So, I've been following a few different blogs lately and I enjoy reading them. It got me to wondering if anyone likes reading mine and, if not, what I can do to make it, well, more enjoyable. So, I am asking for feedback and suggestions, and I'll be working on making my future posts something that is more than just a play-by-play of what Aaron and I have been doing in the month or so since my last post.
Oh, yeah, and that's the other thing. I am committed to writing far more frequently. A lot goes on in our lives. (I mean, it's not full of extravagant activities day in and day out. But, we do a lot and Aaron is a blast!) So, I get to share more of him and more often.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Our Holidays 2010
Our holidays this year were amazing! We spent Thanksgiving Day with my sister and her family at Chuck-A-Rama, a local buffet-style restaurant. I really enjoyed spending the day with them and we all enjoyed a day free from cooking and cleaning!
As Christmas approached, I got to participate in several service activities, including donating stamps, visiting with friends I hadn't met yet, donating food and items I no longer used, and sending a greeting card to someone I didn't know. I also spent my holidays smiling at everyone wherever I went. I was excited to see how many people shifted from being "grumpy holiday shoppers" to smiling or at least a little less grumpy.
The most exciting service was one that Aaron and I got to do together along with several of my family members. We raised enough money to provide 2 full turkey dinners with all the fixings, which we gave away to 2 wonderful families. We also had treats and toys donated as we were raising the money for the food. This is something I can absolutely see us doing again as it brought us closer together as a family and it got the community involved, too. What a great way to spread the holiday spirit!
I realized pretty late in month that I had done nothing to get Christmas cards ready. So, I found an opportunity to run Aaron to a nearby business park that has beautiful streams and ponds and, with my mom standing near him, I took some quick snapshots of him. They turned out really good, other than poor quality from the cameras...but that's a story for another post.
I put up our tree about halfway through the month and did most of it after Aaron had gone to bed. He had a lot of fun playing with the Christmas tree, especially after he found the switch to turn the lights on and off. He particularly loved it when he could get them to blink. That was the BEST!
Aaron and I also enjoyed our own holiday traditions, which are still developing. He was much more involved with this year, of course. He "helped" put out the cookies and milk for Santa by very quickly taking 2 of them off the plate as soon as I put on the small table. (He was not very happy with me when I put it out of reach until after he was in bed.) We had hot chocolate, which was really more lukewarm so as not to burn his little tongue. We read the Christmas story from a kids board book I bought for him this year. Then we opened one gift each before bedtime.
The next morning when he woke up, I brought him into the living room where Santa had placed our gifts on the couch and left a letter for Aaron next to the now empty plate of cookies. The first thing Aaron noticed was the empty plate where he had seen the cookies the night before. He got down from my arms, picked up the plate, dumped the crumbs and dropped the plate on the floor with frustration.
I started pointing out the new toys and presents he had been given. Instead of coming over them to start exploring, he turned around and walked directly over to another plate next to the TV where Santa had left some treats for us. I still don't know how he knew they were even there! He has definitely developed his "candy radar".
Once he had some candy, I was able to get him to notice the gifts. He wasn't very interested in opening them, though. He would tear a small corner of paper every once in awhile, but he was far more interested in playing with what was already out (including his old toys!) than he was in opening any of the presents.
We ended up bringing the last 2 unopened gifts with us as we went to visit with my mom and my sister and her family and got to open one at each home. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and playing at my sisters house.
I enjoyed this holiday season far more than any I can remember for quite some time. Part of it has to do with the fact that Aaron is older and is beginning to know what's going on. Part of it is because we got to spend so much time with family. Most of it is because I am appreciating giving service this year and I am embracing the reason for the season. I know that I can carry that spirit with me throughout the entire year and I plan on giving throughout the upcoming year the way I was able to at Christmastime.
(This picture doesn't really have anything to do with the post, but he's just so darn cute I couldn't resist adding it!)
As Christmas approached, I got to participate in several service activities, including donating stamps, visiting with friends I hadn't met yet, donating food and items I no longer used, and sending a greeting card to someone I didn't know. I also spent my holidays smiling at everyone wherever I went. I was excited to see how many people shifted from being "grumpy holiday shoppers" to smiling or at least a little less grumpy.
The most exciting service was one that Aaron and I got to do together along with several of my family members. We raised enough money to provide 2 full turkey dinners with all the fixings, which we gave away to 2 wonderful families. We also had treats and toys donated as we were raising the money for the food. This is something I can absolutely see us doing again as it brought us closer together as a family and it got the community involved, too. What a great way to spread the holiday spirit!
I realized pretty late in month that I had done nothing to get Christmas cards ready. So, I found an opportunity to run Aaron to a nearby business park that has beautiful streams and ponds and, with my mom standing near him, I took some quick snapshots of him. They turned out really good, other than poor quality from the cameras...but that's a story for another post.
I put up our tree about halfway through the month and did most of it after Aaron had gone to bed. He had a lot of fun playing with the Christmas tree, especially after he found the switch to turn the lights on and off. He particularly loved it when he could get them to blink. That was the BEST!
Aaron and I also enjoyed our own holiday traditions, which are still developing. He was much more involved with this year, of course. He "helped" put out the cookies and milk for Santa by very quickly taking 2 of them off the plate as soon as I put on the small table. (He was not very happy with me when I put it out of reach until after he was in bed.) We had hot chocolate, which was really more lukewarm so as not to burn his little tongue. We read the Christmas story from a kids board book I bought for him this year. Then we opened one gift each before bedtime.
