It's Danielle's wedding day and It's snowing!

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Storytelling Santa

Storytelling Santa at the library. Aidan's sitting up front all by himself! (he's all the way to the right in the white longsleeve with blue short sleeve over it)

Holy crap. My little boy is growing up so fast. Tonight Sean took him to the library for Storytelling Santa. He sent me this picture and I did a double take before realizing Aidan was sitting up front all by himself. Crazy! Sean said he walked right up there and sat near (later was moved onto) a carpet square. Then he sat the entire time while Santa read a couple of books. Once Santa was done reading the kids were instructed to line up to visit with Santa and Aidan got right in line. Sean joined him in line and took a few pics while Aidan sat on Santa's lap. He even gave Santa a high five before heading home but of course after playing in the children's section. How stinking cute is my kid?

Now, where was I during this you ask? Trying to get my butt in shape, literally. I've been doing pilates once a week and I love it. Thursday nights have been busy lately and with the holidays coming up the next couple of Thursday classes are cancelled. So tonight I tried out a Yoga fusion class (yoga/pilates/light hand weights) with a different instructor. First of all, holy moly yoga is wayyyyyyyyy different. Second of all, Pilates is so much better. Or at least I think so. I used muscles I didn't realize I had and stretched in ways I didn't think possible. Anyway, it was fun and maybe I'll go again next Tuesday. Is it possible to get more in shape for a New Years Eve wedding in one week, the one week where Christmas happens to fall? Maybe if I just starve myself for the next couple of days and a few days after Christmas I'll be okay. Yeah right, I love food way too much to do that. Spanx here I come!!! :-)

Oh, another thing about Aidan...I have to say his sense of humor lately is hilarious. For instance, he has a rocket arm for an almost 20 month old and sometimes he stands just a little too close to mommy when he throws things. And well, sometimes mommy flinches. He thinks it is the funniest thing. Or how about when I drop said thrown item...another funny thing for him to laugh at. It's funny how he knows when to laugh at things before other people laugh now. Before he could read cues, but now he just laughs when he thinks something is funny, and most of the time it is, well, except when flying objects are headed right for my face. Not so funny then Mr. Aidan.

My thoughts on life right now:
My kid is hilarious.
Christmas is going to be so fun this year!
Must open new camera tomorrow!!!
Congrats to Cait for getting a varsity uniform for basketball this year! Now go be assertive!

mmmmm...

Snow fun!

We had an awesome time out in the snow today. It didn't last very long, but it was fun. After getting all bundled up I pulled Aidan down the street in his sled. We returned back home and made daddy take a break from shoveling to play with us for a bit. We had to clear a space in the front lawn so Aidan could even walk since most of the snow is just about as tall as he is! He wasn't so sure about all of it at first, but once he got the hang of walking in the snow suit he seemed to enjoy it. After playing in the snow, the only way to get him inside without having a fit thrown was to tell him he could get a shower. He was happy to get inside and undressed. Before I could get all my layers and boots off he was upstairs standing in the shower. All I could do was crack up laughing at him. After a nice, warm shower we enjoyed some lunch where he fell asleep in the high chair before he was even done. So cute!

My thoughts on life right now:
Snow is more fun with a little one around.
Snow day tomorrow!!! Woohoo!!!
I can't wait for Christmas to see Aidan's reactions!

best way to find the lights to shovel them out was to turn them on! :-)

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So precious.

Our Home

Maybe later I'll post a night time one with our candles and lights on if we aren't snowed in by then.

Loves the mall choo choo

Fun at bj's on wednesday

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Fun on the mall train on wednesday

Movies in bed on this snowy day

Mom! I want to go out!

We've got around 6 inches of snow already and they're predicting it will continue through the night. Aidan is pulling at the door handle trying to open it. He wants to go out so badly! The dog on the other hand took two steps outside and peed right on the patio...ugh. The ridiculous part is that every time it snows we have to shovel a path out to a cleared circle in the grass so he's got a spot to go. *******HEYYYYYYYY!!!********Aidan just got the door open! I guess it wasn't locked! I jumped up, closed it, and now he's whining. Crazy kid. It won't be long before we're dressed and outside.

If you were headed to our house tonight for our annual Christmas party there's been a change in plans due to Mother Nature. Party will now be next Saturday night. Stay safe and warm inside your own house tonight!

