Swimmer or Ballerina... only time will tell.

I think she'll keep doing both as long as it stays interesting... or as long as I force her to go to classes. If Aidan decides she wants to do something else or stop I am sure I will let her. Like I mentioned before, the swim lessons are on hold until the pool opens up in the summer. I was online buying some speedos for myself and a new swim cap and found these kids goggles so I bought them in anticipation for the next round of swim lessons. Aidan was so excited with the package coming in the mail that she wanted to pull everything out of the box. At first she was excited to see the goggles, but did not want them out of the package. The next morning while I was at the computer she started to dig in the box and take things out. She was so excited and wanted to put everything on... thus the picture opportunity presented itself. These are quite comedic since you can see her Christmas candy cane pajamas instead of a bathing suit.

A bit of contemplation before the finals...

Greeting her adoring fans...

Some excitement...

And the fans go wild as the swimmer takes her first gold at the 2024 Olympic games...

(This one is particularly funny because I have pictures of cousin Morgan making the same face.)

"I'd like to thank all my peeps for the support it took to get me here today and to achieve my dream of winning gold at the Olympics..."

(I think she needs to spit in her goggles to stop them from fogging up so much.)

Aidan's next surprise were her clothes for ballet class. She has been looking at the other girls all dressed up in their tutus, leotards and dancing shoes. She has been stuck wearing her stretch pants, a tee shirt, and socks. Jason brought home the mail and there were her long awaited ballet clothes. I had just gone upstairs to check on Aidan, only to find she had migrated from her bedroom to mine and was hiding under the blankets. We were playing around when Jason came in with the box and Aidan was still playing around, but once the shoes and tutu came out she was hard to control. She wanted to put everything on right then and there. We tried on everything minus the second pair of tights... and to my good fortune everything fit. The shoes are just right so I will have to buy more of those soon since Aidan has rapidly growing feet. She was so excited that she ran to the hallway and started doing her dance routine from class. Tiptoeing her way down stairs for a photo shoot to post here for all to see. There is much more to the cute little exercises they do in class, and I will try to get in there one day when Aidan is more dedicated and actually videotape the class. But for now, here is one of her ballet outfits and her new moves.

Just a bit of a cheese here... but getting ready to show off her new gear.

Now open foot stance...

And closed...

Kneeling on the floor for sit up/downs...

A smile and a twirl...

Some tiptoeing...

A bow...

And finally, a curtsy.

And that is about all for the pictures. We have been slowly unpacking our stuff that arrived last Friday and Monday. Trying to find a place for everything and still being able to move around has been difficult. I still don't know how to hang our paintings since the walls are all cement... (any suggestions as to placing nails for hangings would be appreciated) and I have never had that situation before. Most everything got here undamaged... a few chips and scratches, a DVD player malfunction, and some things have to be put back together (the bikes and Burley are in pieces). We were stuck with our shipment and the loaner furniture for the whole weekend, making the house overly crowded, but they picked it all up on the day of the last drop-off. So, all the dishes are being rewashed, books and keepsakes unpacked, and packing material recycled. Usually it only takes me a few days to do it by myself, but Aidan is home and always trying to help or just seeing something she wants at the bottom of a box, that things end up everywhere. We're also waiting to see a dentist because that first fall Aidan had may have damaged her front tooth. We noticed that it was slightly discolored the other day and tried to brush it, but it is still looking like something was wrong. Maybe they can do a root canal to save the tooth for a couple years otherwise she'll look like Alfred E. Neuman from MAD magazine. Well, I am not too worried either way, just that we find out what is wrong. I know I have rambled on enough and this post is getting seemingly endless so I will say goodbye for now. Until next time, Ciao.

As Promised...

I have been waiting all week for a nice enough day to get out and take a few pictures. I carry my camera in the car just in case. The weather fluctuates so much, that I haven't been able to get out of the car and take any. Today I was lucky enough to snap a few on the drive to base. I have also been waiting for a day when these little yellow flowers were open. They aren't always open and I've noticed it doesn't necessarily have to be sunny. Maybe it is a temperature thing. But when they do open, the fields are covered in a blanket of yellow. In contrast with the oranges on the trees, the flowers are so vibrant. It is so beautiful. I also tried to get some of Mount Etna, but there have been clouds covering it everyday. The weather here can be so strange... It will be stormy and hailing on one part of the base, and drive five minutes away and it is sunny and dry.

Today, the volcano was hidden by a huge black storm cloud.

Other than that, not much has been going on here. Our household goods that were to arrive on the 11th of February have been delayed until the end of the month. We are doing okay though. We gave away so much stuff before we left that we have just been buying those things to get by because we expected we would need them sooner than they would get here. Pots, pans, utensils, bowls, cups, etc. We got our new dinner table today... a real dinner table. I also picked up some Mosaic and terracotta bowls from a vendor, they were handmade in Kenya. We got some area rugs because the tile floors are brutal. Not only are they freezing cold, but Aidan has already fallen twice and smacked her head. Aidan has a new big girl bed that she just loves. Unfortunately for me, they don't have much of a selection for bedding and she got Disney Princesses instead of Batman. She did however get to have the bathroom designed to her liking... Monkeys all around: shower curtain, floor mat, hand towel, soap dispenser and toothbrush holder, and waste basket. She loves having her own stuff.

Ballet class is going better, but the time conflicts with Aidan's nap. She has been off the past couple weeks. We are also on the wait list for daycare so she can be with other kids. She sees the CDC when we go to base and she asks to go to class and play with her new friends. It is so hard to tell her she can't go right now. She has one friend that we see every so often. His family was on the flight with us all the way from Philadelphia. Since our car got here, we have been taking their family grocery shopping... the newbies have to stick together. Aidan goes out to the playground next to our house and plays... she likes to try and play with the older kids from our neighborhood. Most of them are pretty nice to her and say hi. We also got Aidan a soccer ball to play in the soccer field out back. Our unit is in a pretty good location, but it has its low points. We are happy with it though.

Well, that is about all that is new for us right now. I have to wait until our shipment gets in to apply for any work... all my documents are in boxes. Even when they get here, it can take months to be placed. I will keep my hopes up and have all the papers ready to turn in when I get my stuff. I am hoping for a position at the high school or middle school. It will probably be administrative, but maybe I can take on some substitute teaching. I will keep everyone updated. Until next time... Ciao.

The Beginning of Our Adventures...

Well, I have finally gone and done it... I have joined my family in the evil art of blogging. We have arrived in Sicily and are getting settled. Our belongings haven't arrived yet, but they should be along shortly. We are doing some fun activities. Aidan has started ballet class with several other girls around her age. I don't think she quite understands that she is supposed to do what everyone else is doing. Instead of dancing today, she wanted to sweep the studio. I am sure she'll get the idea after going to the class a couple more times. We had to put her swimming on hold until summer because the pool isn't open to youth in the winter. Jason is settling in at his new job. He is still working nights, but that should change soon. I am trying to find things to do other than be on the computer or on the couch at home. I have taken up the challenge of driving... and it truly is a challenge with the way Italians drive. I have gotten lost in two of the small historic towns nearby, gone to the castle in Motta Sant Anastasia, shopped in the market in Catania, and walked through Etnapolis (a mall) in Misterbianco. So far we have eaten out at several resaurants and have nothing bad to say about the local cuisine. Suprisingly, the pistacchio sauce has been the best. Hopefully this weekend we are going to go out and drive somewhere... Messina, Palermo, Syracusa... who knows. There is so much to do here and so many planned activities that we can take advantage of. I will try to get some pictures of the local scenery posted soon. Until next time...