i really have nothing to say right now

but i can always round up a few photos of my favorite subjects.

making snowflakes

eating snow. what else?

looks innocent. may be torture, however.

i never posted christmas photos........ maybe soon!

my favorite kind of photo

Dog waiting for boy to wake up

Dog sitting on clean, freshly showered boy who is also calling his Nana.

Playing in the park

Proton has been a great addition to our little family.

This weekend my mother-in-law was gracious enough to let Aidan bring his buddy down for a visit. Not quite sure what went down but I heard there was poo in her house. My deepest apologies to her! We have never had that experience with him, so I am not sure what went wrong, but I am so sorry it happened at her house!!!!

I was envisioning Aidan and Proton playing in the woods at their house, chasing through the trails, playing spies..... all his favorite things...... not making messes.

While they have been gone however, I had some quality girl time, quality thinking time, productive sewing time and some major clarity about some big decisions. For the first time in a year I am actually excited about something in this process, so more on that later as it unfolds.

Hope you are having a great weekend too.

his first

setting up

lemon or lime?

would you like a sunny lemon butter cookie too?

ummm, this wasn't exactly a get rich scheme but we still had fun.

even though this was our first lemonade stand I don't imagine it will be our last.

for Mother's Day

i was given a perfect gift -

a handmade flowerpot, the seed is a surprise.

another forgotten post

April seemed like a never-ending month of birthday parties and rain showers. Not that I mind birthday parties but all that cake is hard on a girls waistline. Especially because Aidan and I prefer the same kind of cake: white with white frosting. I can resist a chocolate cake, but all the creamy, white frosting........ mmmmm.

This year Aidan just had a few friends over for an afternoon of Wii (instead of a big party.) I think low-key is definitely the way to go. He had just as much fun as last year but with about half of the work and stress for me. :)

Kitty Grandma was able to come for the party. She ate her first "walking taco." (Aidan's dinner of choice for the day.) Last year Aidan chose fried rice, orange chicken, green beans, oranges......... most of which ended up in the garbage. I would say that walking tacos were definitely a better choice. What kid doesn't love taco meat, cheese and doritos?

catching up

Someone has had a busy month.

Multiple birthday parties, 4 lost teeth, a program, soccer, and lots of bike riding and outdoor play have filled our time.

We took him to Rainforest Cafe at the MOA for his birthday and he had a molten lava birthday cake. Now.... they do advertise free birthday desserts at Rainforest but what they don't tell you is that the free dessert is a tiny little cupcake (which in most circumstances would be totally adequate.) However it seemed that the day we were there every parent in the place upgraded their childs treat to the big, sparkling lava cake with all the fanfare and so we decided to jump on the "bigger is better" bandwagon. We didn't share that info with Aidan though, he thought all he was going to be getting was the little free cupcake - and he was quite gracious about it as well. So you can imagine his surprise when the staff came out with the giant dessert. (let me rephrase that. The expensive giant dessert) Funny thing is, none of us are big chocolate fans so we pretty much just paid for some sparklers and ice cream.

I would say it was well worth the cost though. Aidan really was a trooper when we explained the cupcake was free so that would be our desert of choice. What a kid! He is sitting on the couch beside me as I write this so pardon me while I give him a big squeeze.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to two of my favorite people. Aidan and Jane share a birthday and this picture is from a celebration they shared when Aidan turned 4.

How much he has grown! We have already had two celebrations this weekend and there are more to come so stay tuned!'

In the meantime I need to go upstairs and finish getting ready for my next round of company. Currently the upstairs bedrooms are torn apart as I rearrange and make room for this treasure which will hopefully be the perfect home for my fabric.

Don't you just love my little painter?

spring

according to the calendar it has arrived.

but when i look outside all i see is snow.

i am thankful for trader joe's and six dollars worth of spring. i separated the bunch and have them brightening multiple corners of the house. they are slowly opening and sharing their pink blossoms and delicate fragrance.

soon it will be summer and i will be complaining about the heat and my lack of air conditioning. Isn't that how life goes - i need to be thankful for now, for the cold and the snow and the last chances to snuggle with my six-year-old before he turns seven next week!

if you look at the picture above you can see our matching game strewn across the floor. I used to be a real pro at that game. But now he kicks.my.butt. last night i thought i would be real tricky and leave the TV on so he would be distracted during the game.

guess what. he beat me 18 to 4.

i should also be thankful for a kid who is destined to be much smarter than I am.

