Christmas Advent Calendar 2016

Charlie, We are so proud of you for being a reader.  Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.  Books will teach you so many things.  I am so glad you like to read.  Diva

Charlie Bear, you were so brave and determined to put the star on top of the Christmas tree this year.  I know you don’t like heights yet you overcame your fear and did it anyway.  I love that you challenge yourself to do difficult things.  Diva

Charlie Bear, this is one of my favorite pictures with you and Poppa.  You two are so much alike.  I love you very much and pray for you every day.  Poppa and Diva

Charlie Bear,  I love that you are kind to everyone.  I think you are a ROCK STAR of kindness.  Your Diva

 

Charlie Bear, I like playing board games with you.  You have a very quick mind and love to win  Just remember that winning doesn’t always mean being first.  Winning means doing better than you have done before.   Your Diva

 

Charlie Bear, I love when you and your family dress up for “Talk Like a Pirate Day” and go home with 5 dozen doughnuts...Arrr  Matey, Walk the Plank!  Diva

Charlie, I love that you are kind to my kitties too.  I admire your kindness and gentleness with Max and Moby as well as with our older cats Lucy and JJ.  Diva

 

Charlie,  I love that you pick flowers, rocks, leaves or anything pretty to give to your Mommy or Me.  I want you to take good care of Mommy for me as she is my special little girl.  Diva

 

Charlie, I like when you build things with Poppa.  Both of you have really good imaginations.  I look forward to see what interesting things you both will make together. Your Diva

 

Charlie, I am so glad that you are getting to know your cousins.  We had such a good time this summer with you and your cousins Emma and Lyra.  Just think...this year you will have a new cousin... Cousin Lucy.   Diva

 

Charlie, one of my favorite things is the birdhouse that you and  your brothers built and painted for me.  I look forward to  hanging it in the garden this spring.   Diva

Charlie , I like spending the 4th of July with you and watching fireworks both in the back yard and the big ones the City shoots off.  I love watching you boys with sparklers.  Diva

Things that make me Ecited

 

What makes me excited?

1.  Anticipation:  Looking forward to something that is coming up.

2. Daydreaming: hoping about something that I want to happen.

3.  Fireworks...I love to watch the night sky light up with all the pretty displays.

4. Praise Music:  Brightens my day, my mood, and lifts my spirit.

5.  My Kids and Grandkids:  Happy Days!

6.  Cake....will make me do a happy dance every time!

7.  My Cats....they think I'm wonderful so I try not to disappoint them.

8. Volunteers: ....people who share my passion and vision and show up to work hard and get a project done.

9.  A completed project:  I love checking off an item on my "to-do list."

10.  An adventure:  a day trip, visit the library, a visit from a friend, a trip to Dairy Queen for a small blizzard, visit a greenhouse, a bouquet of flowers from the grocery store, or a movie date.

11.  Nature:  I love a great sunset, fields of flowers, mountains, the beach, sitting on a porch swing sipping sweet ice tea, and watching the world go by.

12. Home:  Dorothy had it right all along....there's no place like home especially if Mr. Wonderful is there beside me.

Hope you weren't expecting something lofty and inspiring.  

A face no Diva or Mommy could resist

Dear Charlie Bear,  

Your Mom posted this on facebook about you.


"After a really LONG DAY, I got frustrated at this guy for not closing his car door and helping me unload all his things... Then he looked up at me and said, "Mommy, my hands were full" as he gives me a handful of violets he's just picked. This guy!!! "

Sweet Pea, you have such a sweet loving and giving heart.  You can be a total toad one minute and the next do something so kind, thoughtful and  sweet.  I loved the dandelions and purple weeds that you picked out of the yard and brought to me.

I hope you always love and respect your Momma.  She works very hard for you and your brothers and wants you to grow up to be a kind loving smart man like your Daddy.  

Poppa and I pray for you every single day.  You are your Poppa's Mini Me....you make me laugh even when I'm supposed to be mad at you.

Love you to the Moon and back again.

Your Diva

Diva Camp Day 7

Dear Charlie Bear....Today is the big Easter Eggstravaganza at Bridge Christian Church.  Today is also cold, rainy and wet with threats of snow.  So instead of hunting eggs....each child was given a given a bag of about 15 candy filled eggs There were other activities too , such as frosting and eating sugar cookies and putting sprinkles on top.  

Henry frosted his cookie with blue frosting and sprinkles.  You chose purple frosting (because it is Mommy's favorite color) and Mommy and Daddy will be at Diva's house this afternoon.

There was also face painting.  You chose a Ninja but they painted a Ninja Turtle on your face.  You sat very still while the lady drew on your cheek with water colored pencils.

