Forden Family Chronicles

"When I was Five, I was just alive. But now I'm Six, I'm as clever as clever. So I think I'll be six now and for ever and ever!"

2010-08-06T15:51:00.005-04:00

quote by A.A. Milne

My baby turned six! Time is going by so fast. I try to savor the moments with my boys beause I know one day I will miss these days terribly.

Aidan is six years old now and he has grown so much in this past year in so many ways. He has become more independent and more sure of himself. He can read books and write stories all on his own. He can pick out his own clothes and dresses himself and he makes an excellent PB&J! :) And he is a wonderful big brother to Owen. I love watching them form more and more of a bond as they get older.

Aidan has a wonderful personality and a big heart. He loves to be around people and everybody falls in love with him :) He is such a charmer!

He loves to draw, to read, and to dance. I see so much of myself in him, it is scary sometimes. He is eager to please and gets frustrated with himself very easily- just like his mama! It's so amazing to see him change and become his own person as the years pass.

This year, we had a family party to celebrate. Then we went to Busch Gardens on Aidan's actual birthday, just the four of us. We had a blast! Can't wait to take them there again!

The birthday boy :)

Ready for take off!

Up and Away

Owen and Aidan dancing during the Oktoberfest show. This was too cute!

Come sail away with me...

Owen on the Grover roller coaster. What a brave little guy!

Somebody REALLY likes the chicken dance :)

One of their favorite rides

Happy Birthday Aidan! I love you all the way to the moon and back!!!

Good Good Times

2010-08-06T14:31:00.006-04:00

I guess that is goes without saying that I am a fool for some DMB (Dave Matthews Band)! Hey, everybody has their thing and this is mine. It's hard to explain this love affair I have...it's just one of those things that you either get it or you don't. I always tell people that going to a DMB show is something everybody should do at least once in their life. It is one of the most wonderful experiences that you can have. The energy of the band and the crowd in contagious. You just get swept away.

Of course I could rant on for hours about my favorite band but I promise not to do that to you :) I just have to say that their music has been powerful for me. It has helped me through some very tough times and it has also given me tons of joyful memories.

One of my favorite DMB songs is called Pig, which is about making the most of your days while you are here on Earth- "Dont' burn the day away" and being thankful for what you have. It also talks about the importance of LOVE in your life and finding love during the tough times- "there's bad times, but that's okay, just look for the love in there".

That song was the inspiration for my recent tattoo-

It's a reminder to me to make the most of every day because each day is a blessing. The pig is for the title of the song but also a tribute to my mother-in-law, who collects pigs. Her strength has been an inspiration to me.

Here is a video of the band playing the song live for your listening pleasure-

http://http//www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA2pZD YR0gw&feature=related

Of course, every summer Mike and I go see a DMB show. This year (since they are taking next year off after almost 20 years of touring) I was lucky enough to go to two of their concerts! There are many fans that go to 8, 9, 10+ shows a year but this is not doable for me (maybe some day!).

I am just happy to have had the opportunity to see them play this summer! I big thank you goes out to Mimi for taking care of the boys for me while I got my Dave fix! :)

Two of my friends and I went to the Virginia Beach show on July 20th and the hubby and I went to see them in DC on the 23rd. Both shows were amazing! Good good times!

Virginia Beach Ampitheater

My girls Anna and Ann enjoying the show

Aidan decided I needed a sign to take with me to the show (totally his idea)...it says DMB I Love You, Brandy. How cute is that?

Nationals Park in DC

Waiting for the show to start...definitely well worth the wait!

One Down, Twelve To Go

2010-08-06T14:00:00.005-04:00

It's hard to believe that Aidan will be starting 1st grade soon! He is VERY excited about it. :) Another year full of adventures in learning.
I have to say though that his next teacher has some big shoes to fill. Aidan's kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Tirs, is one of the most amazing people I have ever met and her passion for teaching is infectious! I am so thankful for all that she did for Aidan. She helped to instill a love of learning in my little boy and that is one of the greatest gifts in the world.
Here are some photos to recap Aidan's school year...

Aidan and Mrs. Tirs

Aidan dressed as Waldo for book character day at school

Dad and Aidan at the field trip to the Children's Museum of Richmond

Mimi and Aidan during the field trip to Maymont Park

100th day of school project :)

Aidan was the ring bearer for the wedding of Q and U

On stage for the end of the year program :)

**side note- I was not able to attend the program because my K class had their graduation that same day. So Mrs. Tirs, being the angel that she is, had a video made of the program so that I could see it! Of course this kind gesture brought me to tears, I am so grateful to her for doing that for me. What a special lady!

Aidan, Mom, and Owen at the summer birthday celebration

Fall school portrait

Spring portrait

It's amazing how much he has grown, both in height and knowledge! He is such a smart boy and he truly loves to learn. At the end of kindergarten, Aidan has memorized all of the sight words for Kindergarten, First and Second grade. He reads on a second level as well! The amazing part is that I did very little to make this happen...the kid's a natural! Yes, I am one proud mama! :)

Elephants, Tigers, and Tight Ropes...Oh, my!

2010-08-05T20:57:00.003-04:00

In April, we took the boys to see the Circus! As you can tell from the photos, they had a great time. They were very impressed by the motorcycles and thought the clowns were hilarious. We all had such a good time. Can't wait to go back next year!

My three favorite guys :)

Just look at that face!

I love the elephants!

Bye circus friends!

Play Ball!

2010-08-05T20:38:00.005-04:00

Aidan had his first exposure to organized sports this year. We signed him up for t-ball in the spring. He enjoyed it but I think he liked the social aspect of the team more than actually playing the game. In fact when the coach asked him where he favorite spot was on the team, he replied, "the bench"! Hilarious!

Hello Again!

2010-08-05T20:35:00.002-04:00

After a not-so-brief hiatus, I'm back. Boy do I have a lot of catching up to do! I am hoping to have the blog up to date before I go back to work....wish me luck! :)

Where does the time go?

2010-02-08T16:30:00.010-05:00

It's so hard to believe that my "baby" is 3! It seems like yesterday he was only this big!

Newborn

1 year old

2 years

3 years old and growing like a weed (Owen is taller right now than Aidan was at age 4!)

Cake number 1- this is the cake we had on Owen's actually birthday

Cake number 2 (this one was definitely a labor of love!)- we had this one at his party over at Mimi and Grandpa's house

Birthday Morning-opening his very 1st gift of the day!

An awesome "Cars" ambulance

I wonder if he wished for more cars?

Yum!

Checking out his new Handy Manny tool bench

Opening gifts at Mimi and Grandpa's house with all the family

Best Buddies- playing cars... notice what is on the TV:)

Wish number 2!

Looks like somebody had a pretty great birthday! Happy Birthday sweetheart!

A Very Forden Christmas!

2010-02-08T16:05:00.005-05:00

Christmas morning 2009!

The spread:)

A very surprised little boy!

Owen went straight for the cool stunt Mater of course!

Checking out Rocky the Robot Truck

Stocking Stuffers:)

A girl can always use some new trouser socks- Thanks Santa!

Playing with Rocky

No coal in this stocking!

Time to Play!

We are very grateful that we were able to have such a Merry Christmas together. Thank God for looking after us and blessing our lives with happiness! We are looking forward to a wonderul year full of fond memories with family and friends. We LOVE you all!

Christmas is Coming!

2010-02-08T14:56:00.010-05:00

Here are some photos from the week before Christmas. Enjoy:)

Aidan watching his e-mail message from Santa!

Owen watching his video with Dad. This was so neat and they loved it!

Opening gifts from Grandma- Wall-E pillow

Fire Truck for Owen

Owen and Aaron- partners in crime!

One happy guy!

The toothbrushes from their stocking were a HUGE hit!

Ok Mom, are you happy now?

The cousins... minus one

Oh, there he is! With his favorite person of course:)

Aunt Jeanette and Ashley

Our "bad gift" for the Christmas Auction. When I saw this, I knew it was the perfect auction gift!

John McKee and Heather (background) were the lucky recipients of that fine piece of literature:)

Mimi, Uncle John, and Aunt Kari

Aidan and Grandpa

Aidan with his Tranformer helmet on

Ready for Santa to visit!

catching up

2010-02-08T14:50:00.001-05:00

Well, I certainly have slacked off on my blogging duties! I apologize and hope to make it up to you with some long over due posts:)

Holiday Hodge Podge

2009-12-22T09:24:00.002-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Deck the Halls

2009-12-21T21:16:00.006-05:00

The Saturday after Thanksgiving we hauled the tree out of the attic and put out all the Christmas decorations. This is one of my favorite traditions. Putting the ornaments on the tree and telling the stories behind each one. I love sharing these memories with Aidan and Owen. They really enjoyed helping to decorate the tree. This year was extra special since it was the first time the whole family was able to help.
Once we had all of the ornaments on, we did a count down for the lights. Mike turned them on and we all cheered. Then I looked over at Owen and he was huffing and puffing with all his might- trying to blow out the lights like candles on a birthday cake! Hilarious!
The best part, according to the boys, was eating the candy canes after the tree was finished:)

Aidan and Owen having a great time playing with some of the decorations.

Hanging ornaments on the tree

Aidan putting the star on top with some help from Dad

Owen trying to blow out the lights. What a funny guy!

Yum!

Tis the season to be jolly!

The Most Wonderful Time of Year

2009-11-26T15:28:00.006-05:00

I love this time of year because there are always so many fun things to do as a family. On Saturday, we went to Stony Point Fashion Park to enjoy the holiday activities. There were give-aways for the kids- cookies, reindeer hats, and puzzles; they had the lighting of the big tree; magic snow; awesome balloon animals; and visits with Santa.
We had to wait a long time for the balloon animals and Owen ended up granting us the privilege of another peeing in public experience. Ahhh, the joys of raising boys! The balloon animals were awesome though, so it was worth it. Aidan really liked the magic snow and the lighting of the tree. They both had a good time dancing to the music played by the band, Kings of Swing.
We did see Santa but Owen was not to keen on the idea of talking to him. I think he likes the idea of Santa but not encounters with him in person. Hopefully, he will be more friendly when it comes time to do pics with Mr. Claus:)

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Carving Pumpkins, Cake Walks, Costumes and Candy!

2009-11-15T19:27:00.005-05:00

Ok, so I am behind again... I promise it will get better once this UVA class is over:)

Here is an update to our end of October activities. We carved pumpkins, as we do every year. This year, Aidan drew the face all on his own and Owen tried really hard but Dad had to assist. I think they came out nice! Mine is supposed to be a ghost but it is hard to tell. We were going to take pics outside but it was raining.

I ended up having a week long break during the last week of the month. Our school was closed due to the number of student absences from swine flu and other illnesses. This was in addition to the most heartbreaking news of a student in first grade passing away from H1N1. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.

During this week, the schools were cleaned and thoroughly sanitized. It seemed to help because I have all of my students back now (I was having days where I only had 9 or 10 kids in my class!). So things are basically back to normal.

Since I had some time off, I went to Aidan's school to help out with the Halloween rotations. The kids made pumpkin glyphs, spider headbands, Halloween books, made patterned necklaces from cereal and paper pumpkins, helped decorate a pumpkin to look like Curious George (the classroom theme) and decorated Halloween cupcakes! We had a great time! I wish I could visit his class more often.

