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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All Our Friends,
What a year this has been. Kailee and Hailee have finally started Kindergarten. Their summer was filled with T-Ball practices and games. Their team did all right but lost at the end. The each got a trophy, so that was the important part. They have a wonderful teacher in Kindergarten, who has been teaching for 27 years. They go to school in Morrison, OK, which is where they have been going to daycare all along. There is not a daycare facility here in Pawnee that opens before 7:30 a.m. and they all close at 5:30 p.m. and we don’t get home until 6 p.m. and we leave home at 7:00 a.m. Every week at school they learn a new letter and/or number and all of the snacks that week pertain to that particular letter. Parents are assigned to buy snacks for the week. On our week the letter was “f” it cost $26 (you buy for both Kindergarten classes), but it is fun for the kids. They did a program along with rest of the school for Veteran’s Day and it was really cute. They are also doing one for Christmas.
Before all this school business started we got initiated into Tee Ball. Both girls played, Hailee, however would have given it up if we let her, she did develop pneumonia during the season and missed two weeks of playing but it was no big deal to her. Kailee played pitcher and boy was she good. She had a problem in that she liked to chase the players down instead of throwing to the bases, so they coach had to get onto her a few times. She also had a problem in that she throws like a grown up and it is difficult for most the players to catch her balls. They didn’t win their league, but they got a participation trophy, which was great, to them. Thomas is not a sports fan but he really got into the games, I had to control him some. We had practice twice a week and then games so it was a hectic summer, as I sure all of you know, but it was fun.
Not to brag, but when they had nine weeks test, yes, even in Kindergarten, the teacher said it was a pleasure to teach someone like the girls, she could tell that we spend a lot of quantity and quality time with them. They are in the same class and she said it was extra special to teach twins, so we kind of happy.
We just celebrated their 6th birthday on November 13, which just happened to be on Friday and they were born on Friday the 13th. We had a party at school, a family party at home and then a skating party for some of their friends and then had cupcakes at church, so needless to say we were partied out. Tom’s mother got to come up from Texas and spent time with the girls on their birthday, so that was extra special. She originally was suppose to stay for a week, however on Tuesday before she was suppose to leave on Thursday she fell and broke her arm while playing in our backyard with the girls. No, I had nothing to do with it! She had a really bad break it had to be set under anesthesia. She extended her stay and left this past Monday, November 23. Of course she will be wearing her cast for awhile but is doing well. Thomas was fortunate to get to take some leave time off while his mother was visiting. Everyday they would pick the girls up from school (they get out at 11) and then they would have rest of the day together, needless to say they got very spoiled while Meemaw was here.
They think they are all grown up now. They are over 4 ft tall; Hailee weighs 70 lbs, and Kailee is 58 lbs. They recently got their ears pierced and are very preppy in their dresses, which I still control, and yes I still make them dress alike. I told them when they are in first grade they can dress different to our liking of course. We have arguments frequently about what they are wearing, but in the end I win!
Kailee is a die-hard Chicago Bulls fan, she eats and sleeps Michael Jordan. She insists that we call her Michael, my father always calls her Dennis Rodman just to pull her chain. Hailee likes the Dallas Cowboys. They each wear their jerseys and think they are awesome. Kailee keeps telling us that she will be the first girl to play ball for the Bulls someday and in the off season she will Hula-hoop with multiple hoops for the circus, I sure hope so, and Hailee hasn’t said what she will do yet.
This year has been a hard one on LeAnn’s family. On January 1st here Grandmother passed away on her Mother's Birthday. That was really hard. On October 4th my parents 5th wheel trailer was destroyed by a tornado. Their car, which was parked in their yard, was also damaged by the neighbor’s tree and they now have a 4-door convertible, this however was not insured except for liability. So my parents have just been devastated, it has really taken a toll on my dad. The trailer is still in their front yard waiting to be picked up by the insurance for salvage. So it is a daily reminder of October 4.
Right after Tom’s Mom left we got a letter from Auntie Barb and Uncle Lloyd tells us that Great Aunt Florence had died at 95 years old. Tom was hoping to get to see her and let the girls see her before she went to her reward, but it wasn’t in the cards. Tom was pretty broken up about it since she was pretty special to him. A lot of early childhood memories were associated with her when he was the only grandchild and she wrote him consistently while he was in Vietnam. She was very special to him and to all of us even though not all of us had every met her she will be missed by all.
We are planning to go to Los Alamos, New Mexico for Christmas to LeAnn’s sister and her family. LeAnn’s Mom and Dad and grandmother and Thomas and girls and I will all be traveling in our van, so wish us luck. Here’s wishing each and every one of you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
The La Bron’s:Regards from Pawnee America,
Tom La Bron
LTA Edmon Low Library, Oklahoma State University
E-mail: Office: norbal@okway.okstate.edu
E-mail: Home: norbalt@juno.com