This year, the newsletter contains only the high points….for the full story, see Mom's new blog -- www.kshicks.blogspot.com. Feel free to bookmark it for semi-regular updates.
Family Vacation
This year we drove to the North Carolina side of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. My husband and I were sworn in as two of the first ever “Not So Junior Rangers” in the United States. Sam learned how to make a real, live arrowhead out of a piece of stone. Isaac discovered the fascinating and organized world of the MP3 self-guided museum tour. The whole family trekked several trails including a total of ½ mile on the Appalachian Trail. (For a daily journal of the trip, see the months July/August on the blog.)
The Husband
Dad finally caved this year and allowed us to adopt a dog this November. Tobey (a female, Pointer-Beagle mix from the pound), is a fantastic addition to the family. This year, he celebrated 16 years as an employee of Ferguson. He enjoys watching “Life on Mars” on ABC – currently suffering withdraws as we wait until the new season starts in several months. The rest of the time he has spent vigilantly monitoring the physical and mental health as well as sanitary conditions of the house.
Me
Mom has spent the year learning the pending changes created by this year’s reauthorization of Federal Student Aid. She was chosen as one of the national trainers for financial aid officers in the Rocky Mountain Region and assisted her state association as a trainer of high school counselors in Southeast Kansas. She still volunteers as a member of the church choir, chair of the Campus Ministry Team and this year took on the role of Whittier Elementary PTO President.
Our 10-Year-Old
A man of numerous interests, our oldest continues to enjoy sports – football, soccer and swimming topping the list. He favors defensive positions contributing to the team by making several important tackles and one interception in football and scoring two soccer goals while playing defender/midfield. He made it to Regional 4-H Days with a demonstration about How to Draw a Hedgehog and received a purple on one of his photos at the fair. A Lego junkie, he has enrolled in the self-determined 4-H project next year to share his love of Lego’s with the world. He exercised his right brain by beginning guitar lessons and by playing Rev. Hopkins in the school play. His favorite computer game is Age of the Empires III and he designed and built a pulley-driven, bucket, delivery system to his loft bed using some string and a plastic container.
The 7-Year-Old
Our youngest completed his years as a 4-H Cloverbud by making a replacement blankie for the one that was lost at Disney World. He “officially” joined 4-H this November and has enrolled in Shooting Sports as his project. (A Red Rider BB Gun is on his Christmas list – Lord help us.) He continues his piano lessons, reads up a storm, and loves art. He is spending this winter playing basketball and told me that his favorite school event this year was Body Venture – a traveling, walk-through exhibit on the Human Body. He misses his Kindergarten teacher to the point that he occasionally runs by her room to tell her hello, but thinks his new, first-grade teacher is really nice. He was a ninja for Halloween and enjoys playing Animal Crossings on his Nintendo DS where he has created a sweet bachelor pad.
Family Events
This was a quite a year of family events. We ended 2007 by hosting my Aunt and Uncle’s 50th wedding anniversary in November. We were saddened by the sudden passing of my husband's Aunt early in the year. Then it was on to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa’s 75th wedding anniversary in May. After that, there was the family reunion and Grandma and Grandpa’s sale during the months of June and July (they moved into assisted living early in 2008). We squeezed in the nephew's confirmation in Junction City. And finally, my Grandpa passed away on October 25, 2008, a few days after he celebrated his 96th birthday. (For the eulogy, see October on the blog.)
Wishing you and yours a very, happy Christmas and New Year.
December 22, 2008
December 18, 2008
It's a GIRL!
There is now more than one female in the household! Just before Thanksgiving, we drove to the Cowley County Humane Society and adopted ourselves a Beagle mix with floppy ears that we have named Tobey.
Tobey is white with liver colored spots and looks a little more like a miniature Pointer than a Beagle. She’s all heart, tons of energy and very, very smart.
We spent about two hours picking her out. We walked the cages and narrowed our choices to two dogs that we looked at a bit further. Tobey and a Rottweiler mix named Riley.
Riley was a beautiful sable color and perfectly behaved in her cage. When the employees brought her out to play with us, we quickly discovered that though Riley was really cool and could play catch really well, she was a little too much dog for our couch time loving family.
