First A's Game for Aidan

Aidan is at his first A's game today with his Dad and pals from his little league team. Of course I had to buy him an A's hat to wear for the occasion. I gave it to him this afternoon before he left, he was so pleased about it. I just love those Mom moments when you know you've thrilled your child with a thoughtful gift or action. It's hard not to feel great when you see your child really happy. I got to have one of those moments today as they left for the game.

They left early to attend a tailgate party, barbecue and drinks. This was going to be a day of firsts for him, first game, first tailgate party, and apparently his first Coke too. OK, so these are the kind of things that happen when Mom isn't around. Dad indulges the kid with a coke. I'm sure I'll be hearing more about how this happened when they get home. Dad reported via text that Aidan took a few sips and handed it back, saying "It burns Dad". This is good news, sounds like I won't be having any future struggles with Aidan asking for the contraband Phew!

The other first that's happening tonight that I've neglected to mention is, he's staying out late with friends. This is a really late night for him as he's usually in bed for the most part by 8pm, no later than 8:30 and we usually call that a late night. For those kind of late nights he's home and we've let him stay up a bit later to finish reading a book he's engrossed in. A late night out at a game with friends has me a bit concerned about what I might have to look forward to in the morning. I'll be praying for a smooth morning with no meltdowns or drama. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

I just finished reading "Where the Mountain Meets the Moon" to my boys. A friend had recommended this read and I'm always interested in introducing Chinese folklore to my kids. So, although its recommended for kids a bit older than mine I decided to take the plunge and read it to them. It was fine for my boys, nothing too scary or provocative. This is a story of fantasy and adventure that does and excellent job of interweaving folklore throughout the tale.

My kids were thoroughly engrossed in the stories, constantly asking questions. As boys, they were most interested in the dragon. However, I love how this tale's main character is a girl, Minli, and has such a positive girl message. Something I don't often think about since I have three boys however, realize it's not only important for our daughters to receive these messages, it's important for our sons as well. Especially, since my boys are going through that "Ewwww girls!" phase. My youngest even had to ask several times, "Minli is a girl?" As if in disbelief, how is it that this cool heroine is a girl...how is that possible. Silly boys!

Not only is this a story of adventure it is a story with a message about the bonds of family, and the perilous nature of envy, jealousy, and want. Grace Lin weaves a tale that substantiates how our role as a parent and our every action influences our children's view of themselves in the world. Definitely a sweet read about the truth of happiness that I'm sure I will be reading to my boys again and will definitely be exploring other books by Grace Lin.

In common

Surgery, construction, new Mac, I say. What do they have in common you ask? Well these are what have kept me from blogging the past few weeks. After recovering from yet another procedure on my bladder, it was time for the jack hammers to start. No not on my bladder, but our home...and because the racket has been more than we could bear, we've been spending the days away from home, coming home on time to make a quick dinner and then begin the bedtime routine.

We also got a new Mac and I've been finding the need to make the transition from PC to Mac daunting. Every night I've been telling myself "tonight I'll sit down to figure this out (you know downloading pics, etc)". I just end up shying away from it, telling myself, I'll do it tomorrow. Suddenly, weeks have gone by and my poor blog has gone neglected.

Soon our Spring break will be over, the construction should be finished in a couple more weeks, I'll have had plenty of time to get comfortable with my new friend Mac, and my blog will be happy to see me again. I'll have lots to share with you. Until then, I hope you're all doing well.