Monday, December 13, 2010

Cookies!



One of Aiden's favorite activities is making Christmas Cookies. I don't think the time of year matters either :) I made my mom's sour cream sugar cookie recipe..which is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE most amazing sugar cookie recipe ever on the face of the Earth (in my humble opinion). Aiden did a great job of cutting out the shapes and Averie did a great job of sticking her fingers in the dough and eating whatever she could shove in her mouth. :)


I swear he's happy despite his odd look....
These kids are quite serious about their cookie cutting...


Sunday, December 5, 2010

Pigtails


Our sweet girl is turning FIFTEEN months this next week. Uhm...excuse me? Did you just say FIFTEEN? That can't be! I could have sworn I would be super skinny by the time she was 6 months...whoops :) Anyway, now that Ave has a little more hair in the back than she does up top, my girlfriend Sara told me about a friend of hers who has her daughter's hair in pigtails in the back and just lets the top hang loose. This got my wannabe hairdresser wheels turning in my head...would this work on my little muffin cake? Let's give it a whirl...


Here's a glimpse of the back

Success! I'm in love!


One went limp...maybe need some "product" on these babies..
Sweet sweet Piggies :)

Field Trip!


Aiden's preschool ventured out to the mac nut farm this past week. It was SUPER FUN! Averie and I rode with another mom, and joined in on the festivities. We saw a coconut demonstration, a really fun bus ride in a bus that looked like in belonged in a movie. It had busted out windows, rusty, filthy actually, but it was fun going through what Aiden called the "forest." We went on a canoe ride as well. It rained on us the whole time. Got a gorgeous picture of the mountains from the boat though! We ended the day with a trip to Mickey D's, and I'm happy to report that Aiden chose apples over french fries :) Averie slept the whole way home, and it was much needed. Homegirl needs her beauty rest!

Here's Aiden with some of the kids from his class..
Gorgeous mountains from boat
kids and I after coconut demo
Calling all villagers!
Ave scored a cookie from the ladies in the gift shop!
It was a fun day. Wish daddy Jonny could have joined us!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Life...and the pursuit of CRAZYness....


Well.....it looks like our blog is needing some serious love. I've had so much fun lately stalking everyone ELSE's blog... and I've made ZERO time to write on my own. I feel like I have been so busy, but when I sit and look at what I've been doing, it really seems like a whole lotta nuttin'. Go figure. SO I have decided to "try" to make a serious commitment to be a little more ''blogworthy'' and document the going ons of our family. After all, you blink and it's all gone in an instant right?

Now where to begin? I feel like I have so much catching up to do it would take me a month just to get it all up, so I think I'm just gonna jump in where I am right at this very moment.

Lauren: I am super content and happy with life. I have so much around me that I have to be grateful for. My kids are healthy, fed, and bathed (most of the time), I'm getting busier with Endless Glow, vinyl is picking up in a big way, my house is clean most days, and I've been able to spend time with some wonderful friends. Leaving Hawaii is going to be an emotional event FOR SURE. I love my life here. It's where Jon and I started, where we brought Averie home, where I survived our first deployment together, and where I've made AMAZING friends with whom I will keep in touch with forever. Life really is good. I feel immensely blessed.

Jon: I can't really speak for JB, (although what kind of wife would I be if I didn't try) ;) but he has been flying again, and I think it's been going well. He's flying nights, so his day starts at 1:00pm and ends anywhere from 9:00pm-1:00am. He's been in TWO college chemistry courses through Oregon State University, and is prepping for the SAT...which happens to be TOMORROW! It's been a WILD and JAM PACKED couple of months. I think it's safe to say that after next week when classes end and the SAT is out of the way, we have a great excuse to celebrate!

Speaking of that, Jon was in a golf scramble today with the guys from work, and whoever won and beat the commander would get a 3 day weekend. Not only did Jon and his partner Matty WIN...Jon got his first HOLE IN ONE!!!!!!! They ended up -5 after 9 holes. I'm super proud!! He got a trophy and will be in the newspaper tomorrow.

