What Aidan's Classmates Say about Him...

Last week, Aidan came home with a new piece of art work but this time it was not art work he had done but art that his classmates had created about him. Aidan's teacher asked the other students in Aidan's class what they like about him and this is what they wrote:

Aidan

This is what my friends in Mrs. Stewart's class said about me...

• He is nice
• He is a good friend
• He is a great listener
• He is a well behaved student
• He is very kind
• He is handsome
• He is a great student
• He is a hard worker
• He helps people
• He makes people happy

As our kids get bigger and bigger, they begin to interact with more and more people and our ability to know everything they do and and be with them all the time lessens. This is what I realized when Aidan started pre-kindergarten and it has only been reinforced when Aidan started Kindergarten this year. We want to be with them all the time, protect them and teach them how to behave when they around other adults, how to treat their fellow students, and to work hard and do the best they can. When children start school we lose that control and we wonder how they do, how they behave, and how their peers regard them. At home we expect good behavior and we don't tolerate bad behavior. Often times, unintentionally, we focus on the bad behavior rather than consistently reward the good behavior because we expect good behavior. I know that Aidan is a good boy, he is quiet, observing, feeling, loving, helping, sensitive and respects the other adults in his life. I can't tell you how moved I was to see what his friends at school said about him and know how he interacts in the world around him outside of the security of his immediate family. I'm really proud of him. What a wonderful activity.

Happy Birthday Mom!!

Happy Birthday Crow!! We hope you have a super great day!

We wish we could be there to celebrate with you. I fully expect you to watch Alias now! No excuses. I think you will LOVE it!

We love you Mom!!

Irish Ancestry?

On Friday we invited ourselves over to my BIL and SIL's house. We called and said, "We want to come down to visit you guys, we can come this weekend or next." With no choice but to accept graciously, my SIL kindly agreed to have us this past weekend. We had so much fun!

We drove down on Saturday, arrived around 2:30pm or so. We unpacked the car and the boys kicked around the soccer ball in their front yard for 1/2 an hour or so. Not to get too far on a tangent but when we travel, and only for one day, our car is totally packed like we were driving across the country for a month. It is absolutely unbelievable how much stuff we come with and only for one day! And to be honest, I don't think we over packed. I, for example, only brought 1 pair of shoes, and wore all the clothes I brought so I don't get it but whatever!

My SIL works at a University. She recently changed jobs so we asked her if she would take us around her campus. She works on a really beautiful campus. She has really nice offices that have a beautiful fountain in front which I'm sure will be wonderful in the Spring when the flowers bloom. We walked all over the campus including visiting a beautiful little chapel with lots of stained glass windows. When we went in, there was a woman practicing (maybe for a wedding?) on the piano. It was lovely. We happened upon a baseball game where the score was 11/11 in the 12th inning, bases loaded and two outs! We stayed to watch and the game ended 12/11 in the 14th or 15th inning-the home team won! It was a good opportunity to teach Leo about the game of baseball (Aidan thought the game was taking too long). After that, we ate dinner in the dining hall which was fun and good because everyone got to have something they liked. It did, however, make me feel a bit old. I should also mention that one thing I noticed was that everything was very well kept and so much of the inside of the buildings (commons, dining hall, etc.) felt very new and well designed. We ended up getting home around 8pm. It was really fun.

On Sunday, Jason and Bogey went for a run. After everyone got ready we decided to stop at a local, really good, coffee shop for some caffeine and then we headed off to the Irish Festival downtown. There was food, beer, music, crafts, and fun. We had a couple of beers and for lunch we had hot dogs, fries, fish and chips and "Irish Surprise" -- corned beef, cabbage and mashed potatoes. Someone gave Aidan a sword with a sheath and he and Leo played with it for at least a half hour in the car.

We left around 3:30pm or so and headed home. It was a great weekend. Going to the Irish Festival made me think about my Irish Ancestry and I guess I have more questions than I do answers. I think Grandma Ritualo was all Irish but I'm not totally sure and I can't remember her maiden name. Imagine a tall light skinned woman married to a short dark-haired Filipino. I LOVE it! I also think that Grandmother Foster was also part Irish but I don't know that either and I can't remember her maiden name either and family history. This is why people spend so much time trying to document their family history, so they don't forget so easily and the information is not lost. Am I more Irish than I am Filipino? Are my kids Irish, Filipino and Finnish? I should know right?

