Official Black Belt

At the age of 3 Aston began Taekwondo and at the age of 5 he became one of the youngest, if not youngest, to receive his first degree black belt at Ballantyne ATA. December 15, 2012 was a big day for our little guy. It was definitely the biggest accomplishment of his life thus far. After attending over 300 classes in the past 2.5 years (2-3 classes per week) he has earned this high honor. We firmly believe he has become a better kid, friend, son, brother and student through this journey. Congratulations Bud...we are proud, proud, proud...

Red Belt

Aston received his red belt "recommended" last month... a really big deal! He now only needs his red belt "decided" and his black belt "recommended" before he's an official black belt...wow wow wow. He will be one of the youngest ever in the school to receive this honor. Jeff and I are so proud that he has stuck it out through the good and the bad...
Here are some pictures with his friend Ryan Tu (just turned 6). Ryan got his Red belt "Decided" this go around...

Mei and Ryan's little sister Olivia have become pals while they've had to hang out and watch their bros train over the last 2 years...although Ryan is now in the Juniors class so we don't get to see each other much anymore:(

A Master Taekwondo guy (5th degree black belt) came to do a demonstration on graduation day (his name escapes me)...he was amazing! The boys were in awe...he's on the far left. Mr. Reyno is in the middle holding the boys...he is now running the school and we can't say enough good stuff about him and the changes he has made.

Aston in 2011

I can't believe I have not done an update on Aston in over 6 months but it was this photo that inspired me to get on it immediately! He really has turned a corner and he deserves the good press:)

{photo Taken by Laura from Woopsie Daisy: Aston and his Mrs. Gabriel}



I really feel like Mrs. Gabriel and Aston have a special little bond going on and I think it all started back in September when we were off to a rocky start. See this post:( Makes me sad to read it again but at the same time I look back and say "man we came so far!" and it really is to the credit of his amazing teachers this year, Mrs. Haenlein and Mrs. Gabriel. I have received completely refreshing emails, comments and notes home from his teachers since the start of 2011...like these 2:



and it's really electrifying as a Mom to know that words like "angel" and "compassionate" are describing my A man now...of course I wouldn't always describe him that way but still to know he c.a.n be those words is enough for me.

Aston digs writing his letters lately and weeks ago asked me how to spell Daddy. I was half interested and blurted out the letters from the other room. A few mins later he came back with this...i was stunned!



He also likes to add letters to his name and ask me what it says:) "Astyon" is a fave of his for some reason. Notice Aston and Daddy playing golf on the side. He perfected his name recently but he had the hardest time with "N"'s for a while so he would leave it off...Jeff and I called him "Asto" until he finally got it...he thought it was sooooo funny:)



It was many weeks ago that Donuts with Dad's happened too but I needed to document what he wrote about his Dad. My favorite is that he's 43:) and really good at soccer? huh?! he must have overheard Mia's answer:) (Mr. Mehmet is a soccer star!)



Mr Bruce took this great photo of the boys at Donuts with Dads. Anne supplied him with the camera...smart...smart...brilliant



In other Aston news...he is now a camouflage belt in Taekwondo and was asked to be in the leadership program at the ATA school. Apparently only 10% of students are asked to be in the program...but more than likely it's just to get us to spend more money...hey it worked! This is all like 2 month old news now but it's important news! He is really liking the prestige of it all:) and by that I mean he likes the fact that he gets to wear all this cool gear now like hand pads, footpads, helmut...etc...:)

In leadership class a student is chosen to lead the warm-ups. I am so proud of my three year old for standing in front of a class of 20 (sometimes...here just like 10) and with authority (for the most part) directs the group in a series of exercises. Don't know of any other 3 year olds in the class...makes me all the more proud!



Camouflage Belt Graduation:



A few other Aston funnies/notables that I've been recording via old school pen and paper for the last 6+ months:)

• "Mom when I turn 6 I can hold you ok? because your arm will probly still hurt but then you will have to hold me because my teeth with fall out"--background: I have a chronic shoulder injury and he's always worried about me and he was at this time obsessed with being 6 so he can loose his teeth:)
• Things he's been way into: superheros, legos, his balance bike, golf, drawing, letters, the pool and nature walks with mei and me
• Since Taekwondo Aston now says "yes ma'am, yes sir, no ma'am...etc" to Jeff and I. This all started out as a funny thing to him but now he takes it pretty seriously. I am not used to this formality but I have grown to respect what it teaches him. They very much stress this manor of addressing each other in class and not only their elders. I kinda dig it.
• Aston can sing many Gorillaz songs on the Demon Days album (namely DARE and Fire Coming out of a Money's Head) and Plastic Beach album (namely Rhinestone Eyes and Superfast Jellyfish) and insists they are his favorite band...runs in the fam I suppose!
• "What e.v.e.r. you say Mom" is said at least once a day and always after I tell him to wear something or do something...Jeff gets a big kick out of this one...I don't so much
• One of the best times we have together is at night after all the teeth are brushed, stories read and PJ's are on. We just lay in his bed a chat about the day, what we are going to do tomorrow, make up stories together, find hidden letters in his room (like the books on his shelf form the letter "N" he pointed out), and usually what all he will get to do when he's 4, 5 and 6:)
• Today I asked him if he knows what a bank is...he said "it's a hotel for all the money!"
• Aston mastered putting his own shirts on only about 4 months ago and around the same time mastered zippers! I thought he would never get that one!
• Golf needs its own post to describe his relationship with the game...but just know that he spends a lot of hours with clubs in his hands or fairway at his feet:

• In February-ish Aston had his second real dentist appointment. Dr. Laxer looked him straight in the eyes and said "You are a Baby if you still use a paci". Since he turned three he's only had it for naps because if I took it away for nap, the nap would disappear. We came home after the appointment and went upstairs for nap. Aston walked in his room and handed me his paci and angrily said with tears pooling in his eyes "I don't want it anymore!" So from then on we had no pacis and no naps:( Not completely true...he has quiet time of some-sort every afternoon and during which he will fall asleep about 2x per week.
• I've been running with the kids in the double stroller some lately, partlty because the weather's nice, but mostly because I can't do much else. Yoga and power hour are at a minimum with my shoulder and wrist problems. Aston loves to get out and run. We've been working on a jog so he doesn't burn himself out...but he ran like 1.5 miles the other day (stell got out for part too...they had many breaks of course:)...see below)...

     

So I know i am missing a zillion bullet points but this post is already a mile long...you get 5 stars if you made it through this whole thing and are reading this last line!

High 5 buds...we are so very VERY proud of how far you've come in 2011! Loves + hugs...mom + dad