Christmas Afternoon 2008

While the boys and I stayed at my parent's house, Brian came back home to hang up some more gifts for Caleb. You see, I'm married to a man that likes to barter. So, he bartered for some more taxidermy pieces to go in Caleb's wildlife/hunting themed room. These were part of Caleb's Christmas, but Brian wanted to get them on the wall for the full effect. So, with the help of Uncle Daniel, they got it done while the boys and I hung out with my family.

Caleb looking at the animals on the wall...he was shocked.

A hooded merganser...this is the only bird that eats fish (according to the taxidermist we bought it from).

A big-mouthed bass.A deer
Caleb touching the deer.

Christmas With the Singletary Family

Caleb is excited about his new flashlight.

Daddy helps Micah open up some more gifts.
Caleb opens up another gift.

Micah is enjoying his new truck from Uncle David.

Uncle Daniel shows Micah how to work his Choo Choo Ball Train.

Caleb having fun playing golf...thanks to Uncle David for showing him how to play.

Taking aim and swinging...

Christmas Morning 2008

Look at everything that Santa left for the boys...I guess they were on the "nice" list. Micah crawling in to see what Santa left. Micah investigates his new toy.

Caleb models the hat that Santa left behind...evidence that he does exist.

Caleb with his new bow and arrow...he's got the stance down.

Caleb admires his new globe...he is always asking where places are, so now he can learn.

Micah checks out another toy that Santa left behind.

Micah with his new driving toy...look out world.

Micah models the Santa hat.

Caleb got an Amazing Animal Trivia game...he is all about animals.

Caleb opening up the bird book he asked Santa to bring him.

Caleb checks out the binoculars he asked for.

Caleb with one of his many new Lego sets.

Micah chewing on his zoo animal train.

Caleb looking at the bathtub paints that Uncle Patrick and Aunt Darcy sent (the mail carrier actually rang the doorbell at 8:15am on Christmas morning to deliver this package...needless to say, we were shocked to see this happen ON Christmas day...didn't think they worked on the holiday).

Caleb with his "tub of fun" from Uncle Patrick and Aunt Darcy. He is super excited about making some art creations.

Micah's First Christmas

Here's a quick video of Micah enjoying one of his new toys from Grandma and Granddaddy!

Christmas Eve 2008

Well, it's finally here...I can't believe that it's Christmas already. This is a very special Christmas because it's Micah's FIRST Christmas. He's super excited about everything, and he LOVES getting into stuff...so it should be an interesting holiday!

Today Grandma and Granddaddy came over to give the boys their gifts. We thought it would be better to do today so that they won't be so overwhelmed tomorrow when we go have lunch with my family. Caleb and Micah both racked up, and they had a great time hanging out with my parents.

Micah starting with his first gift.

Caleb is all smiles!

Micah had a blast playing with the paper.

Micah examines his stride-to-ride lion in the box.

Micah with his new Fisher Price Learning Table.

Micah shows Granddaddy how the lion works.

This evening we had supper, gave the boys baths, and then opened up stockings. This is a tradition that Brian and I started once we got married. So, we've continued to implement it each year. Caleb always loves getting into his stocking, and Micah had a good time, too.

Caleb getting his goodies.Ohhhh....card games.
Micah getting into his stocking.

Micah getting his keys out of his stocking.

Micah with all his goodies.

We hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season. Also, take the time to think about the true meaning of Christmas. Without the birth of our Savior, there would be no Christmas. So, remember HE is the reason for the season. Happy holidays to all of you!

Cookies for Santa

Today, we invited Hunter and Tina over to help us make cookies for Santa. I figured if we were making a mess, they might as well join in on the fun. They had a good time, and the cookies were super cute and tasty.

All of the kids are ready to go...

Caleb making a creation...look at the seriousness.Tina is doing a wonderful job...so creative.Hunter making a smiley face.
Look at those happy kids...they are about to get some sugar baby...The kiddos posing with their cookie creations.
Now, they get to enjoy their work...I couldn't get all 3 to look at me to save my life...LOL!

Fun at the Museum of Aviation

Today we met some of our friends at the Museum of Aviation. You see, the public schools are out for the Christmas holidays, so all of my mommy friends were trying to find ways to keep the kids busy. So, they organized a field trip, and since it's free...well, that's even better.