My thoughts on life right now:
Snow is beautiful.
Kids make things magical.
I love the snow now, but hate when it gets that dirty look.
What's Aidan going to think once he's actually outside in all this?

Best. Sound. Ever.

Visits with Santas

Yup, that's right. We saw two santas this weekend. However, one was big and green and furry and lives at Citizens Bank Park. That's right folks, we saw Phanta Claus this weekend. Aidan was so excited to be back at the ballpark and was confused when he looked out onto the field and no one was there. As soon as we got in line and told him he'd see the Phanatic he got excited and even said yes when we asked him if he was going to sit on his lap. We were still a little worried he was going to freak out so we dressed for the picture just in case. We didn't have to wait very long, and by that I mean less than an hour compared to last years hours. When we got to the front of the line and Aidan could see the Phanatic he was thrilled. That mood changed just a bit when I peeled him off of my hip to hand him over and step back. He didn't cry though, just sort of sat there wondering why the heck I let him go to the Phanatic. As a 19 month old, the Phanatic is pretty darn big, and well, there were all these strange people around looking. I'd be a little nervous too!

Today we trekked out to the mall in the chilly weather and waited in line to see Santa. This guy wasn't quite as entertaining as Phanta Claus, but he was quite authentic. Again, we worried he wouldn't sit with him, but he did well. He of course smiles and is excited while in line and then turns serious as soon as he's in front of the camera. Luckily for everyone he didn't cry though. He was very excited to get his book from Santa and even waved goodbye.

So, finally I can get to work on those Christmas cards...hopefully I'll have them done by Christmas! :-)

My thoughts on life right now:
My little boy is growing up so fast.
Will visiting Phanta Claus become a yearly tradition?
I barely have any shopping done, and that worries me.
I love my guys, even Toby our dog.

Snacking while waiting in line for Santa

Even when there's not a game it still rains when We're here

New Layout!!!

Like the new layout? I do! It's so Christmasy! :-)

I've got to thank Ms. Bloganista (aka Jenn) for creating it and giving awesome directions that allowed me to use it for my blog that was in desparate need of some sprucing up.

Now I can't wait to hopefully **fingers crossed that it gets accomplished** get Aidan's pictures with both Santa and Phanta Claus this weekend so I can use/have her create a layout for our Christmas cards.

My thoughts on life right now:
I'm excited for Christmas for Aidan this year...now if only the shopping for him was done.
The Rockettes show tonight was great...what talent!
I LOVE my little guy...and the big one too!
One of these years I'd like to have Christmas cards done in early December, not working on them up to the 15th!

Love this pic from a couple of weeks ago

Rockettes

My love, Aidan

Just needs decorations

Toby :-)

Some fun after putting up the tree

We need more lights! Looks good so far.

Swedesboro Christmas parade

Sean, Aidan and I went to the parade to see Aidan's buddy Taylor dance for Dee Dots. We also got to see some other great things in the parade. Aidan's favorite was the firetrucks! He liked the lights on the police car as well. It was a little windy but he stayed bundled up nice and cozy until we got him out so he could really see all the trucks. It was a nice family day.

My thoughts on life right now:

I am very thankful for my family, especially Sean and Aidan.

I can't believe Christmas is less than a month away!

Congrats to Steph & Brian! SO happy for my sister!

aidan kisses

Kisses from Aidan take all the stress and trouble out of a bad day or bad mood and make it all better. He knows just how to make us smile and laugh...even if we are in the middle of telling him "no". It's amazing to watch him play and interact and think how much he's grown in just a year and a half. It's unbelievable really.

My thoughts on life right now:
Aidan is amazing.
Aidan hugs are pretty darn good too.
His smile is priceless.

Oh the fun @ shenanigans

Mmmmmmm....wine

Wine tasting

Danielle @ Cherry Valley Winery

What a weekend!

What a nice, long, semi-relaxing weekend. Thanks to the NJEA convention weekend I had off Thursday and Friday and Sean had some days to use so he took off as well. Wednesday while I was at an all day workshop Sean took Aidan to music class. Aidan was very good and was extra interactive. Daddy sure was proud of him. Once I got home we decided to take a trip to the mall to check out Gap since Sean is in dire need of new jeans in a more appropriate size. Luckily for all of us he finally found a pair that fit. He was quite happy as well. Of course Aidan didn't get out of there without a trip to Gymboree where he got a cute pair of puppy slippers that were on clearance. They're a size or two big so he'll have to wait a bit before he gets them. I got an absolutely adorable outfit for a friend who is due at the end of this month. I forgot how tiny newborn clothes were! I can't wait to meet him (and of course get some baby-holding time in!).

