Timely Bailout

[This is the Christmas letter we mailed.]

It's a busy time of year.  My parents are feeling particularly crazy since my baby brother is coming in January, so they asked me to write the year-end update.  It seems a little early in life to be bailing out my parents.  I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of pressure – but here it goes:

  

January 

Mom started "The Letter of the Week."  On Monday morning, I learned a new letter and we did fun activities during the week.  However, Mom's creativity was a bit sparse on weeks Q, U, X, Y, & Z. 

 

February

We put a sign in our yard, invited people in our house and asked them to buy it.  Dad spent lots of time sitting in front of the computer, trying to finish writing a book and studying for classes.  Mom spent lots of time on the computer writing on her blog.

 

March

The mail man brought me caterpillars that turned to butterflies and also a container of ants that were a bit lazy and uncreative.  

 

My parents changed my nick name from Destructo to Mr. Intensity.  It had something to do with my self-esteem, whatever that means. Thankfully, the name change did nothing to curb my creative energies. 

 

April

While "checking my letters" (typing on the computer) I surf the web and learn the housing market has tanked.  Looks like Mom and Dad are stuck in Phoenix for a while.

 

Taking inventory, I gather my toy swords and count five.  Looks like I'm faithfully following my father's inherited fetish for all things sharp.

 

May

Dad scores a super cool sword from Grandpa for graduating seminary.  It's hanging on his bedroom wall.  Sometimes I like to sneak in and just stare at it.  I like school, but I don't think I'd go that long just to get a sword.  This month we went camping as a family (love it!) I also started swim lessons.

 

June

Almost had to commit Mother to an insane asylum.  I kept my lips moving with a rhyming game that drove her crazy-mazy-lazy-dazy. Dad declared the dinner table a "no silly-talk" zone.

 

Our family went to Florida for Dad to teach a Bible Study Methods class.  Thanks to positive peer pressure, I became quite the swimmer by the time we left.  My favorite place to visit was "Gatorland."

July

Two words that describe indoor summer fun for me: masking tape.  If you haven't given a child a roll of masking tape lately, you are depriving them of some serious fun.  And since indoors is the only place to be in Phoenix during the month of July, our family decided to find some relief in Kentucky for a few weeks.

 

August

My greatest dream came true: The parking lot in our complex was paved. That meant non-stop construction action and big piles of dirt, right outside my back door!  Who needs super heroes when you've got large machines and construction workers in your parking lot?

 

Dad and Mom were fingerprinted - to start the adoption process.  

 

September

*Highlight of the year* - I turned four and threw a Spiderman party.  Preschool started the same week.  I get to go 2 mornings a week.  To say I love it would be a major understatement.  

 

October

Got the news that I'm going to be a big brother.  I'm so excited!  

I took a sword and went trick-or-treating as Captain Hook.  The candy people laughed when I handed back hard candy – it makes me choke.  

Dad made a few trips to Little Rock to work on FamilyLife's HomeBuilder's marriage Bible studies.  Mom went to Nancy Leigh DeMoss' "True Woman" conference in Chicago and learned more about being a woman that loves Jesus.

 

November

Believe it or not, Mom brought home worms, and it wasn't even my idea.  I wanted a dog, but Dad says worms are quieter.  They live in a box on our porch and eat our kitchen scraps.

 

I memorized Psalm 1 and Psalm 121.  Mom and Dad took me to Rawhide (western theme park) as a reward.

 

Dad spends more time on the computer working on a new video based conference for FamilyLife.  Mom spends lots more time writing on her blog about the silly things I do.  She says this gives other moms ideas on how to learn from great kids like me. 

 

December

Counting the days until we go to KY.  Being with grandparents is the highlight of my year!  Dad and Mom said that being able to sleep in will be the highlight of their year.  NO WAY!!!

Merry Christmas!  Love,  John Isaac

PS - you can keep up with me on Mom’s blog.  There’s a place in the right column for you to sign up for blog updates that will come to your email inbox.