Pancakes

Adam is my child that LOVES to cook.  He has taken a cooking class through the after school program.  He will help me cook any time I ask him to. 

Recently, I can't remember the circumstances of the evening, but Adam decided he would make pancakes for supper.  I love breakfast for supper, and I love when I get a break from cooking.  This was a win-win situation for me!!

Since that evening, Adam has made pancakes several more times.  Today I was running several errands that I had put off for a while, so it took quite a bit of time.  When I came home I found that Adam had made lunch for Mike and Austin.  They had pancakes  :)

While visiting his grandparents, Adam discovered he likes corn fritters.  He has now determined that he is going to expand his cuisine specialty to include corn fritters.

Bows & Arrows

Some time ago (maybe over the summer), Austin became infatuated with bows and arrows.  We got him a bow and arrow, but at the time Adam was not as interested. 

Getting closer to fall, Adam showed more interest.  We signed the boys up for a short bow and arrow camp through our local rec department.  They both had a really good time. 

Shortly after, it was decided, Adam would be getting a bow and arrow for Christmas.  

He was very excited to have his very own!  Now he won't have to ask to borrow Austin's any more  :)

They, also, got 2 sets of targets to use.   Since we are in the city, we will keep it to our own backyard.  But the targets will make it a lot of fun.

Snow

We have been blessed this Christmas break with several snows.  After not having but a dusting last year, the boys have enjoyed going outside and playing in the snow.

They built a snowman.

This snowman is special.  He can be a pirate, or...

a construction worker!

We actually had to postpone our trip to Mike's parent's house due to the snow.  But once we were up there, we were able to enjoy another fresh falling of the white stuff.

 Adam went out to do some shoveling.

Austin and Adam, along with their cousins and uncle built a very sizable snowman.

Here is the crew with their handiwork.

I Love the idea of the hair.  Adam came up with that!  This photo doesn't show it, but the snowman is holding a shovel. 

My father in law is very fond of deer.  He would be very proud of me, knowing I took a picture of the deer while they were at the feeder.  I just thought they were beautiful!

Yes, that is a stop sign in their yard.  (doesn't every grandparent's house have a stop sign in their yard?)  They have it there for the grandchildren when they are on all the riding equipment.  I don't know if the grandchildren obey the traffic signs, but I guess they won't get ticketed  ;)

Nest

On one of our first days of Christmas vacation, Adam disappeared into the basement for some time.  A while later he came upstairs and told me he had something he wanted to show me.  I followed him, and found that he had gathered pillows, blankets, costumes, basically anything that might be considered soft and comfortable.  He took all those things a constructed a nest.    It was very impressive, it was several inches high, and balanced to make it even on top--yet so the sides would not fall in. 

Later that day he was downstairs with Mike and Austin.  He apparently became bored, because he crawled in his nest and fell asleep!

Looks like a cozy nest to me!

Christmas Play

Earlier this month our church had a Children's Christmas play.  This will have been the 3rd Christmas play that my boys have participated in. 

Austin is a 5th grader this year, so this is sadly his last year of doing the play.  But, on the other hand, since Austin is a 5th grader he had speaking parts.  Austin played the part of Moses.  He got to wear a long gray beard.  Moses was absolutely adorable!!

Adam played the part of Jonah.  He did not have speaking parts, but he sang the songs and was able to do a special part with one song where the prophets were named, and they took a baseball cap off as they were introduced.  Adam figured out a fancy way to....well, make it Adam!

Adam was asked to do a very special job!  The director asked him and his friend, Noah, to be the candle lighters.  They had candles and walked down  the aisle so that people could then light their candles.  He did a great job, and he remembered to keep his candle upright.  :)

You may be puzzled as to why Moses and Jonah are in the Christmas story.    The story is basically they gathering of the angels to announce that God will be going to earth.  The Angels wonder how is God going to earth?  A Princess?  A music star?  How?  Then they find out that God is going as a baby.  

They all worked very hard on this performance.  I know the directors put a lot of time into it.  It turned out wonderfully! 

Nurse Austin

Yesterday was the last day of school before Christmas break.  I woke up and did not quite feel myself.  I decided that I would go to work, it was only a half day--I would do my best to make it through.  I did end up leaving about 1 hour early.  My stomach was bothering me.  I was cold.  I hurt in general.  UGH!!

Mike came home a little while later and said, "I do not feel good!"  He actually had many of the same symptoms I had. 

We both felt like trains had hit us!

My first thought was, "if we are both sick, who is going to take care of the boys."  Then I remembered, "the boys are getting old enough that they can mostly take care of themselves.  THANK GOODNESS!"

As the evening went on Mike and I seemed to get worse.  There were several times that we had to call Austin up to help us with one thing or another.  When we called, Austin was very prompt about coming up to help us with whatever we needed him for.  Shortly before I went to bed, I told Austin that he would make a wonderful nurse, because he had done such a good job of taking care of Mike and myself.  He said, "no, because nurses don't get to lay down."  I wasn't sure where that was going, but he snuggled up to me, I think that was the most wonderful part of my evening!

I just cannot express enough how grateful I am that Austin was there to take care of us and his brother.  I guess he is growing up.  If he cares for his family one day, the way he cared for us, they are going to be pretty lucky!

The Cutest Waterman Singer...

...In my opinion, of course.

For the last 2 years Austin had been in Waterman Singers, and, of course, at that time he was the cutest. 

Now, Adam is following his brothers footsteps, and is in Waterman Singers.  I am privileged to  be the mother of the cutest Waterman Singer for a second time!

They had a concert in November.  (That is where we took this picture.  He had his hands in his pockets the entire time.   That is just a characteristic of Adam!!  I have to love that boy!!)  After they had sung several songs the children files off the stage in 2 directions, I thought they were headed back to the music room to collect their things.  The music teacher  stood on stage and was ready to direct.  I was a bit confused, because the children had gone off stage.  When the music started, the children started to sing.  Only then did I realize they had not left, they had gone to the perimeter of the room and sang a song about "letting the music surround you."  It was a lovely song, very beautiful, and very touching to know that my son was part of that moment.