First Bank Accounts!

We opened your own savings accounts for you today! We went to M&T Bank, which is the same exact bank and branch where I had my first back account 30+ years ago. It was First National Bank back then. 

We have been talking about doing this for a while and today we finally did. I gave each of you $20 to start your account and JD, you added $4 of your own dollars. Cole, you didnt have any dollars to add but wanted to count and add all of your coins. 

Hopefully you will take after your Dad and be good savers!

Christmas Spirit

We did something really cool today after school. We were bell ringers for an hour downtown Annapolis. All of us really had fun and it got us into the Christmas spirit. 

Cole loved it because: "I liked ringing the bell and giving the doggies dog biscuits. Also, giving the customers candy-canes!"

Sometimes these experiences dont pan out like we envision. This one did. We got one right. We'll make this one of our holiday traditions for sure!

Uh oh. Elf casualty.

Cousins are all a bit quiet due to a near catastrophe with Pucki. Playing soccer in the basement and the ball hit the elf. He's half knocked over, leaning against the candle. They are all scared. Nobody is owning up to it. But theres now a "sorry" note attached to him. 

Only Pucki knows what realy happened so we shall see how this pans out overnight...

Here is the return note from Pucki:

Helpers

This years list...(JD)

Summer in December?!

This is how you got off the bus today on December 4. Shorts and short sleeve shirt and sunglasses.  Is it summer? Its 45 degrees. Apparently you left home with shorts underneath your pants....here we go. Not sure I anticipated this clothing war with boys. 

JD's journal for today...

First real injury

Almost an ER visit. Cole, you went head first into a bench while rough housing with your pals. You would have thought the world was ending....but you lived. 

You are so cautious always, its a wonder you even got hurt. Don't worry, scars are cool :)

My Hero

Saw this today and thought of you Cal. You will always be our little Hero. You taught me so much in your short life. I miss you. 

Sentimental Cole

Cole, you talk about your Kindergarten teacher from last year all of the time and unfortunately, she got moved to another school this year (long story). She was AMAZING and it's so sad that we lost her.

Anyway, all of the 1st graders go back to see their old teachers in the morning every day before school starts and you have no one to visit.  You are so sad DAILY and I think that may be part of the reason you always look at your yearbook. 

I suggested that you write her a letter and I would email it to her. So you did. This brings tears to my eyes. You did this on your own.

I hope she replies to my email. That will just make your day my love. I love you.
-Mommy

Update: Later in the day we received an email note back to YOU. You were smiling so big as we read it. I, however, could barely read through my tears. 

Dear Cole,

Thak you for the sweet note...you made ME cry!   We are both tender-hearted you know!

I did not want to leave Windsor Farm, but I did not want to  teach third grade so I looked for another job.    I am teaching 19 kindergarten students in Baltimore at a school called Brooklyn Park Elementary School. I am enjoying my job and my new students.

How was your summer?   Did you do anything exciting?   I went to New Hampshire to visit some family friends in Keene.  We went to a fancy candy shop, went looking for covered bridges and extracted honey from a bee hive.  It was really cool.  I also went motorcycling and flew in a little plane in California.

What are you going to be for Halloween?  I might be a ghost.

Keep working hard in first grade.  Congratulations on your spelling test!
Have a beautiful weekend! I miss you too!