Dollars and Cents

Growing up I knew that my dad would enter all the expenditures into a budget (spreadsheet). My mom would give him the receipts from her purchases. I have followed suit for the past 20+ years. I am not sure if I saved the older documents, but the Excel file I'm currently using is the one I've been using since 2005, which makes it very easy for me to analyze how the different categories in the budget have changed over the years. Of course some categories in the budget were present some years and not other years such as adoption, school loan payments, or a gym membership. Naturally over the past 14 years the amount spent has gone up in most of the categories due to inflation plus the growth in the size of our family. One of two categories that have gone drastically down is our clothing budget. We spent quite a bit more on clothing before we had kids. We spent around $500 for clothes and shoes for all five of us in 2016 and 2018 (and about $600 in 2017). This is one number that I think will be increasing because since I went back to work I have done far less shopping at yard sales or consignment shops, and also during that time the Sears and JCPenney stores closed in our area. I used to shop their clearance racks (with a coupon in hand). I really need to buy myself some new clothes as I've discarded some that had holes in them but haven't replaced them; I have been hoping to wait until I lose some weight. This is the first year that Nadia doesn't have many dresses that fit her. She's been wearing some that are a bit too big (loaned from her cousin, Jenna). For years I've had a rule of never spending more than $5 on a dress for Nadia (most of them were under $2). One exception was the dress I bought her for my dad's wedding. Recently I bought her a dress for $9 at Walmart. I don't usually buy clothes at Walmart, and that was more than I usually spend, but it was the color she loves and still a reasonable price. The other category that's gone down significantly is "phone." We used to have a landline. We gave that up in 2008. Paul's cell phone is paid for by his company, and I only pay around $250 a year for my cell phone plan.




I lump a lot of things into the "food" budget. That is where I also put cleaning supplies, toilet paper, facial tissues, shampoo, etc. The food budget was pretty steady the first few years, but then there was a jump several years ago. We are now spending about $1,500 more per year compared to 2005-2008. The weird thing is that in 2018 and 2016 we spent almost the exact same amount (only $1.27 difference between those two years!!), and the 2017 total was also very similar to 2016/2018 - only a difference of $20!




One of the categories that has gone up the most over the years (by percentage not $ amount) would be internet. In 2004 we finally made the leap from dial-up to high speed internet. The first several years it cost us less than $400 a year for high speed internet. Now we spend more than $800 a year. I'm glad most categories in our budget haven't doubled! We used to have cable tv all year long, and we've cut back to only having it for 4-6 months a year, which has helped offset the cost increase to having internet access. Another category that has greatly increased is gas. We've always had two cars, but the cost of fueling those two vehicles has more than doubled over the past 14 years. 2017 was the year we spent the most of gas. It's not a totally fair comparison as I received reimbursements for mileage in 2018, and I put those in the gas category so it made it seem like we spent less on gas in 2018 than we actually did due to reimbursements from the university when observing student teachers.

Considering we were both working FT in all of 2018, we could afford to splurge a bit more in some categories. One that we drastically increased was "entertainment." I put many different things in this category - anything purchased at a restaurant, tickets to see a performance of some sort, field trips, etc. We did the same in 2018 with the "kids" budget which is where I put their gym classes, ice skating lessons, gymnastics, camps, art class, etc. Childcare hadn't been in our budget for several years but reappeared in 2017 and continued in 2018. I haven't included that category in our 2019 budget now that Paul is staying home on the days I go to the university or visit student teachers. Today was one of those days I spent money in both of those categories as we got Vennari's pizza (take-out) for dinner and I paid for two hours of ice skating lessons (40 minutes per child). In addition to taking some pictures of the kids (and tying and untying their laces), I also finished reading a fabulous book - A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner while they skated. We made it home in time for the cable guy to disconnect our tv from cable, but that appointment meant we had to skip the Spanish class at the library. Originally the cable appointment was to be on Monday, but I had to reschedule due to the WNEP tv interview. I'm not sure how many ice skating lessons we'll pay for this year, but I'm committed to at least four. It seems like at least three of those will take place before my spring semester starts.

Thankful Tuesday

1. When I first announced that I would be starting a Bible study during the homeschool gym class, I didn't get much of a response. In the first week I heard back from just one mom, but as of last week there are now six of us who are signed up for the study. Three of us already paid for our book. I am grateful! We are going to be studying 2 Timothy using Beth Moore's study entitled "Entrusted." This session of gym classes lasts 10 weeks, but our study only lasts 6 weeks. We're starting the Bible study next Friday, and we're taking off one week when I plan to take the kids to Gettysburg on a Friday. I haven't done a Beth Moore study in awhile. I'm looking forward to it! Also, I'm hoping to get to know the moms better and possibly make at least one friend whom I might talk to or get together with outside of the study. This means we are not finishing the BSF study this year.

