AYDEN IS FIVE!!!!

Dear Ayden Christopher,

Today you are 5 years old! This is a very big, emotional day for mommy, for many reasons, like the fact that I remember my 5th birthday, and I can't believe I now have a 5 year old! Time just seems to pass even faster with each year. But if there is anything that having you and your brother has taught me, it's to enjoy and savor every moment of your childhood, because I know with a blink of an eye, you will have a 5 year old yourselves! You are truly a joy to be with. You encompass and define every fun, magical, exciting thing about childhood and I love watching you and seeing the world through your eyes. You and your brother are my greatest dreams brought to life, and I couldn't be more proud of the little boy you have become! You make us laugh everyday, amaze us with your quick wit and intelligence, and have a sweet and loving soul. Next week you will start preschool 3 days a week and only 1 year from now you'll be at school more days than you're home. I am so grateful to have another year of free and carefree days to spend with you at home before the exciting and grown-up world of school begins! Here are your answers to 20 questions I asked you about your favorite things at 5 years old!!

Favorites:
Color- purple
Toy-microphone and tractor
Fruit-apples
TV show- Max and Ruby
Lunch- Hot dogs and ketchup
Thing to wear: costumes and "comfy" shorts :)
Sport: baseball
Video game: Captain Jones "Indiana Jones"
Board game: Toy Story Memory
Snack: Goldfish crackers
Animal: Moose or Wolf
Song: you said, "The one I made up!--Oh, baby, you're so sweet to me!" (you really did make this song up a couple months ago, and sing it to me all the time! :)
Book- Even Monsters Need Haircuts
Best Friend- Elijah
Cereal- Captain Crunch
Thing to do outside- swing
Drink- Milk
Holiday- Halloween
Thing to take to bed- Fox in Socks
Breakfast- pancakes
What do you want for dinner on your birthday? "probably pizza"
What do you want to be when you grow up? Paleontologist

Happy 5th Birthday Ayden!!! We love you SO much!!!!!

23 months!

Well, our little E has reached the age where I stop counting his age in months! You know what that means....he's almost the big TWO! I can hardly believe my baby is almost such "big" age now! He is looking and acting so much more like a little boy than a baby these days! This month we have seen leaps and bounds in his vocabulary! He still talks in his very distinct "Ethan-ese" much of the time, but is saying/repeating words constantly. This is new for him, he hasn't been the big talker of the family! His current loves are:

-He is so busy getting into shananigans all the time!! He is a MESS! Dumping out toy boxes, unfolding laundry, pulling dishes out of cabinets,coloring on the walls and floor, chasing the pets and pulling their tails, pouring out drinks on the floor, throwing food in floor, smashing/smearing food all over table, climbing into the fireplace....just to name a FEW!
-Coloring! He colors at least 2-3 times a day, he loves it!
-Trains (Choo-Choos) and Trucks (Tucks)
-favorite shows- Barney, Yo Gabba Gabba and Calliou
-playing with action figures/superhero toys
-looking at books
-playing picture/object identification games on the iPad
-eating!! specifically cheese, bananas (mananas), animal crackers, pickles, mac and cheese, pancakes, apples (bapples), pb&j. He says "mmmmm" and smiles big when he is eating, so cute!
-He still won't drink a drop of milk! So he drinks calcium fortified orange juice and lots of ice water.

He is getting a Choo Choo big boy room for his birthday! We are painting, converting his crib to a full size bed, and completely redecorating. I am very excited to see the finished result, but also bittersweet about it not being the "nursery" anymore!

Happy 23 months to our rotten little E!!

picking out tomatoes at Memaw and Pappaws house
after a dip in the pool :)

Instead of napping...he was doing this instead!