Toybox

James decided that Max needed a toy box so we headed to BabysRus to pick one up. Naturally it had to match his jungle room. It is so cute and Max really loves banging on it. I am pretty happy with the fact that it can't smash his fingers.

Sunbeams

After my third week of Sunbeams I am feeling better about the class. The second week only the little boy was there and it gave me a good chance to get to know him one-on-one. I got a pretty good sense of his personality and the things that hold his attention.




I have two little music books that you push the buttons to play the songs. One books has I am a Child of God, I Love To see the Temple, Follow the Prophet, I Hope They Call Me on a Mission, I Am Like a Star, When We're Helping.








The other book has Jesus Once Was a Little Child, Tell Me the Stories of Jesus, Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam, I'm Trying to Be like Jesus, I Feel My Savior's Love & When He Comes Again. Well, he loves these books. We sang the songs over and over. Then while he was coloring he repeated after me the First Article of Faith several times.





This week both kids were there and class went very well. Unfortunately sharing time and music time are more of a struggle. The music leader is not good at interacting with the kids, especially the really little ones. So I spend the last 20 minutes of primary trying to keep the two very restless kids contained, because there is nothing holding their interest and certainly nothing that is helping them learn the songs. I have noticed that the music leader and sometimes even the person doing sharing time just kind of ignore the front row.

Next week I am in charge of Sharing Time which I admit I am really not excited for. I would have liked to had more time in Primary before jumping into that. But I didn't say no. The lady who plans the schedule noticed that she had put me in January and apologized in that way that you can sense they really don't want to redo it and even though I really didn't want to do it so soon, I just said yes. I know it won't be that hard. I guess I just don't want to do it. But I will go and do.

Dinner With Kells & Co.

James, Max and I met Kellie and her family for dinner the night before they went back home to Peru. I was so glad to be able to see them! It felt as though no time had passed at all; well except for how much her kids have grown!

I loved how the kids hugged me and seemed excited to see me even though it has been so long. I miss them all.

Christmas Vacation

Christmas vacation was great fun this year! The best part was having James home for two weeks. I wish he never had to go back to work. He really spoiled me this year. A few weeks before Christmas he gave me a nano ipod for my audiobooks. I was having to delete so much music from my other ipod in order to make room for the books so he decided not to wait until Christmas. It is so cool! It is tiny and just has books on it.

Christmas Eve we watched our traditional Charlie Brown Christmas and Love Actually. And ate too much sugar. I am really going to rethink the sugar next year. I am still doing some things that were traditions in my home growing up (like stocking candy) and we are just finding things that work for us. I like my fudge and James' likes his chocolate chip cookies. Simple as that.

It is so much fun to have Max around...gives us adults excuses to be silly and childlike, although he was totally cranky on Christmas. Christmas morning we made a yummy big breakfast and ate on our new snoopy dishes. Then we took some pictures, most of which were accidentally deleted. James gave me a digital frame, which the sneaky bugger had me fill a memory card for a few days earlier. Gave me some line about using it for work or something but that I would be so much better at picking the best pictures of Max. It sits in my office where I can see it while I am working, or blogging.

We got Max a rocking horse a few weeks before Christmas. Really, we just happened to see it and decided we had to have it. Max likes it although he is still timid about it.


He loves books and Grandma gave him a bunch of new books to chew on. He also enjoys having them read to him. We love the Where is My Teddy book and I was excited to realize that we actually have the next Teddy book: My Bear Friend.

Thanks so much Grandma!

I found these scripture story book & CD at the dollar store and put them in Max's stocking. I won't let him chew on them, so they are no good to him right now, but it will be a fun way to have scripture time when he is a bit older. I had so many more pictures of Christmas; our stockings and some really cute pictures of our little family. James and I were in red Santa hats and Max had reindeer ears. I have thought about getting the hats and reindeer ears out of the Christmas box to re-take the pictures and I just might. Of course, the pictures won't be in front of the Christmas tree but I'm not putting that back up.

To sum up: We had a really great Christmas. (And now, the struggle to get back into the schedule is in full swing.)

Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam Teacher

Sunday was my first week teaching the Sunbeams. (Although this is my second time as a Sunbeam teacher.) Sadly I have to admit that after only one week I was tired of it. I only have two kids but I came home feeling exhausted and that I had just spent 2 hours being a glorified babysitter.

However, with that bad attitude out of the way; I know there are several reasons it was not a good experience and several ways that I can make it better. The biggest problem was that our Saturday get-to-know-your-class activity was canceled so I didn't meet the kids until they walked into primary. Now I have some ideas about their personalities and ways to teach and involve them. Also, one of the mothers just got in the way. The little boy was really hesitant and wouldn't sit down but was warming to me. Another 30 seconds and he would have been sitting down with me enjoying primary. But his mom came in to sit with him and immediately he started whining and trying to climb into her lap. Then she had to walk him to class. I really think it was more her that was the problem than him.

And a very simple way to eliminate frustration is to only have the number of chairs that you need for the kids; otherwise they sit on the farthest chair away from you. And finally, one of my one silly quirks is that don't like being in the front row. I don't like everyone being behind me and because they have the kids on little chairs and the teachers on big chairs I just feel like a big giant in the front of class with everyone critiquing how I am handling the kids. Of course I realize they are all probably too busy trying to handle their own class, but I still don't like being in the front row.

So, now that all of the rambling is out of the way...I have added to my prayers the desire to love and teach the children and to be able to have a positive and uplifting experience.

Hill Family Christmas Party

The party was held at Ally's house this year and she provided yummy food and everyone brought lots of sugar. My fudge was a big hit. I have decided I need more fudge in my life. :)

Ally gave Max this cute little "Ally"gator and Marshall and Robyn gave him the puppydog. Marshall and Robyn brought gifts for all of the grandkids and it was a blast to watch them open everything.





Here he is in his "Baby's 1st Christ- mas onesie playing with his new toys.




Along with the puppy they gave Max a great sweater. I love how sleepy he looks in this picture.

James' niece is learning how to sew and as she is quite taken with our little Max, decided to make him a blanket. I knew she was making something for him but was surprised to see two blankets and two pillows.

We managed to get a pretty good picture of us at the party.

The best I have since the timed pictures I took of us on Christmas (with Santa hats and reindeer ears for Max) somehow got deleted from the camera before they were put on the computer.

Ed

James friend Ed came to visit from North Carolina. He brought Max several things including this Fisher Price Little People train. It is Max's new favorite toy. It plays this song that has this funny noise and James and I have picked it up. James thought it would be funny to get me on video making the noise while Max plays his train. I don't think we even notice we are doing it anymore. We both just make the noise along with the train.