That evening we went to the Fall Festival at Aidan's school. There were inflatables outside, games in the gym, and a cake walk, food, and prizes in the cafeteria. Owen won his very first cake walk and Aidan got to see several of his friends. What a wonderful family event!

On Halloween, we went to Aunt Jeanette and Uncle Bob's house to go trick-or-treating. Their neighbors do a potluck in the cul-de-sac before the candy gathering begins:) It is so great to visit with them and the boys love seeing their "girl cousins"! Aidan was a police officer and Owen was Peter Pan. They were both so adorable, as you can see from the photos.

Owen decorating his pumpkin

So proud!

Ta Da!

Aidan and some of his classmates during Halloween rotations

The Curious George pumpkin

The cake walk

Aidan playing the bean bag toss game

Emily the Pirate. Very cool!

I wasn't able to get any pics of Ashley- she was having fun with her friends:)

If you are a bad guy or a captain hook look-alike, you better watch out!

Aidan's homework- sorting his Halloween candy:)

Homework for Breakfast?

2009-10-29T17:51:00.003-04:00

Aidan has homework to do each night Mon-Fri. They are usually hands on activities such as sorting cereal by color, making patterns with toys (blocks, cars, etc.) or drawing a picture of something that they are learning about (Johnny Appleseed, Christopher Columbus) and writing about it. We also practice his sight words with flash cards and his tracking skills with the little booklets his teacher sends home.
Well, the assignment for last Friday was to make pumpkin pancakes during the weekend!! Pretty cool huh? Sunday morning, the boys (mostly Aidan) helped me whip up a batch. They were delicious! They are best with real maple syrup which is more expensive but soooo worth it! The recipe makes a lot of pancakes so we saved the leftovers and put them in the freezer. Now we have breakfast for next weekend too :)

Ok Mom! Let's get cooking!

Stir it up!

Cook it up!

Eat it up!

Thumbs up!

Here is the recipe so you can do your homework too:)

PUMKIN PANCAKES
Ingredients:
4 cups pancake mix
2 eggs
3 cups milk
1 cup cooked pumpkin (canned or fresh)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Optional:
-butter
-maple syrup or honey

Directions:
1. Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl.
2. Pour small amounts of batter onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat.
3. When bubbles form on the pancakes and the edges begin to brown, flip the pancakes.
4. Cook a minute or more, until light brown.
5. Serve with butter, maple syrup, or a little bit of honey.
Makes about forty 4" pancakes.
Enjoy!

We're alive and well!

2009-10-18T21:22:00.002-04:00

My poor blog has been neglected:( Things have been so busy around here. I have been trying to juggle so many things at once: working, being a Mom and wife, getting Aidan's homework and stuff done for school, the class I am taking online through UVA and my new business- Scentsy Wickless Candles. Whew! So you can imagine that there isn't much time left for the blog!
But we are doing well. Aidan is doing wonderfully in school. He is in the sight word club- He can read about 15 words automatically from his sight word list and he is reading a lot of environmental print. I am so proud of my little guy!
Owen is doing really well too. He is totally potty trained now. We were doing pull-ups only at night but we phased that out a couple of weeks ago. He does well most nights:) He knows many of his colors and shapes now but is still mostly interested in cars, trucks and motorcycles:)
Mike is working hard as always! He has been working lots of Saturdays but that should end soon. He has been such a big help to me as I try to juggle everything that I have going on right now. Thanks Hubby!
Even though I am super busy, life is good:) I have a pretty good class this year and my more challenging ones have improved so much already! My business is off to a great start and is so much fun. I think the products are wonderful which is why I became a consultant in the first place. I have learned so much about myself already since I started and I know I will learn so much more! My friend Laura did a post on her blog a while back, called becoming me. It was basically about finding yourself and growing as a person by doing things that are a little outside your comfort zone. Scentsy has done that for me and I am so excited to continue with this new chapter of my life! It just goes to show that you never know what you are capable of unless you try:)
In case any of you are wondering- what in the world is Scentsy? Here is the link for my website:
http://bforden.scentsy.us
We did go to the pumpkin patch last weekend but something went wrong when we downloaded the pictures from our new camera and we lost them:( So unfortunately there will be no post for that. I do have a good story to share though. When we were about to eat, I was unwrapping food and such and Mike was roasting hot dogs, I heard Mike yell for me to look. So I glance over at Owen and there he is with his pants around his ankles, "watering the grass" next to the picnic table. All I could do was laugh! That's the life of a mom with two boys:)

Aidan's First Day of Kindergarten

2009-09-13T21:20:00.003-04:00

Aidan has finally gotten what he has wanted for so long. Not a trip to some super fun place, not the coolest toy on the market, nope, Aidan's greatest desire was to go to school. Since he was about 3 years old he has been interested in school. He would often ask me questions about school and what it was like. He asked me what my class did during the day. I told him what the kids were learning, the rules at school, and our fun activities. I think it really helped him prepare for school.
Now he gets to experience it for himself! As you saw in my previous posts, he has the most wonderful teacher a kid (and parent) could ask for. I can not put into words how amazing Mrs. Tirs is. Aidan absolutely loves her!
Here are some photos from his first day of Kindergarten (September 8, 2009). Mike and I both took the day of work so we could take him to school and attend the BooHoo Breakfast. We also wanted to be there for him when he got off the bus. I had the privilege of spending my child's first day of school with him. Not many Moms get to do that! I was there to help his teacher since I know how hectic the first day of Kindergarten is. I really enjoyed helping her and it was so cool to see Aidan interact with his classmates. He hardly payed any attention to me, which was great. He did so well. It was like he has been going to school for years!
I am so excited about the wonderful experiences that he will have at school. Way to go Aidan! Mommy is so very proud of you:)

Ready to go

My sweet boy

Walking with Dad

Aidan standing if front of his class bulletin board

Working at his table

Reading with one of his classmates

Storytime

Mmmm...lunch

First ride on the school bus:)

What a great first day!

Blackboard Cupcakes

2009-09-07T19:27:00.005-04:00

I found a recipe for an adorable back-to-school treat! They are called Blackboard Cupcakes and they are so much fun to make. Of course they were a huge hit with Aidan and Owen (and Mike too)!
Here is a link for the recipe:
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50564

This is the page from family fun magazine. Cute huh?

Aidan putting the liners in the cupcake pans

What a great helper!

Owen helped out too!

Covering them with yellow frosting

Writing the messages on the cookies

Mini blackboards

Ta da!

What a delicious way to kick off the new year:)

Celebrating Back to School at Build-a-Bear

2009-09-07T15:17:00.004-04:00

On Friday, Shannon had a backto school pizza party for the kids. She gave Aidan a gift card to Build-a-Bear as a back to school gift! Of course Aidan was so excited that we had to go the next day. So on Saturday, we drove out to Stony Point to the Build-a-Bear store.
Aidan picked out a wolf which he named Gray and Owen picked out a Dog which he named Doggy. The animals went everywhere with them the rest of the day. They sleep with them everynight. Mike is hoping that Doggy will replace the well loved Duckie but I am pretty sure that is not going to happen:) The boys had a great time at Build-a-Bear. What a great way to kick off the school year! Thanks Shannon!

Filling Aidan's wolf with fluff

Filling the animals' hearts with LOVE

Aidan with his new friend, Gray

Bathtime

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Putting Doggy's info in the computer

Aidan at the computer

The boys and their adorable animals

Happy Back to School Aidan!

Aidan's Kindergarten Orientation

2009-09-07T13:57:00.004-04:00

Here are some photos from the day of Aidan's Kindergarten Orientation. It's hard to believe he is going to school already. The past five years have flown by! I know how much fun he will have at school and I am so excited for him:)
Aidan is even more excited than I am. He loves to learn and he loves school. He can't wait to go!
The night before orientation I received a phone call from Aidan's teacher. I am extremely happy to announce that Aidan is in Mrs. Tirs class, the teacher he had this summer! I have to admit I was crying because I was so happy to hear the wonderful news:) I am sure the other teachers are wonderful but Mrs. Tirs is extra special. Teachers like her are few and far between. You can tell she absolutely loves what she does and she is very devoted to the children. She is always full of cheer and has something nice to say. What a blessing it is for Aidan to have her as a teacher! We are looking forward to a wonderful school year!

My handsome boys

Dad and Aidan

Aidan and me

Aidan in front of his class list at orientation.

Back to School

2009-09-07T11:54:00.000-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Owen's First Day

2009-09-07T11:09:00.004-04:00

August 3rd was Owen's first day going to the babysitter with Aidan! For the past 2 years, Aidan has gone to Miss Shannon's house and Owen went to Nanny's. Now that Owen is 2 1/2 he gets to go with Aidan. We will miss seeing Nanny each day but the boys are happy to be together. I'm happy because I only have to make one stop in the morning and afternoon:)
Owen had a rough time at first. After being home with me for 2 months, it was hard leaving and going to daycare. He cried and whined in the morning for the first week or so. He also had lots of accidents (at home he was fully potty trained). I figured that would probably happen. Owen has a hard time with change. He just has to have time to adjust.
Now he is doing great. No tears in the morning and he is doing way better with the potty! He has made friends there and talks about them often. He seems to really like it. In fact, when we took Aidan to Kindergarten orientation, I was so worried about how Owen would do. This was his first time at Shannon's without Aidan. I was prepared for a total melt down. Too my surprise , he was fine. No tears, no whining, and no mention of Aidan. Wow! Way to go Owen:)

It's Party Time

2009-08-05T13:35:00.008-04:00

Aidan's birthday party was on the Saturday before his birthday. We decided to have it at the Children's Museum of Richmond (CMOR). What a great decision that was! The kids had a blast and the grown-ups did too:)

We ended the day with what has become a birthday tradition for Aidan- dinner at Red Robin. Yum Yum!

That morning Aidan woke up to find a new bike in the living room!

He looks so shocked!

I love this bike!

Taking it for a spin...he still needs some practice riding it.

Going to check out the ambulance in the museum. This was so neat. You could climb inside and turn on the lights and everything!

Playing in the CMOR Cafe

Wait a minute...how did Dad get on the TV?!

Dad and Aidan playing with the chicken eggs in the little farm

Farmer Owen planting carrots

special delivery

Grandpa and Aunt Kari are so silly!

Making some repairs in the Auto Shop

The party room

Having fun with the parachute:)

Decorating cupcakes

Aidan and his delicious masterpiece

Aidan in his birthday throne- making a wish

Opening gifts with some help from Dad

Owen playing in the sandbox area outside

Owen was not too happy when it was time to leave!

Aidan enjoying his sundae at Red Robin:)

What a wonderfully fun day!!!

Aidan Turns 5!

2009-08-05T12:04:00.008-04:00

It's hard to believe that my baby is 5 years old already! These years keep flying by.

Five is a really great age. It's when kids are becoming more independent but they are still so full of wonder and have great imaginations. I love it!

While the boys were sleeping ,Mike and I filled up a bunch of balloons and put them in their bedroom. What a great thing to wake up and see on your birthday, right?

