Getting Ready to Get Ready. . .

Many signs have been appearing lately that Christmas is just around the corner.  Including the songs we are practicing for the Children's Christmas Pageant, the stores are decked out and the annual onslaught of catalogs and commercials have begun.  Aidan, being 4 1/2, is not immune to the "I want. . ." infection.  I am hoping to show a little more restraint this year, keeping in mind the mind numbed look that came over my dear sons face about half way through Christmas morning. 

In the meantime, we (the parents) and Santa wanted to find out what Aidan would like this year.  So, the Target toy catalog was discreetly left out along with the latest Sponge Bob Square Pants pen.  This is the scene I came upon on Saturday morning. . .

Every single boy toy was marked in some way. . .every single one!  Sheesh!!  I do think there may be a Criss Cross Crash under the tree. . .that is one thing I know for sure he wants--I hear about it every time he sees it on Nickolodean.  But, shhhh!  Don't tell!  Pray that Aidan doesn't figure out the child locks yet. . .only one left and that is on the door to the guest room where I am hiding things.

And so it's official, we're getting ready to get ready. . .

Fall Farm Fun

Time is marching right along, isn't it??  When consulting calendars to get together with some friends, we discovered our next mutually available date is Saturday, December 4th. . .so we scheduled a get together to go cut down Christmas trees.  Okay, I know.  It's only early November still, but December 4th is only a little more than 3 weeks away!  That got me panicking a little so I have been shopping for those gifts that need to be mailed across the country so they can be sent the weekend of Thanksgiving. . .which is only TWO weeks away!!  Yikes. . .Oh, and, yes I also cleaned out Target of those small round pearl colored lights for the tree. . .: )

But, in the meantime, and despite our crazy work/hunting/ice skating/school/swimming lesson schedules, we are having some fun!

Sunday, after church, Aidan agreed be a part of the Children's Christmas Pageant at Church, so he and I met with everyone else in the Music Room and sang some Christmas songs. . .it was adorable!  I can't wait to see him and all the other children present this wonderful array of songs. 

Then we dashed off to Ashburn to ice skating lessons. . .Aidan needs to strengthen his ankles some, but he is doing really great.  He is the best backwards skater in his class!!  Awesome. . .

Then, we dashed back to Leesburg and met up with our church buddies at Temple Hall Farm for some fun in the really chilly sun.  Seriously, it was cold.  But, Aidan didn't care!  He has become buddies with the Rectors son, Owen, and the two of them were inseparable the whole afternoon--running after the chickens, turkeys, pigs, and even riding the camels!  I wouldn't have let Aidan do this, he is only four, but Owen is really hard to resist, so the boys even shot corn cobs out of the corn shooter and then pumpkins out of, what looked to me, like a surface to air missile launcher. . .And I have to tell you, proudly, my son was an excellent shot!  He's still a little small--not much upper body strength yet--to really control that big gun, but he did great!!  His daddy would have been proud.

After all of that, we met Daddy back at home and went out to dinner.  What a full day!  And what a blast.  We, all three of us, crashed early and slept well.

And now I'll leave you with a few pictures from our day at Temple Hall Farm:

The camel ride with Owen.

Aidan's next favorite thing, the cow train!

Getting ready to chase the pigs.  The farm worker was explaining how they would run around and getting the children to name the pigs.

Aidan was chedking out the pigs in the cages. . .

Waiting for the pig race to start. . .

I am just not sure I like this, Mama!

Okay, I'm happy again.  Especially since Taylor is letting me ride with her!!!

And, one more train ride before we head home. . .

Then and Now

Three years ago today, I opened my email and saw my son for the first time:

My heart was so full of love, joy, and hope I cried.  We still didn't have travel dates. . .but that was soon in following--like 4 days later we found out we were leaving 9 days after that!

Now my little monster is growing up and is really looking more and more like a little boy.  He's not a baby anymore. . .

My heart is still very full of love, joy and hope.  And I still weep when I think about what a great gift we have been given.  But now, three years later, we are living it. 

