The Walk

I won't write much.

Pictures say more than words.

Check out what is going on in the stroller.

1 mile into our walk last night... puppy was tired. So he chose to ride the remaining 2 miles.

Ha!

Sick

I have been struggling with a sinus infection for over a week and, like most of my rounds with this ailment, it went straight to by lungs and stomach.  Yesterday, I opted to stay home (something I don't like to do when I have work to do) and take it easy.  I went to bed early the night before and woke up to take a shower and pin my hair back.  Then I went back to sleep with my son.

The Smedleys came over in the morning to help pack up some things for the move next week (Yikes...  next week?!)  and they got EVERYTHING done that needed to be packed.  It was amazing.  They have no problem buckling down and getting the work done.  I felt bad I was not more help with the hacking cough and BONE tired one moving.

And thanks to my dear friend I was able to see last night.  We talked.  Really talked. She had a hard day and I kept her much too long talking and eating substandard food.  But I have missed her.  And Aiden needed to see Nana Charlee.

Bubbles on Monday afternoon before the storm hit!  

Bubble machines are the best!

Museum

Mister and I went to the Hill AFB museum yesterday.  It was sunny and warm, so I figured it would be a very fun outing.  

Aiden loved it and kept pointing up and saying "Ooooooo...."  I think he really had a good time.

Best part was... it is free!  (Yay for free...) So with the exception of 51 cents for the squished penny souvenir, our outing was cheap!! 

This is the type of plane flown by Amelia Eirhardt

A replica of the atomic bomb dropped on Japan

It is really hard to convey the size of these things by just pictures.  Everyone of these is HUGE!!

Inside the hangars

The huge behemoth outside the hangars... it is so big that the propeller is about twice the height of me...

 

Enjoying the sun..... won't keep the glasses or the hat on.  Thank goodness for sunscreen!

Fiiiiinally

Aiden started crawling.  FINALLY!!!

I have learned that Aiden does things his own way in his own time.  He is one that will watch and watch and watch.  He doesn't mimic very often.  But once he thinks he has it down, he will do it right the first time.  Then he has it.  He knows it.

Dr. Cartwright let me know on Wednesday that Aiden is still tender.... down there.... and probably would be delayed in crawling and walking because the scissor movement of the legs during these things is quite painful.  It is as if Aiden heard him say that and responded, "oh, yeah?"  Then, things just kicked in.


But his crawl is HILARIOUS.  He is in pain when he crawls with both knees down, so he modified it and there he went!  He has both hands on the ground and one knee.  The other leg sticks straight out like his is walking at a 45 degree angle.  So, visualize this...  hand.  Hand.   knee.  Whoop!  hand.  Hand.  Knee Whoop!!  It is fabulous.

Hand

Hand

Knee (note the concentration...)

Whoop!!

Got it!!

He is so smart.  Or maybe I am just his mom and I think so.... Nah.  He is smart.

Happy and Clean

Today my car reached 100,000 miles.   My little SUV has served me well.  I bought this vehicle 2 1/2 years ago with 35,000 miles which means in the time I have had it, I have driven 65,000 miles or 26,000 a year... that is a lot of driving.  And yes, this picture was taken by me - driving 70 miles per hour on the freeway.  Please don't tell anyone.

Another happy happening today is that Aiden and I went back to see Dr. Cartwright about the failed surgery.  He says everything is looking amazing and healing well.  Aiden didn't like laying on the table staring up at Dr. Cartwright.  PTSD, I think.

And Chris and I talked on my way home.  Chris made me cry - in a good way.  He said that he thinks I am a good mom and he has said so to other people.  Geez, I try.   Chris gets to see me at my worst as a mother because he is there all the time, but to come out the other side with him thinking I am a good mother...  it made me feel like all the work is worth it.   It is hard to keep someone clean, fed, dry, happy, disciplined, quiet, and loved all the time, but so many times I have seen people who have the cutest little kids who are caked over with dirt or are being treated like an accessory rather than a human being.

Aiden will most likely be the only biological child I will ever have.  I want to raise him well.  Clean.  Respectful.  I recently read a statement that President Hinkley gave to single mothers who are raising boys.

"Teach your sons to be well groomed and clean.  Sloppy ways lead to sloppy lives.  Give them things to do so they learn to work.  Teach them to be frugal.  Teach them that nothing really good happens after 11 o'clock at night.  Give them encouragement..."    

And speaking of well-groomed... Chris and I attempted to give Aiden a haircut as his hair was looking either like a greasy used car salesman with a bad comb over, or (when spiked) like a tidal wave because the spikes were too long to stand up.  So, Uncle Chris got out his clippers and it was something like trying to groom a wet cat on speed.  I held his head and hands the best I could and Chris did the clipping.   Not a pretty procedure, but the end result looks really good.  I think Mom may have to invest in a set of clippers.

Life is good

Mister is sleeping.  Laundry is going, dishes washing, dinner was great, and I lost no socks in the wash today.

Life is good.

Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day was very wonderful.  And very sad.  I woke up this morning at 4am to a screaming baby (Aiden has started with night terrors...joy...) who would not be consoled.  Two hours later, he was back asleep and I was exhausted.  Then, up at 6:30am, snuggling and playing with a now-happy baby.  We played in our jammies until about 8:30 then slept for a while.  I love that I can nap with him once in a while.

It was a lovely day.  I was hoping to talk to some of the wonderful women in my life and didn't get most of them today, but I did make it to see my own mother and grandmother.

And Aido got to come too.  We went to Farmington to see my mother's grave.  And her mother's grave.  We sat and chatted and blew bubbles in the sun. It was good to see it again.  I miss her more today than I ever have.  I loved her and missed her so much after she passed, but now that I am a mom, I miss her and understand her so much more.  And love her so much more.

Gone nearly 7 years.  I miss you, Mama.

So, to all the women in the world who are Mommies... bravo.  Please raise good people that my son will be able to associate with.  Please teach your kids to speak well and drive courteously.  Please teach your children to have manners at their friends' homes and please discipline them.  Please teach your kids to open doors and be respectful of women.  Please don't have your kids be a bad influence to my son and I promise to do the same.

To all the women who are not mommies... I understand you.  It is so hard. And it is not fair.  Nothing makes it easier to be around during Mother's Day.  And I am sorry for that.

To all the single mommies our there... as Dr. Phil says... "if you are a single mother and you wait to drink until your kids go to bed, you are my super hero."  

Amen.

DANG!  He is a cute reason for Mother's Day!