So we moved on to the other very well behaved selection – Tobey. Prior to arriving at the Humane Society, Tobey was a stray. She immediately stole our hearts by giving each of us, in turn, a hug. It was all downhill after that.
Tobey (which means Gift of God), is now a regular member of the household. We are nursing her through a few anxiety issues and had to take care of a slight flea and stomach problem right after we got her. But otherwise, she is a happy, healthy dog. She likes her chew toys, enjoys tug-of-war and already knows how to “Sit.”
She’s got tons of personality and can escape from a crate that has been fastened shut with a key ring. She chews nearly everything in sight and has already destroyed part of an end table, a corner of a rug, several pencils, and a wooden baby Jesus. She’s helping us keep the rooms of our house picked up.
In short, we love her very much. She’s a perfect fifth family member and we are glad that God brought her into our life.
Tobey is white with liver colored spots and looks a little more like a miniature Pointer than a Beagle. She’s all heart, tons of energy and very, very smart.
We spent about two hours picking her out. We walked the cages and narrowed our choices to two dogs that we looked at a bit further. Tobey and a Rottweiler mix named Riley.
Riley was a beautiful sable color and perfectly behaved in her cage. When the employees brought her out to play with us, we quickly discovered that though Riley was really cool and could play catch really well, she was a little too much dog for our couch time loving family.
So we moved on to the other very well behaved selection – Tobey. Prior to arriving at the Humane Society, Tobey was a stray. She immediately stole our hearts by giving each of us, in turn, a hug. It was all downhill after that.
Tobey (which means Gift of God), is now a regular member of the household. We are nursing her through a few anxiety issues and had to take care of a slight flea and stomach problem right after we got her. But otherwise, she is a happy, healthy dog. She likes her chew toys, enjoys tug-of-war and already knows how to “Sit.”
She’s got tons of personality and can escape from a crate that has been fastened shut with a key ring. She chews nearly everything in sight and has already destroyed part of an end table, a corner of a rug, several pencils, and a wooden baby Jesus. She’s helping us keep the rooms of our house picked up.
In short, we love her very much. She’s a perfect fifth family member and we are glad that God brought her into our life.
Politics
The following story is as related by my husband who overheard the conversations while mom was out of town.
During the months of October and November, the grade schools were full of discussions on the Presidential candidates. On the way home from school one day, the boys were apparently discussing the pros and cons of both.
Sam: “McCain is going to have lower taxes so that we can have more money.”
Isaac: “You know what I heard? I heard that if Obama gets elected he is going to take away all of our toy guns.”
Sam: “Yeah, but he’s OK. Did you hear that he likes Harry Potter?”
A few days later, my husband was watching TV prior to going to bed. The boys were quietly and intensely working together near the toy closet. When the bedtime hour struck, my husband stood up and walked to where the boys were playing.
He observed Isaac holding a piece of scrap wood to which he was applying nails and electrical tape.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m making a gun,” our youngest said. “If Obama is elected, he’s not going to get any of my toy guns!”
President Elect Barack Obama is now elected. I am happy to report that, so far, all of our Nerf guns are still where they were before the election. Last I checked, it appeared that they were still on Walmart shelves as well.
During the months of October and November, the grade schools were full of discussions on the Presidential candidates. On the way home from school one day, the boys were apparently discussing the pros and cons of both.
Sam: “McCain is going to have lower taxes so that we can have more money.”
Isaac: “You know what I heard? I heard that if Obama gets elected he is going to take away all of our toy guns.”
Sam: “Yeah, but he’s OK. Did you hear that he likes Harry Potter?”
A few days later, my husband was watching TV prior to going to bed. The boys were quietly and intensely working together near the toy closet. When the bedtime hour struck, my husband stood up and walked to where the boys were playing.
He observed Isaac holding a piece of scrap wood to which he was applying nails and electrical tape.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I’m making a gun,” our youngest said. “If Obama is elected, he’s not going to get any of my toy guns!”
President Elect Barack Obama is now elected. I am happy to report that, so far, all of our Nerf guns are still where they were before the election. Last I checked, it appeared that they were still on Walmart shelves as well.