Owen and I went to visit Aidan at school on his birthday. I made cupcakes to take for his class. We had such a wonderful time! The cupcakes were a hit and Owen had a great time playing with the cars and blocks in Mrs. Tirs' classroom. After we had the cupcakes, Aidan asked me to stay and I said it was up to his teacher. She said I was welcome to stay as long as I liked. We ended up being there for a couple hours. It was wonderful to see Aidan interact with his classmates and to see what an incredible teacher Mrs. Tirs is! I have to admit I "harvested" some ideas to use in my own classroom. Aidan got to be line leader for the day, helped with calendar time, got a special birthday crown to wear (which he colored himself!), his classmates made him a wonderful birthday book and he got to pick the song for the class to sing :) I am so grateful to her for making Aidan's birthday so special!

Aidan and Mrs. Tirs

Birthday "spankings"- this was hilarious she would clap her hands together to make a smacking sound and bounce her knee up afterwards to make it look like it had made Aidan jump!

She really puts on quite a show...I was laughing so hard!

Reading Aidan's birthday book made by his classmates and his teacher. So special!

Aidan helping with calendar time

Owen enjoying his cupcake

Aidan and Canyon practicing their numbers

Group HUG

Aidan and his friends

That evening we had one of Aidan's favorites for dinner- pizza:) After dinner, he opened his gifts and was very pleased with them. That's Aidan though, he is always so appreciative of whatever he receives. What a wonderful little guy!

Blowing out the candles

a scooby-doo game for his "computer cool school"

This is the wallet I made for Aidan from a milk carton- he loved it!

A better view...it' s full of gum here but I plan to put milk/ice cream money in it when school starts:)

A spider man action figure- so cool!

The birthday boy and me:)

Forden Family Fourth

2009-07-09T17:46:00.006-04:00

Sorry, Couldn't resist the alliteration! Then I started thinking about all the words that start with "F" that are associated with the Fourth of July- freedom, flags, firetrucks, fireworks, festivities and fun:) We had a wonderful day celebrating those things!

We started off with our tradition of watching one of the neighborhood parades. It was wonderful to have Uncle John, Aunt Kari, cousin Aaron and family friends John and Heather join us this year. The boys loved it, who doesn't like a good parade? Owen enjoyed the firetrucks the most. He LOVES firetrucks! Aidan's favorite? The candy ,of course:)

After the parade, we made a quick trip to Walmart (not nearly as crowded as I thought it would be!) and then home for lunch and a nap for the boys.

We had a scrumptious dinner- A.1. Burgers on the grill, sweet corn on the cob, and crinkle fries. The boys were singing "There's a party in my tummy, so yummy, so yummy!" ( a Yo Gabba Gabba song, in case you were wondering). After our dinner had settled a bit, we headed off to watch the fireworks.

Both of the boys were very impatient for the fireworks to start. Owen started to take his clothes off to go swimming in the water! So funny and strange too when you think about his behavior at the pool. Go figure! Once the started Owen loved it. He has asked me every day since then if we can go see the fireworks. Hard to get a two year old to understand that it's a one time a year event! Bless his little heart. Aidan is a different story. I still can't figure it out. Last year he thought it was great but this year he complained that it was too loud. I had to hold my hands over his ears the entire time!

All in all, in was a really fun day and we are thankful for the freedom we have that enables to enjoy such a day. Thank you to all the men and women who have made sacrifices for us all to have that freedom!

Aidan waiting for the parade to start

The three Forden boys- Aidan and Owen are wearing the shirts I made for them last year. I was so excited that they still fit:)

Dad and Owen

Kari and Aaron

Hooray for the firetrucks!

So cool!

John Forden, Heather and John McKee

Dad trying to cheer up Owen, he was upset because we would not let him swim in the water!

This is the best picture we could get of me and the boys! It's almost impossible to take a good picture of them. The face Aidan made is pretty hilarious though:)

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to school he goes!

2009-07-06T14:53:00.006-04:00

Back in April, we signed Aidan up for a pre-k summer program at the school he will attend in the fall. I hesitate to call it summer school because it has a negative connotation. Aidan is definitely not lacking in the academic skills department. As a kindergarten teacher, I know where kids should be when they start school and Aidan has the basics down and then some! He is extremely smart and shares my love for learning. I signed him up because I felt like it would ease the transition to "big school" especially since he goes to a home daycare where it is not as structured as school will be.

Also, Aidan wanted to go! Before summer school started, he would ask me almost every day when he would get to go to "big school". He wanted to know all the details. He couldn't wait to meet his teacher, to see his classroom, and learn new things:)

The pre-k program is great because the kids get used to the school setting, learn their way around, and get extra practice on the skills they need to be successful in kindergarten. It's nice because they go from 8-12 and they are off on Fridays. Although, Aidan has told me he wishes he could stay longer!

So the first day came (June 29th) and Aidan was just so tickled to finally be going to school. Of course, he did a great job! When I picked him up, his teacher said he is an old soul and she wishes she had a class full of kids just like him. What an awesome compliment! They really hit it off great. Aidan thinks the world of her! I am so thankful that he got a teacher that truly loves her job.

I tried to request her as his teacher in the fall, but apparently the deadline for requests has already passed:(

I am so proud of my little man and I love hearing all about his days at school. I have to say that I have learned some things too. His teacher has some great ideas and strategies that I am eager to try out in my classroom this fall:)

So, it is going very well! When we get home, the boys eat lunch and then have their nap. When Aidan gets up, he usually says "Can I do my work now?" So adorable! Let's hope that attitude continues through the years:) I have posted some pictures of him doing his first homework assignment.

Way to Go Aidan!!!

So excited!

Ready to Go!

Working hard on his first homework assignment

All done with the coloring...

Time to cut!

A+ Work!

This is a scan of the picture he colored for his teacher. He worked on this for over half an hour! He sure likes her a lot:)

Jazz It Up

2009-07-06T14:18:00.003-04:00

I always love a great craft project and I stumbled across one recently that I just had to try. My friend Alisa (we taught second grade together in Louisa) has a blog that I follow and there is a link to her sister-in-law's blog on her page. She has a neat craft blog -http://http://ellebeestudio.typepad.com/ellebee/
I found this project on there for jazzing up a wipes case. Cute, easy, and I already had all of the materials I needed to complete it.
There is a step-by-step tutorial on Lindsey's blog for how to turn a plain travel wipes case into something much more fun!

This is what I started with...

I added some scrapbook paper using modge podge...

then some rub-ons...

more modge podge over the rub-ons

Ta-da! Pretty cute, huh?

Family Fun

2009-07-02T16:37:00.005-04:00

Sorry it has taken so long for me to get this post on here. I have been really busy having fun with my boys! I LOVE being a stay-at-home-mom, even it is just for the summer:)
So these are the photos from our trip to Busch Gardens on Wednesday, June 17th. We had an awesome time! The new sesame street section "Forest of Fun" was great... I think the boys would have been perfectly content spending the whole day there!
Owen (our little dare devil) really enjoyed going on the rides but Aidan was not a fan. He did go on a couple tamer rides though. It probably didn't help that the first ride he went on was a roller coaster. Granted it was a "kiddie coaster" but I think it may have been too much too soon. Mike was just really excited to take him on a cool ride! Maybe next year he will be ready for the more exciting rides.
Mike and I were able to go on one roller coaster each, we each took turns with the boys while the other one went on the ride. Mike chose the newest roller coaster- Griffon and I went on the Alpengeist (my favorite).
We had tons of fun with the boys but we are planning a return trip for later in the summer- just the two of us:)

Right after we arrived at the park, of course the boys would not look at the camera. Oh, well!

Dad and Aidan about to ride on Grover's Alpine Express

During the ride- Aidan did not enjoy this...hopefully we didn't scar him for life!

On Prince Elmo's Spire

Owen having a blast on Oscar's Whirly Worms ride:)

The really cool playground at the Forest of Fun- "Oscar's Yucky Forest"

I think this was Aidan and Owen's favorite part of the day

Having fun in the water

Sunny Days Celebration show

Watching Elmo dance and sing

Checking out the show with Dad

Aidan and Owen on the Little Balloons

On the Lil' Clydes

My boys- check out Aidan's cool face painting!

Portrait done by one of the artists at Busch Gardens

Beans, Beans the magical fruit...

2009-06-18T16:18:00.006-04:00

Yep, they're magical alright! Monday was a rainy day and I needed an activity for Owen since we couldn't go outside ( Aidan goes to daycare on Mondays and Fridays). So I gathered up some sand toys, cars, measuring cups, and several pounds of beans. I had bought the beans a few days before in anticipation of the rainy days to come. I poured the beans into 2 plastic containers and threw the toys in there with them.

When I showed Owen, his exact words were "WOW! Look at all the beans!" And then he dove right in. He poured beans from one container to another, scooped them up with the shovels, buried his cars and his feet, and pretended the beans were cat food! It was so cute to watch him fill a container with beans and hold it up, yelling "Kitty! Come get your food, kitty!".

He played with the beans for over an hour! As all you moms out there know, anything that keeps a two year old busy for an hour is like pure gold!

When it was time to clean up and have lunch, Owen had a total meltdown. I promised we would have more "bean time" later and he calmed down some.

So the beans were a big hit. Was it a mess? Absolutely. It didn't take long to clean up though and I didn't mind because it was worth it to see my little guy having such an awesome time.

When Owen woke up from his nap, the first thing he asked for was juice and the second request was "Mommy, I play da beans PLEEEASE?" He played with those beans for almost another full hour! See, I told you they are magical :)

Large bag of pinto beans- $5.92

Hours of toddler entertainment- priceless

One fish, two fish

2009-06-18T15:13:00.003-04:00

Okay, just kidding about the whole two fish thing. Owen is still afraid to go in the water. When we go to the "big pool" he clings to me for dear life and says no, no, no, no, no...over and over. So he just sits beside the pool and plays with his water toys.

Aidan on the other hand, has gained SOOO much confidence in the water! I am very proud of the progress he has made. When we signed him up for lessons at the YMCA, my goal was simply for him to be more comfortable in the water. Mission accomplished!

We haven't decided if we are going to sign him up for a second round of lessons or not. Even if he does not have another lesson, it is great to see him more at ease in the water. Before he started his classes, he would freak out in the tub when I washed his hair because he hated the water in his eyes! He has definitely gotten over that now since one of his goals in class was to submerge his head under the water. He can also kick his feet while holding onto the pool wall and jump in the water with assistance.

We are so proud of our little fish!

Go Aidan Go!

Patiently waiting for his turn

Owen having a grand time splashing in the water. He enjoys that a lot but getting him to swim in it is a different story!

Hi Mom and Dad!

Yeah! I did it:)

Leapfrog Give-away

2009-06-08T11:38:00.003-04:00

A friend of mine from high school, we were in marching band together, has this great blog called "The Next Kid Thing". She profiles the latest kid's toys and gear on her site. It's a great resource for parents! She is doing a contest to win one of the latest toys from Leapfrog. The have recently come out with My Pal Scout and the Text and Learn, which is like a PDA. http://www.leapfrog.com/toys/

Two really great toys that I know my boys would love! A big thank you to Jen for sharing all these great products with us!