2. The homeschool gym class resumed last Friday. The kids really enjoy it, and I was able to get some work done during their class. Nadia's art class also resumed. Unfortunately the same can't be said for the homeschool art class. I guess I should have kept Ian in the 5th grade art class with Nadia. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say!

3. My interview on tv is over. As I watched myself on the 5pm WNEP news yesterday it seemed like when I blinked my eyes were closed for a really long time. They also posted a brief article about it on their website - https://wnep.com/2019/01/07/book-donations-benefit-elementary-school-plagued-by-mold/. The video clip was about 90 seconds long, but I had to be at the school for 50 minutes while they took various pictures and such and waited for them to interview me. I wasn't predicting it to take that long. Shows how little I know about making the evening news.

4. A neighbor watched the kids for 75 minutes while I was doing the interview. I offered to pay her, but she declined, which was very kind of her. Two of our neighbors are stay-at-home moms. Since Paul is in Baltimore this week, I am not sure what I would have done without a neighbor coming to my rescue. Oliver was hoping that her eldest daughter would be there, but she's in Kindergarten this year.

5. On Sunday our pastor started a ten week sermon series on I and II Timothy, which seems like perfect timing since we also will be studying II Timothy in our Bible study.

6. My body has adjusted to waking up sometime between 6-7 instead of by 5:30am. I actually have slept as late as 7:15 upon occasion. Usually Oliver and/or Ian climb in bed with  me sometime between 6:45-7:15. I've been going to bed around 9pm, which means I've been sleeping for 9-10 hours each night. Hopefully in time I won't need quite that much sleep so can stay up a little later and enjoy time for things like leisure reading or learning more about photography.

7. I am making good progress toward my preparations for the spring semester. I have written my three syllabi, finished setting up the learning management system for one course, created the sign-up sheets for both classes, revised a couple of PowerPoint presentations, and made a couple of new quizzes and polls on Kahoot and Quizizz. I have 13 more days (including today) to finish my preparations.

8. Paul had a safe trip to Baltimore on Monday. He'll be down there until Friday night. December 11 was the last day I was on campus or visited a student teacher. From December 12 through January 11, he will have gone to work 29 of the last 31 days. He had off on December 16 (a Sunday) and December 25. Most of the other days he also worked longer hours than usual (with the exception of December 24). He has gone in for work as early as 3am. I'm not crazy about the timing of the annual show in terms of how it limits our ability to celebrate Christmas, New Year's, and Paul's birthday with Paul, but the upside is that it takes place during my 5+ week break at the university. I think he will be staying home from work on Saturday so that he can see the kids' first basketball games of the season.

9. I did the Life of Fred (first book only) with Nadia several years ago. Someone gave me the 2nd and 3rd books last year. I decided this spring we'd do the first four books of Life of Fred together in addition to their other math textbooks. The boys are enjoying the humorous stories and illustrations! Also, as for their keyboarding skills I decided to try a different program. Nadia and Ian are now using Typing.com (which is free). We had been alternating between Spanish and keyboarding throughout the week, but I decided for the next at least couple of months to just focus on typing. It's such a useful skill these days.

10. Right now our bedtime routine begins with a devotional that shares the history of a hymn. We read that at the piano because then we sing all the verses of that hymn (however many verses are included in the book). Then after they brush their teeth, put on their pajamas, and use the bathroom, we read a bedtime math story (and they each solve one problem). Lastly we read two devotionals from a book about the names of God, and then we pray together. After reading many different Bible story books over the years, I'm enjoying the change of pace by studying the names of God.

11. We've continued to make extra payments on the principal of the loan from my retirement account. It will be exciting when it's totally paid off. The end is already in sight!!

12.  I love that my day usually begins with hugs, kisses, and cuddling. All three kids really enjoy physical affection, but the boys have a very strong desire for it. If I had to guess I'd say that "physical touch" is the primary love language for both of my boys. As someone who also loves hugs, I am very grateful!

Happy 49th Birthday!

I met Paul at a ballroom dancing class a few weeks after he had turned 27 years old, and today he turned 49 years old. The average life expectancy in the US for men is 76, and if that proved to be about how long he lives, then he's lived about 2/3 of his life thus far. Of course one never knows how long one's life will be. The average life expectancy for women is currently 81, but my mom passed away when she was 71, yet Paul's Gram just died a few months ago having lived almost 96 years. The last two years I thought we'd go skiing twice because we receive four free lift tickets and four free ski rentals twice each winter. The last two years the plans for the first week of January were scrapped due to Paul's work schedule in preparing for the trade show. Nadia was so disappointed that this year I never mentioned the first possible ski date. I assume as long as he works at Kennedy Concrete we won't be able to go skiing the first week of January. The first time around I thought it would be a special birthday celebration. Today is actually the day this year that we could have gone skiing for free at Elk Mountain. Nadia is looking forward to going skiing in late February at Ski Sawmill, which is where she and Ian went skiing the last two years in February.

