I’m thinking it must be time to do the taxes…

I earned the dollars they offered, and wanted to do something unnecessary and frivolous, not just buy groceries.  So I did this:

I like it.  Dollars well earned.  And still a few left over for groceries.

The thing that has stuck with her most is that when we get up in the morning, China People are going to bed.  And when we go to bed at night, China People are getting up.  She is clearly fascinated by this difference in time.  And she always refers to people living in China as “China People”.

In first grade this year they were working to grasp some concepts of time, and activity outside of their own ego-centric-world,  and this is the picture Tara drew:

For whatever reason this year, I took almost no pictures to document all that we did.  Really.  Almost none.  Regardless, here’s the skinny:

Tim’s preschool Christmas program.  Adorable as all preschool programs are.  And, he stayed up there the whole time and sang all the songs, and did most of the hand actions.  And then ate cookies.

Pictures of the Royuk Grandkids for a present for Grandpa and Grandma. I even made them do an “artsy” shot which I gave them all permission to make fun of me for later.

Christmas with the Pesters on Christmas Eve. Tim spent the night playing with cousin Tyler – who is FANTASTIC at playing with him despite the 7 year age gap.  Tara played Strawberry Shortcake dolls with cousin Haylee (only a 19 day age difference.).

Christmas morning at home.  I didn’t take a single picture.  I have no idea how that happened.  But Tara received her most prized American Girl doll named Emily.  Emily will probably warrant her own post.  Tim got more Lightning McQueen things, which delighted him.

Christmas Day with the Royuks.  Again.  Not a single picture.  Well, not of that day.  I did take a picture of the installation of the new TV that Brad, Lloyd & Lauren and Curt got for us.  Er…for themselves to watch when they come to our house so they no longer have to watch our dinosaur TV.   Thanks Friends!

Then Mom, Brad and I completely primed, painted and rearranged our basement.  This warrants its own post, as well.

Hotel night! No pics.

New Year’s Eve! No pics.

New Year’s Day! No pics.

Tim’s Half-Birthday! No pics.

What has become of me?

Tim had his Sunday School Christmas program.  I use the term “program” loosely.  It largely consists of the kids of the 3s and 4s classes standing on a set of risers in the Fellowship Hall in lieu of the usually Adult Bible Class meeting there.  The kids shift their weight nervously, run crying from the risers, or twirl around in their places singing mostly to themselves, while the four teachers of those classes say the recitations and sing the songs.

It’s cute, nonetheless.

Tim did not like it one bit.  But he bravely stood there with the other kids.  Or at least sat there.

And there were cookies were served afterwards and the memory of having to suffer through was largely replaces with pretty Christmas cookies.

Then Tara has her first piano recital.

She was giddy with nervous energy.  We arrived 45 minutes early so she could practice on the big stage on the big piano before her moment of fame.  There were 40 different students, so I was a bit nervous about the length of time it might take, but thankfully nearly half of them were beginners and their selections lasted about 38 seconds each.  So even with all of those and the switching of performers on the stage we were done in an hour.

Tara was awesome.  I’m quite sure I had never heard her play her piece, “O Christmas Tree” without any mistakes…until recital time… 

Here’s the link:

http://youtu.be/7ZR439pM0Oc

And finally, Tim is experiencing his first organized wrestling!  The local little kids wrestling club does a wrestling camp thing for the littlest of kids.  It’s all just the basics.  It only meets on four Monday nights for an hour each time.  There’s no competition, just some instruction on stance, mat position, take-downs, escapes and pins.  And Tim is LOVING it.  He’s pretty sure he’s hot stuff.

Programs, Recitals and Wrestling, Oh My!

On Saturday, before Tara’s barfing commenced…followed by Harold’s barfing…which, thankfully, has ceased for everyone, Tara and Tim built their first official snowman.

And Tim got voluntarily buried in snow.

And a good time was had by all!

Happy Winter my sweet kids!

On Thursday she wanted to take “Eggs in a Nest”.  It’s a boiled egg in a “nest” of shredded lettuce.  Tara LOVES boiled eggs.  I’m not sure there are many other 1st graders who feel the same, but whatever.  Eggs in a Nest it was!

On Friday she wanted Baby Jesus Cookies.

Oh yes.  She did.

And while I stopped for just a moment to contemplate the sacrilege of it, I decided that the Baby Jesus I know and love would be tickled to have a sweet 1st grader wanting to take Baby Jesus cookies for her snack.  And so.  Baby Jesus cookies it was.

I believe I have posted before about how during my busy season I tend to become quite narrow-focused and all consumed by work, and then I come out on the other side and feel relaxed and relieved and refreshed.  And that has happened yet again.

