Aidan’s trip to Fairview Lake
Dictated by Aidan to Fae tonight:
This was an extremely exciting trip for me, and it was emotionally stressful and took a whole lot of preparation, Knowing me, I get really anxious quickly and easily, but I had no anxiety at all during this trip.
The first day, Dad and I drove over to the school. He got my bag in and left, and I got on the bus and drove to Fairview Lake, in Sussex County, NJ. When we got there, I unpacked and ate lunch with a couple of my friends. Our first activity was teambuilding, and we did really well getting all the challenges done. After that was a hike to the 3rd highest point in NJ. I brought home a stick from the top. After dinner (, we played tennis, and then had a guest speaker who brought in birds. We then had snack and went to bed.
I was worried about falling asleep the first day, because it was pitch black and people were making weird noises. I fell asleep much more easily than I thought I would.
The next day I woke up, got dressed, went to the mess hall for breakfast, and then we went out to the lake for limnology (study of water). In the pouring rain, we went out on an open ferry in 40 degree weather. While we were out there, I froze my butt off and measured the depth of the lake with a stone tied to the end of a rope with numbers on it. It was 14 feet deep. When we came in, I couldn’t feel my legs. I ran around a little and felt better.
After that we had eco-art, making art out of things in nature. First I made my name out of sticks, then I knocked that down and made a bed out of sticks and leaves. We then ate lunch (turkey and mashed potatoes) and headed out to boating. Luckily, it had stopped raining. My friends Luka, Enlin, John and myself shared a boat. I really had to pee, so they dropped me off at the shore and didn’t come back when I was done. I got really bored, so I climbed up onto the lifeguard chair and watched everyone.
Next was forest ecology. We found two salamanders and named them Slimy and Slimy (it was my friend Matt’s idea). It started raining again, so we couldn’t hang out outside. We sat in our cabin and played charades. We went over to the mess hall for dinner (baked ziti and garlic bread, didn’t eat the ziti because I have an aversion to pasta). We had a party with live music (cough cough – the teachers). They had make-your-own sundaes, and I hung out with my friends. Then we played truth or dare [insert from Mom: it was innocent – in an all guy cabin…like “I dare you to sniff my sock” *whew*] and went to bed.
This morning, I woke up, got dressed, ate an amazing breakfast – pancakes, sausage, cold cereal, the whole shebang – and then we went to Survival and made stick forts on trees. After that we went to archery and I shot four bull’s-eyes! We loaded the busses and headed for home.
Still my little girl
Dear Peanut,
Um, excuse me miss. Who told you that you were allowed to grow up? TEN? You're not allowed to be TEN! I want a redo! No, I wouldn't change a thing, not one little bit, I just want to relive it all over again because it's been an amazing trip with you so far. This is you and me at around 3 weeks and 30 yrs respectively. I think I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with two! 
Just to go on record, the hat was not my idea. The storyteller we had for your 3rd birthday was cool as hell, but that hat is a bit much. You do look way too cute in it tho, sorry honey. This is TOTALLY coming out when you bring boys home.
Hanging out in Grammy's backyard, trying to look all cool n stuff. At this point we realized that you take great pics and tried to get you into modeling, but after a few weeks, decided not to. Not going to force you to do anything, even if it was your idea in the first place! 
"I want to be on TeeeVEEEEEE!"
The small hat incident. Everyone was buying a little something at this one store, and you HAD to have this hat. I think you outgrew it an hour later it was so small, but no one was going to be able to tell you otherwise. At this point you are 7 and you're still growing normally. We had a great time in Puerto Rico on this trip, you liked the ocean the best.
This is the school pic that was taken before we realized you had Celiac Disease. We were trying to fatten you up, put calories on you, help you to be healthy but nothing was working. You ate plenty, and it was all healthy, but you hadn't gained anything in over 2 years, at this point your teeth stopped coming in, your hair was not really growing, and you were getting horrible stomach aches. We took you to the doctor after cousin A was diagnosed and they said you had it as well. We put you on the adjusted diet and within days you felt better, weeks you looked better, and months you were mostly back to where you were before. Sorry, Mom wants to blame your height on the disease, I know it's just because she's only 4'10"
Lookin healthy, acting healthy, and feeling healthy. It's amazing what happens when you eat right and stop poisoning yourself This is at the pool this summer, you Aidan and your friends were going crazy in the pool, and this is about the 10th time you asked me to come in. Yeah, I did
Happy Birthday Peanut. You're growing into such an amazing young woman, I don't understand how quickly you've grown and changed and become this wonderful person that makes my life that much more amazing for being a part of it.
I love you,
Daddy