Happy New Year 2013

We spent a lovely evening with some friends from church at a very kid-friendly New Year's Eve party. We had fireworks and sparklers and great food. The kids did several countdowns: the first one the kids popped 10 confetti filled balloons as they counted down; for the second one, they opened a pinata; the third time they released helium balloons with lists on them of what they loved about 2012 and hoped for in 2013, and the last time they toasted with cotton-candy filled soda. There were board games and lots of kid play time with toys. It was just the kind of partying we like to do!

Dennis is now halfway through the 12 Days of Christmas celebration. Today his gift was a nice pair of headphones for his tunes, kid friendly headphones with a volume limit. I've been treated to a show as he danced through the house in his underwear, listening to Christian rock for kids on his iphone.

I wonder what this year will bring. I'm hopeful for good health and much happiness for all my loved ones.

kitchen entomology

Dennis and David created an awesomely disgusting bug in Dennis' new bug maker machine. The bug has been strategically placed all over the house (because we love to hear Mommy make that noise) already today. I'll bet Dennis even sleeps with it.

I wonder what the Tooth Fairy will think tonight. He will be sleeping with a freshly minted fly AND his first lost tooth, which is already secured in an envelope under his pillow. He was completely unnerved by the tooth loss ordeal while it was loose, but he was delighted when it came out. I guess he was afraid it would hurt.

Dennis has been extremely snuggly the past few days. I wonder how we will pry him off us to return to school. He was just great at church this morning, telling his class how Santa Claus used to be a priest named Nicholas. And he wiggled his tooth for everyone at church breakfast (how appetizing!). I'm really enjoying his company. I think I'll really miss him when school starts back on Thursday!

Ladykiller

On our way home from a fabulous Christmas feast, we were talking about a single friend that brought a lady to church with him. Dennis piped up from the backseat with "well, he's not as slick as I am" and told us how he was going to buy Addison a Christmas present and ask her to be his girlfriend. Then he said "you know how on those commercials when the guy gives a girl a ring and says 'will you marry me?'". David and I exchanged a long look before asking him if he was planning to get a ring for Addison. He said no and asked "is that real? Do guys really get rings and ask like that?". I assured him it was for real and that Daddy had asked me. Then he said he'd get Addison something that girls like and then ask her if she'd like to fart on him. We tried to explain that this approach would most likely not produce the desired result.

He also informed us that he'd be buying gifts for his three favorite teachers (well, two of his favorites along with his brand new teacher) and said "because I'm super slick like that."

elusive wellness

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, usually my favorite day of the year, and I had hoped we would all be well and healthy. It doesn't look like that will be the case. Dennis seems okay but over tired. David still doesn't have his voice or energy back. And I seem to have contracted a rapid onset ear infection that HURTS. It looks like we will not be going to the mountains after all, not for a couple more weeks. Though I'm a bit disappointed (and I know Dennis will be), I'm hopeful that resting at home this week will cure all 3 of us.

Dennis was very well behaved at church this morning and answered every question I asked about the Christmas story. He made a card for Gran and Pop also that I'm hoping didn't get left behind today. He wrote them an email tonight, a short one, in response to the ones they are sending us to update us on Belize life. He gets a bit sad when he talks about them, and I'm wondering how our week will go without the trip he was excited about. He will have fabulous new things from Santa to occupy his time, and I hope that will help.

He asked us today which of our vehicles he could have when he is old enough to drive. We told him he'd probably want something a little newer when that time comes. He decided he will get a van, a little red car like Gigi's, and a red Jeep. That ought to take car of his driving needs!

Injury help

Dennis slipped in the bathroom yesterday morning. He fell onto a pile of laundry and so wasn't injured. I did have a good laugh when I heard him yell "AFLAC!" after he fell.

mad science

I got a phone call on my way to the lake--Dennis wanted me to know something. He said "Uncle Denny got me a BIG present." I asked him if he was ready to open it and he said "yes, I'm in a big hurry!". He was happy to hear that I was on my way. He was thrilled to open a box full of lab equipment! He got test tubes, beakers, flasks, a stand, a test tube brush, all of it plastic but all of it real stuff (not toys). He was so pleased that he spent the next 45 minutes setting everything out on the table and filling each piece with "regular water that needs testing" and "water of doom" and "blood for my lab" (also water). He delighted in pouring water into and out of the test tubes. After 45 minutes, he remembered that he had other gifts to open and got to it!

He asked me a question yesterday that I answered with "I have no earthly idea." This amused him, and he asked "well, do you have a Mercury idea? Or a Jupiter idea?".

where oh where is our health?