Best Buddies

2009-06-05T14:14:00.003-04:00

One of the most wonderful things to see (in my opinion) is your children showing love for one another. Aidan and Owen get along very well. Of course they have times when they are not so nice to each other but these are not very frequent. It's so amazing to see the bond between them get stronger as time passes. My wish is for that to continue on and for them to be life long friends. The bond between brothers is such a special thing!

Having some coach potato time

Jammie time

Apparently, the toy box is much more fun than the toys that are supposed to go in it!

Owen and DMB

2009-06-05T13:49:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, I am a HUGE fan of Dave Matthews Band http://www.davematthewsband.com/#/ . They just released their new album- "Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King" on June 2nd and have been making lots of television appearances to promote it. They were on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday. Here is a link to a very funny skit the Jimmy Fallon did with Dave. http://www.hulu.com/watch/75863/late-night-with-jimmy-fallon-dave-matthews-gps

They also performed on the Today show this morning (this was their first ever performance on a morning show) and I watched it with Owen. Of course my boys have heard A LOT of DMB so Owen immediately recognized them. He was singing and dancing and even started jamming with the band! Dave would be so proud!

Owen playing guitar with Dave Matthews

Singing along

Dave on vocals and guitar and Owen on drums

Clapping his hands to "Ants Marching"

Having a great time! I can't wait until I can take him and his brother to a DMB concert!

Flowers, Ice cream, and Pinwheels... Oh, my!

2009-05-14T19:58:00.006-04:00

We recently visited Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond for a Spring Fling event they were having. This was the first time I had been out there but have wanted to go for years. The gardens are gorgeous and the children's garden is just so neat.

It was a very hot day but we had lots of fun! We did the scavenger hunt which they call Kid Quest. We were given a leaflet with pictures of plants and clues to lead you to each one. Then you had to write the name of the plant on the back. At the last spot, there was a stamp pad so you could stamp your paper. When we left, we turned it in and Aidan got a special button and a coupon for a free kid's meal from O'Charley's! We also listened and danced to the gourd band. All of the instruments were made from gourds- very cool. We all enjoyed some ice cream and just exploring the garden. I am hoping we will be able to visit again very soon!

Part of the Botanical Gardens

Aidan and Owen next to the sign for the Children's garden

The Treehouse

The Gourd Band

This was set up in honor of Child Abuse Prevention. Each pinwheel represented a child that had been a victim of child abuse. It's hard to capture with the camera but it was so amazing to watch all those pinwheels sparkle in the sun and turn together when the wind blew.

Aidan next to a Bamboo plant. This was #5 for the Kid Quest.

Dad playing with the rain stick

Having fun with the drums

Going through the longhouse

Making flowers from recycled materials

Inside the Teahouse

Watching the goose

The Adventure Begins

2009-05-14T18:32:00.003-04:00

On my birthday, April 16th, I had the pleasure of taking my little boy to register for kindergarten and my wonderful hubby went too! Aidan was so excited and couldn't wait to meet the teachers! We filled out all the paperwork and Aidan played with the blocks and toys while we waited. When the teacher came to get him, he took her hand and hopped all the way to the testing area. So cute!

He did very well on the test and was very proud of himself! He was able to give his name, address and phone number. He named all the letters of the alphabet, counting to 20 and wrote his name. Some other things too but you get the idea. After we were finished, we went to Rita's for Gelatis (for Mom and Dad) and a vanilla cone with sprinkles (for Aidan).

He is very excited about going school. He asks me lots of questions about it since I have the "inside scoop". He asks me about what the kids do in my class and how things are done. It's a very interesting experience to teach kindergarten and having a child about to enter that same grade. I think it will result in some good conversations at dinner because we can compare stories about our days at school!

We are so proud of Aidan and we' re excited to begin our kindergarten adventure.

So excited!

Aidan and Dad in front of "big school"

me filling out paperwork

All done! Yeah :)

Silly Boys

2009-05-02T13:13:00.002-04:00

Here are some pics showing how silly life with boys can be. Enjoy!

Owen smelling the flowers and declaring they are stinky... what a face!

What a silly guy!

A few weeks ago, Owen started doing this thing where he will pull out a blanket and drag it to his location of choice and lay down on it. Here he is in the kitchen.

Here they are on the deck. As you can see, Aidan has joined the blanket bandwagon.

Super Aidan and Awesome Owen to the Rescue!

2009-05-02T11:15:00.000-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Easter 2009

2009-04-12T08:25:00.001-04:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My two sons

2009-04-11T11:30:00.013-04:00

As the boys get older, I love seeing their individual personalities emerge. They are alike in some ways and different in other ways. Aidan was such a content baby, easy to care for but Owen was very demanding and wanted to be held ALL the time. Aidan is always eager to try new things and is very social. Owen is more cautious in new situations and it takes him a while to warm up to new people. Aidan has quite a sweet tooth and Owen is more of a cheese or crackers fan. Aidan enjoys doing puzzles, singing, and coloring. Owen is into cars, trucks, and trains.

They both enjoy being outside and love animals. Aidan and Owen were both slow to start crawling but began walking around 10 months. They share a curiosity about how things work. Both of them have a great time putting their lovies (Bear and Duckie) in the dump trucks and pushing them around the house. They are both very active and they play well together most of the time! They are both sweet and thoughtful boys :)

I thought it would be neat to post pics of the boys at various stages. So here they are:

Labor

Aidan-26 hours

Owen-10 hours

Summer baby

Winter baby

3 months old

Aidan

Owen

9 months old

1 year

18 months

2 years old

My boys

Fun and Games

2009-04-05T18:58:00.006-04:00

This post is long over due but things have been very busy around here lately.

So about a month ago, we had our friends, Damien and Heather, over for game night. I am a big fan of all the Cranium games and recently I bought Cranium WOW.

http://www.hasbro.com/games/cranium/browse.cfm?page=&product_id=21350

If you have never played Cranium, you have got try it! There is something for everyone- drawing, acting, trivia, and word puzzles. As the pictures show, we had a blast! Maybe next time the guys will win :)

The beginning of game night

For this challenge, Heather had to move my arms and legs for me and I had to guess the clue. I ended up getting it right before the timer ran out- it was "surfing"!

Damien about to attempt the same challenge but this clue was "the rodeo".

The best one of all, Mike the star performer. The clue was a hamster on a wheel!

Shenanigans!

2009-03-19T20:41:00.005-04:00

Our family had a visit from one of the wee folks the night before St. Patrick's Day!

We made a leprechaun trap so we could catch one of them and ask him for his gold.I made the trap out of an empty oatmeal container and some construction paper. The top had a hole cut in it which was covered by green paper. The plan was for the leprechaun to step on the paper to get the gold and fall through. Mike, being the wonderful hubby that he is, made the ladder. Notice the sign that says "Do not climb the ladder!" posted to tempt the precocious little guy to break the rules :)

Unfortunately, he didn't fall for our shenanigans.

Apparently, we inspired him though because he played lots of little tricks on us! He took the gold bait from the trap and replaced it with chocolates and green m&m's.

He left a trail of shamrocks wherever he went. He even put them in our shoes.

Looks like he had a lot of fun in the playroom!

And look what he did to the milk!

Maybe we'll catch that little trickster next year :)

Aidan enjoying his St. Patrick's Day meal- corned beef brisket (done in the slow cooker), red potatoes and Irish soda bread. Yum Yum!

Owen looking happy about his "shamrock cookies"

Erin Go Bragh!

Big Boy Beds!

2009-03-10T18:24:00.003-04:00

On February 21 st, the boys got new beds! Since Aidan will be starting school in the fall, I figure it was about time to upgrade from the toddler bed to a twin. Owen was still sleeping in the crib. So we decided the best solution would be to get them bunk beds. They will remain "unbunked" for now because I have major fears of Owen jumping off the top and breaking at least one bone. He is such a dare devil!
The boys love their new beds. We didn't struggle to keep Owen in the bed like we did when Aidan made the switch. That was a huge surprise and a huge relief! In fact, the first few nights, he didn't get out of the bed at all! He has since then but only a few times. With Aidan, he was out of the bed several times a night!
After the first night in his new bed, Aidan told me that he loved his bed so much and he wanted to keep it forever! I guess we made a good investment :)

The best photo I could get of both beds.

Owen and Duckie

Both boys in Owen's bed

Aidan

Owen's Snow Tantrum

2009-03-02T12:42:00.006-05:00

Here is the video of Owen, as promised.

It's hard to believe this is the same kid that wouldn't even touch snow a few weeks ago!

2009-03-02T10:55:00.003-05:00

Today we had an unexpected snow day. It was so nice to be able to stay home and enjoy the day with my boys. We started off the day with breakfast and a morning treat- sugar on snow (see recipe below). After breakfast, we bundled up and headed out for some fun in the snow. We made snow angels, had a snow ball fight, played with sand toys, and painted in the snow. I was so glad the boys had a chance to experience a decent snowfall. As you can see from the photos, they had a great time. In fact they had so much fun that Owen threw a fit when it was time to go inside. I will post the video of that soon.

Recipe for Sugar on Snow

1 cup real maple syrup

1/2 cup salted butter

Fresh snow, vanilla ice cream or shaved ice

1. Heat the maple syrup and butter in a medium saucepan over med-high heat, stirring to avoid a boilover.

2. The mixture is ready 6 to 7 minutes after it boils (220 to 234 degrees on a candy thermometer). It should stiffen when dripped onto a plate.

3. Remove from the heat and cool for 2 minutes before pouring over the snow, ice cream or ice. It cools so quickly that it can be eaten right away.

4. If you like, finish by nibbling some saltines or pickles. This is a sugarhouse tradition for getting taste buds back to normal since the sugar on snow is so sweet.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Mike turns 30

2009-02-27T20:39:00.004-05:00

Mike's 30th birthday was February 18th. We celebrated with a yummy dinner from Chili's (one of Mike's favorite restaurants). For dessert, yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Aidan ate the frosting but no cake. Owen decided it would be much better to wear his frosting and rubbed it all over his tummy.
The boys got Mike a Black and Decker cordless screw driver for his birthday. It has already come in handy. He used it to put the new beds together for Aidan and Owen (a post on that will be coming soon).

One interesting note- Mike was born during a blizzard and on his birthday, we actually got some snow! I thought that was pretty cool :) Like a little gift from above!

Mmmm...cake

The birthday "boy". I love how Aidan and Owen are staring at the cake in this picture!

"Fongoo"

2009-02-27T19:20:00.002-05:00

One of our favorite places to have dinner is the Melting Pot , which is a fondue restaurant- www.meltingpot.com. We only go on very special occasions because it is not a cheap meal but it so worth it. The first time we went I thought I had died and gone to heaven. It was so good! The food is amazing and the atmosphere is romantic. So you can see it is not the type of place to take the little ones. I've always wished I could share that experience with Aidan and Owen but there are no fondue restaurants for kids (at least not that I know of).
So when I saw these recipes in Wondertime, I absolutely had to have a fondue night. It was actually quiet easy and the recipes were kid friendly so the whole family could enjoy it. I didn't use a fondue pot because I was worried about the boys burning themselves. I made the fondue in a saucepan on the stove and put it into little cups for dipping. When I told Aidan what we were having, he had a hard time saying it and he kept calling it "fongoo". How cute is that?
We had a tasty cheese fondue with cubes of bread, cooked ziti (interactive mac n cheese, anyone?), little sausages, and carrots for dipping. Delicious!
Of course the best part was desert- chocolate fondue! We had marshmallows, rice krispie treats, angel food cake, and bananas for dipping. Not as quite as good as the Melting Pot but still very yummy!

