It's the last day of September so I give you a little Les Witches in anticipation of October. . .
The costume is shaping up. I have the main body about done. All that needs to be done on it is to put the velcro on the back for the closure and elastic around the wrist and ankles. The hood is done, too, except for the mane. The ears are on the hood and so I tried the body and hood on Aidan to see how it all fit. . .the body is perfect! He loved the tail and even giggled about the little puff of "hair" on the end of the tail. The hood covers the head but is actually too small! I did the Large pattern, too (my son has a big head!!) But, not to worry. I can add an extra strap of material under the chin and then it will work. The back of the hood is probably a little too high up, but it will be covered by the mane. Then, all I'll have left are the feet. Instead of doing the slipper kind of feet that the pattern calls for I am going to do a covering for the shoe. That will work out better with moving around outside. Aidan loves it!
Aidan discovered that he actually likes football. . .that's my boy! He saw the football game on the TV and said "FOOTBALL!" By dinnertime on Sunday, he was saying "TOUCHDOWN!" Yes, I have a Redskin fan in the making! : )
Over the weekend, Aidan said to me, "Scott ride ina kool but. . ." He looked pensive and thoughtful when he said it. So I said, "yes, Scott rides the school bus to go to school." And he replied, " Aya wanna ride ina kool but!" I told him he would in a couple of years. Every day. Twice a day! Not good enough. Aya wanna ride ina kool but. . .Aya wanna ride ina kool but. . .Aya wanna ride ina kool but! All weekend long, over and over. And again, this morning, for about 3 blocks. And then he saw a BIG TRUCK! And Aidan said, "DAT! BIG TRUCK!! AYA WANNA RIDE IN A BIG TRUCK!!!!" And so it went for the next 5 miles until we got to day care. . .
Where we saw two big deer in our sitters yard! And then Aidan finally stopped, sucked in a breath, pointed and said, "big buck. . ." Daddy will be proud. . .
In case you were wondering, the words in all caps are said at the top of our lungs, as loud as possible--ear splittingly so. . . : )
Life is good with Aidan, aka Aya Wanna!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Woo Hoo!!!!!
Okay, so first of all. . . Woo Hoo!!!! Every season, the Redskins play the Cowboys twice. It's kind of like playing the Super Bowl twice a year. Sort of. . .and today we won!!!!! At Texas stadium, too! Way to go, 'Skins!!!We are now less than a week away from our 6 month anniversary of being with Aidan full time. . .what shall we do to celebrate???. . .besides watch a Redskin game??
Friday, September 26, 2008
Or maybe it's a. . . .
Sinus Infection! By Tuesday morning of this week, Aidan was really out of control--I'm talking, we practically needed a straight jacket!!--and there was swelling across his upper nose and under his eyes. So, off to the pediatrician we went. When I asked him if it hurt, he said "yes. . ." Poor little guy! So, now we're on Amoxicillan twice a day for two weeks. I came home with the medicine on Tuesday afternoon, gave him his first dose and by dinner an hour later there was already a huge change in his attitude and demeaner! Pretty much back to normal now. And he's eating better again, too! I just feel bad that I am so clueless as a mom that I didn't see it sooner. . .sigh.
And then there is the storm that is "hammering" the Carolinas and now coming up the coast to "lash Virginia and Maryland with wind and rain" (I just looooove the way weather folks talk! : ) ) It was showing signs of being tropical, according to the weather people. . .looked a lot like a Nor'easter to me, but I'm not a weather person. . .and then it was deemed to, in fact, be a Nor'easter. Well, any other weather anomallies you'd like me to check out? : ) I am enjoying our cooler weather. Until today, I've been able to get out and take nice walks through the little town I work in. When the colors change, I'll take my camera to post some pictures of it. It can be really beautiful around here in the fall.
My sister Amy sent Aidan a cute little candy bucket for Halloween! It's all decked out like a black cat. When I pulled it out of the box, Aidan laughed and said "Kitty cat!" And then I gave it to him. . .or maybe it's a hat???????
The shirt, by the way, was picked out by my niece, Kendall. Aidan loooooove's it because it has BB's on it. He points at his chest and says, "BB's on it!" Cute. . .
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Red Dye #40!!!
But first. . . and Of Course!!!
So today, Aidan and I went to church by ourselves. Pat stayed home to do some work on the house. We went to an earlier service because we had decided to go to lunch at Clyde's with Pat's mom and dad. Our treat for a change! : ) We got to church and Aidan immediately said, "Backpack, Mommy!" I realized, then, that I had forgotten the backpack. . .where all of the bribery goodies are stored! Yikes!!! However, I gotta tell you, Little Man was soooooo good! He was respectful and said "Amen" at all of the appropriate times and did not have any outbursts at all. I was soooo proud of him. What a good boy!
