Aiden-how long?

Aiden is 5, will be 6 in October.  He tells people he is 10, which brings a tear to my eye because I don't want him to be 10.....I don't want him to be 6, I really like him at 5.

How long will he let me hold his hand before he starts to pull it away?  How long will he kiss me when he is excited?  How long will he stop what he is doing and run up to me when I see him after school?  How long will he let me play guns and legos with him? 

I look at him and am amazed at the boy he is.  I love this kid, with all my heart and struggle with seeing him grow up. I love the way he is and don't want him to change. 

Running...I just don't get it!

Running....wooof! I don't get how people run.  I am not a runner.  I mean, I have run, a few times in my life.  I have run with Amanda who wanted to talk the whole time and well let's just say I can get out a grunt or two but nothing that actually forms words. 

The family and I went to the mini-marathon to cheer on Kyle and his dad at their 400th run of the Mini (slight exaggeration....they aren't old enough to have done it 400 times).  As we were waiting for Kyle I was watching all of these people walk away from their "13.something" mile run and I was amazed at their ability.  I mean, let's be honest, if I tried to run the mini I am pretty sure I would make it to 1.1 miles and then would need an ambulance to bring me some oxygen.  Kyle ran it in under 2 hours....in the two hours he was running I was sitting down stuffing my face full of yummy breakfast fat. 

Here are some of the people after his run.

Aiden didn't seem to care that Kyle just ran a million miles...he is such a selfish little bird.

Kyle and his dad after the mini....amazing!

Mother's Day is my day

I have never been a big fan of celebrating me.  I have never loved birthdays or days that are about me.  I don't like opening presents (I like getting things, don't get me wrong), there is just so much pressure.  I do love giving presents though....I am such a kind soul. 

Mother's Day this year was amazing.  It was a day that wasn't all about me, but all about my family.  I loved spending time with Kyle and the kids and just being normal.  The day started with breakfast with my mom and Kyle then we picked the kids up from their dad and hung out with Gami.  We gave her a bracelet and card from the little people.  Aiden and Sloane have no concept of GIVING and that makes me a little insane.  I work hard to get them to enjoy getting gifts for others, but for some reason all they want to do is receive gifts from others (I hope that all 3 & 5 year olds are selfish.....).  Sloane is a little better about giving, she likes to "sign/make" cards and hand a present to someone, but Aiden is not a fan. 



Anyway, we hung out with Gami then had to head to Aiden's football game.  It was a great game because only 5 boys showed up, which meant that Aiden got to play the whole game. I am pretty sure his team scored all the points and stopped the other team all but once, but I am NOT bragging or anything.

As soon as football was over we stopped and got some snacks (a slurpy and chips---call us high class) and went downtown for a day of fun.  We paddle boated on the canal.....rode bikes behind the zoo....walked around a little bit and just simply enjoyed the day.  Paddle boating is a lot of work (says Kyle....I was uber relaxed).

We stopped and took a group pic, everyone is looking and smiling!

A found a little rocky area to play and hide.....he is a funny boy.

Why must he never smile like a normal kid....or does he smile like a normal kid?!?

Our little bike ride around town.....so fun!

She really loves him.....if only it was mutual.  ONE DAY, right???

After our downtown fun we went to my dads for dinner and more play.  Dad was mowing when we arrived so Aiden hitched a little ride around the yard.  He was really nervous to ride until I told him he had done it before, then he was all about. Sloane, in her typical fashion, hit up the swings and stayed there all afternoon.

It was a good day.  In fact, it was the best mother's day I have ever had.  I don't know if it was the company or the good moods....but it was most definitely great. 

Spring Break Break Break

For Spring Break we went with Kyle on a work trip to Ohio.  While he worked we went to an indoor water park and played all day.  It was a lot of fun for Sloane and I.  Aiden, not so much.  He can be such a party pooper.  On the first day he had a blast, but the second day he literally sat in his chair and did nothing the WHOLE time we were there.  I realized that I can't make him have fun, so Sloane and I enjoyed ourselves while Aiden sat and observed......let's be honest, I am a people watcher so maybe that is what he was doing (that's what I'll tell myself).

After our little water park fun we drove to Cincinnati to make our presence known at the Cincinnati Zoo.  We spent the night at Embassy Suites where Aiden had the time of his life swimming in a very small and basic swimming pool.  I was so annoyed that he only has fun when he chooses to have fun....then I remembered, oh yeah he is 5.

We swam forever (and by we I mean Aiden, Sloane, and Kyle)....I swam, then realized that becoming a prune is icky so I moved on.

