Sunday night the boys were watching football and I was watching Modern Family on the computer with a headset until I grew another head and we shared.

Earlier in the morning we created a car show with Boyd's 18 hand created and designed cars. They each have a special name. Love his creativity.

Today we added our first pet to the family. Welcome Blue the Beta fish. Also, Boyd asked me not to flush him when he died. Let's hope he loves the bowl we bought and decorated for him and he lives a long happy fish life.

His compassion, patience and care for others. Sometimes I feel like he struggles in this area and then there are moments where he shows it so completely that it blows me away. He loves having Mamitu staying with us. He has accepted her and makes her feel like one of the family. He is so patient with the language barrier and a wonderful teacher with new games and fun. 

The number of reasons I love Boyd keeps on growing.

Creativity. He made Usain Bolt out of K nexs.

He appreciates one on one time. Feeling like schedules were crazy and missing Boyd being home on break I scheduled a date with him after school for hot chocolate. It means the world to both of us and reentered us on 2017 and what really matters.

Family time. Family date night was scheduled for Friday and we went bowling. Boyd was beaming the whole time. I was a terrible bowler but he loved me just the same.

I told him when he sleeps he still looks like the baby in utero and as an infant so he told me to take a picture of him pretending to sleep. 

Beyond blessed with people and things in our lives. This arrived from our nanny, Priyanthi, who watched and loved Boyd when we lived in Falls Church. A new remote control car that even drives on the walls. It is so cool. 

Snow 2017

So, Boyd loves snow and after the blizzard of 2016 he expects every snow to be epic. He was a little disappointed with our first snow of the season but that didn't deter him from sledding and playing in it with friends the majority of the day. Love out neighborhood by the way. Yes, they were sledding in the road in the morning and then the hills in the afternoon. 

Snow runner.

To say he was obsessed with making and throwing snow was an understatement.

Part of the snow crew. They couldn't get enough.

This is a terrible idea and I cringed the entire time shouting you need a helmet but fortunately one safe ride down was enough.

Boyd's first hunting experience

Getting geared up.

This post is full of surprises. Our animal loving child who won't even let people order lobster at dinner went Pheasant hunting. Shocking I know. Even more shocking, he loved it. Our dear neighbor, Doug, across the street had invited Adam on and annual hunting outing after Christmas. Boyd had been invited but we declined. The  morning of I was talking to Boyd about our day, which to be honest wasn't fun (a crazy mommy work day),  when he suddenly said, "I want to go hunting with Dad." Adam and I exchanged looks like ehh what do you think and I spoke up saying he would have to ask Mr. Doug since he had arranged the trip and it was very last minute. Well, Boyd did and Mr. Doug was thrilled. He pulled out all his son Sloan's old gear (he actually said he had already pulled it thinking Boyd would have fun with it and his nerf gear). The boys were all pumped. Then Boyd came home and started getting cold feet. I told him he couldn't back out now because everyone was counting on him and were all excited. We read a new book from Santa about facing problems and seeing them as opportunities (social stories work people) and he was feeling better about the idea. Adam helped him get ready and as soon as he grabbed his lunch pail and headed across the street, I felt like he had grown up 5 years. He was one of the guys. I thought he might cry, puke, tantrum, or spoil the trip but low and behold I received the following pictures from Adam and the report that he loved it. My sensory challenged child actually held a dead pheasant and let them put one down his overall-disgusting but huge.  When he got home he couldn't stop talking about the trip and how Sloan had shot one in the head and he saw brain, etc. He wanted to go again the next day.  True he wasn't doing the shooting but he sure proved me wrong and we have at least a pheasant hunter on our hands. A huge thank you to Doug and Adam for being brave enough to take them with them and props to Boyd for shocking us all (Tammie, Doug's wife was equally surprised). 

The first photo I received from Adam. Look at that look on his face.

Then this one with Mr. Doug. My mouth dropped. Pheasant in hand.

I have no idea what they are doing to that bird.

That face. The crew of kids that went along with their dad's (minus Sloan who made the grown up status). Adam said he thought having all the other kids around probably made a huge difference in his attitude and experience.

Pheasant hunting is exhausting. Boyd fell asleep while I was reading James and the Giant Peach.