Where did the time go?

I had every intention to get a holiday letter and picture in the mail this year...at Christmas time. Last year I cheated and sent my holiday letter on Valentine's Day. It's a holiday!

Since I already posted the main events of our year, I'll just share some cute kid things.

Kaylee has added to the English language. She was very perceptive to pick up on the fact that many time references begin with "to" - tonight, tomorrow, today. In her ignorance, she has added to-now, to-later and to-yesterday. Very cute!

Tessa had an interesting way of describing the first day of school. She told me that she had 13 butterflies in her stomach. Ten of them were excited and three of them were nervous, but the three were making more racket than the ten.

I had made a "School Morning Procedures" poster for the kids. We follow exactly the same morning routine 9 months out of the year, but I was still having to prod them along every step of the way. On the first day of school Trevon read the poster. One item says "Pack your packback with library books, lunch money or lunch, snack, homework, folder, notes". I figured that covered everything. Trevon doesn't see "school supplies" on the list so he empties everything out of his backpack and reloads with one folder and lunch money. I failed to remember that Trevon has a VERY literal mind and the poster DID NOT say to pack school supplies, even though it was the first day of school and that should have been obvious. (He has done very well from the 2nd day of school until now!) In 2nd grade, he's learning to add double digit numbers. The teacher said add the "ones" column, then the "tens" column. So, that means 23+13=9. The teacher DID not say, add the "ones" column, put the answer below the line, then add the "tens" column, put that answer below the line and now you have a new number that is your answer. No, he added 3+3, then 2, then 1 = 9. The entire worksheet was correct using that mathematical method. (He's aced almost every math sheet since then! A quick learner, just doesn't know when he's wrong because he follows exactly what the teacher says.)

Kaylee was getting stomachaches from chewing gum. Once we figured this out, she was really good about not having gum very often and never chewing the gum for very long. She'd throw it away saying, "I don't wannie get a stummych-ache." One day she was helping unload the silverware from the dishwasher. Halfway through, she says, "I don't wannie do this, I might get a stummych-ache." How smart is that!!!?? Devious, but smart, and still cute at 3 years old.

Tessa was doing a "Travelling back in time" project for school. She chose to enter her time machine and travel back to when her mom was a little girl! Way back! When interviewing me, one of the questions was what year I was born. I answered 1976. As she wrote the year, we hear her saying in a totally awe-struck voice, "Whoa!"

All for now from this old lady. Have happy, fun, and family filled holidays!!