Patience is a Virtue...

but one I don't possess.

I'm waiting for Kris to finish defending his dissertation so I can finally breathe for the first time this week.

Also, I just miss him.

Phase One: COMPLETE!

Jacob had STRETCH (GT) testing a couple of weeks ago and received his score in the mail today. This was for phase one, two more tests remain.

I looked up his score and 126 qualifies as GT, 130 gets him into MENSA... at 133 he's at the 98.6th percentile.

Ella's Dance

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Originally uploaded by jessica_c_rhodes

Dance Party USA

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Originally uploaded by jessica_c_rhodes

Jakers!

Jacob Reading: youtube.com/krisandjessica

*Jacob was recently taught to play Risk and has beaten Kris every time they have played.

*Jacob loves reading so we took him to the bookstore to pick out some new books. He chose Junie B. Jones and Captain Underpants.

*Jacob's girlfriend is named Mya. He says he chose her to be his girlfriend because she was smart and he thought she could teach him things.

*Jacob's favorite computer game is also his Daddy's favorite game: Starcraft.

*Jacob writes stories about the aliens in Starcraft.

*Jacob's recital will be February 16th. He is excited to wear his tie.

*Jacob's dance teacher from last year, Colin, will be in Lord of the Dance this year so Jacob and Jessica are going. Jacob is excited to wear his tie.

*Although excited about riding the bus at the beginning of the year, Jacob is no longer enchanted and says he prefers "parent pickup." He says it's too cold and too loud on the bus.

*Jacob practices writing all the time. Sometimes he just copies the front of the cereal box for practice.

*Jacob wants to learn cursive so he can "read everything."

*Jake no longer wants to take baths. He takes showers because he's a big kid.

*Jake wakes up at 6:30 or 7 every morning, sometimes earlier on school days.

*We're okay with him waking up this early because he has also learned to open a granola bar wrapper. He gets up, makes himself breakfast, and plays on the computer. He opens a granola bar for Ella, too, so they just quietly play until they get thirsty. THEN they wake us, but that's usually not until 8:30 or so.

*Jake has a routine for getting ready every morning: breakfast, computer, clothes, teeth, hair, coat. He will sit in his coat for a full hour, waiting to go, just because that's what he's supposed to put on after he combs his hair.

*Jacob's best friend is Xavier and they play Spiderman together.

*We no longer ask Jake how his day at school was because he'll answer, "It was good. It's always good. Why do you keep asking me that?"

*Jacob wears his hat everywhere we go. He says it looks cool.

*Jacob's favorite food is pot pie. This is problematic since it's not very healthy, so we save it for special occasions. That's right... frozen, microwavable pot pie is saved for special occasions.

*Jacob wants 10 marshmallows in his hot chocolate. No more, no less.

*Jacob has made his own calendar and marks off the days every day.

*Jake like playing with play-dough and uses it to make pictures on his placemat.

*Sometimes, Jake is too cool for hugs.

Ella Portabella

*Ella prefers to be called Olivia.

*Ella's three describers of appearance are: cool, cute, and beautiful. If she asks how she looks (which she will) and you answer incorrectly, you will be promptly yelled at. I DON'T LOOK CUTE I LOOK BEAUTIFUL!

*Ella says her favorite thing to do is draw, but she rarely lets us see what she's drawing.

*Ella enjoys dress up and role play and generally ends up being the princess. Jake doesn't want to play princess so he'll suggest playing robots or ninjas or zombies... Ella will agree, but wants to be the princess robot, princess ninja, or princess zombie. That works for Jake.

*Ella can remember any song or any dialogue she's ever heard and quotes them from memory. If anyone can tell us where "No one touches the tail" comes from, we'd be much obliged.

*Ella still has an obsession with Alice in Wonderland.

*Ella is incredible at telling jokes. She even changes songs she's heard on the radio to make the lyrics funny. The other day she changed the chorus of Animal by the Neon Trees into a song about how we should get her some juice. "Oh, oh... I want some juuuuice. Oh, oh... what are you waiting fooooor? I want some juice right now!"

*Ella is still, shall we say, "passionate" about things and often cries and screams if she doesn't get her way, but things are getting much better. She's much more playful and she and Jacob fight a lot less. We can tell that she works on calming herself down, even if she's really upset.

