:58 CST

Did you know that a Nutri-Grain bar is rendered completely useless if it is broken? I must admit I was clueless of that little tidbit until Aiden enlightened me this morning. All was well as he and I were sitting on the couch just chatting about various topics. He asked me if I would open up the wrapping so he could enjoy his "red" (i.e. strawberry) "food bar". So I opened it and handed it back to him. I was just thinking, "Wow! He's in a pretty good mood so far this morning considering his schedule has been a bit off the past couple days." Well, no sooner had that thought occurred when Aiden started whining/crying. I asked him what was wrong and he somehow managed to convey that his "food bar" was broken. I tried to explain to him that, while broken, it would still taste just as yummy as if it was whole. He looked at me like I had lost my marbles and continued with the always-endearing whining/crying combo.

As quickly as the storm surfaced, it dissipated. He sat quietly next to me as I wondered what was going on inside that little mind of his. Well...he quickly clued me in. He promptly lifted up my shirt so that he could see my stomach and placed his fresh-from-the-fridge sippy cup right on me. This provided endless entertainment for Aiden...at least until I convinced him that playing with his new toys would be even more fun.

At some point, he must have decided that a broken food bar wasn't all that bad as I caught him munching on the pieces about fifteen minutes later, which meant that my easygoing Aiden was back. Whew!

Blog Post: Never a dull moment

Sat 5 Sep 2009 23:32:00 CST

If there is one thing I have learned from life in the country, life is never dull...especially when you consider the wildlife factor. For those of you who follow this blog, you have been treated to numerous tales of our encounters with the myriads of creatures that live in the area. We can now add a second opossum story to our repertoire of humorous (some not-so-humorous) animal stories.

I have become acquainted with opossums on three occasions, two of which have occurred just this year here on our farm. If you haven't had the opportunity, or rather misfortune to see one an opossum (i.e., huge disgusting rat creature), count your blessings. I am most definitely not a fan of their nasty, possibly rabid selves.

Okay...so I'm sure you have figured out that I do NOT like opossums. So anyway, I went out to the shop tonight to put away our two older cats, River and Simon. Like I do every other night, I was refilling their food when I just happened to glance into the kennel through the side slats. I saw something relatively long and peach-colored. My first thought was, "Oh, yeah. Another snake." All the while my heart has begun threatening to beat out of my chest. I slowly lean forward to look into it from the front when a mere 2-3 feet from my face is an opossum, its mouth wide open and teeth bared. I just about wet myself but somehow managed to close the kennel door.

So I ran back into the house to inform Adam of my need for assistance. He did make a very good observation about the situation: "No wonder you don't like putting the cats away after dark." Yeah...I hate it with a passion. While there are perfectly harmless creatures living in them there hills, there are also things that would definitely do me harm if given the chance. Hence my hesitation about stepping foot outside our house after the sun has set. Anyone who has spent time with me knows that I am not a fan of the dark, especially when you add scary animals into the equation. I'll just stay inside, thank you very much.

But I digress...back to the story. So my handsome, gun-toting husband came out to the shop with me with the intention of taking care of our new-found problem. Although our plan hit a few bumps as we weren't sure how to "do the deed" when it was nearly 10 o'clock at night. So that opossum got a temporary reprieve but currently remains on death row, so to speak, until the light of day. Hopefully it isn't waiting for a call from the governor...because I disconnected the phone. Hee hee.

I think it was trying to play dead, but it blinked a couple times.

Blog Post: These are a few of my favorite things

Sat 5 Sep 2009 07:31:49 CST

...having a Heavenly Father who loves me regardless of how many times I mess
up
...Adam and Aiden - my two favorite guys
...scrapbooking
...volleyball
...bowl of strawberries and cream (yum!)
...spending time with friends and family
...shopping with my mom
...getting an unprompted "I love you" from Aiden
...living in the country
...being able to walk out the back door and see a multitude of stars
...watching a KU basketball game at Allen Fieldshouse
...the smell of Aiden's lotion
...sleeping in (even though it is a rarity)
...all of my wonderful girlfriends who, despite the distance between us, are
always there for me no matter what
...being a wife and mommy
...the cooler temps of Fall
...the beautiful pictures Adam takes, especially those of Aiden
...tickle "fights" with Aiden and the giggling that always ensues
...dead mice (twisted, I know - but I really do hate those vermin!)
...watching movies
...The Office (I know you're all shocked to see it on this list)
...being a stay-at-home mommy
...roller coasters...experiencing Aiden's firsts
...Royal Family Kids' Camps

Oh, this list could go on and on, but for the sake of you, the reader, I will keep it somewhat pithy. Although I do reserve the right to modify this list at any time. Hope you had a good week! I know I did.

Blog Post: Babies Everywhere

Thu 27 Aug 2009 20:49:24 CST

Lately, it has seemed to me as if nearly every woman I know either is pregnant or has recently given birth. I'm sure this is largely due to the fact that the vast majority of my friends are in their 20s and 30s (i.e., the child-bearing years). Two of these young women are Amanda and Thea, both of whom are Adam's cousins. Aiden and I had the privilege of attending baby showers celebrating the upcoming arrival of their little ones.

