Aiden has been obsessed with lizards since we have moved back to Florida. He keeps saying he wants one as a pet. We went to our friends beach house a few days before school started and much to Aiden's delight, his friend, Carter, catches lizards. We just pull up after a 1.5 hr drive and I open the van door and Carter runs up and puts a lizard on Aiden's arm (see upper left picture). I thought Aiden was going to flip out. He didn't. Not at all. He stayed pretty calm. Aiden eventually holds the lizard, pets it, picks it up, and lets it crawl all over him!!! It was so awesome. With the help of Sue and Carter, they caught a lizard that we took home and kept for 1.5 days. It was a beautiful nice little lizard (never thought I would say that about a lizard). It a little chameleon one too. I was too scared it was going to die on us because I have no idea how to catch the bugs it needs to eat so we let it go. Come to find out later, the lizards that have kinda taken over North Florida are the mean lizards and actually eat these small lizards that are actually from the area so it makes me sad to think of this little guys fate. We did give him a habitat for a few days though and then Aiden caught another lizard at our friends house and we kept that for a few days too. We are currently lizard-free for the moment. 
I forgot that it had been over a year since the boys have been to a beach. They both were hesitant to walk on the sand at the beginning and complaining that sand was getting in their crocs. Eli tried digging holes for a bit. He just enjoyed himself running away from the water and running in the water a bit and then just digging holes.
Aiden was brave enough to try and ride on the boogie board on his stomach. Carter did a great job of not pulling/yanking him to fast around to make him fall off ... after he did it once and we asked him not to do it :) Aiden had a good time.
Some of the best times for the boys were just hanging out at Sue's after we ate some dinner. Eli had a blast playing on the tire swing and Aiden got to fly frisbee with Riley for a while. We got home super late and the boys were totally worn out but we all had a good time.
After realizing that all of Aiden's pencils for school had to be sharpened, I got an electric sharper because I have better things to do than sharpen 40 pencils by hand. The boys had a blast sharpening all the pencils for Aiden's class so it worked out perfect.
Aiden had orientation at his school on Monday. We got to meet his teacher (who is fabulous). There are 3 pods of tables in Aiden's room of 4 students each but she's got more students than that so 2 students sit at this big table in the back corner. That's Aiden table. I actually think he likes because it's less people to 'bother' him and he's on the left side so no one to bump elbows with (he's a lefty). His 'First day of kindergarten' pictures crack me up because it was just starting to sprinkle and he just wouldn't let it go (hence the hand being held out to 'see if it was raining still'). After meeting his teaching, seeing where he was going to sit, and having some questions answered, he was all ready to start the next day.
I then dropped Eli off at his new daycare. Eli was so sad. He didn't know anybody and his big brother was not there for the first time ever (they've almost always gone to the same daycare). Eli was crying and it broke my heart. I was fine with Aiden but Eli made me get a little tear in my eye hearing him cry like that when I left. I called a few hours later to check on him and he did great.
As a "great job" reward for their first days, we wen to see Planes. They loved it and had a blast. The motorcycles on the way out were too enticing not to stop by and try out though. I am fine with that as long as they don't expect me to give them money for those crazy things. :) 
All this excitement was just too much for Aiden. He crashed on the way home from the movies. Little stinker Eli won't nap for me at home but he slept for 2 hrs at daycare. (He's been sleeping about 2 hrs almost everyday since he started now)
I've been working a little project: A menu for Aiden. I am determined to not let Aiden eat yogurt and some carb for every lunch so here is my attempt at a balanced lunch and letting him choose things but still having variety. Thus we have Aiden's lunch menu. I google imaged a bunch of things that I know Aiden will eat (lots of carby snacks and fruit) and then researched some ideas that other parents had for lunches. His only rules are that once he uses a card (a food), he can't use it anymore. This forces variety and for him to try new things. He's made up a banana burrito so far (1 half of a sandwich thin with peanut butter and a banana half wrapped inside) and has chosen things for his menu that normally are an issue for him to eat at home (salad, cucumber, peppers, etc). I was so excited that he chose this for his menu but here is the real kicker: I'm not telling him anything regarding how much of his lunch he is supposed to eat and he's still eating a great portion of the items he normally won't even eat for me at home!!!! AWESOME!
The other really cool thing is that he makes most of his own lunch the night before. Here he is putting peanut butter on his crackers. It's great because he's learning how to use butter knives and sharper knives for fruit and vegetables (yes I am supervising him). He puts on exactly how much peanut butter he wants so I don't have to hear complaints of how I put too much on and it came out the sides or that there wasn't enough. He actually gets excited to make his lunch!! I never thought that would happen. He's also finding ways for little brother to help. Tonight he let Eli scoop in the Chex mix in the container while Aiden was putting nuts in his other container. I'm loving this. He makes the menu on Saturday so I can make sure I have the stuff and if I don't have something then I take the card out so he can't choose it. This week we had to shuffle a few things around (switching fruits for a day and a vegetable another day) but he's just fine with it. 
Aiden has been adapting really well. He got his first V (very good) for conduct last Friday and was super excited. He LOVES taking the bus to and from school and just got assigned seats today and is really excited about that. He loves his seat right by the driver :)
My little man getting on the bus to go to school. Eli goes with me sometimes to wait with Aiden for his bus but then Eli gets sad once Aiden gets on and starts crying. We are all still adjusting. 
On Saturday we wanted to go have some fun down by the amenity center. He are Nana and Aiden up in the treehouse. We all played putt putt and the boys had fun. Aiden played the course about 3 times I think although he never waited for us to finish hole together. I think Eli and I were on Hole 4 and Aiden had finished all 9 and was starting over again. 
Eli ended up just preferring to watch other people play because he just found it too hard. 
I thought we still needed some exercise so we became race cars and raced around the putt putt golf holes. That was actually a lot of fun. I wanted to take a cute picture of the boys and I before we left but I tired them out so much that Eli (green shirt) wouldn't do anything that I asked him to do and Aiden (white shirt) just wanted to tell us each letter written on his shirt.
I start school on Monday!!! I will be teaching at Jacksonville University as well as the College of Southern Maryland. I'm so so so excited to be back in the classroom this semester although this fall semester is going to stink pretty much because I have to commute there (about 1 hr each way) on MWF and fight morning traffic and drop Eli off crazy early at daycare. After 2 weeks of getting adjusted to school, things are going to get even crazier as I go back to work and my schedule will impact all of us. We miss you so much Brad!!! As Aiden prays every night, "Please let daddy do well on his school work so that he can hurry and come home."
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