Above average day, sad sad day

First, let's get one thing out of the way.  WinCo must come to Clearfield.  24-pack of Diet Pepsi with Cherry for $1.29... WHAT?!  Boo-yah!

Okay, now on to the day.  I worked from home today and was able to see a good friend of mine. A very dear friend of mine (you know who you are) who is going through a really, really tough time in her life right now. Someone in her life is making choices that effect many other little people and it breaks my heart.  And hers.  Hugs and kisses to you.   Thank you for letting me listen, even for a minute.  I hope it helps.

After I was finished working (around 3ish...) I packed up my little man and we headed to Ogden.  It was cold, but beautiful and I could not pass up the chance to see the trains.  We went to the Ogden Union Station and had a nice, cold, fantastic afternoon.

Oh, but I miss a good camera.  I would have had the best pictures.  Especially this first one...  Ah, well.  Maybe some day.  These were taken from my iPhone.  Boooo.

In between two HUGE trains.  And Tater in his bomber jacket.  Priceless.

He kept saying "Hiro!  Hiro"  There was a giant train that looked like Hiro.  (If you are not aware of who Hiro is, he is an old engine from Japan that Thomas finds broken down and saves him from the scrapyard.  Watch Hero of the Rails.  Or don't.  But you will miss the best Japanese Train Engine story there is out there...)

Okay, just so I don't get the "Mother of the Year" Award, this is a model train and, no, there is really not 600 volts of electricity about to kill my son.

Union Grill, bless you for having steamed veggies that I can eat on my diet.  

I heart you.

My OCD child and other random pics

Two posts in one day?  Yeah, take that!!!

Aiden likes things in order.  It is tough to have a mom that does not really need things really, super dee-duper organized, I am sure.  Between Aunt Kari's house and our house, Aiden is an organizing maniac.  Luckily it is only the toys that are supposed to have engines.  It has not progressed to food, clothing, or anything else...yet.

Okay, in his defense.  He loves trains.  And trains are in a line.  Therefore, cars and trains and buses and tractors and trucks... must all be in a line.

This goes on for HOURS at our house.   

Now - some random pictures.

I finally got a picture of it.  These are shakes that taste like pumpkin.  Unfortunately, the person who put up the sign does not write in English very well.

HA HA HA HA HA!!!

My buddy and me after a snooze...  Yes we both have bed head and yes his face is messy.  But check out that smile...

Every time I see this picture, my heart hurts.  He looks so big.

It is his Thomas Backpack that he wears sometimes.  It is his diaper bag.  But he looks like a big boy and I am having a hard time with that.

Unplugged

Last Friday at 3:02pm, I turned off my computer to go home from work and my lonely computer did not rear its ugly LCD head all weekend.  Not even out of the case.  I went unplugged for the weekend and it was divine.   We truly had the most special weekend - not because we did anything fantastically exciting - we just spend every waking moment together.  It was splendid.

Also, I am sorry for the pictures on this post.  Half way through our Saturday, my camera died.  It just won't focus.  Cheap things don't last long, alas.

Saturday started with a cleaning frenzy.  Then breakfast with Uncle Chris that included dipping in syrup and a cold wipe-down in the car with a quick clothing change.   We were going to spend the day doing... something.  I really had no plan, but Aiden was strapped in the car seat following breakfast and off we drove.  Gardner Village? Zoo? Aquarium?  Maybe, but when we would get to those exits, Aiden was asleep.  So I let him sleep and I drove further and further south.  We landed at Thanksgiving Point where we have an annual membership (that we have never used and the nice man actually let me activate it that day...thanks, man!).

So, before you see pictures, I have to mention that this is in my top 10 days with my son so far.  We have the perfect toddler trifecta - dinosaurs, farm animals, and.... (drum roll) - a model train show that just happened to be going on that day.  Not planned, I swear.

Standing at the foot of gigantahumungasaurus (okay, I don't know the name of this dinosaur, but it is the huge one.)

So, Aiden can walk around now which makes the entire museum experience more fun for him.  He would walk up to an exhibit and say ROAR at each of the dinosaurs.  He was very unafraid.

On the Dino Scale.  My poor little toddler.  24 pounds!

This was his favorite dinosaur, by far.  He would point and say, "Teeth, Mommy!"

Only my son would poke a dinosaur in the eye.

He loves, loves, loves walking around for a more hands-on approach.

And crawling under where he shouldn't be...

