Friday, September 5, 2014

Lasts and Firsts

Last weekend saw a lot of lasts. . .last weekend of summer break.  Last unscheduled play dates.  Last chance to go to the outdoor pool.  Last stay up late because we can sleep in. . .

It was a lot of fun!

On Sunday, we met up with some friends at the top of the mountain just to our east--Blue Ridge Mountains, actually.  And we decided to take a hike up to Bears Den which is on the Appalachian Trail.  It was a tough climb for me, a novice hiker.  But, Aidan was running and jumping and really enjoying himself.  And my anxiety level climbed the higher up the path we went.  I kept seeing him fall among the rocks and tree roots and breaking something.  He didn't.  He was totally fine.  It was me.  My fear didn't allow me to really appreciate the beauty of the hike and our surroundings.  We'll have to go again.  But, here's a peak at how it was.  This is looking west toward Berryville and Winchester and the Shenandoah Valley.  You can't actually see it, but the Shenandoah River is down there hidden by the trees.


Those clouds in the distance did eventually produce a huge thunderstorm. . .and it was a doozy!!
And our two cuties on the rocks at Bears Den

I think the top one will go on my Aidan wall. . .and these pictures do not even hint at how hot it was!!!

On Monday, Aidan was going to meet up with some friends at the outdoor pool at Ida Lee Park.  We were just heading over when I got a text that there was a line of about 50 people trying to get in and the pool was at capacity.  So, we sat down to wait. . .but 15 minutes later, there was another major thunderstorm. . .pool closed.  End of pool season.  sigh. . .

So, we spent some time making a nice dinner and then packing up the back pack. . .All the supplies were in and we were now ready for the big day.

And then Tuesday finally came.  First day of Third Grade!!!  I had the day off, as usual.  And I fixed a special breakfast for Aidan, as usual.  This year it was pancake muffins.  Super easy.  Just put the pancake batter into mini muffin pan and bake at 375 for 10 or 11 minutes.  Serve it with warm syrup in a dipping cup and a side of milk and Aidan was a happy camper!

And then it was time to head up to the bus stop. . .but first we have to have our annual pictures on the porch!

 Handsome little guy, isn't he???
And the side view showing the back pack. . .

And then we were off. . .

And we waited at the bus stop. . .

And he was off to school. . .

I went home and deep cleaned the basement.  Caught up on laundry and ironing.  And then made some homemade Gingerbread cookies, which smelled heavenly, but which I can not eat.  : (

And finally, it was time to head back to the bus stop and wait for our kiddo to come home and tell us all about his day.  Pat was home by then so we took the dogs and headed up.  But, the sky was looking ominous again.  Fortunately, the kids arrived before the storm and seemed happy to be home!
Aidan said he loves school and his teacher and his new class and recess and lunch time. . .and that feeling has held all week. . .hopefully, that will stay in the weeks to come as the homework mounts!

Tuesday also saw the shift to the Regular Season practice with his Xtreme team.  Aidan was assigned a white practice jersey and so were his buddies from last year, Blake and Spencer!!  The Amigos are back!!!!  Woo Hoo!!!  These three are really hard to defend against.  They play so well together and are nearly instinctive with each other.  So excited to see them play together again!

Wednesday was the first Skills Session with Troy.  I was happy to see Aidan skate hard and keep up with the '05 team in speed.  And then, he and Blake worked together most of the rest of the session.

Thursday was the second Regular Season practice and the boys got their new jerseys.  Wow.  They are really nice.  Gear bags and warm up suits were distributed on Tuesday and they are nice, too.  Coach Sean really pushed the boys and was really working them to become a Team.  They are not individual players, but have to be there for eachother.  Really cool to see it already happening.  Such a great group of boys!!

The storms continued through Wednesday but provided a nice rainbow. . .

And now it's Friday. . .I am off to the doctor this morning for a regular check up and blood work to check my iron and celiac disease.  Hoping to have even better numbers than last May. . .

We have  a weekend of fun coming up with a play date and the semi final round of the Shoot Out.  Next time, I'll talk a little about how the freezer meal concept is going. . .ups and downs. . .

Have a great weekend!

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