Aiden: This little whippersnapper has been in preschool 3 days a week since October, and he is LOVING IT! I cannot believe how much he has grown and learned in just a few weeks. He's recognizing so many letter sounds, and associating them with words, among many other things. He's always singing, and is such a happy kid. He can successfully recite the Pledge of Allegiance. He says it PERFECTLY and it's so adorable. His favorite song right now is, "Rain is a good thing" by Luke Bryan, and he's really into Christmas songs right now. I think we laugh daily at the stuff that he says, and I wish I could freeze him like this and he would never get bigger. Some of the things that we've heard lately include...

1- me "Aiden, why does it take you sooooooo lonnnnngggg to go potty?" Aiden-" Because I have brain damage mom."

2- "Mom, Jesus has special powers. He was not at the temple when we went there. I wish he would just appear in my room."

3- "Kids can't see Santa in their house on Christmas, 'cuz if they do, all his magic will go away and you'll have the worst Christmas ever."

Every time he says a prayer, he prays that Averie and Daddy Jonny will "get better from their sickness." They haven't been sick in weeks...but I guess a little extra praying might prevent more? :)

Averie: Oh miss Ave. Her personality is unreal. I have one word for it. D.I.V.A. She has got to be the funniest baby in the world. Sometimes I wish I could freeze her too. She's so freaking smart and sneaky she has been named the "ninja." You can take something out of her hand and then IMMEDIATELY something else appears. I have ever seen anything like it. She loves being elevated. So we find her standing on anything and everything she can to gain a couple inches. She figured out how to use her car as a step stool, so she can get on the sofa now. That lasted about twice, now she doesn't even need the help. She's figured out how to get on the kitchen chairs as well. Just tonight she ended up in Aiden's lap while he was finishing dinner. Oy. When asked if she's hungry, she will nod "yes" with her WHOLE BODY and run to her high chair to be buckled in. But you absolutely canNOT...in no way whatsoEVER slide her tray on without putting on her Elmo bib FIRST. Good gravy. The same goes with napping/bathtime/bedtime. You ask if she wants to do it, you get the body nod of approval and she darts to the gate at the bottom of the stairs and starts to wave and say "bye bye" to everyone who is within earshot. Like I said. Smart. Opinionated. Sassy. Whoa are Jon and I in for it. She's something else I tell ya. I couldn't imagine our life without her. She brings so much fun, silliness, innocence, curiosity, and just all around JOY to all who meet her. We are lucky to call her our own.

That's pretty much it in a nutshell. We've been getting excited for Christmas! The kids got an Elf on the Shelf on Thanksgiving night, and named him Lucky Twinkletoes. He's been doing a great job scouting for Santa, and for the most part has had good things to report. Our Christmas shopping is finished, minus a few odds and ends, and we made our first round of sugar cookies tonight, which will be decorated VERY soon!

I'm going to see if I can scrounge up some pictures and post them below...

Our tree (horrible pic) It's cute I promise!
Brotherly Love.
Aiden at school holding the flag for the Pledge
Afternoon walk...complete with accessories!
Surprise from Santa!

Friday, October 1, 2010

Family night @ the Browns

Aiden ate ALLLLLL his green beans last week at dinner, so we told him that we would make popcorn with our popcorn machine and watch a movie the next night. He was SUPER excited to get the machine out and watch Monsters vs. Aliens. He was adamant that we all wear the proper eye protection to protect our eyes from anything that might pop out of the popcorn machine at our faces...

Here's Daddy Jonny with his eye protection....

Aiden is quite the popcorn connoisseur and is serious about his popcorn making...


It was a really fun night, and I'm grateful for these times we get to spend just doing the little things. It didn't cost us a dime, we didn't have to go anywhere, and we laughed and had a really great time just being together. I love our family and I look forward to many more family nights making memories just like these :)

Sunday, September 5, 2010

I'm so behind!

