CHROMEBOOK KIDS

We decided that James needed his own computer for 5th grade assignments this year (lots of Google Docs and Google Slides due each week, and with his ADD, he doesn't get everything done in the classroom), and because we buy everything in twos for our family, Cora got one too. We went with ChromeBooks because 1) that's what the kids are used to and 2) school accounts can be used to log-in (so the same safety features used on campus also apply at home, and they can then save progress on assignments from home). So far, so good. Weird to be parents of computer-aged kids already... My high school didn't even get a computer lab until my senior year (and it was rarely used). Times sure have changed...

CORA THE BABYSITTER

Cora helped me babysit "baby Ella" this afternoon/evening while her daddy helped Jay finish cutting up the fallen tree out front. Cora LOVED having her, but agreed that babies (and toddlers) are a lot more work than her cats ;-)

Ella loved Cora's Calico Critters. She knew to feed the dolls with their tiny bottles, but was very confused that she couldn't fit into their van...

BIRTHDAY IMMUNITY MILESTONE

Cora invoked the start of her Birthday Immunity today and decided to have her hair dyed (for the first time) during her haircut. Thankfully, daddy didn't mind. It turned out so cute!

BUILDERS AND CHANGERS

The kids put together new visitor chairs for my office:

Then they had a lesson on changing tires (Jay blew a tire on the way home due to debris on the road from the recent storms):

GOLD IN THE HILLS

Cora and I had another Vicksburg first tonight - we went to see Gold in the Hills for the first time! It's the longest running show in history (2019 is its 83rd year) and it's kind of hard to believe we hadn't made it to a show yet, honestly, since it also runs for MONTHS at a time once it starts each year, with slightly different actors throughout the running). We had friends in the show tonight, which made it extra fun. Gold in the Hills is a melodrama that includes audience participation (both singing and "reacting" with pre-show instruction) and Cora LOVED getting to be part of the fun!

BOYS VS GIRLS

Cora's U10 Girls Rec team played against James' U10 Boys Rec team for the first time ever tonight!

I had so much fun watching the kids play against each other! They both played hard, went head to head a few times, and had a great time! The girls gave the boys a run for their money and were ahead at one point, but the boys pulled ahead in the second half and took home a win. I cheered for everyone and loved the camaraderie clearly evident both within and between the two teams - it was such a fun night!

CHRISTMAS IN FLORIDA 2018

On the road to Gramma's house (with the kittens in tow because they were due for neutering...)

Buster, trying to get into the Christmas spirit on Christmas Eve

Uncle Jamie arrives!

Diving right into gingerbread house building with Gramma:

Goofing off with daddy (the weather was beautiful all week for porch sitting)

Too much excitement for Binx and Obby...

I was quite sick (pretty sure I was mid-flu during the drive there and on Christmas Eve), but needed some fresh air, so I took the kids to the beach. In their Christmas pajamas.

(They moved the beach shower from the road up onto the walkway to the beach)

(That's not coffee... or spiked apple cider... it was Theraflu)

(Beach refurbishment is underway further south and heading this way - pipe already in place)

It made the coolest echo... we stopped to play every time we went to the beach this week!

I'm glad we grabbed our traditional photo on day one because with the flu getting passed around, it likely would not have happened later in the week...

We came home to one of Gramma's monarchs, ready to be released - Cora was happy to help!

Christmas Eve dinner before church (in clean pajamas - we did make them shower after beach trips)

The kids were super excited to attend a later service this year and get to hold real candles

After church, we went by the lifeguard chair displays downtown

Then we tried to convince the over-tired kids to actually go to sleep so Santa could visit...

The next morning brought plenty of surprises for everyone!

Christmas stocking candy glee!

Cora asked Santa and Ralphie for "American Girl Doll stuff" and a "beautiful stuffed kitty"

James asked Santa and Ralphie for Nintendo Switch video games

Gramma knitted Cora and Tenney matching scarves!

Candy break!

Buster got a fancy peanut butter stuffed bone and he did NOT want to share with the kittens!

Just to demonstrate the laziness that abounded on this holiday trip (sick people are not very active)

We did get to the beach most days though, whether to walk or play, and Jay had the kids running the beach and practicing soccer a couple times too. We all ran a few times, but none of it was pretty.

Another cold beach day didn't stop the kids from getting in the water...

We warmed up, then went to Singleton's for shrimp baskets!

And we came home to another monarch, so it was James' turn to release it!

Gramma has a resident egret in her neighborhood that is not afraid of people... not even little, loud people like Cora.

(The sun didn't last long...)

And when we got back from the beach, things turn a turn for our little man...

Three hours later we had a flu diagnosis

We were all scheduled to run a trail race the following morning (Saturday, in case it's hard to follow this week of beachbody and homebody photos...), so Gramma offered to watch our sick boy (and her sick boy, since Jamie was also coming down with it) while Jay and I took Cora to the race.

It was an early morning drive, but the reward was beautiful!

Our friend Maria (who recently moved to Ormand Beach) came to see us run (she had a hurt foot, otherwise she would have joined us on the course), then joined us for a huge breakfast afterward.

The race course was generally a muddy mess due to all the recent rain, but it was no longer cold. Cora ran like a champ and didn't complain once (and only walked through the two water stops, and only stopped twice - once when she tripped over a log and had to roll to get back up, and once after her shoe came off in a giant mud pit and I had to help her get it back on). We were super proud of her and she received a lot of compliments from her fellow racers (especially the adults that she passed along the route).

Everybody got a HUGE medal and a t-shirt with their race registration, but Cora definitely earned her bling. She placed 4th in her age group (14 and under) and finished with a very respectable trail pace (especially for it being her first race longer than a mile - this was a trail 5K - and that fact that it was a really muddy and slow race course)!

The race director posted a bunch of photos the next day:

(Look at her grin!)

After our lengthy breakfast (where she indulged in chocolate pancakes and all the trimmings), we took her shopping for new soccer gear, then stopped at the beach on the way home (where we saw beach refurbishment in action around downtown). Thankfully James was already feeling a little better (hooray meds!) and was pleased with the soccer gear we brought him. We had such a fun day out with our girl - we really need to do special things with the kids separately once in a while - she ate it up and we were all in such a great mood when we got home!

Uncle Jamie had ordered a million (or so) ladybugs for Gramma's porch, and we arrived just in time to see them released!

With most everyone (not Jamie, unfortunately) on the mend, it was back to the beach, of course

We took a late night family walk after dinner that night:

Cora caught the trail running bug, so the next day we took her up the beach to Hannah Park and she completed 5.5 miles!

Meanwhile, James hung at the beach with Gramma for a bit before going back home to rest

On our last night, the kids decided to help Gramma finish her Christmas puzzle

(It was gorgeous, and also very difficult to put together!)

(Kitten snuggles on the drive home)