Counting the Days!

The marker board on the fridge says seven days until Christmas. When I picked Jenna and Nate up from Mom’s this afternoon Jenna said, “Just another half day of school!” I think we’re all looking forward to the holidays.

SICKNESS. So the last time I wrote Vicki had been sick. This weekend it was me. At first I thought I had gotten some bad chicken. Five days in to this I’m thinking stomach virus. I know what I’m wanting for Christmas.

WILL SHE EVER LEARN? I guess Maggie is protecting us, but I'm not so sure it's worth it. The other day I said to her, "Maggie, I sure wish you would quit tangling with that skunk at night." She just looked up at me with her big eyes and wagged her tail (happy for the attention I’m sure). It has taken a week for the odor to go away.

GROWTH SPURT. I looked at Ben the other day and said, "Okay, boy, it's time to get the folding ruler back out." Sure enough, he's grown some in the last few weeks. At last measure he is over 5'10". I wonder how long it will be before he has me and Vicki beat. His voice is also starting to crack some so he's definitely leaving boyhood behind now. Poor Nate is being left behind, but I assure him that he’ll be making up the difference two or three years.

THE MISSING LINK. I've mentioned before that Jenna has an art class at school. I've been impressed with some of the things she has sketched in her art journal, but this latest assignment, a self portrait, was rather hideous. We teased her about looking like the missing link. She redid it and the second attempt looked a lot better.

Ben was looking at her journal the other night and asked, "Why are you taking art?"

"It's required," replied Jenna. "You have to take it to graduate."

"You mean I have to take art! I don't want to take art."

"Well, you don't have to take art. You can take drama instead."

"Good. I'll take drama." Then our clueless son asked, "What's drama? What do you have to do in drama?"

Jenna explained, "Well, there's some acting and you have to write some papers."

Immediately Ben hugged Jenna's art journal and said, "I love art!"

DRAMATICS. Speaking of drama, Nate is participating in a children's drama group at church called "Drama at the Cross" or DATC. They've performed twice, their first time back in the fall and again this past Sunday, and have done very well. Everything they've done so far has been signing and creative movement to songs. I'm hoping they will start doing some short sketches as well. Nate thoroughly enjoys it and does a great job.

BASKETBALL. Ben’s regular basketball season ended Monday night. The JV team, on which Ben is a starter, played their hearts out but never won a game. The middle school varsity boys did pull off a win Monday night to end the season with a 1-9 record. It was a well played game and could have gone either way. Ben is bummed that we didn’t sign him up for Upward Ball because all that is left for his team is a tournament in January. Meanwhile, Nate’s team has begun to practice and his season will start up next month.

Joe