Growing up

I can't believe September is here....with that brings more new adventures for my family.  Aiden will start playing soccer next Saturday and begins Pre-K next Wednesday, through the YMCA.  Chris and I were hesitant about sending him to a different location this year, but finally agreed that it was the best placement, if for the sole reason that there will be swim lessons.  We have had him in 4 swim classes in the past 6 months and the only thing we can say with ease is that he has become comfortable enough to swim alone after about 15 minutes of coaxing on the steps or in the shallow end (with a bubble around him).  He still has a major, major fear about jumping in.  My anxiety always sets in when I see him begin to tighten up on the pool deck, and refuse to jump.  Chris, a past record holding swimmer (and that mentioned record is still held at his high school!), struggles each time he watches Aiden resist.  We just want him to be comfortable in the water, and know how to swim.  If it develops into something more, than we will be happy with that as well. 
Thankfully, his school offers swimming as part of the curriculum, each Monday.  While we are sad to not be there each week to watch his accomplishments, maybe if we are not there "watching" him, it might help him to become more confident. 
My baby is growing up.  Thinking about him going to school, swimming on his own, meeting new friends, makes me sad.  I can't believe he will be kindergarten next year.  Time goes so fast, and I try to cherish each moment as best I can.  I do admit though, he needs to go back to school.  He needs that socialization, so our dinner conversations will be more interesting than those we have had in the recent weeks.  He needs that structure, so I can have more structure again.  He needs friends his own age, so that he isn't constantly fighting with his sister.  He needs his time away from me, so that I can cherish the moments I have with him more.

I will add in a Friday Funny ~ since I have slacked the last few weeks.  I mentioned to him the other day how big he was getting, and he said "Mommy, don't worry, I won't ever leave you so you don't need to worry about that.  Even when I get married, I will never leave you".  OH BOY!

Friday Funnies

To preface these next two "funnies" courtesy of Aiden, we live in a townhouse development.  Aiden's room is on the front side of the house.  Even when it's gorgeous outside, I tend to keep his windows shut.  The first reason ~ security, yes, I am so paranoid that someone would sneak into his window and scoop him up...ok, so his room is 3 stories high, but still, ladders can extend that high.  The other reason, well, keep on reading.......
One spring day, while he was attempting to nap and when I still had a monitor on in his room, I hear some rustling around through the receiver.  I then hear "Hey lady, don't walk on our sidewalk!" very loudly through the monitor.  So I can only imagine how loud it was coming from a window.  I go upstairs, open his door and ever so nicely ask him to please refrain from yelling out of his window.  Embarrassed and hoping "the lady" didn't stop and write our house number down for some reason, I go back to my household duties.  Not 5 minutes later, I hear something else.  This time, it's a bloodcurdling yell.  "HELP ME, SOMEONE HELP ME!"  I wonder to myself why he is doing this, as I tripped trying to get up the 2 flights of steps, open his door more forcefully and sit down on his bed next to him.  "Aiden, you can NOT scream out your window".  "Mommy, why not?  I am just trying to make some friends".  "Buddy, we can go to the playground and try to meet some friends if you want".  Bless his 3 year old heart.  Thankfully, our neighborhood is full of children, so I only hope that my son is not the only one screaming crazies during nap time.  I prayed and prayed the remainder of that afternoon and night that a car topped with sirens didn't pull into my driveway, and happily my prayers were answered.  Needless to say, he has never done anything like that again.  Now, he will just stand at the various windows, wave and say hi to ANYONE walking by.  More serious stranger discussion in our near future, I believe so.  He also has asked me earlier this week "Mommy, why is a cab in our neighborhood? We aren't a city!" Out of the mouths of babes.
Smiling,
Ashley

Instant Bonds

I was blessed to become a big sister at the age of 3 (A post for another day).  My brother, Trevor, and I have always been as close as any sibling should be, of course with the fights that come along with sibling rivalry.  We grew up with 3 male cousins, and at every holiday event, I would wish that I somehow would not be the only girl in the "group" by the next holiday.  When I was in 10th grade and 15 years old,  my wish was granted.  My uncle (my dad's younger brother) and aunt, became parents to a beautiful baby girl named Rachel.  It was love at first sight.  I wanted to be with her all of the time and even though we lived 15 minutes away from each other, I was at their house more often that my aunt and uncle probably had liked.  The summer that I graduated from high school, I received the wish again.  Rachel became a big sister to a beautiful baby girl named Amanda.  As I was asked to be her godmother, the emotions poured out.  I had been the flower girl in my uncle and aunt's wedding, and now they were asking me to hold this ever important role in their daughter's life.  I spent a lot of time at their house (surprise surprise!) that summer, as I was going off to college, 2 hours away, that August.  I was upset leaving for many reasons.  Not being a short car ride away really had me worried that they wouldn't remember me when I came home for breaks and that I would miss the ever changing physical appearances that accompany childhood.  My aunt made sure that didn't happen.  She sent me pictures to hang in my dorm room almost weekly, and I came home soon after I first left, for Amanda's Baptism.  As the year away went on, slowly, thankfully I was home more than I expected, not just on breaks, and I would always make time to visit them.
I remember when the girls were attending Catholic school, the same school that Trevor and I attended, there were always parents of their friends who would make comments about how neat it was that the girls had a cousin willing to drop everything for them, and be at every event they participated in.  Times have not changed, I would still drop everything for them!  As the years passed, we developed our own traditions with each other...trick or treating in their neighborhood, arriving bright and early to watch them open their Christmas gifts, Easter egg hunts at our mom-mom's, and every little occasion in between that didn't need a holiday to mark it's special memory.  Chris became very close to them once we began dating, which meant the world to me.  He still, to this day, calls them his "little sisters". 
Fast forward 11 years and the instant bonds surfaced again, this time when Aiden was born.  Aiden loves both of them equally but has shared the love of sports with Amanda since I can remember.  When Raegan was born, Rachel hoped "she would be her favorite", and I would say that Rachel got her wish.  Kind of find it ironic, that we chose names for our kids with the same first initials as both girls.  That was not planned, but I have to say my subconscious may have played a part.  They have special names for both of the girls, Rachel is "Yay-Yay" and Amanda is "Manna".  I have caught Aiden callling both by their "real" names recently, and it tugs at my heart a bit...making me realize that he is growing up.  The circle continues, as on Christmas morning we are still all together, except our house is the host and my kids are the ones opening their gifts.  I only hope that the relationships they have created continue as the years pass...I feel as though I am looking through a mirror, when the bond began on a COLD November day almost 18 years ago.
Smiling,
Ashley

Friday Funnies

Aiden has always had a very good sense of humor, so Friday's will be dedicated to his many pieces of advice, comments, and everything in between.

We were discussing dinner plans for tonight earlier today, and just as I logged in to begin this post, he said "You know what's good about eating out, not cleaning ANY DISHES!"  This is true, buddy, very true.
I began writing his "funnies" down months ago, and one that always makes me laugh when rereading, has to do with the fact that Chris and I both have phones with an apple as it's logo.  "Mom, did you and Daddy get your phones from (insert the restaurant with an apple in it's name)?" 
...
No, we don't eat out often....the restaurant "mentioned" above is seen when we travel many places and he used to ask what it was called.
Comedian in his future?  Too soon to tell.
Have a great weekend!
Smiling,
Ashley