he does windows too

Aiden is into washing windows, cars, outdoor furniture, or you name it. As soon as he comes home from daycare he grabs the spray bottle (filled only with water) and a piece of paper towel and goes to work. I don't mind...keeps him out of trouble.

her new hair due

I came home and Sky had a new hair due thanks to our new nanny, Lorna. I love it. She kind of looks like me when I was her age. ; )

where is it?

There is a stray cat that likes to hang around our house. He can often be found going in the drainage tunnel (he refers to it as a hole in this clip) that goes under our driveway. We've have actually caught him peeking in our windows. Aiden wants to find the cat and invite him into our home for "dinner".

traffic jam in our kitchen

So this is what goes on in our kitchen every morning and every evening. Sometimes it ends up in a fight (when Sky doesn't respect traffic laws). Sky get frustrated because Aiden goes from green light to red light...who can stop that quickly?

is that Aiden?

Picture above was taken last August at the beach. The conversation below took place yesterday.

Me: Aiden, who is that?
Aiden: That's a lady.
Me: No, that's not a lady. That's Aiden!
Aiden: NO! That's not Aiden. That's a LADY. (getting frustrated with me)
Me: No, it IS Aiden - see that's your face you just had longer hair.
Aiden: That's L'Aiden?

I guess that's a compromise.

eleven months old today

Sky turned eleven months old today...where does the time go???

So what does she do at eleven months?

- runs around the house in her walker; she turns corners and weaves through furniture, toys, cats, and doorways.

- she chases Aiden non-stop; it drives Aiden crazy because sometime he doesn't want to play tag but Sky does; sometimes she runs over his foot and really upsets him

- she is always trying to hug one of the cats

- she likes to listen to music and clap

- she prefers Aiden's toys (cars, dinosaurs, trains) to her own toys - Aiden is not too happy about that

- she eats a lot of fruit and yogurt but just recently she is also into fish and meat

- if you say "yaaayyy Sky" she claps and smiles

- if you say "bye bye" she does a bye bye motion with her hands (open and close)

- she sleeps really really well and stays on schedule; when i put her down for a nap she doesn't even fuss she just sings herself to sleep (this is a new thing); she sleeps only in her own crib (we no longer let her sleep in our bed)

- she says mommy and momma; our nanny says she also says Aiden but that's yet to be confirmed.

into dinosours

Aiden's into dinosaurs these days. While picking up around the living room today, I picked up an elephant and giraffe and threw it in the box of dinosaurs (I was in hurry!). That's when the toy police came running around the corner "no mommy, no mommy, that doesn't belong there!". How do kids know the difference between dinosaurs and modern animals? And if he knows so much, why doesn't he put away his own toys?


Here's Aiden arranging his "family of dinosaurs".

aiden's student

My mom calls Sky, "Aiden's student". Recently she's picked up a lot of Aiden's habits like (1) throwing food on the floor as she stairs you right in the eyes after you ask her NOT to do that (2) yelling to get your attention (3) spitting food out if she doesn't feel like eating (4) playing at the train table (5) moving constantly; never sitting still (6) stretching her neck just to get a glimpse of the TV (7) being content only if she is outdoors (8) generally getting a kick out of suprising you in any way

little mommy

Aiden wakes up in the morning in a very loving mood. This morning he came downstairs and went to give Sky a hug. As he walked over to her to give her a hug he called her "little mommy". What???? Did he just call her "little mommy???". WHERE DOES HE GETS THIS STUFF???

potty training

We're potty training Aiden. He does number 1 in the potty with no problem but number 2 he refuses to do in the potty. To do number 2, he goes in the corner near his train table and crouches down like this.

mother's day gift

Here is Sky wearing my Mother's Day gift. Its a starfish necklace.

in Chinese

Aiden




Sky

yogurt yogurt and more yogurt

Sky is on a yogurt kick these days. She can't get enough of it. I'm not complaining...its good for her and all I have to do is take it out of the refrigerator and peal the top off.

She is still working on crawling. She goes from sitting position to crawl stance but then lays down flat again.

soddy mommy

So Aiden has another cold/flu and he is miserable. He missed school all of last week. When he stays home that long he starts acting up...and he can be a handful when he wants to be. Here he is saying "soddy mommy" (sorry mommy) and offering a kiss after doing something he wasn't supposed to do AGAIN. The kid has worn out the "time out seat" the past few days.

playing at the train table

Aiden LOVES to play at the train table. Here he is explaining how the drawbridge works.



So Sky is now starting to pull up and stand. Here she is standing and playing at the train table. The first time she did it Aiden was so proud of her. "Mommy look, mommy look Sky is standing! Sky is playing!". He couldn't believe his eyes. Little does he know she'll be chasing him all through the house by the end of the summer.

gotta get to the zoo

You do not want to enter the lion's den.