My SIL had this on her blog. I thought it was fun so here it goes....
The Bucket List
Things you have done during your lifetime:
( ) Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
(X) Been to Canada
(X) Been to Mexico
(X) Been to Florida
( ) Been to Hawaii
(X) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost
(X) Gone to Washington, DC
(X) Swam in the ocean
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons, too many times
(X) Sang Karaoke, not well
( ) Paid for a meal with coins only, how about snuck my car out (with Mat C.) before I was 16 and put $1.20 in coins in the gas tank so my parents wouldn't notice the gas tank was lower
(X) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t, too many times
(X) Made prank phone calls, "is your refridgerator running? You'd better go catch it"
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(X) Danced in the rain
(X) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(X) Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating, just a couple of weeks ago
(X) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
( ) Driven across the United States, unfortunately no
( ) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
(X) Gone snowmobiling
(X) Lived in more than one country
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star, many times in Lake Chelan
(X) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser, I'm not sure I "enjoyed the beauty" but we did take a family vacation there when I was younger
(X) Seen the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island
(X) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle, I have been there tho
( ) Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train, to Paris, to Cinque Terre, Boston, New York
( ) Traveled by motorcycle
(X) Been horse back riding
(X) Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
(X) Been to Disneyworld
( ) Been in a rain forest
( ) Seen whales in the ocean
( ) Been to Niagara Falls
( ) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics, I've been to Olympic events (a soccer game) in DC and held the Olympic torch when it passed through DC but I'm not counting it
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
(X) Been water-skiing
( ) Been snow-skiing
(X) Been to Westminster Abbey
(X) Been to the Vatican
(X) Been to the Louvre
(X) Swam in the Mediterranean, in a little town called Le Lavendou
(X) Been to a Major League Baseball game
(X) Been to a National Football League game, Seattle Seahawks baby
(X) Lived in more than one state
( ) Stepped across the Mississippi River
(X) Went to the bathroom in an Outhouse
( ) Ran around naked…outside…as an adult, dare to dream

Heroes

I'm totally addicted to a new TV show. I haven't had it this bad since I got into Alias a couple of years ago and we couldn't get the DVDs from Netflix fast enough. It's Hereos that I'm addicted to, HEREOS! Save the cheerleader, save the world. My mom got me season 1 of Hereos for Christmas 2007. I didn't really get into it then. At the time, Jason and I watched one or two episodes and for some reason I just didn't get into it. Jason did, so he has seen all of season 1. For Christmas last year, my mom got me season 2 so I thought maybe I should check it out, plus Jason gave it a positive review. Now I'm totally addicted and can't stop watching it at night before bed. Jason and I watch one or two, sometimes three episodes before bed. The down side of it is, it's getting a little frea-kay! The other night, the cheerleader's dad, pull eddown the sheet of what he thought was a dead Syler. The clencher? It wasn't Syler that was dead it was the doctor and Syler was standing right behind the cheerleader's dad. Can you say scary!!! I couldn't go to bed. I closed my eyes and I would just be a little frightened. You know kind of jumpy but I still love it. I'm still on season 1.

Tonight is swim night. Aidan has lessons from 6:10-6:40pm. He is doing amazingly well swimming. He has improved so much. Jason and I were just commenting that he's only had two sessions and the difference is incredible. Leo switched swim days so he now swims on Thursday mornings.

I was supposed to go to Egypt next week but I cancelled my trip. My workload is just too much right now that I can't take it. I'm sure my mom will be incredibly relieved! Aidan was so disappointed, when I told him I cancelled my trip he said, "Can't you just ask your boss to make you go?" He said he was going to miss me but he wanted me to take pictures of the pyramids. Maybe one day we will all be able to go and see the pyramids in person!

Bon nuit!

Getting Away

This weekend we decided to get away to enjoy being a family. I have been feeling a little disassociated from my family. Work has been particularly grueling and upsetting and for the most part I don't get home until after 6:30pm which leaves me about two hours to spend with Aidan and Leo. It doesn't feel very good. I get an email once a week from Marriott with special weekend rates so I did some browsing around Maryland and Virginia and found a good deal in Hagerstown at the Springhill Suites so Saturday at about 11:30 am we headed to Hagerstown, MD (only about 1 hour away). We checked in to the hotel at about 1pm and went out and got some lunch and went to the outlet mall. After that we went back to the hotel and went swimming in the indoor swimming pool. The boys LOVED the pool. Aidan and Leo were having so much fun.

A little diversion but we are laying in bed watching a movie and the boys both want to contribute to the blog so here are their thoughts to share with you...

Leo's contribution: I love pool all day. Cars. Polar Express. and Madagascar. Oh, and Flushed Away and Polar Express and Cars and Polar Express.

Aidan's contribution: I brought a bunch of stuffed animals. I brought Panda and his little bear. I loved that area. It was so much fun. We left this morning, now we are in bed watching Kiki's Delivery Service. Leo is watching the movie and I am helping mommy say what I want to say. Kiki is a good movie. Daddy is in a magic lesson. Mommy and Daddy have a messy room. When we were leaving and we were in the car it was a long drive but we stopped in a mall and had lunch. Well it wasn't fun when I started lunch but when I was eating my lunch it was fun. I ate all my lunch and I got a cupcake. And then we went home. When we got home I writed in my journal and then I got to play the Wii. Daddy went to his magic lesson, we had dinner, then me and Leo were playing, and then mommy turned Kiki on, then we are writing in the blog.

The nice thing about staying in a hotel and going away is that you don't do all the mundane things (i.e. dishes, cleaning, laundry, grocery store, etc.) that you do at home and you actually just concentrate on each other and enjoying each others company. After swimming, Jason went out to the Olive Garden about 100 yards away and order takeout and we had yummy dinner and spirits.

