Hippity Hoppity Easter's on it's Way!

Oh what fun we had celebrating Easter this year. Kieran really started to figure out what this holiday was all about...with a little help from big brother! The boys woke up and did a quick search for eggs throughout the house. There was chocolate to be had by all! Oddly, a new word quickly emerged from Kieran once the hunting was over..."mine". This has continued - particularly when it comes to treats. Although with three boys in the house, it is understandable why the littlest of them all has to be protective of his food!

We ended up hosting the family for Easter dinner. It went great - there was tons of great food, which inevitably comes out during the holidays. Kieran has been spitting out new words right and left these days. During dinner, we were going around the table trying to get him to say everyone's name. When it came to Aunt Megan he repeated something along the lines of "muh-pa", which we interpreted to be Mudpie. Therefore, Aunt Megan is now officially Aunt Mudpie!

The best part was the impromptu football playing in the backyard after dinner was over. Aiden is getting quite good at catching and throwing. Kieran even tried to get in on the action too!

5 years and counting

So, today we officially celebrated Aiden's 5th birthday. It's hard to believe where the time has gone. I actually overhead him talking to Kieran saying "when you are grown up you can climb just like me!" I think in Aiden's world he has officially grown up!

Aiden picked a pirate theme for his swim party this year, which we held at Lifetime Fitness. We had lots of friends that came to celebrate the day with us along with Gram & Papa & Memaw & Grandpa John. The kids had a blast in the pool playing around and standing under the mushroom waterfall. They took us to a party room following swimming where the kids dug into pizza & some yummy cupcakes. Aiden's favorite toys this year were the nerf sword he got from his friend Lincoln & another from mommy & daddy. He also received a few nerf blaster guns from Gram & Papa, his friend Ava and from a surprise visit from our favorite birthday girl - Kaila Grace! I have found many a bullets all throughout the house; however, I will say that this has been hours of entertainment for even Chris & myself! What fun!

Sunday we spent the day at Grandpa D & GJ's house celebrating with them & spending time with Ma while she was in town.

On the morning of the BIG DAY - we took Aiden to Starbucks for breakfast. Again - I realize I am only encouraging this bad habit, but Aiden loves his Starbucks chocolate milk and blueberry muffin. We took cupcakes to school that he shared with friends. I also picked him up early from school that day and brought him back to my office. My boss, Mr. Troy, has a huge affection for Aiden. Even to my surprise, Mr. Troy had brought in balloons and a cookie cake for Aiden's birthday that we all got to enjoy. I had made dinner to Aiden's request - homeade macaroni & cheese & fruit cups. Needless to say - Aiden took a few bites and said his belly hurt...I think he had more sugar than he could take, but hey - what are birthdays for, right?

Here are a few pictures that captured the memories of the fun day(s):

Luck o' the Irish

While the boys have 100% German heritage from my side of the family, and a lot of everything else from Chris's side of the family, for whatever reason we chose to name both of our boys very Irish names...which is why it is so appropriate that we have to dress them appropriately on this Irish holiday. Check out their attire:

...here is our Irish superhero!

and our McCutie!...

Hope that you celebrate appropriately!

Like everyone else, the boys have been very tired holed up inside in this very cold winter. We have now officially started a countdown to spring...and Aiden's birthday...and did I mention Halloween and Christmas?

Aiden has caught a recent case of "the wants". Ever since Christmas, he is very aware that there are times that he gets lots and lots of toys. And somehow there is always just something a little bit better that he doesn't already have. However, I would say the endless stream of Star Wars figures that are in the play room, in his room, in my bathtub, and YES, even in my bed that would prove otherwise. And did I also mention the stream of toys that pile up on the floor to/from school each day. How to deal with the never ending dilemma...

On another note, I have to say how incredibly proud I am of Aiden's recent accomplishments in the pool. At the beginning of the year, Aiden started a swim class, which the teacher moved him up quickly to the next level of class. For starters, this is the 2ND swim class that Aiden has ever taken. That is why is was much to my surprise that the class he moved up to only swims in the deep end of the pool - and without assistance! For weeks on end we had many many tears, and I believe that Aiden was truly scared of swimming in the pool. As his mother, I will have to say that it is incredibly hard to push your child through something they don't enjoy because you know that it is good for them. I nearly left in tears myself after that first lesson. However, we worked with him on the weekends and practiced - and for the first time last night Aiden was very brave and conquered the pool without any tears at all! To make it even better, he is like a fish! My little boy can swim all the way from the deep end to the shallow completely unassisted. It is such a cool thing to watch him make this great transformation.

As for Kieran, he has recently been the crux of the household, waking Chris and I up at endless hours of the evening. True to toddler form, we have not been able to figure out exactly why this is happening, but when Kieran wakes up he is up and ready to play...not tired - it's full tilt boogy time. So, we are hoping this phase ends quickly as we walk around with bags under our eyes. Kieran, on the other hand, has not missed a beat. He is learning how to play as a little boy - using the barstools as his "garage" for his construction trucks just last night. He is also spitting out many words these days - "car", "truck", "more". He also loves to point to the different parts of his body, and his favorite is to show off his "bee" (belly-button). He's also filled with many faces, and often will do whatever he can to get a laugh - especially at the dinner table. I predict he is going to be the funny man of this family.

Check out what we have been up to:

Kindergarten already?