I've got to get Aiden to the National Zoo. I feel guilty every time he asks about the zoo. I know Spring is bests time to go...before it gets too hot and humid and before schools let out for the summer.

sky and wheel of fortune

I guess I had the TV on for background noise because I wasn't even aware of what program was on TV during dinner. So I was feeding Sky and after every other bite, Sky would clap and say "yeaay". Of course, I'd join and she'd smile from ear to ear. The first few times she did it, I thought, wow, she really likes the rice and vegetables I made. After about the 20th time she did it, I turned and looked at the TV and noticed that Wheel of Fortune was on TV. I also noticed that after every spin, the contestants were clapping. THAT was why Sky was clapping...not because of my cooking skills. Oh well...Aiden thinks I make an awesome PBJ.

The picture above is taken at Chicks Beach right after sunset. We're here for the holiday weekend. The weather is perfect. Aiden is in heaven playing in the sand with all of the cool toys that the Harrells (our next door neighbors) gave him.

mommy, i saw a dog?

Adam and I went to West Virginia on business for a few days and Natalie, Grandma, and Bobba stayed at our house with Aiden and Sky. I know Aiden and Sky had a great time because Aiden is still talking about how "Naklie" (Natalie) played with him at the play ground.



Uncle Dullah gives really big bear hugs.

Natalie brought her dog over to our house right before leaving for the airport on Thursday morning. I was going to give her a ride to the airport. Just before leaving for the airport (5:30 am), Holly followed me into Aiden's room (I was checking on him before I left the house). I guess the dog suddenly got startled because she started barking really loud in Aiden's room. Aiden was in deep, deep sleep because he didn't even budge. Five minutes later, I went back into his room to make sure he was okay. He immediatly sat up and wispered "mommy, i saw a dog?" Not wanting to excite him early in the morning, I acted like I didn't know what he was talking about and told him to go back to sleep. He laid back down and went to sleep. Two hours later, after I returned from dropping Natalie off at the airport, I went back into Aiden's room to wake him and get him ready for school. While dressing him, he was telling me about a "little puppy playing in his bathroom".

aiden makes the paper again

Bisnow selected Adam as one of this years Top 35 Entrepreneurs Under 35 in the D.C. area.

even with an ear infection

Sky has had a very bad ear infection over the past few days. I took her to the doctor on Monday and she's now on antibiotics. Despite being very congested, feverish and achy she has been very patient and content. She manages to bust a smile for us especially if the camera is out. Here are a few shots from yesterday.

Notice she is getting her front (top) tooth. This means she has THREE whole teeth now!

pack pack

Aiden's new love in life is his "pack pack" (or in other words - backpack). He packs his backpack carefully every morning and asks for help getting it on his back. Once he has his backpack on he patiently waits at the door as I gather my laptop, purse, and sun glasses then give Sky one more hug and kiss before I leave for the office.

all the cousins

While in Connecticut for Grandmother Weymer's funeral, Aiden and Sky met their second cousins for the first time. You could tell right from the beginning that they all somehow knew they were related and not just friends. It took them about two minutes to warm up and they were off playing hide-n-seek, climbing on each other, chasing each other, sitting on each other. There is nothing better in life than family.

The picture above (left to right) Back Row: Sean, Kara, Kyle, Aiden, and Julia. Front Row: Nora, Patrick, Abigail, and Sky.

chip-monkeys

Me: Aiden, did you see the little chipmunks at Nana Beth and Bobba Steve's house?

Aiden: No, mommy. Not chipmunks; chip-MONKEYS.

Me: No, I think they were just chipmunks. Monkeys are much bigger and they say "ooh ooh ooh" and eat bananas. Chipmunks are very small and eat nuts.

Aiden: Noooooo. Chip-monkeys eat banana nuts and say ooh ooh ooh. (giggle giggle giggle)

Me: You're being silly, aren't you?!

Aiden: Yeah, I being a silly chip-monkey.

ten months old today

So what is she like at ten months?

She is still off the charts in development...pretty soon she will weigh as much as Aiden and she's not much shorter either.

She roles over constantly and laughs when she thinks she's gotten away from you. She doesn't like being still and she is frustrated that she can't crawl well yet (she can only go backwards). As far as crawling goes she gets up on her hands and knees and rocks back and forth but then starts moving backwards.

She is very attentive and nothing gets past her. She recognizes everyone and socializes with everyone. She always returns a smile but does not like to be stared at by strangers. As a matter of fact, just recently she has grown very attached to me. I think it has something to do with me being with her 24/7 in Kauai...she just got used to it.

She prefers to feed herself and has recently decided that she has completely outgrown baby food. She is a very good eater and is patient at the table. Sometimes she is taken back by Aiden's rowdiness at the dinner table.

She plays with Aiden but then feels overwhelmed by his screaming and horseplay. She is patient with him to a point and then she lets him have it with an ear-piercing scream. If that doesn't get him away she throws herself backwards (yeah...and sometimes hurts herself).

When she is sleepy or just very content she likes to hum a tune. She also likes to clap and really likes it if you join in the clapping too. She still likes to jump in her bouncing swing and when I say, she can jump, I mean she can JUMP.

