So Much To Say!

Where do I begin!  So much going on. . .

Aidan went to the dentist a week or so ago.  Clean check up!  He still hasn't lost any teeth, but the dentist assured him that within the next six months it will begin to happen.  Maybe sooner.  He also said his middle bottom right tooth is a little loose. . .I can't tell, but okay.  We'll go with that!  It made Aidan happier.  He is about the last one of his friends to lose any teeth.  AND, his jaw has definitely grown so his little tiny teeth look little and tiny!  (Personally, I can wait.  I'm not looking forward to losing another little piece of my baby!)

Aidan is finishing up his first quarter of school.  He has been doing really good.  He is settling in and becoming rather helpful with his fellow students.  That's the Aidan I know!!!  : )  The homework is a little crazy, though.  We have something to do every night.  The thing about that is that if we have an sporting event to go to, we get a little behind which means we have to double up the next day.  For example, today we have three days of reading to do.  So NOT going to let that happen again! 

We went to Pumpkinville last weekend finally.  The best part of that was that we got our final pumpkins for Halloween.  It was a little muddy and I guess I've had blinders on before because it just seemed really cheesy this year.  But, Aidan loved it!

Aidan and I have both gotten our flu shots.  I should have signed Pat up to come to my office for his, but I didn't think of it.  His office always does it for them but he's been out for over a month now due to his ankle.  The ankle is doing better.  The cast is off and therapy is helping tremendously.  We're hoping for a release to return to work around November 9th--boy is he happy he is off right now with that storm coming!

Speaking of the storm: whoa.  I think we're about to get hammered.  Could get really ugly.  We're expecting lots of wind and lots of rain and we're not far from the rain snow line.  It is expected to be only a high temperature of 42 on Tuesday in D. C.  That could mean lower temps and possibly freezing precipitation here in Leesburg.  Fun.  We took our witches, ghost, haunted hedge monster and spiders down from outside and stored them, along with Aidans goal, in the garage to be brought out again after the storm passes.  I'm already tired of hearing about it and it hasn't even hit yet!!  Going to be a fun week. . .

Aidan had his end of season celebration for football at Chuck E. Cheese Thusday night (thus why we are now three days behind on homework).  Fun times for the boys!  They each got a medal shaped like a football with the team name and year engraved on the back.  I'll put it together for him with his team picture.  I can see these replacing the remaining stuffed animals on his top bookshelf. . .

Aidan continues to progress in hockey.  He has now scored in the last three games!  And today, he, along with his teammates, were passing to each other really well!  Way to go Wolves!!!  I took the camera with me today to take pictures only to find out that the battery needed to be charged. . .boo!  However, I did take some video with my phone. . .  : ).. . And here is it!  Please ignore my annoying voice in the background. . .

Well, that's it for now.  I have GOT to get Aidan in to do some of that homework and then we're off to a birthday party.  The more we do now, the less we'll have to do later! 

See you on the flip side of this storm.  Stay safe and warm especially if you are in the path of this thing.  God Bless.

Head Over Heals

Amazing.  It was five years ago today. 

What?  Well, we had just gotten in the car to go over to Pat's parents for dinner and my cell phone rang.  I didn't recognize the number and almost ignored it.  I'm so glad I didn't!

It was our Social Worker calling on her cell phone (thus why I didn't recognize the number!) and she had news of a child, on the other side of the world.  There were some scary medical terms, but the child seemed to be okay.  A little research completed on our part and we called her back to say, Yes.  We are interested in this child.  There were no pictures and no formal medical information available.

Yet.

It wasn't until few hours later that we found out it was a boy and he was in Krasnoyarsk. 

And then we were officially registered in Region.

And I began to fall head over heals in love with my son.

Score!!!!!!

One of the other moms got a sequence of picturesof Aidan celebrating his first goal in Mites!  I was busy celebrating with him so I missed it, but I am so grateful she got these!  In the first one, he is looking at Pat and I and was just so happy!  Just look at the excitement on his face. . .

That was actually more celebrating than I've seen him do in probably a year.  I know it's because he doesn't score like crazy anymore. . .but now that the door has been opened. . .  : )

Huge Huge Weekend. . .

Aidan has had a huge weekend. 

I mean really huge.

Really, really huge!

He had football practice, as usual, on Thursday.  He had Hockey practice, as usual, on Friday.

Then, on Saturday, he played a football game and scored twice!!  And pulled the flags of a boy who is so much bigger than him!!!

On Sunday, today, he scored his first goal in Mites Hockey!!!!  Wooo Hoo!!!

I wish I had gotten a shot of the puck going into the goal. .. but I got the celbration!!

And then he got to go to the Redskins game.  .  RGIII!!!  Woo Hoo!!

And the Redskins Extroidinaire. . . .

Big big weekend. . .

Uses Self Control

Each time I go out of town for business, I learn something new.  This time was that perhaps I should have stayed home! 

Pat has continued to be off work due to his ankle injury from two weeks ago and, in fact, has not been taking it as easy as he should.  That should have been my clue to stay home.  But, off I went to Wintergreen Resort where I mingled and talked with our agents.  I had left Wednesday morning and then called home that afternoon to see how things were going.

There was a note home from school. 

