The Aria Chronicles: June 2013

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Sunday swimming

So since you decided to get up at 5:30 this morning (and your brother 6:15), you had to take a nap. Since you slept kind of late, you missed your swimming class. So we decided to go over to the Niles pool. I'm not sure if it was all the kids or the newness, but you were glued to me the whole time and wouldn't let Dad switch with me. BUT you didn't want to leave the deep end the whole hour and a half we were in the pool and we did a lot of practicing so I guess it was a win win.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Video-a-palloza

Thursday, June 27, 2013

The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Puzzling it up

Upon seeing this, you said, "The birds are napping Mommy. They tired." And everytime we saw another set of them, you would say, "More tired birds." There were TONS of these things.

Tons of time spent looking in aquariums

The "scary" polar bear that you guys were obsessed with

I can't take how cute you look here

The "alien"

The photogenic butterfly.

Your favorite one.

Till you saw this one.

You were terrified of this guy. Mostly because of the sound his speakers were projecting. Evidently, a bison (or buffalo?) growl was really scary.

Knobs! And they turn stuff around!

Bugs.

I think you could see the butterflies on the ceiling.

Slide!

Yeah, I was underwhelmed with the farm truck too.

There wasn't enough water in this thing so it didn't keep your attention too long.

Hello? Duck?

I don't know if you were more cautious of the snake or the handler's inappropriate footwear.

CHEESE!

AND you touched a mushroom.

Pretty sure it was a stork.

What a exhibit letdown.

Geese Encounter

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

A Rainy Day Glow in the Dark Bath!

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Rainy Zoo Day

This crocodile got off his log, went into the water, and then just stared at you. It was creepy.

No rain till 2pm weather.com. Really?! I think you were mistaken.

LOVE the giraffes

"HI COW!"

You made me and Asher stop feeding him bread because "he was going to get a tummy-ache".

OMG your face! (You LOVE that medal and wear it every single day)

The little chick had poo stuck to his butt and both of you were disturbed by this telling me to "get him a baby wipe"

You two weighed as much as two baby lambs.

Little feet (too many puddles were jumped in)

After spending a good 15 minutes with the giraffes (you love them!), we went over to the giant wall of fish in the next room.

When we got there this adorableness went down:

M: Oh, look at all these fish! There must be thousands. So many friends in one place!
(Really beating that new friends things to death lately....)
A: No, Mom! They are a family. They love each other.

And then I bent down, told me that you were absolutely right, and squeezed you because you are so perfect.

Sunday, June 23, 2013

First time in the pool

You loved it...clearly.

Friday, June 21, 2013

Milestone moment(s)

Tonight after misplacing your binky, I said "No big deal, right?. You're a big girl now" thinking that it would buy me enough time for me to find it without you freaking out. But instead your response was "I AM a big girl Mommy. No big deal" and then I left and waited. And waited. And checked on you. And waited. It took forever for you to fall asleep but you did. No tears. No freaking out. No NOTHING. Just look at that picture. No binky. Short sleeves (and no pants and socks). No milk before bed. NO MORE BABY.
It seems like every day is something new and Big Kid. It is the most bittersweet time in life right now. Do I want you to grow up and thrive? Realistically, of course. Emotionally NO!

That chubby, basically bald, little baby that needed me to rock her to sleep every night (multiple times a night) because her binky fell out is like another life time now. Now we jump in bed, tuck you in, and kiss you goodnight, tell a bedtime joke and That's it! CLEARLY TOMORROW YOU ARE STARTING HIGH SCHOOL!!!

Last month, you went to your first drop off party and because Dad took you and we didn't know ahead of time, I sat at home and worried. Because that's what I do. I worry and worry and worry that I'm worrying too much or about the wrong thing or worry that I'm not worried enough about one thing and should worry more about something else. What if you got hurt? What if you were being or felt ignored? What if you couldn't play with or sit next to Ashleigh? What if you got scared or someone hurt your feelings? What if someone was talking to you harshly or in a harsh tone? What if the pizza was too hot or the birthday song was too loud? OMG Dad didn't leave our phone number. What if they needed to call us right now and couldn't? I should have higher blood pressure.

BUT you had a BLAST. You told me about all the things you played on and with and how you had pizza and ice cream AND cake and how all your little school friends were there. And how you got this cool gift bucket. And how there were a few new friends were there. And of course you had fun because like you remind me every day you are a KID ("Asher's a baby, Mommy!") and SO Big. SO BIG! And it is so emotionally sad....

Soon you will go to school all day and my bubble of protection gets smaller and smaller and that is beyond scary so I'm just going to go to bed now. You are starting to randomly tell me that 1+2 = 3 and that 2+2=4, and get dressed all by yourself now, barely need me potty wise, and tell me that you are 4 and Asher is 2 so you are greater than him, and reminded me today that we are going to make a calendar so then you know when Sunday is (swimming day) because evidently at 4 you want to learn the days of the week. And it's all too soon. I'm going to go cuddle with Asher till I fall asleep and then wake up and hopefully he isn't 4 quite yet.