Following the Rules
There are times in life when a person would like to just pick up and move out to the country. On the other hand, life lessons learned when living “among humans” can be priceless.
Last Saturday, I was catching up on some work in the basement and the husband was upstairs napping to gain a little ground on an illness that has been running through the house. The boys were happily playing outside.
After a couple of hours, the youngest appeared at the top of the basement stairs. “Mom, you need to come outside.”
“Right now?” I asked.
“Um, yeah,” he replied.
So, deciding to take a little break from the report I was working on, I meandered up the stairs. I was thinking that the boys had built a fort, or possibly had a very intricate chalk drawing on the driveway that they wanted to show off.
I put on my shoes and headed out the garage door, the youngest son in front of me. At the top of the garage steps I peered out into the neighborhood and froze. There in the middle of the cul-de-sac was an emergency fire vehicle, a police car and what looked like six emergency service professionals standing with my oldest son, the neighbor boy and his parents.
It was about this time that the youngest decided to say, “Um, yeah, mom, you’re probably not going to be too happy with us.”
“What happened.” I heard myself say through clenched teeth.
“They want to talk to you,” he said.
So we walked out to the little group standing in the grass. The first person to acknowledge my presence was a policeman.
“Ma’am, your boys were apparently lighting fireworks, a neighbor saw the smoke and called the fire department.”
He proceeded to explain that fireworks were illegal within the city limits, normally this offense is a $100 fine (which he explained he would not be charging us this time), and did he need to confiscate any other fireworks that we might have in our house?
I politely said thank you, explained that we do not have fireworks in our home, asked the boys to apologize to the nice emergency service personnel and then asked both boys to turn around and return to the garage where we would have a little “family discussion.”
The public areas of the house are now free from toys, the boys room is cleaner than it’s ever been and the garage sparkles. After one month of good behavior, MAYBE we’ll allow them to see the blades of grass in the front yard.
After about a two hour discussion of the ins and outs of the events surrounding what is now going down in history as “the smoke bomb incident,” they have hopefully learned that it does not matter who brought the fireworks to the party, supplying and using carry the same punishment in the real world. It is our job to weigh the options and do what is right.
Last Saturday, I was catching up on some work in the basement and the husband was upstairs napping to gain a little ground on an illness that has been running through the house. The boys were happily playing outside.
After a couple of hours, the youngest appeared at the top of the basement stairs. “Mom, you need to come outside.”
“Right now?” I asked.
“Um, yeah,” he replied.
So, deciding to take a little break from the report I was working on, I meandered up the stairs. I was thinking that the boys had built a fort, or possibly had a very intricate chalk drawing on the driveway that they wanted to show off.
I put on my shoes and headed out the garage door, the youngest son in front of me. At the top of the garage steps I peered out into the neighborhood and froze. There in the middle of the cul-de-sac was an emergency fire vehicle, a police car and what looked like six emergency service professionals standing with my oldest son, the neighbor boy and his parents.
It was about this time that the youngest decided to say, “Um, yeah, mom, you’re probably not going to be too happy with us.”
“What happened.” I heard myself say through clenched teeth.
“They want to talk to you,” he said.
So we walked out to the little group standing in the grass. The first person to acknowledge my presence was a policeman.
“Ma’am, your boys were apparently lighting fireworks, a neighbor saw the smoke and called the fire department.”
He proceeded to explain that fireworks were illegal within the city limits, normally this offense is a $100 fine (which he explained he would not be charging us this time), and did he need to confiscate any other fireworks that we might have in our house?
I politely said thank you, explained that we do not have fireworks in our home, asked the boys to apologize to the nice emergency service personnel and then asked both boys to turn around and return to the garage where we would have a little “family discussion.”
The public areas of the house are now free from toys, the boys room is cleaner than it’s ever been and the garage sparkles. After one month of good behavior, MAYBE we’ll allow them to see the blades of grass in the front yard.
After about a two hour discussion of the ins and outs of the events surrounding what is now going down in history as “the smoke bomb incident,” they have hopefully learned that it does not matter who brought the fireworks to the party, supplying and using carry the same punishment in the real world. It is our job to weigh the options and do what is right.
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