After church, we went to the grocery store where we bought several items, including some much desired yogurt for Aidan. When we got home, Aidan wanted a Nack, so he ate two yogurts. After changing, off we went to pick up mom and dad for lunch! While at lunch, was Aidan good???? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not only did he act up, he actually hit Pat in the face! Then, he fell asleep on the way home, and slept about 10 mintues. That was nap! No further nap was taken! Boy! As good as he was at church was as bad as he was after! I called my sister Amy while Aidan was "napping" and she suggested that there was perhaps an issue with Red Dye #40. Sure enough. The yogurt Aidan ate has Red Dye #40 in it. . .so now we track it to see if he is aggressive like that after eating things with Red Dye #40 in it. Sheesh! These kids should come with instruction manuals including what you should and should not put into their little bodies!!! : )
And, here is a picture of Aidan on his Early Rider Bike. A friend of ours gave him this early in the summer. He couldn't get on it because his feet were about three inches from the ground. Now, however, his feet touch the ground and he is fearless about going down hills! Helmet comes next. . .and I will post some film of this as soon as I figure out how to download it!
Finally, here is the pattern of Aidan's Halloween Costume. Isn't it cute????
And Aidan tried on the material and said, " RRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!"
And, I actually got it cut out today, too! While watching football, of course, and even with evil boy in attendance!! : )
So today, Aidan and I went to church by ourselves. Pat stayed home to do some work on the house. We went to an earlier service because we had decided to go to lunch at Clyde's with Pat's mom and dad. Our treat for a change! : ) We got to church and Aidan immediately said, "Backpack, Mommy!" I realized, then, that I had forgotten the backpack. . .where all of the bribery goodies are stored! Yikes!!! However, I gotta tell you, Little Man was soooooo good! He was respectful and said "Amen" at all of the appropriate times and did not have any outbursts at all. I was soooo proud of him. What a good boy!
After church, we went to the grocery store where we bought several items, including some much desired yogurt for Aidan. When we got home, Aidan wanted a Nack, so he ate two yogurts. After changing, off we went to pick up mom and dad for lunch! While at lunch, was Aidan good???? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not only did he act up, he actually hit Pat in the face! Then, he fell asleep on the way home, and slept about 10 mintues. That was nap! No further nap was taken! Boy! As good as he was at church was as bad as he was after! I called my sister Amy while Aidan was "napping" and she suggested that there was perhaps an issue with Red Dye #40. Sure enough. The yogurt Aidan ate has Red Dye #40 in it. . .so now we track it to see if he is aggressive like that after eating things with Red Dye #40 in it. Sheesh! These kids should come with instruction manuals including what you should and should not put into their little bodies!!! : )
And, here is a picture of Aidan on his Early Rider Bike. A friend of ours gave him this early in the summer. He couldn't get on it because his feet were about three inches from the ground. Now, however, his feet touch the ground and he is fearless about going down hills! Helmet comes next. . .and I will post some film of this as soon as I figure out how to download it!
Finally, here is the pattern of Aidan's Halloween Costume. Isn't it cute????
And Aidan tried on the material and said, " RRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!"And, I actually got it cut out today, too! While watching football, of course, and even with evil boy in attendance!! : )
Thursday, September 18, 2008
More on the Scorpions and Aidanisms. . .
Okay, I have kept the music the same because I have to tell a funny story about the Scorpions--I've been laughing since reading Lori's post about dedicating the song to them!
I already mentioned that they were on tour in Kras while we were there. Somehow, we and the Jergers got it into our heads that they were staying at our hotel. It might have had something to do with the teenage girls hanging out out front with their autograph books or something! : ) Now, if you google Hotel Krasnoyarsk, you will see pictures of a fairly nice hotel. And supposedly, this is one of the nicer hotels in the area. Believe me. Pictures are deceiving. And I say that from the bottom of my spoiled-about-hotels little heart!!! This was not anywhere close to the Marriott Tverskaya, which was along the lines I am accustomed to.
Anyway, we had gone to see the kids at the orphanage early in the morning. When we got back, the teenage girls were at their post and we, Lori and I, decided to hang out in the lobby for a while to see who would come down. We should have gone up to our rooms to rest! To this day, I have no idea who was at our hotel. Someone with a Mullet hair cut and tight pants did come down, but, it sure wasn't the Scorpions! We spent the rest of the trip trying to sing the "Winds of Change" song, but all I could remember was "Down at Gorky Park. . ." Funny, funny memories!
Aidanisms:
Aya wan dat! Translation: Aidan wants that! (He says this about all toys and some foods.)
Mommy, on! Translation: Mommy turn the radio up!
Wook! Mommy, wook! Kool but! An deres anudder one kool but! Translation: Look! Mommy, look! School bus! And theres another school bus!
Wook, Mommy. Tractor air! Translation: Look, Mommy. Theres a tractor on a trailer.
Wook, Mommy! Kool but up! Translation: Look, Mommy! There's a school bus on that bridge!
Now, finally, here is a picture of cute little monster boy. . .
When he does something bad and knows it, like throwing his peet; spoon/fork; or spitting/hitting he will always put his hands on his ears. Now, at least he is showing he knows it was bad! Yesterday, he had taken his kitty cat (Tigger) to day care with him. When another little boy when to get it, Aidan bit him! Bad Aidan. But our sitter said he put his hands on his ears right away. While not excusing the behavior, at least he knew it was bad!
Here is what I am reading to try and eliminate most of the bad behavior. It's really interesting and Pat will read it next so we can do this together!
