Such a NERD!!

I have to preface this post with an explanation or two:
#1 - My bike was stolen (by my best friend, I found out) when I was younger.
#2 - I never learned to ride a bike.  See #1.
#3 - I had a boyfriend once who tried to teach me to ride a bike.  He ended up swearing and I ended up angry.  See #2.
#4 - I was not raised in a family that really was active.  See #2.

So - with all that - and my very overly large behind in mind - I purchased the coolest thing...  An adult tricycle!!

Oh, yes I did!  

And when I picked it up in the box, the cashier asked me if I was buying it for a grandmother.  NOPE! Just for me and my behind.  Awesome, huh?  I need a big flower for the basket - and you better believe that my little dog is riding in the basket!

My nephew was a total trooper and put it together for me and even tried to wheelie it.  He did tons of tricks and didn't care that he didn't even look cool.  Of course, when you are Stu, you can make anything look cool.  Thanks, man.

Also, keep in mind that Aiden got one of these for Christmas:

BOO YEAH!  We both are proud owners of bright red Schwinn tricycles.  Mine is missing the nifty bell and tassels, but I think I can fix that...  tee hee.

So we went for an inaugural ride tonight.  I have a bike trailer for Aiden to ride in, too!! To my neighbors' credit, none of them laughed or snickered (at least openly).  But seriously, for someone who has known the thrill of riding a bike for the first time, think about how seriously cool this was for me tonight.  I got to ride my bike with my son... just like a normal mom.  

Such a cool night. 

The train show

As promised - here is the post about the train show.  First off, let me say - whoever decided to have the gun show and the train show in the same convention center on the same day should be shot.  (No pun intended).  Scary military-type guys walking around with guns and ammo - by small children wanting to play with trains.  Bad planning.  Boo.

However, we really did have a great time at the train show.  It was short and sweet.

Big long red carpet - bigger than my house - for kids to play.  And Play and play.

One day we will have a plumber's crack problem.  I am sure of it.  He has no bum.

Best part of the day.  Seeing and riding Thomas.  Notice the super-swell Thomas shirt and Thomas shoes.  He was wearing his Thomas backpack earlier.  Awesome.

Quick stop at Sizzler for lunch.  Halfway through the meal, he looked at me and said, "Hold me, Mom.  I am super sleepy."  He fell asleep two minutes into the ride home.  Love this boy.

Later on Saturday, we had a fun game night with the Smeds.  Ok, just Kelly and Shiree.  But it was super fun.

Good, fun day with my man.

One of those days...

I have a lot of family activities to catch up on.  Friday we went to a train show and Sunday was the Super Bowl.  However, those posts will have to wait.

Monday night.  And I feel like I am washed and rung out to dry.  But when I really think about what we did today, I feel like a good mom.  We did it all today.

I worked.  Then, I picked up little man.  He wanted to go to the park, but it was soggy, so we did the next best thing... I took him to Arctic Circle and I sipped a Diet Pepsi while he played with other little kids on the play structure for nearly an hour.  I have always worried that as a single child he would not know how to really play with other kids, but I shouldn't worry.  He was running, chasing, playing, laughing, and all that with all the kids.  Girls, boys, older, younger.  Happy, happy kiddo.

We came home and had a great, healthy dinner - turkey, beans, and wild rice.  Monkey ate every bite.  (Shocker) and played with me (we played trains).

We did bath time.

We did Aiden's chores (5 very toddler-appropriate chores).

We had family home evening.  (worked on a puzzle about the things that help us get to the temple)

We read scriptures and lots of other stories.

We talked about our days.

We snuggled and sang Primary songs.

Aiden called me his best buddy.

He fell asleep in my arms.

Now, my laundry is running, my dishwasher is running, my homework is done and my house is clean.

I am tired.  But I am very, very happy.  It is one of those days that I can sit, exhausted, still needing to study more, and just say, "I did it."

Aiden's first snowman!

