Super Big Picture Post! Early 2011

 The kids playing on the slide on one of our trips to Artic Circle.  This place was nice during the winter because it was close, indoors, big and got their wiggles out.

 One of the first warmish days we had, they insisted on a picnic outside.  They are eating mac and cheese.

 On Sunday afternoon.  And I promise, this picture is not staged!  I walked into the living room and they were all sound alseep on top of each other!  Jeremy sure is a good daddy!

 I was cleaning out the kitchen and the little found these plastic margarita glasses.  They wanted their juice in them.

 Ace loves ice cream!

 My boys!

 I am always finding Lydia in weird places like this.  And with a dirty face.  That girl cannot keep clean!

 She also has taken to making her bed in weird random places.  I also find little beds for dolls everywhere too.  Like, in the kid's training potty.

 Wyatt has a hard time going to sleep by himself.  So we started locking him in his room at night.  At the beginning of this, he would always fall asleep by the door, and we would move him to bed.  This night, he fell asleep propped up in the corner.  Poor kid!  He is sleeping much better now.

 We were all being silly one night before bed and I drew smiley faces on their tummies.  Wyatt thought it was AWESOME!

Wyatt and his best friend Graham.  I have watched Graham all year long.  These two are only a few months apart in age and get along so great!  They are also the trouble twins and have wreaked havoc on many a thing.  It is so fun to see these to together.

A long awaited day . . .

Aidan has lost his first tooth! He was so so so excited-all of his friends have lost teeth and he was the only one that hadn't yet and he was aching to join "The Tooth Fairy Club." Ace said that it didn't hurt at all-he was biting down on a marshmellow and out it came (it had been loose for a couple days). This of course warranted calls to grandparents to tell them the exciting news.

So, what does the tooth fairy give out these days? Aidan says $15. I told him that he tooth fairy wasn't big enough to carry that kind of cash.

First Cavity

Aidan unfortunately had a little tiny cavity and had to get it filled. (No, no baby teeth have fallen out yet. Aidan is anxiously waiting for that. Every single one of his friends have lost teeth except for him and he is feeling a little left out.) Anyway, he thought what anesthesia did to his smile was pretty funny.

Aidan the Christmas Elf

Every year, Aidan's school puts together a big Christmas program that all the kids perform in and the families are able to watch. It is so fun! The kids really know their songs and they do actions and everything, and you come away feeling just a little bit happier about the crazy Christmas season. Aidan's grade were Santa's elves. They even provide the costumes! Isn't he cute?
The rest of us waiting for the program to start. The littles did really well waiting and then watching. They loved the music and when Santa came on stage, they would scream, "HO HO HO!" They loved watching their big brother.

On stage. The first graders sang "Up On the Rooftop." I think they did the absolute best of the whole entire school. It was such a fun program!

Crazy Hair Day

It was Crazy Hair Day at Aidan's school. He wanted to show his school spirit, so this is the "do" that we came up with. I actually really like it!

Random 11/17

Today, the babies (actually, I can't call them babies for much longer-they are getting too big!) were watching "Super Why" on PBS. When it got to the part that they said to "put your hand in" (talking to the "audience") Lydia squealed and pointed to the TV. Wyatt, on the other hand, politely shook his head no. I must have laughed for 5 minutes.

Wyatt does a mean robot. We found this out during one of our random dance parties. Lydia has a sweet twirl (and will probably be our singer) and Aidan jumps up and down and wiggles his fanny.

The no cable thing has been one of the best things to happen ever. We get so much more done, we have so much more fun as a family, even the Spirit is stronger. And honestly, we don't miss it all that much.

I had Parent Teacher Conferences for Aidan last week. He is doing great! His handwriting is looking so good, he is a reading maniac and he has a natural talent for math. We are so proud of him! Aidan loves school, loves his teacher, has great friends, and just has a desire to do good.

I am getting so excited for Christmas. I am making a good majority of gifts this year (unfortunately, I can't post about several of them yet because then it wouldn't be a surprise for you!) and it has been fun to find materials and try to make it perfect for the person recieving the gift. I love this time of year!

Wyatt, Lydia and I spent and hour and a half at the pet store today. We looked at every fish, every reptile (Lydia did not like these so much), every rodent (I think they both wanted to bring home a ferret) and every bird in the store. The were so excited and I just loved seeing them observing all the animals. I love watching them have experiences like this.

We got family pictures done. They really turned out well. Luckily, most of you will be recieving one shortly in your Christmas card. I think I look hot. You'll have to let me know what you think ;) I am designing new wall decor around this picture. I'll have to post when I get it done and perfect.

Jeremy and I are going to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow Part 1 on Saturday. I am so excited! 1-because I get to go on a date with Jeremy! We haven't done that in a while and 2-I love Harry Potter!