Owen with a mouthful of marshmallow.

Chocolate makes me smile too!

Aidan enjoying his fongoo:)

Mom's fondue is a perfect 10!

If you would like the recipes, go to wondertime.go.com. The recipes are not on the site yet because they are in the March issue but should be on there toward the end of the month. Of course you could also pick up a copy of the magazine if you can't wait that long. Enjoy!

Passin' the LOVE along

2009-02-23T19:36:00.007-05:00

So I'm finally getting around to adding a Valentine's Day post. We have been so busy lately!

I have included pics of the valentines Aidan gave to his friends at preschool. He worked really hard writing his name on each one.

To prepare for the day of love, we read Valentine themed books each night before the holiday. Aidan got to pick out the valentines that he wanted to give out (he chose Transformers). The night before V-day, (after the boys went to bed) I set the table up for the morning. We put out their Valentine's day goodies for them to see when they woke up.

Mike made a delicious breakfast for all of us. The highlight of the meal-eggs shaped like hearts! We had lunch at Tropical Smoothie Cafe (for me) and Chick-fil-a for the guys. We enjoyed some time together as a family, including devouring some yummy Valentine's day chocolates :) After the boys went to bed, Mike and I had a nice, quiet dinner at home (hooray for O'Charley's). Exactly what I wanted. It was a wonderful day because we got to spend time with each other and pass the love around.

Aidan's Transformer Valentines

A close-up of Aidan's name that he wrote all by himself!

These are the treat bags I made for Aidan to give out at preschool. They had gummy bears and teddy grahams in the bags, which had messages attached such as: You're beary special, Bear Hugs, etc.

The bag I made for Aidan

Owen and Aidan checking out their loot. They each got a kid-sized tool box, a stuffed animal, a matchbox car, and chocolates.

Feeling the LOVE!!

Wii finally have one!

2009-02-16T17:28:00.004-05:00

After over a year of wanting one, we finally got a Wii! It was so funny because once we got it all set up it felt so surreal. We had wanted this thing for so long and now we finally have it. It is very rare that we splurge on anything and we almost always spend what little extra we have on the boys, but Mom and Dad deserve a treat every once in a while! We have Miis for all four of us. Owen is too young to understand it but Aidan can play of few of the games like bowling. We have had so much fun with our new toy and are looking forward some hilarious family nights with the Wii!

Aidan and Owen posing with our Wii system (and chocolaty faces)

Crazy Virginia Weather

2009-02-16T17:03:00.004-05:00

Just four days after our dusting of snow, we had a couple days of warm weather. As you can see, the boys didn't even need jackets! We took full advantage of the beautiful day. We worked in the yard, cleaned the Focus, and the boys got in lots of outdoor playtime. What a treat, now if it could just stay this way!

Here are the boys chasing their shadows:

Aidan playing catch

Owen pushing truck loads of sidewalk chalk

Washing the Jeep

Happy boys!

A taste of the white stuff

2009-02-16T16:40:00.003-05:00

On February 3rd, we were surprised with a bit of snow. As you can see, it wasn't much at all and by the afternoon what was in our yard had melted. It was enough for me to get a two hour delay for school! Before Mike left for work, he made what may be our one and only snowman for this year. Okay, maybe snow baby is more accurate :)

"Frosty Junior"

Aidan was very excited to see the snow on the ground. However, Owen did not have the same reaction. The last time he saw snow was last winter so he was only a year old. Basically, it was like seeing it for the first time all over again. When we walked out the door, his eyes got really big and he said "Awwww, a mess!" I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. I couldn't even get him to touch it. He kept saying "Eww, gross!" He was definitely not impressed.

2009-02-04T19:39:00.002-05:00

This past weekend we had a chance to see some of our family from N.C. Mike's Aunt Linda and Uncle David; his Cousin "Little David" and his wife, Heather, and their son, Ethan, who is 2 1/2. They were up for the day on Saturday. David, Heather, and Ethan spent some time at our house while Mike's parents, Linda, and David went to visit Appomattox Courthouse. Then the whole family got together at Roy and Marie's house for dinner and some time together. The kids all got along so well and it was wonderful to see everyone!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Owen is two years old!

2009-01-20T15:16:00.004-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Owen's birthday party

2009-01-20T14:13:00.002-05:00

We had Owen's birthday party at Mimi and Grandpa's house. It was a great day for a party. We did a firetruck theme in honor of Owen's love for vehicles of all kinds. Grandpa and Mimi served us a yummy lunch which included hot dogs with all the fixings. And of course we had cake for dessert (see below). I didn't plan any structured activities. Owen is not quite old enough for that- maybe next year. So the kids were free to play outside and the adults enjoyed some "Wii time". What a fun day!

Owen's birthday cake. The decorations I used were actually little candles- so cute!

Owen with his fire fighter hat on- backwards :)

The set-up

Uncle Bob, Aidan, Owen and Ashley enjoying some time outside.

Aaron hanging out on one of the ride-on toys

Uncle Bob, Aidan, and Emily

Owen really likes this push toy! I love how he found the perfect spot for his bubbles.

Cake and firetrucks... it doesn't get much better than this!

Opening gifts with some help from Dad and Aidan

The birthday boy!

New Year, New Deck

2009-01-18T12:43:00.006-05:00

Our back deck was in really bad shape. It was something that we had wanted to fix for a while but just could not afford it. So when Roy and Marie suprised us with the generous gift of a Home Depot gift card we decided to use it for the deck.

Here are some pics of the deck before-

Mike and Rob, Mike's friend from work, worked really hard pulling up the old boards and putting down the new ones. Thanks Rob!

Here is the finished product. I think it looks great. What an improvement and much safer for our boys!

2009-01-18T11:20:00.006-05:00

Here is a slide show with some photos from the last few weeks. Enjoy!

Make a Sm ilebox slideshow

2008-12-30T20:00:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

A Very Merry Christmas

2008-12-30T17:52:00.009-05:00

On Christmas morning, the boys awoke to some big surprises. Santa brought a Power Wheels Jeep Rubicon for the boys to share, Spike the Dinosaur for Aidan and a Little Tikes car for Owen!
And of course they got great stuff for each other and from Mom and Dad:) We all had so much fun playing with all the toys!
We finished off the day with a family tradition. Every year we have Chinese food for dinner (we've been doing this since Aidan was a baby) just like in the movie A Christmas Story. Aidan and Owen loved the "Chinese chicken nuggets" which was actually sweet and sour chicken. We enjoyed our meal in front of the TV ( a rare treat) and watched Ice Age. Before we ate, I said a blessing and then Aidan wanted to say a prayer of his own. It went like this:
Dear God,
I love Spike. Thank you for Santa. We love you!
Bye!
It was so adorable! We are so grateful for all that we have. The gifts were great but the time together and the laughs we shared and the words we spoke are priceless. What a Very Merry Christmas!!

Look what Santa brought!

Aidan was so happy that Santa put gum in his stocking

Owen was very pleased with his musical Thomas the Train toothbrush. He just loves to brush his teeth!

Owen's first time driving

Cruisin' in his other ride

Aidan and Spike

Playing with the Geotrax set

Owen checking out his Elmo Live toy

Mike checking out the contents of his stocking

Me wearing my new robe. It is so soft and fuzzy; I love it!

Never fear Super Aidan is here!

Christmas dinner- Chinese take out. Sooo yummy!

Christmas with the Fordens

2008-12-30T17:32:00.003-05:00

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve at Mimi and Grandpa's house! We ate a delicious meal of beef tenderloin, twice baked potatoes, rolls, and squash casserole and for dessert- pumpkin rolls, pecan pie and coconut creme pie.
We had our yearly tradition of the "Chinese auction" which is always great fun! Among the "good gifts" were a Walmart gift card, a Pyrex dish set, Wii music game, and Cranium Wow. Some of the "bad gifts" were a pair of luau sunglasses, a men of soaps calendar, a box that contained the following: a huge can of baked beans, air freshener, and gas-X (we brought that one), and a purse that looked like a corset. The auction is always lots of fun!
After the auction, the kids all opened their gifts. As you can see, everybody had a great time!

Aidan and Owen at the kiddie table with "Indie"

Owen having a great time shredding the wrapping paper

Mike helping Aidan open one of his gifts

Grandpa and Mimi opening their gift from all the "kids"- they got a Wii game system!

The cousins- Ashley, Aaron, Emily, Aidan, and Owen

2008-12-24T14:27:00.001-05:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Santa and the Snowglobes

2008-12-12T19:04:00.006-05:00

This year we went to Regency Square mall where they have these huge snow globes set up each year for the holidays. This year the theme is the Polar Express. Such a wonderful movie! I was so excited to take the boys.

We got there at a good time. Santa started taking visitors at 11:00 and we arrived around 10:30. We were the second family in line:)

Waiting to see Santa

The snow globes had different scenes from the movie. When you are waiting to see Santa, one section of the display is the Polar Express "engine room" which was interactive. The boys had a great time turning the wheels and pulling the cord for the whistle.

Right before you reach Santa, you walk through this snow globe that has artificial snow falling. So neat!

Walking through the "snow" globe (unfortunately,the snow is not visible in this photo)

Santa was great. He really took the time to talk to the boys.
The picture turned out nice. I was so glad that Owen didn't cry this year. I think it helped that we had been reading Santa books to the boys for the past few weeks. So Owen knew who Santa was, although he won't call him Santa, instead he calls him HO HO!

We had our photo put on a jumpdrive from Shutterfly. Then when we got home we loaded the pic to our computer and ordered our photos from the Shutterfly site (a $25 gift card comes with the jumpdrive). On the site you can get regular prints, have the photo put on a mug, stickers, ornaments, tote bags, etc. I thought this was a great option!

After our time with Santa was over, we had yummy soft pretzels at the food court. So delicious! Then the boys had some fun in the play area. We had a hard time getting them to leave!

Deck the Halls

2008-12-03T20:46:00.005-05:00

The day after Thanksgiving, we put out all of our Christmas decorations and set up the tree. Here are pics of Aidan and Owen decorating the tree. This year was special because it was the first time Owen could "help" decorate the tree. He had a great time swatting at the ornaments and watching them swing back and forth. Anyone want to place a bet on how many times the tree will be knocked over this year? :)

A Day of Thanks

2008-12-03T19:48:00.006-05:00

We have so much to be thankful for in our lives right now! Two wonderful boys, jobs we enjoy, a loving husband, a caring family, and good health!

We spent Thanksgiving with Mike's side of the family (unfortunately, John and Kari and Aaron weren't able to make it because Aaron was sick). We had a wonderful meal and had lots of fun just hanging out.

Our niece, Ashley's birthday was Nov. 29th. Here she is opening some of her gifts on Thanksgiving. I can't believe she is 12 years old. When I met Mike, she was barely walking!

