Aaron is FOUR!

Well that wasn't allowed to happen...letting my littlest guy get another year older! But he did, just this past week. He luckily had the day off of school so we got to have a whole day of fun. First some pictures from his day, then some Aaron facts!

First started with some birthday preparations : magnets on the fridge..

A sign on his door...

Homemade funfetti cinnamon rolls!

After we took Nate to school that morning, we came home and had a playdate outside with my bestie and her son, Cal (despite the two year age gap, they've become quite good buddies!) Then we met up with my mom for lunch at Aaron's request --

Rainforest Cafe - just like brother!

Since the birthday boy has started to wake up between 5:30 and 6:30AM now most days (there's an early fact for you), he usually falls asleep in the car at some point going someplace. Clearly he needs more sleep, but wakes up with the sun now. My boys have always been that way! Seasonal sleepers.

Anyway, mommy got her own birthday present - Aaron staying asleep when we got home, even transitioning to bed! (rarely does that happen) He slept for another 1.5-2 hours! So, we didn't do anything else before having to leave to pickup Nate from school.

Once we got home, Aaron enjoyed just playing with brother (another favorite) before it was time to leave for our dinner destination - again, another Aaron choice - a brand new Chuck E Cheese near our house.

Both sets of grandparents and my sisters came to celebrate with us. Again, thank you to my other sister this time for snapping some pictures for me!

As you can see, the games were a hit! We were there for almost two hours before coming home and getting ready for bed. Aaron was a Chatty Cathy for awhile before he finally dozed off between 9 and 9:30PM. Exciting and busy day!

And now...for some Aaron four year old facts!


--Haven't been to the doctor yet for his well check visit, but I imagine he's pretty high percentile for his height and low on his weight, just like brother. Ugh, I am NOT looking forward to all the shots he's suppose to get... :(

--As I said, is getting up pretty early and now is back to taking naps in the car,usually when we're out and about. 95% of the time I never have luck actually getting him to sleep in his bed so it was truly a miracle when he did it for me the other day. He truly had to have been tired. I imagine this will go on until it gets back to being winter time again, and the sun comes up later...boo for mommy and daddy.

--I'm told more everyday on how social he is (and a contrast to Nate in that way). He is a pretty good boy, but I do worry he'll be the one I'll have to worry about behaving down the road.

--Along with that, he is a pretty good follower. Nate can at least distinguish right from wrong, but Aaron is still learning that...

--Loves Sunday School. It's also amazing to me how much he soaks up. In general I'm sure he soaks up a ton, but in particular he has talked to me more about church and religion related things than anything else. I hope he holds on to enjoying church. (Nate seems to be the same way, too)

--Since he was a year old (maybe younger?)- LOVES art and cars. STILL. I'll be curious to see if I'm saying the same thing next year, too! I was so glad he got a bunch of art stuff for his birthday.


--Is my total carb and milk guy. He could survive off of bread and milk if needed. And actually, I think that could also be what he prefers...

--He is his mama's boy, my "Cuddle Bug". Sometimes just a cuddle with mom makes everything better.

--As I mentioned earlier, playing with brother is also a favorite activity (most of the time). However, he is VERY quick to tell me if brother does something he doesn't like/or something brother did, sort of a "tattle tale"-er I guess you could kind of say.

--Aaron can also be sensitive. On bad days, there can be a lot of, "you broke my heart". Which is usually solved by cuddles with mom :)

--Is a lefty! I'm sort of amazed with that. This is probably normal, but he's much advanced at knowing his letters, numbers, shapes (and how to draw/write them) than Nate was. Things he picks up from brother?

--Still would prefer to spend most of his time outside. He'll become sad pretty soon when it gets warmer...though he always says he "doesn't care" if he's hot.

--Likes to go to the movie theater.

...and be silly!

He also just had his last day of school!Nate has seven more days yet...it was getting a little tougher this week in particular trying to convince Aaron that he needed to go to school. Next year he will be going to the same school as Nathan, woohoo! Not only does it mean one drop off in the morning, but I'm also glad he'll be on the same schedule as Nate too (same breaks, start/end dates, etc) He'll also have the same preschool teacher Nate had. Win-win-win!


5-19-15 : ADD ON : Another huge favorite trait of Aaron's I can't believe I forgot to mention - though maybe in past years I mentioned it - compared to Nathan, Aaron is a homebody. Which, now that he's ended with school for the year, I'm totally taking advantage of until Nate is out of school (and wants to be busy). In fact, I'm realizing this fact now as I'm listening to him play, independently, while I get some house things done. I truly treasure just being able to stay at home versus having to car hop. Perhaps an additional reason why I decided against him going to school everyday next year - so he has another year of more time to just chill out at home.

