Poco a Poco

In Guatemala there is saying for Poco a Poco, it means little by little....step by step...and I am happy to report that at the current moment with incentives in place Ashton is improving in  his behavior both at home and school.  Last week his school called us in to follow up on the incident Ashton had had a few weeks ago threatening to bring a gun to school and shoot a student.  The meeting was much different that I anticipated.  They basically  told us that Ashton's behaviors where getting in the way of his learning and wanted to brainstorm how we help make him more successful.  So this week he started a new incentive program at school and he seems to be rising to the challenge. 

We also received his report card and had his parent teacher conference with his teacher Ms. Porter.  Even though he is frequently off task, amazingly he isn't too far behind.  His teacher reports that when he wants to he can read a level B book and can write using sound/letter correspondence.   She also says he is a leader and enjoys socializing with his peers!  He loves working with others!

Praying we can channel his gifts! :)

He has also been the little love bug lately...telling both daddy and me that he loves us!  Sometimes I just wish I could bottle up his 5 year old self!

Whirlwind October

Just love their expressions here!

October is always a fun month.  The kids had a great time dressing up and going trick-or-treating last night.  Of course Ashton was adorable as a Ninja turtle.  We really tore up Pop-Pop's neighborhood.  Ashton got so much candy his basket was too heavy and even cracked!  He was tired he fell asleep as soon as we got in the car to go home.

Ninja muscles

Behaviorally we have started Ashton on a new behavior chart and he seems to be rising to the challenge.  Hopefully we can keep up the consistency and we can extinguish some of those negative behaviors.

I continue to adore his kindergarten writing!  He spells his name and I love his S, it looks like a 3.  I don't want to correct it because it so dog gone cute!  Of course his name is note on this sample, but since it said I love mom, I just have to post it!  He also reading a little bit.  I think for the most part its a lot of memorization, but I can tell it's coming!

I love my mom and other things:)

Ashton recently got a new bunk bed (from Tia Colleen) and he has been quite happy sleeping on the top bunk!

Ashton in his bunk bed!

Both Ashton and Lily have attended art camps at the Delaplaine Art Center in Frederick and have made some pretty cool stuff!  Earlier this month they did a mixed media project.  Yesterday they did sugar skulls.

Mixed media

Last weekend we took Ashton and Lily to Diggerland in NJ.  I thought Ashton would love it!  He got to ride in a backhoe, operate a mini-digger, and drive a skid steer and dumper truck.  I think he was a happy boy!

Ashton and Daddy on the dumper truck

We also visited a fall festival with my sister.  Ashton had a fabulous time jumping on the jumping pillow and playing with his cousins in the corn maze.   They didn't have a pumpkin patch, but basically a collection of really big expensive pumpkins.   Of course  Ashton wanted one to carve.  Thankfully Daddy got in on the carving action, so with teamwork they were successful.

Ashton Daddy teamwork

Ashton's pumpkin

The roller coaster of parenting

Life with Ashton has been full of up and downs lately.  Olav and I were commenting how we thought perhaps he had turned a corner in his behavior, but like all roller coasters he has had his ups and downs.    This week has been a toughie.  We got a note from school saying that Ashton had threatened to bring a gun to school and kill another child.  I don't know where he gets this stuff from!  Needless to say it's been stressful.

On the other hand he has mastered some really cool skills.  We recently went to a birthday party for our friend Charlotte Henry and he tried roller skating for the 2nd time.  He was really getting the hang of it!  He even asked for rollerskates and a skate mate for Christmas.

Ashton and his skate mate

Also we recently had Olav's niece Cecilie and her husband Jarle here from Norway for a long weekend.  Ashton absolutely adored and bonded with Jarle.  Ashton is such a guys guy...he loves any man cub!

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Ashton loves his fellow man cubs!

Ashton is also learning to write words and short sentences.  It is really cute to see him try to make words by sounding out the letters!

Of course as always when Ashton is not showing his wild side, he is adorable and sweet as ever.  I pray that we figure out how to help him manage his frustration better both at home and at school.