I already mentioned that they were on tour in Kras while we were there. Somehow, we and the Jergers got it into our heads that they were staying at our hotel. It might have had something to do with the teenage girls hanging out out front with their autograph books or something! : ) Now, if you google Hotel Krasnoyarsk, you will see pictures of a fairly nice hotel. And supposedly, this is one of the nicer hotels in the area. Believe me. Pictures are deceiving. And I say that from the bottom of my spoiled-about-hotels little heart!!! This was not anywhere close to the Marriott Tverskaya, which was along the lines I am accustomed to.
Anyway, we had gone to see the kids at the orphanage early in the morning. When we got back, the teenage girls were at their post and we, Lori and I, decided to hang out in the lobby for a while to see who would come down. We should have gone up to our rooms to rest! To this day, I have no idea who was at our hotel. Someone with a Mullet hair cut and tight pants did come down, but, it sure wasn't the Scorpions! We spent the rest of the trip trying to sing the "Winds of Change" song, but all I could remember was "Down at Gorky Park. . ." Funny, funny memories!
Aidanisms:
Aya wan dat! Translation: Aidan wants that! (He says this about all toys and some foods.)
Mommy, on! Translation: Mommy turn the radio up!
Wook! Mommy, wook! Kool but! An deres anudder one kool but! Translation: Look! Mommy, look! School bus! And theres another school bus!
Wook, Mommy. Tractor air! Translation: Look, Mommy. Theres a tractor on a trailer.
Wook, Mommy! Kool but up! Translation: Look, Mommy! There's a school bus on that bridge!
Now, finally, here is a picture of cute little monster boy. . .
When he does something bad and knows it, like throwing his peet; spoon/fork; or spitting/hitting he will always put his hands on his ears. Now, at least he is showing he knows it was bad! Yesterday, he had taken his kitty cat (Tigger) to day care with him. When another little boy when to get it, Aidan bit him! Bad Aidan. But our sitter said he put his hands on his ears right away. While not excusing the behavior, at least he knew it was bad!
Here is what I am reading to try and eliminate most of the bad behavior. It's really interesting and Pat will read it next so we can do this together!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Winds of Change
Change is in the air! It is that time of year when I start looking in my closet and think to myself "Well, I can't wear the sleeveless and sandals look anymore. . .guess I'll wear long pants and, um socks!" This morning it was 49 degrees when I got up. Brrr! Love it! Aidan was in long pants and long sleeves, too. According to the weather channel, we're going to stay in the mid 70's for highs for at least the next week and a half. The a/c is finally turned off, and probably for good! We made it. . .
And, I also have to share a picture here of Pat. This was taken when he was 3 or 4 years old and given to me by his dad. Isn't the resemblance to Aidan uncanny???
And a final note on the music for today. . .This is a funny song that kept coming up while we were in Russia. . .I mean it was all about all of the changes that happened after the collapse of 1989. . .but the funny part was that a group calling themselves The Scorpions was on tour in Krasnoyarsk while we were there! Funny. And now the winds of change are affecting the whole world again. Winds of Change. . .they never cease, do they?
Another sign that the summer season is changing to fall is the condition of Aidan's sandals. Nana bought these for him last May. He loved these sandals. . .wore them all summer, nearly everyday. And you can tell!
Another change is the TV programming. We're now into the fall season of television. We have Dishnet for two of our TV's and Verizion HD for one. Yes, it's too much! We now have what amounts to nearly 1000 different channels. And yet, we can never find anything we like to watch! There is just nothing interesting on. Anything that might look interesting comes on around 9:00 or later. . .we go to bed no later than 9:00! We tried to DVR it and wound up with hours and hours of programs on our DVR that we never got around to watching. So, we live with the football games, occasional Nascar or Outdoor channel programming and then there is Ghost Hunters. . .A couple of years ago, I discovered Ghost Hunters, which is on the Sci Fi channel. Can't explain how I found that since I don't typically like Sci Fi stuff. But, Ghost Hunters was interesting because they show a lot of historical places and they took a scientific approach to looking for other worldly things. And they tried to debunk it. They didn't just accept the fact of a ghost! So, when they came upon something, it seemed more legitimate. The Ghost Hunter season started a couple of weeks ago. So far, I am not impressed. They seemed to have caved and are now accepting anything as proof of a ghost! I am disappointed, but will likely continue to watch in the hopes that they will go back to how they were.
Speaking of ghostly things, a couple of weeks ago at church, Aidan was looking up at the dust motes that were rising in the stream of light toward the ceiling of our church. I looked up in time to see him looking up and then he waved and said "Bye, bye!" I immediately had a chill on the back of my neck! Our church building is over 100 years old and the congregation has been around since 1732! Creepy!
This weekend is my company picnic. It will be Saturday afternoon on the Shenandoah River. Aidan is ready!
And, I also have to share a picture here of Pat. This was taken when he was 3 or 4 years old and given to me by his dad. Isn't the resemblance to Aidan uncanny???And a final note on the music for today. . .This is a funny song that kept coming up while we were in Russia. . .I mean it was all about all of the changes that happened after the collapse of 1989. . .but the funny part was that a group calling themselves The Scorpions was on tour in Krasnoyarsk while we were there! Funny. And now the winds of change are affecting the whole world again. Winds of Change. . .they never cease, do they?
More Aidanisms. . .
Aidan still calls his drink "Peet." This is Russian for drink. However, he does call his milk, "Milk." I don't know why! I guess it's only Peet if it isn't Milk. . .