Caleb had a blast hanging out with his friends and looking at all of the airplanes and other artifacts. Micah was very good, and he just strolled along in his stroller and snoozed.

After hanging out at the museum, we all headed to a local pizzeria (they happen to be one of Brian's merchants). It's a great pizzeria, but it's on the small side. So, it was a bit crowded with 6 moms and 11 kids. All of the kids were very well-behaved, and we all had a great time.

Tina, Hunter, and Caleb...best of friends.

Caleb posing for a picture.Aren't they so sweet-looking?
Caleb in the cockpit.

Homeschool Week 25 in Review

We finished up another week this week. Here's what we learned this week.

Beginnings: Our theme for the week was The Prairie. Caleb learned the "cl," "st," and "mp" blends. He added "-est" and "-ust" to his word families. The word "off" was added to the list of service words. He also developed an awareness of the diacritical mark: breve (short vowel mark). The reading book this week was Cowboy Jim and Clip.

Math: Caleb finished his chapter of fractions. He started a new chapter with numbers 40-49 and 50-59. We also reviewed tens and ones.

Bible: We took a break from learning any new questions from the First Catechism this week. So, we reviewed questions 1-28. We also took a break to review all of our memory verses thus far. I feel it's important for us to stop and measure how well Caleb is doing in this area, so that's why we're reviewing.

Extra Stuff: We had our 100th day of school this week, too (today in fact). We were going to do some extra activities, but time got away from us, so we'll do those later. But -- we did take the time to learn how to say one hundred in Spanish, French, and German.

Thanks for following our journey and leave us some comments to let us know you're reading. :)

The Elf on the Shelf

Several of my mommy friends had been talking about this little "elf on the shelf" idea. Well, I took some time to look at some of the Christmas ornaments that my mom gave me from my childhood. And -- what did I find? I believe he's an "elf on the shelf." Granted, he's probably 30 years old or more, and I don't even know if my mom used it in the traditional way, but hey...he'll work for me.

So, we've implemented this holiday tradition. At first, Caleb was a bit skeptical. We started it by giving Brian a phone call from Santa. So, Santa told me where to go find this elf. Then, we brought out the elf and explained how it worked to Caleb. He didn't quite believe us, and he kept asking all sorts of questions..."Why doesn't he move? Why doesn't he talk? How can he get in a different spot?", etc. So, we answered the questions the way adults do (by telling little white lies that he'll realize when he's older). LOL!

After he went to bed last night, I moved the elf to a new spot. So, when he woke up this morning, he had to go find the elf. At this time, he commenced to name the elf "Elvis." So, we now have an "elf on the shelf" named Elvis. He eventually found him, and the elf has been monitoring his behavior ever since.

By the way, if you're looking to find an "elf on the shelf" for your family, you can find them online and at some local stores (Tuesday Morning, some stores in Perry).

Have fun...we sure are!

Homeschool Week 24 in Review

I know...it seems like we never homeschool. But -- I promise we do...it just takes a bit to get things going. We are making headway though. So, another week has come to a close. Here's how the week went.

Beginnings: Our theme for the week was Mountains. This was a fun theme because we are headed to Blue Ridge, GA (the mountains) after Christmas. Caleb learned the "st," "gr," "sp," and "br" blends this week. The word "was" was added to our list of service words. He read a new book called On the Trail, and he did a really good job.

Math: Fractions were introduced this week. He learned about whole, halves, thirds, and fourths. He did surprisingly well with this topic.

Bible: We did a final assessment on First Catechism questions 23-28, and Caleb did super. He has really been trying hard to get them all memorized, and he did a great job. Our Bible verse for the week was Genesis 3:22a.

Thanks for keeping up with life at Childress Academy. We are still going strong, and Caleb is doing a super job. We are looking forward to another fun week.

Early Christmas Presents and Room Decor

Once we got Caleb interested in sleeping in his own bed, we promised him that we would decorate his room with whatever theme he chose. Well, he had chosen a space/Buzz Lightyear theme, but Overstock sold out of the comforter we had chosen. So, after much looking and talking, he decided on a wildlife/hunting themed room. As I've mentioned before, he has been on a hunting kick ever since visiting Allie's house. So, we obliged, and we bought him a quilt for his bed. We had been looking for some room decor, but we really hadn't put much thought into it. Well, Brian had to go visit one of his merchants, Howard's Pawn & Jewelry. While visiting and helping them solve some issues, he found a nice decoration that would look great in Caleb's new themed bedroom (and he got a VERY good deal on it). So, he bought it. We surprised Caleb by mounting it on his wall and letting him see it. We have told him that he is not allowed to touch it because it is super fragile, and Caleb is tickled to death to have this on his wall. He can't wait to add to the collection. Enjoy the pictures...we're hoping to paint the room soon and add more wall decor. So, stay tuned for that.