Library Card

Aidan came with me to run errands the other day and one of our stops was to the library. While we were there, I asked Aidan if he wanted to apply for his very own library card. He was hesitant at first, thinking this was something that he was not going to be allowed to do, but then he got excited when I told him that all he needed to know was how to sign his name-and he knew how to do that. After waiting in line forever (I kept telling him that it was good practice for when he got older) he signed his name on the back of his brand new library card and checked out his very own books and movies with it. On the way out, he kept looking at it and then asked me, "So, does this mean I can drive your car now?" Nice try bucko-but no. All that card allows you to do is check out books, not operate heavy machinery. Ah, how quickly they grow.

Back to School

Yesterday was Aidan's first day of First Grade. He was so excited! Not a single nerve in this boy! Ace could hardly wait to get out of the door! He wanted to dress "to make the girls fall down." The first thing that he said when he got home was, "Mom, the food was GREAT!" I wonder how he will feel about school lunch in a couple of weeks. But he really liked his teacher, Mrs. Eckman, and they had a practice lock down too, which really made an impression on him-he thought it was so cool, except he had to go to the bathroom and they wouldn't let him leave the room. It was amazing, he just talked and talked about how his day went. I didn't have to ask for any information! Wyatt missed him a lot. He kept saying, "Where's Aidan?" I would say, "School." And then Wyatt would say, "Oh, school," like it was a dirty word. Aidan was excited to go back today too. Aidan also made a new friend, Carter. I hope he cultivates some new friendships-I am so excited to see him branch out.

I can't believe that I have a 1st grader! But I am so excited to see him growing and learning. I love the person that he is becoming. Good luck in 1st grade Ace!

Aidan's Favorites-age 6

So, I sat down with the new 6 year old to interview him about his favorite things over the last year. (I hope to find or take a much better picture in the near future.) Favorite color? blue
Favorite foods? watermelon, french fries, roast (grilled) cheese sandwiches
Favorite movie? Everybody's Hero
Favorite TV show? Spongebob Squarepants
Favorite actvity? play with my Legos
Favorite video game? Lego Harry Potter
Best Friend? Gabe
Favorite Subject in school? playing at recess and doing homework

Favorite Primary song? A Child's Prayer

Favorite candy? lollipops

What did you like about being 5? going to school

Favorite restaraunt? McDonalds

What do you want to learn this next year? karate

I also like to go camping. I also like to read the Magic Treehouse books with my mom.

Aidan is 3 ft, 7 in. tall and weighs 38 pounds as of August 17, 2010.

Happy Birthday Aidan!

Aidan turned 6 on August 9. I cannot believe that I have a 6 year old! Where the heck did time go? And what a sweet, wonderful 6 year old I have. I really lucked out with my Ace. Here is how we celebrated his big day.

It was difficult for Aidan to decide what he wanted for a birthday party. He has so many things that he loves, he couldn't narrow it down. So, I helped him out and we decided to do a fun Phineas and Ferb party. We could play some fun, wet and messy games. And I made him a Perry the Platypus cake. I think it turned out pretty awesome. First time using fondant and everything. Aidan insisted on inviting all of his friends, and we sent out 16 invitations. Everyone but 1 made it. It was a huge blast! About 1 hour before his party, the clouds and the rains came. Everything was going to be outside and Jeremy and I were scrambling to make alternative plans. But Aidan just told us that he prayed that it wouldn't rain, and what do you know? It stopped just in time for the party and stayed nice for it.

Here are some of them eating cake and ice on the trampoline. Aidan has the greatest friends!We had some really fun games. We played with the parachute, had egg races, ate donuts off of strings and played with water balloons. Here, they are searching through a swimming pool full of jello for pennies. This was a big hit. Aidan, with a mouth full of donut. Water balloon catch. We didn't get too wet, but it was a lot of fun!After the party, we made Aidan's request for dinner (waffles, eggs and bacon with chocolate milk) and then had Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Julia and Uncle Neil over for presents and cake. Aidan was so excited-he wanted to eat Perry's tail. Aidan got so many presents. He loves to play with Legos and he got a whole lot of them. He also got lots of school supplies, a new backpack and some new clothes for school. And Lego Harry Potter for Wii. Another fun thing he got to do for his birthday was he went with his Grandpa swimming and to the zoo. They had so much fun doing that together! He also got a gift card from his other Grandma and Grandpa and picked out a light saber.
He wanted a red one so he could be a Sith. Now, he wants to be Darth Vader for Halloween!

Aidan had a fantastic birthday-we are so blessed to have this sweet boy in our home. I have so enjoyed seeing him grow into this boy! I love you Aidan!

Bed Head

My kids have the best hair when they wake up!

Krazy Kids #1

I walk into the living room, and see a sea of chocolate animal crackers covering the carpet, with 3 kids sitting in the middle.

Me: What the . . .?

Aidan: (pointing at Wyatt) Wyatt did it! It is Wyatt's fault!

Wyatt: (pointing at Lydia) No, Leedia!

Lydia: (grins, and eats a cracker)

They all got to help clean up.

