Snowboarding!

Ashton has been wanting to go snowboarding for over a year!  Today he finally had a chance to try it.  I signed him up for a snowboard camp at Whitetail and he seemed to really like it.  He wants to go again!  He stayed on the entry levels hills today, but the instructor said once he can master one more skill whose name I can't remember he can go on the larger lifts. 

We started a new behavior plan for Ashton last week and honestly, not sure if it's effective yet.  We are trying to encourage him to be less argumentative and more yielding on basic tasks.  One thing he has been successful at is earning points for doing silly things, and then when I catch him doing silly things, I ask him to stop and he does.  So for example, in the scheme of things I never thought I would say, the other day I said to Ashton, "Take that lampshade off your head."  LOL.  He was compliant and said, "yes mom."  Hence he earned a point for compliance and not arguing!

He has been super creative with significantly less television and has played outside much more.  Even though he is exhausting, I do love that positive of the behavior mod plan.

On the brink of a new decade

Hard to believe in just a few short hours we will be ringing in 2020. December has a challenging month for Ashton, full of impulse control situations and oppositional behavior.   As a mama, it's hard to know if it's the over stimulus of the season, unspoken adoption loss/trauma, or just temperament.  We recently visited the behaviorist hoping to try to pinpoint what is the stimulus behind the behavior.

In December Ashton played his very first Violin concert.  As much as a I have tried to "sway" him away from the violin for my ear's sake, he seems to really enjoy it!  I do think having funny and male Mr. Carter as a teacher and his best friend Valentina playing also help.  It makes me laugh to think back to just a few years ago when he was in Montessori and he refused to perform in front of anyone!  I must say he does look pretty cute with his violin!!!!

Cuties before their concert

Even Ashton, Lily and daddy did a jingle bells rendition together on their respective instruments.  So sweet!

Jingle Bells Rendition

Christmas and Chanukah were fun!  Ashton enjoyed playing with some distant cousins during Chanukah and got some fun gifts for Christmas.  He had really wanted a pair of rollerblades in his own size, size he had been skating around in my old ones for months.  He also got a replacement pogo stick from Santa, as he broke his other one during the summer.  His brother Stian, purchased him these robotics kits designed for 14-18-year-olds.  Ashton amazed us with his ability to put them together.  Very impressive!  I tell you, I wonder if Ashton will be some sort of engineer when he grows up. Mr. Rick his birthfather also sent him a gift.  Some Minecraft and a Fornite nerf bazooka. I think he really liked that.

Happy boy!

We went to Enchant at National Park and he ice skated for the first time.  He was a natural.  All that rollerblading around the house paid off!  I took him yesterday again and it was like magic!  A total natural.

First time on ice skates at Enchant

Picking up the speed a few days later

As we move into the new year, I pray that Ashton will continue to grow in his faith.  He recently was grounded and in his creative ways, he took his bible and wrote Bible verses all over our subflooring.  It warmed my heart.  Sometimes I feel like we are doing everything wrong, but it is nice to see that maybe we are doing something right. My personal favorite is the scripture verse he wrote entering the bathroom giggling knowing God will be watching you in the bathroom!  "I am with you, I am will watch you wherever you go."

I also pray that he will become gain better control over his impulsive behaviors and his oppositional behaviors. I sometimes worry too much, but I know I need to submit him to God. I pray that 2020 is a fabulous year for him!

So thankuful

I am so thankful for Ashton and his sweet little heart!  Although he can be oppositional and argumentative at times, at his core he is a true softy.  Very loyal and loving to his family.  He recently made this thankfulness tree and it warmed my mama's heart!

USA, Trees, Unspeakable, Lily

Dad, Friends, Mom, Family, Friends, my Dog, Austin

Food, God, YouTube, Beagles

I'm so behind

I can't believe it's mid-November already and I haven't even blogged for October!

First, let's start with Ashton's brilliant mind! He is always creating things with whatever material he can get his hands on.  One of his recent creations was pencil holders!

Inventions by Ashton

Ashton and I got to have a mommy/Ashton day and we tried rollerblading (Ashton) and rollerskating (mommy) at a local rollerskating rink.  Up until now, Ashton had been rollerblading around our house in my old rollerblades!  He was a pro.  I was sore!  Forgot that you use different muscle groups!

Rollerblading with Mama

We also had the opportunity to visit several pumpkin patches/fall festivals with family and friends!  Ashton was so cute in the field, collecting a handful of pumpkins!

Pumpkin Patch with O'mastas

Decisions, Decisions

Originally for Halloween, Ashton wanted to be Unspeakable from Youtube, but when he found the loot llama pajamas at walmart he was sold!  Little did he know, one of his good friends was the same exact thing!

Ashton and Michael Loot Llamas from Fortnite

Carving Pumpkins

His candy stash

My flying squirrel and loot llama

Fun trick or treating with friends

September funnies

I still love some of the things Ashton says.  One morning we were driving to Kennedy Kreiger through a not so great part of Baltimore City when we pass a very large and expansive graveyard.  He said, "Mom I know why there are not a lot of people around here, they are all in that graveyard.  LOL

Ealier this week we were talking about  alcohol, smoking and drug addiction and the topic turned to daddy smoking habit.  Ashton said, "Daddy still does tabasco."  LOL!!!

Finally, Mr. Carter the band and strings teacher at Lisbon must of been super persuasive, because Ashton has decided he wants to play the violin.  We borrowed one from a friend and he has taken it to school every day for fear of forgetting it on his practice day.  And he's super bummed he won't be in school tommorow for his lesson day!  I want whatever Mr. Carter is selling:)

Ready to play the violin!

3rd grade!

I can't believe our "little" guy is in 3rd grade!   Time please slow down!!!!  Despite having a new teacher, going to a new daycare, and having to the catch the bus at a different house, Ashton took in all stride.  It's only been a week, but so far, so good!

1st day of 3rd grade

My loves

The weekend before we enjoyed camping with our fellow Guatemalan adoptive families.  As usual Charlotte and Ashton enjoyed exploring and fishing at Killen's Pond.

Camping with the family

Ashton and Charlotte Mae

A boy and his dog

Saying goodbye to our special friends and family

August marked a month of having to say goodbye to a very special friend and a very special family member.  The first weeks of August, one of Ashton's best buddies in the whole word, Aaron Micheal, whom he and Ashton have called themselves twins since Ashton was 3, moved to Texas.  We hope that we will see Aaron again as his biological sisters live with several adoptive families in the area.

Twins:)

Also Ashton's 1/2 sister Arianna moved to Nolansville Tennessee with her family.  For as much as Ashton says Arianna drives him crazy, we all know they are like two peas in a pod!