Random Thoughts, Updates and Pictures Too

If it was up to me, Nicholas Alexander Aronin would have been named, "Hipster Boyleg." True story!

On most days when Lisa picks up Nicholas from school, as soon as he sees her he will run to her yelling, "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!"

Average number of times we tell Nicholas he is cute each day..........27

Nicholas has a hamster in his classroom this year and his name is the same as both the bus driver on The Simpson's and the middle name of the original bass player for Jonnie Blanco.......

Otto

*****So sorry about this......the hamster is actually named Otis.....oops!!



When we go to the store to "look at machines" Nicholas tries to put toys into our basket while saying, "Need this one....take it home....buy it." This almost never works.....on an unrelated note....did I mention how flippin cute he is??

Today, during bath time, I decided to pick up some of Nicholas' bath toys that are shaped like numbers......I am always trying to get in those "teachable moments." The first number I picked up and showed to him he immediately said, "EIGHT." I couldn't believe it....he also knew 3, 4, 5 and 6. The combination of school and Lisa being a stay at home Mom, is really paying off....woo-hoo!!

This message is JUST for Nicholas.........."Hey little boy! Mommy and Daddy love you so very much. We were so blessed when we were able to adopt you nearly a year and a half ago. We are enjoying being able to watch you grow each month, week and day. We are so amazed with all the things you have learned in such a short time! You are our amazing little boy and we love you lots!"

When we were visiting Nicholas at his Orphanage in Ukraine, we were always afraid to let him get dirty while were outside. We did not want the "nannies" to get mad at us or at him. Even though he couldn't understand us at the time, we told him each day...."When we get home you can play outside all the time and get as dirty as you want to because that's what little boys do!"

We recently went to a small zoo just north of our house...the name escapes me right now... Here are Nicholas and his pal Kelsey trying to see a giant turtle.

















"So like these two potatoes are so huge that they could totally touch anything in the universe...except themselves....."

















Nothing beats standing around in the kitchen wearing a t-shirt, some shorts and two oven-mitts.

Summer fun and a gift from Uncle Eddie....

It's always tough trying to fit 'everything' into one cooler...

But persistence....

...usually pays off in the end...

What if I got into the bigger one??

Uncle Eddie decided to buy himself a new toy and was nice enough
to donate this empty box....or is it??

Is somebody in there??

It's a Nicholas!

Stand up and give us a snarl!

And now for my next trick....

One boy and some balloons go in....

...ever so carefully...

...the final flap is pulled up and....

Now you see him, now you don't.

Now for the real tricks....there's Daddy!

...there's Mommy!

And last but not least....there's Grandpa and Eeyore!!

Just a growing boy....

July 24, 2010 marked 15 months since welcoming Nicholas Alexander Aronin into our lives. Since coming home has grown about 6 and a half inches...he is currently 3 feet 9 and a half inches tall...and he has gained 20 and a half pounds!...he is currently 59 and a half pounds.....(61 pounds with his shoes on...I weighed him today at Bed Bath and Beyond)

His English is rapidly improving on a nearly daily basis. Watching Nick Jr. and having two talkative parents has really helped. We love watching him as he tries to put together long sentences like..."Want play outside machines dirt bugs Mommy." This of course means that Nicholas would really like Mommy to take him outside so he can play with his dump trucks and diggers in the dirt and look for bugs.

This past January through June, Nicholas began pre-kindergarten....he has been on summer break since early June and keeping him occupied and busy this summer has been difficult....especially for the Boy Who Never Stops!! We found out that the School District was 'rezoned' so he would be switching schools after summer vacation is over...which it nearly is!!

Lisa went to register him for school last week and says that his new school is wonderful...it was opened in 2008 and has a Science Lab! We look forward to getting more familiar with his new school.....Meet the teacher night is August 19th and the first day of school is August 23rd....I hope they are ready for him!!


And now here are some pictures!

It has been a very hot summer!

Did I mention it has been very hot this summer??

I almost didn't post this picture because he looks so old!

Eating yogurt with Grandpa!

A collection of stuffed animals and one small boy.

Watching the installation of our new fridge! The old fridge is in the garage and houses back up rations for the boy....Apple Juice, Yogurt and Popsicles.

Another way to combat the summer heat?? Fudgesicles! But just be careful if you are the one who is feeding him.....see next picture....

This is how you get a nickname like "Shark-Boy."

Helping Mommy make her World Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Taken with my phone...on the Carousel at the mall.

Happy July 4th

As I write this entry we have loads of illegal fireworks being shot off in our neighborhood, one sleeping boy, one sleeping dog, one dog hiding in the bathroom due to the previously mentioned illegal fireworks, one cat sleeping on a table and two very tired parents...and one of them is going to be 42 years old in about 26 minutes...

The fact that we have not blogged anything since May 19th does NOT mean we have a lack of material...life is still going full speed ahead. Lisa and I are watching Nicholas continue to blossom everyday. His vocabulary is getting larger, his pronunciation is improving, his understanding of concepts such as 'cause and effect' and 'hide and seek,' are also coming along.