He loves to say words precisely. . .Tractor. . .Bridgette. . .Maggie. . .
Aidan gets very frustrated with me if I don't respond right away. He will begin yelling Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! and then get right in my face and yell MOMMY!!!! Pretty funny. . .to me! : )
We didn't go to church last Sunday because we were all tired and still dealing with colds. Aidan knows we skipped and has been saying, Church? to me ever since!
When Aidan has done something he knows is bad, he covers his ears! Funny!
He loves to say words precisely. . .Tractor. . .Bridgette. . .Maggie. . .
Aidan gets very frustrated with me if I don't respond right away. He will begin yelling Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! and then get right in my face and yell MOMMY!!!! Pretty funny. . .to me! : )
We didn't go to church last Sunday because we were all tired and still dealing with colds. Aidan knows we skipped and has been saying, Church? to me ever since!
When Aidan has done something he knows is bad, he covers his ears! Funny!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Hail to the Redskins!
Hail to the Redskins! Hail Victory! Braves on the Warpath! Fight for Victory!
Yes, the Redskins won today! I'm still not a Jason Campbell fan, but they won and that is what matters. We tried very hard to teach Aidan how to put his arms up in the air and say TOUCHDOWN!!! He just laughed at us! Really! And the kid has paws the size you cannot believe! He will likely be a football player when he grows up. Then I can say "I'm a Football Mom! " : )
Aidan had his first swimming lesson yesterday. He loved it for about 12 minutes. Then it was NO! NO! NO! the rest of the time until about the last 3 minutes. During the last 3 minutes, I had to put him on the edge of the pool standing and then have him jump in to me. He loved that! He didn't want to stop. . .suffice it to say, we had to make a dash for home. . .
Where our Social Worker, Kristin, awaited for our 6 month Post Placement visit. She was here for an hour an a half. Truthfully, it was a great visit and I really enjoyed seeing her and talking with her. I had missed that. But, also in truth, I couldn't help having that niggling thought in the back of my mind of "What if she takes Aidan away??" Of course I realize that is not a thought from God, but I just couldn't help it! All was well, though.
We had lunch and then put Aidan down for a nearly three hour nap. Afterward, we went and had dinner with Grandma and Grandpa at Olive Garden. The 3 of us have been suffering from colds for the past week, in fact bad enough that I have very little voice today, so we were all very tired last night after our long day. Today we stayed home and as quiet as we could. . .of course it was hard during the Redskins game! Pat got called into work so early dinner and early to bed for me and Aidan! Yes. . .
Hot again today. In truth, August was not bad. But, I hate it when it gets into the 90's! And today was in the mid-90's. But, it is probably (I pray) the last time, thanks be to God! I'm ready for Fall weather!
God's peace,
Stacy
Yes, the Redskins won today! I'm still not a Jason Campbell fan, but they won and that is what matters. We tried very hard to teach Aidan how to put his arms up in the air and say TOUCHDOWN!!! He just laughed at us! Really! And the kid has paws the size you cannot believe! He will likely be a football player when he grows up. Then I can say "I'm a Football Mom! " : )
Aidan had his first swimming lesson yesterday. He loved it for about 12 minutes. Then it was NO! NO! NO! the rest of the time until about the last 3 minutes. During the last 3 minutes, I had to put him on the edge of the pool standing and then have him jump in to me. He loved that! He didn't want to stop. . .suffice it to say, we had to make a dash for home. . .
Where our Social Worker, Kristin, awaited for our 6 month Post Placement visit. She was here for an hour an a half. Truthfully, it was a great visit and I really enjoyed seeing her and talking with her. I had missed that. But, also in truth, I couldn't help having that niggling thought in the back of my mind of "What if she takes Aidan away??" Of course I realize that is not a thought from God, but I just couldn't help it! All was well, though.
We had lunch and then put Aidan down for a nearly three hour nap. Afterward, we went and had dinner with Grandma and Grandpa at Olive Garden. The 3 of us have been suffering from colds for the past week, in fact bad enough that I have very little voice today, so we were all very tired last night after our long day. Today we stayed home and as quiet as we could. . .of course it was hard during the Redskins game! Pat got called into work so early dinner and early to bed for me and Aidan! Yes. . .
Hot again today. In truth, August was not bad. But, I hate it when it gets into the 90's! And today was in the mid-90's. But, it is probably (I pray) the last time, thanks be to God! I'm ready for Fall weather!
God's peace,
Stacy
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Where were you and what were you doing?
Tomorrow marks the 7th Anniversary of 9/11. I can't believe it has been seven years. Seven years ago, I had just quit a perfectly good job that I had had for over 12 years and gone back to school to finish my degree. I had just been back a couple of weeks on the morning of September 11th. I didn't have to be at school until 12:30 and had just completed my daily run. I was ironing my clothes for the day while watching Good Morning American and then Peter Jennings came on to talk about the plane that had hit the North Tower near Times Square in New York. Pretty strange. . .but, at the time, there was only minimal speculation that it was terrorists. Then, while I watched, a second plane hit the South Tower. No further speculation needed. Numbly, I picked up my cell phone to make the last call I'd be able to make for a couple of days and called Pat. We talked for a few minutes and then went about our day. Thinking back, I don't know how I got through school that day. It wasn't until the afternoon that I had heard about the Pentagon (where a very good friend of ours worked at the time) and then later about the plane that went down in Pennsylvania. We live 13 miles from Dulles airport and the FAA Tower for the Mid-Atlantic is in Leesburg. . .one of the planes took off from Dulles. Perhaps you can imagine the shock and surprise and the feeling of impending change that was felt in our area. Perhaps you felt your own version.