I think she did a really nice job. You sat really still while she drew it and really wanted to see it when she finished.  

What do you think?  Your brothers also had their face painted too.  Oscar had a Pokeman character and Henry had Superman Logo.

You liked the bounce house the best.  There was a big one with a slide and a smaller one too.  By the time we left to go home we had a big surprise....snowflakes .

Mommy and Daddy came home after Henry's nap.  We were all glad to have them back home.

Tomorrow you will be going home and Diva and Poppa will miss their boys.

I love you Charlie Bear....

Your Diva

Day 6 of Diva Camp

Dear Charlie....Today is the day for the Explore More Children's Discovery Museum in Harrisonburg .  We ate an early lunch and Diva packed all kinds of snacks for later.

Poppa was able to find a parking spot across the street from the Museum.   You were so excited.  You hardly knew what to do first....so many fun things.   You decided to go to the science room first. 

You dressed up in a lab coat and started putting all the internal organs back inside the visible man's body.  You have always been my puzzle boy so you were intrigued how everything fits inside your body.  Who knows, maybe one day you will be a doctor.

Or a famous scientist.....

Maybe you will be a famous race car driver or be on the pit crew at Bristol speedway or even be a mechanic that can fix mufflers, tires and other problems.

Maybe you will be a famous news man and be on television every night...

Whatever you do in life....I know you will be "a Mazing"   Why you ask?

Because you "Light up my life" with your smile, your hugs, and your laughter.


I am glad you had such a good time at the Children's Museum.  We will have to bring Mommy and Daddy with us next time.

Love you Buddy,


Your Diva....

Diva Camp Day 5

Dearest Charlie Bear,   All week you have been asking me when are we going to go to the Children's Museum.  Well the answer is tomorrow if everyone is a good boy today.

Today Poppa and I planned to take you and your brothers to the Green Valley Book Fair and also to the Creamery.  The day started out well but slowly went downhill.  It seems no matter where we go you always are in the sunshine.  I have given you my sunglasses this whole week.  I think I should start calling you "Mr. Sunshine".  The sun makes you hot, but makes Oscar cold since Poppa turns up the cold for you....and it hits Oz as he is in the middle and in direct line to the vent. 

Henry was naughty this afternoon so we stayed home and did some chores outside.  You and Oscar helped Poppa fix the air leak on the tires of the lawn mower.  You also helped Poppa with wood for the furnace.  You and Henry really like wearing the Spiderman and the Captain America costumes I found for you at the mission.

When we went to the Green Valley Book Fair.  You found the book you wanted right away.  This is what you wanted.  It also came with Lego's to build the machines in the book.  You and Oscar built all the things in the book and came up with some of your own very unique designs.

Tomorrow is the Children's Museum.  I know you are really going to like it.  Sleep well Charlie Bear, your adventures haven't even started.  

Love you Buddy,

Your Diva......

Day 4 Diva Camp

Dearest Charlie....Oscar asked me why I don't just call Poppa...Poppa.  He says he gets confused when I call Poppa," Charlie" because he doesn't know if I'm talking to Poppa or to you.  I told him it confuses me also...but I've lived with Poppa for 42 years and it's hard for me to call him Poppa and not Charlie.

Today was a building day...Poppa built each of you a control panel for your dining room chair rockets as well as cardboard side pieces and a helmet.  You had lots of fun playing rocket captains and even ate your lunch in the cockpit.

 Poppa is a good builder and has lots of spare parts in his man cave that are good for building control panels for rocket ships.  You especially enjoy talking on the microphone to Ground Control.  You have a really good imagination.

Of all my boys you seem to be the one who my kitties trust the most.  Lucy cat usually runs away but she seem to like cuddling with you this afternoon.  Thank you for talking calmly to her and being gentle.

We had a picnic at Gypsy Hill Park this afternoon.  You instantly found some friends to play hide and seek and liked going round and round on the tire swing.  We stopped at Diary Queen and had ice cream cones.  You had a chocolate one.

It was a very busy fun day today....but there is more fun things to do.  Sleep well buddy.  

Your Diva, Poppa, Lucy and JJ

Diva Camp Day 3

Dear Charlie Bear,

Today we went to Equipping the Saints...the mission that Poppa and Diva work .  You got to meet some of Diva's friends that volunteer to sort clothing from my big mountain of black trash bags.  You also got to roll some clothing in boxes, and put them in the compactor.  Poppa even let you let climb Mount Clothesmore.

 Poppa gave you a tour of the building.  You saw a room full of typewriters, a room full of computers, a room full of medical supplies, a room full of tools, several rooms full of books and one room you liked really well.  A room full of musical instruments.  Who knows maybe one day you will be in a boy band....you really liked the keyboards.

