Aiden will be seven years old in a couple of days. He's looking forward to his laser tag birthday party. It would seem that this birthday is a bit f of "coming of age" birthday...laser tag is how the big kids celebrate a birthday. He's requested to only invite "the boys". According to Aiden, "girls aren't going to want to play laser tag anyway". He doesn't want any cartoon characters or superheroes on his cake..."if I have to have something on my cake, I'd like it to be a soldier...holding a gun".
Aiden is growing up to be quite the little man. He's a thinker to say the list. He ponders the more complex and abstract questions in science, logic, and society. He worries about earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and other natural disasters. We were sitting at dinner before hurricane Sandy hit and he was deep in thought. When I asked him what he wanted for dessert he blurted out "for the hurricane not to flood our basement!" He was very interested in looking at weather maps to see if t was possible that the hurricane would miss us.
He's an artist to say the least - Aiden could get lost in his projects, drawings, paintings for hours. According to his teachers, Aiden pours over his projects and becomes consumed by every detail. On multiple day project he's the first one in class and the first to resume working on his project.
He's an athlete. He's a captain in his soccer club. He achieved "Bo Black Belt" in Tae Kwon Do. He's running a 5K once a week in running club. He plays on the "extreme sports club" at school - playing hockey, dodgeball, and wall climbing. He's still keeps up with his swim practice and starting next spring he'll be moving up to the higher swim practice bracket.
Sky is five and half but she operates as if she's her brother's twin. Though she's in Kindergarten she's doing first/second grade reading and math. She's incredibly serious about school. If you want to upset her - just take her to school late. She has to be punctual - any homework, school materials ready and dressed in school dress code. Of course her hair has to look perfect too. She's such a perfectionist. When I drop her off at school, she quickly turns to me and says "I love you, Mom. Do I have anything around my mouth?"
Sky too is very active. She plays club soccer at school...often times getting to join her brother's team. She's loves to ride her bike around the neighborhood - and the big news is.....drumroll .....NO training wheels! : ) She's riding like a big kid now! She continues her swimming - she's at the same level as her brother and she too will be moving up to the higher swim practice bracket next spring.
Both Aiden and Sky joined Scouts this year. They love to earn patches/badges so much that I think I might adopt a patch program at home...imagine that ...eat your veggies all month you earn a patch. I think I might have something there...
Nicolas is well, "Moonin". He still calls himself "Moonin" a nick name that his sister gave him when he was just 3 months old. He's just getting to be two and half and I'm pleased to say that he's almost completely potty trained. How's that for an toddler accomplishment?! He's such an over achiever already.
Nicolas keeps up with a busy schedule too. He gets a good work out at The Little Gym - learning climbing, tumbling, running, balancing. He has several "story time" spots around town where he meets up with friends for playdates. He's also makes his rounds at several playgrounds in the area meeting his friends - sharing snacks, riding bikes, bulldozing sand with tractors.
Once a week, he meets his swim coach and thoroughly enjoys every minute of swim practice. He's now, swimming underwater with his big boy goggles on....I mention the goggles because he'd be upset with me if I didn't mention that he wears goggles.
Most of all, he enjoys playing in the yard with his brother and sister - jumping on the trampoline, catching bugs, collecting acorns, and riding his tricycle down the hill screaming like a dare devil. As his daddy always says "he's the happiest man in the world." He has a great personality and smile that melts his mom's heart.
Laila is LOVING being a stay at home mom, traveler, photographer, blogger, home redecorator, and exercise nut. She starting to lay the ground work on a new charity - called loveAFG...a non-profit that works to improve the quality of life for women and children in Afghanistan. loveAFG's first project is projected to be a documentary on women in Afghanistan doing amazing things to care for their children, and communities under the Taliban oppression, war, and famine.
Adam is finally transitioning out of our old company and moving on to new endeavors. Adam spends his time working on vintage motorcycles when he is not hiking, running, reading, or working. He's loving spending more time with the kids - taking them hiking, camping, and to scout meetings.
As a family we had a wonderful year. We went on our annual trip to Kauai. We skied Steamboat Springs, Colorado. We soaked up the sun in Costa Rica. We climbed the Shawangunk ridge in New York, and we hiked across the Arizona desert.
Life is good. We couldn't be more grateful to be a part of a large and growing family. Our kids are especially lucky to have loving grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. In the words of my girl, Sky, "Is Tony our uncle now? And is BJ our uncle? Cool...that means our family is EVEN BIGGER!"
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