Thanks be to God!

PS.  It's these comparison pictures that really get me!  You don't notice how much they are growing, right in front of your eyes, and then you see some old pictures and you think, "Wow!  When did that happen???"

November Cornahopia

Aidan came home from school the other day and said, "Mama!  I made a Cornahopia today!"  I think that is a better word and probably closer to what our forefathers were thinking when they put all of those first fruits together. . .I am assuming, of course, that the Cornahopia Aidan made will come home with the 20 pounds of artwork we bring home each week.  I'd really like a turkey, though.  Do you think they take art requests at school?

Yesterday I took Aidan with me to vote.  While there, this was our quick conversation about it:
"What's voting, Mama?"  It's when I tell the people what I want and then I hope they listen.  "Oh!  Okay!"

Aidan later went with Daddy to vote and then proceeded to tell the lady checking Daddy in that he had voted twice. . .wish I could have seen those raised eyebrows!

Speaking of voting, I am glad it's done. . .not because we had a huge election for my area--just one Representative to the House and a few bond issues.  But, our television has been full of ads for all of Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, Washington DC and Delaware.  Really.  A little overkill, to say the least.  Now those can stop and we can get back to doing our everyday things and hope that those elected will actually do something there inside the Beltway.  More Cornahopia, I guess.

And I guess it is a sign of the times, albeit a good one, that although we have been innunadated with all of these election ads, there have been no Christmas Commercials yet shown on tv that I have seen.  The stores are all decked out, but I haven't seen an ad yet. . .they usually start on Halloween night. 
Also yesterday, there was a thick frost on everything.  It had gotten down into the 20's for the first time this season.  I told Aidan that Father Frost had made us a visit. . .I think I may have to try to find the full story--I only know some of the story about Ded Moroz and Snegurachka and how they defeat Baba Yaga, but I don't know all of it.  We do have a Father Frost that we'll put out at Christmas, but Aidan hasn't been old enough for the whole story.  He seemed interested yesterday so now I'll look. 

But, back to the frost. . .the weatherman actually said the word "snow" in connection with weather near us. . .possibly flurries here Friday morning, but actually snow further up in the mountains.  Yikes!  But, then again, it is November. . .

Hallween Family Fun

Wow.  Did we really have a weekend?  I feel like it was all a blur. . . .

We started out the weekend on Friday night by carving our pumpkins and turning them into Jack-o-Lanterns.  I thought it was really cute because Aidan picked his pumpkin face from one he plays with on an online computer game that teaches shapes, letters, numbers and reading.  (http://www.starfall.com/)

Aidan didn't much care for the initial smell the pumpkins had, but this got better once Mama sprinkled some cinnamon inside.  Daddy had Aidan help some with the carving, and in spite of a little bit of attitude, we all had a lot of fun!

Aidan and I ran errands on Saturday and then played outside while Daddy went hunting. 

And then Sunday. . .Halloween!!!!

Aidan and a few of the other children wore their costumes to church and we able to be a part of the procession with the Cross.  Adorable!!

Then we came home for a quick lunch, headed out to ice skating lessons and then back home to get ready for the pre-Halloween parade party with some friends.  We had invited 3 families over so that we had 5 children ranging in age 4 down to 2 1/2.  Stew, pizza, Monster punch and lots of candy and sweets and we were all bouncing off the wall by parade time.  The kids donned their costumes and got made up and off we went.

We were exhausted when we got back, but we still had to go Trick-or-Treating!  The older kids--3 and 4--headed out with the parents while I stayed back and manned the door for our visitors.  Bath time didn't come until 8:30 and bed time was at 9:00 at which time Aidan listened to one story--The Night Before Halloween-- and then headed off quickly to slumberland. . . followed shortly by Mama and Daddy. . .

Unfortunately, I did not get a close up good picture of Aidan in his costume, but this one cracked me up because it is just like a spider checking things out:

Hope you had a safe and happy Halloween!