My Babies Are Getting Older

I ask them every year not to do it, and every year they do it. They turn a year older. Aidan is now five years old. I told him "Aidan don't do it", and he looked at me and smiled and said, "I'm going to do it". Five is a big year for both me and Aidan. This is the milestone where my baby is now old enough to start school. It's a big change for both of us. Aidan will now have to go to school full time, no more days home with mom. He is going to preschool, but it is only part time so there were many of days that he and I would be able to spend time together - sometimes with Alexandra and sometimes, it would just be the two of us. This will all end next year. I know he's ready for school. It's just difficult sometimes to watch your children get older. I can remember his birth, just like all my children, like it was yesterday. I think that this is a moment that every mom will always remember and hold dear and never forget.

For Aidan's five year birthday party we celebrated at our house, and Aidan wanted another Spiderman birthday party. I don't think I know of any other kid who had the same birthday party two years in a row. But if this is what he wanted, it was fine with me.





The boys hanging out at the bowling alley for Ashlyn's eighth birthday party. They all had a lot of fun.


Ashlyn wanted her party at the bowling alley and it was Hannah Montana. It was nice because I just had to show up with the cake and the dad's watched the kids bowl and got in on the action as well. My only complaint though was I hated the smell of the bowling alley. It smelled like an ash tray, but I was told that no matter what bowling alley we went to, they are all the same. Yuck.

Ashlyn is now eight and she thinks that she is fifteen. She is no longer into Princess stuff and Hello Kitty - "that's for babies". She's into Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers. Is this what they call the tween years? She's also getting into the stage where she doesn't want me to show any public displays of affection. This will embarrass her. At least I know to ask her first before I hug her or give her a kiss around her friends. She will just smile and shake her head no. But she still wants me to go to her school parties and read to her class so I guess it's not all bad. My two boys though have not gotten into this stage yet. They both still love hugs and kisses. I can ask Landen at school if he minds if I give him a kiss or hug and he tells me, no he doesn't mind.

We have also decided to take our kids out one at a time by themselves with just Adam and myself to celebrate their birthday. It's their date night with mom and dad. We do this at the half year mark and a couple of weeks after their birthdate. We really enjoy doing this with them because it gives them time with just the two of us and they get all of the attention. They get to choose the activity and the place to eat.