2009

Today is the last day of 2009. A new year begins tomorrrow. I started this blog thinking that it would be a good thing to document a year as it happens. I've never been good about writing things down, but I'm going to give it a try. So before I start the new year, I want to quickly look back over this past year and note some of the memorable things that happened.




The year started, in March anyway, with a new addition to our family. Emma Mae was born. That's my sister, Kim, holding her. She is such a sweety. It is going to be so much fun to watch her and her brother Jake grow up.

Tom graduated from 8th grade in May. We are so proud of him. The medal he is wearing is for being commended on his TAKS tests and the certficate is for the Eagle award. The Eagle award is given to one boy and one girl for being an outstanding student and a leader in their sport, someone who takes instruction well and has a good attitude.

Katie turned 13 in May which means we now have 2 teenagers in the house. She makes us very proud, too. She makes good grades and she is an excellent basketball player. I love to watch her play. I couldn't play any sport, so I'm amazed and a little jealous of people who can.

Summer of 2009 was so much fun. We took a trip to Galveston and just relaxed on the beach for a few days. The kids and I went to Atlanta with the church youth group. Katie had basketball camp and Tom had Scout camp. We went to Colorado where we went whitewater rafting, hiked, swam in the hot springs, the guys kayaked down the river, horseback riding, and we went on a 4-wheeler ride that ended with a steak dinner. The kids also got to spend a week each with their grandparents in Amarillo and they went to the Kyle Cousins Camp. Tom started football workouts and band practice in August so we had to stay home after that.

Tom played football on the Freshman team this year. I love watching him play, although when he is playing, I have no idea what is happening in the game. He is a lineman and never touches the ball, but my eyes are always on him, so I don't see what is happening with the ball.

I left so many things out. 2009 was a great year for us and I know 2010 will be also.

The Great Santa Debate

I think I made it through this Christmas without crushing any child's belief in Santa. A few years ago, I accidentally caused some doubt among my Kindergarteners.


Whenever I read a book to the class, we spend a few moments looking at the pictures, talking about the title and author, and decide if the story is fiction or non-fiction. I usually start this discussion in October when I do a unit on Monsters. We have a lot of fun with the monsters, but I continually reassure them that monsters are not real, just make-believe, and we have many discussions about the difference between real and not real.


So then December comes arouond and the first unit I teach is about reindeer. We talk about where they live, how they survive in such cold climates, and look at lots of pictures of real reindeer.


So, here I was with my pictures of real reindeer and then I picked up a picture of Rudolph and I asked the class, "Can anyone tell me which picture is a real reindeer and which is a make-believe reindeer?" You should have seen the looks of confusion on their faces, and I still didn't get it. So I asked again, "Which is real and which is not real? Which one is really alive and which one was made up in someone's imagination?" Again, I just got blank stares. No one said anything. It was so quiet you could hear the crickets. Finally, one boy raised his hand and asked, "Mrs. Kyle, they are both real, aren't they?" If Rudolph is not real then how does Santa get his sleigh to fly?"


Well, I had to do some fast talking to get out of that one. I don't remember what I said, but I do remember a discussion breaking out among the kids about whether or not Santa was real. I also remember ending the conversation by saying that I believe Rudolph and Santa are real, but they should talk to their parents.



So Christmas presents a real dilemma. We all want our kids to believe in Santa. It's so innocent and sweet, but at some point they figure out we've been lying to them all these years and if we lied to them about Santa, what else have we lied about?

Christmas came early for us this year and we all got the same thing - a phone. It is called a phone, but I've made very few calls on it. No one actually talks to each other anymore. There are too many other ways to communicate.

The first picture shows what we do now. We sit around and play with our phones. I can't believe all the things this phone can do. I'll never be lost again, I'll always know the current weather forecast, and I'll always be connected to Facebook, but I'll tell you one thing it can't do. It can't make my children turn it on when I am trying to get ahold of them to find out if everyone got home after school because I'm out of town and want to know where they are. Isn't that why we got the phones in the first place?

Christmas Stroll

My tree is up (the fake one). My eye finally looks normal for the first time in three days so a real tree is just not something I should have in my house. Last night was the first night of the Salado Stroll and we took the kids and our neighbors and ventured into the cold. It was really cold. We even had a snowstrom yesterday afternoon. It only lasted 10 minutes but it really did snow.

I took this picture and then the kids took off. It is not cool to be seen with a grown up at the stroll. The boys went one direction and the girls another and Alan and I were left to fend for ourselves. We found a booth that was selling Pork Chop on a Stick. I've never heard of such a thing, but usually anything served on a stick is worth a try. It was delicious and I highly recommend it. We went from there straight to the Funnel Cakes which for me is a little taste of heaven.

Most people go to the stroll to shop. For me, it was all about the food.

Christmas Spirit

There is not one Christmas decoration in my house yet. I've never waited this long to put up a tree. The truth is, after Thanksgiving, I just didn't want to. I enjoyed Thanksgiving so much and I just wasn't ready to rush head long into Christmas.

My attitude has changed now. I spent the morning with my Kindergarteners at the Christmas Tree Farm and now I really want a real Christmas tree. Never mind the fact that my right eye is almost swollen shut because I'm so allergic. I want a real tree! I think I can load up on enough allergy medicine to get me through.

Then tonight was the annual Salado Christmas Parade. It lasts about 15 minutes, and I love every minute of it. I don't know why but parades make me cry. I sit there waving at all the people I know who are in the parade and I fight back the tears. It happens every year. I think maybe it's because I think it's so cool to live in a town where you actually know the people in the parade.

When the parade was over, I went to the church to ring bells. Tonight was the Community Chorus concert and they asked us to ring before the concert so I spent 30 minutes ringing Christmas Carols like Jingle Bells, Sleigh Ride and We Wish You a Merry Christmas. So now I am completely in the Christmas spirit.

Tomorrow I get the afternoon off. Several moms are taking my class for me and I am going Christmas shopping unless we have the blizzard tonight that is being pedicted, then I'll stay home and decorate. I'm pretty sure the Christmas Farm people will tie the tree to the top of my car.