We are HAVING A BLAST on our vacation! I have so much to catch up on I don't even know where to start! Maybe i'll do it all once we are back in Hawaii....until then..

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

The "Washmallow" Jar

One day I was losing my mind (I do that more that I would like to admit). I was just fed up with the constant chattiness of Aiden, Averie in DIRE need of stuff, a messy house, no husband, not enough hours in the day, not enough arms/hands etc. Basically a pity party tailored just for yours truly. After a few deep breaths, a diet coke and moment to get myself together, I realized that I needed something to bridge the gap between Aiden needing discipline and my inconsistency. I find that it's too easy for me to just tune out what I don't feel like addressing and then all of a sudden I SNAP, raise my voice and go nutso and my sweet son has no idea what happened. :( A light bulb went off in my head and I dashed to the kitchen to locate a jar that Aiden could fill with something when he made a good choice. I thought this would be good because it would alleviate the what feels like constant explaining on my part and the constant negotiation on his. So, out of my rear I introduced the "good choice" jar with a bag of marshmallows....

I read somewhere that to understand and retain something, it is good for us to engage as many senses as possible...or something to that effect. So when introducing the jar I realized that Aiden will get to "touch" his marshmallows when filling up the container, "see" them in there so he can visualize his progress, and "hear" my praise for good behavior. On the flip side, I could remove a mallow when he's been naughty. It was sounding more and more like a great idea. So, out it comes and I tell Aiden about the concept behind the jar and what it means, the rules, and what will happen when he fills it up. I told him we could go on a "date" for ice cream or a movie, or we could go let him pick something out at Target...basically whatever was special to him. Of course he chose to pick out a toy at Target. Total boy after my own heart :)

Some of the things that earn marshmallows, or rather "washmallows" as A-Bay calls them, are putting Averie's bottles in the sink, making his bed, being sweet and sharing with his sister, throwing trash away, eating ALL his dinner, etc. He has DONE a GREAT job and it's only taken him a couple weeks and he's about to earn his prize. It has been a GINORMOUS stress reliever for me because a) I don't have to freak out when he's getting a little wacky b) it closes that gap between me subconsciously tuning out and him getting away with whatever c) He's actually EXCITED to make good choices! I walked in his room just this morning to a made bed and picked up toys. Uhm...HELLO?! Why didn't I do this a year ago?? Another bonus is when we are out and about, he doesn't ask for anything and everything around him. He gets reminded once that his jar is still not quite full and until it is, he has to wait. Fanflippintastic...

I love my boy so much it's crazy...and to see him succeeding in this little endeavor has been super rewarding for BOTH of us. Hooray for free agency and making good choices!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Rarrr!

I've decided LONG ago that Aiden watches way TOO MUCH television. Sometimes it's just easier for me to turn on PBS kids or Nick Jr. and let him veg out while I get my stuff done. Well, since begging for TV has become a regular thing around here, I've decided that I just need to keep him busy...OUT of the house and AWAY from the BOOB TUBE.

Pearlridge mall has a dinosaur exhibit with a train that I decided to take the kids to. I was actually really impressed with how nice it was. Of course i couldn't tell Aiden where we were going until we pulled into the garage...because it would have been nonstop CHATTING the entire ride there. However, once I revealed the surprise, little man was grinning ear to ear.

Aiden got to hold a T-Rex tooth and pose for a little photo op. He wasn't to thrilled at getting close to that giant head behind him...


But, I made him do it anyway. He kept saying in a shakey voice, "I don't wanna touch his teeth mom, I can't he's gonna EEEEEEEEEEEEAT me!" So of course I tried to get him to stick his whole head in there and pretend that he was being eaten. He won that battle, and the next picture was as far as we got. :)
His little imagination is currently running wild, so I can understand his fear of the "beasts." They really were realistic looking. He was super thrilled about getting to ride the train...but when he saw the dinosaurs all around the tracks, he was starting to second guess himself. I told him to buckle up and just close his eyes when he saw a scary one. He was reminded by the train workers, my girlfriend Erin, and myself that they were just robots and they couldn't walk. He wasn't convinced. So as he passed the T-Rex the first few times this is what he did...