I used to buy Paul cashews at Christmas and his birthday, but his digestive system doesn't allow him to eat those any longer. This year I got him a big bag of Middlesworth Sour Cream and Onion chips instead. I also got him a pair of sneakers and two new hoodies. Yesterday on the way home from ice skating lessons we stopped at KFC and bought a bucket of chicken. I made some macaroni and cheese to go with it. I bought enough chicken so he could have it for two nights. We also got 6 donuts yesterday afternoon so he could have a special birthday breakfast today. Considering I made rigatoni and meatballs on Sunday, bought pizza on Monday, and there are still leftovers (turkey, mashed potatoes, etc.) from our Christmas dinner last Thursday, he's been eating all his favorite foods this week! I thought of my mom when I stopped at KFC because that was something she also really enjoyed. The only thing I cooked in the past week that isn't one of his favorites was the white chicken chili I made on Friday, but there were enough other choices in the refrigerator that he never ate any of the chili. Today I made him M&M cookies as his birthday dessert. Nadia and Ian made him birthday cards yesterday, and Oliver made him one today. Aside from the fact he's exhausted from working long hours at work, I hope he has a special birthday today! Hopefully his last year in his 40's will be a good one!

Today I'm giving thanks...

1. That the kids were able to help the AWANA commander with shopping for the Christmas store, and that all three kids were able to buy things at the store in the evening on December 19 with their AWANA shares. As usual Nadia bought gifts not only for her immediate family but also for her four cousins from Chicago.

2. The flooding on December 21 didn't cause any damage to any of our belongings. 

3. I was able to take the kids to paint ceramic nativity figurines on December 22 as well as a free ice skating party.

4. My voice returned in time for me to be able to sing in church on December 23 and 24. 

5. Oliver received a big hippo that he adores at church on December 24.

6. The kids seemed to like the gifts we gave them on December 24.

7. We enjoyed spending the day with Paul's family on Christmas Day. We received many lovely presents and ate some delicious food!

8. My Dad and Margie treated the kids and I to dinner at Bonanza on December 26. 

9. I have been able to cross a variety of things off my to do list - some spackling, touch-up painting, reupholstering one dining room chair (three done and three to go), repainting the basement floor, rescheduling my dentist appointment, scheduling Nadia's 11 year physical, scheduling the cable tv to be turned off (since our teams aren't in the playoffs this year), etc. 

10. We enjoyed spending time with my side of the family December 27-30. Wendy had the smoothest (shortest) trip back to Chicago EVER on December 31, which was a blessing as it's a long haul from here to there! The last two years Dad and Margie have visited some of Margie's relatives in West Virginia before celebrating with our side of the family. Both times the twins in WVA were sick and Dad and Margie caught their respiratory bug. Last year pretty much all of the Benners and Kennedys eventually came down with the bug (the germs traveled from WVA to MD and then we brought them to IL and PA). Yesterday Wendy told me that she thought she got the bug Dad and Margie had, but thus far we (Kennedys) seemed to have dodged the bullet, for which I am grateful.

11. We enjoyed going bowling on Friday (even if Wendy and I bowled probably our worst games EVER) and seeing a movie on Saturday. If the kids had seen Mary Poppins, they would have seen Ralph Wrecks the Internet last night with Paul while I was at choir because Nadia won two free tickets to the movie by having the closest guess as to how many pieces of candy were in a jar at the library on December 15, but they chose to see Ralph with their cousins. Wendy and I ended up being the only ones who saw Mary Poppins Returns. The seven kids watched Ralph together. Since Susie is 14 years old we thought it was safe to let the seven kids watch it without an adult. Since they live in Chicago, it's a rare treat to spend time with them. I love my sister dearly and treasure the time spent with her!

12. We played Rummikub together (after Oliver was in bed) on January 1. That means we are off to a good start with the goal of playing a game together at least once a week. 

