Sunday, December 30, 2007

2 games, back-to-back,in 2 nights

With family in town, we always like to entertain and what better way than to see some of the major pro teams out here in the area.

This past Thursday we headed out to see the Phoenix Coyotes take on the Minnesota Wild. Then on Friday we saw the Suns go up against the LA Clippers. It was a lot for 2 nights in a row but it sure was FUN!

It was very disappointing to see the Coyotes loss on Thursday. However, Friday was better as the Suns handed it to the Clippers. Both games were great and I can't wait to do it again.

Oh, and our visiting family had a great time as well.

2008!! WOW!!

I can not believe that we are getting ready to welcome the year 2008!



Belated Merry Christmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was wonderful. It was a nice relaxing day at home with my hubby's family.

Here are the boys as they awaited getting to see what Santa brought for them on Christmas morning.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Gifted?

The other day I received a letter from the school saying that they would like to have my permission to have Kyle tested for the gifted program (or, Enhanced Learning Program) in our district. It is not a big surprise. We have known for some time that Kyle is advanced for his age. It seems typical being a younger brother. However, there are a few concerns, as parents, that we have.

Being a small school district, they only have one program that runs out of a different school. So Kyle would have to be bussed to the other location weekly to participate in the program. Also, I have talked with other moms who have children in the program and their kids bring home additional homework that they have to complete for the program on top of their regular class homework. I don't know, to me that sounds like the smarter kids are being punished with more work just for being smart. Anyways...I did sign the paperwork. He will be tested in January. We will see how it all turns out. It may end up being something that will be good for him. Who knows?

I was never in the "gifted" classification as a child in school so I do not have the insight from the students perspective. I am not sure, but I think for some it really gives them a boost in confidence and self esteem. We will see how it goes for Kyle.

Spelling Bee

As a 4th grader, this is Tyler's first year that he gets to compete in the spelling bee at his school. He has been waiting for this opportunity every since he learned about the spelling bee when he was in 1st grade. His strongest academic area is spelling, so naturally this is a big deal for him. They had a spell off in his class last week and he was one of the top 3 that got to advance to the school wide Bee. There were 3 students from each 4th and 5th grade classes.

Yesterday was the competition for the school and Tyler did very well. Although he did not make the cut to advance to the district level he still did very well. He spelled some words that I do not even know how to spell. Heck, by the 6th and 7th rounds there were words that I have never even heard before, much less know how to spell. It was amazing to sit and watch these kids and the level of intelligence that they have at such a young age.

It was a great experience for Tyler and now he has the motivation to study and learn more words for next year. Way to go Tyler!

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Christmas With a Capital "C"

This is great!

So What About You...

...what did you ask Santa to bring you this Christmas?

Santa's coming early!

My hubby said that I could go ahead and order my Christmas gift so that I (we) can use it on Christmas day. YeeHaa!

So my (our) new camcorder should be here next week, just in time for Christmas.

We do have one that we purchased about 10 years ago. It is the old small tape kind and after many hours spent trying to convert them to DVD, so that we could share with family and watch for ourselves, I decided that I was not going to use it anymore because it was just too painful. I have a still photo camera (that I got last Christmas) that also takes small short videos that I have been using over the past year. It has been getting us by but it is time to step it up to some longer play and better quality.

Can't wait!

Monday, December 10, 2007

The Goalie in Action

Thought I would share. Here is Tyler in action.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Get to know you, Christmas style

30 Tidbits of Christmas

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?
Hot chocolate

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Both. Some are wrapped, some are not.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Both. I like both. I have all white on the tree and a little of both outside.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?
Yes, a fake one in our entrance way

5. When do you put your decorations up?
As soon after Thanksgiving as possible.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
Pumpkin Cake (it has to be a dessert, sorry)

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child.
Going over to Grandparents houses every Christmas day and spending the day with lots of family. (or when family would come to our house. specially the days when I can remember my sister and I looking out the window, waiting and watching our Grandparents unload all the gifts that they would bring.)

