A Big Night for Nicholas

On the last night of Cub Scouts for the year, and during our Pack Christmas Party, Nicholas was awarded his Webelos Badge and Arrow of Light Award.  He worked really hard to complete everything before the start of the new year.  He didn't want to have to come back from Christmas Break and have to get it all done before his birthday in February so he got it all done before we left.  I think the smile on his face says it all.

WAY TO GO, NICK!!!!!!

He's a Poet...and He Knows It!

Jeremy really got into his poetry assignment a couple of months ago and came up with this piece.  It was not one of the required poems, but it was by far my favorite.  Enjoy!

Your Armor

by Jeremy Cannon

To wear the suit;

To be the hero;

Beneath the iron plates

And chain mail.

Enthralled by the protection

In the midst of battle

While slashing and hacking

Your enemies.

You find yourself dependent 

Upon the armor;

The metal that envelops and

Coats you.

Your skills and sword

Are your saviors;

Your shield and armor,

Your protection.

But when the clubs

That shatter bones

And the blood-stained swords

Do vanish

To be replaced by words

That shatter souls

And vengeful attitudes

That cripple.

The iron plates cannot block

The harmful, hateful words;

Perhaps, what is needed is

New armor.

So replace the plates

With a strong spirit;

The shield with the ability

To ignore.

Your sword is now wits,

Which become sharper

When skill is replaced

With wisdom.

To have that spirit;

To be truly happy;

Beneath the joyful expression

And purity.

Grateful for the protection

In the midst of society

Ignoring harsh comments

And retorts.

Your wits and wisdom

Are your new saviors

Now that you have the

Better armor.

Happy Birthday To Me!

I have the best family in the world.  I got to relax all day long.  They fixed me dinner and a delicious cake.  Each one picked out their own gifts and I loved all of it.  Being spoiled is awesome!!

 Naomi found her Angry Birds hat and decided I needed a Perry the Platypus hat as well.  She was absolutely right.  I am stylish, happy and warm all at the same time.  The boys picked out Evanescence albums for me and we rocked out to those.

Warm feet and head!  I am ready for the cold now.  Thanks, Honey!

Did I mention that I have the best family ever?!!!!??

The Tooth Fairy

 

 

When I picked Naomi up from her friends house after school on December 1st she was excited to show me how loose her tooth was.  When she started to wiggle it, it fell out.  We rushed home to put it in an envelope.  She insisted on putting it in a plastic baggie. 

WAIT!  I need to give you some background information so this story will make more sense.  Our tooth fairy is incredibly efficient and will sometimes come while the kids are brushing their teeth.  The last time Naomi lost a tooth we put it in an envelope so it wouldn't get lost and she carefully placed it under her pillow.  Steve got home from work just in time to help put the kids in bed.  Naomi had been waiting all day to show him her tooth.  Well, the tooth fairy was very efficient this particular night with dramatic/traumatic results.  After brushing her teeth, she climbed into bed to retrieve the envelope to show her daddy her tooth and found that the Tooth Fairy had already come.  She was devastated.

Okay, now back to December 1st.  She put the tooth in a plastic bag this time so she could SEE it.  She didn't let the bag out of her sight.  At one point she had to put the bag down to do something.  She quickly picked it back up, handed it to me and very seriously said, "Mommy, watch this tooth so it doesn't turn into a dollar before Daddy sees it."  I am glad that she dashed off to complete her task because I couldn't keep a straight face for very long.  I love this little girl. 

November - Just a bunch of nuts

We are having WAAAAAAYY too much fun doing our Christmas shopping this year.  If we are not having fun we are not doing it right. 

As unfun and stressful as October was, November made up for it and then some.  November 1st Jeremy was awarded the "Outstanding Student" award for his grade.  He also made the Sweet 16 for having one of the 16 highest math scores in the entire 8th grade.  November 2nd the parents were invited to the poetry cafe in Ms. Baker's 8th grade literature class.  She had the room decorated with lights and table cloths.  Each student read two of the poems from their project.  We snapped our fingers instead of clapping.  It was tons of fun.  Jeremy also won his class spelling bee that day. 