Thursday we were hoping to be productive but were all moving kind of slow so we didn't do too much other than some things around the house. Later in the day we took Aidan for his very FIRST HAIRCUT!!! So fun. We also took a trip to Ikea which Aidan really enjoyed. I'm sure he was thinking "if only all stores could be this fun".

Friday after Aidan's nap we really wanted to get out to Spread Your Wings so Aidan could have a great time running, climbing, and playing on things. Once there he had so much fun. He went up steps, down slides, played with instruments, and experimented with just about every other thing in there. His favorite thing by far though was the ball pit. He was really making Sean work on his day off. He thought it was so funny to throw the balls out so Sean had to get them. Once he got the hang of moving around in there he never wanted to get out. He even liked sort of jumping into the balls. It was so cute. It was neat for me to see how much more active and able to do things he was this time than when we were there last for a play group in August. We both really enjoyed watching Aidan have a great time and were glad we could both be there with him. We spent the rest of the day cleaning and doing laundry. Not nearly as fun as watching Aidan play.

Saturday we hosted a small get together compliments of Shop Rite. Steph put my name in to win their Ultimate Tailgate Party and I won the grand prize of the Touchdown Party. There was tons of food! Everyone enjoyed it and we got to see a few friends we haven't seen in a while. It was also nice to have family together too.

Today we were in recovery mode, all of us. We all stayed up a little later than we're used to and I think all the running around was catching up to us. We had round two of the food and a few people stopped by to help us eat it. We've still got some leftovers so at least I won't have to worry about lunch or dinner tomorrow. I ran a few errands and came to one conclusion...if you want anything you better buy it three months before you'll need it if it is seasonal or it will be GONE! Tonight I had to order Aidan's Christmas outfit online because few stores still have holiday wear out. Tomorrow at school I'm hoping I can borrow Fall themed stationary from someone to make a color copy of for a project I want to do with my class. I went to multiple stores to paper and there was none. Even Michael's scrapbook section didn't have loose, single sheets of a print or even some solids I could have used. Ugh. Just annoying. I did however pick up a few dollar section items for my students' Christmas gifts this weekend. I'm thinking a good finishing touch will be homemade something-cookies or candy maybe. I so can't wait for Christmas.

My thoughts on life right now:
Family time is priceless.
Aidan's new hair cut is adorable, and so is he.
I still can't believe my baby is a year and a half old!
I can't wait for Christmas.
I need to hit the lottery!!!
At this rate, will swim suits be on the shelves in January???

Touchdown party winnings compliments of Zallies Shop Rite

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Making daddy work on his day off

Having fun @ Spread Your Wings

Giant bees nest in the tree by my car

Aidan's First Haircut!!!

If you didn't scroll down you didn't get to see one of the many pictures of Aidan getting his very first hair cut. He's 18 months old and we finally decided it was time, mainly because we noticed the hair in front starting to bother him and get in his eyes. Otherwise we may have kept those curls forever!


We went to Kids Kuts and it was awesome there. While we waited Aidan played with a few toys and seemed interested in what was going on in those fancy, schmancy chairs they had. I don't even think I can call them chairs. It's more like those playground animals that were atop large springs and you sat on them and they wiggled all around. You know what I mean? There was also a Barbie car and a Lightning McQueen car. Aidan got to sit in the red car. He was so excited but refused to let that past his serious face at first. He sat right down and held onto the wheel. He even pushed a few sound buttons. He didn't mind at all when the stylist put the cape on him or sprayed and combed his hair. He even watched a little of Horton Hears a Who. (where can i sign up for a salon like this? except i want a massage chair instead of a car to sit in, and maybe an episode of grey's anatomy to watch) He was SO good! I didn't really know what to tell her when she asked how we wanted it cut other than not too short, but a good trim, maybe about two inches. Sean wasn't sure either and since he never gets a hair cut he doesn't question he was even more nervous for Aidan. We both love his curls oh so much, but knew that it was time for a cut. She cut most of them off, but there's still a little bit in the back. We'll really be able to tell once he gets a bath and the hair is wet. She did a great job though and he sat still the entire time. He was so good, but would you expect anything different from him? (just kidding)


When he was just about done Steph came waltzing through the door. She was in the shopping center and saw our car and then saw Sean through the window. It was nice of her to drop in to make sure we were all surviving the cut.


