Christmas Did Happen

I know it is now February, so a Christmas post is too old. But, oh well. That seems to be the norm around here. We had a really good Christmas. After the year we had, it made Christmas all the more special. We started December with a baseball tournament in Myrtle Beach -- on my birthday of course. Tournaments are common in our house, but the MB one is always fun because we stay at a great place (http://www.dunesvillage.com/) that is cheap in December and has an amazing indoor water park. The kids have fun playing with their friends, and we never even have to put on our bathing suits. This year it was special because Mom and Randy were able to meet us there! Mom has wanted to come watch Bryant play since we played in MB in July. She was not ready for the trip at that time, and she was very disappointed. Some of Randy's family live in MB, so he had a chance to visit with them. We all watched some VERY cold baseball, and they came back home with us for a few days before heading back to their home. I managed to forget to take a single picture at the ballpark. I guess it feels like I've taken a gazillion pictures at baseball parks and didn't consider I might want a picture of Mom at the game. I did get a picture of them at our house. Mom kept me running all week, but we got a lot of shopping done. Mom also managed to help Bryant with his science fair project which involved making homemade ice cream.

BC, AD, ITM

Bryant and I were talking about the Bible this morning, so the discussion of BC and AD came up again. I asked if he knew what each meant, and he said "Before Christ" and "After Death." I told him to think about that for a minute. If that was true, what would the time while Jesus was alive be called? He thought a minute and said, "ITM." It was my turn to say, huh, what? He said, "In The Middle." I thought it was funny and decided to share.

Just as a reminder, BC is Before Christ, but AD is anno domini, or in the year of our Lord. So, if you didn't know before, now you are ready the next time this comes up in a trivia game.

B's B-day, finally!

OK, just so I have some info about what we actually did for Bryant's 10th birthday, here is a very old update. Bryant wanted to go to Hiro's for his birthday this year. He wanted to do this before, but I would not let him go if he was going to eat chicken nuggets! I guess being 10 makes it easier to try new things. We had a great chef -- I guess that's what you call them? Glenn and Mandy (Pop and Nana) went with us, and I think they enjoyed the new experience as well.

Not the best pic of B, but the best of the 3.

Lots of excitement!

We actually went out to eat on the 18th because he had baseball practice on the 19th. But, that meant on the 19th, Carey and B had the joy of putting together the pull up bar Pop and Nana gave B for his b-day.

He needed a little help getting up to the bar, so Carey got a work out as well!

Success! Now if he can actually get strong enough to do a pull up, it will be really successful. So far, only our tree climbing neighbor has been able to actually do a pull up, and about 10 of B's friends have tried.

Bryant decided to have a few friends spend the night this year for his party. We only had 3 of the spend the night, but 4 other guys came over to eat, play and go to the high school football game with us. Somehow I missed pictures of the running around playing football and basketball in the front yard, but trust me, at least with Bryant's friends, when a group get to our house, some kind of ball game happens. Special thanks to Putt for hanging out with us and helping to manage everyone.

For some reason, I love this picture. It just seems so real to me. A group of 9 and 10 year old boys sitting around playing x-box - even in the middle of the present opening. Birthday parties get so much simpler when kids get older. There was hardly any fighting over whose turn it was to play. They argued a little over whether calls were fair outside, but don't grown men do that about calls made by professionals?

It was REALLY cold at the game! I was very happy I had blankets. The guys sat like this for a while. Most of the guys at the party will not go to the school we were watching, so 2 of them started cheering for the other team. It worked out fine because we were on the visitor's side. Carey likes to sit on that side because it is not as crazy and there is an area behind the stands where the boys can play football. I know, isn't that what they were doing in the front yard before we payed to go to the game? At least they watched part of the game. Part way through the 3rd quarter, I began to suspect that Bryant was sick. He came and sat down beside me with a blanket while his friends hung out below us cheering. Sure enough, when we got home, he had a fever. What do you do when the birthday boy comes down with a fever in the middle of his spend-the-night party? He's already exposed everyone there by that time! So, I did what I could. I gave him advil, made him sleep on the couch as far away from his friends as I could, and I told everyone in the morning. What would you do? No one got sick thankfully! Oh, I forgot to mention that Tuesday before his b-day, he'd complained of a sore throat and had a bit of a fever. I let him stay home and took him to the doctor to make sure it was not strep. I had tried to make sure he was healthy for the party. Anyway, I'm not posting sleep over pictures since I'm just not sure about that one. They boys stayed up until 2:00 ish when I was the party pooper and went to sit with them until they fell asleep. It took about 5 minutes. As soon as they quit talking, they were asleep. They slept until 7:45 when AB was dropped off from her sleepover. Overall, it went well. I leave you with the birthday picture. It turned out pretty good for my camera.

Christmas Concert

Just so you don't think I have totally forgotten that it is Advent and we are preparing for Christmas, I thought I'd post proof that we have been celebrating. Ann Bennett was old enough to be in the Christmas concert, play, cantata, whatever, for the first time this year. She surprised me and tried out for a speaking part. She had a part, and we had a lot of rehearsals! This is the video of the dress rehearsal. We were proud of her for learning her lines. All of the narrator angels had cards with their lines just in case, but she never needed it.

