Thankful Thursday

1. Although it was a very painful way to receive a second iPad, my brother's iPad was much newer than ours. Ours is at the point where the software can no longer be updated, and this means that some apps can't be installed on our iPad. If they kids want to use Hulu or Disney +, they use what we've dubbed the blue iPad because Maurice had a blue cover on his iPad.

2. Nadia and Ian's basketball practices will be from 5-7pm on Tuesdays, and Oliver's will be from 5-6 on Fridays. Last year their practices were on Thursdays, which meant they couldn't take the group ice skating lessons. This week I mailed in the registration form and payment for the three of them to take ten weeks of ice skating lessons from January through March. I also had been waiting to find out the basketball practice schedule before signing the three kids up for a four week computer hardware class on Fridays from 2:30-4:00, but we should also be able to do that in January.

3. It was wonderful to see my friend, Joyce, on Saturday in Camp Hill. I wish we lived closer, but thankfully we can keep in touch in other ways since we see each other very infrequently in person.

4. We were also able to visit the National Civil War Museum and see a wonderful Christmas musical on Saturday.

5. The Christmas candlelight service was outstanding! I really, really, really enjoyed it. I'm thankful Nadia and Ian had the privilege of singing in these concerts and that Paul's parents were able to come to the performance on Sunday afternoon.

6. The kids enjoyed playing with Micah, Isaiah, and their dogs. Ruby, the long haired dachshund, was actually on my lap for quite awhile. I'm typically a cat (not a dog) person, but I enjoyed Ruby last Wednesday. Nadia and I also enjoyed being able to take a shower at their house.

7. Last Wednesday the kids and I were able to go caroling at Warrior Run Manor with the AWANA club. Yesterday the kids were able to buy  and wrap many Christmas gifts with their AWANA shares. Even though Nadia bought gifts for 7 of her cousins, her parents, two grandparents, and two brothers, she still had enough to buy herself one Calico Critter toy. Ian had enough left over after buying gifts for his immediate family to buy himself a Lego set.

8. I pulled one of Oliver's teeth out on Monday morning! This was the first tooth he lost the "usual" way. I thought I'd just wiggle it a little, and it came out when I wiggled it. He has an appointment to have the dentist pull his top two front teeth in January because those permanent ones are in but the baby teeth aren't the slightest bit loose. Nadia was the tooth fairy on Monday night.

9. I bought myself a new umbrella recently on Amazon that has a lifetime warranty. The last few years we have broken several umbrellas. I'm hopeful this one will last a lot longer, and if it doesn't, they will send me a replacement!

10. Last week I started working on a photobook in the hopes that there would be an unlimited pages code, and that code came through on Saturday. I was able to finish and order the book on Sunday a few hours before the code expired. I used to buy 20 page photobooks. I don't go that route any longer with the exception of the books I made to remember my Mom and Maurice.

11. The kids enjoyed the homeschool Christmas party at the bounce place. I was thankful that they planned the event #1 on Ian's birthday (perfect timing!) at a location only 15 minutes from our home whereas typically they schedule things in a location that is at least 30 minutes from our house.

12. Paul worked through the night on Monday night. Aside from a one hour nap at work during the night, he was at the plant for more than 30 hours straight. I'm thankful he was able to comehome on Tuesday night in time to attend the Christmas program at MCS.

13. The choir I'm in sang an anthem on Sunday that contained several different Christmas carols including my most favorite "O Holy Night." I love Christmas music!

14. I got a good report from the mammogram I had earlier this month.

15. It has been super easy to find Coke or Pepsi 2 liters for 99 cents each lately, which hadn't been the case for much of the year.

16. Nadia sang in the Christmas program at MCS on Tuesday night. All of the kids in grades 1-5 sang three songs, then the middle school chorus (only those students in grades 6-8 who CHOSE to take chorus) sang three songs, then those who chose to be in the high school chorus sang three songs, and then all 200 of the students who sang previously that night all sang "Somewhere in my Memory" together. The elementary children especially enjoyed singing "Mele Kalikimaka" as they wore leis and some wore sunglasses while they sang that one. The whole program lasted about 45 minutes.

17. When I wrote the lesson plans for this week, I had given Nadia and Ian the week off from writing, and Ian also got the week off from spelling and math. This has been greatly appreciated and has made it easier to find time to bake gifts for their teachers, for me to use the elliptical a little bit, not feel as rushed trying to be done before a 2pm dentist appointment yesterday, etc. Hopefully I'll remember to make the last week of school in December a lighter week next year also! I don't really have to make adjustments for Nadia because she is generally Miss Speedy Gonzales when it comes to completing her schoolwork each day.