November 3rd we went to see Wreck-It Ralph as a family.  We all really enjoyed it.  Going to movies as a family is one of our favorite things to do.  We especially love it when the movies of our choice are playing at The Gem Theater in Kannapolis.  The Gem is an old theater that has been turned into a movie theater so it has a balcony and fun murals on the walls.  You can't beat the price of $4.00 a ticket either. 

November 4th Jeremy was set apart as the secretary in the deacons quorum. 

November 6th we all stayed up late to watch the election results trickle in.  President Obama was re-elected in a very close race.  Governor Romney ran a good race but fell short in the end.  The popular vote ended up being 49% for Romney and 50% for Obama.   I love it that the kids are so involved in and interested in the way the United States functions.  They need to know how it all works.  They are the future. 

November 9th-11th Steve was a leader at the Outdoor Leadership Training for the scouts.  He is having a blast working with other scoutmasters in the district and especially loves teaching at these events. 

November 9th, Nicholas attended his first school dance.  I was nervous because Nicholas normally doesn't like loud and crowded places.  When I picked him up he was full of stories of how fun it was and all the things he did with his friends.  We went straight from the dance to the Boy Scout auction at church.  I don't know how much money we earned in the end, but it was a fun night. 

November 11th was the primary program.  Nicholas and Naomi did a great job.  Jeremy loved sitting in the congregation and watching.  That evening, after Steve got back from camping, we celebrated Naomi's birthday since the week was full of other activities every night.  We ate her favorite dinner, stroganoff, and had rainbow Jell-o for dessert.  I can't believe my baby is 7!!!

Monday was a day off of school for Naomi, so Steve and I took her to the computer store to purchase her Nexus tablet.  She had saved up her half of the money right in time for her birthday.  They didn't have one in stock, but another store in Tennessee had one and would send it overnight to their location.  Naomi was okay with that.   Later that afternoon we went to the mall to give Naomi another one of her presents.   I had been teasing her for weeks that one of her presents was going to make her jump right out of her pants.  When we started approaching the Mall Jump she figured out the clues I had been giving her all along.  She begs to try it everytime we pass it and today she got to do it.  She was really excited and it was worth every second of the high-flying fun. 

Nicholas found a watch he really liked at the mall and wanted to know if Santa could get it for him.  Luckily the store had a lay-away program for Santa.  We put Nicholas's name on the watch and he was satisfied that Santa would come through.  That night as I was putting him to bed he started crying because he was worried that his other watch would feel bad because it wouldn't be his favorite watch anymore.  He is such a sweet kid. 

November 13th, Naomi's actual birthday, was a busy day.  I took icecream sandwiches to her class over lunch as her birthday treat.  I was also tutoring math and reading in her class that day, driving carpool for Nick, fixing dinner, picking up Naomi's Nexus, and helping in scouts. 

November 17th Jeremy earned the money for his tablet.  We took the kids to the computer store again.  The employees there are starting to call us by name - kind of like "Norm" on the show Cheers.  I don't know if that is a good thing.  Anyway, Jeremy picked out his tablet.  Since the time Nicholas purchased his in September, the tablet market has exploded.  He was a little upset that Jeremy could get a better tablet for the same price Nick had paid in September.  Steve and I had already thought this might happen and had a plan in place.  I offered to "buy" his old tablet from him so he could get this newer one with a front/back camera, 16 GB of memory and a mini-SD card.  It was definitely a win-win sitution.  It was good lesson in how fast technology advances and what happens the prices of items when they become "outdated" so quickly. 

November 19th I cooked two turkies to take into Nicholas's class for the annual Thanksgiving Feast they have for the 5th graders.  I loved getting to meet some of his friends and their parents.   This is a good group of kids. 

November 21st Nicholas and Naomi went to the dentist and got great reviews.  Nicholas was very relieved that no more teeth had to come out.  The doctor just said he needed to brush his teeth better and suggested getting a Sonicare for the kids.  YIKES!!

That night I had a Girl's Night Out with Tabitha and Tracy.  We went to see the new Twilight movie.  It was surprisingly good.  I don't know if it was the movie or the fact that we were without children that made the night so much fun.  It could have been both. 