I don't really know if Ann Bennett is up for many of these plays though. She was pretty tired and scattered by the end of the 2 hour rehearsals! The next video is of Ann Bennett (and Bryant's I think) favorite song. It's just part of it, because, really, do you want to see the whole thing? Saturday night during the performance, the boy in the back on the left really got rockin' and had everyone laughing. His parents weren't amused and talked to him about it, so it was missing Sunday morning. But, the Sassers felt Thomas's dance moves enhanced the show.

Bryant did not participate in the play or in choir for that matter. I hate it, but it's just not his thing. Plus, he had baseball and other conflicts. However, he did make it to a lot of the rehearsals shuttling AB back and forth. He knew most of the lines in the play and all of the songs. I wish I could have convinced him, but it was certainly NOT a battle I was willing to fight.

Ann Bennett's friend from school and church, Preston. Believe it or not, they are both 1st graders. I think AB had on her clogs that morning which give her some extra height, but st

We hope you are having a fabulous Christmas, and in the words of the Christmas play, I hope that the child has found ways to rock your world. (Jesus, in case that isn't clear ;0)

American Girl Doll Cafe

Ann Bennett has been into American Girl Dolls for a couple of years now. Last year they opened a store and cafe in Atlanta. My mom saw a show on the dolls and how they represent historical periods, so she too fell in love with the idea. She bought AB Molly last year. Molly is from the year Mom was born. We also went to the store after Christmas last year. But, let me just say, stay away from the place around Christmas! It was a mad house, and by the time we left the store, there was a line to even be allowed in the store. We could not get near the cafe. But while we were there last year, Mom told Ann Bennett that when she came back to GA we would plan in advance to have lunch at the cafe. A few days later, Mom was in the wreck, and we have certainly not been able to go to AGD for lunch. But, this time, we were able to go. Mom, Sandy, Macie, Ann Bennett and I had a girls' lunch at the cafe. Oh yeah, Felicity went with us too. Felicity was the only doll with a tea dress, so she was the only one who could go.

Ann Bennett and Felicity (in her own high chair, notice) reading the menu.

Macie and the doll they loaned her for lunch -- they are very prepared there!

Ann Bennett was very impressed by the food.

Macie was very impressed with her milk shake.

As was Ann Bennett.

It was a really nice treat. And somehow we managed to leave the store only purchasing a paperback book. I guess preparing before we enter the store helps. I think it also helps that the store is such a treat just to visit. It is such a girlie place. I'm so thankful Mom was able to take Ann Bennett. I hope Sandy has a picture with Mom in it. Amazing the things we forget to do!

Catch Up - Sue Sue's birthday weekend

OK, I seem to have lost a whole month of updates! By lost, I mean that I never did them, not that they are lost in computer land somewhere. I'm mostly doing this for my long term memory. Anyway, we have been busy. We went to GA to celebrate Mom's birthday 11-8. It was obviously a big deal since it feels like the birthday that she almost did not have. In fact, all of the approaching holidays feel a little like we are living on borrowed time.

Sandy, me, Macie, Ann Bennett, Mom at her birthday dinner. It's not the best picture, but it was the best one I had. I love Macie's hand.

I love this picture for some reason. AB and Mom both look so happy.

As is typical when we go to GA, Uncle Jeff gets to (or has to) play a lot of football. Carson and Ann Bennett join them on occasion, but Bryant is very persistent about getting Jeff to play! I think throwing to B is a lot easier on the knees than tackling, defending or whatever they do when they run around in the yard!

I thought this was a great picture of the guys. Bryant was lucky enough to be the first grandchild, so he had a lot of time to develop a great relationship with Jeff and Sandy before they had children of their own. He is always happy to go visit.

One of the things that amazes me about Ann Bennett and Macie is that they just do their thing regardless of what is going on around them. Notice they are playing ring around the roses in the middle of the football field. I think only the younger siblings of boys have this trait. Ann Bennett has such fun with both Carson and Macie. However, for some reason I only have pictures of her with Macie. Next time I'm going to have to be intentional about pics with Carson!

Hope your birthday was happy Mom, and I hope we didn't wear you out! Love ya.

So She IS Listening!

Ann Bennett came home from school today not wearing the new headband she had on this morning. When I asked her where it was, she said it was in her backpack. AB let a little girl next to her "look" at it. Well, she put it on and then passed it to another little girl who also put it on her head. Ann Bennett remembered that people can "have bugs in their hair" and they can spread to your hair, so she didn't put it back on all day. I explained to her that she made a good choice, and she could always just tell the girls that she didn't like to share her hair "stuff." I also told her that if someone in her class had lice that the school would have to tell us, so L and D did not have "bugs in their hair" and her headband was safe.

(Last year she would find barrettes or other hair clips on the playground at school. I told her about lice, but she just didn't get it. We finally looked up what lice look like online and read about them. This was after the first of the year. To be honest, life got too crazy for me to even notice whether she was coming home with other people's hair clips. But, apparently it must have made an impression because she was all freaked out today.)

Anyway, tonight at dinner, I was asking the kids to tell us something that happened that was good about their day. Ann Bennett said, "oh, oh, L and D don't have bugs in their hair." Amazing what we can be thankful for if we open our eyes!