By the end he was waving and happy. Thank goodness. I was starting to feel bad that he was so nervous. It's a great feeling to watch your kids overcome something. Even if it's a silly dinosaur exhibit.

The above picture is Aiden's friend Ali. She came to the train with us and then we all headed over to 808 bounce to jump in the inflatable jumpy things for a bit. It turned out to be a fun day. I'm excited to see the next exhibit the mall will offer!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

R&R Part Deux

Well..too much time has passed and I have quite a few things I would like to blog about. BUT, I don't want to start on those until I finish our R&R stuff. We really just spent Jon's last week at home just doing everyday things. We saw How to Train Your Dragon, I made homemade cinnamon rolls (Deeeeelish), we shopped A LOT, reorganized the kids closets (hallelujah!), and got more stuff done in the garage. I never think that things are that unorganized until I see the results of a few hours spent getting things in order. Oh the peace and calmness that washes over me! I love opening the kids' closet and seeing BEAUTIFUL AND ORGANIZED shelves, racks, etc. And the garage looks FAB as well. I love the home that Jon and I have made here and I can't wait to have him back so we can enjoy it together!

My new love...the cinnamon rolls to die for!



Abay with a shark in Kailua-Kona

Averie is "kind of a big deal" :)

Daddy Jonny and his babes before the airport. One of my favorite pics of them.

Hurry home Daddy! We love and miss you!

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

R&R 2010


My sweet sweet boy came home from Iraq last month for some much needed and WELL DESERVED R&R. It was two glorious weeks, and we enjoyed every minute! I made some signs for the kids to have at the gate so he could see us right away. Aiden was really getting pumped as we pulled into the airport. I think everyone from the parking garage to the security guards to the TSA guys to everyone else that Aiden could steal attention from knew EXACTLY why we were there and who we were picking up. We did a few practice runs of waving the signs and choosing the perfect spot to stand once we got to Jon's gate. Aiden would NOT stop talking..so I told him to look for the plane with 2 letter "As'' that will come to THIS jet way. It bought me a few minutes of semi-silence...as well as a moment for me to compose myself. I was just as excited, if not more than Aiden!

The plane lands and people start to trickle out...and finally I see the handsomest man I've ever known coming out the jet way. It felt like the first time we met in person, which was in an airport terminal as well. OH THE JOY! The webcams and the instant messaging everyday for the last 8 months didn't hold a candle to seeing Jon in person. I couldn't just stand there..so I took off running (which wasn't far) and hugged him as quick as I could! Averie was in my arms..a little confused as to why I was squealing and jumping up and down and hugging her daddy. It took Aiden only a second, then he ran up and gave his Daddy Jonny the biggest hug he could.


A couple asked if they could take our picture with my camera so we could all be in one together...so we were able to get a couple shots at the gate. I will never forget the look on Averie's face..just staring at Jon as if she was thinking.."I SWEAR I know you from somewhere...now where on Earth is it?!" She went to him without complaint and he was able to keep her all the way to the car. This was the first official snuggle...

We got Jon's luggage and went straight to Chili's. We were all hungry, and Jon hadn't had anything to eat on the plane. I don't exactly know what I was expecting having Jon back...but it was like he never left. Like the last 8 months didn't even happen! I of course, was completely okay with that ;)

