August 21st Scrimmage

Ashton's catch and run during this week's scrimmage.

First Day of Second Grade

Ashton is now a second grader. He's already had a year of all day school behind him, so he got through his first day like a pro. He's really happy about some of the other students that got placed in his class and he said his teacher is "really awesome."

Game 1

We had our first football game on Saturday. We did not have football weather. I checked the weather when I woke up at 6 am and it was already 72 degrees outside. Then the sun came up and the humidity increased and it was nearly unbearable. It was so hot the Devil called and said that it was too hot for him to make it. The boys were definitely drained by the fourth quarter.

The players standing for their first National Anthem

Halftime- already worn down by the heat

We Had a Srimmage!

Last Friday night we headed out to scrimmage a couple other teams. It was the first time that we got to see the players all dressed up in their costumes, I mean uniforms. They were so great!

I think Ashton's been working on that sideways football smile. He deserved it. When I saw Ashton grab some kid that stood taller and wider than himself and pull him to the ground, I couldn't have been a more proud mom. It took everything I had not to go rushing onto the field and hug him. That's my baby!

It's Football Season!

Ashton is a football player now. Here he is on the first day of practice; a hot, muggy, rainy day. It's grueling in that heat, a big helmet on their heads, a mouth guard between their teeth and running until they can't breathe. Some kids cried. Some kids begged their parents to let them quit. Some kids insisted that they weren't coming back. Ashton, however, ran around with a crazy grin on his face saying, "this is the best day of my life!"

He's like a bobble head with that big helmet and tiny body

Most of the kids who were struggling, had big issues with being trapped in the helmets. After a few days, they got comfortable in them and the panic eased up. Ashton didn't have this issue since he's been running around in a helmet since he could walk. That's my football parent advice right now: if you have a kid that you hope may one day want to play football, buy them a helmet for their first birthday. It's worth it!

7th Birthday Pokemon Party

For Ashton's seventh birthday party, he was able to have a party with a few of his friends. It was super loud and crazy, but it was a whole lot of fun! Ashton's a bit obsessed with Pokemon right now, so that served as the theme for the party.


Getting ready to play Pokemon Stomp




Pin the Tail on Pikachu



Cupcake Time!

There was also a round of Pass the Pokemon and a Pikachu Pinata that was so well constructed, Chadd was the one who ultimately had to bust it open. I decided that with all those kids, we were gonna forgo ice cream and the need for plastic utensils, even though I really wanted to construct a Pokeball Cake. Ashton got to go through the cupcake book and he chose: Roasted Banana Cupcake with Cinnamon Honey Frosting, White Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting, Mint Brownie Cupcakes and Devils Food Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache. He has good taste. And good friends, too. It was a lot of fun to hang out with all the kids that he invited.

First Day of First Grade

I forgot about taking the customary front lawn photos, but I did remember to take the camera to school. The kindergarten and first graders have their classrooms around the library. They get to go there as they wait for classes to begin.

Ashton picked his Michigan jersey for his first day of school outfit.



Lorelei can't stand not being part of the picture.



Ashton was a bit nervous heading to school that day, mostly due to what became known as "the shoe situation." The kids wear whatever shoes to school and then have shoes that they keep at school to wear inside only. He was very concerned about knowing when to change his shoes. He even followed the other students into the class and ran back out to ask me if it was time to change his shoes. I told him to stay with his class and that I was sure his teacher would tell him everything.

After what seemed to be an eternity, school was finally out for the day. I asked him how it went and he said, "my class is great and my teacher is awesome!" Then he told Chadd later, "first grade is a lot longer than I thought it would be." He is falling asleep quite quickly at bedtime.



Ashton's New Room

Ashton loves Michigan, football & whatever other Detroit sport that's in season. In honor of that, here's his new room:

Walking in the door

 He really loves the 'M'

Chadd & Ashton picked up this penant after watching Michigan's spring practice

The 2 sets of bookends are for Ashton's 2 favorite NFL teams: The Lions and the Dolphins

The picture shelf has my favorite picture of Ashton & his friend Connor (A State fan!)

Ashton, already sweaty from shooting bedroom hoops, admires the Old English lettering on his piggy bank

Birds and Bees: Part 1

I was at work one day when Lorelei asked Chadd if she could be a mommy one day and have babies in her belly. He said yes, she was happy, and went off to mother her baby dolls.

That got Ashton's head spinning, so the questions started to pour out.

Ashton: She can really have babies in her belly one day?

Chadd: If she wants to.

Ashton: How would they get there?

Chadd: Huh?

Ashton: How do the babies get in her belly?

Chadd: That's a good question. Let's wait for mommy to get home to answer that one.

Ashton: Why can't you tell me?

Chadd: Because...

Ashton interrupts: Did you forget how?

Patience is for Suckers

All the wiggling and waiting for that first tooth to come out wore Ashton's patience down. This time around, it was time for bed, so he yanked that sucker out. Then the tooth fairy got out her wallet.

The Tooth Fairy Cometh

After many weeks of wiggling and wiggling, Ashton's first tooth finally came out! He was at school (of course) but he called me right away. He got a card from his teacher and the office receptionist gave him a baggy full of the mints she keeps on her desk because she super spoils him all of the time.



That night we put the teeny-tiny tooth in a very special Tooth Fairy bag (I strongly believe there is a perfect accessory for every supernatural occasion). The following morning Ashton found his cash prize and felt aptly awarded for his central incisor sacrifice.

Here's What You've Missed

Ashton was in morning Young-5's and toward the end of the year he got to start riding the bus. (Only on the way home from school!)

Then, a few short months later, he started kindergarten.
And then he had a Super Hero themed 6th birthday party.