Our traditional picture in front of the huge Jaws.  Funny story - so there was another toddler about Aiden's same age that was near us the whole visit.  This toddler's parents were more interested in finding quiet corners to make out than actually taking care of their child.  So, this boy is tearing around out of control.  We were having our picture taken here when he comes running around the corner and sees the shark.  Dead stop.  Eyes wide.  Two heartbeats of silence.  SCREEEEAAAAMMM!!  Funny.

Then on to the farm section of our visit.  This, dear reader, is where the camera gave up.  But this little goat kept following around Aiden and Aiden kept talking to it and then saying, "Moooo!"  Um. Close.

They were Clydesdales. And they would have eaten them. 

Checking out the cows.

The wagon ride.  Can you see the beautiful day we had?

Bad picture, I know, but I had to include one.  We found that they were having this model train show and the lady at the ticket booth said that the only requirement for each of the participants is that they had to include a Thomas Engine somewhere on their model.  

Best $5 ever spent.

Best day spent with my boy.  

Then we ended the night with sushi. Life doesn't get much better.

Phases

I have really, really enjoyed all of the phases that Aiden has gone through.  Okay, not the waking-up-every-two-hours-and-screaming-in-the-night phase when he was bitty, but since then every phase has been delicious.

However! Every single phase that Aiden has ever traveled through has been accompanied with a high-pitched, very loud, "make your ears bleed" sound that changes pitch and volume as the phases progress, but never in the way that those sounds never cease to make your toes curl and your mind to shut down.

Aiden is a boy.  I get that.  And he is a very loud boy.  I get that, too.  I love learning his quirks and seeing them come to life as this little man grows and thinks and problem-solves and plays.  I will just have to learn to love the noise as well.  I will miss it when my house is quiet because he is gone.

Tonight, we attempted Rice Krispie Treats.  Except we were clean out of Rice Krispies.  And butter.  So we made Walmart Brand Rice Chex and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Treats.  They were tasty.  And did include marshmallows.

Blowing on the Treats, even though they are not a bit hot.

Ditches the spatula and digs in full force.

He is such a goof ball.  Or as he says, "Ooo Ahhh" (Goofball)

Tomorrow:  The OCD boy and the very non-OCD Mom.  Wackiness ensues.   Bum Bum Bum.... (dramatic music)

Proud new owner of...

The oldest, crappiest little tent trailer you have ever seen.  Okay, actually, it is pretty cute.

For months, I have been working on finding something within my budget - which is nothing.  I have been lurking around KSL ready to pounce on any great deals.  And I found one.  

For $100 I will be able to drive this puppy away and then spend the next 4 months or so fixing it up with the extra from each paycheck.  I hope it won't take much, but I figure, even if it keeps us relatively dry, we can work on it gradually.

Now to start planning our summer o' fun!!

The Lord sends Tender Mercies... Again

I have done nothing that I can think of to deserve the many, many tender mercies that the Lord sends to me and my little family.  There are so many people in the world that are in need of so many things, but this little family is not so insignificant in His eyes.

At the end of today, I am publicly thanking my Heavenly Father for knowing our needs more than we know ourselves.  This year for my annual work review, I was offered something that is worth more than a million bucks.  I was given the opportunity to work from home twice a week for part of my benefit package.

And today was the first day of that benefit.  I have a son who plays for hours on his own and, frankly, doesn't really like anyone intruding when he is on an imaginative kick.  I worked my tail off, like I do any other day at the office, but I was able to take a break to feed him waffles (with our first ever Syrup Incident), play puzzles, make a healthy lunch for both of us, switch laundry, and just hang out with my boy.  I love this.  Now, it is time for evening wind-down and we have really spent a beautiful day together.

Aiden, however, is very serious about lining all of his trains up under the fridge instead of cheesing for the camera.

Just in case you are wondering, the trains (left to right):  

James, Thomas, Spencer (aka Bossy Boiler)

I Believe in Miracles

I am a believer in miracles.  Last night was one of those life-changing experiences.  Okay, okay so it was not earth-shattering for anyone except my son and me.

Aiden slept in his own BIG BOY BED!!!  Yes, you read that correctly.  My son spent his first night outside of Mom's bed in his entire life.  (That is, if you count 8:30pm to 3:30am and entire night.  Which I do.)

Aiden has never slept in a crib.  Never in a toddler bed.  Never in another bed for the night.  He is the most difficult goer-to-sleeper that I know.



Here is the final result... Notice the nice bed was quickly trashed.  My son sleeps so wildly... which is why he was kicked out of my bed into his own...

OH!  And here is a simple math equation for all ya'all...

Toddler + Thomas the Tank Engine + Toilet = 

TROUBLE!!