Catching up with Joseph

Joseph continues to be a bundle of energy who brings laughter and fun to our home. This year he also developed some new talents.

He started taking cello through his elementary school last fall and really developed a beautiful tone. By the spring of this year he was also able to play many songs by ear on the cello, including my favorite hymn "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing."

This year I ran a reading group in his 4th grade classroom. After months of weekly meetings in which we did an in depth study of the book Bud, Not Buddy, the kids decided that they wanted to celebrate with a party which would honor the book.  They decided to have an impromptu "band/orchestra."  Everyone brought some sort of instrument and we spent an hour in the music room composing a piece and then performing it.  And then I fed them lots of sugar before they headed off to lunch!

In the last few months Joseph has developed a true love for creative writing. He has outlined multiple series of books and has written many chapters of each series before moving on to another great idea.  At school he formed a "club" in which the apparent purpose was to read his stories and give him ideas for more stories.  One Sunday he decided that I really could use some author lessons, so he set up a curriculum on the computer, gave me my own writing notebook, and started our instruction.  

While our author lessons haven't happened for awhile, he does have me edit and give suggestions on all of his stories.  He is a great writer. He has interesting ideas and does a fantastic job writing descriptively.  He promised that someday when he is a famous writer he will acknowledge me in his dedication page!

Joseph is also a very good artist, and over the last few months created cool Pokemon character drawings.  At least I think that's Pokemon. What do I know?






















In March we closed the book on our pinewood derby car making. Can you hear a big sigh of relief coming from our home?  Joseph wasn't happy with the performance of his third and final pinewood derby car, but I thought that a little disappointment now and then is a good and healthy thing.

This year Joseph really caught the reading bug, and he has inhaled book series like Percy Jackson, The Candy Shop Wars, and the Rogue Knight.  He gets lots of great story-writing ideas from the books.  At the end of school he and the other 4th graders were recognized for all the reading they did for the Reading Olympics throughout the year.  

I love the look on the faces of some the kids in the pictures below.  I can't wait to watch these kids as they grow up over the next few years. I can already see a glimpse of who they are becoming.  

This year the 4th graders did an intensive study of the Oregon pioneers, which culminated in a party in which the kids square danced in pioneer clothing.  The night before the party Joseph tried on some possible pioneer outfits and settled on the no hat/suspenders and neckerchief look.  

My friend Kathy sent me this picture, which requires some explanation.  Joseph was spending the night at their house while we were out of town.  Joseph is in the middle, flanked by his two best buddies, Chase and Alex Kartchner. This is the position they all took when it was time for family prayer in the morning.  Apparently Kathy took a picture during the prayer!  

 One day Joseph wasn't feeling great so he stayed home from school. When I came down from the shower this is what I saw.  A "sick nest", complete with 12 or so stuffed animal friends, a good book, and a TV remote to keep him company.  Now I ask you, who WOULDN'T want to hang out all day in a sick nest?? 

 Joseph is a riot to take clothes shopping.  He likes to find "cool" looking outfits and then he models them in front of the mirror to make sure he likes the effect.  He was especially taken with this shirt/jacket combo at Old Navy.

 I love these pictures of Joseph, taken when he was running through the sprinklers on an unusually warm May day.  I love my boy's ebullience and zest for life.

 And, finally, here are first day and last day of school pictures.  Notice the bleary eyed look on the last day of school. We had Yancey cousins staying with us that week and I don't think Joseph got a lot of sleep!