Aiden is Nineteen Months

Every month it is impossible to me that Aiden is another month older but he just keeps right on growing and learning and getting ever more charming.

He says lots and lots of words and makes an attempt to repeat what we say, but his most common words are
dop
eat
hat
Daddy, Mommy (often Mom), A-yee, and E...oh yes, and Choch, Choch
Bash (bath)

He has been into hats beginning this month.  Every time we walk out the door, he gets excited to see Daddy's hats hung up.  At, at!  Daddy at!!  He has a Boston knit one that he loves to wear.

He has the BEST giggle.

Likes to make us laugh by being goofy

So, so picky!  He turns his nose up at things he's never tried or will choose to not eat something that he's eaten in the past.  He eats no meat, no vegetables, except to lick the carrot that he is dipping in hummus.  Very picky about fruit and can't have peanut butter.  Protein is an issue!  He does eat cereal with milk by himself now, often for more than one meal a day.

He adores his sisters and thankfully they are happy to include him....he'll go into Avery's room and say A-ye, eyes.  A-ye, eyes.  And she'll put down whatever she is doing, get out her make-up kit and put eyeshadow on him.  Makes me tear up. :)

Talk about precious.  This is him blowing to kisses to Daddy as he is on his way to work...

He is loved and adored...guess you can kind of see that though. :)

Project 365, Week 8

And we close on another week...time is going by alarmingly fast!  We had a treat for the latter part of this week with temperatures getting above freezing, even to 55+ degrees.  SUCH a treat!  You might even say I am a little over-the-top excited about it all once you see the photos.  Alas, its back to frigid air...my computer says its 14 right now.

February 13

We held our annual Valentine's Day Murder Mystery dinner at our house with five other couples.  It was a great time of laughing and sleuthing. 

 While we were doing that, the kids were getting spoiled at Pop and Kiki's house.

Corsages for the girls to wear to church...just the necessities. :)

February 14

If you can believe it, no picture.  Shaun being a tax preparer has put a damper on certain special events.  My birthday opens tax season, his birthday closes it and Valentine's Day falls during the very busy part...he got home at 8:30

February 15

School time!  Looks like an old one-room school house...got the woodstove and everything. :)

 February 16
Ah...we got to go outside.  It wasn't exactly balmy, but we weren't complaining.

February 17

Another day outside, warmer still!

The girls had their dogs on "leashes" and when Aiden saw it, he wanted one, too.  So Avery found him a "dough-dough" of his own and tied a ribbon.  He was completely proud of himself and sat right down so I could capture the cuteness.  They played for hours like that.

February 18

This is an open window...hallelujah!

This is where Shaun spent quite a bit of his game...no surprise.

 February 19
After church there was a "meeting of the minds" so the kids and I ate in the cafe while we waited for Shaun.

 On the way home we all thought the moon was pretty cool...

And that was our week...how was yours?  I'm linking up with Sara today...

A Meltdown

 A rare February treat for us to have temperatures in the 50s!  Wednesday was more in the 40s but still felt warm.  We all went outside for some fresh air and for just a moment I felt like Noah and his family getting off the ark after 40+ days.  It was great to stretch our legs and fill our lungs.  With bright eyes, Avery said, the Groundhog didn't see his shadow so that means spring is almost here. :)

Avery and I worked on snow and ice removal.  Won't be long now before we will be able to access both sides of our car in the driveway.  We'll dip back in the 30s tomorrow and stay there a while and undoubtedly there will be more snow, but right now we are just grateful!

 Yesterday was warmer still and I can't even describe the feeling.  Hope!  Happiness! to not have freezing cold temps meet us when we opened the door.  Didn't take Amanda long to go from this...

...to this.  Silly girl.

This morning when we walked outside Avery stopped abruptly and stuck her nose in the air.  She said, Mom!  It smells like Florida!  Doesn't it?  It smells like Florida!  I immediately thought of another day she said that and said a quick prayer of thanks for my blog that allows me to remember.  The other post is HERE.  That girl has a crazy memory.  Crazy.

As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.

Genesis 8:22

Its a Mystery

Oh my....its Friday?  I had a post planned for everyday, and clearly that just didn't happen.  Well, it is what it is....

I can hardly believe it, but we had our 8th Valentine's Day Murder Mystery dinner.  This is pretty much the highlight of February for me and a fun tradition.  We had the usual crew and though you may disagree with me when you see the first couple, the characters and costumes were not nearly as outrageous as usual.. (here's last year and the year before).  It was so much fun to host it and to spend a special evening with good friends.

 Chris: Eugene "Rocky"-victim's son, with a degree is botany

Bethany: Alice - Rocky's fiance

 Amy: Susan - victim's daughter

Colombo: Hector - Susan's husband

 Connie: Barbara - school friend of victim

Eric: victim's ex-husband

 Sienna: Wanda - a consumer

Micah: Umberto - victim's escort to functions

 Shaun: Willie - man on a mission, and host

Me: Rose - victim's cook and housekeeper

 Nathan: Bert - newspaper reporter

Laryssa: Francine - victim's frequent companion

 Much laughter and merriment could be heard throughout the evening and we all ate til we were full.

As always, Shaun did a great job picking out the game (MUCH harder than you would think) and hosting the game.  Thank you, Friends, for spending your Valentine's day with us....you are very dear to us!

...Celebrate with me, friends! Raise your glasses—"To life! To love!"

Song of Solomon 5:1

Scripture Memory #4

For me, this is one of those easy-to-memorize-not-so-easy-to-do kind of verses.  Especially the compassion part.  I think I take the suck-it-up route with people far more often than I should.  You have a cold?  We all get those, suck it up.  You are going on too little sleep?  We all have, suck it up.  You are busy and don't have time?  We all are, find a way.

Yeah, where was I?  Oh, yes.  I was saying this is the verse I am memorizing this time around.  Good thing, huh? :)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Colossians 3:12