*Ella's big girl booster seat came in the mail this week. She picked out the one with the pink butterflies.

*Ella is a beautiful dancer. This fall when she's enrolled in Pre-K she'll get to go to "ballerina school." She's been looking forward to this for two years.

*Ella likes to make up songs and she loves to sing.

*Ella's favorite nail polish color is light pink with glitter.

*Ella does NOT like marshmallows in her hot chocolate.

*Ella's favorite food is "meat."

*Ella told her babysitter, "You can't be my babysitter anymore because I'm not a baby. We have to be just friends."

*Ella has long skinny fingers like her mother.

*Ella still only wears dresses, but will consent to tights or leggings because they "look stylish."

*Ella's bedtime is 7:30 but she's rarely asleep before 10.

*Ella is disappointed that brushing her hair doesn't make it longer.

*Ella tries to spell all the time... "CUH-AH-TUH. Cat!"

*Ella wrote her name the other day and I exclaimed, "Oh! Ella! You wrote your name!" She replied, "That doesn't say Ella it says Olivia! E-L-L-A Olivia!"

*Ella is VERY ticklish!

*Ella loves her shoes so much that the often sleeps in them.

*Ella is afraid of heights, but still wants to hang from the chin-up bar. She whimpers the whole time, but asks to do it again and again.

*If Ella's cup is not refilled fast enough, she will walk to the fridge, pull out the juice or milk, and bring it to you and put it in your lap. "Now can I have some juice?"

*Over Christmas break, Kris and I awoke to find Ella sprawled out on the couch, watching tv, and gnawing on a 2 pound ham.

*Ella said to Kris, "Let me give you a kiss." Kris leaned down and presented his cheek. Ella quickly stuck out her tongue, said "BLEH!" and licked his cheek.

*Last night, Kris leaned down and said, "See you in the morning." Ella quickly punched him in the arm and said, "See you in the punching!" She's so like her mother... lol

What Everyone Wants to Know... AKA How's Kris Doing on his Dissertation?

Good news (for those who haven't already heard)!

From Thursday, January 27th to Sunday, Jaunary 31st, Kris will be in California to finally defend his dissertation. The actual meeting is Friday at 11am, so think good thoughts around that time.

As there is no graduation ceremony at the end of the winter quarter, Kris will graduate, but not walk. We're going to use our spring break (March 26th through April 3rd) to take a family vacation to California to visit friends and celebrate (what we expect will be) Dr. Rhodes's matriculation. This will be the year we finally go to Disneyland!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas started for us around 6:30am. Jacob woke up and came to our room to wake us and was promptly pulled into bed and told to go back to sleep. He didn't of course, but he politely laid in bed with us for 30 minutes before reminding us that it was not only morning but that it was Christmas morning and therefore, time to get up. We begrudgingly consented and told him to go wake Ella while Kris and I dressed. An excited Ella (in red pajamas and a crown) immediately began yelling, "Yay! It's Christmas!!!"

We all went to the living room where the stockings were down and the Christmas music was playing. We sat the kids at their table and they started opening gifts. I can honestly say that the kids were excited about every single gift they opened. Both wanted pull everything out of packages and try things on right that second, but in the interest of actually getting everything opened, we had the kids wait. I made cinnamon rolls but had to make a second breakfast for Jake because after he'd had his two he was still hungry! Ella tried on every single thing she received: first the tutu, then the Ariel ballerina costume, then her new nightgown and robe. Jacob wore his pullover as soon as he opened it and wore it for the rest of the day. Kris got a new Kindle so as soon as he opened it, he ran off to charge it. Michelle gave me some sock monkey slipper socks so as soon as I opened my box, I was sliding my feet into those.

For lunch we had ham, sweet potato fries, and dinner rolls. Jake and Ella kept calling the rolls "bread muffins" and would happily have just eaten that and nothing else. Once lunch was over, Ella, Jessica, and Kris all took naps while Jacob played on the computer. Jake said he didn't need to take a nap because he's "not a baby." The rest of the day was spent cleaning (Kris took the trash out four times!) and playing. A good time was had by all.

According to Grandma's Santa Stick (a Santa themed measuring stick) Jacob has grown 2 1/8 inches since last Christmas and Ella has grown 3 3/4.

Christmas Pics 2010