Life has been so busy over the last 2 months. All 3 boys have sports going on- Aidan had the end of football, Kalle is swimming (see pictures below) and Tito has started work outs for baseball.
Last update was 31Oct, so let me catch you up. The varsity football team won the league championship on 01Nov. Pictures of the repgame are included. it was senior night, so all the seniors (12th graders) in football, band, and cheerleading were honored prior to the game.
My boys are over there somewhere.
Saturday, 02Nov, we volunteered with the scouts to do highway clean up. I was with the mommas (and younger boys) and the older boys were with the dads. My team finished first 
Tito decided that he needed to wear his Halloween costume to the games. Now, lets be frank here, his goal was to mock the catholic religion by dressing as Jesus. He was looking for people to be upset with him- but that backfired, I did not react and he was cheered regularly when people saw him. Definitely not the reaction he was expecting at all.
On the 3rd, we had open house and the boys were asked to be present to talk about being an exchange student. they did a great job representing AFS to perspective families. We talked about doing a GAP year (between high school and university) for current students while talking to families about hosting students
Tito and Kalle took some time to go visit other school organizations during open house- so they could determine other places to join in and meet students.
posing with the LaSalle Lancer (mascot)
Aidan was a tour guide for potential new students. he looks so handsome.
We also saw some of our other friends being tour guides. 
Kalle and I talking. I had to be there with the boys to present from a family perspective what it was like. We had 4 hours of volunteer time.
that night, we got our first snow of the season- UGHHHH
During the lead up to Thanksgiving, the school collects food donations for the local food pantries. Each of the boys is expected to work at least one night. This is a picture of Kalle with some of the other swimmers on the night the swim team volunteered together.
Pablo- as the cat dog
Choices of grey- we are painting the green in Aidan's room. He wants grey to cover the green and then a scarlet red stripe over the dark green. Yes, he is making his room into a shrine to Ohio State University (OSU). He picked the top right grey- it is light enough that it should not make his room too dark.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Aidan, Kalle and I went to the zoo to see the festival of lights. Tito went downtown with another friend.
As it was raining, we pretty much had the zoo to ourselves.
Happiness is a warm fire!!
I love the colors and lights.
Me and most of my boys
they are so happy to be standing with the penguin
Sunset in the backyard
Tito at Kalle's first swim meet.
Kalle preparing to swim
these are pictures from the school photographer. She is at every school event 
Thanksgiving morning, the boys scouts set up for tree sales. Yep- all 3 of my boys are there.
Happy boys- doing boy things.
Thanksgiving set up- veggie trays on the smaller table
the big table for everyone
thanksgiving dinner
the family
the rest
Christmas tree set up and lit up Thanksgiving eve
Black Friday shopping with the boys- we went to the outlet mall. they wanted to go, so 4:30 am wake up for them, then shopping, then breakfast, then the trees arrived at the tree sale (they had to help unload the trees), and finally we worked our first tree sale shift that late morning. My boys came home and napped after all this.
trees on the lot
unloading
I got our Christmas lights put up while the boys were unloading the trees. I don't help do that since I hurt my shoulder 3 years ago- it is too much for me. But I help at the tree sales- pulling trees, getting trees set up, etc.
decorations are on the tree.
and on the piano
and the book case
and stockings are hung
Pablo taking a rest on his toy
we had to work 3 shifts at the tree sales, so this is us on Monday night, in the rain.
cutting trees
loading trees onto customers' cars
Aidan made the ad for giving Tuesday at his school.
while all of that was going on, the football team was winning games leading to the state championship. So Thursday, 05Dec, we headed north for the division 2 state championship. School ended early, the boys got lunch at home while I finished up by noon and then we left for Canton. With stopping to drop Pablo off at Laura and Darrell's and stopping to stretch our legs, we got to Canton and the hotel just before 5 and were at dinner with friends by 5:30. 
The team we were playing was 8 miles from the stadium. they had over 10,000 fans in the stadium. we had about 1,000 fans. In the end, we were the loudest as our Lancer beat the other team 34-17.!!!!!!!
that is the other side of the stadium
Me- we were right behind the bench.
presentation of the trophy!!!!
Our Band- so thankful they came to cheer on the football team.
We stayed the night in Canton- I could not do 4 hours of driving to get us home that night. So I got up Friday morning and worked downstairs while the boys slept. I was thinking breakfast ended at 11, but it ended at 10 am, so the boys missed breakfast because they were hanging out in the hotel room/swimming. I had to get them breakfast before we headed home. This is Kalle's breakfast- 2 big macs, 2 cheeseburgers, 4 regular fries and 2 orders of nuggets (it is called a "brown's box" at this McDonald's).
I am just going to say it here- Kalle has a thing about beef- he wants it all the time- it is his choice of food. He also prefers junk food- he will not choose healthy options (fruits/veggies) even if they are present. This is problematic with swimming- his coaches have told him "no soft drinks" but Kalle will not stop getting soft drinks or choosing donuts as a snack. I have said my piece to him and I will leave it at that.
Working our last sale (14Dec2019)
student section from the state championship. you can see Tito just behind the white cheer cone.
On 08Dec, I went out for a mom's night out/Christmas party. this is with the group of mom's who all have children adopted from Guatemala
It seems a number of us are dealing with kids who are struggling with school. Aidan has been struggling since his season ended- he was failing 3 classes going into this week (Week of 20Dec). The semester ends this week and he has exams this week. he has to pass this week in order to pass for the year at this point. I foresee summer school for him- unfortunately.
4 moms talking about our kids and how to help them with school.