This is the quilt that Caleb chose...bears, deer, fish, ducks...all the wildlife a boy could want...LOL!

Caleb walking into his room very cautiously. Look at the excitement in those eyes...he was sooo happy. A mounted mallard...beautiful markings.
Brian loves that it looks like it is flying...LOL!

Caleb's 2nd Quarter Report Card for Kindergarten

As I posted in my last post, Caleb received his 2nd quarter report card this past week. He did really well. His numeric grade (only kept for my records) either stayed the same or improved in each academic area. However, as you can tell from the right side, he does need to work on some of his character traits. We are working on these, and I hope to see some improvement this next 9 weeks. So, stay tuned. Again, I know...Kindergarten is not important when it comes to grades, but this just gives us an idea of how he's doing, and where he needs some improvement.

Homeschool Week 23 in Review

We are done with another week of homeschool. We've actually now completed two nine-week quarters, so that's a positive sign...just two more to go. We're approaching the 100th day of school, too, so I'm sure we'll be planning some fun things for that special day.

Here's how this week panned out:
Beginnings: We took another week off from our reading book, and we talked about dinosaurs. Caleb has always had an interest in dinosaurs, so he really enjoyed reading all of the dinosaur books and doing some dinosaur activities. I think his interest has been piqued even more, so I'm sure we'll hear even more questions about dinosaurs.

Math: We continued to learn more about addition. Caleb learned that when you add 1 to any number that it goes up to the next number. This may seem like a simple skill to all of us adults, but it truly helps the little ones remember those facts. So, any little tip for them is super helpful.

Bible: We continued to review First Catechism questions 23-28. Since the questions and answers are getting longer, we are spending more time on them. Our Bible verse for the week was 1 John 4:14b.

Art and Music: We're continuing to put these on hold until we manage to catch-up. So, nothing to report here.

As always, thank you for following our homeschool journey. Caleb received his 2nd report card this week, and I'll post pictures and an update with that information later.

Micah's 9 month check-up

I cannot believe that my baby boy is already nine months old. With that said, he had his check-up this morning. As always, he checked out just fine. He weighs a whopping 21.7 lbs, and he's 28.5 inches tall. So, he's grown quite a bit in the past nine months. He's also right on track with his development...but we already knew that.

And -- to all of those who laugh and fuss at me for his orange hue...well, the doctor said it's really a healthy sign. It shows that he is getting his veggies. LOL! Seriously, he said not to worry at all, and that he will soon outgrow the problem. It also is more pronounced with him because of his hair color and skin coloring. So, there you have it...let the boy be orange. LOL!

Hope you all are enjoying the holidays as much as we are!

Implementing German Christmas Traditions

As many of you know, Brian's mom is German, so Brian grew up with lots of German influence. Well, we thought it was time that we start implementing some of the German Christmas traditions this year. I mean...Caleb is now 5, so it's probably past time. LOL! I'm sure Omi will be pleased when she reads this...

Here's one of the traditions that we implemented this year and we will continue to do year after year: As in many other European countries, on the eve of Dec. 6th children place a shoe or boot by the fireplace. During the night, St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children, hops from house to house carrying a book of sins in which all of the misdeeds of the children are written. If they have been good, he fills the shoe or boot with delicious holiday edibles. If they have not been good, their shoe is filled with twigs. (I wonder how many actually got twigs...hmmmm).

So, last night, Caleb put his boots out for St. Nicholas. He put one out for Micah as well since Micah doesn't have any shoes yet. And -- I guess they will be getting more presents for Christmas because St. Nicholas left them some surprises. As you can tell from the pictures, Micah really enjoyed his gifts. Caleb did, too, but for some reason...he didn't have a happy look on his face. I forget what he was fussing about, but oh well...you get the point.

Enjoy and maybe you can implement this idea next year. Besides, I'm sure your children would LOVE it. LOL!

The loot that St. Nicholas left for the boys.

Micah exploring his new toy.