Aaron's Soccer Birthday Party

What you do for one...you must do for the other! ;) At first Aaron wanted to have a firetruck themed birthday party, but once we had a picnic with his preschool and a firetruck came to that, we switched to a soccer party (a favorite game to play at home). Plus, we also decided to have "sports games" be a part of his party, so it made more sense.

Just like Nate, Aaron wanted to be part of the planning/creating process. Unfortunately the birthday boy had been sick the week of his birthday party - one of those 24 hr bugs - but, very fortunately he had it early enough in the week to feel better for festivities. Whew.

Also, thanks to my sissy for the majority of pictures - she took over the camera while mommy socialized ;) 

Held at a local recreation center, where Aaron also went to preschool

Buddies enjoying popcorn

Autographing Aaron's ball

First game - obstacle course! There were ten stations.

Second activity - soccer, of course!

We also had the birthday boy's favorite - vanilla ice cream!

Kiddo friends left with personalized water bottles

The day ended with Nana and Pap Pap coming over to play and spend time with them while the hubs and I had date night. Perfect kind of day!

Just Keep Swimming...

Just simply because this will most likely rank as one of my favorite experiences ever....I had to post!

Really starting maybe two years ago I noticed how the big-wig swimmers came here (AZ) every Spring for a swim meet competition (not sure if it's somehow just for practice or if they benefit in some way...) Issue has been I've always realized when it's been too late to try and get tickets or the event is over with.

Well...this year, I found out a week ahead of time and was able to get tickets! Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, Matt Grevers and many other men/women Olympians came. Literally I bought tickets and wasn't even sure what I bought them for - as in, who was actually going to be there and compete, what events, etc. However, I got lucky enough to choose the right day/events that the biggest swimmers competed in. Super woot woot!

Got in line an hour ahead of when they opened the gates to go in - I was wanting to be SURE we got the best seats (open bleacher seating).

Prior to the actual prelims beginning, swimmers practiced in "shark tanks" as they were called (practice lane pools). Being that we were some of the first people there, I got a good standing spot by a railing to (again, luckily!) the practice pool Michael Phelps was in! That was where I was able to get my best photo shots. Only TWO lanes away from him, pretty close. Unfortunately, despite numerous opportunities, he didn't choose to come over and do any autographs. He was too busy being the big man he is getting massages and being served his cup of coffee ;)

Phelps and Ryan Lochte

Pretty awesome getting to do see the swimmers do their thing! How often can you say that?!

Phelps in the center, blue shorts

Lochte on the end in the colorful shorts

Made me want to practice laps! ;) Not sure how things will pan out next year with it being the Summer Olympics, but it'd be awesome to see again!

Easter-ly Fun

Another big holiday come and gone. The weekend before Easter we took the kids to a Bunny Brunch - a local restaurant had a buffet breakfast with a special guest (Mr Easter Bunny himself!) I think this would make for a nice tradition. I'd much rather spend the money on a nice breakfast (and pictures I can take  myself) than paying a bunch for a picture drive at the mall.

The kids got M &M/sprinkle/chocolate chip pancakes! Special treat.

It was all so cute. Huge arrays of fruit looked like baskets, there was cereal for the kids, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes...yum.

The day afterwards we celebrated Easter and our niece's birthday with Josh's family.

We used the opportunity for the kids to color eggs!

The day before Easter we took the kids to a public egg hunt. This was my first time collecting eggs with such a huge group of kids. I was thankful it was well organized (different ages went to different areas to collect eggs). It was all over in about thirty seconds. I hovered over Aaron just to be sure he was able to at least get some eggs.

That night we did our typical "glow in the dark" egg hunt. Always a favorite. I think we must have done it five times before we could convince the kids they needed to get to bed so the bunny could come!

 

I actually squeezed some effort into Easter breakfast that morning -

 

On actual Easter day we went to church, followed by going over to my sister's for Easter lunch (and multiple egg hunts!) I didn't get a picture, but the Easter Bunny was so pooped out by night's end the night before that baskets were just left on the table versus being hid, as we've usually done. By the time I thought about a picture the morning of the kids had already taken everything out of their baskets.

Cute Easter boys

Searching for eggs. Aaron has become quite good!

Sorting out candy and money

Next came lunch!

My contribution - Easter dessert - carrot cake

Boys had "egg" lunches

Then came more egg hunts. The next one was a "fitness" egg hunt. The kids found eggs, then had to open them and do what the slip of paper said inside (10 jumping jacks, 5 sit ups,etc)

Doing their push-ups!

Knee to the nose

The next one was finding eggs, opening them to discover puzzle pieces then putting those together.

Lucky boys, the Easter bunny visited their aunt's house as well. He must have known we were going to hang there that day. In cool fashion, the boys did a scavenger hunt to find their baskets.

The boys sure look forward to these big holidays. Since we're always looking at the next "big event", we're getting excited to celebrate Aaron's birthday here in a few weeks! :o As my boys would have it, planning is underway...