Busy season is Student Teacher Placement time.  I find places for the student teachers in our Education Department to do their local experience.  We break our student teaching into two 8-week assignments, one local and one distant, and I handle the local placements.  I love it.  Love.  But I also lose sight of nearly all things other than my job and family responsibilities during placement season…and it has happened again.  Apparently it’s my new normal.

Still.  What has happened since 37? In list form, or more accurately, in form of a list of missed post opportunities:

• I registered to take the GRE in New! Revised! Form! (You can say that in your head with the proper infomercial announcer voice.)
• Tim’s Open House at Preschool happened.
• Tim’s first day of school happened.  Sorry I didn’t post about that, buddy.  But I did take pictures and I did get them put into your photo album.  Rest assured.
• We went to the apple orchard on Labor day and picked apples and raspberries.
• The September storm of birthdays occurred.  There are a ton of them.  Seriously.
• Tara’s school pictures happened.
• Tim’s feet grew another size.  The kid is BIG.  Did I post about him passing his sister up in weight?  That happened in early August.  She’ll never out-weigh him again.  I give it another 18 months before he’s her height…
• The Back-to-School potluck happened.
• Tim took snacks to school.  Pigs in the mud, to be exact.
• Tara started piano lessons.
• Tim’s kite night with Dad happened.
• Tara took snacks to school.  Nothing nearly as cool as last year, but still, apparently I have made a habit of posting about snacks, and this is a list of missed post opportunities.
• I took the New! Revised! GRE.  On payday.  Which means I also did some retail therapy after taking it.  It wasn’t so bad.  Except for the fact that I took it with 9 22-year-olds who clearly were building the rest of their lives on this single moment.  And I was not.  So…
• I forgot to take Tara to a friend’s birthday party.  That the entire class was invited to.  And attended.  Except for Tara.  Mothering FAIL.  I felt truly and physically sick about it.  In my defense, it was on October 1, and I didn’t flip the calendar until that evening.  Two hours after the party was over.  Thankfully, Tara was not permanently damaged.  Well, not as far as I know.
• Tim’s school pictures happened.
• Tara started Girl Scouts.  They’re called Daisy Scouts – Daisies.
• The October storm of birthdays happened.  It’s more than September.
• I drove to Missouri to supervise student teachers there.  I love that little trip.  It’s fun and rewarding and like going “home”, since it’s my Alma Mater.  I get to go back in a week.  Maybe I’ll post about it.
• Tara started Art School.  It’s just 4 sessions at our local University – Concordia, where I teach – but it’s fantastic so far.
• Tim had his Pumpkin Patch field trip.
• Halloween happened.  Tara was a purple Mommy Unicorn.  You could tell she was a Mommy because of the baby purple unicorn she carried around all evening.  Tim was Jerry the Mouse from Tom & Jerry.  They were adorable.
• I successfully placed 52 student teachers.
• Tara’s school did their Fall Musical Event.  This year it was a Musical Revue.  It was so awesome.  A.W.E.S.O.M.E.
• I had an infamous Tupperware party.
• I went to Kentucky for the Association of Middle Level Education National Conference.  It was FANTASTIC.  I took two of my ML almost-graduates with me.  Truly a great conference, and great company, and a great time.  Loved it.  And we even drove.  800 miles one way.
• High School football season happened.
• I got my New! Revised! GRE scores back.  My verbal skills were quite high.  My math skills were quite average.  I was actually quite surprised at that, regardless of what the rest of you think.
• Tara sang in church with her class.
• Tim had his Thanksgiving Feast.
• Tara’s class led school chapel.  It was about the first Thanksgiving.  And it was darling.  There are few things more adorable than 1st graders with all their missing teeth dressed as pilgrims and native Americans reciting lines for a chapel.
• I successfully assigned supervisor’s to all 52 student teachers so Brenda could send out the packets.  Brenda is the secretary for the Student Teaching office, and she’s amazing.
• Thanksgiving happened.  It was yummy.  Both times.
• I Black-Friday-Shopped.  And loved it.  As usual.
• The Steelers beat the Chiefs.
• Thanksgiving Break has officially ended as of this morning, right now as I sit here.
• And now I’m 37.25.

I’ve missed you people.  All five of you.

I’m not quite sure how this sneaked up on me so quietly and quickly, but here we are.  I like the beginning of the school year only because of the establishment of a routine again.  By this time, we’re all needing one.  Mostly me.  I like routines.  They please my OCD soul.

This end-of-summer brought all sorts of excitement.  Here it is, in pictures:

The end started with a little trip out to see the Fahrnbruch’s in Aurora at their new place.

And continued with a little back-to-school shopping with Tara.

And then Dad had heart surgery, and Mom and I slept like little Chinese women on 3-foot long hard vinyl couches.

His surgery went very well, and he’s recovering well.  Just last night he made his first venture out to Concordia’s opening service.

And then a trip to the Seward County Fair for some much needed fun.

And then school started for Tara.

And today school starts for me.  Good-bye summer!