Only two weeks in, and already November has been a powerhouse of a month. Of course, when you start off with a bang, it sets the tone for the next couple of weeks.
November 1st was Aden's one year anniversary at home in Providence. One year. Let me repeat: ONE YEAR! That's just crazy talk, in so many ways. It feels like he's been here for so much longer... part of that is tribute to what an amazingly social little guy he is, and how completely he has woven himself into our lives, and part of that is the sleep deprivation talking.
To celebrate the amazingness of this past year, we had out first annual Coming Home party for Aden on Saturday, the 1st. It was a fun little shindig, with balloons (courtesy of Papa Scott), traditional Guatemalan cuisine, a kay-ray-zee air-travel themed cake (courtesy of Gramma Leslie), and all sorts of fun. Aden and Julian both sported traditional Guatemalan vests for the occasion (though we all agreed that Julian's made him look Bavarian), and the grownups stayed until the wee hours toasting to Aden's health.
On the 2nd, we took a mellow trip to a local farm to let the dogs frolic. Aden took advantage of the day to dress up like a little Guatemalan gnome. Cuteness ensued.
And on the 5th, we got on a plane and flew down to Florida to stay with Nancy & Steve to get a much-needed break from the cold. Aden particularly loved the return of fun in the water, both at the beach and at Nancy & Steve's posh little backyard pool. In fact, he invented a new favorite game, which consisted of hanging onto the pool wall, counting to three (or, as he pronounces it, "muun... duuuuu... pree!") and flinging himself out into the water. He kept doing that, over and over, for about an hour, until we noticed his pre-hypothermic appearance, and brought him out to warm up.
All of those other months had better look sharp - November has set a precedent that's going to be tough to match!