Caleb with his chocolate candy...just what he needs...LOL!

Caleb looking at his stuff, and Micah decides he wants it, too.This is the sour-face I was referring to...no clue what had happened.

Homemade Christmas Pictures

Well, it's that time of year again...time to put the kids in front of the tree and start snapping away. Ummm...not so easy with a nine-month-old.

You see...we just had the boys pictures made in September, so we decided against professional holiday pictures. And -- quite frankly, I'm too cheap. So, in front of the tree they went this evening...all decked out in their matching Christmas pajamas no less.

It was a chore. We started out by putting them on the couch, and I had to give Micah a stuffed animal to get him to cooperate. Then, I put them in front of the playroom tree (I'd much prefer the big one, but read the post below to see why it's not going up). Again, Micah isn't wanting to cooperate, so I try giving him stuff. He kept wanting to get the ornaments, so I decided to let him hold one. Well, being the baby he is...into the mouth it goes. Oh well, it works. So, here are the pictures we're using for the holiday photo card.

And yes...I am definitely feeding the boy green veggies. In fact, he gets one jar of green veggies DAILY! I don't know why he is having more of an "orange" issue than Caleb ever did. We never noticed it with Caleb...but with Micah...geez. You would think he NEVER eats anything green, but he does...I promise!

The Extent of My Holiday Decorating...

It seems like Christmas is just coming faster and faster every year. You see...I normally like to get my decorations out and up the weekend before Thanksgiving or at least on Thanksgiving. But -- being as we were getting ready to leave for VA, that didn't happen this year. So, after much thought and debate, I decided to just put up a small tree in the playroom for the kids. I did put up the other decorations in the living room and such, but I'm not going to put up our family tree in the living room. There's just not much need since Christmas is about three weeks away, and we're headed to the mountains on the 27th.

With that said, Caleb and I took the time this morning to get the tree put up in the playroom. He had lots of fun hanging the ornaments and getting it all decorated. Now that it's up, I'll put the boys in their Christmas pajamas and take their holiday picture sometime this evening. Then, I'll start working on the annual Childress newsletter. I tell ya...I'm late on this stuff this year, and my anal-retentive self doesn't like it at all. Oh well, it'll get out soon enough...LOL!

Here are some pictures of the playroom tree:

Caleb hanging his dinosaur ornament on the tree.

The final product (minus some sort of tree topper that I've got to go purchase).

Irritated with blogspot...arrgghhh...

You know...it's a bit irritating when I get my post to look just right and then when I post it...it looks different. The whole spacing, centering, and all that stuff just irritate me to no end. Anyone got any tricks they'd like to share to make it easier? I tell you...I can get it looking just right, and then when it appears it looks all messed up. Can you tell how frustrated I am? Anywho...just wanted to rant and vent a bit. Now, off to something more productive...LOL!

Thanksgiving and Mini-Vacation in Virginia

We headed to Virginia this past Tuesday morning. Our secret plan (with the help of Brian's dad) was to surprise Omi (Brian's mom) at work. Since she works until 9:30pm on Tuesdays, we figured we would head out early enough to stop by the store to surprise her. Our trip there was pretty uneventful. Traffic was fairly cooperative, but man...the cops...they were out all over the place. Thankfully Brian controlled his speeding and didn't get a ticket.

Micah enjoying his thumb AND the ride...LOL!

And here's Caleb...being goofy as always!

Omi was very surprised to see us at work, and she and Opa enjoyed showing the kiddos off to all the workers (and shoppers). Caleb even got to help Omi at her register by starting/stopping the register belt (whatever that thing is that you put the groceries on...lol). He had such a good time doing such a simple task.

Wednesday was a simple day just relaxing and hanging out. Uncle Ed and Aunt Pat (Opa's brother and SIL) stopped by Wednesday afternoon/evening to visit. Caleb really enjoyed learning all about fishing from Uncle Ed. You see...Uncle Ed is quite the fisherman, and he knows his stuff. Caleb just soaked it all in and listened so attentively.

Thursday was Thanksgiving, and we all enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by Omi and Opa. We had the normal fixin's of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes w/gravy, steamed veggies, dressing, asparagus, and the most delicious homemade rolls. I learned that Omi used to make all sorts of homemade "bread-stuff", and the rolls were so tasty. We also had lots of dessert options to choose from. Even Micah got to sample some of the fixin's...he tasted turkey, dressing, rolls, and mashed potatoes. He enjoyed himself, and he LOVES to eat...LOL!

