One COOL kid...

Every parent takes photos of their kid with sunglasses (it's just to too cute not to)  but Aram seems to be drawn to shades of all kinds, with or with out lenses, hipster ones, joke ones, and even upside down ones. Any time the sun is shining, "I can't see!!!!! Where are my<<if he was an adult he would add goddamn here>> sunglasses?!!!!!!" is a common phrase for Aram. This usually requires us to pull over to find his well loved, scratched and bent sunglasses somewhere in the back seat. Peek it, yo!

The New Blue House

With one look back, we shed some tears of joy and sadness and said goodbye to a great house and neighborhood. Sure there were things that we knew did not work for our family like no storage for bikes, strollers and what not. But it had kept us warm in the winter, and cold in the summer. It had required little to no maintenance (we were the first owners) and the floor plan was nicely laid out with lots of open spaces---good for young little boys to run and jump!

While we waited to close on a house in SE Portland, we rented a 500 square foot condo, right in the middle of town. There we could walk to all services needed, including grocery store, restaurants, shopping, coffee shops, and more. It was a great place to spend 6 weeks, if you didn't have two little boys that needed lots of running and jumping space living with you!



The Blue house became our home in October of 2014. It was in a outlying neighborhood of inner Portland near restaurants, coffee shops, and a excellent park with a community center (only 3 blocks

away). And although it does not have an open floor plan for running and jumping, it has a great backyard with raised garden beds for growing all kinds of vegetables and lots of space for all kinds of boy activities! 

The best part is, it is as if we have moved to a new city. There are new places to explore such as the Leach Botanical Gardens---a new favorite! New restaurants like HK Cafe (more on this spot later), a county library near by, an indoor swimming pool within 3 blocks, and an amazing park with a playground all walkable with side walks. Dustin and Aram can walk Jasper to school every morning (only 6 blocks away). AND best of all, we live nearer to most our friends including only 7 blocks from Syd and Jeff.

Kindergarten for Jas

I feel like I have blinked and my 1st baby boy has gone from a little guy to a young man over night!

Back packs on and ready to go!

Jas started kindergarten and owned it like he was born to do it! It didn't phase him one bit that he did not know anyone in his class nor that he had started two weeks late (we were waiting for house to pass inspection before enrolling him in a school). He just walked right in and sat down like he owned the place. It was such a proud and sad moment at the same time.

Feeling like a superhero on the first day!

Ready, set, go!

 The one thing I had not prepared for as a parent is the loneliness that Aram would face and the feelings of being left out of the fun. That morning as we prepared for Jasper to enter his first day of public school, Aram prepared too, unbeknownst to either Dustin or I. Jas got dressed, Aram got dressed. Jasper ate breakfast, Aram ate breakfast. Jas got on his backpack, Aram got on his back pack. Pics were taken of them together. But when we got to the school and Jasper got to stay there and Aram had to leave he became very upset and cried, "mama where is my desk and my new friends." I was so consumed by my anxiety for Jasper that I plum forgot to prepare Aram for the change too. After telling him he got to spend his days with daddy going on great adventures, Aram finally agreed to leave. He spent several days every once and awhile looking, yelling out for brother to realize he was not there to play. And although it was really special to have dada all alone for himself, it was obvious he missed his brother a lot. I learned a as a parent, that you have to think of all the family members in every event, not just the person the change is happening for, because ALL change affects everyone in our little family.

Saying good bye to the red house

I will start here since this is really when my routines, timelines, and mama duty collapsed...

 I was a VERY difficult decision to sell our red house! we had essential became real adults with real responsibilities in this house.  As our family grew the space got smaller and smaller. 

There was a numerous amount of changes for us. First we had to take all extra's down---including you and Jas' art work:( We stored some things and sold some things...all of this was a bit unnerving for everyone!

 But the most difficult thing was saying goodbye to friends of the hood. Over the past 5 years of our neighbors for better or worse, had become our "village." We collaborated, conversed, cared for, picked blackberries with, disagreed, played, watched out for, and mostly loved our community. Many days now we miss our village of friends surrounding us, encouraging us as we grew, and appreciating our contribution to the hood. But most of all we miss our friends!

Arabel and Aram on "the hill"

 

Summer days cooled down with the kiddie pool

Arabel and Becky hanging on the stoop

all fans of TNMT!

the cool kids

A popsicle always helps on a hot day

Match made in heaven!

the crew of the Killingsworth ct cul-de-sac

  These friends will forever have a special place in our hearts, that's for sure!

A Long Interlude in Mama Duty on the Blog

Dear Aram,
When you were in mommy's tummy I had a moment of panic where I could not imagine being able to share my love in addition to daddy and Jasper with another being. I had called my sister to ask how she felt about being second child; did she feel less loved? did she feel left out? etc...I vowed to not allow you to feel second, or last. Little did I know that you would complete our family. You would make up the "Micheletti Boys", you would become my Aram-bug, my bugga-boo, my nook-finder, jokester, and finally my "mama-do-it" little man. Thank you for proving to me  time and time again  how wrong I was about sharing. Through you, I have discovered that your heart does not share the space in it, rather it grows with each being in your life as a mama.

Although I have not kept up this blog (as I had pledged because I didn't want you to feel left out) in the way that I had promised, I hope that you will cherish it no matter the time line that the production has happened. With this being said, I am restarting it today! Some of the posts will not be chronological but they are rather a documentation of who you, Aram, have become,  and how you have impacted our lives in the most delightful way!

Love forever (finger-wiggle, finger-wiggle),
Your mama K

finding the nook

Aram is really good at finding a lap or "nook", as we call it in our family. If there is a snugly, close-to-mom or -dad place, he is in it. He is a much different kid than my first son, who when he realized that he could get around by himself (crawling) never wanted to snuggle again. boohooboohoo. Instead Aram still wants to be held (it is breaking my back these days but I figure is a good work out when I remember to use good posture) and still snuggles any chance he gets. 

Baby Rowan Love

My boys love babies...they want to hold them and love them anytime they are around them, especially Aram. He sees a baby anywhere and thinks that he knows them and points and says hi as if they were connected in a way. So when baby Rowan graces us with a visit my boys spend most the time drooling over the baby (ok, never mind that was me and Olde) but the boys do like him to. Aram
was even said when he grows up he wants to be a daddy and have a baby.  I favorite is when he says in a baby life voice "aaaaahhhh it's so cute!" when looking at a baby.