8. How and When did you learn the truth about Santa?
I am not sure exactly what age. I think maybe pre-teen.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes, as a kids we always did. Now, with my kids, it doesn't always happen every year. Not sure why? hhuummm

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?
White lights and various ornaments collected over the years. Each ornament has its own story. It is always neat to pull them out each year and recall the memories of them all.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it?
Love it

12. Can you ice skate?
Oh yea, baby! Sure can!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
The pink little boom box that I got when I was about 15 years old.

14. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?
Pumpkin Cake

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
Making picture ornaments for the kids each year. They will take all of them with them, someday, when they leave home. And - Going to Christmas Eve Service

17. What tops your tree?
Right now...nothing. It has been different for many years. (an angel, a bow and a star)

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving?
Giving...but only when it is not giving just to give. I enjoy buying for people when I know that they truly are in need or that it is appreciated.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?
Go tell it on the Mountain

20. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
Both

21. Real tree or artificial?
Artificial

22. When do you put up the tree?
Anytime we can get it up after Thanksgiving.

23. When do you take the tree down?
After News Years

24. Do you have a nativity scene?
Yes

25. Hardest person to buy for?
My hubby and his brother

26. Easiest person to buy for?
my kids

27. Worst Christmas gift you have ever received?
A cleaning tool to clean my toilets.

28. When do you start your Christmas shopping?
As soon as I can.

29. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
Oh Yes. I learned from the best, my mother.

30. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
Christmas Morning

Starting to look like Christmas around here...finally

After a long weekend of hard work putting up decorations it is finally starting to feel a little more like Christmas around here. We usually try to get our Christmas decorations up right after Thanksgiving, however that didn't happen this year. We got a little behind because we usually start by pulling out the Christmas tree first and then going from there. Well, this year, as the holidays grew closer we realized that we did not have a tree because the one we had fell apart last year and we had to get rid of it.

Earlier this week we found a tree. Now we have all the decorations up! The tree is beautiful with all the lights and the years of memories that cover it in ornaments. Traditional Christmas decorations fill the house and hundreds of lights light up the yard. aahhh it is a wonderful.

Now all we need is the hot cocoa! :)




One half of the front yard...















The other half of the front yard.


















Upclose of our tree decorations....
















Our Charlie Brown Christmas...





















And the Train!

Still no win...but on their way

Tyler played another hockey game tonight. They played against the best team in the league, the Red Wings (no, not the NHL team). Tyler's team is the Oilers (all the teams have taken on NHL team names). From the beginning of the season they have always dreaded playing against the Red Wings because they get beat so badly. One time I think the score was like 11-2. Ouch! But not tonight. Although they still didn't win they only fell by a score of 3-1. The team was so happy that you would have thought they did win. I can't wait 'till next time. They WILL beat the Red Wings before the season is over and and there WILL be a big celebration. I can't wait. Go Oilers Go!

Need a new camcorder...

so I can record the Goalie in action and share with you.

I want the hard drive kind. Maybe I will get it for Christmas!!

Tyler the Goalie!

Every since Tyler has started playing Hockey he has wanted to the opportunity to play goalie. Being that there is only one goalie per team (for the youth division that he is in) it can be difficult to get a spot on a team as goalie.

As it turns out, the team that Tyler is playing on this season somehow ended up without a goalie. The coach told all the players on the team that whoever wanted to try their hand at being goalie could do so. About half the team requested to give it a try, and Tyler was one. After everyone had their chance, the coach asked if there was anyone that would like to make the switch to being the full time goalie. Tyler was the only one that wanted to do it and not only that the entire team told the coach that they wanted Tyler to be their goalie. He was so thrilled to be selected but he was even more honored that the rest of the team chose him to do it.

He will be playing in his 5th (or 6th, not sure) game tomorrow as goalie and he is doing wonderful!

due for an undate

After a month, or so, I thought that I had better give an update. So, as things look right now, we are not putting our house back up for sale, at least not right now. After really evaluating the cost and praying about it we are back on the fence again and really feel like we need to give it a little more time.

Basically we are trying to determine if we should stay where we are and build on or move into a place that is "turn key" ready with exactly what we are looking for. The biggest "catch" to moving is that we will lose the land (which is becoming a rare thing where we are now) and most likely have to move into a homeowners association (yuck!, we don't like them!).

Well, that is the long-and-short of it. So, there you have it!