An Update, of sorts...

Again, I've waited far too long to update my blog, but I thought, since I'm ACTUALLY taking a summer off to spend with my little curmudgeon, I'd share some very important tidbits of information. Let's start with the basics:

Me: I am still employed with my two different school programs, one of which will close after the end of the next school year. I am actively pursuing leadership opportunities wherever I can find them and continuing to build my experience through my current positions. I am not thrilled to leave my current position (whenever that happens) because I love my work, but I've outgrown my pond I think. It's time to put my Master's Degree to use, right? I've also developed a bit of a new love for painting through my experiences with Wine and Canvas and Social Canvas here in town. Three paintings complete, no more an expert, but no less in love with the process. Finally, I'm jumping back into my exercise, which I have missed. I've start the Couch to 5K challenge and I'm wrapping up week two this morning.

Aaron: still working with R&D, still obsessed with video games (we had THE talk...about the new platform upgrades being released later this year/early next year), still a kick @$$ husband, father, dungeon master, comic reader, movie watcher, board game player, friend, and sarcasm expert. He just celebrated his second official Father's Day yesterday too, with a trip to Texas Roadhouse, two seasons of the Clone Wars on DVD, and a wrapped up marathon of season three of Game of Thrones (thanks free preview weekend).

Killian: aka. Nugget, Peanut, Punkin, Kidlet, Little Man, The Baby, Big Boy, Punk, K-dawg, Mister Man, Momma's Little Raptor, the real reason you're reading, right? The kid won't stop growing! I got a scary email the other day reminding me that there are only 3 months until he turns two years old. I'm so proud, so fascinated, and so saddened by his growth. It really is true that you look back with fondness. I already miss the days of his simply napping in the bouncy seat or the late night feedings (though the breastfeeding it not really missed, since it was a source of extreme anxiety for me). It seems like he's doing new things every single day! We have officially begun the venture into potty training and so far, he has successfully pottied at least once a day. We recently traveled to the Mall of America and treated him to a meal at Rainforest Café (a marginal hit) and a trip through the aquarium (a HUGE hit). I'm proud of how well he handled the car ride too.

Let's play "Killian's Favorite Things!"

Color: "wellow" (or yellow) He will call everything yellow until you prompt him for the real name of the color. We also know the colors red, purple, and of course blue.
Book: My Very Own Potty. No lie, the kid loves reading it!
Movie: Finding Nemo. We are fish-obsessed at the moment. They are our favorite critter at the zoo and anytime Mom puts it back, we must rip the Finding Nemo DVD or Bluray from the shelf.
TV Shows: Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Chuggington, and Elmo
Song: theme from The Big Bang Theory. We bob and weave and always yell "BANG!" at the end. Justin Timberlake's "Suit and Tie" is also popular, as well as ANY song from Jake and the Neverland Pirates
Dance move: the spin. He will start spinning for no reason whatsoever.
Place: OUTSIDE, unless we are in the car, then it's HOME
Beverage: water with a squirt of flavor in it, however it is always called MILK
Food: currently PIZZA, but anything with cheese is good and pancakes are pretty great
Snack: string cheese, yogurt drops or fruit snacks
Restaurant: anything offering a chicken nugget type item or macaroni and cheese
Animal: tough call here because he like several. The front runners would be dogs ("puppy"), turtles, fish, and rabbits ("nunny"). We do have to stop to look at the fish each time we get groceries, the ones in the tank not the ones for eating.
Superhero: Iron Man or Spider Man (no fatherly influence at all)
Item: likely his fish night light. He doesn't like when he can't see it during the daytime
Items to steal: fingernail clippers, Mommy's leadership books, Daddy's PS Vita, or Mommy's iPhone.
Cuddly toy: still lobes his "baby" (what he calls his blanket), but he has a new stuffed dinosaur from Build a Bear named "Fishel" (fish+turtle=fishel) that he loves
Person to hang with: cousin Evy
Outdoor activity: chalk or bubbles
Indoor activity: art time, reading, washing hands and brushing teeth (aka. chewing on a wet toothbrush), throwing things in the garbage or sink, rearranging the magnets on the fridge, cuddle time with Mommy and whatever electronic she's using (like right now he's cuddled up under my arm)
Least favorite activity ANYWHERE: timeout
Words (some old, most new): OUTSIDE, home, chalk, marker, I did it, turtle, fishy, NEMO, Elmo, gun show (complete with arm movements), let's go, puppy, kitty, meow, Iron Man, uh oh, oh no, read, book, YEAH, no, milk (any beverage), noodle, PIZZA, yellow, red, balloon, bubble, blue, apple, wash, night, night, bye bye, hi, "Ow-oooooo" (wolf call), "Ah wuf oo" (I love you), ME, tickle tickle, get you, toes, shoulder, head, hair, eye, ear, nose, teeth, ouchie/owie, don't know, shoe, sock, bee (any type of bug is a bee), birdie, choo choo, tweet, light, truck, wipe, please, thank you, help, sticker, Evy, rarrrrrrr (what a tiger, lion, bear, dinosaur, monster, and dragon all say).

Sorry, no pictures for the blog at this time. I post plenty on FB and I'll post some once we get some official pictures taken. Again, I can't believe what a big boy I have on my hands. We are definitely in the range of the terrible twos judging by our near  daily (or thrice daily) tantrums, but a little timeout and/or crying jag sets him to right.

Funny story about him learning what a wolf says: We were in the car on the way to daycare one morning. I like to listen to audiobooks in the car and I am in the midst of plowing through George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series. Out of no where, while driving and listening, Killian howled like a wolf! I can't clearly recall a time when the narrator has howled like a wolf, but he was most certainly howling, during a part to do with Winterfell no less, so it was well-timed.

Well, time to take my boy O-U-T-S-I-D-E (yes, we've started spelling items to keep them on the DL). Sometimes, I spell too quickly for Aaron and he gets a puzzled look on his face. Uh-oh, Killian must be a mind reader (or the giant garbage truck outside has prompted him) and he is demanding to go O-U-T...whatever. Outside we go!