Deep Thoughts

Regarding his sister:
"Sometimes I don't want to see Lorelei very much and this is one of those times that I don't."



"Mom, I love you the most and I love dad the most, too. I love Lorelei a little less."



Regarding his Wii obsession:

One morning, while getting a blood sugar check in the school office, Ashton asks Miss. Paula, "Can I call my mom?" Miss. Paula asks him what's wrong and why he needed to make a phone call. He replies, "I want to ask her if I can play the Wii when I get home."



It was Valentine's Day and we had just finished eating breakfast as a family. Ashton brings his plate into the kitchen and says to me, "Some families on Valentine's Day let their kids play Wii all day."

Valentine's Day Party

Ashton's Valentine's Day party was a huge success. You can't go wrong with pizza,

ice cream sundaes,

and a bag full of candy (whick was covertly hidden when we got home).

Here's a picture that is sugar-free but super sweet, Ashton with his favorite classroom friend, Paige:

Lorelei had no interest or time for pizza, ice cream or treats. She was way too busy playing in the make-believe area.

0-15

I won 3 tickets to a Detroit Lion's game from a silent auction. The game was predictably lame, but that wasn't a big deal. The purpose of the tickets was to take Ashton to Ford Field to see the team that he loves so much (plus the tickets were dirt cheap because nobody wanted to put up a fight for them!). We did have to leave early, and not just because of the terrible football playing, Ashton got an earache and was in a lot of pain. Ashton loves popcorn and was very excited to have this huge tub to himself. He later threw it all up.

Soccer Practice

This is the only good picture I have of Ashton at soccer practice. I signed him up through the community ed program and it was great. The coach was fantastic and he had a lot of help from high school students who were also really amazing with all the small kids.

Happy 5th Birthday, Ashton!

Ashton got a stomach bug on the day of his birthday, so he had to stay home from school andwe had to cancel his party. But we still wanted to celebrate, so Chadd, Lorelei and I gave Ashton his presents.
I was really excited to get him a new scooter. The one he has is really weird and it never really worked the way it should. He was ok-happy about it, but it was completely overshadowed by Lorelei's present:

a 100 piece Betty Crocker cake decorating set. He was crazy-happy about this set of "tools." He's seen the commercial for it only a million times and he was convinced that he needed it. So now he's got it and I better see some beautifully decorated treats coming my way on Mother's Day...

Ashton is sitting, patiently waiting for the go ahead to rip into his presents. It was a crowded house over here. A lot of people came out to celebrate the big number 5 with us.

Ashton wanted a dog themed party, so I did what I could. That is a peanut butter bone cake in the back, and the other two are supposed to be dog dishes. The water bowl is a boring carrot cake (no walnuts or coconut) and the food bowl is a fantastic carrot cake (with all the nutty fixin's).

This is Ashton partaking in the last of the birthday rituals around here; cake and ice cream for the morning after. Birthday dessert for the next day's breakfast is a fun tradition that even overnight guests are fond of. (Sometimes the tradition extends past the first day. Jen, how many mornings did we start off with carrot cake after Lorelei's first birthday?)

Daddy could learn a thing or two

Ashton, Lorelei and myself are in the car yesterday, taking Ashton to school. A song comes on the radio. Ashton asks, "Is this LDL?" I reply with, "Nope. It's Alice in Chains." I confirm this by pushing the info button on my radio (we were listening to Lithium, the 90's alternative rock station) and say, "Yup. It's Alice in Chains."

So then Ashton says something about LDL and is mumbling and I can't hear him. I ask him to speak up and he tells me that I told him that the song on the radio was by LDL. I said, "I did not tell you the song was by LDL. You asked if LDL sang this song and I told you that it was Alice in Chains. And to confirm that it was indeed Alice in Chains, I checked the radio and it said Alice in Chains. I never said anything about LDL. You did. So please stop arguing with me because this is not something worth arguing about. You're just like your father." Ashton replies with, "OK, you're right and I'm wrong." He's smiling but I'm sure I heard his eyes roll (a lovely trait that he has picked up from me). I told him that what he just said was not like his father. But I liked it.

Are you reading this Chadd? Consider it free advice from your son.

Hey, Good Lookin'

Today was picture day at Ashton's school. Ashton's hair had grown pretty long (for him anyway) and he desperately wanted me to cut it. He did not want to wait to see a professional because he needed it done for picture day. This was the conversation we had last night:

M: "I think that maybe you should keep your hair long for picture day."
A: "But that's not how I want to look in my picture."
M: "What if I give you a bad haircut?"
A: "It's OK. I'll still look good."

You can't argue with a good dose of positive self-esteem. I buzzed it off with a #5 trim guard.

Jillian's New Favorite Tennis Star

Ashton has started tennis lessons and he loves it! The course is only 5 weeks long, but he has already learned so much. The most important thing that we have learned: He's definitely a lefty. After all this time of him using both hands equally, he has discovered that he is most comfortable with the left.

It's a small class of only 6 children and Ashton loves his coach, Miss Kerri. They have a lot of fun. Ashton's favorite part of tennis is playing the different games. His favorite is "walk the dogs" but he also really likes a game called, "jail."

The class meets for an hour every Thursday. During the rest of the week, Ashton and I like to go practice at the high school's courts, but Lorelei doesn't have the patience for it. I've actually never really cared for tennis, but I love watching and helping Ashton practice so much that now I want to learn too! Miss Kerri says she teaches a beginning class for women, but I don't think she knows just what a sports dummy I am. Anyway, on to the pictures.

It's hard to get good action shots; my camera takes the picture way after the action has occurred. But here's a couple of cute ones.