Ashton is Six & 9 months...

Yes HE keeps track :)

And it was pretty darn funny the other day when he had finally earned his new bike (he filled up his whole sticker chart) and we took him in to look for one, the guy helping us asked him how old he was and he said "Six & 9 months". Funny boy!

Anyway he was SO excited to put those last 2 stickers on his chart. He has been working really hard to earn a new bigger bike, and I have to say it has been a great motivater for him. I think we need to start a new chart to earn something else :)

It is a gear bike and he has figured it out and is loving it.

 Now he needs a new helmet...his old one still fits, but he has plain worn it out! The whole outer coating came off a few weeks ago.

A few more recent Ashton things I don't want to forget.  A few weeks ago it was a really stormy night, I had put him and Gunnar to bed and Lars was gone playing poker I think. Anyway Ashton is rarely ever scared of anything and never really asks me to come sleep with him. Well that night it was raining so hard and thunder and lightning and SO windy...he came out of his room really scared and wanted me to come lay with him, so I did and we just laid there and talked till it quieted down and he finally fell asleep. I treasured those moments with him because they really are so rare.

Then one night last week I went into his room to get him to bed and I noticed he'd found an old toe ring of mine and had it on his left ring finger and was calling it a "married ring". So I asked him if he ever wanted to get married some day, and he asked me "to who?" I said, I don't know, you'll meet a nice girl someday. To which he replied "No, I'll just marry you." So sweet :) Then he said, "I can, can't I Mom?" And I said, well no...It doesn't really work that way and he just kept saying, "No really, I really just want to marry you." Oh I love you Ashton!

We had your parent/teacher conference last week and I just have to say how proud we are of you. You are doing SO good in 1st grade. Your teacher Mrs. Rawlins had nothing but nice things to say about you and your report card was perfect! It is amazing how well you are reading too. I love that you love school and come home each day with good things to say about everything you did that day. And just like last year it has been so fun to get to know all the cute kids in your class and get to know your teacher.

You only have 1 more soccer game left and have been doing really well with it too. Last week you came home with a flyer about basketball starting soon and I've actually never seen you so excited about starting something new. It seems like in the past we've more talked you into the things you've tried. You can't stop talking about how you really want to play basketball! So I'm excited to get you signed up for it.

Last Monday was crazy hair day at school...You were so excited to have me spike your hair funny and spray paint it purple.

Of course Gunnar wanted to be just like you as always, so he went to school with spiked purple hair too and had his teachers wondering what the heck was going on!

Crazy to think that you will be 7 in 3 short months Ashton!
I found this picture that Daddy actually took of you sitting at one of Gunnar's kickball games (then I edited it) I love it! You are SO handsome!