Month Long Hiatus

So, here's what we've been doing in the last month since I posted. Sarah and Katy won their class speech competitions, faced off in an elementary school duel, Sarah won 1st, Katy 2nd, Sarah's friend Savannah third. Sarah went to districts and placed second. She had a great speech. I'm still working on getting the video up and working, so I'll let you know.

We have been busy with the clam shop, surprisingly so for this time of year. Sarah has been working the retail, for the princely sum of five dollars a day, plus tips. Five isn't enough you say? Well, she gets tips like you wouldn't believe. Shawn is like, "Hey, we're trying to teach her the value of a buck and if you give her ten dollars tip, she doesn't get it!" She is having lots of fun doing it though. She definitely prefers the busier times, she hates just hanging around.

We missed the Christmas program this year, as it was the same night as the speech competition. Luckily, Aunt Laura was around to take Isabelle for her performance in Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer. Antlers and glowing nose and all. I was told by several people that she looked so beautiful up there in her hot pink Mrs Claus dress. Gotta love Izzy and her hot pink!

We have also been attending Gator Softball Hitting Camp for six weeks. Twice a week to Gville (75 minutes each way to the stadium). It has been well worth it, as the girls have improved their hitting so much. They both feel so much more confident about getting up to bat. They are looking forward to softball season in a couple months. One of the great parts has been that they practice right after the Lady Gator team, and so the team walks out of the batting cages and the girls walk in! Very cool for them! They both adore the coach, Coy Adkins, who has been wonderful and very patient. I love the fact that they get real one-on-one coaching from someone who knows how to coach it! Only six girls max at each session, so you really get good time in hitting. Lots of fun...

I have been shopping for Christmas, like everyone else. I managed to almost all of mine online, which I love. It's hard to shop with an almost 3-year-old in the cart!

Speaking of Willie, he's a bit under the weather the last couple days, but he has been so great. We never get enough of his talking, he's a real chatterbox these days. He says "hotaponus" for hippopotamus, we all crack up every time. Unfortunately, he has picked up a naughty one, "I'll smack you!" Which, wouldn't be funny, except that he doesn't say s on the front of words so he subs in 'h' so it sounds more like "I'll Hmack you!" It's hard not to laugh. He even says it to daddy. Better watch out, you'll get your mouth washed out with Hoap! :) Despite his naughtiness, he is such a joy to everyone. Just an all around good little guy. He's very interested in everything around him. What's that, what're they doing momma? What happened? Especially in movies or TV. We say, oh he got a booboo (the guy died), oh she's sad (in UP, the lady is all excited about a baby and then loses it), very generic terms. No matter what we say, he either says, "Oh." or repeats what we said in a question, and then wait for us to say yes. He's definitely pretty predictable. He loves all things dinosaur, especially T Rex and Triceratops. Every night Momma asks Willie where T Rex is today, he tells me (the park, the beach, in the backyard, in an airplane, even one time he said T Rex and the dirty diaper--yup, potty training story came out of that one) and I make up a story where "Once upon a time, there lived a boy named..." and he says Willie (Widdie). "Willie was a good little boy, and he had a very good friend named..." and he says T Rex. "Willie and T Rex were the best of friends, and they did everything together." And then we weave a most incredible story where Willie and T Rex have some kind of adventure, always ended by T Rex having a sleepover, where Willie and T Rex go up the stairs (chchchchch) around the bed (chchchchch)into Willie's room (creeeeak) and jump in the bed (bang!). Usually Momma has to scold T Rex for taking all the covers. At the end, Momma gives T Rex and Willie their goodnight blessing, and then I say, "And T Rex says good night Willie. And Willie says..." and he says goodnight T Rex "And Momma says good night Willie." I close the door and he is asleep in under ten minutes. It works like a charm! Whatever works, right? One of his presents for Christmas is a "Moon in My Room", which is very cool. I'm sure we will be incorporating that in to the story really soon. Like, tonight.

Izzy and Katy have been rollerskating on the sidewalk almost every day. They play with their friends across the street and have such a good time. Katy asked if I could buy her the house two doors down for a clubhouse. Gee, dear, that would only be a $300,000 clubhouse! She explained that both she and Izzy, and probably Sarah :) would give me their money toward it. I said, that's about $200 dollars and that would only pay the electric for one month! Doesn't deter her from dreaming about it. Speaking of dreaming, Katy also wants a horse for Christmas. Hope Santa uses good judgement on that one! Please don't bring her a horse! She doesn't even like to walk the dog anymore! :)

Well, time to get ready to go to Gville. Gill Family is having a big Christmas Eve shindig at Mildred's. With 25 people, none of us felt up to hosting this time around. We're looking forward to seeing everyone, eating out, and then NOT DOING ANY DISHES! Woohoo for restaurants! Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a joyous New Year. We'll be on vacation in St Augustine for the 26th-Jan 2nd, nice big fancy house on the beach So I know we'll be having fun! Christmas cards have been done for a while, just waiting till everyone's face is well for pictures. Willie ran into a nail and gouged his cheek pretty good (lucky it didn't get his eye) and then as he is healing, Sarah got hit while swinging by a flying hard bouncy ball (bloody nose and nice yellow-green bruising on both sides, last day of school! Argh) so expect your card in January. It'll just stand out from that crowd that much more, right? Enjoy everyone! See you in 2010!