Famille Du Pentium

Aaron has been playing basketball with the MNASR Wildcats team, and today was the “finals” game to determine if their team went to the championships.

I won’t keep you in suspense, they didn’t win, but given the difference in skill levels between the two teams, they did a very good job and Aaron was a key player on the team – everyone was cheering for him!  He scored first, preventing a shutout, and was strong on defense and fast break offense.

The blurry mobile phone pictures are HERE.  Enjoy!

UPDATE: Yes, the pictures are blurry, and it’s hard to tell who is Aaron.  He’s wearing a purple uniform, number 13.

Aaron performed a duet with his band teacher, who also happens to be a world-class trombone player, at the Barnes & Noble bookstore at Old Orchard shopping center yesterday.  This was Aaron’s first real public performance; he’s performed solo at (private) competitions before (and won), and he’s performed with his band in public performances (at school).   Just one good picture, so no “gallery” link, I just posted it below.  Click on the picture to see a bigger one.

… And belated Thanksgiving!

We did the usual – driving around from house to house.  This year, the Humphries dinner was at the Kiesel’s, and the Dolnick dinner was at Marshall & Marcia’s.  Turkey and all the accompaniments was had by all, and we arrived home late and full (sans Aaron, who is sleeping over at Bubbe & Zaydie’s.)

Did all my “Black Friday” shopping online – much, much less than usual of course, given the circumstances this year.  But I did get a few things that Marla and the kids have been wanting, dirt cheap.  And I didn’t get up at 4:00 AM to do it – all online, last night, before I went to bed.

This post is late – Aaron’s first quarter ended earlier this month, and I’m just now catching up on some of this stuff.

Aaron achieved High Honors and perfect attendance in the first scholastic quarter at his Jr. High school.   The awards pictured below may seem kinda cheesy, but what’s behind them is a lot of work – maintaining an A average, including taking two honors classes and second year spanish (without taking first year), while playing Junior Varsity Soccer, AYSO Soccer, Jr. Wildcats Basketball, plus playing first chair Trombone in their Concert Band.

So the awards below mean a lot more than a couple of ribbons pinned to a door. 🙂

Aaron's Scholastic Awards

Aaron’s school Concert Band performed on Thursday night.  This band is really starting to sound good – great timing, music flow, and overall sound.  I would not be surprised if Aaron ends up in the Symphonic Band next year, and I predict that they will go to SuperState.  Well, anyway, HERE‘s Aaron performing!

A class field trip was canceled three weeks ago, and rescheduled for today.  Justin’s kindergarten class went to Lincoln Park Zoo, and I – having mucho time on my hands – went with them, to chaperon the kids.  In my group was Justin, Noah (our next door neighbor), and Darren.  We saw most of the zoo, my feet are killing me.  Pictures are HERE.

Today the kids had the day off for Veterans Day, and it also happened to be a “free day” at the Field Museum (everyone gets in free).  So, we took the kids there.  Checked out Sue, the nearly 100% complete dinosaur that was uncovered in an archeological dig, and some other fun stuff like a real Ancient Egyptian tomb and a bunch of (dead) animals.

Not a great deal of pictures, but here they are.

All three kids take a swimming class in the fall, winter, and spring at the park district.

Here they are swimming.

Having some extra time on my hands lately, I helped out at my middle son’s class Halloween party.   It was a blast, I helped them make mouses (strawberries, almond slices, raisins with peanut butter, and individual strands of twizzlers),  ghosts (half bannanas and peanut butter with raisins), and broomsticks (pretzle sticks with cut up fruit roll-ups). Then, the kids put on a dance party for the parents.  After that was the Halloween parade around the school.

I feel lucky to get to watch some kids events that I wouldn’t normally be able to.  I also took pictures that I wouldn’t normally be able to, enjoy them.

Well we’re four weeks into the 2009-2010 AYSO season, and I haven’t posted any pictures of the games.  But I’ve just set up a gallery, and there’s one PIC… the kids in their uniforms.  I’ll post more if I take any ;-).