We spent the first few days just lounging around, hitting the pool, eating, watching TV, and eating some more. I think eating was our most frequent activity. Once again, I was completely okay with that! We were leaving the next week for our trip to the Big Island at Hilton's Waikoloa Village, AKA "the dolphin hotel." So we got packed up and headed off!
Our big island trip started with me leaving my cell phone (our only source of communication and a GPS) at home on our nightstand, as well as grumpy kids at the airport. Every time I look at the picture below I start laughing. Ohh the joys of parenthood ;)
Once we got on the plane, landed and checked in, the kids were much happier...
Our room was AMAZING and from our lanai you could see the salt fed lagoon for Kayaking snorkeling swimming etc., the ocean, as well as the dolphin lagoon which was just below us! The resort has 14 dolphins living there, and Aiden and I got to get in the water with one named "Shaka" on our first morning. I LOVED IT...and I know it was more for Aiden than me...but I could have stayed in there all day. Of course Aiden was on CLOUD 9, and we are STILL waiting for the day when he will stop talking about his experience! We obviously made a good decision by choosing this resort!

We spent the rest of our week there going to the pool everyday, all day. A little shopping at the Queen's Marketplace and in Kona was on the list as well. We had great intentions of going to see the volcanoes, but after we discovered how long the kids would have to sit in the car, we decided against it. That and the fact we had nothing but flip flops...probably not the best footwear for walking on lava rock.

The resort has a monorail as well as boats to take you around since it's so big. Below is us riding on one of the boats...


Aiden is talking to one of the dolphin trainers telling her that he's going to be a trainer too..On the grass watching the dolphin show...

More pool time!
We truly had a GREAT time and really wanna go back again before we leave Hawaii! I'll post our 2nd week of Jon's R&R soon!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

The first of many :(




It looks like my sweet baby girl should have been named "Crash." She's sooooo busy and curious! I thought that her crib was a safe place for her while I showered, pee peed in the potty, etc. Apparently not! I looked over while making the bed and boom, She lost her balance and socked herself in the face. Or maybe it was her Baby Einstein thingy hangin' on the side rail. Either way she screamed, I snuggled her and we went on our way. It's just sad to look at :( I'm grateful that it wasn't her actual eye, but just beneath it! She loves pulling herself up to her knees and thinks she's way more coordinated than she is. She's so dang determined that I don't know if she will ever be cautious. I think it's safe to say she didn't get it from me ;) I don't think any of the kids in my family would go down the McDonald's slide till we were 5 or something! LOL.

Anyway- Ave is still truckin' along like nothing happened. Oh to be a kid!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Spaghetti CUPCAKES



A friend of mine from my mommy group posted a recipe on our message board, and I have been DYING to try it out. It looked super easy, and who doesn't like food that has the word cupcake in it? I know I can't resist :)

So today was the day. It's totally quick and easy. Here's the recipe-

8 oz. Spaghetti noodles
1/2 C. Parm cheese (i used fresh)
4 eggs
2 Cups Mozzerella
jar of sauce (I used Classico's sweet basil) but i think any kind would be great


Cook noodles to al dente, drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl beat eggs and add parmesan cheese. Add noodles and combine. Press noodles into your muffin pan then top with sauce and mozzerella. Bake for 15 minutes and voila...dinner is served :)


PS- there wasn't a measurement for the sauce, so I just spooned some on top....i would use more since it didn't soak down as much as we would have liked. Still yummo and no complaints from A-Bay. I consider that a success! I vacuum packed the remaining "cakes" so when our Daddy is home we have one less dinner to worry about :)


Sunday, April 4, 2010

Spring randomness


Silly muffins!


Wow. 2 Posts in 24 hours! We've been stayin busy with our playgroup and keeping our house tidy. We've done a pool excursion (Averie LOVES the pool) as well as an Easter party and other fun activities. We are getting excited for Auntie Momo to come with Ivan for a a visit! Aiden will start soccer while they are here, and Ivan has been chosen as the "parent" of the first practice. Ivan is a super amazing soccer player and I'm sure Aiden will learn some cool new skills :) Things are just business as usual and we are getting excited for our visitors and for DADDY to come! Here are some pictures from the last couple weeks.
Ave on Easter morning.
Ave @ the playgroup egg hunt.
Aiden so excited about his BLUE eggs. (his favorite color)

Pool at Hale Koa.