all the things i said....

I told myself that this is how I would do things when I had kids....then I had kids and I told myself to shut up.  I realized that my non-kid self was dumb.

non-kid self: I will not spank.
mom-self: yeah right.

non-kid self: They will eat what I make.
mom-self: I just make what they will eat.

non-kid self: I will make them sleep in their beds and cry it out.
mom-self: Climb in and I will spoon you.

non-kid self: I will leave where I am if my kid throws a fit.
mom-self: Nope, I just keep on walking as if it isn't happening.

non-kid self: I will not pick my kids' noses or lick my finger to clean off their face.
mom-self: Everyday I pick someone nose (other than my own) and lick my finger to clean their face off..I am not proud of this but it is the reality.

non-kid self: I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER drive a van. EVER.
mom-self: I have no intentions of driving a van. Have you been IN a van?? There is so much room!!!

non-kid self: We will do our homework RIGHT after school everyday to get it done.
mom-self: We will almost always do our homework right after school, but sometimes the weather is nice or Mom is tired or you are in a bad mood and I don't want to argue....either way it will get done.

non-kid self: I will make my kids clean up and have chores
mom-self: I will pick my battles and I clean up way better than any kid in my house anyway!

non-kid self: I will never let my child wear that in public.
mom-self: You're wearing that? Ok, let's go!

non-kid self: My kid is not allowed to play football, it is too dangerous.
mom-self: Another weekend, another football game.  He loves it, we support HIM.

non-kid self: I won't send my kids to their room...that's where their toys are!
mom-self: Go to your room. Now.

non-kid self: I will not spoil my kids, it makes for bratty children.
mom-self: I spoil my kids.  If I can then I will.

Happy Anniversary (plus a few weeks)

A year later I am happier than I was the day we got married.  I am more stable than I was the day I walked up the stairs to say "I do".  I am more confident than I was the day I kissed my husband for the first time.  I can honestly say it has been a great year.  A great year filled with true love.  I am so head over heels in love with my husband and am so thankful to have that constant desire to be near him.  It is stronger now than it was then and I love that.

We celebrated our anniversary as a family.  Considering when we got married we weren't just bringing two people together we brought along the Brady Bunch to join us in this ride. We felt it was only appropriate to celebrate our anniversary as a family....also known as "famiversary."  We went to dinner at the same place we had our "after wedding dinner...." and it was delicious! Since the wedding gift for your first anniversary (according to the world wide web) is supposed to be paper we stuck with that tradition and simply gave each other cards. We wrote letters to each kid telling them how we felt about this year, so they got to experience the "first year" gift as well.  We will continue these yearly gifts (according the world wide web) until it gets to diamonds at which point I will be recieving a gift and everyone else can sit and watch me open it!  After dinner we went bowling, which was super fun.  Bailey would argue that "fun" isn't the word she would pick...but I do think the whole family had a blast!  I am lucky to call this bunch mine and I look forward to all the excitement that the coming year will bring!

Happy One Year anniversary to us!

Aiden is 7!

The boy is SEVEN! I am a little late on his birthday post, but better late than never.  Aiden is officially a seven year old.  Crazy to think that in 3 years he will be 10.  Then 3 years after that he will be a teenager.  Time flies!

I love this kid, absolutely love him.  He has me wrapped around his finger and I couldn't be more ok with it.  I love his passion for drawing.  I love his passion for learning about spiders and snakes.  I love his passion for every sport he tries. I love his passion for snacking. I love his passion for always being right.  I love his passion for arguing.  I love his passion for snuggling. I really just love him, everything about him.

He loves to be outside and play football.  Aiden loves football, absolutely loves it.  But he starts basketball this week, so his passion will push forward to basketball during basketball season.  And in the spring, it will push through to baseball.  He loves these three sports and I couldn't be more proud of the effort he puts forth into those three things. 

School is not Aiden's favorite place.  He says he loves lunch time (duh, who doesn't).  He loves to hang with his buddies and talk about gross stuff.  He doesn't love to sit in class and learn but he enjoys math.  He does well at counting, adding, subtracting, and making number sense.  Reading isn't his strongest thing, but he gets better every day!

I am so proud to be this kid's mom.  I look at him everyday and thank my lucky stars that he is mine.  I have big hopes for him and know that he has big hopes for himself.  I can't believe that 7 years ago I became a mom.  He came into this world and changed everything I thought I already knew.