Sunday, November 27, 2016

Trimming the Tree

Evangeline likes to call decorating the tree "trimming the tree".  This year we only trimmed the tree in non-breakable ornaments because a certain baby is mighty busy these days. 
 
He is always going for this "bubu" a.k.a., bubble.  He likes the tree. 
 
It just blows my mind at how little and helpless Jed was at this time last year.  Now he's in to everything.  Babies just grow up too quickly...
 
Evangeline enjoys showing Jed everything.  Here she is sharing her Nativity with him.  She gave him a nice little lesson on how to take the angel off and put it back on.  
 
So much has changed for us all since last year.  It really becomes apparent when the year is marked with various traditions...especially when you are watching you kids grow and change so quickly from year to year.  Things keep changing, but lots of things stay the same.   

School Happenings

Jed is getting more and more adventurous.  He tested out his climbing skills on our new chair.  He was proud as can be with himself.  Getting off was the scary part (more for me and Kyle).  Let's just say, the chair is back in a room he can't access at the moment. 
 
In addition to giving kisses, he loves to point out noses and other facial features.  He also loves to point out footballs.  He says it like "puball".  It's so cute.  Everything round used to be just balls, now their puballs. 
 
A few weeks ago Evangeline was reading Jed a book.  In every page Jed was pointing to things and saying, "ball".  Evangeline finally said in a very exasperated voice, "we know Jed, you're a ball finding expert."  
 
Every so often me and the little girl get a little "girl time".  The day this picture was taken that girl time included a hot cocoa and a new Christmas gingerbread doll.  
 
A few weeks ago Evangeline was awarded the character vest at school for kindness.  
 
We just came out of another themed week at South School for Read Across America week.  Here we are on hat day...
 
 
Evangeline got to spend part of the morning last Tuesday in my classroom (it was actually our wonderful new principal's suggestion).  Each year before Thanksgiving I do a spinning demonstration for the first graders.  Each class rotates to my room for 20 minutes.  I talk about what it took to make clothing from scratch back in the old days.  This year Evangeline helped me out.  I will never forget this.  I feel so fortunate to have her in my school and to have a principal that lets things like this happen.  Evangeline showed the kids how to draft the wool to prepare it to be spun.  She also gave a few turkey facts and let the kids hear what a real turkey sounds like with a turkey caller.  The kids loved having her in my class.  This was a special day for both of us. 

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Thanksgiving Day

Evangeline wore her classic turkey headband to school the other day...adorable.  We got out early on Tuesday for a much-needed break.  We picked up Jed and headed to Grandma's house.  We enjoyed eating pizza and watching Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas and Fraggle Rock.  I love sharing my childhood with Evangeline.  We ate breakfast at the Cracker Barrel and then my mom took Evangeline to see the movie, Trolls, while I did a little shopping with Jed.  Evangeline has been waiting very anxiously to wear my old troll earrings to the movie.  I told her I would make a dangly earring acceptation for the movie.  Mom sent me a picture of her in front of the movie poster with those big furry earrings on, proud as can be....ahhh, this girl makes me smile.

 
Evangeline lost a tooth on Thanksgiving morning.  We called it the Thanksgiving tooth.  Now she has a big Jack-O'Lantern smile.  
 
Thanksgiving lunch was delicious at Papa and Karen's house.  
 
Evangeline watched her beloved Shaun the Sheep in her ballerina room at Papa's.  She was in her happy place. 
 
Then it was on to Ammie's house for dinner.  What a fun day!
 
The next day we traveled to the farm for Thanksgiving with my side of the family.  
 
Evangeline wanted a picture of her with her elf.  They were reunited when we unpacked the Christmas stuff.  
 
I am so thankful for my family...
 
On the way home the kissing machine was in full tilt.  It was one big blown kiss after the other for like five minutes straight.  I think we were all feeling grateful, thankful and blessed.  


Here is the recipient of those kisses with that big Jack-O'Lantern smile....

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

A Little Catching Up

Well, this is just going to have to be a big random entry about lots of different things.  It's been a while since I've taken a minute to write and lots of things have happened. 

First of all....what would I do without my little helper!! 
 
Here's Evangeline before scarecrow day at school....
 
There was a lost tooth on November 7th.  It happened about 8:30 at night.  Evangeline came speeding down the stairs crying, "Mommy! Mommy!" after we had already put her to bed.  It startled me for a minute.  She exclaimed that she had lost her tooth!  She was so excited to put it right under that pillow.   
 
Jed is sprouting teeth as fast as Evangeline is loosing them.  Evangeline has often wondered if the tooth fairy collects her teeth for Jed. 

The kids and I got our flu shots.  Evangeline gave me strict instructions not to tell her that we were getting them because she didn't want to stew about it.  She just wanted to be surprised.  I pulled up at the doctor's office after school and in a slight panic she asked me what we were doing.  I told her we were getting our shots.  She cried for a minute, but then got it together.  The nurse asked who was going to go first and she hoped right up on the table to get it over with.  I was so surprised by her bravery given the fact that it took 2 nurses to hold her down last year.  Her only demand this year was that she get to step out when Jed got his because she didn't want to hear him cry. 

Jed's really developing his verbal communication skills.  He's been saying ball-ball for a few days.  I wasn't sure what he was trying to say until the other day.  I realized he was meaning to say "bubble".  There is a book he likes to read at Peggy's house where there are bubbles that "pop, pop, pop".  Peggy says he likes her to read it over and over.  I put it together the other day when we were looking at something with bubbles and he said "ball-ball" and took his finger and poked at them saying, "pa pa pa".  I know it's a little thing, but it was really quite an exciting discovery for me. 

He's learning so much.  He's beginning to love books and he is able to point out familiar objects in books when asked to find something in particular. 

It's clementine season and Mr. Jed loves clementines.  He eats and eats them!
 
Evangeline went with Peggy to see the quartet, 5th Street Revival when they visited Marshall last week.  One of the members was once the pastor at the church Peggy was working for.  Evangeline came home very excited to tell us that she sang the song during the offertory.   I was sorry I missed that.  I received an email from Clair Beven, the woman that accompanied her on piano, (who is also the principal at North School) to tell me what a joy it was to hear her sing. 

Evangeline sang in the Marshall School's Got Talent show last night.  Wow.  Kyle played for her on the guitar.  The two of them were enough to send me into a puddle of pride tears.  On her way out on stage the announcer did a short bio on her.  The announcer introduced her as Evangeline Hutson, a second grader at South School, and that her hobbies included reading fairy books and playing basketball outside with her dad.  It was precious.  (Evangeline later told me that her teacher asked her a few questions about her hobbies at school before the show.  That was a surprise to me.)  Kyle got a grin on his face upon hearing her bio too.  After they performed they got a standing ovation...the only one of the night.  There were several people in tears.  The song "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" has such a special message and to hear it sung by a child makes it all the more special.  Her friends all ran up and hugged her afterwards.  It was seriously the sweetest sight.  She has a lovely voice and I very much admire her ability to share her voice with an audience. 
 
**Another big event....The Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years!!  We were so excited!  It was the most agonizing game ever.  Kyle and I almost couldn't take it.  I thought about how much I wished my grandpa Jerry, die hard Cubs fan, could have been there to see it.***