Thursday afternoon, Brian and I headed out to Kmart and Walmart to do a little shopping. We were able to pick up some Christmas gifts for the kiddos and a Blu-ray DVD player for us and Brian's parents. And -- we are soooo glad that Walmart price matches (even the Black Friday ads). After shopping, we decided to stop by and visit with Dave (Brian's friend from high school and seminary) and his family since they were visiting in VA as well. We had such a good time just talking, playing games, and my how time flew...thankfully Omi and Opa didn't mind watching the boys while we enjoyed some time away from the kiddos.

On Friday morning, Brian and Omi headed out to do some shopping. They got some really good deals at Kohl's, and Brian went a little crazy...LOL! He bought more than we needed so that I could "choose" what I wanted and return the rest. He's a smart man, isn't he? LOL!

That afternoon we headed over to visit with Uncle Ed and Aunt Pat again. Caleb got lots of fishing gear (lures, fishing rod, fishing game, etc). I tell you...I think the boy will be some sort of an angler or something one of these days...he's really into all sorts of outdoor activities lately.

Aunt Pat holding little Micah.Caleb riding on the lawnmower with Uncle Ed...he thought it was too loud.
Caleb admiring one of Uncle Ed's many fishing trophies.
Caleb getting some lures from Uncle Ed...he's in HEAVEN!

Caleb getting even MORE lures.Micah enjoying himself and his toys.
Our little booger...Micah crawling under the table to get to Uncle Ed's meds.

Friday night, Brian and I took Caleb to meet up with Dave's family at Cesare's. What was supposed to be a nice meal at a nice restaurant was just the opposite. Our waiter sucked...the food wasn't that great either. But -- the fellowship was wonderful, and that's what counts, right? After supper we headed back to Kohl's to make some exchanges from Brian's earlier purchases, and we managed to pick up a few more things.

Micah woke up super sick on Saturday, and we didn't do much of anything. Brian and Caleb went to visit with Brian's cousins (Frank and Barbie) and their children. They have a new baby girl, Emily, who just turned 6 weeks old. I hate that Micah and I didn't get to go and visit, but we didn't want to expose the baby to anything that Micah had.

Saturday evening we did our Christmas exchange since we wouldn't see Omi and Opa for Christmas. Caleb and Micah racked up with all sorts of goodies, and Brian and I did well too. Omi and Opa enjoyed their gifts from the boys as well.

Caleb gets a tackle box from Opa.

Caleb tearing into another gift...

Micah gets in on the action.

Micah would rather play with the gift bag...LOL!

Micah enjoying his new toy.
Micah having some "chew-time" with the bag...LOL!
Micah playing with his life-sized Pooh bear...it's as big as he is.

Sunday was a wet and rainy day, so we opted to stay in again. We just enjoyed the time together visiting.

We headed back home on Monday because there was just too much to do back here in GA. Plus, we needed to get Micah to the doctor to make sure it wasn't anything more than a common cold (I'm happy to report that it's just a crummy cold per the dr). Again, traffic cooperated but the cops were STILL out.

We're glad we ventured up to VA for the holiday, and we will miss seeing Omi and Opa at Christmas. But -- they are headed to London with Uncle Patrick and Aunt Darcy (Brian's brother and SIL). So, they will have lots of fun, and we can't wait to hear all about it. Then, our family of four is headed to the mountains after Christmas for a much needed break from everything. We're looking forward to just playing games, fishing (the cabin is on a trout stream), and just doing NOTHING of importance.

Here's hoping you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are getting ready for a bright and Merry Christmas.

RIP Teeny

Well, we have finally returned home from our Thanksgiving trip to Virginia (I'll post more from our trip later). And -- upon my entry to the playroom (decided it was way past time to tackle that mess of a room), I looked into the hermit crab home. It appears our little Teeny has passed on. Evidently he tried to molt from his current shell to get into a new shell while we were away on vacation. And -- I don't think he made it. Evidently (from what Brain tells me), you need to separate the crabs once they begin to molt so that the others won't eat the soft flesh of the "shell-less" crab. Anywho...we still have Tiny and Surfer, so all is well.

And no...we are NOT replacing him with another hermit crab. Two is quite enough right now thank you very much!