What's Austin up to?

This week is Austin's full week out of school. He is loving the freedom and I have to say it isn't nearly as bad having him home as I thought it would be! I didn't think it would be bad necessarily to actually have him home...I thought it would be hard to keep a balance between 'work' and play for him. It hasn't been hard at all. He does what he is asked with very little complaint and in turn he gets to do the things he wants to do. I have had to let go a little about keeping him under my eye at all times, but at almost 11 years old I think he was ready for it! His favorite routine for the day is: up by 9 (I don't let him sleep any later-I send Kezzie upstairs to wake him up!-is that mean?), eat breakfast while he watches a little TV, get swim trunks on and call a nearby friend (he has about 4 friends available to him), together they head to a creek up the street a ways (he isn't ever allowed to go alone and the deepest point in the creek is about 2-3 feet), at the creek they spend their time catching tadpoles and frogs along with minnows (Austin's tank is up to 6 tadpoles-that's the max I am allowing and that's only because after the initial two he brought home he next came home with four more-sly booger), after the creek he usually comes home to eat lunch (that's when I hit him with things I want done!), then he is off to the pool where he spends the afternoon with friends usually from about 1:30-4/5 (the pool closes at 5 so he has to come home by then!). It's really nice to get a rainy day because then I actually get to spend some time with him! These aren't the only things he is staying busy with though. Right away this week he has started his trumpet lessons and golf lessons and he continues to stay busy with baseball as well. Trumpet lessons started on Monday morning and will go just to the end of June. He will start band in 5th grade so to give him a head start his band instructor is offering band lessons at no charge. I must say I am really impressed with how well he has caught on to the notes and tones of music. He must be a natural! In the beginning this was a forced thing meaning I was making him participate but after each lesson he has been to the comments keep getting better from him ("this is way funner then I thought it would be!" and "I never thought I would do this good!") At his second lesson he actually got to play along with a gal coming in for her lesson on the drums. The teacher played the piano, Austin on the trumpet and this girl on the drums. It sounded great! I think it made him feel like he was making music and he liked it! On Thursday Austin started golf lessons (see photo of his group). This is also a free service offered at the NH country club. He has only had one lesson so far and doesn't know anybody yet so he felt like it was boring his first time going. Hopefully this will get better as the season goes on. He does love to golf but basically just likes to get on the course and give it his best. I think it will be good for him to get some instruction from somebody other then Brian! Baseball is almost over. He has two games left. Currently his team is undefeated! Way to go Austin!