Counting, Writing, and a New President

A few recent happenings . . .

In those unstructured days between Christmas and starting back to school, Christopher started making to-do lists.  (Yep, he’s my son!)  I’ve been told that next year in kindergarten he will be doing some writing and sounding out words himself, so I try not to help him much when he is trying to spell things.  Plus, it is entertaining to see what he comes up with!  He is a good little speller!  Here is one of his to-do lists.  I helped him with the word “play” and he got his leapster to see how to spell that.  “Sooker” is soccer, and “lay with Will” refers to laying down with Will in their new play tent.  It’s harder to see the one he wrote in green, but my favorite on that list is “put up the Christmas chreey.”

Will has been doing some writing of his own–he can actually write his name now!  He doesn’t usually write the letters next to each other, but he will write each letter somewhere on the page.  I’ll try to get photo evidence soon.  He also likes to count, just like this every time:  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 12 13 14 14 14.   A few days ago in the car, Christopher and I were going over some addition facts.  Will listened carefully as Christopher did 1+1, 2+2, 3+3, 4+4 and 5+5.  Then I started challenging Christopher with 2+3, and then 3+4 really stumped him.  Out of nowhere, Will yelled, “7!”  I know it must have been a total fluke, but he sounded like a genius!  The boy can’t count to 9, but he knows 3+4=7! 

On Tuesday, I watched parts of the inauguration with Christopher.  I remember Reagan becoming president when I was about his age, and I hope Christopher will have a memory of this week’s events.  I tried to explain to him a little bit about racism and why the election of President Obama is significant in our history.  I also gave him a little lesson in democracy and why we need to be thankful for the peaceful transfer of power in our country.

Before we watched the oath, I explained that Obama was going to promise to do the best job he can as our president.  Christopher thoughtfully asked, “Is God going to help him?”  It was as if he could sense the weight that this man was about to take on, and that it was not something man could do alone.  I explained that God always helps those who ask Him, and that we can pray for Obama that he will ask God for help and wisdom.  As Pres. Obama finished taking the oath, Christopher excitedly said, “He asked God to help him!”  I tried to explain that it is tradition to say that, and how I hoped he meant it.  It made me want Christopher to remain naive forever–to not understand racism, to only know democracy, to not suspect hypocrisy–sometimes the characteristics of childlike-ness are so beautiful.

The Much Belated Christmas Post

We had a great Christmas this year!  Here’s everything we did, not because you care about the details, but because five years from now, when I get around to scrapbooking Christmas 2008, this is where I’ll come for the info . . .

Some pre-Christmas festivities . . . I took the kids to the mall to see Santa with our friends Mollie and Emily.  Will wanted nothing to do with the man, which was not a surprise.  Christopher enjoyed sitting on his lap and telling him that he wanted an astronaut costume and a Samson costume (which Christopher had seen while running errands with me at the Christian bookstore).  Santa looked a little confused.  We also had fun Christmas caroling in the neighborhood with some of our friends.  My friend Jennifer and I used to go caroling with our parents and their friends, and it was great to bring the tradition to the next generation! Also, Christopher sang with the other 4-year-olds in his preschool Christmas program.  (He is standing in the middle of the back row in the photo below.)  He loved having Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, Granddad, Nana, and Uncle Jamie there to cheer him on!

The night of December 23, we decided to let Will start sleeping in his big boy bed in Christopher’s room.  We had gotten the bunk bed mattresses the previous weekend, and Christopher was so eager to have Will in his room.  In general, the transition went well.  Will has only ventured out of his bed a couple of times (that we know of).  For the first few nights, Will was scared of his bed and Christopher had to sleep in the bottom bunk with him.  But now Christopher has returned to the top bunk and they are doing great!  Here are photos of the boys that night in their Christmas pj’s and in their bunk bed:

On Christmas Eve day, we had our family Christmas at home.  We had a play tent for the boys by the Christmas tree with their stockings and then opened gifts.  Later in the afternoon, Noel had to go to work for awhile, and the boys and I decorated Christmas cookies.  Noel finished at work just in time to meet us for the Christmas Eve service at Grandma and Grandpa’s church, and then we went to their house for dinner.

On Christmas morning, we went to Nana and Granddad’s house to celebrate with them, Mam-ma, Uncle Kevin, Aunt Laura, Uncle Garland and Caroline.  The boys had fun opening more gifts, “helping” Caroline figure out all her new toys, and having Christmas dinner.

That afternoon, Aunt Amanda and Uncle Brian arrived.  We celebrated with them, Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Jamie on the day after Christmas.  More gifts, more food, and lots of fun!  Later in the day, we sang Christmas carols together with Grandma on the piano, Uncle Jamie on the cello, and Christopher and Will blowing the heck out of two recorders.  When Grandpa got his trumpet, things got really out of control!  I’ll spare you the video.  Hopefully the boys will learn to play real instruments soon and put us out of our recorder misery.

We enjoyed having time with Aunt Amanda, Uncle Brian and Uncle Jamie while they were in Arkansas.  We saw the lights on the square, celebrated Aunt Amanda’s 30th birthday, and played endless hours with legos, usually while wearing the astronaut and/or Samson costumes.  Will was a little scared of Uncle Brian, which made for many funny moments.  (Maybe not funny to Will, but someday he’ll look back on it and have a great laugh!)  We’re glad we got to spend time with all our wonderful family!