goodbye to daycare

Today was Aiden's last day in daycare. Starting next week he's going to junior pre-school just down the street. To help Aiden say goodbye to his old friends and teachers, Sky and I took cupcakes and milk for the whole class. Aiden was very happy when we arrived with the boxes of cupcakes. He and his teachers, Ms. Joy and Ms. Olga pass the cupcakes and milk to all the kids in the class.


Aiden's face lit up when the kids cheered "thank you for the cupcakes, Aiden". Aiden loves being the center of attention so he smiled and got a little shy. The cupcakes were good and the attention was great but what Aiden enjoyed the most was having his sister in the class. He must have hugged and kissed her about 20 times. That meant all the other kids also wanted to hug Sky too. Aiden graciously stood to the side and let each kid come up and give Sky one hug. If a kid took too long hugging, Aiden interuped and asked the kid to move on.


At snack time, Ms. Olga let Sky sit at the table next to Aiden and the other kids. That made Aiden so proud of his little sister.

little princess

Bobba (my dad) putting a rose in Sky's hair....as if it wasn't already obvious she's the family's little princess.

Aiden and Timur

Aiden loves it when you throw him up into the air when we're at the pool. He'll beg to be thrown over, and over, and over again. After about twenty throws, my arms feel like Jello. On Saturday I didn't get into the pool so poor Tim had to entertain him.

sky's aerobic routine

So Sky is really into the trampoline these days. She's even figured out how to work the buttons to add music to her routine. The funny thing is, she only likes one tune (the same one Aiden likes). She cycles through the various tunes until she finds the one she likes (exactly like Aiden does).

sky jumping to music

I walked in the room the other day and there's Sky sitting on the trampoline bouncing. Today, I walked in the room and she's on the trampoline again but this time she's actually bouncing. I bet tomorrow she'll be jumping and getting air.



I can already tell she has a lot of confidence in herself in the way she tries new things. Watch out world!

sky blue crocs

Here's Sky chillin' with her new SKY BLUE crocs.

Until now, Sky's been wearing Robeez (soft shoes). Yesterday, I put her new crocs on and she did great. I thought she'd try to pull them off or walk funny in them at first but she didn't. I'm glad she has more support now that she's walking all the time and on hard surfaces like the driveway and around the pool.

How ma' do it Mommy?

Aiden has this little 4-wheeler that he likes to ride around on our driveway. He really enjoys it when it actually has some power (been charged). Unfortunately for him, Adam and I always forget to recharge it for him. I guess we've forgotten so many times that he's decided he'll take matters into his own hands. Yesterday I was in the garage when Aiden pulled up his little 4-wheeler and asks me for help.

Aiden: Mommy, Mommy, How ma' do it?
Me: Do what?
Aiden: How ma' do it?
Me: What do you want to do?
Aiden: I wanna charge my car.
Me: Oh, that's something I'll have to do for you. Okay?
Aiden: No, Mommy you forget to charge it. Remember yesterday?
Me: Oh, I'm sorry. Did I forget again? I'll do it right now.

uh oh she's tasted McDonald's shakes

Okay we never intended for our kids to even try McDonald's food but what do you do when you're stuck in traffic for hours with screaming hungry and fatigued kids?

long weekend at the beach

We went to the beach for a long weekend. It was a nice change of pace and everyone enjoyed it. Although there were a lot of chores to catch up with like tons of yard work, we had a good time. Poor Adam was busy with his "maintenance" to-do list. Its amazing how much work we used to do on this house before we had kids.


Despite the chores, mother nature treated us to perfect weather for the entire weekend. My Dad came with us to the beach to help with the kids which was awesome. Thank god for family!

sky blue

Message for Nana Beth and Bobba Steve

Here is a slightly coached message from Aiden to Nana Beth and Bobba Steve. It was only "slightly coached" because Aiden is sometimes shy of the camera.

fixing a leak

When the contractors pulled back the carpet in the extra bedroom in the basement, we realized there has been a slow and steady leak from the outside into the room. Ugh...just another thing to deal with. Instead of having the contractors fix the problem, Adam decided to do the job himself. He and his sidekick Aiden spent the day sealing the suspected crack (looked more like a gaping whole).


Aiden enjoyed himself thoroughly. If I had to take a bet right now, I'd bet that he'd grow up to be a construction worker. Adam gave him the job of moving dirt from one container to another and Aiden went to work enthusiastically. You'd think after an hour or so he'd get distracted but not a chance. He worked (and played) tirelessly. Every time I checked in on him he'd explain what he and Daddy were doing in a very serious tone and immediately go back to work.

