:)

Top 10 Party moments:

1. Watching how excited Aidyn got when he saw his cake for the first time. He LOVED it. It turned out better then I could have expected. (much better then if I had made it myself!)

2. Aidyns mouth dropped open when he saw all the balloons, streamers, signs, and presents. It was a big "wow" moment for him. I loved that.

3. All the yummy food. BD, his mom, and his grandma did such a wonderful job. There was so much food, and it was all so delicious!

4. Watching Aidyn open his presents. He kept shouting "Holy BUCKS!" after every present. (he meant to say holy buckets! ha ha ha!) I couldn't stop laughing!

5. Bringing Aidyn-man outside to see his BIG present from BD and me. It was our first joint present, and we bought him a John Deere Gator. He was SOOOO excited!

6. Seeing all the kids faces full of cake!

7. Spending time with all sorts of family- both BD's and mine. I consider them all mine. His parents, siblings, friends, and Grandmother are all so special to me.

8. Aidyn hugging and kissing me in the bathroom during an outfit change (he fell in the mud...twice!). He said "Thank you mommy! Thank you!" It was so sweet, and made me so proud that he was so thankful. He has such a sweet spirit!

9. At bedtime BD read to Aidyn and his cousins. We all laid in a big bed and I listened to him read to them. Watching Aidyn cuddle up with his daddy made me tear up. I love their bond. I love that his dad loves him. I love those special little moments they share. They look SO much alike, and the older Aidyn gets the more you see it! 2 handsome blue eye'd boys.

10. The after party with my family and friends. Once the kidd-o's went to bed we all got to spend more time together. All of BD's cousins stayed to hang out, as did my family. It was so much fun, and I think we planned a camping trip for this summer! Can't wait!

Overall it was a HUGE success! I am so happy that things turned out the way they did. I didn't get everything done that I wanted, but it didn't matter. It was so laid back and wonderful. What a great way to celebrate Aidyns life. He is one loved little boy, and I was so happy to celebrate HIM! :)

***Posting more pics soon!***

Angels or Imaginary Friends?

Angels or Imaginary Friends?

I want to write this story first before I do any searches or consulting. I want you to get the bare facts. So here it goes:

I told you previously about this episode. Aidyn woke up in the middle of the night crying because he said he was never going to see me again. I reassured him, but in the pit of my stomach I felt sick. It was still in the pit of my stomach when I dropped Aidyn off with his grandma. As we were leaving I confided in my best friend, and she promptly replied that we should pray. So pray we did. She prayed that God would protect him and send his angels to keep him safe. She prayed that he would protect his eyes, ears, and heart. That he would not be exposed to anything he was not suppose to see or hear. That he would be physical and mentally safe while he was away.

I had a calming feeling immediately.

Fast forward to the day I picked him up. Immediately he started talking about his friends Jack and Jeremy. I thought they were some friends he met in Omaha while visiting his dad. His Grandma told me that he just started talking about them, and we laughed and called them his “imaginary friends.” He told me they lived in a “Video house”. I figured it was something he seen on tv.

As the week has gone by, Aidyn has talked more and more about Jack and Jeremy. I decided to ask him questions. For every question he has a response. He doesn’t even have to think about it, he just answers. I’ve written down some of his responses.

Are they big people or kids?

They are big people. They are big like daddy.

What do they look like?

They have dark hair, like you and me!

Where do you see them?

I see them at our house in Minnesota. They just play with me.

What do they wear? (I kid you not this was his response!)

(laughing) They wear dresses! (more laughing)

Are they mean or nice?

They are nice. They are my friends.

Are they here right now?

Not right now, they are at their video house. They come to our house in Minnesota.

What do they say to you?

They tell me when I got in trouble for messing up the toys. They say they forgive me.


After our conversation I remembered something my cousin had said. After hearing about Jack and Jeremy she said “Maybe they are angels.” Then it hit me. All of it fell into place. None of this is made up- all of it is real. I’ve heard about stories where angels talk to people, but have often times doubted it. I have experienced “signs” from God. I have experienced him guiding me or talking to my heart, but nothing like this. I 100% believe that they are angels. I don’t know how to explain this feeling, but it blows my mind.