Aidan had had a particularly rough day at school.  So rough that the Principal was notified.  I won't go into the details of what happened because I am not excusing Aidan's actions, minor as I felt it was.  However, I will state that it was an accident.  What was upsetting, though, was that Aidan was sobbing on the phone when he told me what had happened and then went on to say it was an accident and that he hadn't meant to do it.  Oh man.  If only my arms could have reached through the phone lines to hug and comfort my child!! So, after discussing it further with Pat, with whom I confirmed that neither he nor I had received a phone call from the school (if the Principal is notified of something, doesn't that warrent a phone call to the parents???) I fired off a stern email to the teacher stating as such and that I felt it would have been considered common courtesy to do so. 

I did receive a call from the school then.  Just as I was leaving Wintergreen on Thursday afternoon.  It was conference call with the teacher and the Principal.  I think we came to an understanding and that we were all agreed that we should have gotten a call.  Aidan did fine on Thursday and every other day last week so I think it was a one day thing.  The one full day I was out of town.  : (

The funny thing about last week is that I had been ready to discuss with Aidan's teacher that fact that each week, he has been coming home with more and more stars and yet the Uses Self Control section of the Star Report is always "N" for Needs Improvement.  However, last week he went up to an "S" for Satisfactory.  Go figure!!

The other really crazy school thing that happened was that Aidan came home on the bus on Wednesday, due to the note I had sent to school asking that he do this.  And then, on Thursday, I got a call while driving home from Pat saying, "Guess who just walked in the door?"  No note went to school and all we can say is thank goodness Pat was home!!!  Aidan was supposed to have gone to Winwood but came home instead and then told Pat, "Daddy, you forgot to pick me up at the bus stop!  But, it's okay, Charlie walked me home."  Oh my!!!

We did have a nice 3 day weekend.  We only had football on Saturday morning and no hockey this week.  It's been really cold, but that has only added to the feeling of fall.  We didn't make it to Pumpkinville like we had wanted because of the cold rain, but we'll try again next weekend.  Aidan really wants to go.

Pat went back to the doctor for his ankle yesterday and came home with this:

No it's not broken.  The tendon is really messed up and the doctor decided to cast him because it will protect it while it heals, inspite of Pat--who can't sit still for more than 5 minutes!!  He'll have this on for a couple of weeks. 

We ended the weekend with a nice fire in the fire place (it was in the 40's yesterday!) and watched "It's the Great Pum[pkin Charlie Brown!"  Can you tell Aidan likes it??

Life and Times at the Harrison's (plus a costume hint)

Aidan brought home a homework calendar yesterday.  It covers the entire month and tells us what he should be doing each day.  So, now we check his reading packet and have him read that, then initial that he's done it;check his star report (this is like the old citizenship report: listening, sitting still, being courteous, etc. ) and initial it; then check what he is reading in his reading group and have him read that; then he picks something to read to us for 10 minutes; and finally he does his daily homework which can be working on sight words or doing a sheet from the math packet.  I actually like this system.  Although there is something every day, they are small somethings and the total only takes about 1/2 hour.  We don't rush through it and Aidan appears to be doing really well. 

So far, the only really bad week on the star reports has been the first week.  Since then, Aidan has not had less than 3 stars in a day.  In fact, last week he had a total of 19 stars!!  I was sooo proud of him!  So, this week he is shooting for 20, the max possible.  He got 4 yesterday, so we're on our way!!

I'll be going out of town tomorrow and Thursday for my company's Annual Meeting.  It's a nice get away, although my agents are very needy and tend to want my undivided attention alllll the time.  I'm usually pretty tired when we get back.  But the setting, Wintergreen Resort, is absolutely beautiful.  I plan to take a hike tomorrow afternoon before the big dinner to try an be out with some quiet and fresh air before the madness ensues.  ; )

Meanwhile, back at the Ranch, I have written out lists for Pat to check things off on what he needs to do for Aidan.  When to pick him up at the bus stop (no Winwood and Aidan is thrilled!!!), what to initial for homework, etc.  What homework will need to be done.  When football practice is, when to take Aidan to the bus stop in the morning, etc. . .Pat actually asked me if I woud have a copy of the list to go over with him when I call Wednesday night!  Really, Moms keep these lists in their heads!!  Lol!!!

Aidan's hockey team won last Sunday  17-11!!  Go Wolves!!!  Aidan is so lovng that team!!  He had two assists and almost got a goal.  When he makes his first goal in Mites, I know it will open things up for him.  He'll be a scoring machine then!

In his Skills Class, I noticed that, because he skates better than most and is scoring during the scrimmages, the coaches tend to kick the puck away from him to see what he'll do.  He just goes right after it!  And last Saturday, I told him to pass it to on of his team mates:  Aidan made a beautiful pass setting it up in front of the goal and his team mate scored!  Coach Bucky praised the scorer briefly and then turned to Aidan and said, "Beuatiful pass Aidan!!!  Way to go!!!"  Aidan was beaming.  He's so got this thing.

I keep trying to upload videos, so hopefully this worked.  Blogger does not make that easy!  I'll keep trying because I have a couple of cool videos of Aidan on the ice.

In other news, although Pat hasn't been able to work due to his ankle (still really really painful for him!) he did win a contest at work an on the 14th, Aidan and Pat will head down to FedEx field for the Redskins game!!!  Woo Hoo!!!

I promise Aidan won't be wearing a Black Hawks jersey to the Redskin game!!!  : )
And finally, a costume hint:  Aidan got the idea while we were at Ocracoke this summer. . .it is a he and he is historical!  Happy guessing!!