Always Playing Catch-Up

I have sat down a few times to write a post and end up walking away, uninspired to write anything.  Not sure why I am in this funk but I know I need to snap out of it and write a quick recap of the past weeks events since we have had a few things going on.

For Alexis' birthday she got a new bike, and she has been loving this new adventure.  Right now she is working on getting the leg strength to even peddle the bike, but daddy has been teaching her a few tricks.  She gets the most serious, concentrating look on her face when she is riding.

Aiden loves to join her on his 'bike' but needs to learn to stay out of the way if he doesn't want to get run over.

What is it about boys that makes them instinctively make the 'vroom vroom' noise when they play with cars?  He has really started playing alone a lot more and seems to enjoy this reflective time.

Still sticking out that darn tongue every time he concentrates.  I worry that one day he is going to bite right through his tongue, just like his mommy did when she was little, and require a mouth full of stitches.

Andrew has a new way to play the trumpet:  blindfolded!  He likes to challenge himself to memorize his pieces and then he checks his progress by wearing this blindfold to see how he does.  He has a great memory!  Hoping that at today's lesson he gets passed on some of the songs he has played for a while.

Last Wednesday we sent Andrew off to Catalina Science Camp.  It was a very early morning and the other two kiddos did not appreciate having to wake up at 4:30 a.m.  They payed me back later in the day by being cranky, all while I was hoping to catch a nap after having been up so early and then having to teach third grade for the day.

Here he is getting ready to leave on the bus.  This was such a big day for me.  I finally got to see all my hard work come to life in front of me.  We worked hard to raise the funds, which was not an easy thing to do, but they made it and I could not have been prouder then at that moment.  Well maybe a little bit prouder when they got off the buses on Friday night with HUGE, tired grins.  He had an awesome time and really enjoyed kayaking, but not snorkling so much.  He had taken a disposible underwater camera with him, but it got stolen when he got sick on the boat ride over to the island.  (MAJOR BUMMER for this momma who LOVES pictures, and a big disappointment that someone would do that).  I am waiting for a few chaperones to give me copies of their pictures.

Aiden had his 18 month appointment today, two weeks late because I had to reschedule. 

THE STATS:  weight - 25 1/4 lbs, 25th% (he got to weigh on the big scale today and was so proud); height - 33 inches, 75th%; head - 46 3/4 cm, 25th %

No real big news.  He is growing and hitting all developmental milestones as expected.  Of course he had to flirt with every nurse there, bat his long eyelashes, ask then for 'five fives', tell them 'tank ew' and then blow them a kiss.  Boy am I in trouble!!  He did get a few shots and I thought for sure that would guarentee me a longer nap this afternoon, but no such luck.  We did talk about the H1N1 shot.  Not so sure how I feel about that.  So, I would like to see what the other wonderful mommies in blog land think.  Leave me a comment on your thoughts:  will you get it for your kiddo or will you not and why?  I know I am going to be asked again when we take Alexis for her yearly physical in Oct and I would like to be more prepared this time for a discussion.

Aiden's newest passion:  COLORING!  He loves to sit down at the kitchen table and color with his sister.  Now if only I could convince him to 1) not eat the crayons, 2) not throw the crayons, 3) stay on the paper and not my table,

and lastly, to ask his sister for the color he needs instead of walking across my table to help himself.

On FLYbaby news:  I have been doing a pretty good job at keeping up with the cleaning program.  I seem to excel on days off and fumble a little on the days I have to work.  I do love having just one or two loads of laundry a day instead of 6-7 on the weekends, keeping Mount Washmore from taking over my life.  I like not killing myself trying to walk into the kids' rooms to check on them in the middle of the night, accomplished with a 5 min. fly time each morning before the kids head out for school.  I like waking up to an empty, shining sink instead of one filled with dirty dishes just waiting to be cleaned.  I love clean toilets and sparkling mirrors, which are as easy as a swish and sweep each morning once the kids have brushed their teeth.  All these little, simple things seem to make my day go by so much smoother.  I have even gotten the kiddos trained on clearing, rinsing and loading their dishes RIGHT AWAY!  Now if only that same training worked on my hubby and on my mom when she spends her weekends here.  :)  Baby steps!

Hope everyone has a blessed week!!  And, don't forget to leave me your thoughts on the H1N1 shot or about anything for that matter.  I love comments.  :)