Last month, Aiden and I made the trek to Norton with Adam's mom for Amanda's shower. Amanda and Eric received an amazing amount of gifts. A large portion of the loot was diapers which is even more appreciated by soon-to-be parents of twins. Amanda's younger sister Amy threw the baby shower, and true to Amy's prediction, the shower was completely "pimped out". Amy has a knack for interior decorating, so it came as no surprise that the shower was too cute for words.

Opening presents...more diapers. Yay!!!

The loot

Amanda, Sandy and Amy

Last weekend, Aiden and I, along with Connie, made our way once again to Norton, this time for Thea's baby shower. We had a great time visiting with everyone while we were in Norton. The shower was a lot of fun, and I was especially fond of the John Deere theme. Aiden entertained himself through most of the shower by playing with...yep, you guessed it...his trains. I was proud of him for even sharing his trains with Jaida, Adam's cousin Nikki's little girl.

The always-fun and ever-popular "Guess the Pregnant Lady's Girth"

Such a cute outfit...one of many Thea received

Me and Thea

Blog Post: That's my boy

Wed 26 Aug 2009 20:50:44 CST

As a parent, I often find myself wondering what interests Aiden will have when he's my age. What music will he like? What will his hobbies be? Oh, I am quite well-versed in his favorites right now. I know way more about Thomas the Tank Engine and all of his friends than I ever thought I would. I can quote the movie "Cars" nearly verbatim. I am quite adept with a light saber, regardless of the form it takes...stick, serving spoon, or what have you.

Being the mother of a little boy, I am pretty confident that Aiden's hobbies as an adult will probably not be the same as mine are. But today I got my hopes up, although I'm not so deluded as to think that today's occurrence has any significance. It was Aiden's nap time, and as is customary, he is allowed to choose one book for story time. There was a small stack of books on one of the end tables, so Aiden began perusing the selection. He grabbed what I thought was one of his preschool magazines, a favorite of his, but I quickly realized that wasn't what he had. Upon closer inspection, I saw that he had my scrapbooking catalog from Oriental Trading. We told him to pick something else, but he just would not be dissuaded. Don't worry. I'm not so deluded as to think this means Aiden will share my love of scrapbooking, but I did enjoy this little nugget he threw my way.

Blog Post: Our two newest residents

Sun 23 Aug 2009 15:21:00 CST

Zoe (left) and Mal

Here are Malcolm (Mal, for short) and Zoe, two little kittens who we recently adopted. We got them from Adam's mom whose cat, Wheezey (whom Aiden calls "Squeezey"), had a litter of five kittens. I had never seen a litter that looked identical, so since we brought Mal and Zoe home, I've been trying to notice the differences, however subtle. Aiden was estatic to have more kittens, although it took awhile to convince him that it was okay to take them away from their mommy. He kept telling me that we needed to take them back to Wheezey.

Wheezey, one of Aiden's favorite cats

The kittens had a rather traumatic first night at our house. Before we went to get the kittens, I spent a bit of time getting the utility room ready for their arrival, since we decided to have them in the house with us for the first month, like we did with River and Simon which seemed to help them bond with us. Shortly after our arrival back at our house, I, or rather Zoe, discovered something I had forgotten to do in my preparations for the kittens' arrival...remove the glue traps from that room. Ooops. I went to check on the kittens and could hear one of them meowing rather loudly. I knew exactly what was wrong once I realized where the meowing was coming from. Poor Zoe had managed to get stuck to not one, not even two, but three glue traps that were behind the washer and dryer. Ugh. I managed to free her with surprisingly few sounds emanating from Zoe, although I was a bit more vocal over the whole ordeal. I left her to be consoled by her brother, Mal, while I did some research on the Internet as to how to get the glue off of her fur.

Upon finding a solution to the problem, I went back to retrieve Zoe to execute the plan. I knew that she and Mal were probably hiding underneath the small dresser in that room, and my heart sunk when I saw a bit of yet another glue trap sticking out from underneath. What!?! Yep...there was one more remaining glue trap that I had forgotten about, and this time it was Mal's turn. So before dealing with Zoe, I figured I'd better at least free Mal from his unpleasant situation before addressing the glue in Zoe's fur. Mal was not nearly so calm about his predicament and hissed several times at me whenever I attempted to reach for him. I finally managed to free him from the glue trap and left him to get over the glue trap business, although after being hissed at, I figured he would probably just sit and dwell on the injustice of it all.

Zoe handled the glue removal procedure rather well. She had glue on all four legs and most of her tail...poor little girl. So I used Goo Gone on one area at a time, and when I had removed as much as possible, then she got a little bath to get rid of the Goo Gone residue. You can probably imagine how joyful (or not) Zoe was throughout the whole process. I cuddled with her on the couch, with her snuggled in a towel, in an effort to console her. I'm pretty sure she thought she had been taken home by the Devil himself. I then dealt with Mal who, despite his loud protestations, handled the process better than I thought he would.

So...poor little Mal and Zoe had a rough first evening at our home, which to them probably seemed like their own personal hell. But we're slowly winning them over. They were extremely timid when we first brought them home, so I'm pretty sure we took a few steps backwards after the whole glue trap incident. Oh, well. Hopefully they'll warm up to us soon as they realize I'm not the Master of Torture.