Aksel's First Piano Recital

He did it! Master Aksel is a Maestro!

Hamburger Cookies

These are not organic, not healthy, and not really anything I would otherwise approve. BUT. They are hamburger cookies made of thin mints, Nilla wafers, and colored frosting for cheese, lettuce, and tomato, and sesame seeds. A student's mom makes them every year for his birthday. He shared some with us this year.

November: Blustery or Invigorating?

It's a brisk windy day today, and leaves are swirling out my big 4 foot square office window. After two solid days of rain, the grass is oddly green. The boys are out playing catch and trying to keep Reilly from stealing their ball. Shawn is hauling our outdoor furniture into our basement. I just saw him pass the window carrying an Adirondack chair over his head. Who else would think to carry big heavy bulky things that way?! That's my Shawn Reid. He's also packing up the Target table, umbrella, and 4 chair set (Target 90% discount to 20 bones.) I must say, the Target selection is better in Minnesota, for obvious reason. But, TJ Maxx is headquartered a few miles from here, and they keep the good stuff close to home as well.

So, we've done it again: we have gotten ourselves into so many, many great things that we too busy. It seems to be a chronic ailment in the Reid family. There are still only 24 hours in the day, yet we schedule and plan for about 30. So, I am again trying to pare back on the commitments and let some things go. That said, it's hard to decide what should go. Here's the latest on us, and maybe you my faithful readers can help us pare down for the winter season.
* Aksel's first piano recital is this afternoon. Stay tuned for a posting on that one.
* Aksel's doing a Learn to Skate hockey program. He only has a few games a year. Yesterday was the first one, and guess who scored two goals.
* Lachen's earned three stars on his helmet for being a great defenseman on his team. He nearly scored yesterday in a Triboro game. He also scored two goals in his Learn to Skate half-ice game.
* Shawn starts his first season as a head boys' hockey coach tomorrow. He's so excited, he can't sleep, and he's constantly writing down motiviation phrases, new ideas for drills, and I find little slips of paper all over the place.
* I started a yoga class 4 weeks ago. St. Mark's brings an instructor onto campus, and it's free. Really, it could not be convenient. And, the stress relief of 1 hour of yoga sustains me for days.
* I also started going to an accupuncturist about my migraines. After telling her my health history, she said, "So you've been suffering from headaches for 22 years--that's a long time." 22 years?! I can still remember standing in 4th grade feeling a migraine come on, seeing stars, and thinking, "Oh no, not again." Enough already! I really hope the accupunture works. It heartens me to learn that the migraines are linked to circulation, and hopefully my Reynaud's (numb, white fingers and toes), varicose veins, and acne will be positively affected as well. I know I'm dreaming big here. If I only get rid of headaches, I'll be full of bliss.
* I'm going to see my nephew Fredrik, Peter, and Katy later this week. I'm finally going to be able to start paying Katy back for watching my boys on short notice. I tried to pay her, and she wrote me a note saying, "You'll return the favor to me someday." Well, here I come! November 20-23, I'll be in St. Paul. Wa-hoo!
* We found a church we really like, and after 6 years of looking for a church like Afton, we found one. It's a great spot, lots of kids, and we knew it was a good fit when Aksel wanted to sit in the front row to be closer to the music. In fact, Shawn, Lachen, and I were content lurking in one of the back pews, so Aksel strutted up to the front and sat by the worship band alone--for most of the service. That's our shy Aksel!
* Lachen and Aksel broke their first boards in Tae Kwon Do two weeks ago. It freaked me out, but they both did it with no bruised hands. On to the next level! They do TKD right at their elementary school on Fridays. So, I don't chaufeur them, and they get a dose of something that I don't really understand.
* We had a little Sunday party last week with the family that lived in our house before us. It was great to see them and all the other people that live in the houses on West Campus with us. Good food & good friends.

So if anyone has an extra hour that they could send our way, we'd definitely put it to good use. :)