13. The kids had their first ice skating lesson yesterday. The group classes cost $6 a week for a 45 minute lesson (skate rental included), and that includes free pizza during the last class. Since they couldn't take the ten week class due to it interfering with basketball practice, I have decided to pay for 4 private lessons. Yesterday Oliver had a lesson from 12-1, and Nadia and Ian had a lesson together from 1-2. I brought my laptop and worked on a syllabus for the spring semester. I will spend more for 4 private lessons than for ten weeks of group classes, but they can skate for up to 2.5 hours each time we go for lessons if they want. They skated for 2 hours yesterday. I had hoped that Oliver would learn how to ice skate and how to ride a bike without training wheels last year, but neither goal was accomplished. I can say that we already achieved one goal on the list I posted on Tuesday because for the first time in his life Oliver can skate without holding on to anyone or anything! The instructor suggested I put Ian and Oliver together next time because she said Nadia is much more advanced than Ian. I think what I might do is pay for three private 40 minute lessons, which will actually be $5 cheaper than paying for one hour of private lessons plus one hour of two kids doing it together. I'll have to take some pictures or videos at one of the future lessons. 

14. Yesterday we also stopped at Walmart. For some reason the items Margie bought on Amazon off our wish lists didn't actually show up on the wish lists as having been purchased. In some cases it wasn't a problem because no one else bought the same item, but in other cases it led to duplicates. Ian received two of the same Lego set, and Walmart gave him a gift card for one of them. Also the two games they received at the ice skating party were ones we already had, and Walmart again gave us gift cards for those games. The kids each picked out a Lego set yesterday at Walmart, and Ian still has some money left to order something online as he picked out a very tiny set at Walmart. Oliver and I each received a duplicate item from Amazon that I haven't looked into yet. I love shopping on Amazon, but it's definitely easier to return items in person. 

15. After today I still have 17 days left of winter break. I've been plenty busy with housework and homeschooling. I did check out two fiction books for myself at the library yesterday in the hopes I will have some time for leisure reading before the spring semester begins.

Happy New Year!

2019 is here! I've now lived almost 2 1/2 years of my life without my mom. In almost exactly one year Paul will be turning 50 years old, and he's only 2 years older than me. When I started dating him in 1997, we were both in our twenties. Before you know it, we'll be eligible for some "senior" discounts. Nadia thinks I'm crazy when I tell her the years are just flying by, but that's one of the differences between a child and an adult who has most likely already lived more than half of her life. After their cousins left yesterday (around 7:30am), the kids asked me what schoolwork we were doing. They were pleasantly surprised to learn we weren't "going back to school" until Wednesday. Their cousins don't go back to school until next Monday. Including weekends they get 16 days off! Susie will actually have an even longer break as she'll still be in Hawaii when school resumes. I used most of yesterday to clean - a huge pile of dishes, 4 loads of laundry (did another today), putting away all of the air mattresses, sofa bed, and Christmas decorations,

vacuuming (more than usual due to pine needles), cleaning up the basement (where the kids had been building forts with their cousins), etc.

Originally I had planned to spend most of today working on getting ready for the spring semester (revising syllabi and such), but thus far I've spent most of my time doing homeschooling planning as I realized my lesson plans only went through December 21. My classes begin at the university three weeks from today. Because the kids had stayed up later than usual playing with their cousins, they went to bed at their usual bedtimes last night even though it was New Years Eve. I bought pizza and Hawaiian punch for dinner and let them have the night off from eating a fruit or a vegetable with their meal. They thought that was the BEST! I love it that they are generally easy to please. This morning the kids and I had cinnamon rolls for breakfast as a special way to start the New Year. We don't generally do anything special for New Year's Eve or New Year's Day. The traditional meal to eat around here on January 1st is pork and sauerkraut, which is not something we enjoy eating. Paul's way of

celebrating the holidays is to work more hours than usual. I'm not joking. It's because the trade show in Baltimore always takes place the week after New Year's Day. He worked shorter hours than usual on Christmas Eve and stayed home on Christmas Day, but otherwise he's been going to work seven days a week (including the past two Sundays). He's been going in to work earlier than usual (sometimes before 4am) and getting home sometime between 7-8pm each night. This was part of the reason I offered to host Christmas for my side of the family. If our family gathered in MD or VA, we would have gone without Paul. If we want to see Paul at all, we can't travel during the Christmas vacation.

All throughout the year I find myself at least mentally setting goals for myself and the kids, but each January I usually take the time to write some of those down. Some of them are not new goals. I know we won't achieve all of them, but hopefully we'll make progress with many of them!

