Hey Baby....They're Baaaack!

No Doubt announced this week that they will be touring and recording a new album in 2009. The band has been talking about this for the past 18 months, but this was an official announcement with a new photo shoot and everything. We can't wait...we will definitely be going out to another No Doubt show! Aidan gets to go this time, so she is "super psyched". Check out NoDoubt.com for more information and to see the new photo.

Aidan is a Green Belt!

Saturday was our Tae Kwon Do belt test. Aidan graded for her green belt and did a great job performing her patterns, breaking boards, and sparring. She's kind of a B.A.! It's amazing how far she has come in the past 10 months since she started. She's gone from backing up everytime she sparred to being one of the more aggressive and successful students. It's been really good for her confidence.

Troy and I also moved up, earning our green-stripe belts. It was a long day, but it's always fun to see everyone move up and get their new belts.

Aidan's Report Card

We are so very proud of you, Aidan. I know it wasn't easy and you were so busy with after-school activities, but you stayed focused and worked hard. Great job, baby-girl!

What's With These Teachers???

So, some of you may know that this year has definitely been a challenge as far as Aidan's teachers go. She just brought home her 2nd report card of the year the other day and again made straight A's!!! We are so proud of her! She works so hard and Troy and I can be demanding of her sometimes. We try not to be, but it's hard when you see so much potential. She has two teachers; one for reading/language and one for math/science/social studies. At the beginning of the year, the math teacher was very difficult, either because she was inconsistent or because she was being intimidating leading Aidan to believe that she would be in trouble if she asked to use the restroom. After meeting with her and the principal, things have gone a little bit better, I have to admit. But now, it's the reading teacher. When I attended the parent/teacher conference at the beginning of October, things were great. Aidan really enjoyed her class and was getting 100's almost everyday. The teacher told me she was doing "perfect". But then, three days later, the teacher accused Aidan of lying to her about something that Aidan would have no motivation to lie about. The teacher accused her of lying in front of the whole class. Well, of course, Aidan was devistated and ended up bursting into tears after school, and told us what had happened. Long story short...Aidan thought she was asking her about something else and the teacher was not being clear. I went to meet with the teacher the next day and we ended up straightening everything out, but she never apologized to Aidan, which was really crappy since the teacher ended up being the one in the wrong.

Well, according to Aidan, this same teacher says things to the class like...

"put that book away and don't give me that stupid look"
"what, do ya'll think I'm freakin' stupid?"
"I can make your lives miserable" (she said this one yesterday)

My thing is, you don't talk to ANYONE like this, but especially not to children. If you can't control your temper and your attitude, you have no business teaching young kids. This is what we've been dealing with.

Sigh.....sorry about the rant. It just seems to be something new everyday! You know, we're not the type of parents that think our child is perfectly behaved, but I will tell you that she has never been one to lie. I guess my point is that Aidan has been working her little hiney off in school and EARNING her straight A's despite having teachers that really don't care about their students. We have really tried to keep her motivated, positive, and happy, but it's been difficult. These teachers are teaching to a standardized test and not focusing on the learning or on the kids. It's incredibly frustrating.

10 Years!!!

I can't believe it's been 10 years, but look at us in this picture. I was 22 and Troy was 27 when we were married November 7, 1998. We had no idea what we were getting into. We've been through so much and the most important thing I've learned (that I didn't know the day this photo was taken) is that marriage, like life, is not easy. It takes focused effort, dedication, and sacrifice, but the rewards are many. He still makes me laugh....it was the first thing that made me want to keep getting to know him. He is my best friend. You know, all we had in the beginning was talking, whether by email or on the phone, and we still spend a lot of time talking on the phone. I guess what they say is true....the more things change, the more they stay the same. We seem to see the world through the same eyes. Can you believe we met on the internet??? Crazy kids! Happy Anniversary to Us!!!

This Sunday Night

Guess who did this to Aidan's Magna-doodle??? Yep, Uncle Jeremy and Aidan will always have their team rivalry, and as far as this Sunday goes, Aidan says....BRING IT ON, DEADSKINS!!! Aidan is 6-years-old in this picture.

The Barbarian headed for the ENDZONE!!!

Meet Charlie Bucket

Well, T-bone let Aidan bring home a kitten that her friend, Autumn found in a wooded area of her backyard. She had been playing with him at Autumn's house for a couple of weeks and knew she couldn't even ask us if she could have him. "My daddy hates cats" is what she has always known to be true, but on Saturday Troy looked at me and said, "if you guys want the cat, I want to get it for you". We decided to reward Aidan's constant straight A's especially since this year school has been such a big transition from the previous year. So....This is Charlie Bucket, named for the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory character. Some of you may know that Aidan (she was 4 and 1/2 at the time) desperately wanted Kim and Jeremy to name their first child "Charlie". When he was born and she found out that they named him Jacob, she cried and was very confused as to why they wouldn't want to name him "Charlie". Needless to say, she has her Charlie now.

Aidan reading to her baby Charlie on the night we brought him home. I went into her room to check on her because she had been in there for awhile. This is what I saw when I walked in....Aidan reading with the kitten fast asleep in a blanket in her arms.