Thanksgiving Day was great!!! The kids helped fix the meal and clean up afterwards.  Steve went to the midnight sales.  He is a Black Friday junky!!  I am not complaining because he found Sonicare toothbrushes for 60% off at Kohl's.  Combine that with an additional 15% off since I have a Kohls card and a $10.00 coupon I got in the mail earlier in the week and the result was 3 toothbrushes with refill heads for everyone for the price of one.  The kids now have Sonicare.  Next dental visit should be the best one ever for everyone. 

November 23rd everyone straightened up the house in anticipation for Nicholas's new friend to come and play.  Nicholas is taking Mrs. Hammond's advice seriously and is making new friends.  When he came home one day asking if Tyler could come over, I got on the phone immediately and called Tyler's mother, whom I have met on several occassions at school parties.  Her excitement matched mine since Tyler is apparently very much like Nick, a little hesitant to make new friends.  They had a blast playing all day long and were exhausted by the time we took Tyler home. 

November 28th Nick got his progress report.  He was over-the-moon excited to show me and Steve that his Social Studies and Language Arts grades had both come up from a C to a B.  I love it that he has a teacher he admires and who motivates him to try harder and be better. 

I told you that November was a great month!!!  Here's to a fantastic December!!

October - Scary Stuff!!!

 

October started out with us joining a fitness club - Yea!!! - and then having to cancel our membership the very next day because Steve needed to have a new crown - Boo!!!  That was the first two days of the month.

 

 

On the 3rd of October Jeremy came home from school VERY upset.  He had gotten into his first fight.  Apparently, the other kid was using some offensive language around the girls in the group and Jeremy told him to clean it up around the ladies.  The kid started throwing punches and being even more obnoxious.  It ended when the other kid threw Jeremy's shoe into the pond and an adult came running to help Jeremy out.  The other kid scrambled.  Thank goodness this did not happen on school property or Jeremy might have been suspended within he first week of school.  I told him I was proud of him for defending the girls, but I didn't want any more fighting.  He agreed that maybe this group was not the best social time and he said he would come straight home from school from then on. 

 

Over Conference weekend we decided to give our house a face lift.  The shutters were all sun bleached a different shade of green and it made our house look sad.  We planned out the project between sessions, got the shutters cleaned off  and I bought the paint later in the week.  By the next weekend our house was smiling again.  It is amazing what a couple coats of paint can do. 

 

While Jeremy and Steve went to the priesthood session of conference, Naomi, Nicholas and I stayed at home and read books.  Nicholas wanted to finish The Hunger Games and Naomi was in the middle of the Magic School Bus series and wanted to learn more about science with the gang.  It was a great night for everyone. 

 

 

Naomi and her friends decorated her room to look like an apple orchard and pumpkin patch.  It was really cute.  Once the "season" was over, she took down the decorations and is carefully storing them until next season.  I love her imagination. 

 

Here are some of the wonderful pictures she has been taking with the camera.  I told you she has an eye for things most of us wouldn't even notice. 

October 10th I got a call from Lake Norman Charter school telling me that Nicholas had fallen in some mud during recess and would need a COMPLETE change of clothes.  I rushed to the school and found a very muddy Nicholas.  We got him all cleaned up and back in class before he missed too much. 

October 16th I got another call from Lake Norman Charter telling me that Nicholas was in the nurses office with a fever and complaining of a sore throat and headache.  I ran over to the school and picked him up.  The nurse told me to watch him closely as strep throat was going around.  Steve left for Chicago that afternoon.  (Remember, nothing good happens when he is out of town - foreshadowing.)

October 17th, Nick was still sick and to make matters worse he had a tooth that looked like it was broken in two.  I took him to the dentist and he ended up having to have two teeth pulled since the adult teeth were growing in underneath and causing the baby teeth to crack and/or grow at odd and uncomfortable angles.  As much as Nicholas HATES having shots in his mouth, he was relieved to have the two troublesome teeth out of his mouth.  He really like the "new" dentist.

While all of this was going on, the truck was in the shop getting new struts.  I was driving around in a rental truck which Nicholas thought was cool, but all this truck did was make me miss my real truck. 

The next morning Nick woke up at 5:00 crying that his throat really hurt.  As soon as the doctor's office opened I called and got Nick an appointment.  The doctor took one look in Nick's nose and mouth and diagnosed a definite sinus infection with a very likely case of strep throat.   He didn't bother with the strep test since Nick would need an antibiotic to treat the sinus infection.  The poor kid felt miserable, but at least we now had the proper medicine to help him get better.  I got my truck back that afternoon and Steve came home from Chicago as well.  I told you nothing good happens while he is gone!!!