Seven years later and nothing has really changed. And yet, so much has changed. . .
How does one discuss these kinds of issues with children? How does one discuss the troubles that exist between ones child's birth country with his or her new home country without being prejudiced? As a child of the Cold War, I find myself in a bit of a dilema regardless of how much I love Russia and her history. I don't want Aidan to feel hated. . .ever. He is too special for that. This will be a discussion to tread lightly with until he can fully understand it.
In the meantime, Aidan found a Corvette magazine and pulled it open to this page and showed it to me and said, "Mama! Look! Cool BB!" (BB is what he calls cars)
The kid has taste.
Seven years later and nothing has really changed. And yet, so much has changed. . .
How does one discuss these kinds of issues with children? How does one discuss the troubles that exist between ones child's birth country with his or her new home country without being prejudiced? As a child of the Cold War, I find myself in a bit of a dilema regardless of how much I love Russia and her history. I don't want Aidan to feel hated. . .ever. He is too special for that. This will be a discussion to tread lightly with until he can fully understand it.
In the meantime, Aidan found a Corvette magazine and pulled it open to this page and showed it to me and said, "Mama! Look! Cool BB!" (BB is what he calls cars)
The kid has taste.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Moving along. . .
Well, swimming lessons last Saturday were cancelled due to Hanna. Which is actually probably a good thing. . .Aidan has been suffering from a cold since Friday. He got it from Daddy! Mama is waiting for her turn. . .meanwhile, Mama's hands are getting raw from washing them so often! So, our first swimming lesson will actually be this coming Saturday. I think the cold should have completely passed by then.
Because of his cold and the rainy weather, Aidan got a lot of rest over the weekend. More than he would have otherwise. And it shows! He has been so much calmer this week. . .so far, that is! However, we have decided to not take him out to dinner again for a while. One of the places we like to go is a place called Shenanigan's. They have half price burgers on Monday night. Well, Aidan will be good for about a half an hour. . .just long enough for us to start bragging about it and then wham! The bad Aidan comes out. We have been thinking about looking for the 666 under his hair lately. . . : )
Hanna wasn't as bad as I expected. As I thought, there were several areas here in Northern Virginia that got hit hard due to the amount of rain which did cause some flooding. And there was some evidence of flooding along the small streams here in Loudoun County. But we were spared a heavy hit. Here in Leesburg, we did get a little over 6 inches of rain. But, we actually needed it so it was a good thing. And the wind, to me, did not seem overly bad. We did have sustained winds of 35 to 40 miles an hour for a short period of time, but we get wind as bad and even worse consistantly in the winter time. So, okay! Not so bad! And Ike is going elsewhere (I am sorry for those who will get Ike, though.)
Aidan held his own on Sunday. What a good boy he was! Sunday was the annual Ministry Fair at our church. As the Parish Historian, I was expected to set up and man a booth in order to answer questions about my ministry. The other Parish Historian had a stroke last winter, so it was all up to me. In order to be the Parish Historian, you have to have been a member of the church for 10 or more years (we've been there 15) and you have to have a love of History. . . um, well, I won't comment because those who know me are probably already snickering! Anyway, Aidan helped me set up late on Saturday, after the rain, and then he helped me man my booth for over an hour before church on Sunday. Then, we went to church. He held in there until about communion time and then he had reached his limit. So, we made it through communion and went back to our pew and I whispered to him that we were going home. . .He yelled, "Yah!" and then ran out into the aisle. . .So much for making a quick and quiet get away!
Speaking of communion, Aidan is technically allowed to take communion at our church (All baptized people are welcome). However, because he is only two, I have been teaching him to cross his arms across his chest which signals the priest that he does not receive and then they give a blessing to him. This usually works pretty well and he loves the blessings. I think it is important for him to understand what he is receiving before he actually begins to receive it. Well, this Sunday, I didn't get him to cross his arms fast enough so the priest gave him the wafer. A second later he says, in a very loud voice, "ALL GONE!" Of course, everyone at the alter begins to snicker a little, including both priests. So, smiling, I quietly whispered to him, "Amen." So, then Aidan, clasping his hands, says, "AMEN!" I was able to stop the administration of the wine (Thanks be to God!). Everyone grinning, we went on back to the pew, where the above scene played out.
Well, tonight I will get our pictures finalized and then Kristin, our Social Worker comes on Saturday. Saturday will be a very busy day! First we have swimming lessons, then Kristin comes, then we will walk down into town and celebrate the 250th Anniversay of Leesburg-wow! Then, we're hoping to get a little shopping done for Christmas that evening. Big day! Sunday will be a quiet reflective day spent in front of the TV watching football after church. A day of rest that we will all really need!
