Learning Cursive

AJ and I had a great time together tonight. I got to pick him up a little early from after school care at YMCA. We went by the park and did some cartwheels and swung on the swings. Then he tried to cross the monkey bars all the way... And he did it for the first time!

 

As a treat for accomplishing that (he had previously been very resistant to trying) plus for outstanding test scores in his state tests, we went and got ice cream and went to the book store. He got to pick out a book and also a Mario Yahtzee game. He had been wanting to learn the real Yahtzee after liking the iPhone app version.

 We played a couple games and then I showed him some letters of cursive. He had learned about 7 but was curious to know more.

 Love you my bubs!! =) <3 o:p="o:p">

First Time Driving a Car

Grandpa Mike and Gramomily invited us to a racetrack.  Jason, AJ, Colin, and I met them and Mac there. 

This was AJ's first time driving a car.  He was hesitant to give it a try but had a blast.  He wanted to go again and again. 

He said that it was just like Mario Kart. =)

Summer Vacation

This summer AJ got to go on several trips.  He had a very special week camping in the Sierras with his grandma, grandpa, Alliana, Tony, aunties, uncles, and cousins.  He had a blast.  Hopefully next summer we will get to go on a trip together again like we did last summer.

This was the first summer he was gone for full weeks from me to stay with his dad (switching every other week).  It was tough but I know he enjoyed getting to mix things up. 

He was very bummed to start school again, but came home the first day saying it was the best day of school ever.  =)  Now my boy is a 3rd grader!!

A New School

We recently moved to Aliso Viejo and moved in with AJ's very good friend, Colin, and his dad Jason.  AJ loves sharing a room with Colin and getting to spend lots of time with him.  They get along very well.  :)

The move also brought along a new school.  AJ was eager to make the change.  We made the move a few weeks before the end of the school year so that he could get acclimated as soon as possible.  The first day he was a superstar to all of the kids.  Everyone wanted to know who the new boy AJ was.  He loved it. 

His new school is one of the top ones in the area.  And it's great not to drive so far every morning!  He's loving our daily life and so am I.  Instead of driving 70 miles a day, I drive about 3.  Yah!!

Wisdom from Grandpa

Grandpa Mike says, "Life isn't all green beans.  Right AJ?"

AJ says, "It's corn too." =)

Those People

I was trying to convince AJ to wear jeans as he rarely does... he responds, "Mom, those are for people in France and Paris." 

Duh!!!  Or as he says, "der da der"!

The Greatest Mother's Day Ever

 This Mother’s Day was the greatest I’ve ever had.  AJ was asking for days if that day was "the day".  When it finally was the real day, Auntie Megan was in our bedroom very early to pick up Alliana.  Alli had spent the night at our home.  We had all went to an Angel’s game the night prior and were exhausted from yelling and staying after super late to get a few autographs.  AJ slept in my bed (twin size!) and awoke to me telling Megan where my car keys were.

                He heard Alli telling me “Happy Mother’s Day Auntie Dani” and he sat up quickly.  He verified that this day was truly Mother’s Day and then said, “I’ll be right back”.  He ran downstairs and came back up with a card stapled to a lunch bag.  He made both in school just for me. :) He eagerly handed over his gift to me and said, “Happy Mother’s Day Mama!”  

                The card had a handmade picture of me with brown yarn string hair.  I had a gorgeous necklace, rosy cheeks, and a beautiful smile.  It obviously is a perfect representation of me. :)

Inside it said:

• Around my house, my Mom always has to "keep me safe".

• She likes to "do fun stuff" but she doesn't like to "go to work". 

• She cooks lots of "breakfast" for us. 

• My Mom looks prettiest when "she is anywhere".  

• My favorite thing about my mom is "she is here". 

  The bag was beautifully decorated.  Inside was an adorable handmade gift.  It was a frame made out of four popsicle sticks with pieces of puzzles glued to them.  The puzzles were flower pictures and inside the frame was a picture of him and the words surrounding his picture said, “I love you to pieces”. 

                                 What made mother’s day most special was that AJ was so excited to give me his gift.  He followed it up with a sweet, gentle kiss and my favorite words in the whole world, “I love you, Mama”.  Throughout the day he brought me flowers he picked and gave them to me with another tender kiss and my favorite four words.

                Oh AJ, how I wish I could keep you as my little boy forever.  As I’ve found myself thinking all along, this surely must be his greatest age.

                I LOVE YOU, MY BOY!