I want to end by saying that I believe that God is the all mighty. I DO NOT believe that angels are a substitute for my creator. I do not pray to angels, but merely think they are a tool from God. I believe that they are fighting a war for him, and these two particular angels were sent to protect my son.

What are your opinions? Any information you can give me would be helpful! Any experiences with this?

Spring!

Spring time is in full swing here. We are loving being able to spend more time outside. The lack of snow meant it was time for us to head to the park! With three energetic children (Aidyn + his cousins!) the park is where we live in the spring and summer months. The kids are loving the outdoor time, and I am too! (I think it makes them nap/sleep better!)

Check out our Minnesota spring:

We're "SWINGING" into SPRING! :)

How are you enjoying the start of spring? Whats your favorite part?

Weekend pics!

Another fun-photo-filled weekend! We attempted to get Aidyns 3 year old picture on Saturday, but due to the weather it wasn't very successful. (attempting again wednesday! Cross your fingers!) Luckily we still got quite a few cute snap shots. Besides whats better then an A&W Rootbeer and some oldies music? :) Not much. I love our simple life. Moving home was like stepping back in time. What a great change it has been for us.

What did you do this weekend?

:)

Mommy: "Aidyn, smile cute."

Aidyn:

I pretty much love his definition of "smile cute!"

How did I get so lucky?

Birthday sign. Check!

I'm slowly ticking things off my list! With a week to go, I am cutting it close, but things are slowly but surely coming together. Today (during nap time!) I finished Aidyns Birthday sign! Check it out:
Happy:

3rd:

Birthday: I cut every piece out of scrap book paper, and then laminated it. Once I was finished I punched holes and tied them together with yellow string. :)

I think it turned out really cute! Much better then any store bought sign I could have bought. What do you guys think?

Any more ideas?

Aidyn has baby fever!

Aidyn LOVES babies. In fact, he has wanted me to have a baby in my tummy for a very long time now. Remember this? Well a week ago he was sitting on my lap while I was reading a few of my favorite blogs.

One of my favs is Katie at Loves of Life. I was going through some of her posts and ran across this post. I told Aidyn that Katie has a baby in her tummy. This was the conversation that occurred afterwards:

Aidyn: Do you have a baby in YOUR tummy?

Mommy: No. I don't think Mommy will be having a baby for a long time.

Aidyn: BUT you can make one! (ha!)

Mommy: Nope, sorry that won't be happening either.

Aidyn: Yes. You just eat it.. then it goes in your tummy. (looking at me with a satisfied grin!)

Mommy: I don't think so.

Aidyn: mmm... (giving me a awful looking face, and snarling at me before jumping off my lap to play with his cousins!)

....................................................

Yesterday on the phone Aidyn made another comment. He said:

"Remember when I was a really little baby? (yes) Remember when I was in your tummy?(of course) Remember when I came out of you at the hospital? (huh? DUH!) Remember when all my friends were there? (refering to his cousins..) That was fun!"

HA HA HA! That was all said in one long sentence. I didn't even have time to answer or comment. By the end all I could do was laugh! I'm guessing since his birthday is coming up, his dad or his grandparents had just got done talking to him about his birth day. It made me laugh for the rest of the night!

OHHHHHH brother! I think Aidyn has a bad case of baby fever! I'm thinking someone is going to have to have a baby soon! Its just not gonna be me! :)

Ohhh Aidyn!

Check out his dance moves!

As I was getting ready Friday morning, Aidyn asked if he could watch. He is always quite the charmer and often compliments me, so of course I said yes! :) As I was putting on some eye shadow, I hear him singing a familiar tune.

Single ladies.

There is nothing new about this. He has a mild obsession with this Beyonce hit. ONLY this time.. he made his own little twist at the end. Out of the blue he starts singing:

"all the single MOMMYS.. all the single MOMMYS! OOOO OOOO OOOOO" :)

I about died laughing, which of course made him sing it even louder! :) Eventually we were both singing and dancing around the bathroom!