Because of his cold and the rainy weather, Aidan got a lot of rest over the weekend. More than he would have otherwise. And it shows! He has been so much calmer this week. . .so far, that is! However, we have decided to not take him out to dinner again for a while. One of the places we like to go is a place called Shenanigan's. They have half price burgers on Monday night. Well, Aidan will be good for about a half an hour. . .just long enough for us to start bragging about it and then wham! The bad Aidan comes out. We have been thinking about looking for the 666 under his hair lately. . . : )
Hanna wasn't as bad as I expected. As I thought, there were several areas here in Northern Virginia that got hit hard due to the amount of rain which did cause some flooding. And there was some evidence of flooding along the small streams here in Loudoun County. But we were spared a heavy hit. Here in Leesburg, we did get a little over 6 inches of rain. But, we actually needed it so it was a good thing. And the wind, to me, did not seem overly bad. We did have sustained winds of 35 to 40 miles an hour for a short period of time, but we get wind as bad and even worse consistantly in the winter time. So, okay! Not so bad! And Ike is going elsewhere (I am sorry for those who will get Ike, though.)
Aidan held his own on Sunday. What a good boy he was! Sunday was the annual Ministry Fair at our church. As the Parish Historian, I was expected to set up and man a booth in order to answer questions about my ministry. The other Parish Historian had a stroke last winter, so it was all up to me. In order to be the Parish Historian, you have to have been a member of the church for 10 or more years (we've been there 15) and you have to have a love of History. . . um, well, I won't comment because those who know me are probably already snickering! Anyway, Aidan helped me set up late on Saturday, after the rain, and then he helped me man my booth for over an hour before church on Sunday. Then, we went to church. He held in there until about communion time and then he had reached his limit. So, we made it through communion and went back to our pew and I whispered to him that we were going home. . .He yelled, "Yah!" and then ran out into the aisle. . .So much for making a quick and quiet get away!
Speaking of communion, Aidan is technically allowed to take communion at our church (All baptized people are welcome). However, because he is only two, I have been teaching him to cross his arms across his chest which signals the priest that he does not receive and then they give a blessing to him. This usually works pretty well and he loves the blessings. I think it is important for him to understand what he is receiving before he actually begins to receive it. Well, this Sunday, I didn't get him to cross his arms fast enough so the priest gave him the wafer. A second later he says, in a very loud voice, "ALL GONE!" Of course, everyone at the alter begins to snicker a little, including both priests. So, smiling, I quietly whispered to him, "Amen." So, then Aidan, clasping his hands, says, "AMEN!" I was able to stop the administration of the wine (Thanks be to God!). Everyone grinning, we went on back to the pew, where the above scene played out.
Well, tonight I will get our pictures finalized and then Kristin, our Social Worker comes on Saturday. Saturday will be a very busy day! First we have swimming lessons, then Kristin comes, then we will walk down into town and celebrate the 250th Anniversay of Leesburg-wow! Then, we're hoping to get a little shopping done for Christmas that evening. Big day! Sunday will be a quiet reflective day spent in front of the TV watching football after church. A day of rest that we will all really need!
Friday, September 5, 2008
The whirling dervishes--Hanna, Ike & Aidan!
I know I've been posting a lot this week. There's just been a few things to say!
We took Aidan to see the urologist yesterday to discuss the surgery. It seems that this is actually a good time to do it for him--he's old enough that if there were any health issues that might be of concern would be known and also he has not been completely potty trained yet. So, we discussed all of the pros and cons and have decided to move forward with the surgery. We are now scheduled for Friday, October 24th at 9:00 in the morning. The good thing about this is that the doctor is a man I know from church! In fact, while I was on our vestry, I was the vestry liaison to the Preschool and Dr. O'Connor was the head of the Preschool Board, so we worked closely together for a couple of years on that project. So, this couldn't be better! I love it when you end up knowing and trusting the folks is whose hands you place your child's life, don't you?
First, we have trouble brewing on the horizon. . .and their names are Hanna and Ike, also known as whirling dervishes #1 and #2 respectively! We have had no ill effects from Gustav, but Hanna is bearing down on the East Coast and is expected to come ashore tonight. This storm will be either a very strong Tropical Storm or a Minimal Hurricane. Either way, we are expecting heavy rain and wind through out all of Saturday. We live in Loudoun County which is included in the counties under a flood and Tropical Storm warning within Virginia. I'm not too worried about flooding at our house, but there will be some significant flooding around the county, I'm sure. The Potomac River does create the northern and eastern border of our town and county and this is just below where the Shenandoah River dumps into it. However, we are above the fall line so the shore is steep by several feet and we don't need to worry so much about flooding from the Potomac like Wahington D. C. and Alexandria do. We do, however, have Bull Run, Cub Run, Goose Creek and Sugarland Run along with several underground springs that will cause some flooding along roads and some yards. Again, though, this won't affect the immediate area around our home. Thank God for the inventor of Sump Pumps!!! And, thank God we don't live at our last house, which was built on top of one of those previously mentioned underground springs!
Pat has been told that he will be working a double shift today and will then work Saturday and Sunday evenings. If Hanna is bad enough, those shifts may end up as doubles. But, at least he hasn't been told to pack to go away! He will be able to come home, even if for brief periods of time. There have been storms in the past that he was gone for weeks at a time. Thank goodness that he will be around so Aidan can see him occasionally.
