While it seems a little simplistic to concentrate a whole year down to 8 specific events, there are certainly a few that will stand out as the years go by. In no particular order...
Sarah Finished High School
Since Sarah's graduation ceremony occured nearly 4 months after she actually completed grade 12 (don't ask me why) it was a little anticlimatic. However, the weekend she was officially done with her high school classes we all went to Mandarin to have a celebratory dinner and we gave her a new laptop as her "graduation" gift. It was a fun time together. And I won't soon forget the look on Sarah's face when she opened her new MacBook.
Kindergarten Graduation
I have often been a critic of the way schools have adapted the need for a graduation ceremony every year, after every grade. To me, it's overkill and it takes the excitement away from the REAL grade 12 graduation. But last spring, at the St. Jude's Academy "graduation" ceremony, Silas received several awards, inlcuding "Best All-Around Student." I hope he didn't peak at Sr. Kindergarten, but I was surprised by the personal pride that I felt for my son that evening!
Ephraim's First Soccer Team
It might also have been his last! As we did with Silas, we registered Ephraim for soccer the first season he was eligible. He got his uniform and shoes and was REALLY excited; until it actaully came time to play. For the first four weeksof the season, Ephraim stood on the field and cried. "I don't want to be on the white team," was his complaint. He really didn't want to be on any team.
So after four miserable Saturday mornings, Ephraim retired from soccer. We may try again in a couple of years, but I won't ever forget those dreadful mornings. And I won't let him forget them either!
Pirates of the Carribean
While our entire trip to Orlando (Disney, et al) was full of memories, riding the Pirates ride with the boys will stand out as one of the most monumental. Ephraim was TERRIFIED! He clung to me with sheer terror and did not want to look at anything. The reason this was so significant, is that I have only a few vague memories of a trip my family took to Disneyworld when I was a child; the most substantial memory being that of riding Space Mountain with my dad and being, like Ephraim, TERRIFIED!
Catching Silas's First Fish
Early in the summer we made a camping trip to Algonquin Park. I made a point of initiating a fishing experience with Silas. We took his rod and reel down to a spot on a small river near our campsite and tried fishing. It was quite windy and the current was swift which made casting the rod very tricky. Silas and I fought for a short while over the whole process. I would cast then give him the rod to reel it in. He did not like this arrangement at all. To him, "casting" means fishing and if he wasn't getting to "throw it," then he wasn't really fishing.
After about 15 minutes of this routine, Silas got bored and started to goof around on a dirt hill behind where we were standing. I cast the rod and went to hand it to him. He was too far away to take it and I realized that his interest was gone. And wouldn't you know, I hooked a fish. It was supposed to be his fish! He was thrilled nonetheless.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Leading up to Christmas, I read the boys this tale from the Chronicles of Narnia. We read a chapter a night and then finished the story by watching the movie and eating turkish delight.
My Valentine in The Big Apple
Elizabeth and I spent several days in February hanging out with our friend Jeff Haley. It was Elizabeth's first trip to New York. We ate well and really enjoyed our time with Jeff. Our weekend concluded with worship at the Brooklyn Tabernacle. It was so much fun, we're doing it again in 2009!
Ephraim: Karate Master
Our neighbors have had their son enrolled in karate since the beginning. Since Silas and their son, Eugene, are best friends, they had urged us a number of times to consider getting Silas involved as well. So, this fall, I took both boys for a trial (free) lesson. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was nervous about how Ephraim would do (see soccer experience above).
But he did great! He was totally into it and had a blast. I enrolled the boys immediately and they've been participating ever since. Silas has a lot of natural ability with the karate, but Ephraim definitely has more enthusiasm.