October 19th and 20th the scouts went camping and Nick was extra sad because he couldn't go.  The doctor advised him to sit this one out.  It was tough on him, but he did it. 

October 22 I had Naomi home sick, but she made a speedy recovery and was back in school the next day. 

October 24th I braved the long lines and exercised my civic duty and right to have a say in who was elected as the next president of the United States of America.  The whole process always fascinates and frustrates me, but I am grateful the freedom to vote. 

October 25th Nicholas had a day off, but Naomi and Jeremy had to go to school.  He wanted to go out to breakfast so I took him to Denny's.  He loved it!!! Later that afternoon we went to a parent teacher conference with Mrs. Hammond.  Although his grades were good, she helped him set the goal of improving the quality of work he was handing in and to bring up his language arts and social studies grades a bit for the next quarter.  She also gave him a challenge to branch out and make some friends.  He is taking both suggestions very seriously and had made great strides so far.  More on that later. 

Halloween was the least scary event of the month!!  We had homemade chili, breadsticks, pumpkin donuts and cider along with out Trick or Treating.  It was a fun night and we all fell into bed deliciously exhausted. 

Enjoy the following random pictures. 

 

He was supposed to be folding his laundry, but it made such a comfortable lounge chair!!!

 

Bring it on!!

Raking leaves into a neat pile so that they could jump in it.



September

September was full of this and that.  Just one week into school Jeremy's teachers realized that he needed to be in the Honors Program.  I want to specifically note here that I had NOTHING to do with this.  Jeremy is a hard worker and always does his best and the teachers noticed his quality of work was beyond that of his classmates and moved him up.  That said, I am very grateful they noticed as early as they did because he was not very happy with the academic setting in his classes.  He was switched immediately and really enjoys the challenge. 

 

Naomi was made the hall monitor and you would have thought she won a major prize by the way she smiled and giggled and talked about it. 

 

Nick struggled for the first part of September.  The pressures and responsibilities were starting to mount and he was feeling the pressure.  The girl in his carpool was not coming to the car when she was supposed to and that made him very upset because he didn't want to miss his ride home.  Once I explained to him that I would just pull around into the parking lot and we could find everyone he calmed down.  He was also having a difficult time getting organized.  One day he left some homework on his desk and was very upset about getting bad marks for not being better organized.  His teacher said to give it time and he would figure it out.  Within a couple of weeks he was all smiles about school and even made this comment to me on the way home one day - "Mom, I love reading Lemony Snicketts because he describes things when he writes."  This is coming from the kid I had to bribe to read.  Mrs. Hammond is bringing the world of literature alive for him.  Way to go, Mrs. Hammond!!!

 

September 12th was Curriculum Night at Highland Creek Elementary.  Mrs. Stinson walked us through the kids day and explained what they would be learning this year.  I was excited about the year after hearing the agenda. 

 

September 15th Nicholas decided that he wasn't going to buy his new tablet, for which he had been saving for months, until his molar came out.  In a moment of slight impatience he grabbed a hold and yanked.  To his surprise the tooth came loose.  We were off to the computer store the very next day to purchase his tablet. 

 

September 21st Naomi got off the bus and looked like she felt awful.  When I picked her up I could feel how hot she was.  Her temperature was 103.5.  The doctor said there was a virus going around and it was only a matter of time before someone came home from school with it.  I guess it is better to get it over with soooner rather than later.  The poor girl felt awful for two days until the fever finally broke.  She was a trooper through the whole thing though. 

September 25th was our first pack meeting of the year.  Cubmaster Adams had picked a pirate theme and the kids really got into it.  She had decorated the room like a pirate ship, complete with a plank, and sharks and everything.  The kids had a great time pretending to walk the plank.  We made paper parrots and everyone dressed the part.  It was an awesome night.

 

Jeremy had a girlfriend for a whole week until her parents found out she had a boyfriend and told her to break it off because she was too young.  They are still really good friends though.  He was sad for a couple of days, but then realized he didn't have to worry about holding hands and "all that crap."  His inner Don Juan will just have to wait for a couple of years.