The 14 Days of Christmas Break in Picture Form

A sad picture of Ford's first Christmas tree (or maybe it is just taken with such skill that our current technology hasn't caught up with my deluxe digital camera circa '06 and my skillz.) He loved touching the tree and trying to put all things Christmas tree in his mouth. 

     Teaching doesn't have a lot of perks. And if you're doing it for the perks, then you're crazy AND you're doing it for the wrong reason. If you are a teacher, you understand this. If you aren't, then you can go on believing what the media and the other talking-heads tell you about teachers being overpaid, over rewarded with benefits, only working 5 days a week, and only working from 8-3. My current teaching situation doesn't have a healthcare plan. It doesn't have a retirement plan. It doesn't come with a high paycheck. You don't get much respect or gravitas when you are sitting around with a group of adults and everyone is telling you all about how much money they make and complaining about their First World problems as a way to brag about trips they've taken, cars they drive, clubs they belong to, and the square-footage of their homes. I do at times get the celebrity treatment when certain students see me out in public. In fact, recently, Mel and I took a little date to the movies (the first in 8 months. Thanks Kort and Dorothy) and a couple students saw us and I've heard they took pictures of us and put the pics on Facebook and Instagram. Weird, right? But it is my life. However, just like the American public, the students that revere you can also topple your little statue faster than the army did Saddam's. But....but....but...you do get time off from work. So, when those people are yapping about all they make, I sit around wondering how I'm going to spend my time off. No, I can't go places or do things you see in the magazines I read, but being off for 14 days for Christmas is not too shabby if I do say so myself. You take your trip to Bora Bora on your shabby two week vacation for the year that you live for and I'll take some more time off because it is part of my job! I don't brag much and I don't have much to brag about, but I do get time off and it is SO nice. 

    Instead of enlightening (aka "boring") you on every grand detail about my 14 glorious days of Christmas vacation, I decided to instead let some pictures do the talking along with a little explanation. We spent the time at home, a few hours seeing my parents at the border of GA & FLA, in Fitzgerald with Mel's family for 6 days, and then back at home. If you want better pictures and a wittier explanation, check out Mel's blog. It is a real blog, but you'll have to make do with this. So, here they are:

Many times, my breaks are spent doing things around the house that have needed doing for a long time. This break it was the roof. It was leaking. I found some old flashing and did my best to replace it and stop the leak. I have been 85% effective. 

Every fixed roof needs to be tested. I'm only doing my job.

Chickens are great. Eggs are wonderful, but they also give you other things, but those things go to the compost pile. 

A little moment with Eudora. She loves begin held. NOT.

We decided to include the flock in our Yuletide celebration this year and Mel and I (read mostly Mel) decorated their coop. 

Ford started eating real food over the break. It was about time. We were getting worried. The doc said things wouldn't be good if he wasn't eating by 9 months. He waited till month 8. Little Ford loves his fruit blends and it is a joy to share meals with him. And nobody, and I mean nobody gets dirtier than he does while eating. 

Another pic of little Fordie eating with zest. We are all so happy this is happening. He loves fruit the most, but Mel has started making his food (I realize she has, in a biological sense, already been doing this, but this is different in every way and involves a blender and many trips to the grocery store and some pretty neat or odd combinations). Hey, who wouldn't want to sit down to a bowl of butternut squash, kale, and apples? 

Christmas morning was awesome, in every true sense of the word, with Ford. It was great to share this moment with him. Mel's favorite holiday is Christmas and it was incredible to see her share this holiday with our new son. He got lots of great gifts, but he loved the wrapping paper, bows, and tags much, much more. It was exciting to see his eyes light up with each new gift. I will forever remember waking up Christmas morning with Ford in my arms and Mel to the side of him. It was one of the greatest moments of my entire life. I had everything that I've ever really wanted right there within a few inches of myself.  

Here we are hamming it up for camera. He is getting pretty good at this, but he is getting a lot practice. There is nothing quite as good as getting to hold your boy and share the things you love so much with him. I think I could hold him all day and some days, I get to. 

Vacation and traveling are never good for FH's sleep patterns. They always get way out of whack and at times it makes us think twice about traveling. Ford did a lot things during Christmas break, but sleeping while we were in Fitzgerald was not one of those things. It got to a point where the only place he would sleep was in your arms. So...we spent ALOT of time holding him and doing our best to sleep in the the most comfortable chairs the Hunters have. He would sleep and we would half sleep and now as a parent, I can say half sleep is better than no sleep at all. And nothing is better than handing your kid off to his gracious grandparents and diving back into bed. Nothing. 

