Jack

 Jack has true enterprising spirit. Yesterday he "sold" the only restate he has, the top bunk of his bed. He sold Amelia the rights to sleep and hangout there with an option to put things on the walls. He sold it to her for a Gameboy thing she got for Christmas that he wanted. He even typed up a contract stating the terms of the agreement and was going to have Dan print it out at work so they could both sign it. Alas, the deal fell thru since Amelia wanted to move in before the contract was signed (although she had given him the Gameboy) and Jack said she couldn't so Amelia got all huffy and took her things back. Jack told me afterwards that he wasn't going to keep the Gameboy but send it to Maysen for her birthday since it was actually Maysen who wanted the thing in the first place. He is so sweet. 

Jacob

This kid is 13! My little angle baby is such a wonderful young man. We celebrated with cake and ice cream at Umma and Uppa's.  What can I say about Jacob, still a hard worker, still kind hearted, still my sweet boy.

 

Jack

This year Jack bought me a Christmas present for the first time with his own money. He is very proud of that fact.  One of his teachers showed him something she made and was selling (I think she was selling it) so he typed into chat he wanted to buy it. She came by later that day or maybe the next to drop it off to him. Jack is so thoughtful.  I love him so much.

Ms. Stephanie

  Well Ms. Stephanie died on Wednesday, December 9th. It was expected because her cancer had spread but also because she had declined quickly over two days. On the Sunday of Jacob's birthday she invited him over for a piece of cake, a card she made for him and some birthday balloons. She told me she was sorry she didn't have a real present for him but I told her that was ok. It wasn't ok with her. 

Ms. Stephanie also sent Amelia the special Advent calendar she buys her every year. The last couple of years Ms. Stephanie bought the calendar but she just downloaded it on her computer so Amelia just played it at her house. It was super sweet of Ms. Stephanie to remember the calendar at the end of her life. I have made a note on my calendar to buy one for next year.

Jack was apart the communication of her decline. Mark kept accidently texting me so Jack kept relaying me messages. He could tell by the messages that something was up. On the day she died I told the kids it would be soon. That night she passed away.

We were so lucky to have Ms. Stephanie as a neighbor. She was so great with the kids. Each of them had a special relationship with her. She was able to see each of the kids for their individual strengths and specialness. She nurtured each of them. Because of the coronavirus there has been a bit of a distance between them, obliviously for health reasons, so the kids right now can't absorb the absentness of her love. But it will come. And I pray as they get older they will remember that love. I pray that they can recognize the ease that she loved them and how they took advantage of that easy love because they were kids that received so much of it.

Jack and Amelia

 Jack, Amelia and I did some fun Christmas string art. It was fun evening a winding string around nails. I think, both kids threw one fit each and I messed up one time, but for the most part it was pretty easy and lots of fun.

Amelia

 

A sweet picture Amelia drew of the two of us to cheer me up one day.