So Chris and I embarked on the beginning of a journey last night that is about ready to fast forward the next 18 years. In our school district, they pull all parents together for a preview of the school year to come in an evening called Kindergarten Roundup. Oddly, this year they just had the parents attend this first session - they must know from past experience that it takes parents MUCH longer to prepare for this day than it does the kids. So, we got a babysitter and sat with 100 some parents in the library of our soon to be elementary school learning about the different types of programs they offer, meeting the administrative staff and teachers, ways to get involved in the school, etc.

I was doing alright until the school counselor read off a poem that in short told us parents not to push our kids too quickly because the road ahead is long and steady and how they are still just little people with little hearts that have so much learning to do. At that time it was like it all hit me at once - that my little Aiden was going to start school learning how to read and write, make new friends and go through all of the stages of growing up. And, while he still has so much learning to do, how little he still seems to me and how it feels just like yesterday that he came home from the hospital and learning how to walk and talk. Surely we can't be ready for all of this just yet? It took everything in that moment that I could do to pull myself back together, but I can only imagine what it is going to be like this fall when I drop him off for his first day of kindergarten.

I guess that is why they must give us parents so much time to prepare...

Sports & Girls

OK, so I'll be the first one to admit that growing up in the Smith household is difficult. Namely - we are the ONLY Jayhawk fans in our family (minus Gram & Papa who sway on occasion, primarily when the Hawks are on a winning streak!). However, since birth we have done everything possible to brainwash our boys to sport their crimson and blue. Aiden has already been to a KU football and basketball game (and did I mention that he just so happened to spill his sprite all over the K-State fan sitting in front of us...still laughing about that one!). We also deck them out in KU gear - particularly after a big win! And, Aiden also has a KU blanket he sleeps under each night and a KU sign hanging above his bed to give him sweet "hawkish" dreams. Which is why it is only that I can call on my ornery Lindemann roots that I do not understand that anytime a KU game is on tv, Aiden ALWAYS cheers for the other team! Now Aiden does have some very bad Tiger influences from many of his grandparents and aunts, who along the years have tried to teach Aiden that Jayhawks resemble rubber chickens and the like, so you can understand why he is not quite sure where to put his allegiance (I guess he's not old enough to figure out where his college fund is coming from!).

That is where my boss comes into play. My child is SO spoiled that at 4 years old he knows exactly what Starbucks is. To all mothers - do not introduce your children to chocolate milk, and do not let your children know that Starbucks SERVES chocolate milk. I realize that I could simply just say "no", but seriously, how can I feel good about myself while I am sipping my delicious skinny vanilla latte with a drooling thirsty pre-k'er in the back seat! And not to make things worse, but my boss further encourages the spoiling by bringing back the occasional Starbucks chocolate milk for me to take home to Aiden. Needless to say, Mr. Troy is far FAR up on Aiden's list of favorite people. So last week after the KU/K-State stompage, Mr. Troy was asking if Aiden enjoyed the game, which I had to sheepishly respond that Aiden was cheering for none other than the Wildcats. Upon hearing such blasphemy, Mr. Troy said that unless Aiden would change his ways and become a true Jayhawker, the chocolate milk supply was going to get cut off! Needless to say, Aiden was LOUDLY cheering for the Jayhawks against Nebraska this past Saturday and is now saying "Tigers, who?" I guess it is true that a way to a man's heart is through his stomach!

Speaking of sports, what a great Superbowl that we got to share with many of our high school friends last night. Aiden & Kieran had a fantastic time munching on all of the treats they normally do not get to eat - Aiden taking fist fulls of M&Ms. However, I think the highlight of his evening was when he asked our friend Jeff to play Star Wars with him. In surprise, Jeff's 7 yr old daughter eagerly said - "I LOVE Star Wars, can I be Princess Leia?" I seriously thought Aiden was going to get down and propose right there...

Welcome to my blog!

I feel so nervous as I type this...I am joining the world of blogging, which I equate to the time that I took a leap off a cliff into the water below at the Lake of the Ozarks back in my high school days. At least Chris was there to hold my hand, which I will admit that sometimes I do need a little hand holding - particularly when it comes to things that I consider technological in nature.

Anyways, the reason for this blog is not that I want to be as cool as all of my friends who are already bloggers (which btw you all ROCK and I love following your posts!). Rather, I often try to channel the blogs that I secretly wish Chris to post on his blog at http://swiii.blogspot.com, but since boys are from mars and girls are from venus our telepathic communication REALLY stinks!

So instead I have opted to start my own blog. Thus, while I don't want to take any viewers away from my dear husband, because I can already promise you that I do not have near the humor he has on various (and more random) aspects of life, I do want to lure you in if you want to follow the ramblings of a mom who is constantly surrounded and amazed by the goings on of the boys in my life. While I have NEVER considered myself a girly girl - I think living in a house of testosterone has definitely made me embrace my more feminine side. So, I hope to post the funny stories and pictures that are proof of the life (aka adventure) that I never expected it to be.

A perfect example of this would be this very morning. As I was getting the boys ready for school, Kieran decided he was not feeling too patient. In my efforts of changing his diaper - off he runs to enjoy some nakie time. While having experience raising my boys, I know this is a bad idea (and you can already see where this blog is going), but I ignored my better judgment and went back to drying my hair. Seconds later Aiden calls from his room - MOM!! Come in here - NOW!! Immediate panic sets in, as I have now come to understand that you cannot predict what trouble two little boys have caused. As I get to Aiden's room, it appears as if a small rabbit has visited as there are small Kieran droppings on top of Aiden's favorite book that lay on the floor. Kieran, without a beat, is off and running again with me chasing behind. Then I look to Chris and say - we really signed up for this? Seriously...but how can you not forgive faces like these?



Hope you enjoy my posts!