Ayden

Ayden. He is my sweet heart. He was my easy baby, energetic toddler, and now my super sweet boy. There is something so special about him, I have always seen it. He is super sensitive to people's feelings, and can pick up on moods easily. He can tell when we are sad, or not feeling well and does his best to comfort everyone. When I was pregnant with Charlie and super sick, he would sneak into the bathroom and rub my back. If daddy is picking on me, Ayden sticks up for me and says "hey, be nice to my Mommy (or Daddy, depending on who is being a bully at the time)!" While I was sick this week and couldn't get out of bed he came in my room, rubbed my shoulder, and said "Mom, now I don't want you to get up but Charlie has been hitting me. I just thought you should know". I just can't think of a better word to describe Ayden other than sweet.

While he is a sweetheart, he is still a 5 year old and can act like it. Charlie and Ayden seem to be each others best friend and arch nemesis simultaneously. They fight like crazy! Charlie is sassy and bossy, while Ayden is laid back but protective of his things. Charlie knows this, and instigates most of the fights by swiping one of Ayden's prized toys. She knows what will happen and loves the attention she gets from it. Sometimes it is funny to sit back and watch her little plan play out, however for the most part it is just exhausting playing referee all day. They do occasionally play together, and those moments are gold. I love seeing them play together! They are so sweet and it is getting fun to watch as Charlie gets older and is able to actually play with him. I will never forget the first day I saw Ayden play with Charlie. I know it seems a strange thing to remember, but Ayden wanted NOTHING to do with Charlie for so long. He wouldn't go near her for months. Then one day I came in and Ayden was waving Buzz and Woody around Charlie's face and mumbling the characters voices as he played. He had Woody's little hat on Charlie's head, and I about died laughing. It was so cute, and I so looked forward to the day when they would become friends. Although they fight (a lot) I can see the love and protectiveness that he feels for his sister.

Ayden is doing so well in school. It is amazing how much he is learning in just a few hours of school every day. Although the drive is long, and worst of all cuts into (and has pretty much diminished) Charlie's nap time, it is completely worth it. He LOVES going to school. I feel so good about the decision to switch schools. I can tell he is getting a much better education, in a much better environment than where he was at. It has made me realize that I need to trust my instincts more, even if it may not totally make sense or be the easiest way. His teacher, Ms. Montes, is such a sweet, positive lady and has made Ayden feel so special in her class. The teachers there are amazing, and go above and beyond to put on cute shows and work on fun projects with the kids. He is starting to read now, and it is an amazing thing to watch. My mom got him an on-line reading program that teaches kids to read, and it has been a huge help. He loves it, and has been learning words so fast!

Ayden is getting SO tall. I just bought him a batch of pants the next size up a few months ago, and they are already too short for him. When we went to Disneyland at the end of September he was 42", because he was just tall enough to ride some new rides. Brian and I measured him the other day and he is 44.5"! He grew two and a half inches in just a few months! I am having a really hard time finding pants that are long enough and fit him in the waist. He is growing WAY too fast!

Well, that's my update on Ayden. He is happy, funny, sweet, smart, emotional, adventurous, and growing like a weed! I love that boy so much!