It's been a while...

So it's been a while since I've found time to mess with this blog thing, but summer's here now and the updates should be more regular.

Andrew has been busy with end-of-the-school-year things. He recently had his spring piano recital. He played "The Entertainer" and "Fur Elise" with great dynamic expression.

He won awards for being on the academic team and for accumulating 146 Accelerated Reader points over the school year. That's a lot of books!

Andrew will be busy this summer. He has begun organ lessons, and he is practicing his part as a mouse in the Appalachian Children's Theatre's production of Cinderella.

Joanna's class took a field trip to the Mountain Homeplace, which was lots of fun. The students toured an 1890s style school, home, church, and blacksmith shop. And of course there was a barn with a few animals. This one's for you, Aunt Maria!

The girls have been having a great time outside this Spring. The great thing about the second and third child is that you will let them do the messy stuff that you never would have dreamed of letting the first do. What to do with a giant piece of cardboard? Paint it with your feet, of course!

Sidewalk chalk in the rain? Why not!

Easter

Easter at the Chapman house was a great time this year. Andrew, Joanna and I got up early, because Joanna was dancing at the sunrise service. When we got home we had a yummy breakfast and Easter baskets, then off to church again. We took the evening off and took it easy at Amy's mom and dad's. It was much needed and very relaxing.

Joanna at the Palm Sunday egg hunt at church.

Gramma trying to convince Bethany to put eggs in her basket. She found a total of one (1), and she was ok with that. She had very little interest in finding the eggs, but she liked what was in them!

Andrew finding eggs at Gramma and Papa's.

The ceremonial "Easter Picture".

Joanna's 6!

Joanna celebrated her 6th birthday with a pool party. Lots and lots of fun!

Ice Cream Cone

Earrings!

Joanna's birthday is fast approaching (March 30), and she has asked for earrings for one of her presents. And for earrings to be in proper working condition (holes healed) by birthday time, we decided to go ahead and get it done. Well, the girls decided to get it done. I am against anything that gives an indication that my daughter is growing up! :)

March Snow

Spring is upon us! The daffodils are blooming, peas have been planted, and it's snowing!

Eastern Ky saw a lovely March snow this weekend (March 13). The blacktop was too warm for it to cause any travel problems, and it was perfect snowman and snowball snow. But, of course, the kids were not interested in making a snowman on this particular day. I did not measure, but I estimated between 6 and 7 inches on the top of our swing.

Bethany's miniature snowman

Sorry this blog is mostly Bethany, but the older kids decided to go in before I remembered to get the camera out.

In other Chapman news, Andrew placed third in Arts & Humanities at the district academic meet. He will compete in the regional tournament at the end of March.

We recently resurrected the ball pit (thanks Uncle Shawn) at it was a big hit (of course).

Ice storm

Our experience with the great Ice Storm of '09 was the same as many. We were without electricity for about 10 days. We built a fire in the fireplace and all camped in the living room for the first few nights. I think I will always remember very vividly going out to get more wood in the middle of the night and hearing trees cracking and falling all around our hollow. That was the stuff of nightmares.

After 3 days we were able to get out of our hollow and vacate to my parents' house. My sister came in from Louisville (she also had no power) and it was like Christmas all over again (without wasting money on presents).

This is the second snow after the ice storm. We measured about 6 in.

Eventually, we were able to go back home and get back to normal. We missed so much school that we are not getting a spring break this year, and the last day for students will be in early June.

January

This January my (James) parents were able to go on a mission trip to Guatemala, and we celebrated dad's birthday.


It's amazing what a 5-year-old can do with a balloon and permanent markers!

Christmas and Kings

After the last present was opened on Epiphany, I realized a horrible thing. I had not taken a decent picture the whole Christmas season! Well, not very many, anyway. Sometimes my "multi-media dad" mode just doesn't kick in, and I have photo/video regret after said "large, important event". The good news is that I must have been enjoying the season so much, I just forgot to film/capture it.

All that being said, I'm glad to share what photos I did manage to take (along with helpful blurbs to describe them):

Bethany's latest book hook is "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly". Andrew is kind enough to read it to her often.

Joanna playing the talking drum. Don't ask me what it's saying, I'm still learning the dialect.

So we figured since Bethany is so enamored with old women who swallow animals, we would get her a stuffed one for Epiphany. She liked it well enough at first, but has come to be rather scared of it. She refuses to retrieve the animals once they have been eaten. I get a little antsy reaching into the ol' girls stomach, myself.

Joanna being cooler that her parents ever have been. OK, cooler than her father ever has ever been.

And how did Andrew spend his Christmas break? Yup, in a book much of the time!

So there you have it. My so-so photo wrap up of the second half of our Christmas season. TTFN!

Mid-December

The Christmas program at Mayo church this year was truly an opportunity for worship! We did it during the regular morning service time, and it worked out very well.

Joanna was an angel. (surprised?)

Andrew did a fine job as a reader.

Bethany was a...imagine a baby Bethany voice now..."little lamb"

Here she is with her friend Sophie, and her other friend, the juice cup.

Joanna's ballet recital was a lot of work, but a lot of fun too. She practiced very hard and did a great job as (you guessed it) and angel.

As always, there are many more pictures on my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1285547194&ref=name

it must be St. Nick!

I sincerely apologize that this blog is more than a month behind. The holiday season at the Chapman house was blessed, holy, and filled with wonder (note wonder above), it was also a bit hectic.

We celebrated St. Nicholas day by making ginger bread people to leave for the man in red. Joanna, Bethany and I agree that the dough tastes better than the cookies!

St. Nicholas morning = sugar overload!