After School Archery Program

MAC & Senior Center, Edmond

Inside the MAC Center

rec room inside the MAC center

receiving instruction on proper form

testing the compound bow

waiting his turn

Archery ranges have whistle commands that help maintain order among the archers. Here are some of the whistle commands. These girls call them "tweets".

• Two tweets: archers may approach the shooting line.
• One tweet: archers may begin shooting.
• Three tweets: archers may retrieve their arrows.
• Four or more tweets: All archers must stop shooting immediately and put their arrows away.

TWEET!

Luke

Aiden and his friend, Luke, are participating in the after-school archery program at our local parks and rec center. They both have experience with shooting recurve bows. They are receiving detailed instruction on safety, regulations, and proper form when shooting. They had their first tries with a compound bow yesterday. Although Aiden is confident in shooting, he actually saw his weaknesses yesterday and came home with some homework. This one-month program will prove useful in solidifying the safety rules and empowering him with more experience. I can't wait to witness the growth!

the afternoon routine

preparing for his daily cycling trek around the field house

preparing for team practices
Aiden is up against a lot of weight when wrestling with Dad.

The boys enjoy the weekday visits to the gym. When they, themselves, are not training, the facility and beautiful AC grounds are a giant playground for boys. They enjoy riding their new bikes, dribbling a basketball, kicking the soccer ball, or grabbing the hockey sticks to play. We are thankful to have access to such a nice gym facility...all at the grand small price of...FREE.

What a blessing (and facilitator of good habits).

More than PIANO lessons...

Aiden playing the new drum.

And trying an antique snare from the 1940's.

She's working on Brendan...our little percussionist.

Her 3:30 student didn't have lessons today, so Mrs. S. gave the boys a real treat. For twenty minutes, she showed them various drums and let them have their try... She's really expanding, upon their foundation, a love for music in both of them!

The music in him...

Aiden's new piano teacher is wonderful. He's had two teachers prior to this one, each possessing their own strengths and ways of reaching him.

We are looking forward to many more lessons with Mrs. S. She's a gifted teacher. She and her husband are both very talented musicians. Her husband owns his own recording studio and is a musician/technician/teacher with years of experience.

She's been very careful in re-establishing and reviewing proper form and technique, and she's also introduced to him music composition, assigning him this week to complete a song they've been working on together. She's definitely reaching deep within him to find his musical strengths and abilities, of which I am confident she will nurture and wonderfully develop over time.

I snapped a photo of Aiden and Mrs. S. at the close of his lesson yesterday. She's done this with him at the end of each lesson. She will play a lively marching song on the piano, giving Aiden the opportunity to find the rhythm and drum along. It's been a revealing demonstration of his ability to find the rhythm, as well as a wonderful exercise for his keeping a steady tempo. I LOVE the way he lights up when they do these activities together.

He's very impressed with her already, and once again, his passion for music has been re-ignited.

"The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul."
--Johannes Sebastian Bach

post taken from July 28, 2010

Guess which one he drew for Mom?

Aiden's recent artwork reflects his opinion of the differences between how men and women think...or at least, the type of artwork they appreciate...
RAINBOWS & FLOWERS vs. Indians and Tomahawks

Refining their hunting skills

"a rifle... its usefulness depends upon the
character of the user."
~T. Roosevelt

Hunting & Survival Training

Learning their knots

Matthew has begun teaching Aiden survival skills as part of his daily training. The first of these skills is the ability to tie knots for different purposes. Last night's lesson: the square knot.

Continuing with survival training, Aiden learned a second
knot last night: the rewoven figure-of-eight.

more rifle practice

Men trained in arms from their infancy, and animated by the love of liberty, will afford neither a cheap or easy conquest.
-- From the Declaration of the Continental Congress, July 1775

Amidst the mess of remodeling...

...these boys stick together. Nothing interrupts the fun they have together.

Brendan likes to watch Aiden as he works on his language or music theory
programs. By watching, he is picking up the language...and rolling his R's
quite nicely.

Brendan is always game for storytime.

taken from WFS Sept. 2, 2010

It's Wrestling Season!

I want to see you game, boys, I want to see you brave
and manly, and I also want to see you gentle and tender.
~T. Roosevelt

Since his dad took him to wrestling sign-ups and bought him his new wrestling shoes, Aiden has a new-found resolve to become stronger and has shown great strides in his motivation to exercise alongside Dad. He realizes wrestling will present challenges with strength and ability, and he's ready to refine himself. (Hopefully the zeal remains constant.)

Wrestling will present opportunities for growth in agility and strength, but most importantly, it will allow for opportunities to handle victory, accept defeat...and a self-mastery that will prove important in all areas of his youthful life...

We can all be thankful for such opportunities.

The boy who is going to make a great man must not make up his mind merely to overcome a thousand obstacles, but to win in spite of a thousand repulses and defeats. ~T. Roosevelt