Dennis and I spent the day largely confined to the house. He went to the doctor this morning with David--the weird sore on his face is, in fact, impetigo. No school for him today. And I have pneumonia and thus have spent 20 hours in bed with chills and the worst cough ever. The doctor called in a fairly strong antibiotic for me, and I'm hoping for a fast, easy recovery. I'm glad it waited until today to strike me down since I had such a busy weekend and handled two major children's performances yesterday, but I had important things to do today that didn't get done, and who knows how I'll feel tomorrow!

Dennis is in good spirits after his wonderful choir performance last night and all the rest he got last night. I didn't even get him up for school--he was going to go to the doc anyway and I sure wasn't in any shape to drive him. I'm so thankful for a husband that took time to take care of us today.

Campfire Christmas

We spent a delightful evening with the Gallmans and Carons at Casa Gallman. Delicious dinner was followed by sitting around a campfire, roasting marshmallows for s'mores, singing Christmas songs, and listening to Dennis and Zoe tell scary stories (which begun with "on a night much like tonight, there were parents and more parents..."). This was a sort of farewell party for Gran and Pop, and they enjoyed conversation and fellowship with all. Dennis, Chloe, and Zoe had great fun making gingerbread cookie girlfriends and boyfriends, and the night just passed by too quickly!

Grief

Dennis had a rough night last night. He was asking me about our plans for Christmas morning and questioned why he wouldn't be showing Gran what Santa brought him (like he does every year). He just realized that they are actually moving away and won't be here on Christmas. He began to cry harder than I've heard him cry. I could not console him. He was practically howling in grief. He called and talked to Gran, crying pitifully the whole time, and I wasn't holding myself together too well either. I could not write about it last night. And there are tears in my eyes now just remembering how hurt he was and how I couldn't fix it.

We let him stay up way too late and set up our first ever Christmas village. He's very proud of it and we were thrilled to see his smile return before he went to bed. Today he was somewhat subdued, tired from the long day on not as much sleep as usual. He got on yellow at school for kicking a kid that was pretending to sleep under his desk. He was quite good at church, though, and managed to do an excellent job later on his reading homework. The reading coach did finally call to tell me about his transfer--he actually tested past first grade, too, but they put him in with the first graders to learn some reading rules. And since he's so far ahead, they also put him in the Accelerated Reading program through the school library. He checks out a book every day and reads it, and the following day he takes a computer test on the book and then checks out another. I'm very pleased with the lengths they are undertaking to keep him challenged! He still spends part of his day with his kindergarten class and all his friends. All that and he gets art, music, Spanish, and technology classes as well! Not too shabby for our public school. I guess we'll work on math more at home, but yesterday we discovered that he's learned his 10 times tables. Elisabeth asked him casually what ten times three is and he only paused a couple of seconds before replying "thirty". Surprised, we began asking him other ones (ten times six, ten times nine, ten times ten) and he correctly answered each. I haven't a clue where he picked it up.

Tomorrow is St. Nicholas Day and his little Reeboks are out beside his door to be filled with goodies. His elf is busily reading a Christmas book in the living room. He's loving all the Advent activities and his calendars (electronic and regular!). Maybe we won't stay sad over the upcoming departure too long. Time will fly until we're together again with Gran and Pop.

Unexpected promotion

I was making my rounds at church this morning when an acquaintance happened to say "I sure enjoyed Dennis being in my class Friday--I'm going to enjoy him being in there." I smiled at her and thanked her and then asked which class. She told me it was reading, I asked what happened, and she said "he and 2 other kids were so far ahead that they moved them--no one told you?". I said that they hadn't and asked "are you a 1st grade reading teacher?". She is, in fact. So he's moved out of Kindergarten reading. And he never told us! We are so proud.

an evening at Santa's place

We had a wonderful time with Gran & Pop today. The five of us went to Huntsville and saw Nana Gaynell and Poppa Jim. Then we spent a couple of happy hours at Santa's Village, meeting elves, seeing reindeer, decorating cookies, playing in a snow shower, hearing a story, watching a blacksmith at work, and meeting Santa. Dennis was overjoyed, of course. And I most loved the car talk with Gran & Pop, treasuring these few remaining days before they move away. Today was our gift to them, but it was more of a gift to us.

We waited in an excruciatingly long line to see Santa, but when we reached his beautifully decorated living room, I heard Dennis' sharp intake of breath followed by his reverent whisper "it's the real Santa!". Real Santa, real reindeer, real snow... Wow! What a day for a 5 year old!