What a funny little boy I have and how CLEVER! :)

What if...

Aidyn-man is going to visit his father this weekend. It isn't for very long. In fact its only until next Tuesday. I was looking forward to having a free weekend until two nights ago...

In the middle of the night Aidyn woke up crying. I rubbed his back, and tried to comfort him back to sleep. He looked up at me and said, "I'm going to Omaha. I'm never going to see you again. I'm going forever."

He was crying, and my stomach dropped. Where did that come from? It came from out of no where. It has played over and over in my head ever since. It sits in the pit of my stomach. The thought makes me want to vomit.

I trust BD. I want to trust him. Things are not completely written up at this point. Neither of us has gone back to court, and so things sort of hang in the middle. We are just sort of working on the honor system.

I know it is silly of me to worry. I know that this is just a little boy talking... but the thought of never seeing Aidyn again, brings me to tears. He is my life. I hate having to put him in someone else's hands. I hate having to trust someone when I am not quite sure if I can.

I love BD. There I said it.

I want us to be a family. I want us to figure out all this craziness. I want to be able to live in the same house with our son. I want to believe that this can happen. I want to be able to understand what is going on in his head. I have never wanted to trust someone more in my life.

I am sure that next Tuesday I will get my son back safe and sound. I am sure he will be content and happy. I am sure that Aidyn is just nervous about leaving. He can't explain how he feels. He doesn't understand that this time it is only five days and not two months. I understand this... BUT....

It doesn't stop that voice in the back of my head that screams

WHAT IF...

that's what keeps me up at night. That's what makes me sick to my stomach. That's what makes me hug my son just a little tighter when I say goodbye.

Bath time horror!

Aidyn-man and his cousin love playing in the bath together. In fact they would stay in the tub for hours if I let them. On days like today, that is no problem. J (who is four) goes to pre-school on Tuesdays and Fridays. So in the morning, its just the two of them. Today I filled the bath up with lots of bubbles and all there favorite toys.

They played car wash, and made food for all their animals. Aidyns favorites are the dolphins and the ducks. They were having so much fun, and being so good, that I let them stay in there until they were wrinkled. I stepped out for less then a minute to grab a towel and some clothes for the kids. When I came back the side of the tub was covered in red.

Aidyn had cut his lip open. It was under his lip, and it was bubbling out blood. It wasn't deep. In fact I don't even think he fell and cut it. He said he cut it on a toy. It wasn't deep, but it WOULD NOT stop bleeding.

I held a towel on for a second, and it soaked through. So I moved him to the couch and put a wash cloth and ice on his lip.

Still nothing. It continued to bleed. UGH!

All the while, Aidyn is insisting that he is fine. In fact he never cried once. He said it didn't even hurt. He was more upset that he had to lay on the couch while his cousins played. (by this time J was home..)

Eventually I just got out a band aid, and placed it right over his lip! It looks uncomfortable, but he is much happier being able to play then sit on the couch.

I hate when Aidyn is hurt. It breaks my heart when I can't make it better instantly. I know that with my active little boy, this is only the beginning. He is in for a life time of bumps, bruises, owies, and ouches, but that doesn't mean I'll ever get used to it! I swear this kid will give me grey hairs long before I should!

Thank God for band aids and hair dye!

A fish named Phineas!

Aidyn WAS completely potty trained when we lived in Florida. Then once we made the big move back to the Midwest, that all changed. I am trying to be patient. I understand that he has all these emotions swirling around in his head, and he doesn't quite know how to communicate it. So I came up with a totally wonderful- completely terrific- incredibly genius idea. A little motivation.

I created the "Potty tank". I bought some tag board and fish stickers. I drew a fish tank with some markers, and told Aidyn man that when all the fish stickers were put in their tank we would buy a REAL-LIVE fish! Each time Aidyn man went potty, he got a sticker. He was so excited, and had so much fun placing the stickers in the tank. He would sit each afternoon and count how many fish were in his tank. He was so proud!

In no time at all, all the fish stickers were gone! (yay Aidyn!!!!)

