Ashton goes golfing and Mr. Congeniality

So Ashton has been asking to go golfing for a few months now, so earlier this week we took him to the driving range near our house and let him hit some balls.  He really enjoyed it!  He's been asking to go back!  Funny thing is even though he is a lefty, he prefers to strike the ball as a righty.  Needless to say both and him and Lily were quite cute hitting the ball hard!

Also Ashton has really come out of his shell socially.  He used to be so shy and clingy and now he is like a social party animal.  On our beach trip to Ocean City this year, he was like the social director.  Making friends with different boys in different families and then trying to get them all together to play.  It is so funny to watch!

Ashton's first "real" movie

So finally after days of saying he would not go to the movie theater with us to see Finding Dory, Ashton finally conceded and agree to go.  I would say he would give the experience 2 out 5 stars and I don't expect him to want to go again any time soon!  He liked the popcorn, snack and drink, but otherwise I think it was too much for him.  There were over 45 minutes of previews which were loud and sometimes scary.  He kept telling me he had to go to the bathroom.  Then during actual movie he kept asking me if it was almost over.  Although, I must say I am pleased that he lasted the entire movie!   I guess we'll wait a while before we try again! 

He wanted to do a silly pose

Ready for the show!

Watch out kindergarten, here comes Ashton!

Well it's official Ashton is a no  longer in Pre-K but kindergarten!  His teacher sent home a pic of his first days in pre-K  in October until his final days in pre-K in June!  I can't believe how much he has grown and changed!

Look a what a difference one school year makes!

Also, the little man posed for me for his last day of school picture!  So cute! 

Also Mr. Jimmy took the kids fishing yesterday in the pond behind our house.  Ashton caught his first fish with Mr. Jimmy.  He was very excited!  I didn't get to see it or see a photograph of it, but he told us how great it was!  Ashton however did not want to touch the fish!

Ashton has been super fun lately!  He has really come out of his shell!  So outgoing and chatty!  He used to hide behind me all shy and reluctant to give affection, but lately he's been a sweetie pie!  Everyone has been commented how he has really bloomed!

Water water everywhere!

It's no secret Ashton loves water!  He loves water in the sink, in the pool, in the bath, in bottle, in a bucket....if it's water Ashton loves it!  Too bad he won't cooperate with swimming lessons!  Anyway when Ashton takes a bath he frequently gets water EVERYWHERE!  Recently, he took a bath and got water not only in the bathroom but in the hallway as well.  How on earth he manages this I will never know!  Anyway after having him clean up the hallway, the floor was still slippery.  As I was lamenting about this to him, he decided he needed to make a slippery sign so as to warn us grown ups that the floor was slippery!  LOL  Notice that he used a band aid and duct tape to hang it on the door.  Will our house ever survive!

Slippery when wet!

Things I want to savor forever!

I've been really trying to be present with Ashton and really soak in the essence of who he is because before I know it, it will be gone and I'll be grasping for it! 

So here are some things lately that I just want to savor!

1.  The way he writes his name. I love his s

2. How when I leave the house, how he'll chase me down the street waving goodbye!  I never want to drive away!

3. Or how when I leave the house, he needs one more hug, one more beso

4.   How I lifted him out the car one night and he  draped his hands around my shoulders in a heavy hug/embrace.  Of course I when it happened I didn't want to put him down!

5.  How he loves to be outside, riding his bike, his scooter, helping our friend spread the mulch and pull weeds.

6.  How he always wants me to scratch his back in his bed.

Another day of infamy for Ashton

The littlest Gjerde who shall remain unnamed, earned another day of infamy in our household. In his deep love for water and bubbles, washed his hands (a good habit right:)) in the basement sink. In his haste he left the sink stopper in (so the bubbles could stay in mom!) and the water running (it was too rusty for me to turn it all the way off). Needless to say we awoke to waterfall in the bathroom which made it's way into the hallway and the extra bedroom.

I've always wanted to gut that space, but now it is really going to have to happen!

The little man is 5!

Sorry for the delay in posting, things have been kind of nutty around here!  Ashton recently celebrated his 5th birthday!  This year he opted for a more intimate celebration.  We had hoped to have his party at the local park, but hence mother nature did not want to cooperate...she decided she needed one more last blast of winter before she left us for good.  I was a little stressed thinking of how to keep the kids occupied in the house and came up with a bunch of car themed games.  But guess what they wanted to do????  Go outside and play!  Go figure!  It was a good thing it was only 3 of them!

Making cars

Thank goodness for carpenter Pop-Pop

Looks who is 5!

In other news Ashton read to me his very first book.  He brought it home from school. It was called big!  I was so proud!

Today he got to be a kindergartner a day!  He was so excited!  He went to P.E. and had Spanish.  He got to eat lunch at school and play at recess with his kindergarten buddies.  Outside of falling down in P.E. and scraping his knee he said he had a great day!

Also Ms. Taylor told me that Ashton's birth father just had another baby with another woman,  I believe is a little boy.  So another 1/2 sibling in the books for Ashton.