Sky walker

Sky is walking very confidently now. She is a lot less frustrated now that she can walk. She likes walking around outside the most. The kid NEVER sits still anymore.

thirteen months old today

So what does she do at thirteen months?

She walks very well.

She's also determined to learn how to go up and downstairs. If someone forgets to close the gate at the bottom of the steps, she's the first to notice it's open and darts for the steps.

She's loves to kiss. Last night I was sitting on the floor in the playroom helping Aiden build a garage for his cars. Sky was literally walking circle around as if she was playing "duck duck goose." Occasionally she would stand behind me, hold my shoulder and lean in and around my shoulder and offer up a kiss. Of course, I love it each time and never complained. Aiden on the other hand, after the second kiss turned and look at her and said, "that's enough kisses Sky".

Some words that she says these days - momma, that, juice, pane (airplane), bobba (grandpa), tanka (thank you), bye bye, and no...actually it's more like "nooooooo".


Sky's Favorite toys: trains and train table, piano, Elmo doll, any toy that plays music, drum sticks, any ball that she can palm in her hand, knives and forks from the plastic kitchen set.


Sky's favorite activities - go to the playground, play on the deck, ride in her car, play in the driveway, go for a walk, swimming....you get the picture? She will do just about anyting as long as its OUTSIDE and not inside.


Well, there is one thing she likes to do inside and that's sit at the activity table with Aiden as he plays with play-doh, paints, colors or draws. Its the cutest thing - she totally sits and watches him with such admiration.


Sky loves to dance even more. This girl could dance to almost any beat. Sometime in midst of walking she starts dancing.

She loves to brush her hair. Don't even try to take the hair brush out of her hand if she's in the middle of styling her hair.

She likes to talk on the phone. If any phone rings in the house (including on tv0 she puts her hand up to her ear like she's talking on the phone. If she sees someone's cell phone she has to have it.

Sky's favorite foods: pears, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, bread, cheerios, soy beans, orange slices, salmon, veal, and rice.


Sky loves to say "no" and she says it all the time.

Me: Sky is it nap time?
Sky: Nooooo
Me: Sky do you want to sit in your highchair?
Sky: Nooooo
Me: Sky are you finished with the cheerios?
Sky: Nooooo

If you ask her to get a common object and give it to someone she understands and follows through.

Some things really scare her. In this way, she is very different from fearless Aiden. She's scared to death of loud fire works and some hand puppets. It's actually kind of cute.

Sky saying Momma

I don't know why but I can't get enough of Sky saying Momma. I think it's the way she says it - she enunciates each syllable.

outfits by Nana Beth

Aiden and Sky wearing the outfits Nana Beth sent them. THANK YOU, NANA BETH!!!

she learns fast

So on Friday (8/1) she started taking as many as 6 steps. Saturday (8/2) she was taking like ten or twelve steps. Today, Sunday (8/3) she was walking all over the house. Just for kicks I counted her steps when she was playing in the living room and she took 22 consecutive steps without holding or touching anything. This kid learns fast! I mean, its not that she's started walking early, it's that she started walking very suddenly. It's as if she had been practicing walking for weeks while we weren't looking...I assure you that is not the case.



This is a short video of Sky walking on Sunday (day 3 of walking). Notice she is able to keep her balance even though Aiden is doing a "choo choo train" on her back and basically annoying her.

mmm watermelon

Aiden's new favorite fruit - watermelon. He couldn't get enough of it. After the feast he looked down at the front of his shirt and couldn't believe what had happened.

Aiden: Mommy, someone spilled juice on me!
Me: What?! Someone spilled juice on you? Who?
Aiden: The watermelon (big grin on his face)

Saturday mornings in the playroom

I don't know how they do it but Aiden and Sky have somehow figured out how to consistently wake up at 6 am on Saturday mornings...and I mean 06:00:00 on the dot. Any other day of the week they both sleep in until 7:30 or 8 o'clock but Saturday mornings are extra special.

I usually let Adam sleep in and I take the kids downstairs to play in the playroom. While they play with their toys, I curl up on the couch with a pillow and blanket...hey, it is Saturday morning for god's sake! It's actually really nice to just hang out and watch them play. It seems every week they start playing together more and more. I know that in a year (or even 6 months) they will be each other's best playmate.