In the morning we went down to breakfast and then Aidan, Leo and I went down to the pool again while Jason showered. Aidan is doing so great swimming. He can actually float on his back all by himself and for quite awhile. Leo loves being in the water. He just likes floating around and playing in the water. At about 10am we went back up to the room, showered and dressed and lounged around the hotel a little longer. At about noon (check-out time) we started back home. We stopped in Fredrick MD and found a little coffee house next to a canal and we had lunch. As Aidan noted, no one (except me) was excited to be there or eat there but Aidan at all his lunch when it arrived and Leo ate soup. Afterwards we had great coffee and the boys got hot chocolate and Leo had a peanut butter cookie with a kiss on top and Aidan got a mini-cupcake with lots of frosting. The coffee was fantastic and they made four little hearts out of the milk on top. I loved it!

That was just about our weekend. We had a great time.

Barb and Dennis Visit

I realized too that we had special visitors for a couple of weeks mid to end-February and I didn't write much about it. Barb and Dennis (B & D) came out for Leo's birthday. The arrived around the 10th and stayed with use for a week or so and then went down to visit Thotlady and Bogey for almost a week and then they came back up and stayed with us for another week or so.

Five Guys for the Best Burgers and Fries in town

One day over the weekend we ate at Five Guys in Dupont Circle. Our intention was to go to Ben's Chili Bowl because I have lived here for about 10 years (off and on) and I have never gone to the DC landmark. We got there around 2:30pm--which I thought would be a great time as it was after the lunch crowd and before the dinner crowd. To my sad surprise, there was a line of about 20 people out the door so we went to five guys instead.

Leo is not convinced that Five Guys is the best because he ate a PB&J sandwich while we were there. To his credit, we had to order him a hamburger because when we all got our food he was wondering where his burger was. I thought the PB&J was enough but it was not!

One of the other fun things we did while B&D were here was go to Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. It is a huge church on the campus of Catholic University that you can see from almost anywhere in the city. We had never been there but have wanted to go for a year or so. It was enormous and beautiful but Jason (not with negative intentions) likened it to Las Vegas. Only because it is and looks so incredibly new compared to similar churches of its stature (i.e. St. Peter's in Rome). It really is a beautiful place with lovely grounds to walk around.

We had a discussion about the difference between a basilica, a cathedral and a church. If you want to know the answers you can check wikianswers at: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_between_a_basilica_a_cathedral_an_oratory_and_a_church

If I understand correctly a basilica is an important church building designated by the Pope to have spritual, historical or architectural importance where as a cathederal is the most important designation of a church as it holds the bishop's throne and is considered the central church of the bishop's diocese.

One of the other fun things we did will B&D were here was to go to the Air and Space Museum out at Dulles Airport. The boys had all been there before but I hadn't. It's huge, with lots of airplanes, helicopiters, a space shuttle, the concorde, a XR-71 black bird, enola gay. My favorite was the blackbird, Jason likes the black bird and enola gay, Aidan likes the airplane with the big sharks mouth (sorry I'm not too detailed in the names-I think it is a WWII fighter airplane) and Leo loved the space shuttle. We had lunch at the McDonalds and then shopped at the gift shop. Oma and Opa bought Aidan some glow in the dark stars and planets for his room and Leo got a little pull-back-and-let-go space shuttle.

Aidan with the R2-D2 mailbox

Aidan, Amy, Leo, Barb and Dennis with the WWII Shark Airplane

Opa and Aidan

Goings On!

Ugh! Sorry guys for not keeping our blog up to date. I'm not exactly sure what was the cause. I think just a bunch of stuff all at once. This blog is going to be a bit of a jumble of thoughts and happenings but hopefully you will be a little more up to date.

Our Toothless Wonder

Probably the most memorable event in the last two weeks or so is Aidan losing another tooth! Yep, that is three teeth now and he is working on another. Now he is missing his two front teeth and one on the bottom. He's as cute as can be and says its a little hard to pronounce certain words and has to eat a lot of foods on the left or the right side of his mouth. Here is our Toothless Wonder:

Aidan lost his tooth on the bus ride back to school after their field trip to the Zoo. Jason went on the field trip so he witnessed the whole event. To start with, Aidan's tooth was hanging on by a very thin thread but he refused to pull it out. Apparently, his classmate was teasing him a bit and grabbing for his tooth and her glove got stuck on his tooth and it fell right out. Aidan was surprised but it was rather painless so he was excited that it came out. He put his tooth under his pillow and the tooth fairy delivered two $1 coins. The tooth fairy thinks you should get more for the big teeth!

Our other big event was a huge snow storm that hit our area the first weekend in March. We were super excited when we woke up to about 2-3 inches of snow and by the end of the storm we probably had 5-6 inches. Aidan's school was closed and my work was only two hours late but I took the day off anyway. Everyone thinks we should have had the day off-maybe Obama still thinks we on the east need to toughen up when it comes snow. We had fun playing in the snow and enjoying an extra day off. Leo and I went outside and shoveled the walkway in the morning and in the early afternoon we all took a walk around the neighborhood. We pulled the boys around on the sled and went sledding down the small hill in our backyard leading into the play ground. Even Jason and I took a turn on the sled. Of course afterwards both of our bums really hurt-mid-thirties is just not the same as six and three.