Ike is out there, too. And I'm a little more worried about that one. For the time being, Virginia Power is shoring up their work crews and Loudoun Mutual Insurance Company will likely suspend binding authority at some point today. . .Fun when the weather affects both employers of the family!!
On to news of Aidan, also known as whirling dervish #3, as bad as he has been over the past few days (yes, he is definitely two!) is as good as he was this morning. What a sweetie! I love it when he wakes up happy and is just happy and content with everything. . .But, I know the other Aidan is also just speaking up and showing his own personality. And, as hard as it is to take sometimes, I love him for it! I could just use a little of the good Aidan for a while! : ) He is just such a cutie pie!!!!
We took Aidan to see the urologist yesterday to discuss the surgery. It seems that this is actually a good time to do it for him--he's old enough that if there were any health issues that might be of concern would be known and also he has not been completely potty trained yet. So, we discussed all of the pros and cons and have decided to move forward with the surgery. We are now scheduled for Friday, October 24th at 9:00 in the morning. The good thing about this is that the doctor is a man I know from church! In fact, while I was on our vestry, I was the vestry liaison to the Preschool and Dr. O'Connor was the head of the Preschool Board, so we worked closely together for a couple of years on that project. So, this couldn't be better! I love it when you end up knowing and trusting the folks is whose hands you place your child's life, don't you?Thursday, September 4, 2008
Tough Stuff!!!
Poor Aidan. . .He is having a tough time lately. He cannot seem to get over the fact that Mommy and Daddy can't be with him every day, all day and that he has to get up way earlier than he really wants to. Each morning this week, he has struggled with me when I get him up and whines and cries saying, "No! Night night!" Of course! Who doesn't want to go back to bed?
Today was the worst yet. I'm afraid Mommy wasn't not very patient with little man this morning and he cried harder than he has for a long time. To the point where he started the uncontrollable sniffing back the tears. I felt terrible and ended up just sitting and rocking him for a long time. . .which made us late. . .and we had a different sitter today since our usual one is on a long weekend vacation for her brother's wedding at Oak Island, NC (yes, about where Hanna is expected to come ashore--another story!) So, needless to say, the poor little guy started crying immediately when I dropped him off with the back up sitter. The only good thing is that he had already met her previously and does know her young son, whom he has played with several times.
But, suffice it to day, I felt like a failure of a mother before 8:00 am arrived! Not much better yet, either. Poor Aidan!
And, to make his day even more special, Pat will be picking him up about 2:30 this afternoon (about the middle of normal nap time) and we will meet at the Urologist for our consultation visit for "that" surgery. Poor Aidan!!
Then, we'll be off for hair cuts for the guys. . .Poor Aidan!!!
But, on the upside, we'll take him to see Grandma and Grandpa and hopefully that will put a smile back on his face and remove the perpetual whine from his voice. . .yes, I know he is two!
Swimming lessons start on Saturday (indoor pool) about during the midst of whatever we are expected to get from Hanna. That should be fun for Little Man!
Today was the worst yet. I'm afraid Mommy wasn't not very patient with little man this morning and he cried harder than he has for a long time. To the point where he started the uncontrollable sniffing back the tears. I felt terrible and ended up just sitting and rocking him for a long time. . .which made us late. . .and we had a different sitter today since our usual one is on a long weekend vacation for her brother's wedding at Oak Island, NC (yes, about where Hanna is expected to come ashore--another story!) So, needless to say, the poor little guy started crying immediately when I dropped him off with the back up sitter. The only good thing is that he had already met her previously and does know her young son, whom he has played with several times.
But, suffice it to day, I felt like a failure of a mother before 8:00 am arrived! Not much better yet, either. Poor Aidan!
And, to make his day even more special, Pat will be picking him up about 2:30 this afternoon (about the middle of normal nap time) and we will meet at the Urologist for our consultation visit for "that" surgery. Poor Aidan!!
Then, we'll be off for hair cuts for the guys. . .Poor Aidan!!!
But, on the upside, we'll take him to see Grandma and Grandpa and hopefully that will put a smile back on his face and remove the perpetual whine from his voice. . .yes, I know he is two!
Swimming lessons start on Saturday (indoor pool) about during the midst of whatever we are expected to get from Hanna. That should be fun for Little Man!
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
More about the Lake Adventure
I shortchanged this blog with my description of our Lake Adventure and all because I couldn't find the pictures! Well, those pictures, and more have now been found so I'll do a better description of our Lake Adventure and then post pictures from the trip plus some others.
So, we left our house in Northern Virginia on Saturday morning about 9:00 am. Not bad, considering our plan had been to leave at 8:00. Mosby had been dropped off the night before at Grandma and Grandpas, so we were good to go once we left the house. Aidan was excited and he was thrilled that Maggie was going whereever we were going. But, he kept asking about Mosby. . ."Where Moby???" After about the thirtieth time, we began to notice the subtle hint of a whine. . .sigh.
Then he slept, for about a total of an hour in 20 minute increments. . .We got down to Roanoke Rapids, NC around 12:30 and decided to stop for lunch, even though we were only 12 miles from our destination. At this point, Aidan was over stimulated, but we pressed on with our adventure.