Playing in the Backyard

Just a bunch of pictures of pretty much the only nice day we have had since last September. (I am pretty sure these were taken in April!) We love our backyard! It is so fun! Rain, Rain GO AWAY! We want to enjoy our yard more!

Summer Plans

I have been wanting this summer to be a lot of fun. I don't want to hear Aidan say, "Mom, I'm bored!" a hundred million times. So, I have made some plans. Lots of plans. And I want to share them. Feel free to steal any and all you would like to and make them yours. I got all of these ideas from one of my favorite craft blogs A Girl and a Glue Gun. And I freely stole them.

Aidan's To Do List

Jeremy and I decided that Aidan is big enough to start taking some responsibility around the house, aka CHORES! So, I made this cute chore chart with a magnetic whiteboard and magnets. Everything is interchageable and he can move the big magnets from "To Do" to "Done." I also have added things like, Store, Homework, Piano Lessons, Church, etc., so he knows what we are going to do today. He also has a weekly thing that he is going to work on learning, tying shoes, making different foods, telling time, money values, things like that. He got to choose the paper and the buttons, and so far, he has really liked it. I hope this system lasts for awhile. I actually like this so much, that I think that I am going to make me one!

I Know What We're Going to Do Today! envelope (Title courtesy of Phineas and Ferb)I want the kids to do stuff this summer, not just sit at home and watch TV or play Wii. I also knew that if I didn't plan ahead, I would allow us to do just that. So, I created this envelope and about 75 cards (the glue gun girl cards are much cuter than mine, but I didn't want to spend days on this project) and each night before I go to bed, I will select 1 and place it in the envelope, and the next morning, after Aidan has done certain chores, he can open the envelope, and we will do what it says inside! The cards are labeled crafts and science projects, outings, activities, and Theme Days. I am sure that I will be writing future posts about things that we do. There are all sorts of different things to do. Aidan helped me choose some and some will be suprises. He is really excited to do more (right now, we have just had an outing and an easy craft). Look for more in the future!

Summer Scrapbook

This was Aidan's 1st craft. We are going to keep a scrapbook of our summer adventures. I will help him write and he can draw pictures and keep track of things. I am not sure how this one will work out, but I hope we can keep it up. I think it could be a really neat thing for the family to look back on.

The "Mom, I'm bored!" Jar
I am excited for this one! When Aidan decides he is bored (usually while the babies are napping) he can pick a slip out of the jar. The papers are labeled with fun things to do (read a book with Mom, jump on the tramp, etc.) and not-so-fun things to do (clean up toys, pick weeds, etc.). It is the luck of the draw and he has to do what he picked out. I will help/do with him everything. I want it to be time together. For example, he decided he was bored today and picked out a paper. It was "Pick up downstairs toys." Well, that is a several hour chore for Jeremy and I, but I put a timer for 10 mins and went down and helped him. He didn't like it, but with me hanging out with him, it was much better.

Well, I know like that sounds like a lot, but we have done all of those things today, and there are still many hours left of the day. I really hope that this is a fun, happy, eventful summer for the Barnes Family!

Kindergarten Graduation

Aidan graduated from Kindergarten today! YAY! They had an adorable ceremony and really hyped up the kids and parents. They asked that the kids come to school in their best clothes, to bring our cameras and they even served refreshments. (I just love his school-it really is a fantastic school. We partially chose our house based on this elementary.) Here are lots of pictures from today's ceremony. Ace giving me his best tough guy in line before going into the gym.
With his some of his school friends-Ciara, Hazel, Masen, Aidan, and Graysn. Yes, he is a head shorter than most of his classmates. He has so many friends and lots of them have been to our house. His best friend changes daily, but usually it is Graysn (in the yellow sweater vest). He is a good kid and they have lots in common. I have also volunteered in his classroom all year and I know all of his classmates. They are a wonderful class and I am proud to see them all graduate today. They have worked so hard to be ready for 1st grade.
Walking into the gym. They had Pomp and Circumstance playing and everything. They really went out of their way to make it special (the hat colors are the school colors-blue and gold).
The entire A.M. kindergarten. The principal said they had 73 kids graduate in the morning and another 50 will in the afternoon. The whole kindergarten sang a song and then each class sang their own song.

Aidan's class singing "Reggie Rooster." It is an AlphaFriend song. They did so well with the actions and everything! Ace is the 2nd one from the left in the blue vest.

Mr. Gauchay (the principal) presenting Aidan with his diploma. I have to admit, I got just a bit teary eyed thinking about 12 years in the future.
Aidan with his teacher, Mrs. Rigby. She is a wonderful teacher! I am so glad that he was able to have her this year. I couldn't have picked out a better kindergarten teacher for him. I also really enjoyed helping her in her classroom too.

Thumbs up! All graduated! He still has 3 more days of school, but they are all fun days. I really think he will miss going to school everyday. He is such a social little guy (sorry, big guy), he will miss the interaction. Wow-I just realized that he will be in the class of 2022! I can't believe I have a 1st grader!