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!!

Tired, but happy

It has been a very good week all around.  I think I am making huge strides at work, Aiden is happy and healthy (and talking up a storm...if only I could understand it!)  and I am happy and healthy.  But for the last few weeks, I have been exhausted by about 7pm every night.  I lay with Aiden to get him snuggled to sleep and often fall asleep alongside him only to wake up four hours later long enough to turn off lights and go back to bed.

I am looking forward to some positive changes in my work life that should help this.  I would like to blame this fatigue on single parenthood, but it is not.  It is just a cycle that I will push through. It will start this way, with the fatigue, then move on to insomnia.  It happens about every six months or so.  Six months of insomnia, then six months of uncontrollable fatigue.

The silver lining is that I am able to spend time snuggling with my man and taking naps after church on Sundays.

What a great silver lining!!!

Trying to be that family that does stuff...

It used to be that Aiden and I would do something every week with out fail.  Something fun and child-centered.  Then I started working full-time and later in the day.  And we just slowly stopped doing things every week.  Oh, we made it to every other week, then to every third week, then Christmas hit and all we did was focus on Christmas.  Well, this week, we DID stuff.  We did it together and it was lovely.

I am sorry to have no pictures, but I can't find the camera charger, so...

Anyway, I was off work a little early on Friday, so we went to the Children's Museum in Ogden.  I let Aiden just do whatever he wanted to do.  We played with the Toddler Train until another little munchkin stole Aiden's train, glared at the parents, and then took the train back and played more.  We played on the xylophones until there was a ringing in my ears.  We played with the knights and castles.  Then, we left kicking and screaming.  We met Uncle Chris and gorged ourselves with sushi and enjoyed the company.  (I have found that Aiden will eat anything if it is presented by chopsticks...)

Today, we played with the Goodwin cousins while I taught Katie her cello lessons.  Then we went swimming.  We finished off the day with watching the A Team and ate pizza.

So, yes.  We are the family who does things.   And we intend to keep doing things together until he becomes too cool for Mom.  Which I hope is none too soon.

Happy New Year 2011

Happy New Year, fools!!!  

Okay, my family is crazy.  I know that, they know that, so it is good.  We went to Lisa's house for New Years Eve (as is tradition) and just enjoyed the heck out of each other.  Lisa's house is big enough that we can all be there and not really get in each other's way.    Midnight came, the kids were hyper, the adults ready to drop.  We celebrated, then slept over so we could have even more fun the next day including a waffle bar!  It was great to see everyone's bed head.

Last year I posted my resolutions for the year, which I was able to keep for the most part.  

I have a new list, but I will not share it because this year it is deeply, deeply personal.  

And, yes, the "lose 20 pounds" rears its ugly head again on this year's list.

BUT!  On to the cuteness!

Aiden is growing, walking, talking, bossing around, and being just about the smartest thing around.  

Aiden does not like wearing shoes or socks.  Or pants, apparently.  He took them off last night just to put them on his head and enjoy a movie.  Ok, weird.  But stinking cute!!

Aiden also got about 500 little matchbox cars and spent the better part of the evening news lining them up.  He is so delicate about it.  I tried to teach him how to crash the cars, but he told me, "Stop, Mommy.  Soft!"

Okay.  Soft.  I get it.

BTW - Kari and her family were gone for a whole week.  And we missed them.  Welcome home.

FINALLY!! WALKING!!

Okay, I know that each child does things in his/her own time, but COME ON!!  Aiden has had full ability to walk for almost 3 months, but has refused to walk.  He finally did it, unbribed, unscripted today for the first time.  Here are the results.  Enjoy my home movie moment.