House
1. New deck (should be installed in May - we already signed a contract and paid a deposit)
2. Finish repairing the floor in the master bathroom so we can resume using that shower
3. Pay off the retirement loan used to pay off the mortgage (trying to do so by June)
4. Replace broken window pane
5. Stain some of the windowsills
6. Replace the window well covers and paint the basement walls with Drylok (hoping doing those two things might keep our basement dryer in 2019 than it was in 2018)
7. Organize tool shelves
8. Repaint the basement steps

Oliver
1. Learn to ride a bike without training wheels
2. Improve his table manners (not talking with his mouth full, using utensils instead of his fingers)
3. Eat breakfast in a more timely manner
4. Continue to make progress in reading, spelling, and handwriting
5. Improve his skills in math - reading an analog clock, using coins, place value to the hundreds place, adding, and subtracting
6. Recite the names of the books of the Old Testament (he learned the NT last year)
7. Learn how to swim well enough that he could go off the diving board into the deep end
8. Learn how to ice skate
9. Learn how to tie his shoes
10. Not make messes when he uses the bathroom
11. Improve his listening comprehension (also includes being quiet when I'm reading chapter books)
12. Start piano lessons in the fall
13. Spend 3 nights at Camp Susque (will be his first experience with an overnight camp)
14. Improve his pronunciation of words (those with a "th" sound and also not dropping the first syllable of other words). Some examples would include animal (he says "aminal"), remember (he says "member"), something instead of "someping," three instead of "free," remote instead of "mote", etc.

Paul gave me an onyx ring for Christmas to match my Mom's bracelet that I received after she passed away.

Ian
1. Improve his skills with solving word problems
2. Eat dinner in a more timely manner and stay seated when eating
3. Learn how to find a verse in the Bible more quickly
4. Relearn how to tie his shoes
5. Learn how to use a knife to cut his food
6. Prompt (first time) obedience
7. Less complaining and arguing
8. Begin cleaning the guinea pig cage once a week
9. Type at least 20 wpm by the end of the year

I thought I'd take a pic of the basement as this past year I finished hanging curtains all around and repainted the floor.

Nadia
1. More careful about the tone of her voice
2. Learn how to cook and bake a wider variety of foods
3. Participate in a science fair for the first time
4. Begin mopping the kitchen floor once a week
5. Less complaining and demonstrate more flexibility (including being able to gracefully defer to the wishes of others at times)
6. Demonstrate perseverance with a good attitude
7. Type at least 30 wpm by the end of the year

Ruth
1. Lose weight  (drink more water, eat fewer calories, and exercise more)
2. Try new recipes on a regular basis and put more time and effort into teaching Nadia how to cook
3. Play board games with the kids at least once a week
4. Read more picture books to the kids (not related to what we're studying in science and history)
5. Do more sword drills with Nadia and Ian
6. Assist all three kids in preparing their wax museum presentations due in February
7. Continue to develop the habit of reading poetry to the kids more regularly
8. Help the kids get in the habit of tithing
9. Spend a lot more time teaching the kids grammar and writing skills

ABC's of 2018

A is for Amazing Grace and Aladdin - two Broadway musicals. Paul and I were able to see Amazing Grace on a date in Lancaster in February and all five of us saw Aladdin in Buffalo in August.

B is for Benners, basketball, and Vacation Bible School - the kids attended VBS at four different churches this summer. Some weeks they only were able to attend two of the nights, and at least one week they were able to attend all five nights. They also were thrilled to see their cousins (from Chicago) in Maryland and in Pennsylvania in both August and December. All three kids played on a basketball team; it was Oliver's first experience.

C is for camps and Canada. All three kids had a week of horseback riding camp and a week at Camp Good News. Nadia had a week of adventure camp at Bloomsburg University, a week of overnight camp at Camp Susque, and two weeks of theater camp. Ian and Nadia had a week of history camp. Ian and Oliver spent a week at Good News Camp. Last but not least, Ian had his first experience of overnight camp as he spent 3 nights at Camp Susque. In August the kids visited Canada (for one day) for the first time; it was Oliver's first time out of the US (unless you count the vacation to Grand Cayman when he was in my womb).

D is for Dorney Park and the District of Columbia. Paul and I went to Dorney Park once in 1997 when we were dating, and the kids went for the first time this August. Nadia and I had won two free tickets through a sweepstake entry on Coke's website. In November I took the kids to see the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Museum of the Bible, Museum of the American Indian in DC.

E is for the Erie Canal and pierced ears. We enjoyed our 2 hour cruise on the Erie canal which included going through two locks (twice each). Nadia got her ears pierced for the first time in May. Aside from one trip to an urgent care in July to remove an earring back that was lodged in her earlobe, wearing earrings has gone pretty smoothly for her.

F is for forts and flooding. This year we visited Fort Ligonier, Fort McHenry, Fort Frederick, Old Fort Niagara, Fort George, and Fort Hunter. Our flooded basement meant we had to cancel our plans to visit Fort Pitt in August. Our basement flooded three times in 2018.