As far as potty goes she's already started using one. I just have to watch for her cues and immediately put her on the potty and she happily produces. What an overachiever!

Its nice when little Sky gives you a hug. She is a very hug-able cuddly little girl. She never gets tired of being hugged and kissed.

fish-lips and Caleb and Jayna's reception in Roanoke

Aiden went fishing with Daddy, Uncle Ben and Nora during Caleb and Jayna's reception. They caught several fish (about 6 inches each) but then threw them back into the pond. Here's Aiden kissing the fish before he thew him back into the pond.


In an attempt to get another shot of Aiden kissing the fish, we asked him to just smell the fish. He wouldn't do it. Adam told him it smelled like strawberries so he smelled it again. It didn't smell like strawberries. Why did we make him do that?

Aiden really enjoyed fishing and he was super excited that he actually caught a fish. But you know what he enjoyed even more than fishing? The simple act of throwing rocks in the pond. Anytime I bring up the fishing story and how he caught a fish all by himself he talks about how he threw rocks in the pond and how the rocks made a big splash.





Nora wanted to hold baby Sky. Sky didn't mind at all. She likes hanging out with Nora and Aiden. Sometimes if she can't join in the game, she just cheers them on.


There was a kids play zone at the reception. This kept Aiden occupied some of the time. If he wasn't playing in the kids zone, he was running towards the pond which made us all very nervous. I think everyone at the party was amazed at how much Aiden ran and how fast he ran.


Aiden and Nora walking down the path to the fish pond. Its great that these two get a long so well.


Caleb and Jayna's reception had a WWII theme - here Aiden is wearing one of the sailor hats that were provided at each table.



Here is a fussy Sky. As the night wore on, she got very tired and cranky. She is also coming down with a very bad cold (same one Aiden has).

Princess Sky

Sky is hanging out with Aiden and Nora today in Roanoke. Uncle Caleb and Aunt Jayna's reception is later this afternoon. Nana Beth brought all of the old toys (from when Adam was little) and the three kids are in heaven.

Sky loves this princess crown - she'd wear it all day if she could. Funny thing is, when you put it on her head she smiles as if she knows its a beauty accessory.

Kelsey's last day

Our nanny, Kelsey has decided to move back to Maine to be closer to her family. Kelsey started watching Sky since she was just a week old and Aiden was 19 months old. We're sad to see her go and hope she keeps in touch.

TV restrictions coming

Sky was sitting on the couch today while we were all hanging out. Right next to her was the remote for the TV. She picked up the remote, pointed directly at the tv then started to push buttons while looking at the tv. Now, I honestly didn't think we watched too much TV at home but clearly that is not the case...

Hawaiian Warrior (shark's tooth)

I picked up a Hawaiian warrior symbol for Aiden as a souvenir from Kauai. I didn't think he'd care much for it but he actually likes it. We call it his "shark's tooth" for the sake of simplicity for him. Here he is at breakfast telling me that its an actual sharks tooth and how he "found it on the beach".

Where'd he get that?

Me: Aiden, breakfast is ready. Please come to the table.
Aiden: I working. I busy Mommy.
Me: Well its breakfast time. You can finish work later.
Aiden: No Mommy, I working now. Its important.
Me: Its important? What are you working on?
Aiden: Excuse me, Mommy. I working on office. (he's glaring at me at this point)

baby sisssssssterrrrr - where are you?

Aiden comes home from daycare and immediately starts looking for Sky - "baby sisssssterrrrr, where arrrrrrre youuuuuu?" When he finds her he squeezes and kisses her until she screams her head off and then he leaves her alone.

people all done?

Adam and I have dug our heals in with Aiden and we insist on him staying at the dinner table until EVERYONE is finished eating. Its a great rule but we just have to put up with him asking like a thousand times "people all done?" And if its towards the end of dinner and he sees you going for seconds he'll even ask you to stop eating "no daddy, don't get anymore, you're all done".

sunday mornings

So we have a new routine now for Sunday mornings. Adam and I drop off Aiden and Sky at my parents house in Fairfax and we go out to breakfast and go grocery shopping. Its SUCH a treat to have a little peace and quiet on Sunday. We even get to read the Sunday paper over breakfast!

Aiden and Sky also like having a break from us -- they get to have breakfast with Bobba and Grandma, they go to the "BIG playground" and they even get to Fairfax Corner for an ice cream. So what about Grandma and Bobba? Lets just say they aren't complaining...

big boy bed - finally!

Aiden is now in a "big boy bed" also known as "boat bed". While we were in Hawaii, out of necessity we let Aiden sleep in a bed (not a crib). He seemed to do very well with the transition. He never got off the bed. He managed not to fall out in the middle of the night. He looked forward to going to bed and was very proud of himself. When we got back to Virginia we just didn't go back to the crib and it all worked out perfectly. He stays in bed all night and doesn't get out of bed until its light outside.