Busy night for the tooth fairy

Ashton lost his very first tooth today at school.  Unfortunately he dropped it and lost it so he couldn't bring it home to show us, but he was very excited!  Ironically enough Lily also lost one her last teeth this evening as well.  The tooth fairy better have made some good investments!

Also last weekend we celebrated Ariana's 4th birthday.  As usual I had to bribe Ashton to get a picture of him with his biological half sisters and birth mom!

Ashton seems to have turned a corner behaviorally.  For a while there he was really angry and explosive, but he seems to learning how to manage his anger more effectively.  I am hoping it is going to stick!  He had been quite difficult for quite some time, but the week or so we are seeing glimpses of our dear sweet boy!

First day of Kindergarten

Today was Ashton's first day of kindergarten.  He woke up to an alarm he set last night eager to start the day!  He promptly got dressed and brushed his teeth and was ready to face the day!  When I picked him up this afternoon for carpool he exclaimed, "I had a GREAT day!"  Just want a momma wants to hear! 

After school he also had a boys only gymnastics class. He seemed to really enjoy it especially since he was with boys his age and he could jump into the foam pit!

Now I am trying to get him to go to sleep...he's so tired, but he has crossed over the edge:)

It is time for Ashton to go back to school

The last few weeks have been tough in the Gjerde household.  Ashton has been an angry, willful, and an oppositional mess.  He is constantly telling people he doesn't like them, he hates them, he's not going to be their friend when he doesn't get his way. Needless to say no one is enjoying him.  We've tried consequences such as putting him in his room, removing him from the situations, taking away his kindle and his pokey, but the message simply doesn't seem to be getting through.  The only saving grace is that his sister was similar at this age and she seemed to pull through just fine.  So here's to hoping!

Almost....

Lately I feel like the theme of Ashton's little life currently is almost....

He almost can ride his bike....but he chooses not to.  He's riding basically on very little training wheels and the training wheels he is using are basically useless, but he refuses to try with his new bike with better training wheels or allow us to take the training wheels off....so either way we will wait for his timing....

He can almost swim....but he chooses not to.  He loves the water, but only on his terms.  While we were on vacation he was so close to swimming, but atlas he refused to try....so again...we'll wait for his timing.

He is a stubborn little guy.  He reminds me of a character in a story book, called Ruby in her own time.  The story is about a Ruby who does everything her older brother and sisters do, but of course, only her own time!

Ashton attended vacation bible school at Frederick Church of the Brethren.  It was so cute he kept calling it bible cation school.  The first day he clung to daddy, but after that he wanted to go in totally independent of us.  On the last day the whole group of 200 plus children got up and performed some songs for us...in traditional Ashton fashion, he slunk down low on the ground, semi hid and did not sing:)  Although Lily did report that one evening when it was just kids, he spoke into a microphone to answer a question.

He also attended gymnastics camp again!  He loves the foam pit and he continues to be a social little dude! The teacher reported that he seems to have fear of heights, which I'd had never noticed before but did see a little of it on our vacation.  However, on our vacation he seemed to tackle his fear enough to climb a tower with me!

Ashton continues love golf!  He asks on a regular basis when can we go play golf.  I found him at good will a small bag and few clubs for cheap...he loves it!

Loves his golf clubs

Also Ashton has gotten really good at writing his name.  He can now write his whole name without assistance and even make his "s" proper (although I really loved his old "s"). Last night I came home to this lovely picture of myself with my name.  Adorable

Momma

Ashton's signature

We took a vacation to New Hampshire and Ashton just adored playing in the lake!  I couldn't get him to go to deep with crying, but he did end up wearing a life jacket (which he usually fights me on), running and jumping of the dock (which I found super impressive), and loved to try kayaking.  He particularly loved a Kayak affectionally know as tippy.  He was so close to almost swimming here!  He took his life jacket on and tried lifting his hands and legs ....I thought for sure he would do it!

Hanging out!

Ashton in tippy!

On the way to and from New Hampshire we had a few fun adventures such as making candles at the Yankee Candle Flagship store in MA, unfortunately a few hours later Ashton's broke:(, going to a real coal mine in PA, and visiting the PEZ factory in CT, a big favorite for both kids!

Coal Mine

Making a sand candle

Pez Factory

Happy boy with Handy Mandy Pez