Once because the sump pump died and two other times because the ground has been oversaturated for five months.

G is for Great Adventure, glasses, and green carpet. We had been to the Six Flags park in Maryland a few times, but this year we used our three free tickets from the reading program to visit Six Flags Great Adventures in New Jersey for the first time in August. Ian picked out green carpet for his bedroom this year. Oliver got his very first pair of glasses this fall. Paul, Ian, and I each got a new pair of glasses as well.

H is for hospital. Oliver had stayed out of the hospital in 2017 (the first time he accomplished that feat since he was born in 2012), but he was hospitalized in 2018 for a concussion and fractured skull. His scar hasn't totally faded away (yet), but other than that he seems back to normal.

I  is for Long Island. We enjoyed spending a week with my Aunt Janet in July. We spent most of our time swimming in an indoor pool, outdoor pool, or hanging out at the private beach where she has had a cabana for decades.

J is for Jesus.  What would life be without Him? We saw Sight and Sound's amazing production titled "Jesus" in June, and Oliver accepted Jesus as his personal Savior in August.

K is for Kennedy Concrete. Paul became the owner of the company at the very end of 2017. Starting in August he stayed home from work at least two days a week (during the 15 weeks of the fall semester) so that he could homeschool the kids. During the fall of 2017 and spring 2018 the kids had gone to babysitter when I was at work. This fall Daddy was their teacher on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

L is for Legos. The kids still spend a lot of time almost every day playing the Legos (especially Ian). The room I call the dining room should more accurately be called the Lego room.

M is for Maryland, Mazda,  Magnets, and Mount Vernon. We made four trips to Maryland this year. The first three trips were spent with the Towfighis. During the October trip the kids visited  Mount Vernon for the very first time. The fourth trip we stayed at my friend Laura's house. My parents bought the house in Maryland in 1981, and in 2018 my dad gave the house and everything in it (that he hadn't taken when he moved to VA) to Yvonne. In May Paul traded our Prius in for a much newer Mazda that had far fewer miles on it. In August we began a new tradition of buying a magnet when we go different places so that years later we can look at our refrigerator and remember various trips we've taken over the year. Our collection is already growing!

N is for Niagara Falls. We had plans that fell through last year, but we visited the American and Canadian side of the falls in August. The kids especially enjoyed the Cave of the Winds and riding the Maid of the Mist.

O is for the Pacific Ocean and ornaments. The kids had swam in the Atlantic Ocean many times over the years, but they saw and swam in the Pacific Ocean for the first time in 2018. The kids had their first experience making hand blown glass ornaments at the Corning Museum of Glass on December 1.

P is for Philadelphia, paid-in-full, and puns. In March we took a three day trip to Philadelphia to visit Christ Church, US Mint, Benjamin Franklin Museum, Franklin Institute, Adventure Aquarium Academy of Natural Sciences, Conrad Weiser Homestead, and Cornwall Iron Furnace. In November we took a one day trip to visit Uncle Maurice who is a doctoral student at Penn and to visit the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Congress Hall, and Museum of the American Revolution. This year Ian has found great delight in telling jokes - primarily puns. I have had a mortgage since January 2001. This spring it was paid-in-full! Partially that was able to happen because I borrowed some money from one of my retirement accounts. The retirement account loan will hopefully be paid off in a few months, and at that point we will be totally debt free for the first time since January 2001! 

Q  - Nadia loves to play the alphabet game when we are driving. She plays in several times per trip. She knows where all the "Q's" are on the roads were travel the most frequently.

R is for Reading, roller skating, and  roller coasters. Oliver learned how to read this fall! Nadia read at least 63 different chapter books; she read Wonder and Auggie and Me many times. Ian read at least 33 chapter books. I have no idea how many picture books I read the kids this year, but we enjoyed at least 93 different chapter books together in 2018. In 2018 Oliver rode BIG roller coasters for the first time. His favorite thus far is the Phoenix at Knoebels. 2018 was also the year that Nadia was tall enough to ride every roller coaster at all the amusement parks we visited. This year Paul started taking Nadia to WGRC's monthly skate night at the roller skating rink when the schedule permits. She'll be taking a break from that for the next three months because her basketball practice interferes with skate night.

S is for San Diego and Saturday Science. In late May we flew to San Diego for a vacation with Paul's parents. Highlights included Sea World, Aquatica, Disneyland, Legoland, Cabrillo National Monument, USS Midway, Maritime Museum, and seeing the sea lions and seals at La Jolla Beach. This year we finally participated in some of the Saturday Science programs at Susquehanna University.

