Nathan finished volleyball. They didn't win any more games. I drove Nathan, Killian and Berto to the game at Red Rock Elementary on 11/28. 12/6 they played MASSA. 12/7 was their last day of volleyball and they did a double header in Casa Grande. I drove Nathan, Killian and Berto again. We all went to Chick-Fil-A afterward. Killian went home with his grandma. Berto ended up going in the car with the other group back to the school because Ben went home with his brother. That way we didn't have to go all of the way back to the school and back track to our house. Nathan got a certificate for Most Improved for the season.
Nathan had his Winter Recital at school on 12/9. He played Jingle Bell Rock on the guitar with his class. He is supposed to be one of the lead guitarists in the upcoming Spring Recital. He is also expanding his horizons and got a ukulele for Christmas/Birthday using the guitar center gift cards that Aunt Lisa and Aunt Tracy sent him. He has already taught himself how to play Jingle Bell Rock on the ukulele. I am impressed that he can play both given there are some differences between the two. "Guitars have six strings tuned from the lowest to highest (most often E-A-D-G-B-E), while ukuleles only have four and don't follow low-to-high order" We tried recording him playing Jingle Bell Rock on the ukulele to send to Aunt Lisa and Aunt Tracy. He said he kept messing up at the end. He didn't give up, though. He kept doing it until he got right. He also wants to get a banjo. Grandma June sent him money for Christmas/Birthday to get a banjo.
We got snow on 12/12. I first went to Sabino Canyon to see it, but it was raining heavy at the time and very foggy. I heard there was snow in Oracle so I headed that way. It was snowing pretty good there, but there was really no place to pull over for pictures. I was going to go to Oracle State Park, but decided I did not want to risk getting stuck in the snow with my car. I headed back and saw a lot of snow on the Catalinas on the north side so I stopped at Catalina State Park. I am really glad I did. I hiked across the wash since there was no water running. I saw some javelina crossing the wash with me. I usually don't go across the wash so it was great to get closer to the mountain and take pictures of the snow.
I went back to Sabino Canyon on 12/13. There really wasn't much snow there so it was disappointing. The Fall colors were just about gone. There was some water flowing. I always like going to Sabino Canyon so it was still a good day.
Nathan turned 13 on 12/15. We have a teenager! He asked a few friends to go to Funtasticks after school that day, but Killian was the only one who could make it. Dad took them and they had a good time. We got Nathan a Nerf cake at Walmart. That day was also the end of Q2 at school and his last day before Winter Break. Nathan ended the quarter on honor roll with all As and 2 Bs! He even got his Algebra grade up from a D to a B, with dad's help. He got a 97.84 in social studies, 99.33 in computer science, 100 in PE, 98.67 in guitar, 84.91 in science, 88.09 in algebra, 100 in russian and 95.57 in humanities for a GPA of 95.55.
Nathan and I went to Odyssey and Butterfly Wonderland on 12/21 and then to eat at Grimaldi's. We didn't see Jalapeno, the pufferfish at first, but thanks to mom we went back to the water tunnel where he lives and he came out!
Nathan had his annual checkup at the pediatrician's office on 12/22. I was really shocked at the questionnaire they gave us when we got there. Now that he is a teenager, I guess this is the questionnaire they give them. ?s about alcohol use, drug use, smoking, sexual activity, sexual orientation, depression, if there is a gun in the house, etc... He just turned 13 and he has a room full of stuffed animals! He really isn't even interested in girls yet. I guess it is time for dad to have the sex talk with him soon, though. He probably knows more than we think he does. Nathan weighs 112 lbs and he is in the 68th percentile for his age. He is 63.4 inches (5'3.5") tall and he is in the 69th percentile for height for his age. He grew 4" this past year. People even notice how big his feet are. He is wearing a size 9 and dad wears a size 10. So I hope that means that he is still going to grow taller. I don't want him to be short like me, although he has already passed me up! His BMI is 19.5 which is the 64th percentile. He got his second HPV vaccination this visit. She also said that he has mild scoliosis. She could tell right away because his shoulders are uneven. She said most likely he won't experience any symptoms at his age, but it could cause him back pain later that may require physical therapy.
We went to Winterhaven 12/22. Paul and Nathan did not make the whole thing. They went back to the car. Most of the houses were the same as last year. I didn't see the grandma got ran over by a reindeer house, though. I don't think they decorated this year.
We all went to NTBC Christmas Eve since I was singing in the choir. Christmas Day we both had church at our churches so we went to church that day, too. Nathan "opened" his gifts that morning. A couple of weeks ago he told me in the car that he knew there was no santa. I asked him what made him think that. I don't remember what his response was, but I basically confirmed. He seemed upset and asked why parents lie to kids like that. I was caught off guard. I said that there isn't just one santa, but that we are all like santa because Christmas is the season of giving. I also said Christmas is about Jesus, though. Since he knows there is no santa now and since he and dad picked out most of his gifts at Hobby Lobby and Walmart, he told me I didn't have to wrap them. So I stuck them all in a gift bag. We didn't even get ornaments on the tree this year. Paul didn't get the tree up until late and there was only like 10 days until Christmas so I didn't think it was worth the time and effort to put the ornaments on. Nathan still seemed happy on Christmas Day with his gifts.
Nathan and I went to Reid Park Zoo on 12/26. We also went to see the TWO wood ducks in Reid Park. Nathan was getting impatient with me taking pictures of the ducks. Then we ate at Sauce and returned to the zoo for Zoo Lights.
We all went to Wildlife World Zoo the next day on 12/27. We ate dinner there at Dillon's.