The clip above was taken on Saturday morning.

funny picture

While looking for a good picture of me and Adam for a work related thing, I came across this picture. I laughed out load for about 10 minutes in my office...people walking by must have thought I'm finally losing my mind.

Is that not the funniest picture? I can't believe how much Sky has changed. Also, I can't believe Aiden had chubby cheeks back then.

By the way, I got a call a few minutes ago from our nanny and she said Sky took SIX (yeah, 6!) steps independently. Yahoo! She's walking!

Picture is dated October 29th, 2007.

'nother lazy day at the pool

We spent almost the entire day by the pool. Aiden was happy as clam in the water. He had his "konfidence" vest on and he was doggy paddling around the pool totally carefree. Sky relaxed in the float with a sippy cup. My dad, Dullah and Natalie came for a visit and brought pizza for lunch. Late in the afternoon Aiden's buddy Champe joined us for a swim and dinner along with this parents and baby brother Caden.



It was another good day. ; )

kids need a break too

Aiden and Sky enjoyed the afternoon in the pool. As long as Aiden is not feeling like a dare devil, it's a lot of fun at the pool. Sky is very good and she prefers to just hang out.


Sky's newest words are "duce" (juice) and "tanka" (thank you). Here she is enjoying a cup of juice on the water.

sky modeling in her new swimsuite

This swim suite was a gift from a friend of my mom's. I've been meaning to get Sky in it for some time now but it's just been easier to let her swim in her birthday suite.


She makes me very nervous around the pool because there are lots of dangerous edges she could hit her head, lips or even worse her teeth.


I broke a rule today and let Sky have a brief dip in the hot tub (water wasn't too hot yet)...she loved it.

mesmerized

Sometimes Aiden gets mesmerized watching TV. I try to let him watch as little as possible but sometimes it just happens. Aiden's really into Thomas the Engine these days. If I play one of these DVDs this is what he looks like.

Aiden's pizzeria

Aiden made himself a pizza for lunch today. Very exciting stuff. Only problem was that he ate more of the raw material than the cooked material.

too early to do anything else

Aiden's been waking up at the crack of dawn these days...5:30, 5:45, or at the latest 5:55. Not much you can do but go downstairs with him and come up with some calm activity. The last thing I want to do at that hour is chase him around the house. This morning he made his own breakfast - blueberry muffins. Yummy. I had some too.

mommy driving to fast, again!

Aiden: Mommy, you're driving too fast.
Me: I am? (i really was)
Aiden: Police man will give you a ticket.
Me: Oh yeah, I guess I better slow down.
Aiden: Drive gently. You gonna get a ticket.
Me: Okay, I'll drive a little slower.

>>>5 minutes go by<<<<

Aiden: You're doing it again, Mommy.
Me: Doing what? (forgot)
Aiden: You're driving fast again! Please slow down.


Who teaches him this stuff? Not me. I don't know where he gets it.

sky's birthday weekend at the beach

We had a wonderful weekend at the beach with Nana Beth and Bobba Steve. We celebrated Sky's birthday with a cake and dinner at HK on the Bay. HK on the Bay is a little restaurant that's a 5 minute walk from our house...thus very convenient. Aiden and Sky enjoyed the wagon ride to the restaurant.





Bobba Steve went out an got Sky a birthday cake. Since it was very close to her bed time, Sky was not too interested eating cake (or even blowing out the candle). Aiden on the other hand enjoyed a couple of pieces of cake.

Happy First Birthday Sky!

So what does she do now that she's a whole year old?

- says "bye bye" and opens and closes her hand

- says "momma" and motions for me to come get her

- if you ask her for a kiss she leans over and gives you the sweetest little peck on the lips

- she loves playing with trains and cars...she spends most of her play time at the train table with Aiden...even though he bosses her around and doesn't let her do much

- she loves playing with her little piano..I think because it's just tall enough that she can stand and play and dance at the same time

- she stands and has started to cruise around furniture; she can balance herself standing for a few seconds but then the excitement makes her fall right on her buns

- she's very difficult during diaper changing time...she won't lay still - often i'm forced to find some novel object for her to hold while I quickly change her diaper

-she's a speed crawler

-she's is a very sweet, sensitive little girl - you could make her cry just by looking at her the wrong way

- she's a tough girl when it comes to physical contact - she will shrug off a push, kick, slap from her brother

- she yells back at her brother when he yells at her....aaaaahhhhh!