T is for Times Square and theatres. The kids visited Times Square for the first time in July on our way to spend a week at Aunt Janet's house. We toured the National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey. The kids saw five movies in the theater this year (far more than ever before) - Incredibles 2, Solo, Hotel Transylvania 3, Christopher Robin, and Ralph Breaks the Internet. Live performances that we saw this year included: Disney on Ice, Four Score and Twenty Years, Mr. Popper's Penguins, Cinderella, Seussical,  Wizard of Oz, Huck and Tom, Miracle Worker, Brothers Grimm, Jesus, Pinkalicious, Mary Poppins, Thumbelina, Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and Diary of a Worm, Spider, and Fly. Nadia was in a performance of A Kid's Life at the Community Theatre League, and all three kids were in Treasure Island at our church in May.

U is for Bloomsburg University. After five years at home, I went back to work FT in Fall 2017. During both semesters of 2018 I was 125% of FT as I taught two sections of a math methods course, one section of an assessment course, and supervised student teachers in a variety of school districts.

V is for van. We've owned our van for 6 years (plus almost 4 months), and this summer our odometer went over 100,000 miles.

W is for Great Wolf Lodge and water balloons. We made our first (two day/one night) trip to the GWL that is 90 minutes from our house to celebrate Ian's 9th birthday. Oliver's 6th birthday party in August involved hundreds of water balloons because he was obsessed with water balloons this summer!

X is for AleXa. We gave Oliver an Echo Dot for his birthday in August. We also gave two to the Towfighis in October, one to Nadia for Christmas, and one to my Dad and Margie for Christmas. We use it for a wide variety of things - making announcements, playing music, playing games, turning on the Christmas tree lights, setting timers, etc. With how often we say "AleXa", you'd think she was the sixth member of our family, ha ha!

Y is for Aunt Yvonne. Time spent with extended family is always very special. We spent time this year with Yvonne and her family (three visits in Maryland), with Grandpa and Margie (one visit in Maryland and one at our home), Wendy and her family (one visit in Maryland and two in our home), Maurice (two visits in Maryland and once in Philadelphia), and saw Grandma, Pop Pop, Uncle Al, Aunt Millie, and Shawn various times throughout the year. Great Gram (Paul's grandmother) passed away this fall at the age of 95. The kids sang a trio at her memorial service. All of their great grandparents have passed away.

Z is for Zoos and Sky Zone. We visited the San Diego Zoo, Reptiland, and also the San Diego Safari Park. From August 2017 to the present we've been studying zoology in science. We are switching to Anatomy and Physiology next week. The kids visited a trampoline park for the first time every this year. All three kids bounced at Sky Zone in November, and Nadia also went to Fly World in August with Aunt Wendy.

Third Day of Christmas

Yesterday we had our third (and last) day of Christmas for 2018. December 24 was our immediate family's gift exchange, December 25 was with Paul's side of the family, and yesterday was with my side of the family. My Dad and Margie arrived at the hotel they are staying at around 5:30pm on Wednesday night. The kids and I met them at the restaurant at their hotel (Bonanza) for dinner. Then we came back to our house for a little bit before they returned to the hotel. The came back over yesterday at lunch time. After lunch we played a wide variety of games - Mancala, Don't Spill the Beans, Suspend, Quirkle, Spot it, and Blokus. Wendy and her kids arrived at about 5:40pm. I had been cooking on and off throughout the whole day. As I was clearing the table I realized I had forgotten to make the green beans, but I don't think the kids minded that I forgot the vegetables. I served ham, turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, sweet potatoes, homemade rolls, applesauce, and cranberry sauce. The seven kids ate at the kitchen table with two candles, and the four adults ate in the dining room. Paul got home from work at 7pm, and that was when we had our gift exchange. Most people were too full from dinner to have dessert, but a few people sampled some of the desserts after the gift exchange. Some were homemade (ex. cookies) and some I had purchased at the grocery store just to make life simpler (ex. the pies).

Oliver and Grace were the first ones up this morning. They got up around 6:45am. It's 8:20am at the moment, and Ian and Adam are outside throwing a football back and forth. Nadia gave Adam the football for Christmas; she bought it at the AWANA store. Although the kids enjoy receiving gifts, I think what they most enjoy is just spending time with their cousins. When the cousins are gathered together I always think of my mom. I know nothing here on earth compares to Heaven, but watching her grands play together was one of her most favorite things to do. She loved them SO much!

