December Madness...

Been a crazy busy month...started out with 5-6 inches of snow which turned into ice and cause the kids to have 3 "snow"days and then three-days of 2 hour delayed starts.  Apparently Oregon doesn't put salt on the roads or anything...and snow plows...nope, not needed in this part of the state. 

Whoops...I guess every couple of decades a storm hits that dumps snow that doesn't melt in a few hours. But fear not, the recent immigrants from Extreme Northern California were prepared - snow boots and a snow shovel.  Brian shoveled our driveway (it's steep) and  the street in front of our house (only non-icy part of the whole street for about a week) and then he and Joshua moved across the street and shoveled our neighbors' driveway (luckily it is flat). Joshua had to use a regular shovel since we only have one snow shovel, but he did well.

Little Brother got Big Brother :)
 

The kids were thrilled to have some snow because everyone has told us that it doesn't really snow much here and they were disappointed (that foot and a half that we had last Christmas spoiled them). So they played out in it for a little while, threw some snowballs and made some snow angels. Then it was time for hot chocolate for the younger two while Joshua moved on to work with Brian as mentioned above.

This was the day after the snow...while we sat home and watched the snow fall the day before (because they'd cancelled school before it had started to snow...we were wondering if it was really going to happen or not) the kids decorated some styrofoam cones and made Christmas trees. Grace had started hers the day before and worked on it for a couple of hours. Then after school, Nathaniel had gotten in on the fun...so now, with not much else to do (and being quiet so Dad could sleep), Joshua decided to make one too. It was an idea I'd seen on Pinterest, but we took it to a whole new level. The Pinterest idea was to stick felt on felt.  That's for babies!  I pulled out sequins and beads and ribbon and little pearls and a ton of straight pins and they went to town (even getting into my craft supplies they WEREN'T supposed to be messing with) and of course, chopped up felt into confetti (that was Grace) and there were a few (thousand) spilled sequins (Grace again...and that wasn't an accident).  But they had fun and made some cute decorations.

 

 

Joshua's Christmas Concert got postponed (so did our Ward Party...and then that got cancelled...anyway...) a couple of days. Brian had to work so I videoed it on the camera. I almost posted those, but didn't want anyone to get motion sick from them...it was a little difficult with a 4 year old trying to climb in my lap while hanging on one arm and a 7 year old deciding he was going to rest his head on my other shoulder. Oh well, Brian could at least hear them. He is one of 13 trumpets in the 6th grade band of 61 musicians.  Quite a change from the last couple of years. He is loving band and playing the trumpet and is getting quite good. Grandma and Grandpa got him a trumpet book of John Williams movie themes (Star Wars, Superman and Harry Potter)...he's pretty excited to try that out.

 

 

They were the first band to play...followed by the 7th and then the 8th grade band, three orchestras and three choirs...first concert I've ever been to where people will get up and leave once their child was done instead of stay for the entire thing...odd...we stayed all the way through even though it was a school night and we didn't get home until almost nine...plus it was still very icy and cold.

Joshua and his friend Spencer from church both play trumpet...

 





 

The weekend after the snow was the Craft Fair in Ft Jones that I was doing with my mom...so the boys missed another day of school for that...but they survived. They got to go see their former teachers at Etna Elem. and that was something they both looked forward to. Spent some time at Grandma and Grandpa's visiting and doing crafts (Nathaniel's thing lately) while I finished up ornaments for the craft fair. We stayed at Grandma Darlene's house this time and enjoyed that time with her.

At the parade...the boys ditched her to go be with friends

Listening to Great Grandma read her a story

Still some snow left from the storm the previous week...their schools did not close however and they got as much snow as we had...

Santa still comes in on a fire truck...just like he did when I was a kid

 

We should call it our Four Generations of Crafters because both my grandmas had stuff there as well as my mom (most of it was her work), myself and the boys had made some little clothespin ornaments.
I remember my mom and grandma doing this same craft fair (though it was in a different building back then) when I was a kid and going to the parade with my grandpa and then going to my grandparents' house to wait until the fair was over.
This time I was at the craft fair and my kids spent most of the day at grandma's.
It was fun to do this with my mom and see friends that we've missed the past few months since we moved.