Roy hanging out in the kitchen

Bob, Marie and Jeanette chatting at the table

Playing whack-a-mole

The little ones enjoying the Thanksgiving spread. Later on when I asked Aidan what he was thankful for, he said turkey :)

Emily, Aidan, and Owen playing some after dinner music for everyone.

Musical cousins

At school, we have been creating all sorts of wonderful things! I have a grandparent that comes each week and does awesome projects with my class. Here are some of the creations for fall and Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving cards. The front has a turkey that was made using the children's fingerprints and on the inside the kids drew a tree and added torn paper for the leaves.

Pilgrim hats made from shortbread cookies, marshmallows, and chocolate. Yum!!

Tom the Turkey Pinata. It was very sad to see him go.

I gave my class the homework assignment of disguising a turkey so that it would not get caught and eaten for Thanksgiving. I gave them a turkey outline on construction paper and told them to be creative and disguise their turkey. I was so impressed with what they came up with! We had some Santa Clause turkeys, a cat turkey, a Lightening McQueen turkey, a snowman turkey, and a clown turkey just to name a few.

Pump up the Fun!

2008-12-03T16:47:00.005-05:00

The boys were invited to Dori's party on November 8th at Pump It Up which is similar to Inflation Nation where we had Aidan's party. Dori goes to the same sitter as Owen (the sitter Aidan used to go to) and we have known her since she was about 6 months old. It's hard to believe she is 3 years old now!

The party was lots of fun as you can see from the pics. Everybody had a great time...

jumping,

tackling,

climbing,

driving,

and sliding!

Even the "grown-ups" had a good time!

Mike on the VERY fast slide

Me and Owen dancing.

They turned off the lights toward the end and had lots of cool colored lights and upbeat music. It was like a kiddie disco :)

Congratulations Damien and Heather!

2008-11-30T11:19:00.004-05:00

On November 2, Mike and I went to our friend Damien's wedding at the Japanese Gardens at Maymont Park in Richmond. Mike and I also got married at Maymont but in the Italian Gardens. Both settings are very beautiful!

Mike was honored to be one of Damien's groomsmen. Damien is one of Mike's wonderful fraternity brothers. It was a gorgeous day and we had a great time. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Coy!

Mike and Damien hanging out before the ceremony

The gorgeous koi at Maymont

The beautiful Japanese gardens

The happy couple

Damien dancing with his Mom- so sweet!

The first dance :)

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T16:43:00.002-04:00

This year Jeanette (Mike's sister) invited us to her neighborhood to go trick or treating. Since Mike had to go to a wedding rehearsal for one of his friends she asked if the boys and I would like to join them. Aidan was so excited about going trick or treating with his cousin, Emily (Ashley went with her "big girl" friends).
They had a neighborhood potluck in the cul-de-sac so the boys had a bite to eat before they went "candy gathering". Aidan was running from one house to the next. Owen tried to keep up but his little legs just couldn't go fast enough! Of course he didn't want me to carry him and he didn't want to hold my hand either. So independent!
The boys were well-behaved just very energetic (as usual). They were very polite. I worked hard teaching Owen to say trick-or- treat over the past few weeks. He is able to say it but refused to utter the words last night. I am proud to say that both boys said thank you to everyone for their candy!
It was quite a challenge keeping up with both boys. I was exhausted by the time we were done but it was a lot of fun!

The Jolly Jester and Mickey Mouse

Bat girl (Emily) and my two cutie pies

Ready to go!

Trick or Treat!

Producing Perfect Pumpkins

2008-11-01T15:58:00.004-04:00

Here are some pics of us carving our pumpkins. This was the first time Aidan drew the face for his jack-o-lantern all on his own. We also used stencils for the first time. I think they turned out great!

Aidan scooping out his pumpkin

A little help from Dad

The face for Aidan's jack-o-lantern. I think he did a great job!

Here I am carving one of the pumpkins. Owen is cheering me on.

Tada!

Our jack-o-lanterns all aglow

Party animals!

2008-11-01T15:13:00.006-04:00

Last weekend the boys went to Canyon's birthday party. Canyon's mom is Aidan's preschool teacher (she runs a home daycare). The party had a farm theme so there were pony rides, a petting zoo, cowboy hats to wear, and a pony pinata!

Giddy up!

Aidan's friend Emily, Aidan and Owen on the porch swing

Aidan waiting to feed the animals

Here's some more food for you!!

I love this!

Owen loved going for a pony ride with his bubba! So sweet!

Of course the boys had a great time! Owen's favorite thing was feeding the animals. He kept going back and forth getting food and feeding them. So cute! Aidan had a great time just running around with all his friends from daycare. He said his favorite part was eating cake!

Poor Aidan!

2008-11-01T14:57:00.003-04:00

On the 20th, when Aidan woke up, his eye was very swollen. It had looked puffy the day before but nothing to be too concerned about. We gave him benadryl that night and when he woke up it looked worse!
I took him to the doctor and was told it looked like an allergic reaction. So she gave us a prescription for prednisone and said to keep giving him benadryl. The doctor also wrote a prescription for an epipen because he had a delayed reaction to the bee sting he got while at the state fair and now another reaction for an unknown reason. She also recommended we take him to an allergist.
Poor little guy! I was so glad to see his eye looking better the next day and completely back to normal after a few days! I am hoping this was a one time thing but until we have the allergy tests done there is no way of knowing. I am just thankful that my little boy is healthy again!

Messy masterpieces

2008-11-01T14:08:00.007-04:00

On October 13th, I had the day off from school. It was so nice to have a day at home with my boys! I enjoy my job(most of the time) but days like these make me wish I could stay home with my boys even more!
So, one of the things we did that day was painting. This is one of Aidan's favorite things to do. It was Owen's very first time painting!
They had a great time using all the different "tools" that I gave them to use. I like to supply a variety of objects so they can create different textures and effects, such as sponges of different shapes and sizes, bath poofs, various types of brushes, and Q-tips. They had such a great time getting messy and creating beautiful pictures!

Aidan doing some painting with both hands (maybe he's ambidextrous?)

Aidan making a cool design with the bath poof

Making a mess is so much fun!!!

One of Aidan's creations

Owen's first time painting

Nope, it doesn't taste as good as it looks!

(Good thing I used non-toxic paint)

Painting the school bus

Artwork by Owen

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-14T20:30:00.011-04:00

It is a tradition of ours to go to the Chesterfield Berry Farm each year and pick out our pumpkins. This is the 4th year that we have gone. This was also the first year that both boys have been able to get around independently. They sure kept us on our toes!
It was really hard to get good pictures! Aidan was starting to get a cold and was not his usual cheerful self and it's nearly impossible to get Owen to cooperate even when he is perfectly healthy.Owen would much rather run around and check things out than stand around and pose for pictures. So we did the best we could considering the circumstances.
Despite the lack of smiles in most of the photos, we had a great time. The boys enjoyed all the activities but I think they liked the barrel train ride the best (they rode on it twice). Notice the school bus in Owen's hand.It's in almost every picture of him. This is new favorite toy (it used to be Aidan's when he was about Owen's age). He carries it around everywhere!
We picked out three perfect pumpkins. They are sitting on the front steps right now waiting to be carved. Check back in a week or so for a post with pumpkin carving pics!

Aidan in front of the "measurement pumpkin"- another tradition

Good thing I took the picture when I did. He was already on the move! Like I said, Owen has much better things to do than stand around and take pictures:)

Me and the boys on the hay ride to the pumpkin patch

Aidan looking for the perfect pumpkin

Owen in awe of all the pumpkins. When we got there, I heard him say "Whoa! Punkin!" He was very impressed!!

Me suggesting a pumpkin for Aidan.Of course, it did not meet his approval. He was very picky about which pumpkin was the one he wanted.

My little pumpkins

Mommy, Owen and the school bus :)

Mommy and a very thirsty Aidan

Dad and the boys next to one of the race cars

Aidan jumping in the moon bounce

Checking out the goats

The first time on the barrel train ride

Dad and Aidan with his balloon sword

Owen holding his balloon animal (and the school bus, of course)

Owen on the barrel train ride (second trip)

Worn out from all that fun!!

(Notice Owen still has that bus!)

Fun at the Fair

2008-10-04T14:49:00.008-04:00

On Tuesday, Mimi and Grandpa took Aidan to the State Fair. I think it is so wonderful that he has grandparents that do those type of things with him and their other grand kids. We are truly blessed to have such a wonderful family!

As you can see from the photos, Aidan had a great time!

Move over James... it's Aidan and the Giant Pumpkin :)

While looking at the pumpkins, Aidan got stung by a bee on his cheek. This was the first time he has ever been stung. Mimi and Grandpa took him to the first aid station and the nice ladies there made it feel better. They even gave him an adorable stuffed monkey!

Giddy up!

Round and round on the carousel

Aidan went on lots of rides. Some he liked better than others. You can see the evidence of the bee sting in a few of the pics. He wasn't about to let a little bee sting get in the way of his good time!

Yes, I love this!

Backseat driver

The dragon ride (this one was a little scary-according to Aidan)

I like this one though!

The crocodile ride was cool too!

Racin' Aidan

Gone Fishin'
This was Aidan's first experience with fishing. Mimi said that the look on Aidan's face when he pulled that fish out of the water was priceless. He was very surprised! Aidan said he liked the fish but he wouldn't touch it because he was scared :) I wish I had been there to see that experience!

Aidan with his "feel better monkey" and all his stickers. He said he is going to keep that monkey forever!

When I picked Aidan up from the sitter's, he was going on and on about how much fun he had and all the cool things he did at the fair. On of the stickers he has on is a police "badge". He told me (in a very serious tone) "Mom, I changed my mind. I don't want to be a cowboy when I grow up anymore, now I want to be a police officer." So cute! Apparently, the trooper at the fair made a big impression on Aidan. He let him sit in his car and gave him that awesome badge. Days later, Aidan is still talking about the police man and his badge!

Johnny would be so proud!

2008-09-30T19:50:00.005-04:00

In honor of John Chapman's (AKA Johnny Appleseed) birthday-September 26th, I made applesauce from scratch with my class at school - with the help of one of my student's wonderful grandmother. Our classroom smelled so great! We couldn't wait to eat it. In the afternoon, another class came to join us (they also helped with the applesauce by peeling apples) and we enjoyed our wonderful treat and watched the video of Johnny Appleseed. It is rare that we get to do special activities like this (with demands of the SOLs, testing, and a very busy schedule) so I savor the days when we can do those types of things. I hope these are the days that my students remember when they are my age.

The applesauce was SOOOO delicious (much better than the stuff you buy at the store!) that I just had to make more for my family. Aidan was my fabulous helper. That little guy loves to cook! After we made it, he could hardly wait to try some. When we came home from running errands, our house smelled heavenly! We enjoyed our applesauce with dinner and it was definitely worth the wait!!

Me and my wonderful helper

Aidan- the peel master!

Our yummy applesauce (it tastes much better than it looks!)

Aidan devouring his applesauce

Owen thought it was great too!

Here is the recipe for those of you who what to experience the apple-y goodness:

Crock Pot Applesauce

10 large apples, peeled, cored, and sliced or cut in chunks

1/2 cup water

1 tsp cinnamon (I used 2 cinnamon sticks instead)

1/2 to 1 cup sugar

Put all the ingredients into the crock pot and mix. Should be about 3/4 full. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Enjoy!!

