Simon's Top 6 Things So Far This Summer (and a couple challenges)

Simon


The good stuff:


1. Flying on the airplane with Mom to Chicago to meet Dad.
2. Attending Nathaniel's birthday party yesterday at this very cool gym with lots of trampolines and places to run and jump and climb and bounce. He also loved that some of his buddies from school were there. One of my favorite parts was watching them play hide + seek. 
3. Flying kites with Grandpa at the coast (especially flying them off the deck while hanging out in the hot tub).
4. Light sabers, light sabers, light sabers (and currently working for a storm trooper costume) and Star Wars, Star Wars, Star Wars.
5. Going to the local outdoor swimming pool.
6. Riding the school bus in the mornings to summer school. During kindergarten he just rode the bus home after school and we drove him in the mornings. We decided to give it a try and he loves it - got right on the first day no problem and was actually excited that the bus was going to come pick him up.    


And just a couple challenges:


1. Not getting to wear his mask while he goes down the slide at the outdoor swimming pool.
2. Adjusting to a new schedule and a new friend who comes over to play with him in the afternoons.
3. Too much Star Wars. When he gets frustrated he has started pretending to take us out with the light sabers. Previously he utilized Harry Potter spells on us when he got upset. The spells still pop out from time to time.


And man, he is getting so tall. It's pretty amazing how much he has grown over the last year in so many different ways. Such an awesome kid.


Dottedline


As for me, right now I am back into the Harry Potter books full force. I finished up The Goblet of Fire (#4) last week and am already half way through The Order of the Phoenix (#5). I am really excited to get on to the next books that have not yet been released as movies.

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53 thoughts

  1. Jenn B says…
    07/14/2008

    Hey Ali!
    Glad Simon's summer is going well! I, too, was excited to read all of the Harry Potter books...you'll love them!

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Jan C. says…
    07/14/2008

    Heh heh . . . I am sitting here listening to "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" on tape for the hundredth time as I type this. (If you haven't listened to Jim Dale reading these on audio, I urge you to run to the library and check them out. They are amazing! So much fun.)
    Glad Simon is having such a great summer!

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. jkhenson says…
    07/14/2008

    Simon is growing so much. Seeing him in pictures like this one. Thank you for sharing. And those Harry Potter books are such fun reading! :) I loved having them as summer books. I miss them. :) Have a great day!

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. Sue says…
    07/14/2008

    I'm back from vacation and obviously have missed much on your blog. I've got a lot to catch up on, don't I? LOL
    Glad Simon is having a wonderful summer and he's obviously made a lot of progress. Wonderful that he loves the bus so much. It'll make first grade so much easier for all of you.
    Sue

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. melissa says…
    07/14/2008

    I always love when you post pictures of Simon. He has something so incredibly special in his eyes. There is a magic twinkle that is so noticable in his photographs. You and your husband have done an amazing job with everything. Simon was blessed in so many ways to have the two of you as his parents and his tour guides in this life. He is a happy, spirited, smart and very handsome boy.
    It's funny that I have never met him but feel so compelled to know all about him. I cry for you all when things are frustrating, and I cheer when it goes well. He is like a long lost relative and someone I know.
    Thank you so much for sharing this part of your life. A part so personal and intimate.

    Reply 0 Replies
  6. Nicky Anderson says…
    07/14/2008

    Glad Simons summer is good - the bus is awesome - Brody loves taking the bus to school and coming home on it!! Brody did a summer camp last week for the 1st time, and other than the 1st day being not good - he did amazing after that.
    Gotta read those Harry Potter books!!
    Have a great day.
    Nicky

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. Jenny A. says…
    07/14/2008

    So glad Simon is loving summer! The Harry Potter books are one of my favorites! I have re read all 7 of them once a year - hee hee!

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Jess S says…
    07/14/2008

    Love the top 6, I need to do with my son. I like the idea of the challenges as well.
    Would you put both on a scrapbook page together? I struggle with how much to write about challenges, but want to keep it real.
    So glad Simon is having a good summer.
    Jess

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  9. Becky says…
    07/14/2008

    Hmm, wouldn't it be great if we actually could just whip out a spell or a hex or something when things weren't going our way? I'm gearing up to re-start the Harry Potter series (I read the 7th one so quickly - in order to avoid spoilers - that I really want to re-read the series again).
    Uh, can you tell I don't have children yet?
    :) Becky
    http://www.stinkylemsky.typepad.com/

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  10. Tina says…
    07/14/2008