When we got to the Lake House, Aidan was soooo excited! He first saw KK's cool BB (2008 red Corvette, which truly is very cool). Then, he saw the water (waty!!) and said "KK's pool!" No amount of explaining could get him to understand it was a lake. . .
After suiting up and putting on sunscreen and life vest, etc., we went down to the boat dock. I sat at the edge and held his hand (thank God!) and he proceeded to jump out into the air! My hand was still slick with sunscreen, but I managed to hold on (for dear life!) until help came in pulling his thirty two pound body back in. Crazy kid laughed the entire time. Fun and games for Aidan at KK's pool!
Later in the evening, we went for a boat ride, which Aidan absolutely loved. Then off to bed we all went for a 9 hour nap, which is usually 12!
Sunday, we had more fun on the water, raft and Jet Ski's; a two hour nap and then back to bed for only 9 hours. . .Needless to say, we have been in nearly continuous meltdown mode since then. Today I picked him up from Day Care as usual and found myself saying a resounding "NO!!!!" when Pat said we should try for a girl. . .sigh. Bad timing! : )
Anyway, here are some pictures. . .and yes, Aidan had a blast at KK's pool!
With Daddy on the raft getting ready to be pulled:
So, we left our house in Northern Virginia on Saturday morning about 9:00 am. Not bad, considering our plan had been to leave at 8:00. Mosby had been dropped off the night before at Grandma and Grandpas, so we were good to go once we left the house. Aidan was excited and he was thrilled that Maggie was going whereever we were going. But, he kept asking about Mosby. . ."Where Moby???" After about the thirtieth time, we began to notice the subtle hint of a whine. . .sigh.
Then he slept, for about a total of an hour in 20 minute increments. . .We got down to Roanoke Rapids, NC around 12:30 and decided to stop for lunch, even though we were only 12 miles from our destination. At this point, Aidan was over stimulated, but we pressed on with our adventure.
When we got to the Lake House, Aidan was soooo excited! He first saw KK's cool BB (2008 red Corvette, which truly is very cool). Then, he saw the water (waty!!) and said "KK's pool!" No amount of explaining could get him to understand it was a lake. . .
After suiting up and putting on sunscreen and life vest, etc., we went down to the boat dock. I sat at the edge and held his hand (thank God!) and he proceeded to jump out into the air! My hand was still slick with sunscreen, but I managed to hold on (for dear life!) until help came in pulling his thirty two pound body back in. Crazy kid laughed the entire time. Fun and games for Aidan at KK's pool!
Later in the evening, we went for a boat ride, which Aidan absolutely loved. Then off to bed we all went for a 9 hour nap, which is usually 12!
Sunday, we had more fun on the water, raft and Jet Ski's; a two hour nap and then back to bed for only 9 hours. . .Needless to say, we have been in nearly continuous meltdown mode since then. Today I picked him up from Day Care as usual and found myself saying a resounding "NO!!!!" when Pat said we should try for a girl. . .sigh. Bad timing! : )
Anyway, here are some pictures. . .and yes, Aidan had a blast at KK's pool!
With Daddy on the raft getting ready to be pulled:
With Daddy again on the raft:
This is the view of the cove from the deck of Uncle Rob and KK's house:
Aidan on Josh's lap (he's one of our godsons) on our deck and KK is the one who got cut off. . .Mosby is in the foreground (he didn't want to be left out!):
And, Aidan found some of my magazines and decided it was good reading material!
Faster Daddy!
Do you know what you were doing a year ago? Although I wasn't blogging yet, I keep a journal. So, I decided to look and see what was going on in my life a year ago. . .
August 24th: We had our appointments at the FBI for our background checks.
August 28th: Received word that our notarized and apostilled dossier was sent off to Russia for translation!!!
August 30th: Bought most of the drywall for the basement. . .UGH!!!
We were definitely in the wait mode on the adoption and really hadn't gotten too far on the basement, aside from the framing, plumbing and electrical. Wow! What a difference a year makes!
As indicated, we went down to Lake Gaston for the weekend. Aidan had a fantastic time! He loves the water so much. He was very good about wearing the life jacket for us the entire time while we were hanging out on the boat dock. He loved going out on the boat and Daddy took him out on the Jet Ski at which time Aidan could be heard yelling "Faster Daddy!". Then, Uncle Rob towed Aidan and Daddy on a large raft attached to the Jet Ski.
I thought the pictures had been downloaded, but I can't seem to find them. . .I'll post them next time. Sorry about that!
August 24th: We had our appointments at the FBI for our background checks.
August 28th: Received word that our notarized and apostilled dossier was sent off to Russia for translation!!!
August 30th: Bought most of the drywall for the basement. . .UGH!!!
We were definitely in the wait mode on the adoption and really hadn't gotten too far on the basement, aside from the framing, plumbing and electrical. Wow! What a difference a year makes!
As indicated, we went down to Lake Gaston for the weekend. Aidan had a fantastic time! He loves the water so much. He was very good about wearing the life jacket for us the entire time while we were hanging out on the boat dock. He loved going out on the boat and Daddy took him out on the Jet Ski at which time Aidan could be heard yelling "Faster Daddy!". Then, Uncle Rob towed Aidan and Daddy on a large raft attached to the Jet Ski.
I thought the pictures had been downloaded, but I can't seem to find them. . .I'll post them next time. Sorry about that!
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