Joanie and Alan's Wedding

2008-09-28T11:25:00.006-04:00

Yesterday, we went to Joanie and Alan's wedding. We have known Joanie for almost 10 years. We are so happy to see her getting married to such a great guy! There was a lot of excitement due to the rain but everybody had a great time despite the weather. The boys had a wonderful time dancing, watching the horses and playing in the rain. Congratulations to the newlyweds!

Aidan and Owen before we left for the wedding

The down pour- once the rain started everyone relocated to inside the barn. I read somewhere that rain on your wedding day is good luck. Joanie and Alan must be one lucky couple!

The bride and groom

Joanie and some of the members of the wedding party after the ceremony

The boys watching the horses in the rain.

Aidan and Owen "dancing".

Owen checking out the fountain.

2008-09-13T20:17:00.000-04:00

Hangin' out at the Cook-out

2008-09-13T19:57:00.005-04:00

Ready to go!

Kevin and Nathan

Mike and Jake playing "the bean bag game"

Having fun in the hammock

More hammock time! We need to get one for our house!

Owen playing with his tractor toy

Last weekend we went to a birthday cook-out for Kevin, one of our friends from college and one of Mike's fraternity brothers. It was great to see some old friends and catch up. I was excited to meet Kevin and Ciara's baby, Ashley, for the first time too.

The boys had so much fun. Aidan was Mr. Social as usual. He would just walk up to people and say "Hi! I'm Aidan. I'm four." Absolutely adorable! Owen was clinging to me the first 20 minutes we were there. After that he seemed to enjoy himself. They had a great time playing with Ava, swinging in the hammock, and riding their toys that we brought along with us. Thank you Kevin and Ciara for a wonderful time!

Check out my classroom!

2008-08-31T11:51:00.003-04:00

Here are some pics of my classroom that I worked so hard to set up. There is a lot of work that goes into getting things ready for a new school year. Setting up the classroom is just one part of preparing for the school year. Just that part is tons of work! Cleaning, unpacking, taping, laminating, cutting, organizing, labeling, moving furniture, decorating... I could keep going but you get the idea. And of course on top of that there are lesson plans to write, copies to make, meetings to attend, information to gather for parents, open house night to attend and much more! So too all my fellow teachers, past teachers, and anyone else involved in education; thank you for all of your hard work and your devotion to the most important people on this Earth- our children.

All ready for my new group of students!

The carpet where we read stories and have some of our lessons.

The view from my desk.

New school year, new hair do

2008-08-24T10:49:00.003-04:00

I finally gathered up the courage to get my hair cut . I have wanted to donate my hair for a long time now and this seemed like a good time to do it. I had 10 inches chopped off! My head actually felt lighter after it was cut. It's definitely different but I like it. Mike says it's like having a new wife!
I sent the ponytail to Pantene. They have a program similar to Locks of Love called Beautiful lengths.
http://www.beautifullengths.com/en_US/index_home.jsp
I think those programs are so wonderful. I am looking forward to donating again in the future. It's a wonderful feeling to know I have helped to make a difference in another woman's life.

That's alot of hair!

My new hair cut.

A trip to the "Y"

2008-08-24T10:16:00.003-04:00

The boys and I headed out to Mimi and Grandpa' s house for a trip to the pool at the YMCA. We picked up Emily on the way. It was Owen's first time at the "big pool" and he was not to sure about it at first. I was not surprised of course since that is Owen's usual reaction to new situations. Once we had been there for a little while he was fine. In fact, he was quite the dare devil! I followed him around like a mother hen because he thought it was great to jump up and fall back into the water. Then he would go under and I would have to scoop him up. What a puzzling little guy! So cautious at first and then later it's as if he has no fear at all.

Aidan and Emily had a great time. I think it is so wonderful that they play so well together. After swimming, we had lunch back at Mimi and Grandpa's house and then took Emily back home. Then to our house for a much needed nap time.

What a great day! Next summer we are going to try and go more often.

Hmmm, I don't know about this!

Aidan having a great time!

Emily and the mushroom fountain

The Forden Family Photo Shoot

2008-08-07T08:02:00.006-04:00

We finally went and got family portraits done. The last time we went was when I was pregnant with Owen!

Overall, it was a good experience. The studio was very nice (we went to Portrait Innovations) and we got our pictures 20 minutes after we picked out the poses we wanted! Aidan did a great job but Owen wasn't exactly cooperative. Of course I knew that was what would happen before we went. The photographer was able to get some really great pictures despite Owen's lack of cooperation. It was so hard to choose which ones to buy! I am very happy with how they turned out. Hopefully, it won't be another two years before we go again!

Custom crayons

2008-08-07T07:44:00.004-04:00

Making the crayons

My wonderful helper!

Okay, they're ready to "cook"

Cool custom crayons

Aidan trying one out

Owen wanted to try one too.

Aidan's masterpiece

As a kindergarten teacher, one of the things I do each day is gather lost and broken crayons. I have built up quite a stockpile of colored wax so I decided it was time to recycle all those broken and misplaced crayons. So I peeled the paper off of the crayons one night while watching TV. The next day, Aidan helped me "cook" the crayons. We made a sunset crayon, one was patriotic, another was black with silver and gold, and some with a rainbow of colors. It was fun to make different combinations of colors. They turned out great! Aidan picked out one for each of his friends at daycare to give to them the next day. I am thinking I will make some more and use them for prizes at school.

It was about time!

2008-08-06T17:54:00.004-04:00

I finally got around to cleaning out and organizing the arts and crafts cabinets in the kitchen. This was one of my projects that I planned on getting done during my summer break. It was a pain pulling out all that stuff and sorting through it but it was worth it. Now I can pull out a certain activity for the boys so easily! It' s wonderful. Now the key is to keep it that way!

I almost have everything cleared out (I wish I had taken a before picture!)

Some off the stuff that was in the arts and crafts cabinets (crayons, markers, paint, coloring books, play doh, bubbles, paper towel tubes, egg cartons, and more!)

A place for everything and everything in its place (and labeled!)

Hooray for new toys!

2008-07-29T18:40:00.005-04:00

Here are some pics of Aidan (and Owen) playing with some of Aidan's birthday gifts.

ZipBin car set- very neat- it zips up into a box that holds toy cars (www.neat-oh.com)

Leapster-from Mom and Dad -one of his favorite toys so far

Word Whammer-from "Ms. Shannon" and family

Tool bench from Mimi and Grandpa

Aidan's birthday

2008-07-29T18:11:00.006-04:00

On Sunday, Mike and I wanted to continue the celebration so we surprised Aidan with lunch at Red Robin. We were so lucky to have Mimi and Grandpa join us! Aidan had one of his favorites- a hamburger and he also had his first root beer float. Yum! We asked the waiter to bring out a sundae for him and make a really big deal about it being Aidan's birthday. The look on Aidan's face when the wait staff started singing was priceless!

Aidan and Dad outside Red Robin

His first Root Beer float

Aidan digging into his sundae. (I love the expression on Mike's face!)

Apparently Aidan thoroughly enjoyed his birthday lunch!

Here are some pics of Aidan opening his gifts from Mom, Dad, and Owen.

A cool Diego board game

A zip-bin car set

Scuba mission Diego

A cool new back pack ( which contained a Tonka sticker book, markers, crayons, and practice booklets for writing letters).

A flat screen lite brite

Aidan is 4 years old!

2008-07-29T16:14:00.008-04:00

It's hard to believe Aidan is now four years old. It goes by SO fast. I don't think one truly realizes how quickly time passes until you have kids. Mike and I spent a lot the weekend (when we weren't busy with party stuff) talking and thinking about all the things we have experienced in the past four years and what was happening on July 27th four years ago. A lot of statements like - "At this time four years ago, we were on our way to the hospital" and "Remember when Aidan had a fascination with keys and we had a set made for him just to carry around?" So many wonderful memories! I am looking forward to what is still to come.

Aidan's birthday party was on Saturday at Inflation Nation. I think he must have asked us 50 times if it was time for his party yet. Boy were we glad when it was finally time to leave!!

Everyone had a wonderful time. We had kids from 18 months to 11 years old and everyone was entertained. The kids and grown ups were all having fun jumping, climbing, sliding, and bouncing. It was so wonderful to see so many of Aidan's friends (Canyon, Coleman, Emily, Keegan, Kassidie, Katelyn, Dory, Avery and cousins Ashley and Emily) there to celebrate with us. And of course it just wouldn't be the same without Mimi and Grandpa!

Aidan had such a great time! I think one of the coolest things was the big throne that he got to sit in while he blew out his candles and opened his gifts.

Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with us!

Aidan's awesome birthday cake

So excited to be going to his party!

Aidan and his friend Coleman having fun on the slide

Our oldest party guest (aside from the adults of course)- our niece, Ashley

Aidan and his friend Dory bouncing

Aidan' s friend Avery and cousin Emily having lots of fun

Yeah, this is my kind of party!

King Aidan and his birthday throne :)

The party room and our guests enjoying their mini melts ice cream.

Aidan signing the wall with Dad's help

Aidan was here

A party, a sleepover, and a trip to the beach

2008-07-22T19:51:00.011-04:00

This past weekend we rode down to VA Beach to see the Strom family. The trip down was rough. I spent a lot of the time trying to keep the boys happy. Well, mainly Owen, Aidan was pretty content watching a movie on the DVD player. Owen hated being in the car that long. I tried every trick in my book. It didn't help that the trip took a lot longer than it should have due to traffic.
But we made it and had a great time. The boys had lots of fun during Bella's birthday party. That night we had pizza (seems to be the food of choice when we get together). It was hard getting the kids asleep after all the excitement but they eventually fell asleep.
The next morning we had Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast (and much needed coffee for the grown-ups). Then, after a lot of preparation and packing, we went to the beach. Aidan had a great time. Owen was very nervous and was clinging on to me as soon as we stepped onto the beach. He liked playing in the sand but the ocean was not something he wanted to explore just yet. Aidan, Bella, and Ava had a great time playing in the water and building sand castles. The boys played so hard they both fell asleep on the way back home. A little quiet time for mom and dad is always a good thing.

Play doh is great!

More fun with play doh

Mmmmm...donuts

This is how excited Owen was to be eating donuts!

Owen- not so excited about the big ocean

Aidan playing in the sand. Jake and Bella playing in the water.

Aidan, Bella, Mike, and Anna enjoying the waves

Ava and Jake playing in the sand

Owen having lots of fun in the nice, safe sand.

Owen getting brave (right before we had to leave).

Play hard. Sleep harder.

Some cute pics

2008-07-22T18:58:00.005-04:00

These are some random pics that I think are cute but didn't really fit with the other posts.

Aidan helping Owen take his shoes off

Owen trying to get Elmo's attention- it is very rare for him to show any interest in television

Look what I can do!

So silly!

Snuggling

Wow! They are both smiling AND looking at the camera!

