Happy Halloween

What's happening in Ashburn?

I've been having so much fun reading all the posts from the other families and enjoying all of your pictures, I realize we haven't posted anything in awhile.

Our fall schedule includes Mon - CCD class I teach at St. Theresa (Joey is in my class), Tuesday - MJ baseball game and football practice, Wed are FREE, Thurs football practice for MJ and Joey, Saturday football games from 8:30am-Noon. I love Wednesdays because we have nothing to do! Mario and I are coaching Joey's team this year and having a lot of fun with it. Isabel and Sheila seem to go enjoy all the action.

We also really enjoyed the ND gamewatch that so many family were able to make. We were especially happy that Aunt Raquel and Alfonso as well as Aunt Loli joined in on the fun. Aunt Loli shared many amazing clothes with me (THANK YOU!!!) and visited with us on Sunday. She was so generous and bought the kids very fun gifts of bubbles and some wooden games that they all really love. Aunt Loli, we had such a great time with you!

Also in this slideshow is a picture of Isabel after our ER visit. In hindsight the situation is not so terrible, but in the moment it was a bit scary. Very long story made short - I thought Isabel may have swallowed a water balloon and her abnormal cranky behavior, drooling, and "twitching" made me think we should check her out. After 2 x-rays and a few hours she calmed down and we felt that at worst she swallowed it but it probably reached her stomach and she would be fine.

Also back-tracking to September pictures I don't remember if I posted but they were exciting occasions. MJ's first day of first grade. And Joey can ride his bike without training wheels!

Too many pictures to comment on, but at least now you are a bit caught up on what is going on in Ashburn.

Time for piano lessons?

MJ participated in Piano Express last week. It was a piano immersion from 9am-2pm M-F. He definitely learned a lot in the week and since he's been home on Friday he's been playing more and "writing" his own music.


He advanced himself through the workbook and got to this more challenging (and recognizable) song where he needed to play both his left and right hands simultaneously.



So, piano lessons are expensive. I know we'll eventually pay for them. I already seem a bit overwhelmed by our fall sport commitments and was thinking I could maybe order the primer level piano books that his instructor said he uses and try to go through the books with him myself. I have no training in the piano, but I can read notes to sing. Mario thinks I'm nuts and he's probably right. MJ certainly enjoys this and I'm happy to say his love of "getting it right" through video games is translating into getting it right on the piano. And you can be sure I'd rather him spend an hour playing the piano than playing the Wii.

So, here's our little guy trying to be like Uncle Francis!

Random July photos

I just love this picture of Isabel

Half Bath

We enjoyed the result of the upstairs bathroom so much, we jumped right into the next project. I was really happy to find the original pictures of this bathroom from when we moved in. Man, this house needed a makeover! We definitely stretched our imaginations to see its potential...and now we are finally making that a reality.

Upstairs Bathroom Remodel

I appreciate the cool collage that Mario made with the bathroom remodel pictures, but I wanted to post them this way so that if you wanted to view them bigger you could. Mario also did a great job of copying the angle of my before pictures exactly - although, I may not have picked the best angles in the first place. You'll just have to come visit us to see these in person.

A recap of May

Seeing as we are well in to June, I am going to recap May (minus Mother's Day, Luke's ordination, and our bathroom renovation). First a note, after the ordination and being embarrassed by Sheila's hair, I've made an effort to try to do something with it every day. As soon as she pulls it out, I'd do it again. After a week, I think I successfully trained her to be vain. (great)

I think I have captions for most pictures...these are the events:

Joey's first football team and game
Mario's second football season
Trip to Charleston, SC for a wedding
Hanging out with the Hanson family
Field Day at St. Theresa
Ashburn Farm Summer Kick Off on memorial day weekend (games, food, fireworks, FUN!) Sheila was super brave to go on the ride and wanted me to spin it more. Many a kid got sick from it - we all made it off okay.
MJ's Kindergarten graduation