'Tis the Season...

...to be busy! We have enjoyed introducing Valmik to the meaning of Christmas, so it was nice to make a Christmas tree out of cookies and decorate it with icing and red hots. It was quite funny to watch Val eat his first red hot- He liked it a lot!

In the next picture you can see Dad and Val in front of our Christmas tree at home. Val is holding a balloon that was given to David at a shower from present and former students at Geneva. The students and families are so kind, sending so many loving messages and kind gifts.
They really encourage us a lot!

The last pictures was taken at home in preparation for morning worship at St. Paul's. The ladies were singing a Bach chorale and Val paid close attention to everything they did. The last time they sang through the piece, they invited Val to come over and follow along as they pointed to each note. He was so intent on following along with them!

Well, Dad and Val just came in from the pond with a dead fish. They have now gone into the bathroom to say a few words and give the fish a decent "burial". I can hear Val in there asking questions about how the fish "got dead" and now they are moving on to how God made the fish and how He knows everything, etc. ---Well, I'll sign off now and leave to your imaginations just how sweet, funny, and serious this is!

To Grandmother's (and Grandfather's) House We Go

Mary Chris's Aunt Lougene shows Valmik a picture on her camera.



This is a picture of Mary Chris's grandfather with David and Val in his golf cart. It was great to introduce Valmik to family over Thanksgiving.

He liked turkey and cranberries, but not stuffing.

Is there a Doctor in the House? Part 2

Valmik likes to be helpful and shows compassion in different ways. He was given a doctor set and enjoys playing doctor with Dad and "baby". Another Indian doctor in the making?

Mom and Val: Reading Again

Hello, Everyone-

This morning we went to church. After lunch, Mom went to a shower in honor of Valmik! It was so nice for her to enjoy prayer and fellowship with the lovely ladies of The Geneva School. They shared many wonderful gifts with our family.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Dad and Valmik fed the ducks, washed the car, vacuumed the car and garage, played games and rough- housed. All of this activity explains the picture where Mom and Val are asleep sitting up! At 7:00 p.m. they sat down to read a story before bath time and, at some point, both fell asleep.

We hope this finds you all well and happy as you celebrate Thanksgiving Day. We are certainly thankful for each of you and count your prayers and presence in our lives as one of God's greatest blessings!

Mom and Val: Reading and Singing by the Fire

Val was wearing Dad's fleece jacket when they went outside. Valmik liked it so much he hasn't taken it off yet. He's sleeping in it as we write this.

Why waste it?

Even the smallest pumpkin can provide all kinds of fun!

Crafts

Valmik likes to make gifts and cards to give to "teachers" at school.

The Rowes at Lowes

Valmik made his first visit to Lowe's. He has not visited many stores, so he enjoyed playing on the rider mowers. The weekends are generally falling into a routine that involves feeding the ducks, visits to parks, baking, cooking, and cleaning (usually with Mom), listening to books, and taking showers (he likes long showers). We all enjoy his afternoon nap!

Everyday Life

The upper picture was taken in Mom's classroom, where Val occasionally spends time after school . He enjoys playing piano spontaneously and we tell ourselves he has a good ear for music.

Val also likes to go to the park. Before church we went to a nearby park. In the lower photo, Valmik is hiding from Dad; Dad reached overhead and blindly shot the picture. We like the expression on his face.

This Weekend

This weekend found us keeping busy by stringing beads, feeding the ducks, playing at the park and washing the car. We went to church together and the Pitre family joined us for lunch.

Keeping Busy

We are keeping busy here, but finding time to feed the ducks and play the piano!

Nice Weekend

This weekend Valmik fed the ducks, cut out paper hearts, and enjoyed hot cocoa for the first time. It was very pleasant!

Working at the Car Wash

Is there a Doctor in the House?

Valmik has enjoyed playing doctor lately, ever since he discovered the doctor kit and coat at school in the Imagination Station. Tonight he took good care of Dad, as you can see in the picture above, administering shots, medicine, etc.

The collage pumpkin was decorated at school. The teachers had the students coat the pumpkin with a watery glue and then cover it with pieces of tissue paper. Fun!

First Fire of the Season

A Brief Visit to School

Today Valmik went to school for a while. He worked with Playdoh, practiced the letter 'h', and played with new friends. He really enjoyed it and wants to go back tomorrow. We are thankful for such a wonderful learning environment and teachers who are wise and kind.

The rest of the day was full of the usual activities. We have added a few trips around the block after dinner each evening because the weather has become so cool and beautiful. Mom walks, Valmik rides his bike, and Dad jogs along beside Valmik. We go down to the pond and count the ducks while the sun sets. It is such a lovely time of year to be out enjoying God's creation!

Birthday Party

Valmik went to a birthday party on Saturday afternoon. He had fun running, jumping and playing at the park. As he ran around trying new slides and equipment, he kept looking for Mom and Dad to make sure we were nearby. Then he would take off and give it a try! It was fun to see him eat a cupcake and take swings at the pinata. After each turn he would laugh and squeal and jump into our arms.

After the birthday party, we went to pick out another pumpkin. We will be visiting school this week and the students are bringing in pumpkins to study and have fun with. They will use the pumpkins in science and language arts. Valmik is pretty excited about this!

Pretending

Valmik loves pretending to be a crocodile or a tiger. He spends a lot of time each day playing this way. He is excited about visiting school next week and asked if he could sleep in his uniform shirt tonight!

A Visit to School

Valmik was assessed at school today. It was fun to visit the classroom, play with interesting toys, and spend time with wonderful teachers. Later at home, we had some fun dancing!

Balloons!

It was a beautiful day and the morning air was cool, so we went to a new park for lots of climbing, sliding and jumping. Later we ran a few errands, brought home a few books, and bought a pair of sunglasses for Valmik. This afternoon, Valmik visited our classrooms for the first time. He really liked the fish tank and sat watching it for a long time.

After dinner, Dad inflated a balloon and he and Valmik played games with it. There was a lot of laughter and squealing by Valmik! Thanks, Aunt Cindy, for sending us the balloons.