Swing set Surprise

2008-07-22T18:10:00.006-04:00

This weekend was definitely a crazy one for us! On Friday, the 11th , I ending up in the emergency room due to a kidney stone! I have not felt pain that bad before except while in the late stages of labor! I am so glad Mike convinced me to go to the hospital. Morphine is a very good thing.
So now that is all over with and I'm feeling so much better. Mike's mom is so great. She came to the hospital and got the boys and kept them at her house that night. I couldn't have imagined having the boys with us during that experience.
On Saturday, Mike had to work and I was recuperating. Sunday we had to build Aidan's swing set which was an early birthday present. So the boys went back to Mimi and Grandpa's house so that we could work on the surprise.
First of all, we had a terrible time finding a swing set in the first place. I had read all the reviews and wanted to get something that would hold up for a while. We were going to get a metal one at first but could not find the one we wanted so we saw this one online and decided to spend a little extra on a wood one.
I helped Mike go through all the lumber and label the pieces. There were A LOT of pieces! Then we attempted to put the slide together- that was almost impossible! Thank goodness Mike's friend from work, Rob, came to help us assemble that thing. It took about 5 hours to build it, which was pretty good because some of the reviews said it would take twice that long. But it was all worth it. We had Aidan close his eyes until we got to the bottom of the stairs and revealed the surprise. His eyes got really big and he said "Wow! A play set!" and started running. As the pictures show, Aidan and Owen love the new play set. Mission accomplished!

Here is what we started with...

and this.

Laying out all the pieces

It's starting to look like something!

Tada!!!

Aidan was so surprised!

Aidan is so excited he doesn' t know what to do, but Owen does- conquer the slide!

Weeee!!!

Fun on the swings. At one point Aidan stopped and looked at us and said "Mom, Dad. I love my play set. Thanking you for getting it for me". Wow! That's what it's all about. Those are the moments that make it all worth it.

One happy little guy!

Two tie-dyed guys

2008-07-22T18:02:00.004-04:00

Mimi and Grandpa brought over these shirts one day for the boys. They were hand made with love by her and our neices Ashley and Emily. I think the boys look so cute!

Love

Peace

and Happiness!

A Visit from the Stroms

2008-07-22T17:35:00.003-04:00

Aidan trying out the tent before our guests arrive (Dad thought it would be fun to put the tent up for the kids to play in)

Hangin' out , eating "trash"

Fun in the sand

We haven't seen Jake and Anna and their girls in about 9 months and all of a sudden we are going to see them many times in the upcoming weeks. We are all so happy to get to spend time with our good friends. So the Strom family came to visit us for the day on Sunday, the 6th. We had such a great time! We enjoyed delicious guacomole and made some yummy pizzas, four different kinds-cheese, pepperoni, barbeque chicken, and hawaiian. Sooooo good!

The kids had a blast playing in the sand box, eating popsicles and "trash" (aka puppy chow or muddy buddies), and making the playroom appear as a hurricane had passed through it! We finished out our day with a trip to Rita's for gelatis. After all the kids had been bathed, we said our goodbyes. We are looking forward to Bella's birthday party when we will get to spend time with our friends again.

Whoosh Kaboom!!!

2008-07-21T19:39:00.008-04:00

We went to the Fourth of July parade for one of the nearby subdivisions. The boys really enjoyed it. The firetrucks and bagpipes are always a big hit. The boys really enjoyed "gathering" the candy that was thrown in our direction. And of course they were proud to sport the tee shirts that I made for them. I was very happy with how they turned out. It's amazing what you can do with fabric paint, a little time, and some patience.
That evening we went to see the Brandermill fireworks. Owen was a little nervous about it but Aidan loved it! The first comment he made was- "Whoa! They're breaking the sky!" Hilarious! Of course we assured him that the sky was unharmed and would be blue again the next day. After they were over, I asked him if he had fun. He said "Yes! The fireworks went whoosh kaboom!" as he threw his hands up in the air. Too cute!

Hanging out in the wagon before the parade started.

The boys showing off their awesome shirts!

Must get the candy!!!

Me and my boys

Aidan dancing to the music.

So when is this thing getting started?

Aidan and Dad watching the fireworks.

Mom watching, Owen half asleep.

Whoosh Kaboom!

Mr. Sneaky

2008-06-22T13:15:00.002-04:00

Owen is such a sneaky little guy! One day I was switching the laundry over and when I was done, I realize it was way too quite. I discovered that Owen had gotten into the cabinet and found the marshmallows! Aidan thought it was a great idea (notice in the pics he is wearing my shoes- what is with kids and wearing other people's shoes?) and I found them chowing down on fluffy goodness.
A few days ago, Owen got into my purse somehow. He found a lollipop, unwrapped it, and started eating it. I didn't have the heart to take it away from him so I sat him down at the table to finish his treat.

Owen and Aidan enjoying marshmallows ( I promise the floor is clean!)

Marshmallows? What marshmallows?

Yummm!

The Forden Family "Stay-cation"

2008-06-18T21:20:00.002-04:00

Last week, Mike took a week off work and the boys did not go to the sitters; school is out so I am taking my summer break. We took the week to have a staycation. There was no way we could do a regular vacation (maybe next year) but we wanted to have some R&R and take the boys out for some fun. Boy did we have a great week! It was so nice having everyone home and enjoying the time together.

On Sunday (June 8th), we dropped the boys off at Mimi and Grandpa's and we went to see an Imax movie with our friends Joanie and Alan. The Imax was really cool. It was about the Colorado river and the best part about it (in my opinion) was the music was by the Dave Matthews Band. After the movie, we had delicious treats from Cold Stone. Yum!!!

On Monday, we had a water day. Aidan and Owen played in their new pool and cool new sprinkler that shoots balls up into the air. Owen was a little unsure at first but soon he was going down the slide all by himself! Aidan had a great time too; that child loves to play in the water!That afternoon, we went to Rita's Italian Ice for some cool treats. Mike and I both had a gelati and Aidan had frozen custard. Owen had a sampling of everything. It was SOOOO good and refreshing!

Hanging out in the pool

Aidan going down the slide

Owen going down the slide all by himself!

Playing the water drums

Having fun with the sprinkler

Aloha fudge!

2008-06-18T20:49:00.005-04:00

On Tuesday, we went to the Children's Museum of Richmond. The boys loved this. So much to do! Aidan said that his favorite part was the big dinosaur slide. Owen thought the backyard area was great( there is a big sand area and a water play area) . We returned home for lunch and nap time.

In the afternoon, we went to Kathleen's Fudge Shop-fudge and jelly belly beans for everyone!!!

It was Hawaiian day at the fudge shop. There was a discount on any Hawaiian type fudge- coconut, key lime, etc. I was not brave enough to try any of those. I am partial to chocolate myself. Aidan and Owen both got a lei to wear home and Aidan learned that Aloha means hello and goodbye.

Seymour the dinosaur

Aidan trying out the triceratops

Owen and me doing dinosaur rubbings. Aidan is in the background about to go down the dinosaur slide.

Aidan in the "tree"

Owen in the "tree"

Aidan playing in the water in the backyard area

Owen sopping wet and looking like he's about to knock someone out!

Mmmmmm, fudge!!!!

Owen thinks fudge tastes great and looks good when you wear it too!

Bouncing high and Pizza pie

2008-06-18T20:12:00.005-04:00

Wednesday we went to the bouncy room place, as Aidan calls it. We spent over an hour at Inflation Nation in the morning. It was the nicest inflatable place we have been to so far. The adults were aloud to jump with the kids which was great fun and quite a workout. Some of the inflatables were obstacle courses, there were a couple with slides, some that were just for bouncing, and a play area for the little ones. Owen liked the little cars the best. It took him a while to get warmed up to the idea of going in the inflatables. Eventually, I crawled into the small obstacle course and he followed me in there. He liked it but apparently it was no match for the cars. Aidan couldn't get enough of the big slide. At one point he got in the tiger inflatable and the people that were in there invited him to join in their game of duck, duck, goose! Aidan is such a friendly little fella!

We went to Cici's pizza for lunch. The boys liked the mac n cheese pizza the best. They must have worked up big appetites from all of that jumping because they ate a lot of pizza. Aidan ate at least five pieces and a sweet roll!!

After we went home for nap time, we went back to Inflation Nation. You pay for the day, so you can come and go as you please. Owen was more open to jumping when we returned. Aidan had a blast as usual. That is one of the biggest differences I've noticed between them. Owen is more reserved and just takes things in before he gets involved. Aidan is outgoing and just jumps right into things without hesitation.

What a busy day and so much fun! We all slept very well that night!

Aidan and me conquering the truck obstacle course

The truck obstacle course from the outside (look how small Owen is beside it!)

Aidan going down the big slide

Owen running- most of the time he was either driving one of the cars or running around

Aidan on the playground equipment

Owen driving one of the cars (he tried out every single one of them)

The boys checking out one of the obstacle courses

Fun at the Zoo

2008-06-18T18:11:00.006-04:00

Thursday was zoo day! I had been looking forward to taking the boys to the zoo for months. This was the first time that either of them had been. We've been to Maymont many times but we had not made it to the zoo until now. We were entertained by the chimanzee and gibbons, got to feed the giraffes, rode on the merry-go-round, and saw lots of neat animals. The boys really enjoyed the petting zoo and watching the monkeys. Aidan and Dad went for a relaxing skyride ( I thought it was best for Owen to stay on the ground to prevent a meltdown). Owen and I had a little snack while Dad and Aidan went for their ride. After the ride, the chickens decided it was their snack time too! The boys thought that was hilarious!

Our ride on the Merry-go-round (I ended up holding Owen because he didn't trust the zebra)

Feeding time for the penguins. It was so funny to watch them follow her around while she was getting ready to feed them.

The giraffe visiting with Dad and Owen

Owen and Dad feeding the giraffe

Aidan feeding the animals at the petting zoo

Me waving to the guys while they were on the skyride

Our feathered friends

Awww! My guys are so adorable! I love this picture!!

Eggs and italian ice

2008-06-18T17:18:00.004-04:00

On Friday, we had breakfast at Cracker Barrel with Mimi and Grandpa. We are so lucky!! Aidan and Owen both got special toys from the Cracker Barrel store. Thanks Mimi!!
That afternoon, we went back to Rita's. It was so good; we just had to go back from more! I think I would go everyday if I could. Aidan likes it there so much that he didn't want to leave. I believe his words were "But Mom, It's so comfy, cozy here!" I promised that we would go back another day, very soon.

summer haircuts

2008-06-03T20:27:00.003-04:00

We finally got around to going to the barber shop. All the guys got haircuts (that cost us a good chunk of change!). This was Owen's second hair cut and first time with the clippers. He did a really good job! I almost cried after his hair cut was finished- he looks like such a big boy now! I have to say they all look very handsome.

What a difference!

That is one cute kid!

Check out those handsome fellas!

Summer = new outdoor toys!

2008-06-03T20:05:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Uncle Sam and warm weather, the boys received new outdoor toys. They were very surprised! It was like Christmas- in July. Aidan got his first scooter; it's a three wheel scooter by radio flyer. Owen got a John Deere ride-on toy, it has sound effects and the seat opens up to a play area; it came with four little farm animals that fit in various parts of the toy. They absolutely love their new toys! Aidan has asked to ride his scooter every day since he got it.

Surprise!

Owen trying out his tractor

Ready, set, go!

Toy swap

Aidan checking out Owen's toy (I think Owen had the scooter when this was taken)