The next morning when he woke up, I brought him into the living room where Santa had placed our gifts on the couch and left a letter for Aaron next to the now empty plate of cookies. The first thing Aaron noticed was the empty plate where he had seen the cookies the night before. He got down from my arms, picked up the plate, dumped the crumbs and dropped the plate on the floor with frustration.
I started pointing out the new toys and presents he had been given. Instead of coming over them to start exploring, he turned around and walked directly over to another plate next to the TV where Santa had left some treats for us. I still don't know how he knew they were even there! He has definitely developed his "candy radar".
Once he had some candy, I was able to get him to notice the gifts. He wasn't very interested in opening them, though. He would tear a small corner of paper every once in awhile, but he was far more interested in playing with what was already out (including his old toys!) than he was in opening any of the presents.
We ended up bringing the last 2 unopened gifts with us as we went to visit with my mom and my sister and her family and got to open one at each home. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and playing at my sisters house.
I enjoyed this holiday season far more than any I can remember for quite some time. Part of it has to do with the fact that Aaron is older and is beginning to know what's going on. Part of it is because we got to spend so much time with family. Most of it is because I am appreciating giving service this year and I am embracing the reason for the season. I know that I can carry that spirit with me throughout the entire year and I plan on giving throughout the upcoming year the way I was able to at Christmastime.
(This picture doesn't really have anything to do with the post, but he's just so darn cute I couldn't resist adding it!)
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
My, how the time has flown!
I have been meaning to write for several weeks now. Between work, caring for Aaron, being involved with some training that has taken a good amount of my time, the holidays, and fulfilling other commitments I have made the time has simply gotten away from me.
I've been considering what to write all week. As you can see, there's been a lot going on, so this is no small thing. Rather than continuing to ponder on it, I figured it would be better for me to write something than to continue writing nothing at all!
So, here goes! I said before, I've been in some training. This started the 3rd of November and has kept me very busy ever since. But, it's been the most amazing, life-changing experience I could have ever imagined...and then some. I would love to tell you all about it, but that would literally take hours. So, to sum up, I am happier, more confident, more at peace and full of love than I thought possible. I feel like a huge mental and emotional weight has been lifted off of me. And, I'm actually losing weight physically, too! Woo hoo!
In addition to the training, I have continued to work full-time and spend my free time with Aaron. Who, by the way, has been working on all 4 molars for about the same amount of time I've been in training. I don't know who came up with teething process, but there is a LOT of room for improvement! He's had feverish weekends, sleepless nights, frustration from being in so much pain and from not being able to tell me what's wrong, which leads to more frustration because I just can't figure out what's going on so much of the time.
Through it all, he has still handled it like a champ, though. I recognize that ultra-grumpy for Aaron is normal for a lot of other children and I know I am extremely blessed to have such a happy boy.
Our holidays were amazing, to say the least. I got to work through them, but I was still able to spend quite a bit of time with Aaron. We also spent a lot of time with my family and he got to see his dad for a while shortly before Christmas.
He still hasn't figured out the Santa thing and wasn't extremely interested in opening his gifts. On the other hand, he has figured out candy, cookies and playing with the abundance of new toys he received. I'll write more about our Christmas experiences and add photos in my next post (which WILL happen before the month is over!).
So, that's a very brief overview of what's been going on with us. I trust your holidays and lives in general have been just as wonderful in their own ways. Till next time, take care and know that we love you!
I've been considering what to write all week. As you can see, there's been a lot going on, so this is no small thing. Rather than continuing to ponder on it, I figured it would be better for me to write something than to continue writing nothing at all!
So, here goes! I said before, I've been in some training. This started the 3rd of November and has kept me very busy ever since. But, it's been the most amazing, life-changing experience I could have ever imagined...and then some. I would love to tell you all about it, but that would literally take hours. So, to sum up, I am happier, more confident, more at peace and full of love than I thought possible. I feel like a huge mental and emotional weight has been lifted off of me. And, I'm actually losing weight physically, too! Woo hoo!
In addition to the training, I have continued to work full-time and spend my free time with Aaron. Who, by the way, has been working on all 4 molars for about the same amount of time I've been in training. I don't know who came up with teething process, but there is a LOT of room for improvement! He's had feverish weekends, sleepless nights, frustration from being in so much pain and from not being able to tell me what's wrong, which leads to more frustration because I just can't figure out what's going on so much of the time.
Through it all, he has still handled it like a champ, though. I recognize that ultra-grumpy for Aaron is normal for a lot of other children and I know I am extremely blessed to have such a happy boy.
Our holidays were amazing, to say the least. I got to work through them, but I was still able to spend quite a bit of time with Aaron. We also spent a lot of time with my family and he got to see his dad for a while shortly before Christmas.
He still hasn't figured out the Santa thing and wasn't extremely interested in opening his gifts. On the other hand, he has figured out candy, cookies and playing with the abundance of new toys he received. I'll write more about our Christmas experiences and add photos in my next post (which WILL happen before the month is over!).
So, that's a very brief overview of what's been going on with us. I trust your holidays and lives in general have been just as wonderful in their own ways. Till next time, take care and know that we love you!
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