Conversations with an almost 4 year old

Yikes!  I can't believe Aiden will be four in about 6 weeks.  That is just insane.  We have been having some pretty deep conversations lately.  Okay, maybe not too deep but they are entertaining!


Aiden in the car on the way home: Mom, I'm growin' up. I'm almost 4 years old and I can't wait for my 4 year birthday party....but I really can't wait till I grow to be 5, because once I'm 4, I'm going to be 5 and then I will have my 5 year party and that will be so so exciting. And then we will have my 6 year party when I turn 6 years old.  Can you believe it?


I didn't even get a word in edgewise before he was onto topic two...but like I said, I can't believe it!


About 1 minute later: Mom, you can just call me Aid.


Me: Does anyone call you Aid?


Aiden: No, but you can....or you can call me Bao.


Me: Okay, Aid or Bao...How about Aid Bao (clearly not funny to my almost 4 year old)


Aiden: Um, or how about you can just call me Aiden Bao Quoc.  Do you understand?


There was no topic 3...someone didn't take a nap on this day and I'm pretty sure fell asleep within seconds of his "do you understand".

A dinner conversation this weekend...


Aiden: Mom, have you ever been to Tokyo?
Me: No, I haven't.
Aiden:  That's in Japan, you know.  Is that close to Vietnam?
Me: It is kind of close to Vietnam.
Aiden:  I knew that.  I visited Tokyo when I lived in Vietnam.  It was the summer.


 I tried to tell him he hadn't been but he wasn't having it.  I need to get on that lifebook!

And just a few funny things he's said that I don't want to forget...


We went to a program at church on Saturday and Aiden was looking through the bible in the pew.  He was shouting out the numbers he found in the books (a little too loudly).  He told my mom, "I have got to get one of these books".  I showed him at home the next day but he liked the thinner pages in the one at church.


We stopped at Walgreen$ and as we were paying Aiden very seriously asked the cashier, "why aren't your walls green?" Yesterday there was a Walgreen$ commercial on the radio.  On a side note, Aiden can't understand that I can't rewind the radio- his current favorites are Tonight Tonight and Stereo Hearts. Anyway, Aiden piped up from the back seat, "It's a Walgreen$ commercial but they don't have green walls like they should."  

I have a feeling I am really going to enjoy the 4's!

Feelings

Aiden is big into expressing his feelings these days.  I often hear, "I'm terribly frightened of the dark."
When he was watching a show he kept covering his eyes as a volcano was rumbling in the backgroung. "I'm very worried they will get lavaed!"

A couple of nights ago he told me he couldn't sign Papa's birthday card because it made him too nervous.

Unfortunately, there have been some not so fun expressions of feelings.  Many nightsat bed time in the past 2 or 3 weeks, Aiden has gotten extremely upset and told me through the tears that he is afraid I am going to leave him.  It's definitely not a ploy to stay up later and there is real fear there.  It's heartbreaking but I am doing the best I can to continually reassure him that Mommy will never leave and when I do I will always come back. It's just hard.  And did I mention heartbreaking?  As you APs can imagine, so many thoughts and worries go through my mind...I just always worry I'm going to say or do something wrong.  All things said, he's a happy boy who is smart, loving, sensitive and funny.  I couldn't ask for anything more!

And just a funny I want to remember (I really need to get better about writing these down).  There is a pril0sec commercial with Larry the Cable Guy.  Aiden watched with great interest and finally asked, "Why is that man talking like Mater?"  Of course when I laugh he always asks, "what's so funny?"  He just cracks me up!

Admitting Defeat

I'm done.  With counting, that is.  I just can't keep up with this 366 project.  Ah, the agony of defeat. I don't know what's changed from last year but I feel like I just don't have as much time in the evenings.

I have been trying to work out a little more and have been able to because Aiden is content to watch a movie on his dvd player or play downstairs while I work (and sweat).  He cracks me up because he has become very fond of B0b Harper on the Biggest Loser Wii game.  He doesn't like when Jillian is on the wii or when I do one of my Jillian dvd's.  "Oh, not Jillian again. I miss Bob."  Silly boy!

The weather has also been so nice this winter so we have spent a good amount of time outside.  It's been wonderful! Work has been extra busy these past few weeks so that has made for less time too.  One good thing that has taken my time at work is the addition of some after school workouts.  They are offering zumba one day a week and water aerobics one day a week.  That's been a real positive and has helped with my stress level tremendously!

 Then there's the not so fun stuff to talk about.  Like challenging behavior.  We had a few weeks that were really, really rough.  It's gotten better but not completely.  And it's just something I'm willing to share on a public blog.  And I think that's another thing- there's a lot more I could blog about but I'm not comfortable doing it here. And Aiden has had plenty of activities and fun things going on but it often involves other children.  Another reason to go password protected- I could share even more pictures! And if those weren't reasons enough to password protect things, I had an incident happen with one of my students this week and it invovled pictures and faceb00k (pictures someone tagged of me so they were public).  It was hurtful, cruel and downright creepy.   I have a wordpress blog ready to go but I want to find someone to make it pretty :).  I definitely want to keep blogging- it's the only journal I have for our family.  I just need the ability to make some things private.  I will be sure to let everyone know when I make the switch.

So, farewell project 366.  It was worth a try, I suppose.  Maybe I'll go for one month of Aiden in April or May- I can't believe his 4th birthday is quickly approaching.  I look at these pictures we had taken a few weeks ago and can't believe what a little boy my baby has become!

55.56.57.58|60 The Girls

 Aiden has 3 special "big girls" in his life- Chloe, Stephanie and Devon. They are 12, 13 and almost 14 (makes me feel so old since I was there when Chloe was born and remember the call when Devon was born).  This was the weekend of two girls- on Friday Chloe came over to babysit for a bit.  She is doing a babysitting class and Aiden was her first charge.  The mama's went to dinner and Walgreens- a wild night out on the town.  Chloe and Aiden did great!

No visits with any of Aiden's girls on Saturday...just a trip to school so mama could work.  Aiden loves going to school.  He loves "working" on a computer and going to the vending machine :).  On this trip he discovered the pencil sharpener- and sharpened about 30 pencils! It got so hot twice he had to give it a rest but it kept him busy for quite a while!

 On Sunday after church we went out to lunch to celebrate Stephanie's 13th birthday.  A teenager- yikes! Aiden LOVES Stephanie (he loves all his girls, really) and was so excited to sit next to her.

The very next day Steph came over to watch Aiden while I did a workout and got some things done around the house.  It was SO nice to do an uninterrupted 45 minute workout!  Stephanie also read to Aiden for a homework assignment she had. A fun weekend (plus Monday)  with plenty of girl time!

53.54|366

 Baseball player (and medal winner) one night,

 Painter the next!