Stephen Jr.

I need to put the Jr. after his name now as that's been a big joke lately. Certain mail order catalogs have been coming in to the house that he's been claiming must be his because they came to Stephen Eichelberger - ones like "The Sportsman's Guide" and "Smoky Mt. Knifeworks"! He's often looked them over and then commented to his Dad that they make a 2 person tree stand for hunting or there is a really neat pen knife that would be very handy to have for protection! My fear is the protection would be from his sisters! He did get to go spend a day hunting with Dad before the cold weather hit, unfortunately they didn't see a single deer that day, but the bonding experience between a father and son can't be overrated.

This year hockey and football seem to remain the favorite sports to play with the cousins next door. Stephen loves to come in and relate how Mal (a.k.a. Heath Miller) and Nate (a.k.a. Nate Washington) and Hines Ward (a.k.a. Stephen) run the ball that Zeb (a.k.a. Big Ben) throws. The muddy yard after Thanksgiving was very inviting and even when the ground is half froze, they still ask to go out and play. When he's not outside Stephen enjoys playing with legos or on the computer.

Stephen will be the ring bearer in the wedding and went last week to get fitted for his tuxedo, he's so handsome Kara says over and over. He wanted to know if he could change out of his tux for dinner and then put it back on after so he doesn't spill anything on it. Haha.

One of his favorite classes at W.E.C. this year was Draw Write Now : Kara says that maybe Emma won't be the only one with an art streak in their blood. He also began to participate in some classes for older kids this year at our Tapestry of Grace Co-op (we meet year round about every 2 weeks). He started to join the jeopardy class which is played just like the t.v. show with all history, geography, and vocabulary related questions. They are taken from what we are studying at home and then put up on the big screen and you must buzz in to answer the questions. Although it can be challenging at times competing with older kids, it's so rewarding when you buzz in and answer a question correctly.