7 Quick Takes

It is Friday!! And honestly, for whatever reason, this is the easiest post all week for me to write! I do love

structure, in any form!!!

1. My oldest son, Tyler, who is 7 years old is a complete and total perfectionist. I would like to say I am 

exaggerating, but I can not tell a lie. I will give you just a few examples. 

Last night he had reading homework. He told me that they read two stories in class and so he wasn't sure if they needed to read one or both. He asked me to call his teacher. I am not kidding. At first he was smiling, so I thought he might just be joking, but then he pulled out his serious face and really asked. So we read both stories just to

be safe. 

Each week his teacher sends home this cute little paper with his spelling words on it. (keep in mind that they have had spelling test every week since sept. and he has missed TWO the entire time!!) It has four little pictures along with the words Mon-Thur on the side. The kids color a picture each day they practice the words. This morning as he was putting his spelling sheet in his back pack and we were going back over the words, I said to him, "Tyler, I think if you don't miss any we don't have to go over them after you take your test."

"momma, she said we needed to practice them every day"

" I know, but you KNOW them, I think she meant the kids that didn't get them all right"

"No, she said it to everyone"

This went on for another minute, then I gave in. Better to have overly good habits now, so when he is a teenager and slacks off he will just be normal!!!!

2. Speaking of Tyler, last night was his school Chrsitmas Program. It was adorable!! He likes being on stage, but gets so nervous!! His eyes never once left the music teacher!

Too Cute!!

And, I finally got to meet his best friend's grandparents!! I hope now he can come visit and I feel much better about him going there!

3. Tyler also told us about a little girl in his class that couldn't be in the Christmas Program. I asked him if she did the Christmas activities with the class and he said yes. (in retrospect, maybe he didn't understand my question)

A week later he was telling me about this same girl and mentioned that it was because her family didn't believe in Christmas. Wow. Ok, so we talked. Some people don't believe in Christmas, some people think Jesus lived but that he didn't die on the cross and rise again, some people don't believe in Jesus at all. Did she talk to you about why she didn't celebrate Christmas?? He told me no, he wasn't her friend because she had to stay in at recess alot to do her work. (oops, did we go wrong somewhere?? While I appreciate that he is wanting to be friends with "good kids" I certianly don't want him deny someone friendship because they are bad students) I told him he could be her friend, that sometimes that is the best way to tell someone about Jesus and just because she doesn't always do her work does not mean she is a bad person.

He seems to have this heightened sense of how people are different than him this year. It is producing alot of conversations I was hoping to not have for a while. He is so mature in some ways and yet a total 7 year old in others! We try to be honest with our kids, for their given maturity level. Sometimes, I admit, I am not sure where that line is....

4. Now to the opposite end of the specturm. My baby. He is 19 months and has little language skills. I have had worries over this laguage thing for about 7 months. Our previous pediatrictian (whom I would totally drive two and a half hours to see if he accepted our insurance) told me not to worry, he has two older brothers doing the talking for him and experienced parents who probably know what he needs by visual cues.
Then, we moved. And I had to find a new dr. I hate finding new doctors. But, we were given an excellent reccomendation from some family and they even got us in months earlier than we were able to on our own. So he is no Dr.E, but he is pretty good. I spoke to him in October about the language and was told to wait a couple of months to see if it got better. I called again and made another appt to talk about it again. I don't think I am crazy (or maybe I am just in denial and I have no problem with being "that mother") but he does not seem to be having as many words as he should. I started a list this morning to take with me of all that he does say, but a bigger problem I *think* I am hearing is no articualation and a slight muted sound. Like he is using his tongue way to much and the sounds have no crispness. Even when we all (even the older boys) make an effort to enuciate every sound while he watches our lips he still does not mimic it. He does not seem to lack any other skills, maybe even a little more observant than I remember the other two being. At any rate, now I am a worry stone until we go to the doctor.

5. Next week is Christmas!! This has been the least busy of all our past seasons and I sure do like it. We are only traveling for a short time to see my family in our hometown. It will be so grand to have everyone home for two weeks to just have fun!!!

6. We deocrated our house on Thanksgiving night. We realized the only thing we had brought with us was the tree!!! All of our other items, stockings, tree skirt, ornaments, lights were in storage two and a half hours away! We debated on whether or not to make the drive to go get them, and decided for less money we would just buy a box of cheap bulbs and make do. Needless to say our house is not very decorated this year!

here is our sad tree, it's old and the ornaments only go down so far in order to keep nick out of them!!Ok, maybe you could call us a little lazy this year!! (please ingore the ugly paneling in the back)

7, Since this is the last Friday before Christmas, have a Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!!