- she grins and bears it when her brother sits on her...poor little girl

- she has five teeth now and the sixth one is about to cut through

- she still sleeps in a crib and is doing very well sleeping on her own and on schedule

is that sky?

She looks Nordic to me in this picture.

sky feeling much better!

Sky is feeling much better. The rash is almost gone (still a little left on her legs). It's nice to see her little face back to normal. Thanks to everyone for the feel better calls!

Fourth of July 2008

We had fairly low key 4th. Adam was at the office working so we didn't do much. I got both kids ready for bed (bath and pj's) and then we sat in the garage (it was kind of raining) while Dullah lit some fire works in our drive way. Aiden had a blast. With each crackling, colorful fountain he jumped up and down with excitement. Sky was very interested but also pretty frightened. She held on tight to Grandma or me and turned her face away...she couldn't resist a peak here and there.

Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere. - Albert Einstein

On the ride home from school today Aiden told me a story. Here's how it went to the best of my recollection:

Aiden: At the lake there are big boats. Lots of trees - everywhere. In the trees is a monkey's house. The monkey jumps. Big big jumps into the lake. He doesn't fall, he JUMPS. Doesn't fall.

Me: Wow! And the monkeys swims in the water?

Aiden: No, a duck swims in the water. The monkey sits in a boat throws foods for the ducks.

Me: Oh. I see. So he's a nice monkey and he feeds the cats.

Aiden: No Mommy, listen. Aiden said ducks, not cats.

Me: Oh yeah. Sorry.

I saw'd it

There's a hawk that lives in the woods in our front yard. He hangs out right at our front door because there are tons of chipmunk living in the mulch bed under the trees. Its kind of sad to think he eats those cute little guys but I guess you have to do what you have to do...we do.

Aiden has spotted the hawk several times and he gets extremely excited when he sees it. He puts food out for the hawk before school. When he gets home from school his first order of business is to check to see if the hawk ate the food (bread crumbs). You should see the proud smile on his face when he sees that the bread crumbs are all gone. There's no way I'm going to tell him about the hawk's appetite for chipmunks.

Aiden: Mommy, mommy, I saw'd it.
Me: You saw what?
Aiden: I saw'd the hawk. I frow'ed (threw) foods there for him.
Me: You did? That was really nice of you, Aiden.
Aiden: Yeah, he eats then he flies home to his mommy.
Me: Oh yeah he eats the bread and flies home to his mommy.
Aiden: He eats chipmunks and flies home to his mommy.

fifth what?

I think we have fifth disease...its a viral infection that cause a rash starting in the face (picture above) and then it spreads all over...arms, legs, trunk. Last week I had the rash. Two days ago Sky started to get red blotches all over her body. Today both Aiden and Sky were running a fever 100 - 102. Sky's cheeks are very red and the rash has spread all over. I'm sure Aiden's rash will appear in the next day or so...if you were thinking about coming over for a visit, now is not the time. Unless you're feeling brave.

fight it 'til the end

When I put Sky down for a nap this morning she kind of resisted. I left her laying in her crib in hopes that she'd eventually sooth herself to sleep. Twenty minutes later she was still fussing but only intermittently. I walked back into the nursery to check on her and there she is in sitting position but her eyes are closed. She was fast asleep and fussing only when she'd feel herself falling to her side. When I laid her down she didn't open her eyes but she did smile with relief. That's my girl.

sky playing her piano

Sky loves to play her piano...who knows, maybe she'll be a professional pianist.

a very active Sky

Sky not only started crawling recently but she also starting cruising. She gets the most practice during the day while Aiden is in school because when he gets home, the tackling, pushing, poking, sitting-on-her-back starts. This little girl is very patient but I can tell she'll hold her own very soon. Aiden better watch out.

a beautiful day outside

Me: Come on Aiden. Lets brush your teeth and get you into bed.

Aiden: Don't make Aiden sleep Mommy. Its a beautiful day. See it's light outside and people are happy.

What do I say to that?

she's crawling people!

Sky is crawling! Just today she started to crawl from one side of the room to the other. Aiden was totally excited about it. He kept saying "mommy, mommy, look at Tyse" (that's how he pronounces Sky's name).

that's so embarrassing Sky!

This is one of my favorite clips ever. Aiden has a stinky load in his pants but he's playing it cool so that no one knows. Sky thinks she has located the source of the stinky...and she's not letting him off the hook.