Ottawa in March

Dave's paternal grandmother (aka Nana) lives in Ottawa. We were supposed to go to Ottawa around Christmas time, but an ice-storm kept us from making the drive. We said then that we would try again during spring break, since it had been about 18 months since our last visit. The unfortunate loss of my father-in-law in February only solidified our tenative plans.

Despite being there for emotional support to our grieving Nana, we had a nice time. The boys really brightened her week! They gave numerous kisses and hugs on demand!

Zack-isms with a few of Aaron-isms!!

"Daddy, you're wrong. I'm correct all the time."



"I love to help you clean." Unfortunately, he'll either use half a tub of baby wipes or half a bottle of 409 to do it!



"Mommy, I love you longer than forever!!"

"Mommy, (big sigh) I just love you!"

"Old MacDonald had a poop, eee, eih, eee, eih, stink!" He's been big into the potty talk lately!

"Aaron's a stinky poop tush!"

Aaronisms

"You're a good daddy" he says as he's patting dave's head!

"Mommy, poopies coming!!" (we're working on potty-training!)

Fun in the snow!

Zachary was sooo exited to see all the snow we got the other day (about 16".) He started charting about sledding and making a snow man and eating snow (I think he picked this up at school.) Then I realized that his sled is in the shed....hmmm.

Dave got dressed to go out and shovel the snow. Zack wanted to help so bad...SOOOOO bad. But Dave kept telling him no. He was bawling!!!!

Dave had cleared a path to the shed and dug out the door so we could get the sled out. So yesterday, he took the boys sledding. Zack had soo much fun....Aaron not so much. Dave took the Flip with him outside to capture Aaron's joy.

Sleep buddies!

So tonight, Aaron put himself to bed. He went up stairs and crawled right into bed...with Zachary!! This is sooo cute to me and shows how much Aaron loves his big brother!

Super Dog!!

Aaron's been having fun with capes lately. He puts on bibs backwards and runs around saying "Super Aaron to the rescue!!" Last night the dog was chasing Aaron around while he had on a cape, so I gave the dog a cape too! The boys thought this was the funniest thing...the dog not so much. It lasted about 10 minutes though!

Daddy's Birthday

Sunday was Dave's birthday. In the morning, the boys helped me make waffles. Zack did a great job whisking the batter while Aaron added the flour!

So I let the boys help me make Dave's birthday cake too! This time they kept fighting over who got to add what ingredients, so I had to finish it by myself.

Dave decided for his birthday we would all go bowling (after the cake came out of the oven.) Zack was so excited about going bowling, I think he had his coat and shoes on well before the cake was done.

Finally bowling and pizza!

Dave showing off his skills (hahaha, good thing the bumpers were up!)

It took Aaron until about the 7th frame to let go of me and bowl on his own. (He still refused to put on the bowling shoes though.)

escava!!

So as I'm sitting here checking email and headlines, I hear Aaron behind me playing. He singing "escava! escava. Escavaaaaa!!!" (For those who dont' know escava means dig in spanish.) After a few minutes, I turn around just to see what he's doing. He's sitting on his knees in front of the dog's food bowl (which I just filled) 'digging' the dog food with a toy tea cup! He's pouring it onto the floor, where the dog is waiting patiently to eat the food that hits the floor.

the nightly plea...

"mommy, I want you to sleep with me." This used to be Zack's line as I put him to bed. Since we moved Aaron into his big-boy-bed, he has since adopted it too. Now, I (or Dave) put Zack to bed. He asks if I can sleep with him, usually I lie there with him for about 10 minutes. If he's feeling chatty or restless, I leave sooner.
The first few nights Aaron slept in his bed, I laid with him to ensure that he STAYED in his bed. The first night I woke up at 3 am as Aaron was climbing into my bed! The second night, I was woken up by Aaron crying in the hallway at 2 am. The third night he started down the stairs at 3 am and I think got scared or couldnt see in the dark and just started crying. I brought him into bed with me both times.
Aaron now asks me to sleep with him as I'm putting him to bed (after he protests first.) I have to lay there with him until he falls asleep or else he jumps up and heads for the door! I didn't think Aaron was ready for a bed yet, but his father insisted because other people thought he was ready.

Tids bits of happenings

Lots of little things have marked the past few weeks. Dave took Zack to his first Penn State game this past Saturday. Penn State played E. Illinois so Dave got two tickets pretty easily and relatively cheap. I tried to get Dave to take the camera to take some pictures, but he refused. He did take some pictures with his phone though. I wish I could get them online somehow. (Sorry, no blackberry or iPhone in this house.) Zack loved the game and proclaimed that next week Aaron gets to go too!

Zack also enjoyed his first movie-theather movie. The movie "Up" was playing at the dollar theater this week, so I took Zack to see it. Overall I think he enjoyed it. I thought the movie was a little too "grown-up-ish" for a 4 year old. The funniest parts of the movie I'm sure were over his head and there were some scary parts too. We stopped off for some ice cream afterwards, so he anything scary was erased!

Zack had his first "show and tell" day at pre-school. Whoever brings in a toy for show and tell also gets to be circle-kid for the day. Circle-kid gets to place today's number (date) on the calendar, tell the class the weather for the day and place the appropriate weather sticker on the board. Zack loved being circle -kid. He now plays school at home and I got to be circle kid!!!

Aaron's favorite activity is to take all the pillows and blankets off my bed and to throw them on the floor at the bottom of the bed. He then climbs up on the bed, jumps a few times and then leaps off the bed into the pile of pillows. He's been doing this ever since I took him to Nittany Gymnastics, where they have a giant foam pit for kids to jump into. We haven't been back since that one visit because of illness or other schedule conflicts, but I think this is a sign that Aaron wants to go back!

Bee Sting

So as I type this Aaron is sleeping off the pain of a yellow jacket sting to his nose. I feel responsible for this sting because I did something to sort of provoke the bee. I was digging a hole to plant something, when I discovered a nest in the ground near the foundation. There were few bees coming and going so I was trying to just ignore them. Aaron came over and sat in the hole I was digging (shoe-less...errr!)
I think the bees were trying to determine if Aaron was a threat as they kept buzzing around him. Aaron got out of the whole and went back to filling his shoes with rocks. So I continued digging. Now a bee came really close to me. I couldn't see it, but could hear the buzzing right near my ear. Its really hard trying not to let your kids see you freak out over a bee buzzing near your ear!! Anyway, I went back to digging. When I had a shovel full of dirt, I threw it over the hole where bees were coming in and out. As I was doing this, Aaron went and sat back in the hole. Well, I guess the dirt pissed off one of the bees. It flew straight to Aaron and landed on his nose. Aaron immediately took his hands to his nose and began rubbing it. It probably took a good 4-5 seconds before the bee stung him and flew away. I felt SOOOOOOO bad. I still do.
I scooped up Aaron and we came inside. My first thought was "I hope he's not allergic to bee stings!!" So we sat on the stairs for about 30 seconds and I just watch him for swelling or hives. Thankfully nothing came. Since he was covered in dirt, I took him up to his room to change him.
After he had a clean diaper and clothes on we just cuddled until the crying stopped. As we were cuddling I was googling these stupid bees. Aaron eventually feel asleep on my shoulder. After about 15 minutes, I laid him down in his crib. His little nose is a little swollen around the sting site, but other than that he seems to be ok.
Then I came back down stairs to see a mole run across my kitchen floor!!!! Damn it I thought that thing was gone!!!!!