Monday, October 14, 2024

The Great Pooh Bear Exchange

When Aiden was 4 months old, he received a stuffed Pooh Bear from Grandma and Papa. It was basically love at first sight, and he has carried that Pooh Bear with him ever since. Pooh Bear goes everywhere with him. You basically see Pooh Bear in most pictures from then on.



He had a Pooh Bear birthday when he turned two, and Grandma and Papa gifted him a new Pooh Bear, in an attempt to replace the already stinky well-loved original haha. At the time, we were able to convince him that Pooh Bear needed to be washed and were able to switch the two. But even then, he seemed to side-eye the new Pooh for a bit before finally accepting him. But it was really hard to get him to let go of Pooh again. Washing him was always fairly traumatic. The washer/dryer was never fast enough.




About a year after this first exchange, we had a scare where we thought we had lost Pooh. Thankfully, we found him, but it made me realize that we should have a backup on hand, just in case. At the time, it would have been devastating if we lost Pooh, so even if we had only an imposter to offer {because I wholly believe that's how it would have been rejected}, it would have been better than nothing. So I kept a backup in the back of our closet...

Fast forward 4 years, several washes, and lots of life later... and that poor Pooh is beyond loved. Aiden has grown and matured, so Pooh wash days have become far less traumatic. He willingly hands it over, even volunteering Pooh on his own, saying it's time that Pooh take a bath. But he is always looking for him as soon as the laundry is done ;)  

For awhile, washes have worked fairly well. But in the past year, that poor Pooh has started looking fairly sad. I have thought about exchanging him, even thinking of saying that the washing machine got him really clean haha! But I just haven't had the heart to do it. And Aiden is just too smart for that now. But recently, I have been thinking he might agree to an exchange much easier. More matter-of-factly.

No judgment, please. I swear that thing has been scrubbed multiple times haha


We watch a lot of family home videos, and one of them actually captures the 2nd birthday when he had 2 Pooh bears. We had watched it recently, and the kids were talking about how bright and clean the "new" Pooh Bear had looked in the video. So I asked Aiden what he would think about getting a new Pooh Bear, and if he would be willing to pass on his old Pooh Bear. When he agreed, I knew this was our chance! :)






This sweet boy spent A LOT of time with BOTH Pooh Bears. So much time that I wasn't quite sure if he was going to let the old one go. But I didn't rush it, and I let him have his time. Toward the end of the morning, I gently asked him if he loved his new Pooh Bear. He emphatically said "Yes!" And then I gently asked him if he was ready to pass on his old Pooh Bear. He took another look at his old Pooh Bear, gave him one last hug, and then handed it over. 

And then my Mama heart broke just a tiny bit. 

And now that old ratty Pooh Bear is at the back of my closet because I just can't let it go HAHA. 

Have I now prolonged this love affair with Pooh? Maybe. But this sweet boy is happy as a clam with his new Pooh Bear, and yes, he absolutely can go to college with it, so just mind your business. {just kidding}

:)

Silly, willy, nilly ol' bear...


Monday, September 30, 2024

{iPhone Rewind} :: September

Narnia is getting interesting...

We made a Roman lunch to go with our history lesson

Time for science!

Haha- Aiden is SO expressive :)

We had a church picnic, which featured games, bounce houses, snow cones, and Dunk-a-Pastor! :) Mike was a good sport, even when a bunch of teens ran out to fill the tank with buckets full of ice. And even when his daughter dunked him on her first throw!

We're working through a manners book this year, and right now we are talking about communication. So this lesson was all about posture haha. I couldn't help but add a little fun and have them try balancing books on their heads ;)

We are super thankful that the temperatures are starting to cool off, and we have been enjoying the the beautiful weather as much as we can. For the boys, that means digging in the dirt!

Riding bikes and a Skype call with Grandma!

A rousing game of checkers ;)

It has been really fun to see their friendship grow

Maddie and I went to the consignment sale and had a Sam's order to pick up, so we hopped inside to grab a soft pretzel :)

Sicilian moustaches haha

When you read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, you have to try a little Turkish Delight! The boys LOVED it, and Maddie was not a fan :)

Volcano!! Earth science included a little chemistry and theories on what happened to the dinosaurs :)

We got to have our friend A over for a night of games and make-your-own pizza, cookies, and movies!

Girlie friends :)

We got to visit Great Falls Park!

Math work!



Friday, September 27, 2024

Highland Retreat Getaway

This past week, we got away as a family for a little mini retreat. We made our way to the Shenandoah Valley, where we stayed at Highland Retreat, a Christian camp that graciously offers personal retreats to pastors and their families. It is an incredible gift that they provide, and we were so blessed by it!

It was a bit of a rainy week, so we had to adjust our plans a bit, but we still had fun. We brought plenty of games, and the kids thought being in the cabin was the best thing ever! There were several rounds of Sorry!, Uno, and Happy Salmon :)








There were enough breaks in the rain that allowed us to get out and explore the camp grounds. There were several trails, and we even found a couple of playgrounds. The kids enjoy hiking and exploring, so it was fun to venture out and see the trails. The leaves are just starting to change, though it's still pretty early in the season.










On Tuesday, we headed to Endless Caverns. We will be studying caves/caverns in science in a few weeks, so this was a little early preview on our school lesson {travel schooling, anyone?} These caverns were smaller than the ones Mike and I toured a couple of years ago, but we got our own personal tour! We literally were the only ones in the caverns, along with our tour guide, which was so cool. It was perfect for the kids.









On Wednesday, we had plans to go into the Shenandoah National Park, but plans changed when we started experiencing car trouble. Thankfully, we were able to pull over safely before the car died. We were able to pull off into a large driveway of a kind elderly couple, and we were not too far from the camp. One of the camp staff was kind enough to come pick us up and offer recommendations on a local towing company and garage for repairs {thank you, Kent!} Not our original plan, but so thankful for how the Lord kept us safe and provided so many kind people to help us along the way. We spent the rest of the day playing games and taking a longer hike around the property.










I think they did just fine with the change of plan :)


The car was able to be repaired the following day, which allowed us to leave as scheduled! Shoutout to Mountain View Garage in Broadway, Virginia for replacing our alternator so we could get home, and for your kindness in offering a ride to Mike so that we could get our car picked up.

While the week had its fair share of surprises and changes of plans, we are thankful for how the Lord cared for us, and that we were able to enjoy time away as a family. The kids still had a blast and enjoyed their time in the cabin, wishing "we could live there forever" haha. We are thankful for the kindness of the camp staff and for the donors who provide the pastoral care program.