Poppa explained that we collect items that missionaries need to help people in other countries.  Some times we send medical supplies ( like the lead xray apron you have on), or Bibles, or clothing.  It is hard work.  Poppa moves boxes into large sea containers for shipment to other countries.  So today you were a boy with a mission.

After Henry's nap we all went to a special playground called "A Dream Come True"  it is a park that some Girl Scouts made so even handicapped children can play.  It had lots of play equipment, slides, and neat things to do.  We had a picnic lunch there and stayed till it started getting dark.  I think you like Gypsy Hill Park better but it is a nice place to run, jump and wiggle all your cares away.

On the way home, Poppa stopped at Dollar General and gave each of you 2 dollars to buy the best toy you could find.    You chose a yellow plastic motorcycle.

We also got to talk to Mommy and Daddy on Skype this afternoon.  It was a really fun day.

I love you.....Your Diva

Day 2 of Diva Camp

Dear Charlie Bear,

Today we went to Augusta County Library in Fishersville.  It was rainy, cold and wet and you helped Poppa start the fire back in the outside heater.  Now my little nest is warm and cozy.  You and Henry really liked the library and especially the computers.  You were playing a game called "The World of Goo!"

You liked the big building blocks and this is what you built.  There were other boys at the library today so you had some other children to play with.  

You like the big dinosaur in the hall near the children's section.  Henry was a little scared of it but you were very kind and comforting to him and assured him he wouldn't be eaten.

You liked the cars on the grocery carts at Food Lion.  Oscar pretended he was a policeman and tried to give you a spending ticket.  You look mad because you were mad at him .  We bought more milk for my growing boys and headed home for lunch.

My friend Miss Donna wrote this email to me about our visit to her at the nursing home.

 I loved it! 

Thank you so very, VERY much for all the gifts and candy.

And the artwork ... please let the children know how much I appreciate it.

You'll have to let me know what their impressions were after visiting.

Heard lots of wonderful comments about the boys!

Again, thank you once again.

Thank you Charlie for being sweet and kind to my friend.  I love that you have such a kind and loving heart.

Your Diva....

First day of Diva Camp

Dear Charlie Bear,

Welcome  to your first day of Diva Camp.  For Christmas, Daddy surprised Mommy with a trip to Iceland over spring break.  Mommy was so surprised and cried happy tears because she has always wanted to visit Iceland.  So they are leaving from Baltimore, Maryland tonight to fly to Iceland.  They will be there for 5 days and you and your brothers are staying with Diva and Poppa while they are gone.  Mommy and Daddy are excited but also a little sad to be leaving their boys.  You made sure to give them plenty of hugs to keep them filled up over the next 5 days.

Diva found a Captain America play suit (complete with muscles ) for you and you have been wearing it all day long.  You also have been enjoying doing puzzles like the USA one in front of you.  You are very good with puzzles and you especially like ones with cars or super heroes.

Besides puzzles, you have built with Legos, painted a rainbow for my friend in the nursing home (Miss Donna), typed stories on Poppa's typewriter (in Icelandic or a strange tongues) and had me read them to you.

You boys totally loved Poppa's  old Royal typewriter (it is 73 years old) and you had the best time typing on it and making up silly stories.  Poppa was so glad you liked using his typewriter.  He smiled all day long.

After Henry's nap, we went to visit my friend Miss Donna at the nursing home.  You gave her a box of colored pencils for drawing and coloring.  Oscar gave her an adult coloring book and Henry gave her Almond Joy candy bars.  Each of you were very kind and sweet to her and I was so proud of my sweet boys.  We also visited the grocery store to get some special treats for my good boys....you picked gummy worms!

Guess who was really tired at bedtime?  It wasn't you....it was your tired some what grumpy  Poppa Bear!

We didn't get to go to the park today because of the cold and the rain.  Sleep well....we have a big day planned for tomorrow.

At bedtime we discovered that Mommy packed your candy cane shirt but Henry's candy cane pants.  Henry wanted to wear the pants and you wanted to wear the shirt.  Henry wouldn't take off the pants and insisted he wanted your shirt.  You really didn't want to let him wear it till I promised you that if you did let your brother wear your shirt tonight ....tomorrow would be your special day because you helped out your Diva and I would owe you a big favor.  You did let Henry wear your shirt....so I guess we will have to wait till tomorrow to see what your special day will be like.  

We love you Charlie Bear.  Thank you for your kindness today to my sweet friend and to your brothers.  I love you to the moon and back again...and pray for you every single day.

Your Diva