 Earlier in this week, I'd hosted the main course portion of the Relief Society annual Progressive Dinner. It was kind of fun to get ready for that - first time we've ever lived in a house where we'd have room for something like that. Even with the ice and snow (kids hadn't had school that day), a lot of sisters still came. They were all amazed at how well-behaved the kids were (ha, ha, ha) because they didn't see or hear them....that's because they were watching a Christmas movie upstairs in our room...so of course they were silent :)

 

The week after the craft fair I figured would be my catch up and get stuff done for Christmas week. I got my parents' and grandmas' gifts done and wrapped - as my parents arrived to pick them up on their way back south from Eugene.

The next day was my baking day.

Grace helped me make oreo truffles (which none were given away since I didn't get anything else made - but they've been well appreciated by Brian and the kids)

 

And, per Joshua's request, I made 16 (actually 21 small and one large) little loaves of Egg Nog Bread for him to give to his teachers and other people at school.

That was 4 batches I think...

 I also made mounds candy centers, and they're still in the 'frig waiting to get dipped. Because while doing this my ear started to hurt...and by evening, I was not feeling well. So the goodie trays that I'd envisioned making and delivering to visiting teaching and home teaching families...yeah, didn't happen. Maybe for New Year's...

I did manage to go to Nathaniel's class Christmas party on the last day before break...we'd had a busy week with him and school. Tuesday had been our meeting with the speech therapist to set up his IEP for that - yay! And his parent teacher conference...once he got healthy this fall, the boy took off! Math concepts at a 3rd grade level and reading at a 4th grade level. Now he just needs to memorize those dang math facts. I think that's the worst part of 2nd grade...Joshua hated it too.  On Wednesday, as I'm madly trying to bake cookies for one grandma and make caramel corn for another (and I'd wanted to do those darn oreo truffles that day to give some to my mom), I get a phone call from the office at Nathaniel's school wondering if I've forgotten the holiday lunch? No, I hadn't, and I'd told Nathaniel I wasn't going to go that morning. Several times. And honestly, I didn't want to pay five dollars to eat school food. So then Nathaniel got on the phone and he was practically in tears. Later, talking to his teacher, he'd told her he just wanted to call and see if he was supposed to eat home lunch (um, yes, he was since I'd sent one) or the school holiday lunch. In the end I decided that Grace and I would go over. I talked to the secretary again and asked what time the 2nd grade lunch was. She told me it started in two minutes. Lovely. Both Grace and I are still in our pajamas. So we made a mad dash upstairs to get dressed and made it to the school in about fifteen minutes. The food was pretty good - though I don't think Nathaniel ate much and I hadn't wasted the money on Grace because I knew she wouldn't touch mashed potatoes or turkey and gravy.
Anyway, back to his party. I was feeling pretty miserable that day, and Brian had promised him he would go and figured I'd better go too.
We go there shortly after it had started and they'd already played one game and were started on the second one. After a couple of games they got their goodies and were able to build snowmen...Grace had fun with that too. I hadn't been asked to bring anything and in fact, we hadn't even known there was a party until Wednesday, but I'll be bringing something to the Valentine's Day one - already been asked :)

 

I think she stuffed the whole thing in at once...



Joshua...

Wow - I've been so pathetic with blogging in the past several months that I haven't shared any of the exciting things Joshua has done in the past six months.  So, we'll go back a little bit...
Besides turning 11 in April, Joshua played Little League again...this year on the Ft Jones team and he was a Pirate. He improved quite a bit - and even hit the winning run in for their final game in June!!



It was cold for some of the April games!  This is one of them...you can tell it is pretty windy by the way the flag is blowing out. Grace and I stayed at Mom and Dad's for most of this one and walked down for the end.

Growing up so fast...this was at the end of April at the Medford Temple.

The music program this year was...well, we'll just leave it at that.
Joshua enjoys playing the trumpet and for Easter we'd gotten him at Phantom of the Opera book of trumpet music (he loves Phantom). He taught himself (with some help from his dad) how to play some of the music and then asked his teacher if he could play it at the Spring concert.
He did wonderfully!!
He (along with a couple of other 5th graders) was asked to play with the 6-8th grade band as well as there were only 4 of them.
He continues to play the trumpet now - and in his new school - has band every day!

He really wants a dog - but he's not getting one for awhile. He got a ride home from school on this day from our neighbor and got to go with them to check on the puppy they were getting shortly.

