wordless Wednesday...recent Jaden art...

(click on images to enlarge)

xoxo,
sharon

Pinewood Derby 2011

Pinewood Derby car Den & Pack races
1/22/11

Curtis is super handy around the house...a killer electrician! but when it comes to wood-working, not so much ;0) i helped Jaden create a derby car last year & he did pretty well...even earned "best craftsmanship" for the Pack

but this year, i enlisted the help of Grandpa (my dad)...he not only helped Jaden carve/sand his car...but also taught him the names of all the tools they used, & how to safely operate them (with adult supervision of course!)...it sounds like it was not only fun for the both of them...but some really great kiddo/grandfather bonding time!

after it was all built & ready to go, i had Jaden give it a paint job at home...of course, it couldn't be any color other than blue! ;0) this year's car was named "the green dragon" & looked super fast!

Jaden won all 3 heats in his Den race...putting him at 1st place for the Webelos! then there was a 5-way tie for 3rd place in the Pack races...Jaden was beat out in the run-off for that - but was still thrilled about his Den win!

i knew you'd help Jaden create a winner, Grandpa...thanks!!!

xoxo,
sharon

ps. Jaden will get a trophy, & we'll find out who won the "best craftsmanship" award at the Blue & Gold banquet next month...we can't wait!

trophies...& again, so NOT twins!

they were so proud to earn these! :0)

& Jaden was so upset that he wasn't awarded one! :0( but it's ok...he has his own plaques & awards to be proud of...it just takes a reminder every now & then ;0)

can u believe we still get asked if the girls are twins?! seriously! just happened at the ceremony the other night...by a mother of another cheerleader...still blows my mind!

i mean, i totally understood why we'd get asked when they were much smaller (we were asked almost every. single. time. we went out, when they were age 2/3 thru about 5/6)...there's only 15months in age between them...& for a long time, they were very close in size...of course, folks that get to know them have no question - it's easy to tell them apart...even their personalities are totally different...but i've never thought they look the same in the face either - totally different eyes, noses & mouths if u ask me!

yes, they've had similar builds & hair styles since they were toddlers...even dress alike a lot of the time...but within the last year or so - their heights have become so different...Corinn is this bony little petite thing - our "Skinny Rinny"...& Gabrielle is so sturdy - solid as a rock! they strive to have different styles now - only occasionally wanting to mirror one another...& the older they get, the more different they look to me in the face too!

i guess i'm their Mama...i see their beautiful faces daily...hourly...sometimes minute by minute...& they are sisters...that are very close in age...that look very similar...& have the same crazy-frizzy head of locks that they refuse to let their Mama brush...

but twins?! come on!

my son, the werewolf...

Jaden's current obsession (well, has been for the last few months) is Werewolves...this year, he even changed his Halloween costume plans...which in itself, is HUGE! the boy plans his costumes a year or 2 in advance...& he usually sticks to those plans no matter what! just after Halloween last year, his Vampire obsession began - so that was to be his costume this year...well, his love for Werewolves trumped that, & he surprisingly switched! here's his costume that is currently in route to our home...he's gonna freak when he sees it!

& if u know Jaden, then u know he's SO gonna rock that costume! ;0)

anyway, Jaden was beside himself last night...cause u know there was a full moon, right?! seriously, did u see the moon last night?! i walked the dog...at 9pm...with no flashlight! it was THAT bright!

Jaden couldn't sleep...he just stared out his window, probably dreaming about his "real" parents that i hear so much about lately...wanna hear the story?

(Jaden's drawing of him as a werepup, with his real parents)

well, when Jaden was just a "werepup", an evil scientist took his parents away...they were put inside the scientist's rocket ship & started flying off into space...Jaden tried to run & catch them, but couldn't...he watched the rocket fly away, sad & waving...
(imagine Jaden telling this story...even tho he gets that it's just pretend play...he actually tears up when talking about how much he misses his real parents)

(Jaden, as a werepup, playing in the mud...i guess these were happier days, when his real parents were still around ~lol~)

Jaden was then cold & alone, huddled by a dumpster, when Curtis & i found him...we brought him home & raised him as our own...to this day, Jaden is still on the hunt for that evil scientist - he wants to kick his butt & find out where his real parents are...then, when he's eventually reunited with his werewolf parents, they'll come live with us too...that way Jaden doesn't have to leave home ;0)

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related...

wanna see some more recent Jaden art? it's been a while...so here ya go...
(click the pics to enlarge)

*note - my brother noticed that Jaden would tape several pieces of paper together, so that he'd have a huge sheet to work on...so for his 10th birthday, Joe got him one of those huge sketch pads (it's like 11"x14")...as u can see (above), Jaden will still use 2 sheets to create an even bigger picture...i don't think it matters how big the sheets are, they'll never be big enough! ;0)

tear...

