In The Spirit

We definitely have the concept of Christmas spirit covered in the McClendon household.  I think we have enough to cover everyone in the city of Decatur, actually.  From Christmas music 24/7 to as many twinkle lights as our fuse boxes will allow, we're Christmas'd out.  Bethany is sort of the ring leader this year.  I purposely didn't get the tree for her room out because her being a teenager and all, I wasn't sure if it was "cool".  I need a manual for that these days.  Much to my surprise and delight, she asked for it.  So I delivered!  She's covered her room and tree with tons of lights.  After seeing it, J told her there was no way in this world any of us were going to forget it was Christmas. So true and so fabulous!

We have a new visitor this year.  Mirabelle the Elf is long gone, so Santa sent Jingles in her place.  Note to self: I will remember where I store the elf after Christmas so this isn't a problem next year.  Jingles is a bit of a mess.  And she's very much into gymnastics...

 

Jingles hanging upside down from the Christmas tree in the girls' room really tickled them.  That's one of their favorite things to do at the park.  They're part monkey.  Or part elf.  I'm not sure which one.

Sunday night we all went to watch Towns in the children's Christmas program at church.  On Wednesday nights this semester, they had several instruments in music they could learn to play and she chose the drums. I was extremely impressed at the kids' ability to learn to play the ukelele, the orff, and the world drums in just a couple of months and all play together as accompaniment to the songs they sang. They did an amazing job.  Their music leader, Mrs. Elizabeth, is phenomenal at what she does.

It never fails.  I always pick the one place to sit where a mic stand is right in the way...

Go figure!

Getting ready to play the drums...

And I'm not sure exactly what she was playing in this song...

There's nothing more than I love than seeing kids so enthusiastic about worship and praise.  This has to be one of my most favorite parts of all of our Christmas happenings.  After all, Jesus is the reason for the season!

Still along the lines of Christmas, Towns let December 1st get by her without doing her book report for the month.  It didn't go unrecognized, though.  That afternoon she came home already feeling like she was behind.  So she chose a sweet book about a gingerbread mouse and went to town with it.  Naturally, that included making a gingerbread house to take as her prop for the report.  And that also meant eating the leftover icing with a spoon...

I mean, you can't let perfectly good icing go to waste...now can you?

Blondie was ready to roll the next morning at school...

 

She's gotten really into me being right up under her all the time.  She's asked me to walk her into school every day and wants me to come eat lunch with her, too.  I'm not sure where this is all coming from, but I'll gladly take it!  She asked if I'd watch her do her book report.  Um, absolutely...

And I stuck around to watch them decorate their class tree...

 

First grade is getting rave reviews around our house.  This is usually when I start to get all weepy about half of the year being almost gone!!

Allow me to rewind because I failed to mention the 1st annual Gobble Wobble 5k that DCMS put on back in November.  How could I forget that one?  A monsoon settled in right about race time, but that didn't spoil the fun...

 

If they look like drowned rats, that's because they were!  Towns had been waiting for the 5k to be over and done with because that meant it was time for the one mile fun run with her daddy.  It was so exciting to see everyone all lined up and ready to take off...

Do you see anything wrong with this picture below?

J is running by himself because his running buddy totally left him in the dust!  He thought he could take it easy because he didn't think she could run that fast.  Wrong!  Girlfriend was booking it to try to get done as fast as her little legs could carry her.  And here she is almost to the finish line with her daddy nowhere in sight...

 

He ended up walking back with Emma's dad since they had no interest in finishing with with their fathers!
When Cate realized what was going on and that she wasn't in the middle of it, she completely lost it.  So J took her by the hand and let her run to the finish line with him in her jeans and silver glittery ballet flats...

 

And then it was all smiles again...

Totally off the subject of any kind of holiday, but I think this chick is pretty cute...

Decatur might not have won the big game against Austin last weekend, but the cheerleaders certainly did their part. :)

Speaking of Bebs, she is currently the coolest person in the family (not that that's really different from the norm).  Now that she can drive and take Cate to buy a new fish and all...

Actually, Rudy (as in Rudolph) is Bethany's fish that Cate steals during the day and puts in her room while B's at school.  She wrote a note and taped it on the fish bowl that sort of says that no one can touch the fish.  These girls are so territorial...they fight over that fish like it's something that's really worth fighting over.  Cue the lesson in sharing!  I'm thinking a neutral place for the fish to live is the key to settling this one.

Duty calls.  Elf duty, that is.  If you don't hear from me for a while, I might be buried in wrapping paper!