The picture isn't great, but 5 months ago, I had a gift card to Academy Sports and I used it to buy a fly fishing rod. I bought it and then it stood in a corner of our house almost completely untouched. On the first night of  Christmas break, we went to Barnes & Noble and I bought a book on fly fishing and while in Fitzgerald, I went "fly fishing" around 5 different times and practiced casting. I will say it is right at about 1000x harder than Brad Pitt makes it look in, "A River Runs Through It". (Click on the link, its worth it.)  It is a really cool way to fish and no, no fish were harmed during the making of this picture.  

Mel's parents have moved to the "country" and out to their farm that is about 6 miles outside of town. The road they now live on is this great half mile dirt road with a beautiful field on the left and some pine woods on the right. Ford, Mel, and myself went for many walks to clear our heads and get some good fresh air. Ford loves being outside like his parents do and when he is worked up or out of sorts, nothing "resets" his mood better than a good walk outside. 

To say that Santa was very good to us this year would be an understatement. And to say that we don't need a car with a little bit more space would also be an understatement. Since, we took our baby, our dogs, a lot of Christmas gifts, and enough luggage for 2 adults and one baby for 6 days, we drove both vehicles down to the Colony City and on the way back, we just barely had enough room for all of Santa's gifts that he got for FH. It was funny that he got all these gifts because his favorite two things were a blue bow and the cardboard tag to a pair of overalls. I'm pretty sure Santa could have spent around $2 and Ford would have been just as happy and just as cognisant. But he did get a lot of nice things that he will use for a long time. 

I will not say much, but this bottle of apple cider vinegar was pretty much full when I first drove into Fitzgerald for the our little holiday stint. The food during our visit was great, but I am pretty sure that each new meal gave me more heartburn that the last one did. There were many times I was hitting the ole' cider several times a day and night. You just have to do what you have to do. 

Once we got back home, we decided it was high time for us to start eating like a real family and it has been so cool. We put Ford's high chair together like a couple of champs and since then we have eaten almost every meal together at the table. It isn't easy and sometimes it doesn't end well, but having FH at the table eating with us is too cool to even really and truly say. 

The face that has won over many a heart!

FH eating his first meal in his high chair. He loves it. He gets so excited for the next bite that he moves his little feet and his little hands till we can rush the next bite in. He has loved all the food so far except green beans. 

One of Ford's great gifts was a little swing for our porch. We already had two hooks on our porch ceiling, but when I tried using them, I realized and quickly saw it would leave the swing about 5 feet off the ground and as the philosopher Sweet Brown says, "ain't nobody got time for that."

After a quick trip to our local ACE (because after all, it is THE place) and a quick exchange of around $20, we were back in business and FH was flying high or just gliding along at around 1.5 feet above the ground. He loves the swing, which is good because we spend about 15 hours a day outside. 

On the day before I had to go back, I had this huge desire to try and make this Italian beef sandwich I had seen on television, so FH and I grabbed a Publix gift certificate (thanks Amy and Forrest) loaded up the car, and bought what we thought might have gone into it. We then came home and cooked till our hearts were content and then some more. Don't worry, there will be a blog post about how to make your very own FH & DD Italian Wonder Sandwich, but don't try to cook it if you aren't going to put some heart into it. We aren't Emeril or Rachel Ray. We are artists in aprons and "sleep & plays". 

The finished product. I know I cooked it and Mel helped us bring it to fruition, but it just may be one of the best hot sandwiches I have ever eaten. Sorry, Quiznos. 

On New Year's Eve, we went over to a friend's house and enjoyed an delicious dinner of smoked turkey and several great sides. Mel brought dessert and everyone was thankful you spelled it with two s'. The dinner was very good and then we sat by a warm bonfire. It was a good and relaxing way to close out a VERY busy and full year. 2012 was a good one, busy, hectic, and at times overwhelming, but it was still very good. We each hope 2013 will be filled with the same. Well, except for that having a pregnant wife and then having your first child during the State Track meet and exams part and then going the next eight months with never more than 4 hours of sleep at a time part.

   Hope your new year is going well so far and we here at Hines Terrace Herald can't say how much we appreciate you taking your time to read our little blog,

  David