December Start-Ups

Today was a red letter day in the next door Dorrell household.  Esther got started with braces and Joseph started building with K'nex!  Esther made her appointment top secret and only a couple next door knew that she was going to the orthodontist this morning.  Goosey and I had to know as we are footing the bill!  Esther is the sixth child that we have put into braces at this orthodontist office: Melany, Nathan, Graham, Abigail, Joy, and now Esther.  That office must like to see us coming!  I figure that it is probably my genes that have landed in each of these children's mouths so it is the least that we can do to help them end up with a beautiful smile!

Joseph decided yesterday that he wanted to start building with K'nex rather than just watch the others build with them.  I found the original book that we started with many years back.  It was a set that I bought for the pickle present one year.  I think that Graham was four and he fell in love with building with them and thus we added many more sets and pieces.  So now we have tons of K'nex pieces and lots of books with K'nex builds in them.  I like them to start with the original book as it has several quite easy builds and moves up to harder ones.  Joseph just hadn't shown an interest before, but he was so excited today as we put together the pieces that he needed for this book.  He ended up doing two different builds and an hardly wait to be able to make the ones like Isaac is doing with simple machines.  While Joseph did his second build, Isaac did a wheel and axle build that showed him how a steering post works on a car...his build actually let him move the front wheels on a car.  The K'nex have been loved by all of the neighbor grands so I look at as a good investment as they are used a lot and I feel that they learn a lot as they work with them...following instructions...if nothing else!

Woody has stayed in most of this rather chilly day.  I had school this morning and then after lunch, I headed off to get my hair cut.  I came right back and stayed in the rest of the day except to take the cpgarbage can to the road and get our mail in the same "trip."  After that I got busy working on ornaments again.  I need a couple for this coming Sunday.  Our class has an ornament exchange.  I did get one finished and am now moving on with some others that I need soon.  I am definitely behind in Christmas sewing this year. 'Tis the season!