LONG STORY, but I just flew back from downtown beautiful Burbank, California today at 12:00 pm. I arrived in Burbank around 12:00pm on July 3rd.....this meant I was not home to put Nicholas to bed for the very first time.....he barely noticed since Lisa was here for the both of us.

Now some "Quick Hits"

I went upstairs one morning since it sounded like Nicholas was awake. When I slowly opened his bedroom door, I was amazed to see him sitting on his bed and "reading" a book. I then sat with him and read him a few stories before taking him downstairs for breakfast.

Places Nicholas knows by sight: Tom Thumb grocery store, Target, various banks, various restaurants like Jersey Mikes, Chipotle and Chili's.

We were at the far end of our Super Target, near the groceries when Nicholas began walking off on his own...I followed closely behind asking him where he was going. There was no answer...just walking...walking with a definite purpose and goal. About two minutes later he managed to find the toy section.......and with no help from the studio audience!

While reading books or sitting in his car seat and as we drive all over North Texas, Nicholas likes to say, "Is that?" as he points to something......his curiosity is always set on HIGH.

Nicholas loves to sing, and just like his Dad, he doesn't let the fact that he doesn't know all the words stop him from belting out a tune. His current song list includes, "Oh My Darlin' Clementine,' 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,' 'Itsy Bitsy Spider,' and 'Video Killed The Radio Star.'

He also likes to point at Lisa and I to get us to sing along and will continue to point and look at us until we comply and begin to sing. After a few words of the song he will then stop singing and begin to clap wildly and shout, "YEAAAAAH." During our recent Father's Day celebration, Nicholas demanded to hear singing from not only Lisa and I, but her Father and his friend Carol as well. He pointed and pointed until we were all singing!

More Later....

Ducktails and Bubbles

A few days ago I was trying to get Nicholas to stop touching a plant in the house, but he just kept on touching it. Lisa heard my dilemma and said, "Nicholas, duck tails." He immediately placed his hands behind his back, which of course meant he was no longer touching the plant. "What was that??," I asked Lisa. She told me it was something they said at school.

Yesterday I was driving Nicholas to the store and I could see him in the mirror trying to grab the side window shade. I asked him a few times to stop touching it, but he kept on touching it...then I blurted out, "DUCK TAILS!" He immediately put his hands to his sides and stopped touching the auto shade!

This evening I finally remembered to ask Lisa to explain the whole Duck Tail phenomena.

While the three of us were sitting on the couch, Lisa said, "Nicholas, duck tails and bubbles." This caused Nicholas to place his hands behind his back and close his mouth while puffing out his cheeks ever so slightly. Lisa explained that this was the phrase used at school when his class walks outside of the classroom. She also said it is very cute to see his whole class holding their hands behind their backs as if they were duck tails and their mouths closed with their cheeks puffed out.

Someday I will tell Nicholas about the game I invented while in high school, ironically named, "Duck tail!" In fact, I invented two games...the other one is called, "Turtle Dove." Ask me about them sometime, if you really want to know...

The Frog and the Bus

May 3, 2010.....when I came home from work, Nicholas told me he got to touch a frog at school. Lisa then told me that Nicholas nearly "touched" the frog to death with his iron grip and uncertainty of the powerfulness of his squeezing ability. Luckily Lisa was able to rescue the frog before it was too late. Nicholas also told me that frogs eat "CRICKETS." He later tried to convince me that Nicholas eats crickets too, but I didn't fall for it.

May 4, 2010....Nicholas took the school bus to school for the first time! Since he currently goes to school each day from 11:55 am to 2:55 pm, the bus picks him up around 11:20am. At 11:14 and 38 seconds, Lisa went outside with Nicholas to wait for the bus. She told him that he would be taking a bus to school and the she would pick him up, as usual, after school. As the bus approached the house Nicholas began saying, "Is that? Is that? Is that?" (His version of 'What is that?) When Lisa told him it was his school bus, he responded...."On it, on it, Nicholas." Needless to say, he was very excited to be going on the bus.

Last week I had the day off and was hoping to get a picture of Nicholas boarding the bus...here he is ready to go outside to wait for the bus.

Here he is walking around with Mommy in our front yard......but, as luck would have it...through various mix-ups, the bus did not show up so we had to take him to school. He was disappointed and I was denied a photo opportunity. Maybe next time...

The Elmo Collection

Talking Elmo standing in Nicholas' new treasure chest.

Squeezing Elmo's nose....HONK-HONK

The old "Knock Elmo to the ground, place a foot in his crotch and squeeze his nose" move....a very difficult maneuver to master for such a young boy..

Talking Elmo has pushed Puppet Elmo into the sunlight to "help him tan," so he can get some more "face time" with the Boy.

Talking Elmo agreeing to "Go do, that voodoo, that you do, SO WELL."

Both Elmo's taking a nap under the watchful eyes of Nicholas....

Talking Elmo nicely nibbling on the nose of Nicholas...

A big hug from his best friend!