The past few years, Ashton's birthday has fallen on our "family vacation" week and I thereby get away with not throwing him a birthday party :-/ We usually do something special while we are away and that satisfies as long as he gets presents. This year was no different and we were on the cape (see last post). Actually Saturday, August 3rd was the day we had to pack up and go home, which, sadness. And not wanting to fully exit "vacation mode" we stopped at Duxbury Beach on the way back. It is here that Ashton spent most of his birthday hours, doing what he does best, which I can only describe as "beach busy".
Even after a full week at the beach, Ashton and Alex got busy collecting rocks, sorting them, trading them, assembling towers, building sand castles, swimming, diving for things, etc. This is all Ashton to a T - he can keep himself quite occupied, and if that is not a parenting goal then I don't know what is.
Anyway we got home and had a BBQ and instead of a birthday cake, we all went to Dairy Queen and sang a little Happy Birthday at a picnic table. He seemed content :)
Other "all about Ashton" type things!
Height: 53 inches (4' 5") - 89th %
Weight: 63 pounds - 73rd %
Grade: 2
Shoes: 2.5Y
Clothes: Mostly 8's
Teeth lost: 8 (front top and bottom 4)
Teeth crooked: 6
Fashion: Luckily, Ashton still blindly accepts any outfit I tell him to wear. He does love being in head-to-toe Under Armour with the tall socks and hightops, but understands when to wear sport clothes and when to wear regular ones (i.e. collars to school! May this never end haha).
Food: Ashton eats and eats and eats. And eats. He outeats a McDonald's happy meal now too - we have to supplement that box with like, a lot of other stuff. Besides his food allergies, peas, and raw tomatoes, he'll try almost anything and usually doesn't bother to complain. His favorite thing that I make for dinner is stromboli.
Haircut: Ashton is really in to his hair. His current cut involves a very crisp part that he calls his "line":
He gets very distressed when it disappears, which is every three days considering how fast his hair grows. As our resident stylist, Jason stays on top of it ;)
Newest obsession: cars. We have a Corvette in our neighborhood and every time we drive by, he presses his nose to the window and goes "Ahhh, just look at that!" And then the other day told me Corvettes don't have trunks because that's where the engine is. True? I have no idea. And he is constantly asking if certain cars are faster than others, more expensive etc. Ashton is currently on the fence between getting a Porsche or a Subaru Crosstrek (in orange, specifically) when he grows up. He has put a lot of thought into these choices.
Also loves: Dude Perfect, Pokemon cards, tracking his steps on his Fitbit, rollercoasters, mini golf, collecting treasures like shark teeth and shells, games, things that have remote controls, cool socks
Sports: This season, football and hockey. Hockey starts tonight, actually. But football he's been playing since August 5th and I can't believe how grown up he looks in his uniform!
Another shot of the line:
So, if you see a car with pads and helmets and hockey and football equipment flying out of it, wave hello to me.
Health: Mostly perfect :) A little update on this one. Ashton's always had articulation issues and also breathing issues. His nose is perpetually blocked. I took him to the ENT last spring and he had his adenoids out and his turbinates cauterized on May 8. I expected everything to clear up pretty much overnight and months later, things are the exact same! His ENT put him on a daily nasal spray but we have seen literally no results. So fixing that somehow is still on my list.
The best idea he has ever had in his 8 years on this earth: So, the cleaners come twice a month. One particular day we got home after them and of course, the house was spotless which is basically my favorite thing of all time. The boys immediately went to the kitchen and started tearing into the graham crackers. I threw my hands up and made some exasperated comment like couldn't the floors go five freaking minutes without being covered in crumbs?! The cleaners just came!
Ashton looked at me, looked at his graham cracker, and goes "C'mon Alex, let's eat over the trash."
I have seriously never loved him more.
According to his teacher: I thought I would share what his first grade teacher wrote about him this past June on his ROSP :)
"Ashton is a friendly first grader with a cheerful disposition! He takes great pride in his work and is making steady progress academically thus far this year. I only expect this to continue, as he become more and more motivated intrinsically rather than looking to others for praise, something he is beginning to develop. He is working on taking his time and doing is most careful work, particularly in writing, or being willing to return to "finished" work to revise (add/delete/edit). He is sweet and cares for all the members of the 1JB and Lilja Community and is often a role model for others!
Ashton has grown in all areas of academics this year in first grade, due in no small part to his own inquisitiveness, which he brings to all subjects! He's been a joy to teach as he always tries to apply concepts taught and even often remembers them and carries them over to other situations, as seen in particular with his reading skills; he's truly blossomed as a reader! He is a strong mathematician as well and enjoys challenges when given the option. He has made marked progress in writing but if he were to work on anything over the summer (in addition to reading of course) I'd suggest keeping the writing fresh and rereading to make sure the conventions are as good as his craft. He is poised for a great year in second grade! Have a wonderful summer!"
He definitely has things to work on but I think I am especially proud of this section of the report - 4 means "consistently" and is the best you can get :)
All 4's by R2/the end of the year! That's my boy.
Overall, Ashton is so good. He's helpful and rational and insightful and empathetic. He takes amazing care of Alex and is patient, teaches him things, and includes him. He's also sensitive, sweet and has an incredible sense of right from wrong. One time after a play in football practice where he scored, he did this big touchdown celebration dance. I pulled him aside when he came off the field and said "Ashton! These are your teammates - you cannot brag like that in front of everyone. It's ok to quietly tell yourself good job and to feel proud, but you are all working together and you do not want to make anyone feel bad." He looked me in the eye and said "You're right Mommy" (he still calls me that) and I could tell he 100% took it to heart. The next night at practice he scored a few times and at the end he said, "Mommy did you see? I did not dance ONE time, just like you told me. Even though I had some awesome plays, I kept it to myself because I didn't want anyone thinking we weren't a team."
Ashton honest to goodness said that. To say we simply adore him and are so proud of him would be an understatement. Happy 8th birthday to our Ashton! WE LOVE YOU!!