After receiving his certificate and locks of hair, Aidan got a sticker...one of his favorite things right now. We headed out the door with our stylish little boy. I can't believe his little baby hairs are all gone. The hair he was born with is no longer attached. So sad. It was tough but had to be done.


We decided to head to Ikea in South Philly after we were done to check out a bookcase we found online that may have worked for the living room. We had never eaten there but figured we'd at least get Aidan something. Once we were in the restaurant we figured we'd go ahead and eat too since it looked pretty good. It's cafeteria style but the food was much better than that. For around $14 Sean, Aidan and I got fried chicken and mashed potatoes, pasta with meatballs, and french fries, mac n cheese, and yogurt. You can't even get McDonald's for that cheap! It was yummy too.


We walked around Ikea for a bit and Aidan LOVED it. I'm sure he thought it was great that he was actually allowed to touch everything. He had a good time in the kids section but an even better time when he discovered a little hideaway spot that had a ball pit. He kept running around the aisles not wanting to hold Sean's hand, but as soon as he saw that ball pit he pulled Sean's hand and looked at him almost to ask "Daddy, can we go play?" So cute. He certainly had a lot of fun in there. He fell asleep within minutes of getting in the car after all that playing and running around. It ended up not being a successful trip since the shelf wasn't as white as we'd hoped, but we all had a great time together.


My thoughts on life right now:

1st haircut. wow.

Aidan is growing up so fast, sometimes I wish he had a pause button but every day I love seeing how much he's grown and learned.

Check out the pictures from tonight...I didn't edit them, so forgive me for the red eyes and lack of editing! http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2048417

Aidan loves Ikea

Christmas decorations already? It's only a matter of days before sean starts the annual search for music

18 month check-up

26 pounds, 11 ounces (50-75th percentile)
32 inches long (50-75th percentile)
49.5cm head circumference (95th percentile)

Aidan had his 18 month check up today and those are his measurements. He used to be in the 75th-90th in height, and the 95th-97th for weight and head size. Developmentally and physically he checked out just perfect. The nurse practitioner couldn't believe how well he was cooperating with everything. He just laid on the table and let her listen, poke, prod, etc. without making a peep. He's just so curious about everything and everyone that I think he's too busy examining them to worry about what is going on. Plus, Aidan has a good judge of character. He also got four vaccines today and was such a brave boy. He sat on my lap and didn't let out a wail until the fourth one went in, but that's a stinger. So good. We're so blessed that he's healthy.

He's finally starting to level out and not be such a big boy. This is both good and bad. Good because he's getting more wear out of his clothes as well as toys we have around here with weight limits. Bad because the 24 months and 2T clothes I bought for the winter aren't fitting yet. He is able to wear some of the 24 months stuff, mostly the shirts, but as far as pants go he's fitting best in the 18-24 months stuff. I'm pretty sure I've got at least 2-3 pairs of 2T pants in the back of the closet behind another 2-3 new pairs of 24 month stuff. He's set on clothes for the cold weather pretty much. Maybe just some more white onesies in a 24 month size since somehow we've only got 3 short sleeve and 3 long sleeve. That means laundry has to be done more often that I'd like. haha.

After the appointment we went to vote. So far Aidan's been with me to the polls for every election day since he was born. It's fun taking him and I also think it's important for him to know that voting is something that everyone should do. He doesn't understand that yet, but some day he will.

Off to relax for now. The Phillies have off tonight before heading back to NY for another WS game. GO PHILLIES!!!

My thoughts on life right now:
Being healthy is so important.
We are blessed with an awesomely, amazing, adorable Aidan.
Thankful for having off on Thursday and Friday to spend family time with Aidan and Sean.

One... Counting before he jumps off the back. Time to pack a few toys away since wild man is finding new ways to play with them!

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Phanatic- for Aidan

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View from the poncho. Lots of rain. Not cool. Dejavu of last year's game three. Let's get this party started!

WS game 3

Pearl Jam

what i found after coming out of the laundry room. Got a book and climbed up all by himself

Werth's Home run :)

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