We went back to the room, bathed, and got into bed.  As soon as the little people where in their bed watching TV there was a knock on the door.  It was the manager informing me that the neighbors complained about the noise level in our room.  FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE MY KIDS WERE BEING QUIET AND WE WERE GETTING COMPLAINTS!  I nearly fell over....I opened the door a little wider and asked if "these two were the ones making the noise" he said he supposed so so I just laughed and said, "Ok thanks"...... Kyle did voice a little complaint about his rudeness and we got a free night.  Hey, I will take a free night for a random folk saying MY KIDS were loud....have you met my kids? They're never loud.  They're are the calmest, sweetest kids I know......I kid, I kid.  But on the for real, they were not loud that night.  It was crazy!  Now at 2:30 am when Sloane cried for a full hour I would have understood the complaint, but it wasn't 2:30 yet.

The next day we went to the zoo and couldn't believe how amazing the zoo was!  It was h-u-g-e! My favorite were the gorillas!  They are humans. Period.  I could have watched them for hours. 

Melts Me

Sloane had her first dance recital on Sunday.  It was incredible.  She was incredible!  The joy she had while she was on stage filled my heart.  She loved it! She loved dancing....and singing....and just being up there.  She is most definitely a natural little star! 

 I love watching her do her thing!  Even Aiden sat through the TWO AND HALF HOUR PERFORMANCE!

We She had a dress rehearsal on Saturday that prepared Sloane for the big stage.  Let's just say it was the longest day in history.  We got there at 10:35 (why must I always be early?!?), she was supposed to rehearse at 11:15(ish)....she rehearsed at 1:20.  Did you know that 3 year olds aren't super patient?  Did you know that 30 year olds aren't super patient?  Did you know that eating a hotdog from a street vendor when you're sober isn't all that bad? Did you know that playing outside in a fancy tutu makes strangers think they can talk to you? Did you know that eating cheetos with a white costume on is a terrible idea?  Did you know that fruit snacks only keep a kids attention for as long as you have them?  Did you know that 3 year olds like to pee every 10 minutes just to get up?  Did you know that 30 year olds have the same problem?

It was a long day.  But so very worth it!

Lacey and Pressley came to watch Petunia strut her stuff...I think Sloane was so excited to finally be the one on stage instead of watching the stage.  Oh how I could watch the video over and over again!  Once I find out how to upload it, I will do that!

All so new.....

It is all so new.  I have been divorced for almost 2 years now, but each stage is still so new.  There are things that I will never get used to, I don’t care what they say.  They might get easier as my kids get older, but I will never get used to them.  Even Sundays, which I have written about before, don’t seem to get easier.  I am lucky, I see my kids a lot more than most divorced parents do, but I still miss them deeply.  I miss tucking them in, I miss hugging them, kissing them, listening to them play, watching them eat, I miss everything about them when they are away.  It hasn’t gotten easier, only harder.  I wonder why. I wonder if that is normal.  I wonder if  that will change.

My kids will have a step mom in a year, which is new.  She is extremely involved.  I am not used to that.  I don’t know how to handle it.  But, in time I think I will learn.

Aiden isn’t getting younger, he is growing, way too fast.  He has an attitude and doesn’t think the clothes I pick out to wear are cool (which is funny because the clothes he picks are pretty lame-o). He is a boy, all boy.  He loves me, a lot.  He loves on me all the time, and I hope that NEVER changes….but I know it will. He is an emotional kid, very emotional.  I think the divorce has most definitely affected him in many ways.  I worry about him, a lot. 

Sloane is getting big too.  She is such a character.  She cracks us up on a daily basis.  I especially love her meltdowns, those are the best.  I do have to say that she is smart, very smart.  She picks up on anything and everything that is said.  Sloane is has made my life better ten-fold. But each day is something new with her, each day brings a new battle. 

I love how new things are with my life, but at the same time I hate it.  I wish that I wasn’t caught off guard by so many things in my life, but here I am.  I will embrace each day and run with it.  I will live each day and enjoy it, because who knows when it could be gone. 

She is Three!

I don't know how it happened, but it did.  She turned 3. Three! Holy Cow, my baby girl is three.  Unreal.

She is a ball of energy.  She's sassy.  She's one giant drama queen.  She's a beautiful smile.  She's an amazing attitude.  She's as hard headed as they come.  She's the life of any party or situation.  

I like to think she is a lot of me, but a way better version.

Sloane loves Barbies, so we had a barbie party.  The day was all I could have imagined and she did great.  The hardest part of the day was realizing that SHE was not a good driver so maybe Aiden can teach her a little about driving a barbie jeep once spring rolls around.  

I love this girl with all my heart.  

She is my little rock star. 

My best friend.  

My baby.