Jaden had a REALLY rough day at school Tuesday...thankfully, i got a call from his resource teacher (special ed) before picking him up from daycare - so i was able to hear all about it from her first (since Jaden tends to leave out details...i usually only get bits of the story - & of course, bits from his side only)

it started with group work in her room...the 4 boys in Jaden's group were to answer some questions together...& if they didn't agree, they were to discuss it until they all came to the same conclusion...well once, Jaden's answer was different than the other 3...he was sure of his answer, so wouldn't budge - & come to find out the other 3 boys were right & he was wrong - ugh! Jaden hates to mess up! especially if he's the only one wrong...he put his head down & quietly started to cry :0(

then, in Math class (his best subject)...he went to the smartboard to answer a question - again, sure of his answer...only to sit down, & have the next kid go up & correct his answer, because it was wrong...again, total devastation & tears :0(

the day continued to suck...he misplaced the new dragon chapter book he's been reading (which he'd much rather read, instead of the Cam Jansen book he's assigned to right now)...small thing to most kiddos - but not so much for Jaden :0(

then at daycare, this one girl (who constantly picks on Jaden & is gonna get a beat down from me if she doesn't cut it out! ok, i'm kidding...ok, maybe i'm not ~lol~) started her crap, & was bullying Jaden...the daycare workers stopped it (again), but the damage had already been done & his feeling were hurt :0(

when i picked him up, he was in a somber mood...not really upset, but not his happy-go-lucky self...the girls had cheerleading practice, so i took advantage of the alone time with Jaden to concentrate on his homework - which was more studying, than anything...studying is always rough - because Jaden has a hard time retaining facts that are of no interest to him...so of course, when i quiz him - he answers wrong a majority of the time...which only makes him more & more frustrated - & less & less willing to try :0(

he finally put his head in his hands & started to tear up...he says, "geez! i'm just not smart enough."

i immediately responded with, "Bub, you are too! you are SO smart! just because u don't know all the answers, all the time, doesn't mean u're not smart!" i tried telling him about all the amazing things he can do - like memorize lines to movies & songs, after only hearing them one time...& being able to pick up music by ear, & play it on his keyboard...& learn all these cool facts about aliens, & robots, & ocean life...& he knows more about dragons than any other person i know! & how wild his imagination is - that he's able to come up with such crazy, fun stories...& how he can draw such unbelievable pictures! i told him that it takes smarts to do all those things!

i'd hoped it would help a little - he usually enjoys talking about the things that he loves, & is good at...& tell me - how do u explain to a 10yr old that he's just as good as his peers? when the reason he struggles is because he's physically wired differently than his peers?!

then he says, "i just wish i could ask a scientist to make me a robotic brain...so i was smart like everyone else."

tear :0(

Cub Scout camping...

Saturday, Curtis went to pick Corey up bright & early...he came to spend the day with us, & that he did - from 8am until about 10pm that night! i think he must miss his brother & get a little bored on the weekends now...fine by us - that just means we get to see him more! :0)

that afternoon, we headed to camp Brethren Woods to spend the day with the Scouts...first, there was swimming for a few hours...

the kiddos really loved having Corey along...he's so great with them too - loves playing with em & teaching em new things...he's also super helpful to Curtis & i! we had a great time checking out his awesome diving board skills!

he encouraged the girls (who are normally nervous about the diving board & take lots of coaxing to work up the nerve to jump off) to just go for it...& pretty soon, they were trying out some tricks too! ~lol~

but my favorite part was watching him throw the kiddos around in the water...i remember begging my dad to do this to me when i was little...i bet it's fun having a strong big bro ;0)

we also got to do some fishing at the "lake"

& there were a few canoes & a paddle boat to play in too!

the rain showed up right around dinner time...but luckily, it was mostly just sprinkles

& we didn't let it stop us from taking a family hike...actually, we learned the forest makes a pretty good umbrella! ;0)

because Curtis had to work that evening, & i had a cake order to fill (plus 2 girls to watch), Jaden didn't get to stay over at the camp with the rest of his den...he was fine with that tho - happy to go home & set up his tent for some backyard camping instead

the girls had fun playing in the tent while there was still daylight...& of course, making some wild mushroom "soup" to eat at their "camp site"...but they had absolutely no interest in sleeping in the tent after dark!

i wondered if Jaden would mind going at it alone...i blew up an air mattress & got him all cozy inside...then Curtis went out for a bit when he got home from work - but Jaden almost insisted Curt go inside after about a half hour or so! i think he was interested in seeing if he could do it alone too ;0)

he woke up around 7am on Sunday & came inside...he woke me, to let me know he was up, then proceeded to fix himself some cereal...i asked him how it went, & he replied "well." ~lol~ so when he asked to do it again on Sunday night, i was like why not?! i snapped the above pic of him reading in his tent around 9pm...i went back out at 9:30 to check on him again & he was fast asleep with his light turned out!!!

if u know Jaden, u know that he sleeps very little (classic autistic trait)...he takes forever to go to sleep, & is up before the sun most days! something about that tent must soothe him (or confuse his body about what time it really is)...i was tempted to let him continue to sleep out there if he was that comfortable, but for now, we're only allowing it on the weekends (no school nights)

since Curtis felt a little guilty about the whole Jaden not being able to camp out with the Scouts thing, he did some sucking up on Sunday & took us all to the pool (a place the kiddos NEVER get tired of!)...we picked the perfect time to go too - we got there just as they opened & we were the ONLY ones for the first hour or so!

it was fun, having the whole pool to ourselves...& it also gave the girls a chance to practice their tricks off the diving board some more...it's too bad the summer is coming to an end - just as they're getting really comfortable with swimming in the deep end...oh well, i guess we've got something to look forward to for next summer!