Lately (Including Christmas)

Heather is too young to play basketball on the school team, but she is on the Lake Region Junior Hoops Glover team. It's for grades 3 thru 6. Boys and girls are on separate teams. Glover had so many girls who wanted to play basketball this year that they had to make 2 girls teams! (Cole is on the boys' team, and as a 6th grader, he is also eligible to play for the school, so he is on TWO basketball teams.) Below, Heather manages to sink 2 foul shots like an old pro (3rd graders are allowed to stand a little closer to the net) in a nail biter game against Irasburg. The tie game went into overtime, when Glover scored and then Irasburg scored again. This was a late evening game so rather than do a 2nd overtime, the game ended in a tie.

 We have no snow.

 December 23rd, already on school break. Cole and I went for a walk in the woods, enjoying the 59 degree weather. Thank you El Nino, whatever you are.

 The beaver pond.

 Our tradition of making a gingerbread house continues.

 This one may not be our best work, but it was fun.

 Heather dressed for Christmas Eve Mass.

 A Christmas full moon.

 Christmas Eve we crashed Joanie's evening with friends Cindy and Jerry for some Christmas music. You can't really see in the photo, but Cole is playing a drum and Heather has a tambourine.

 Christmas day, after all the gifts were opened, Heather and I went for a walk in the woods. No snowshoes required.

 Peter, Jeanne, Katie, Lizzy, Joanie, and Martha came over for dinner. Joanie shared these cute little wooden spinning toys.

Heather is wearing a birthday outfit from Julie. Very cute and festive.

 Lizzy demonstrates.

Dinner

I didn't get a photo of dessert, but Jeanne brought cookies and Wayne had made a maple walnut pie. 

More singing. Heather has changed into another outfit, this one from Jeanne.

Headed to see my mom in Maine tomorrow morning with Cole.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with their loved ones.

One Early Present by Wesley

At church tonight I heard it was OK to open a present on Christmas Eve. Thank you Mr. Rothman for this sweet LLBean parka, delivered by Sara and Colby. I will appreciate it even more when it's not 65 degrees outside. Or 95 inside (wood furnace hard to control). 

Happy December 24th to all!

Happy Birthday Heather!

To celebrate her 9th birthday, Heather wanted to try a fondant covered cake. She had brought home a cake decorating book from the school library and picked out one that called for plain  white fondant, decorated with food color markers.

We baked a chocolate and vanilla marble cake and covered it with buttercream which acts as a "glue" for the fondant icing.

Finally some snow, especially for Heather's birthday. Until now it has been warm and the ground has been bare, quite a contrast to Heather's birthday last year which was a sledding and skating party.

 It was a heavy, wet snow and made the roads tricky. Lots of cars off the road - seems people forget how to drive in bad weather when we haven't had any in a while.

 We decided not to deal with a full fledged kids party this year and instead let her invite a couple of friends, Harper and Kelby, over for the afternoon. We went to the movies to see the new Chipmunks movie, and then they played outside in the 4 inches of snow before enjoying cake and ice cream with all of us, plus Grammie and Joanie.

We all decided that we are not crazy about fondant, but it looks nice and was fun to try!

Happy Birthday Heather! We love you and are so proud of you!

Tree

Today Wes took  Wayne and Heather (if it's not bad enough that Wayne and Heather have had pneumonia, now Cole has strep!) to Tester's Christmas Tree Farm to get our Christmas tree. Mrs. Tester also happens to be Heather's 3rd grade teacher.

 Heather tried to get Spike to wear an elf hat, but he preferred to chew on it.

 Patches is more cooperative about posing in front of the tree.

 Some of our favorite ornaments collected over the years. Heather and I made these beaded snowflakes last year.

 Susan and Cedric give Cole a handmade porcelain  ornament each year.

 Photo ornaments made in school.

And of course Joanie's Hallmark ornaments that seem to have been designed especially for our lives.

Middle School Winter Concert

If Wayne looks a bit thinner and pale, it's because he just spent a week at home with fever and pneumonia just like Heather did a few weeks ago.  Luckily, he started to feel well enough in time to take part in the concert, although he had missed some of the rehearsals.

First Wayne and Cole in the jazz band.

Cole did not escape the fever and cough. He was also home or a several days before Wayne, but his did not seem to turn into pneumonia.

 Next Cole in the chorus

 Then both Wayne and Cole again in the concert band.

Wayne Is In the Chronicle

Wayne is still getting recognition for his music writing abilities. He and his friend Asom are featured in this week's Chronicle.

The article talks about the music composing program that they are involved in at school with Music-Comp and online mentors. It covers how Wayne has had 2 compositions chosen to be played by professional musicians at the opus concerts and that he was interviewed by VPR Classical. Asom has also had a composition chosen for last year's concert and his piece was also used in a Vermont based production of a Civil War documentary.

 There's Cole too. He looks so young. This photo was taken about a year ago. 

Can you see to the left of the picture, Wayne mentions his dad is his inspiration? 

It is a really nice story and we are proud of our Glover students. (And now that Heather is in 3rd grade, she has joined the composing club, as well!)

Wayne Got a Partridge

This week we have no school until Thursday, due to in-service, parent/teacher conferences, and Veteran's Day. Today, Wayne got a partridge. Good job Wayne!