"Santa! I KNOW HIM!"

Today, we went to see Santa Claus ... not just ANY Santa Claus, "OUR Santa Claus," as Freddie refers to the Smokey Mountain Santa. We showed up at the Lowe's in Waynesville about 10 a.m., and Santa saw the boys walking up, so he walked up to them first. "Look at how you've grown," he told them.

When they sat down for their visit, the boys made the requests they've been planning to make for a while now. Jones asked for a Captain America alarm clock, and Freddie asked for a Nike jogging suit. Santa said he'd do what he could, and the boys walked away convinced they were on the Nice List, as opposed to the Naughty List (which, they say, Greenville Pop is on).

I guess time will tell!
_____

Side note: for posterity's sake, I also want to record what their Christmas wishes have been for each of the years they've been cognizant of actually asking for something, which started the year Jones turned four.

2016: Jones - Stinky the Garbage Truck / Freddie - puzzles
2017: Jones - a trolley / Freddie - a Batman watch
2018: Jones - a Captain America alarm clock / Freddie - a Nike jogging suit

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today, we lived out what's become our Thanksgiving routine. Macy's Parade at home was followed by lunch at cousin Amy's which was followed by dinner at Mom and Daddy's. I am so thankful we're able to celebrate every holiday with both sides of the family. I'm also thankful that the boys are big enough now that they want to play with the cousins at the Boone family celebration. It's always been that way with "the Kids" in Greenville, but they don't really see the super sweet Boone crew often enough to feel completely comfortable with them. This year, that was different. They ate and played in the basement, which means Mama got to hobnob with the grown-ups. Talk about something to be thankful for!

At Mom and Daddy's, Jones was a chatter-box. All during dinner, he talked and talked and talked like I've never heard him talk before. Freddie went missing at one point. When I went to look for him, he was cuckled up on the couch, watching 'toons with Bobo.

I am so grateful for the gang (on BOTH sides of the family!) that my guys get to grow up with!

The Tickle Monster is ever present at Stultz family functions!

HCA Thanksgiving Tasting Party

Today, I had the distinct honor of serving at the Thanksgiving "Tasting Party" hosted by the HCA Preschool. Mrs. Burke had the AWESOME idea of having platesful of little bites of different fruits for the kids to sample. Before the party, she read to them from Genesis and talked to them about how God had made the fruits on Day Three of Creation. She then talked about what an imaginative Creator God is. It was absolutely awesome to hear her teaching them about God's creativity. Equally as awesome was hearing her describe to them the role of God's providence in guiding the Pilgrims.

I so enjoyed getting to be in Freddie's classroom, and I was so proud of Freddie for obeying Mrs. Burke and being unphased by my being there. If we don't return to HCA next year, it will be because God led us to homeschool as providentially as He led the Pilgrims to the New World. It will NOT be because we aren't absolutely and completely thrilled with the high level of Christian instruction the boys are getting at HCA. 

This Thanksgiving week, that's one of the things for which I am most grateful!

HCA Thankfulness Lunch

If we end up homeschooling next year - as I suspect that we will - I will miss the "school"-y things like today's Thankfulness Lunch at HCA.

The Pressleys joined us, as we devoured the traditional Thanksgiving ... Taco Salad, which was, in all honesty, absolutely delicious, in spite of its questionably appropriate-ness.

Jones selected the pumpkin pie for dessert, while Freddie opted for a cinnamon roll whose diameter was approximately the width of Freddie's head.

Afterwards, we went to Jeremy's office. The Allstate "Blue Christmas" tree he bid on and won at a Silent Auction the nite before had been delivered, so we dropped by the Bakery for a festive treat and then went to visit Daddy's new tree. The boys were MESMERIZED by a certain plastic mirror ball. They kept checking out their bellies and laughing like it was the funniest thing they'd ever seen.

Maybe it was.

Made me laugh, too.

Mrs. Clackett texted me this picture of Noelle and Jones on
the bus ride to lunch. Apparently, they were trying to hold
hands on the ride, which Mrs. Clackett busted up.

This was Freddie in his classroom
when I picked him up for the lunch. 

This is Abigail, Jones's 5th grade
"Buddy." She is as sweet as can be to him,
and he absolutely ADORES her.

Selfie Stick for the Win!

Notice the photobomb by Freddie's belly.

Freddie's Artist Statement

For most of his life, Jones's artwork has been typified by being hastily done and monochromatic. In other words, he seems very uninterested in creating visual art. He just rushes through it to move on to the next thing.

By contrast, Freddie's art is usually meticulously done. Mrs. Shana at Clyde First Baptist taught him to not "scribble scrabble" when coloring, and it's a lesson he took very deeply to heart. He also uses colors a'plenty to create some of my favorite pictures on the planet.

Take, for instance, this beautiful drawing he did when he was waiting for last nite's Catechism class to start. Click on the video below the picture to learn more about the drawing.