    QUICK QUESTION ABOUT OVERLAYS
    Hi Ali,
    love, lovE, loVE, lOVE, LOVE your blog! Love that you share soooo much on a regular basis! What a great influence you are in the scrap world.
    Question: I downloaded some of your overlays and learned how to add them to photos. However, they are dark/bold enough to show up well when I print the picture out. I converted it to white and put it on a darker photo. Is there a way to "bold" or "brighten" (when white) and "bold" and "darken" (when black)? I love them and want to use them, but it just doesn't look right when printed. Thanks so much!
    Tina
    PS I just bought your Life Artist book on Saturday! Great job! I'm highly recommending it to all of my friends!

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  11. Gigi says…
    07/14/2008

    Me too... I just rented the audio book on Half Blood Prince and I am listening to it while I am reading it together. The reader on the audio book is really good. Hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.
    Gigi

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  12. Mel says…
    07/14/2008

    Ahh, it's nice to know my son is not the only Star Wars obsessed child out there. His daddy has his own Talking lightsaber to "fight back" with, so we're immune from bad "dark side" mojo from Brian!

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. Thinkie says…
    07/14/2008

    Harry Potter rules! And so does Starwars! And hey, Luke had a go at his dad with his lightsaber also! ;-)

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  14. Ann-Marie says…
    07/14/2008

    Take an airplane to MN and see the Star Wars exhibit at our Science museum!:)

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  15. Rachel says…
    07/14/2008

    So awesome! My DH and I are reading Harry Potter together at night, and are currently in #5 also. I've read them before, but it's so fun re-reading them with him.

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. charity.sorrells says…
    07/14/2008

    Oh Ali....hurry up before the movie comes out! You don't want to get anything spoiled before the movie trailers come out....snicker!
    I have 5 kiddos and 3 out of 5 have made the HP trek with me. It's a good thing, like Martha always says. ;)

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. sophie says…
    07/14/2008

    My son loves "Star Wars" so I had a chuckle re: light sabers as a reaction to something unwanted/unwelcome. He uses them on his younger sisters, who use them back. Just one big, force-filled family! I, however, would prefer the hexes!! You'll love the last two books...it makes me want to re-read them this summer. They are simply brilliant.

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  18. Cate says…
    07/14/2008

    What a cool summer Simon is having!
    Enjoy Harry Potter! I love those books...I've read them all too many times.

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. sue Treiber says…
    07/14/2008

    Kite flying from a hot tub-now that is cool!

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  20. Nina (UK) says…
    07/14/2008

    If you can get hold of the Stephen Fry read British audiobooks, they are much better than the Jim Dale ones! Complete and unabrdiged, and with the best character voices, I think they are better than the films or even reading the book yourself! Email me if you need help finding them!

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. Erin B says…
    07/14/2008

    Love the Simon stories. At least he's not telling you "you're fired" or "go home you don't live here"....I get this from one of this kids I work with pretty much every week.

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. michelle says…
    07/14/2008

    my HUSBAND is a big star wars geek (SWEEK). A few years back, he bought the supplies to make his own storm trooper outfit, and is actually part of the 501st brigade (a group of storm troopers that does special appearances, mainly for charities). And now he's gotten his nieces and nephew hooked on star wars, as well. too cute! and as for the harry potter series...love it love it love it. we had decided to start the 8 year old niece on the series, thinking we could spread out the stories so that she would be older by the time she read the later books, which are more intense. no such luck... we don't know WHAT we're going to do, yet. the girls is a total bookworm and FINISHED the second book we gave her in just over 24 hours. sheesh!!!

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  23. Mary says…
    07/14/2008

    Isn't it amazing how much children grow over the summer? I love the Simon stories and never tire of them. My own geeky adventures with children have revolved around Link and Zelda - the greatest honor ever bestowed on me is when my daughter walked in on us playing our usual saber fights. "Hi Mom" she said to which my grandson scowled "her name is ZELDA!"
    Love, love, love these kids!

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  24. Mary says…
    07/14/2008

    @Michelle - maybe you'll have to give her the next book one page a day ha ha!!

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  25. mom2three says…
    07/14/2008

    Ali, I'm a newcomer to your blog- just love it! The HP books are so amazing. I wish that the movies were mini-series instead and could really do the books justice. I have a daughter who loves star wars and harry potter, and I haven't let her get a light saber for fear of being attacked! LOL Glad to hear that I'm not the only one with light saber issues!

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