Hay Ride & Dance Recital

Our family went for a hayride. Jim pulled the wagon carrying the Cub Scouts. I rode up front with Jim, while the kids sat in back. They sang Christmas carols and delivered cookies. There were donuts and hot chocolate at the end. It was a lot of fun. Josh is no longer in Cub Scouts. We only came because Jim was asked to pull the hayride. After the hayride, we went to Dani's winter dance recital. She tap danced to "Walking in the Winter Wonderland". It was a very casual recital. Those are the kind of recitals I like. After the dance, her teacher told us that they started the dance in reverse positions. The performed the dance again starting in the right position. I got to watch Dani dance twice. How cool is that!

Christmas Party

We had our Christmas party last night. Santa came for 30 minutes. It was so fun to take the kids to see Santa. Josh didn't want to see Santa. He wanted to hang out with a friend. It was a sad moment to realize that Josh is growing up. Dani was willing to sit on his lap. She is so cute. She told Santa exactly what she wanted for Christmas. She knows the drill. She was setting the stage for her sisters. Emily sat on Santa's lap next. She giggled the whole time. It was so cute. She was delighted to sit on his lap. Santa had a lot of fun and played with her. I wished I captured that on video. Angela was so cute. When Santa asked her what she wanted, she told him that she wanted a sack that Santa was giving each child. I really love her. She truly enjoys the moment and is happy with everything. I can learn a lot from her. The party was great. We had a great program, good food, and good company.

Economics Bazaar

On Friday, the fifth-graders at Porter Elementary had an Economic Bazaar. Josh and I made reindeer ornaments out of light bulbs. We made 30 of them. Josh wanted to make a lot more. It took a long time just to make 30. The were really easy to make, but it just took a long time to paint the light bulbs. I spray painted the bulbs white then I painted the bulbs with two or three coats of brown paint. After the paint job, the process went a lot faster. Josh set up a booth and sold his reindeer for $1.00. They sold really fast. The Bazaar lasted 2 hrs. Josh's reindeer were sold in 45 min. He needs to make a few more for some friends who wanted them.

Josh had a lot of fun and learned a lot too. The money that the kids made will help fund their field trip to Sabino Canyon in Tucson in May. I vounteered to help at the event. It was fun to see all the crafts that the kids made. The students are very creative. Their parents are very creative too. Next year, Dani will be in fifth grade. I'll help her with the bazaar next year. I can't wait to see what project Dani plans to do.

Lastest Scout Campout

The Scouts planned a 20 mile hike in the Superstition Mountains. They carried all their gear in backpacks. The scouts hiked for 2 miles when a scout had some stomach pains. They stopped to see what was happening. The boy was suffering from appendicitis. They decided to stop and get the boy some help. A leader had sent a text message, but he wasn't sure that it was received. He and 3 scouts headed down the trail to get cell phone reception. Jim stayed with the other two. Word spread fast that the scouts needed some help. Unfortunately because of the rain, the rescuers couldn't help them that night. They spent the night in the cold rain. The sick scout was still suffering throughout the night. The boys were still separated. All the backpacks were with Jim. When morning came, the rescuers brought a helicopter and flew the two boys with Jim out. They sent the sick scout to the hospital. The helicopter returned and brought Jim down. The other leader and three scouts needed to be rescued on the ground. Everyone made it out okay and in good spirits. The backpacks are still on the trail. They plan to get them later. It was a long, cold, and wet campout for Jim and the scouts. On Sunday, Jim and I had to speak in church. The weekend was stressful, but things worked out as they always do.

Band Concert

Josh had a band concert tonight. He enjoys playing the clarinet. The concert showcased what the students learned this semester. It was Josh's second band concert. Mr. Anderson, the band teacher, told me that Josh is doing great. He is hoping to learn to play "Jingle Bells" before Christmas. He wants to play that song for our family on Christmas. The family enjoyed watching Josh play. He did a great job.

No Camera on Field Trip - It was great!

Angela went on a field trip today. She walked from her school to a retirement home. The whole second grade class went. They crossed Southern right in front of the hospital. I was nervous about crossing at the intersection with all those kids. They did a great job. At the retirement center, they sang Christmas songs. Angela was in the front and sang every word. It would have been a great video camera moment. As I watched her sing, I enjoyed being in the moment and not behind a camera lens. I still will record other performances, but it was nice just to sit and watch. The kids did a great job. After the performance, the second graders walked to the park for lunch. It was a nice field trip.

Back to School Again!

I've started my own blog. It seems to be a fun way to keep in touch. Jim has decided that he wants go back to school. He found a great program at ASU. He can earn his Master's Degree in a year. He has been looking for a great program that will work with his schedule. He is really excited to go back to school. He will start at the end of May. He plans to get certified in three different areas before he returns to school. He will study and take some tests to become certified. I would love to help him, but I'm clueless about what he is learning.