So.....Today Aidyn-man became a proud father of a fish named Phineas. He is a blue beta fish. He hasn't said or done much yet, but thats to be expected. :) He lives in a fabulous little tank that I put together.

Oh, don't under estimate how tough this was. If the manufactures goal was to make me feel completely incompetent, then JOB WELL DONE! I sat at the table for what felt like hours trying to understand the directions. The small 8 inch font- just wasn't cutting it. Halfway through set up I spilled water ALL over.... including the directions. So I had to wing it. :)

Lucky for Phineas, at last minute I figured it all out. Right before smashing the thing into smithereens I got it all to come together! (yes, I am patting myself on the back!) Lets just say Phineas and I might need a drink after that little episode! (ugh!)

Aidyn is still not back to pottying full time. (give it time!) BUT he is getting much better. I am going to go back to underwear full time as of Monday. I know that he'll get back on the potty train real soon! (wish us luck!)

Welcome to the family Mr. Phineas, welcome to the family!!!!!

Sledding fun!

I just had to share some more pictures of our sledding adventure. The time we had with BD was so much fun. We played hide and go seek, chase, and lots of time for tickling. I am so happy that I made the choice to move home. It is easier for BD to be able to see Aidyn on a regular basis. (and I don't have to be without him for two months at a time! yay!)

It was also a great time for BD and I to talk about our futures. Where we see ourselves and where we are headed. It is great to see that we are on the same page, and to know that we really do get along. I am looking forward to our future, and all that it has to offer.

Now for some fun winter pics:

I was so happy to be Sledding :) (although not in the least big fashionable!)

N was all sorts of ahhh dooor aaahhh bull on her sled!

N is going to be a future winter olympic star! She was such a trooper!

BD and I both took turns. I think we may have had more fun then the kids!

N and her brother J were champs at going down the big hills! Even after wipeing out they still kept on going!

Aidyn and daddy made a great team!

It was a lot of working walking back up the hill! Good thing we brought daddy with to help carry the sleds back up!

:) Hope you all had as much fun on your Monday as we had on ours! :)

My favorite boys :)

BD came down for a few days. I can't explain how happy it has made Aidyn (and me!). I am just reminded of how lucky I am to have a dad for my son that loves him this much. These last few days have been pretty much perfect. :)

P.s. My brother in law has found ALL of his family! As of today they found out that their brother and sister are alive! Praise the Lord! Thank you for the prayers!

2...almost 3!

My darling little boy, just turned 2..... a year ago. Well just short of a year ago. BUT he is still 2. He is still a "toddler". I love that he is growing up, getting smart, and more independent, BUT part of me wants him to stay a "baby". Yet the days keep ticking by and in a matter of a month (and a few days..) Aidyn-man will be 3. Three!

So when that realization dawned on me, I decided BD and I better plan a Birthday party for our son. This is the first year EVER that Aidyn will have a joint party with both his father and I in attendance. (kind of sad right?) BD and I have formed a friendship over this past year, and we decided to start sharing him on his Birthday. Both of our families get along wonderfully, and since his parents house is the halfway point between his house and mine, we decided to have it there. (and rent out a hotel room so the kids can go swimming..)

So after hymning and hawing over what party theme to throw.. I decided to ask the guest of honor his thoughts. I mean, he is going to be three right? He should have SOME say in his own party. Here is the conversation:

Mommy: Whens your Birthday Aidyn?

Aidyn: three of April (all smiles)

Mommy: Good job! How old are you going to be?

Aidyn: Three! (holding up almost three fingers)

Mommy: What do you want to do for your party?

Aidyn: (and this is not an exaggeration) I want brown cake with white and green on top, and..and.. and... Black balloons for the boys and pink for the girls!

Mommy: (I was blown away with how much he already decided on.) Well do you want a diego party?

Aidyn: No. I want a choo choo party.

So that was it. He is now having a "Choo Choo" train party. I was going to go with Thomas themed, but decided against it. I think its semi-tacky, and I think plain train decorations will be MUCH cuter!

