popsicles!

Nothing beats a popsicle after a long, lazy, Sunday afternoon nap.

I wonder sometimes what memories will stick with Aiden and Sky as they grow older. For me, I seem to remember the simple things like warming up outside after afternoon nap in a AC-cooled bedroom. I remember the scent of Flinstone's Fruity Pebbles cereal on Saturday mornings while watching cartoons. I remember drinking milk and eating Little Debbie snack cakes while sitting on my neighbors front steps. I remember laughing so hard at my brother that the milk I was drinking came out of my nose. I remember smelling dinner cooking as soon as I walked into the house after a long day of snow sledding.


Sky's favorite is "red" or strawberry kiwi.



Sky doing her impression on of Blues Traveler's "Runaround".

office picnic!

sky visits aiden's pre-school

Adam, Sky, and I all went together today to pick Aiden up from pre-school. Aiden was so excited he must have kissed and hugged each of us three or four times.


He was especially happy to have Sky visit his classroom. He eager showed her around the classroom. He selected only the best toys for her to play with. He offered her books, toys, anything she showed even the slightest interest in. Other kids came over to play with Sky but Aiden kept them at an arms length away from Sky but he was also happy to have their attention too.

Sky was also extremely attentive to Aiden. She paid attention only to him and stayed by his side.

I met with the director of the school and it seems Aiden is going to be progressing to the pre-kindergarten class starting next week. Pre-kindergarten? Makes me a little nervous but okay, we'll try it out.

nora's turkey joke catches on

Sky has learned a new joke from her cousin Nora...

Sky: "I saw, I saw a egg walking in the backyard!" -- laughing in hysterics

Me: "I saw an apple walking in the backyard!" - hahaha!

Sky: "I saw, I saw a cucumber walking in the backyard!" - absolutely hysterical

Me: "I saw some salmon walking in the backyard!" - hahahha!

Sky: "I saw some chicken walking in the backyard!" - hysterical

Me: "Really? A chicken? Did he say bock bock?" - She doesn't laugh, just gets pensive

Sky: "No, mommy, CHICKEN with RICE."

read it again

Aiden starts negotiating on how many books we read to him in an evening well before bed.

Regardless of how many we settle on, he manages to slip a couple more in...or he'll ask us to "read it again", "and again", "and okay, jut one last time."

hey sky! that's not funny

Aiden showing us that the cucumber is as long as his arm!


Aiden prefers cherry tomatoes.



"I only like the red tomato, I don't like the green tomato."


Sky showing us her silly face when she eats a tomato.

Aiden is really good a finding ripe tomatoes.

sky in black and white

I love this picture of Sky - in color and in black and white.

lil' bit of water

I was reading in bed this evening when I heard Aiden calling from his room "Mommy, mommy, please I have a lil' bit of water? Dentist says I have to drink water." Hmmm. How is he awake at this hour? He's never woken up asking for water. Anyway, I immediately hop up and grab a cup of water and I'm in his room within about 20 seconds of him calling me. You see, I don't want him to continue to call me and wake up his sister who is sound a sleep next door.


This is what I find when I get there with the water. Aiden fast asleep. I whispered his name a few times and even rubbed his arm to wake him but he didn't budge. I tried a little harder to wake him but he still didn't budge. I put the water on his nightstand and went back to my room. About fifteen minutes later, I hear "thanks, Mommy."

couldn't be bothered

Aiden reading his Spider-man book on the way home from pre-school. About the only thing that will pull his attention away from his Spider-man book at this point is if I told him a story about Spider-man.

cousins weekend at the beach

Aiden and Sky riding matching white horses.


Aiden and Sky's cousin Nora. Does this girl know how to work at camera or what?!


Aiden and Sky getting dried by Daddy by the outdoor shower.


Uncle Ben reading to all of the kids.

What does Aiden want to be for Halloween?

Not to be confused with regular old Spider-Man.

chick fil-a one of the easier dinner options

my lucky number 7

He LOVES LOVES LOVES reading time at school. If I happen to pick him up during reading time, he asks me to wait until the book is over.

He's become quite the little bookworm...he rarely leave the house without having 3 or 4 books tucked under his arm to read in the car.

driving ms sky

My two sweet peas in a pod.




Now if I could only get some blades installed on the bottom of this vehicle I could save a fortune in lawn maintenance.


Aiden makes sure that Sky's seat belt is on nice and snug.

they grow up fast!

Aiden at nine months old.


Aiden at 3.5 years old.

some of my favorite aiden quotes

"You're my BEST friend."

"You're going to get a BIG hug."

"I love you from here, to the moon, then to Spotty's house (Kauai), then to the lil' house (Va Beach), then to the neighbors house and back!"


"You're a friend." -- what a sincere and simple way to let someone know you're appreciate them.



Being difficult:

"I don't want to eat, I don't want to sleep, I don't want to go to school, I don't want to swim, I don't want to play!"

"Mommy, you take so many pictures all the time."


"Sky is not listening to me and I'm her BROTHER!"

blackberry hands

The kids are still enjoying the blackberries in our backyard...only a few left thanks to the herd of deer that live in our woods.

Aiden's visit to National Air and Space Museum's - Udvar-Hazy Center

I had a couple hours of free time this morning after Aiden's dentist appointment so I took Aiden to the National Air and Space Museum's - Udvar-Hazy Center. We had an awesome time but we both kept saying "oh man, Daddy would love this" or "what do you think Sky would do if she saw these giant planes?"


He couldn't wait to get into the building. On our drive there I had told him about huge airplanes inside of a giant building so the excitement was almost too much for him.


That's Aiden standing in front of the SR-71 with his mouth hanging open.


Here's a side view of the SR-71.

Since the trip to the museum was unplanned, I didn't have a real camera with me...just my trusty iPhone.


It is so adorable that he takes himself so seriously. As soon as he tried this jacket on, his facial expressions became a lot more serious.



Some of the older planes were even more interesting than the hi-tech new ones.


But as far as Aiden was concerned, the bigger the better.


If you haven't checked this place out yet, you have to make it a point to get over there ASAP. In my opinion, it's much better than the Air and Space Museum in DC.


Aiden loved this "silly plane" because it's painted to look like a shark with teeth and eyes.


Not sure why this display was there but yeah, those are Transformers and the big one is Optimus Prime.


A piece of the World Trade Center....that was a difficult one to explain so I'm glad Aiden didn't press me on that.


"Mommy, look! This one has a cartoon on it! Isn't that funny!"


Every small plane he saw he'd say "Is that one for kids? Can drive it?"


"A baby helicopter."


Aiden approaching the Space Shuttle hanger.


Okay, I did NOT take this picture. I'm borrowing it just so I can show Aiden what it looked like 50 years from now.


That's Aiden standing under the Space Shuttle.


Really, really amazing stuff...


Aiden was very interested in the kid's space suit.



That's the Space Shuttle from the back....not the place you want to be when the engines are running.