Last day of fifth grade - last day at Etna Elementary - and last day in the SV School District (though we didn't know that at this time).
Grace got to go with him (and me - I was helping supervise his class) to all the fun stations. She loved the limbo - and thought Emily (one of Joshua's classmates who is standing right behind them) was the coolest girl ever!
In May the fifth grade had gone to an outdoor education camp...he loved that.
Below is Joshua and his teacher, Mrs. Fasenfest.  He'd had Mr. Fasenfest for 2nd grade.
She was a great teacher!

Right after school got out, Joshua got to go on his first 11 year old Scout Campout.
The next week he and his friends, Calvin and Cole, had their Arrow of Light Ceremony...and a pancake breakfast ;)

Joshua with his Webelos leader, Susan.

Being goofy at Uncle Terry and Aunt Theresa's - photo courtesy of Nathaniel.

Swimming lessons - he learned a lot of new strokes and improved this year - I think he was the only one in his class.

Origami Yoda books - and lots of origami Star Wars puppets...I went to download pictures from his camera (that I also use a lot) and found A TON of pictures of Star Wars origami...

It's the big leagues now - Middle School - a locker, 7 classes every day, co-ed PE, 4 minutes between each class and probably more kids in the school than there were in either town he's lived in since he was 6!
I took these pictures at his orientation BBQ so that I didn't embarass him the first day of school :)
He is doing exceptionally well in school - before it even started he had to take a math placement test to see what math he was going to be in - and he's in Introduction to Pre Algebra (Pre Pre Algebra?).

First day of school in Grants Pass
 

A five mile hike the 11 year old Scouts in the Stake did...Brian even got to go on this one :)

Another random picture courtesy of Nathaniel

First Court of Honor - he received to awards (ranks?) Scout and something else - I'm still not familiar with all the terms...he's now been elected Assitant Patrol Leader in his Patrol and got to lead his first Patrol meeting the week before Thanksgiving..and found out that being in charge and trying to instruct a bunch of 11 year old boys isn't as easy as he thought it would be...

Here he is as part of the Chain Crew for the North MS football team. 6th graders don't play football. And before Joshua, there had never been a 6th graderon the chain crew. He heard it announced at school and wanted to do it - but he missed the part about it being for 7th and 8th graders. He found that out after he turned in his permission slip and told the vice principal that he hadn't realized that it wasn't for 6th graders. She said that they'd give him a try and see how a 6th grader could do.
He was one of the few that stuck it out the whole season.
One of his main reasons for wanting to do this?
He earned $5 for each game (and a cross country event he helped at)...which he promptly spent at the school book fair...

Once again he was invited to play with the 7th and 8th grade band...this time to march in and play the National Anthem at the high school marching band's competition.
There were only a few 6th graders that were asked to join in this...he said he was so nervous he was chewing on his mouthpiece! He and Brian watched the competition (the other two kids and I stayed home 'cause it was a cold October evening).

 

Joshua is doing great in his new school and new environment in general. We are so happy with him and all he does. Sometimes it seems like I don't tell him that enough...Grace is still so little and needs me a lot...Nathaniel has had a very hard time adjusting to a new school, new house, new everything (on top of being sick most of October) and has needed a lot of extra support. And Joshua, he just does what is expected and is an all-round great kid, though we are seeing some pre-teen traits popping up every now and then. We ran into the principal of the Middle School at the grocery store the day before Thanksgiving. He told us how glad they are to have Joshua in their school and how he and the vice principal and some teachers (at least one of which isn't even one of Joshua's teachers right now) had been talking about him the other day and how he is one of the staff's favorite students. He's always happy, always willing to help, always willing to get involved...he mentioned the Chain Crew and how Joshua had been wanting to get involved in Student Government. Wow - we know he's pretty awesome, but to hear that from his principal was pretty special. And that the principal, vp, and others on staff know him that well after just 3 months in a school of over 700 kids...that impressed me. I think the only reason Nathaniel's principal knows his name is because he's missed so many days of school for being sick that the district sent us a letter about it.  Anyway, now it's on to the Christmas Concert on Monday, singing with his dad at the Stake Christmas Devotional later this month (he sang a solo at the Primary Program and then we got a phone call about singing at this other thing) and after Christmas the Geography Bee that he just qualified for. Hard to believe that this time 11 years ago we were excited he was crawling and starting to pull himself up on things to walk :)

 



December 2002