So this where you come in. I need all your creative minds to help me think of some cute decorations/cakes/goodie bags/etc... for his party! We have a month to pull it together, and all your thoughts would be GREATLY appreciated!

Winter wonderland

A huge bonus for being back in the Midwest is that there is snow! Although I detest the cold, I am very happy that Aidyn gets to experience all of its wonder. It was my favorite thing to do! I loved building snow forts, having snowball fights, building snowmen, etc... Today Aidyn-man and his cousin got to experience the snow together. They lasted all of a half an hour outside, but they were out long enough to get rosie cheeks! Rosie cheeks make the best pictures! :)

Dontchya' think?

Hope your weekend was as wonderful as ours! :)

Happy Valentines day my son!

Dear Aidyn,

Today is our third Valentines day together. I can't believe thats it. I feel like you have been around forever. Before you Valentines Day could be very lonely. If I didn't have a boyfriend- I wanted one. If I did, I had such high expectations for myself and them that it was always a let down. Then you came into my life. With your blue eyes, adorable smile, and most wonderful kisses in the world. You taught me what it was to love.

You taught me that love is selfless. You taught me how love can fill you up in such away that you beam with happiness. You taught me that love is waking up at 7 am even when you didn't get to bed until after 2am. You taught me that love is kissing me at 7am and making getting up worth it! You taught me that love is being scared when you have a fever, and laughing until I cry. You taught me that love is potty training. You taught me that love is scribbles on a piece of paper. You taught me that love is tickles, and cartoon mornings. You taught me that love comes in all different shapes and sizes.

You taught me how to love myself.

You. you at only two years old did all that! Imagine what you can do with the rest of your life! Thank you my son for showing me the true meaning of this holiday. To some it may just be a Hallmark holiday, but to me.. well its discovering what love really is. Dwelling on it, and realizing just how lucky I am that you are in my life. :)

So tonight I will go to bed knowing that you- my little romeo are happy, healthy, and loved. Thats the best Valentines gift I could ever ask for! :)

I love you to the moon and back,

Mom

Happy Valentines Day!

Sending all my blog friends lots of love this Valentines Day from my family to yours!!

Weekend fun!

This weekend we spent Saturday with our friend "E"! "E" is my brothers ex-girlfriend, and best buddy to Aidyn. They are inseparable when they are together. She invited us to the Medieval fair and we could not turn it down! We had a wonderful day together. Aidyn-man got his face painted, rode a pony, we watched a few shows (Aidyn loved the dancing ladies), ate lots of yummy food, took lots of pictures, and YEP- we rode an ELEPHANT! (The only picture from our camera of the elephant is the last one.. we bought a Polaroid but its very blurred.. booo!)

It was one of the FL days i'll never forget! :) Thank you "E" for such a wonderful day! You are a very special part of our life, and you are a very special girl!!!!

I am still making such beautiful memories here in FL. :) Thank you to all my wonderful friends that are helping to make these last few days amazing! I AM BLESSED!

Bathtub painting

Yesterday morning we had a wee bit of an accident on the dinning room floor. (which is carpeted) Aidyn decided to break out the poster paint, and paint the floor. Of course I over reacted and yelled at him. It came out of the carpet with soap, water, and a little elbow grease and all was well. Since most of the down stairs is carpeted (which sucks!) Aidyn doesn't get a lot of time for arts and crafts outside of school. So it got me thinking.......

and then it hit me!!! A genius mommy moment. I took our poster paper, and cut a big piece. I taped it to the side of the shower, and took down the shower curtain. I then poured some washable paint on the side of the bath tub, gave him some paint brushes, and got him undressed. It was then his turn to create a master piece!

We (or Aidyn) found out the hard way that it was a little slippery when he bumped his bottom, but that was quickly solved by putting down an old beach towel. Aidyn had a great time painting the picture, and even greater time painting himself!

After having his painting fun, I simply took down the paper, and started the water. He was already naked and ready for his bath. Not only did I clean the mess, but I cleaned him as well! It was the easiest painting time we've ever had!!!! He may not end up being the best artist in the world, but he sure is the cutest one I know! (and of course I took pictures to prove it!!!)