Usually it only snows at night lately.  

Well, yesterday, my friends.  It snowed on my drive home from work and when we got home, we PLAYED!! and we played hard in the snow. 

Aiden made his first snowman.  Okay, Mom made the snowman and Aiden licked the snow.  

This snowman's name is Oliver.  Aiden named him.  Why is he named Oliver?  Well, Aiden's only real experience with snowpeople is from Thomas the Tank Engine when Oliver (a train) runs into a snowman and the kids think it is hilarious.  

Therefore, this snowman is Oliver.

Aiden loves the snow.  Mom realized that an investment into quality boots would not be a bad idea. 

For Chinese New Year, we ate dinner at a Chinese/Sushi restaurant.  Aiden ate rice and cheese wantons.  

I had the best Spicy Chicken ever.  

Vacation just for Aiden

We took another overnighter to Lehi.  It was definitely spur of the moment and it was just for Aiden.

We went to eat pancakes at Denny's, we swam in the pool at the hotel (kinda yucked me out... not the best pool...), went to bed at 8pm in a comfy bed - yes, both of us, and woke up to more pancakes and a train show at Thanksgiving Point.

It doesn't get much better than that for Mister.

He took his own picture with the Iphone.  Wow.  That hair.  

Going swimming with his Thomas swim trunks.  Awesome.

At the train show

My little conductor.

Actually, he sat and watched this BORING documentary on the Ely, Nevada train for about 45 minutes - and loved it.  

Fun weekend.

Mamas don't let your babies grow up to be band geeks.

I love playing in the symphony.  Motherly guilt at leaving my son aside, I love playing in symphonies.  If one is not familiar with the characters in the symphony, let me paint a picture for you.  

Let's start with the violin sections.  The First Violin section is where people can, well, for lack of a better phrase - let their DIVA out.  Usually very nice folks, but always get the melody and, well, can be fancy shmancy playing all the fancy shmancy stuff.  Very nice, but usually full of the high-falootin' type.

On to the Second Violins - this is where violinists go when they can still play a stellar lick, but just want to go to rehearsal and chill, have fun, and leave the high "pick your nose" parts to the first violins.

The viola section is usually full of quiet, reserved musicians.  They have the hardest part, really.  They still have to hold up the darn instrument that is heavier than the violin without any melodies to play.  Good people.

The cello section, ah, the cello section.  This is where I sit and - let's just say - we are a rowdy bunch.  The cello section usually gets a cool melody here and there, but most of the time we get the oom-pah parts and tend to goof off during rehearsals.  (Not our rehearsals in this symphony... Dr. Palumbo runs a very, very tight ship...).  Usually, we lose count during the resting measures and change bowing mid-concert.  Ah, well.  Most people love the cello the most ("such a mellow sound" they all say... yeah, and heavy to lug around, but worth it.)

The bass section is always behind and 1/2 step flat.  But no one can hear in that register, so the bunch of bass-playing hippies in that section just play on... behind and flat.

Any good symphony has a killer wind and brass section - flutes, oboes, bassoons, trumpets, clarinets.... you know.  During high school and most of college, I referred to these folks as the Unwashed Masses.  These are the band people.  Please refer to the title of this post.  Surprisingly, they are stellar and really professional.  But when I watched them all today playing a wind-only piece, all I could think was, "Wow.  They are all... the same... band geeks." We need them and they are great players, but...

Okay.  In other words, string players and wind/brass players really don't mingle after rehearsal.  It is not a faction, mind you.  Just... we are so different.  We say "rosin", they say "reed".

Good thing we have this AMAZING music to bring us together.

Family Getaway

Okay, okay, so we only went to Brigham City, but the point is- we went away for the night.  Just me and my man.  There was swimming, pizza, trains, waffles, and bowling.  And the biggest comfiest bed you will even imagine.  EVER!

Boy - we needed this.

Not sure why some pics wont rotate.  Darn new iPhone.