Aschermanns: The Things to be Remembered

There are always moments in my life that I think, "I hope I never forget this." That being said, I have the worse memory ever so I try to make an effort to write these moments down. The moments that make me smile, laugh, and think, "how did I get so lucky." They are generally little nuggets, often taken for granted, but when I stop they are what make up the best parts of my life.

Don't forget 15 month old Maddox:

He has dimples...when he smiles he has dimples up by the sides of his eyes. His smiles are so big that normal dimples on his checks wouldn't do justice. Little dimples by his eyes! I hope he has them forever and I am sure that if he does they will steel some hearts.
Maddox loves the chase. As soon as you say, "I'm going to get you" he immediately giggles and runs as fast as his little legs can go. And then there are the dimples again.
3/4 head and torso and 1/4 legs. The shortest little legs ever! I don't know what it is about his silly proportions that make Maddox ridiculously cute, but I love it.
The cheeks...The thickest cheeks ever...they are always rosy and always kissable.

Liesel:

Her Laugh...this petite little girl has a full on man laugh. A deep throaty laugh, that stops people in their tracks. A laugh that cannot be ignored. A laugh that will make you laugh. I dare anyone to not smile when Liesel laughs.
Our social butterfly makes friends with any little kid that even looks in her direction. If you are a little girl within a 20 foot radius of Liesel, be warned, she will come for you, overwhelm you, and befriend you. She refers to any little girl that she met as her sister. I am not sure if she doesn't understand what a sister is or if she is just feels very strongly about her female friends. Hey I have girlfriends I would consider sisters.
"You happy Mommy?"...she asks me this at least once a week. No matter how I felt prior to her inquiry I always respond with yes. Not because I don't want to admit to her that I am not, but because I truly am happy. I am happy to hear this little voice, and I am happy that she is sweet enough to care that others are happy.

Milo:

When Milo wakes up from a nap, yes he still naps, he almost always asks for "mom snuggles". I know a day will come when he no longer wants me to cuddle him, but until then I will do my best to make time and enjoy these moments.
There are few things Milo loves more than an inside joke. He loves to feel like he is on the inside of some scoop. Example: I will reward Milo's good behavior with an extra 1/2 hour of play time before naps. I tell him not to tell Liesel because she still needs a 2 hour nap. He will tell Liesel that he is tired, help tuck her in, and then look at me and give me the Milo Wink. He can't actually wink but he gives a mouth click and points his index finger at me. I sometimes make up secrets just to get a Milo Wink.

Bosco:

The best dog ever! At the age of 9, our 100lb pup has officially entered old dog stage. I could not ask for a better family dog. He walks well, he is great with the kids, loves naps and instead of his dog bed insists on sleeping on our love seat. We let him.

Scott:

I would like to say that Scott and I regularly take the time out of our busy schedules to really nourish our marriage, but that would be a lie. With two busy careers, three even busier kids, a house under construction and the other tasks associated with life, we are pooped. Often the best we can do is a little hand squeeze and an "I love you" before bed. That being said I hope I never forget that when Scott gets up at 5:00am to go to work on cold snowy days, he always scrapes the ice and snow off my car before he leaves the driveway.

Me:

I hope I always remember the importance of participating in the activities that make me feel like me. Not like mom me, work me, nor wife me, but me. This year, while playing soccer I have found the strongest moments of Jane. Even when I find time by myself, whether I am running or driving, I am still doing the mental check list. Moms, you know, grocery lists, to-do lists, forgot-to-do lists. When I play soccer I am truly present and can only focus on the game. If I don't I may find a ball to the face.

On to the pictures....

Liesel is now in "Ballallina Class". In typical Liesel fashion, she loves dancing with her "sisters", but isn't a huge fan of listening to her teacher.