Forgotten photo

This is for you, Val.

I try really hard not to be an "immersion school mom."

You know, the kind that manages to casually drop comments regarding their child's brilliance into every conversation. "Oh yes, our son is actually fluent in Chinese, he goes to an Immersion school in Minneapolis........."

You know the type.

Before Aidan started kindergarten I attended a "Back to school night" at Yinghua. That evening I sat with some parents who were absolutely horrified at the thought of living in a suburb. They couldn't. even. fathom. the. thought. Thankfully I have forgotten their faces but I haven't forgotten their careless dismissal of us "suburb dwellers." I think it is great to be proud of your children's school but when I talk about our choice I try really hard not to make others feel small by comparison.

However....... there are times I do want to brag a little, and often it is about unexpected moments. Like last week when we were at Borders and there was a huge gathering of Chinese people there and my little blue-eyed, blond-haired son went right up to them and started conversing in Chinese. The look on their faces........

Or earlier this winter when we spent an afternoon at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and he was reading all the ancient Chinese manuscripts. They were telling a story - and he could read them! Yes! It was amazing......... and if you have been there you might remember that there are staff everywhere (and I think they especially like to keep a close eye on potentially rambunctious little boys.) I could see by their faces that they were astounded as he read me the stories off of vases and wall hangings. Amazing.

So there. That is my bragging session for the month - and Val - I hope that answers your questions about school. Watching your child learn another language is a great opportunity, but seeing him actually put his knowledge to use in a social setting outside of school is amazing.

i want to squeeze him

conversation at my house last night

Me : "Aidan, what I am going to do with you, you are getting bigger every day! I don't know what to do about you!!!!"

Aidan : "Mom, what am I going to do with you? You get more beautiful every day."

Me: "Oh, don't be silly Aidan. Don't worry. I will keep feeding you healthy food and vitamins and let you grow bigger."

Aidan: "Mom - I am serious! You are! Even when you wear ugly clothes!"

Not making that up. It really happened. Spontaneously. And if he is smart, (which he is) the next time he really wants something, he will remember the way I swooped in and thanked him with a giant hug and kiss because right then if he would have asked me if he could skip his homework to go play, or for some candy or a giant pack of Pokemon cards you know I would have been all over it.

its beginning to look a lot like christmas in the .......

......kitchen.

a vintage tin my grandma j. passed on to me. it was always full of jelly belly's. (at my house it is sadly, empty.)

I love vintage ornaments....... and the little blond boy who made it into the photo.

speaking of little boys....... have you ever tried making a gingerbread house with one?

ours was falling apart faster than we could put it back together so we came up with a new plan.

it's called "bombed out gingerbread house."

you should try it next year because they are waaayyyyy easier.

Thanksgiving Eve

We spent the day running errands, playing games, wrestling, sledding, and hanging out.

Aidan was a real trooper and endured a lunch meeting at "mommy's work" and then a long, drawn out shopping experience at Anthropologie. So I kind of felt like I "owed him" some fun for the rest of the day.

For some reason Aidan really wanted to go to IKEA, (he loves the playland and always wants to spend his day off there.) I obliged but I admit it wasn't the brightest idea we have ever had. Thanksgiving eve, in a snowstorm, driving to IKEA which is on the way to a busy airport.......... like I said, not the brightest plan. We bought some white paper to wrap Christmas gifts, ate an ice cream cone and then headed back home.

We decided the evening was too beautiful to be spent indoors. We did some sledding and then I played "sled dog" and took Aidan all around the neighborhoods. (pulling a 50 lb. + child through the snow is way easier than the Insanity workouts I have been doing lately.)

There are some moments in parenthood you wish you could capture forever and last night we had one of those. Picture this. I am pulling him through the snowy streets. He is laying on his back looking up at the snow with his head resting in his hands and he says "Mom - I had the best day. Thanks."

Melt my heart. Yes-we can go to IKEA in a snowstorm any time you want. And yes, I will be glad to pull you through the neighborhood anytime.

Sorry, my pictures ended up in reverse order. But regardless, wouldn't you agree the park is amazing at night? Recently one blogger asked what kind of software I have - it is Lightroom and it's possibilities are endless; I am barely skimming the surface. ( I think i need to take a community ed class about how to use it.)

Anyway, have a great Thanksgiving!