We went bowling this afternoon and are planning on seeing a movie tomorrow - probably either Ralph Wrecks the Internet or Mary Poppins Returns. Nadia and Ian got to use their new bowling shoes for the first time. The kids all used bumpers when bowling. Margie and Grace didn't bowl. Grandpa, Wendy, and I did not bowl up to our usual level. Dad had a valid reason - he had shoulder surgery this fall. Ian won the first game when he bowled against Oliver, Adam, Wendy, and I. Only five kids bowled a second game. Ian was in the lead for the first eight frames, but then Susie and Adam both got a strike in the 9th frame. Susie and Adam tied for the first place with 96, and Ian was in second place with 90. During the second game Adam and Ian each had one strike and one spare, and Susie had two strikes. The kids did some art work and Mad Libs while waiting for their turn to bowl. Susie is a very talented artist in my opinion!

I want a hippopotamus!

There's a song from 1953 that starts out, "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas, only a hippopotamus will do." As we entered church for the 5pm candlelight service, we each took a candle, and Oliver's name went into a drawing. All children aged 8 and under were invited to participate. Ian was wishing he hadn't just turned nine-years-old 12 days earlier as he loves stuffed animals. Early into the service they brought out three large stuffed animals - an elephant, hippo, and a giraffe, which was over 4 feet tall. The pastor called three names, and the first one he called was Oliver Kennedy. Oliver picked the hippo. The next boy picked the elephant, and a girl was given the giraffe. Ian, Nadia, and I all said we would have picked the giraffe as our first choice, but I can see how the hippo and elephant are more cuddly due to not being so tall. My second choice would have been the elephant. Any of them would have gone well in Oliver's jungle themed bedroom. His comforter has a lion, monkey, alligator, giraffe, and elephant on it. He received a Mickey Mouse from Paul and I

yesterday morning and a large hippo from the church at night. Oliver moved down a row so he could sit with the hippo. I had him move back up with us when it was time to light the candles.

Yesterday Oliver's main gift was a set of Magformers. I had toyed with buying these several times over the years, and when Oliver asked for them I knew I had to get them (because he might ask for 2-3 things a year). Hopefully all three kids will enjoy them! He been excited for a few weeks when he saw that his package was the largest. We also gave him a large Mickey Mouse (although small compared to the hippo), some gum drops, 4 CDs (three by Slugs and Bugs and one of the Nutcracker), a watch, and a set of Legos. He has just started to learn how to follow directions and (almost) build a set independently.

Yesterday Ian received some Calico Critters animals, which he plays with in Nadia's room. She received a Calico Critter house for Christmas last year He received some other small animal figurines (cat, sea turtle, alpaca), a Lego set, gum drops,

some Paddington Bear books, a Leroy and Stitch DVD, bowling shoes, Mr. Incredible, Rummikub game, and Jack Jack. I got him the game in part because I have fond memories of playing that with my Grandma Lillian. We played the game last night.

Nadia's gifts from us included 11 books, a Mad Lib book, Mrs. Incredible, Violet, a Lego set, some sour candy, Sunchips,  bowling shoes, nail polish, bracelets, and pens.

We spent today with Paul's family. His mom cooked a delicious meal that included some of my favorite foods - a delicious cranberry salad, Millie's homemade rolls, ham, and Ellie's macaroni and cheese and baked beans. I need to learn how to make "her" baked beans and also her macaroni and cheese. Yummy! Millie brought an assortment of desserts from her bakery - brownies, cookies, and two kinds of pie. I had pumpkin pie. We also exchanged gifts. The hippo was the largest gift anyone received yesterday, but today the kids received a gymnastics wedge

mat, which was in a huge package! Nadia had asked for one for a couple of years, but the cost was the reason I didn't get her one previously. Once Oliver also started asking for one, I figured we should put it on his (very short) wish list. Grandma and Pop Pop gave it as a gift to all three kids. Oliver needs to master his backwards tuck roll, and Nadia wants to conquer her kickover.

This is my third Christmas without my mom, as she passed away 2 years plus 5 months ago. She is greatly missed. Christmas is very different for me without her. Our church rarely includes special music in the worship service (by special music I mean a solo, duet, trio, quartet, etc.). Two days ago there was both a men's quartet and two young women sang a duet. The duet was about celebrating Christmas while a loved one is in Heaven. The girls who sang it lost their brother three years ago (when he was in high school). I'm also missing my brother. There have been many Christmases I haven't seen Yvonne because she's been in Turkey, but I only recall one other Christmas (the first year

he moved to Brazil) when I didn't see him around Christmas. I'm thankful I'll get to see one of my three siblings this Christmas, as Wendy should be arriving at our house on Thursday with her four kids. I have included a picture of Yvonne and Joe with their eight kids below. As you can see from the pictures below, Oliver brought his new hippo to Grandma's house today.

I want to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas. Hoping each of you has received the best gift of all - Jesus!