Leading up to Christmas

Nativity
Once again, we celebrated the Nativity story with Dode's family.  We were happy to have Grandma and Grandpa back home with us, instead of participating through the wonders of Skype.  I've been saving old Halloween costumes and trying to think "Nativity" when browsing garage sales.  Lisa has also picked up some costumes.  It's getting quite professional looking.  Of course, for the actors, it's still a rough production.  We didn't get any photos, but Isaac and Jared were shepherds.  The big girls changed into Wise Men outfits once they were done with their pre-show song.

Miriam: Mary, Savannah: lion, William: Joseph & Samuel the Lamanite, Jenna: angel, Piper: angel

Zander: wicked Nephite, Darcy: Angel

Great Grandpa found our production very soothing

The girls provided some pre-show entertainment, singing "Are my Ears on Straight" (they raided my lipstick for their blush)

When we went to write the birth certificate for Miriam, we realized the name we'd agreed on was NOT the same name.  We'd both been saying "our" name but were thinking different things.  Dode wanted Mariam (his little Mary) and I wanted Miriam.  After turning to the scriptures, we learned that Miriam is the sister of Moses who watched over him as he floated in his little basket while Mariam is the wife of wicked King Harrod.  We went with Miriam.  But, here's his Mary, for a night at least!

Ellie is a royal queen

Our dear friend Janon came to the party, here is her son Zander performing the part of a wicked Nephite

Janon's son Cage is a cow from the stable

William as Samuel the Lamanite.  None of those arrows hit him, he just grabbed them in the air and threw them back!  He also had angels on both sides of him protecting him.  I bet the original Samuel did too!

Piano Recital
Isaac and Anastaya take piano lessons from a teacher who has a winter and spring recital. Anastaya played Away in the Manger and Isaac played British Grenadiers. Anastaya had been practicing the song over and over at home. Apparently, stage fright got to her because half way through her song, she forgot her notes. She came right home from that recital, sat down at the piano, and nailed it over and over. We felt really badly for her.





 My dad and his wife Cheryl were able to come watch the kids perform.

waiting her turn, she was practicing on the hymnal

Sticky fingers
Due to William's cognitive challenges, he has a difficult time understanding that it is not ok to take something that belongs to someone else.  I've done what I can to try to prevent these small thefts.  It's a "learn as you go" kind of thing.  William is under direct supervision with short amounts of time in another room without someone watching.  William only goes upstairs (where all the bedrooms are) if someone goes with him because he kept taking things and destroying them.  The pockets of his pants are sewn shut because he kept putting some many things in them, he had to hold his pants  up when he walked.  Finally after someone's MP3 player went through the laundry in his pocket I'd had enough and now he asks me to sew his pockets.   I use a purse with a zipper top because I almost left a store a few times with something he'd shoved in there.  I imagined trying to explain to the security guard that I had no knowledge of what I was shoplifting and how it was the sweet child I had with me.  I remind the other children constantly to keep their things put away.  But, it's not something I can eliminate 100%.  William knows what has value to the other family members and seems drawn to those items.   At school, the teacher checks his desk regularly for items that don't belong to him.

Last month, Elizabeth left her camera in the living room and it disappeared.  When asked, he said he'd not seen it.  A month later, it showed up under the couch (where I'd already searched a few times) with digital evidence that William had been playing with it and had stashed it in various places around the house.  She was so mad!  Apparently, it was my turn to experience the loss of something important.  Miriam had seen my wallet in the car and thought it would be safer to bring it inside and put it on the piano.  She never told me she'd done it.  Unfortunately, William did notice.  When I went looking for it, he told me that he'd had it, but not where he put it.  After going through all  his normal hiding spots, we still can't find it.  It's such a hassle to get a new driver license, 3 debit cards, temple recommend, store loyalty cards, Costco card, insurance cards.  I was able to print out a temporary license but it doesn't have a photo on it.  A few times, I've been asked for photo ID and when I explain that my wallet was stolen, they tell me how sorry they are, not realizing that the culprit is the sweet dark eyed boy standing beside me.

The van is fixed!
After loosing our 3rd serpentine belt, we turned to the Internet to see what others had to say about the problem.  It turns out, it's a design problem that lots of people with our kind of van have dealt with.  We found a solution by replacing the pulleys the serpentine goes around with another kind of pulley and using an aftermarket belt.  Now, the belt can no longer slide off the side.  When I think back at the times our van has broken down, I know that if Dode wasn't such a great mechanic, it'd be retired long ago.  The parts that have broken have been inexpensive, but they seem to be deep down inside the car where it takes a lot of time (and mechanic time is money) to get down to.  It was $100 to replace the pulleys and belt with our solution but it should be a permanent fix.