A Package

You may have guessed already that getting a package in the mail is very exciting for us. It's pretty exciting to everyone else, too, which is kind of funny. We receive all of our mail at school, as you may know, and so everyone seems to know when you've gotten a package. It sits next to your box (for a day or two sometimes) and everyone notices. Then you carry it up to your classroom (or office in my case). I tend to have a lot of traffic in my office throughout the day because it holds the "missions fridge"--a place where you can buy a pop for a dollar. We all know how much teachers rely on the periodic jolt of caffeine that they don't allow their students to have!

Anyway, yesterday I had a rather large package sitting on my desk all day and everyone who came in commented on it. "Ooooh, that's a big box!" "What's in there?" "That's a lot of duct tape!" Then, you take your package down to the bus and everyone comments on it as you walk down the hall. "Christmas is over! You just got another package?!" Yup, we sure did. We're loved! Then, you get on the bus and on the ride home everyone discusses what might be in the box. What they would like to have sent to them. What the price of shipping is. How this summer when we come back, we'll be able to bring suitcases full of food instead of clothes. You know, the regular school bus chat.

Then you get home and the kids start. "Is that box for us?" "Is it a present?" "Who is it from?" "Can we open it?" "When do we get to open it?" Until you finally open it. It's like it's been sitting on their desks all day!

This particular package, sent to us by one of Eric's cousins, was for the kids and it was filled with books, games, candy, and pretty much anything you can think of that would be exciting for a young child.

Each individual item was wrapped in tissue paper, so they got to rip open everything and they were in heaven!

I don't think Cade had any idea what he was opening as he opened it. He just picked one up, ripped through it, and grabbed another one.

Cade was very excited about the chocolate. Can't you just hear him saying, "Please?"

Kennedy's approach is a bit different. She likes to look at the paper, rip it open, and then inspect whatever it is she has opened. She might look through if it's a book, insist it be opened if it's something to play with, or put it up high ensuring Cade can't get at it before she does. Then she'll move onto another.

Then, after everything was opened, she needed to take inventory. She laid everything on the kitchen table and counted it...it's so funny to see the differences between them in every little event!

Thanks to everyone for the packages...we really appreciate them! Thanks to Doug & Erin for the one we got this week! We're so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends!