6 Days and Counting

Remember how excited you got as a kid when Christmas was close? That’s how our kids are feeling right now. They are counting down and wishing for the big day to come. Lucky for us, the older two are still in school. They haven’t had a lot of homework, but it has been enough to occupy them. We’ve been practicing spelling words—Tori’s is a bit harder this week. Tomorrow and Friday, however, they have some fun activities at school—winter party, conduct celebration and the singalong. So, attention will soon be waning. Wish us luck on keeping them focused.

Learning Time

Christian knows who Santa really is, and now he is learning how all of that works. He found the Lego motor he wanted this weekend, and of course, there was only one. So, I snatched it up. He knew it was for Christmas, but he seemed surprised when we got home and I tucked it out of sight. He might as well know that even if I buy it for him for Christmas, he has to wait until the actual holiday to open it!

Christian surprised us all this weekend, chatting with everyone. He never has anything to say, but when Frank came up, he had all kinds of comments and things to tell him. He also played with Keaton and CJ, the boys that came up. He had a real blast with them, shooting Nerf guns and fighting with Nerf swords. I thought he would be quiet, but he jumped right in on the fun. Way to go, Christian. Too bad the tears came late last night as he contemplated having to go back to school. I am sure he is fine now and ready to get his homework done.

Flying Solo

Christian stayed home yesterday, hoping the kid next door would come over.  Maybe he did and maybe he didn’t. If Matthew did come over, Christian will probably turn in a little early tonight too. He and Matthew know how to have a good time with every toy in sight at our house and his.

Christian is also looking forward to Christmas. He has even added to his Christmas list. He now wants a Batman Lego set and another motor Lego set. We shy a few gifts for him, so this comes at just the right time!

Big Brother

Christian and Tori has yesterday off from school for Veterans Day, and Christian took the lead. He helped Tori get cereal for breakfast and a lunchable for lunch. He also made sure she was all ready for her playdate with Brianna. He was a good big brother and a good grandson, going out to check the mail for his grandma, who was under the weather.

He usually chooses to stay at home with his grandma when there is no school, and according to her, he takes care of himself. The only thing he has her do is cook him food in the oven or on the stovetop. He is not ready for that. He knows how to use the microwave and makes full use of that.

Candy Sales

First, a big thanks to all who ordered candy from Christian and Tori. They each sold 35 boxes. For their efforts, they will receive a candy box, four boxes of candy, three envelopes with $1, $5 or $10, a grab at the cash cube and a chance to win $1000. They will not be the top winners. That prize went to kids who sold 50+ boxes. Christian and Tori were surprised someone sold that much until they added their totals together and realized they sold 70 boxes together! Next year it’s Eli’s turn as Christian heads off to middle school. We’ll see if he wants to go door to door.

Scouting

Christian has had a busy couple of weeks. He went to the police station a few weeks ago for a tour with the scouts and got into the line-up.

Last weekend he went to a camp out in the cold.  The next door neighbor (Matthew) asked our den to join his pack and his brother's troop for a camp out.  Christian had a good time during last spring's camp out so he wanted to go.  We headed out to Jubilee State Park on Saturday at 9 am.  Immediately he regretted his decision.  They were playing kickball and he hates sports.  He participated anyway.  Then he begrudgingly participated.  Very Begrudgingly!  He wouldn't move to try and catch a ball.  He would walk in between bases.  Towards the end of the game he started picking up his paces, but not by much.

We had only been outside for about 30 minutes and he started complaining about freezing.  I told him to run around during kickball, but he refused.  The troop switched activities to work on badges so while they were setting up for that I got Christian another pair of socks for his frozen feet.  I explained that his feet would still be cold, but he'd get used to it.  Matthew's older brother Aaron partnered up with Christian for the other games.  He helped Christian through them all and gave him more confidence.  Lunch time and they needed cooks.  Christian eagerly participated in making both meals.  He stirred the soups to make sure they were heated through and he buttered bread for grilled cheese sandwiches.  He also helped butter bread for dinner and helped make spaghetti and sauce for dinner.  He ate it all and now loves grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken noodle soup and tomato soup.  He surprised himself.

After lunch some kids left for a basketball game and Christian had warmed up, he told me I was right and he had warmed up and wanted to stay.  So he played on the playground with another scout and helped get firewood when it was time.  All willingly!  He kept extending the amount of time he wanted to stay.  The kids returned from the basketball game and the troop went on a hike.  3 miles long!  Amazingly, not many kids complained and they discovered a lot of things about nature and got a quick tour of the old Jubilee college.

He kept extending his time so much that he considered staying the night.  I knew from the morning that it was going to get cold again and he wouldn't be happy soon.  We stayed until about 8:30 along the time he began mentioning he was getting cold again.  A few other scouts weren't staying the night, so it was a good time to leave for us too.  The next day he said he had a good time and was glad he didn't stay the night.  So after a bumpy start, he enjoyed his time and may want to go again!

Smart Alec

While his sister was throwing fits, Christian decided to be a smart alec. He snapped at Tori several times before turning his attention to me. I don’t even remember what the topic was now, but he, too, got into trouble. He had a great day yesterday at the neighbor’s, and I guess that made him extra confident with his comments. He will be going to bed earlier too for his antics.

Mr. Smarty Pants

Christian is very sharp but very literal. He listens closely, and the first time you make a verbal mistake or throw out a phrase or saying, he is on it like a dog. He also thinks he knows more than you do and has no issues letting you know that. He was very much a wise guy this weekend, especially after his grandparents left. He had a lot to say and spent a lot of time teasing his brother and sister. His mouth got him into trouble more than once. It is sure to happen again too.

Homework is heavy now that Christian is in 4th grade and Tori is in 2nd grade. Christian has about 45 minutes every night, but he is getting smarter about it, doing his handwriting at After Care and bringing home the harder stuff. Tori has yet to catch on to that. Sometimes she stays focused long enough to do a bit at after care, but not often. She had her first spelling test today, and while we practiced the words, I have no idea how many she really knows. She was too busy playing around to really demonstrate what she did and did not know. I hope she surprises me and does well.

Good Boy

Christian has a very good teacher this year, and she has been communicating with us regularly, letting us know what a good boy Christian is. We have received two postcards and two emails regarding some questions about an email. We also see her drive to school early every day. I was told this teacher was very strict, and that may be, but she is also a very good communicator.

On another note, Christian is learning cursive and doing it very well. He claims he has poor handwriting, but he is taking his time and it shows. He has better penmanship than me and Huts, and probably will have for some time to come. My father had remarkable penmanship, so maybe Christian will too.