We put our decorations up this year BEFORE Thanksgiving. I know, I've lost it. But I knew I was having book club at my house on December 2 and I knew we were getting back from Thanksgiving in Ohio on November 29th, late... so we decorated early.
Top and bottom left, my new tree skirt. Then I've gone bunting crazy. There's some hanging in the entry way to the dining room, there's a littler one on the screen door, and there's a short one on the bookshelf. I made my countdown blocks at Super Saturday. I wish I'd make a huge variety of holiday ones since my kids always want to countdown everything and they were really easy.
I decided this year we needed a real Christmas tree skirt. Not a bunched up fancy place mat or scrap of fabric. So, with the help of this, I created my own version:
The two smaller pictures on the bottom right are different stages of creation.
Oh, and I forgot to take a picture of the other side. I used a cute green flannel with tiny trees in little red and green wreaths so if I want, it's reversible.
The big kids were at the table trying to do schoolwork and I hear this persistent: "[Princess Sparkley] come pull your baby," over and over again from the other room. Little Guy in a basket on wheels is what I found.
Buddy, or possibly a small UPS man dancing on the Christmas aisle at Walmart with a dancing Christmas tree hat on his head. These hats are hilarious. You should check them out.
Little Guy playing with all of Grandma M's Hallmark singing stuffed animal ... things at Grandma's over Thanksgiving. I wish I'd had my camera and not my cell phone. He was being so cute and kept moving all three to one table and making them play all their songs at one time.
I'm one of those parents who lets her kids use the escalator in the mall unattended. They have to be very careful and it isn't all the time. We just ALWAYS have a stroller and the escalator is their favorite part. Plus they don't goof around. They are equally scared and excited about escalators.
The fancy car is a bail bond car. Princess Sparkley commented on how Buddy would be sad he didn't see it so I took a picture out the front window.
The sign post and no parking sign have cocoons on them. One of the kids noticed them so I took a picture so they could all see them up close. It looks like little bundles of twigs. They've been there a couple months now.
I wrote the Christmas Parade on the calendar very lightly in pencil so if I remembered and wanted to take the kids, we could go, but they wouldn't demand it or expect it. Saturday morning about 10:45 I remembered the parade. It started at 10. We hurried and bundled up and drove over to the end of the route figuring we could still see something. It wasn't nearly as crowded as I expected (basing everything on how many people went to see fireworks on the 4th of July) so we parked downtown and walked over to the main part of the parade route and stood behind people in chairs for awhile. After maybe half an hour my arm was tired of holding Little Guy up and there was a curb opening across the street and down a bit, so we waited for a pause in the parade and ran over. But with all the hustle of getting out the door, we didn't have the camera. Only my cell phone camera, which I think is 3.1 megapixels or something. So... one of the best pictures of all three kids looking at the camera and smiling I may have taken this year, and it's on a inferior camera. Oh well.
I took a bunch of other pictures as well just so we could come home and show B the kids' favorites. Here they are:
Princess Sparkley enjoyed the dancers, bands and Girl Scout troops. Buddy enjoyed the types of trucks, cars and tractors as well as the bands. Little Guy loved the "forseys" (horseys) and the jeeps decorated with eye balls, etc. One looked like Mater (I didn't get a picture). The blurry dump truck is painted pink for breast cancer awareness. The boys are all about dump trucks but I thought PS might pick this one as her favorite dump truck. And the parade of course ended with Santa and Mrs. Santa. Although every time I say that, Buddy cracks up and insists that they are Santa and Mrs. Claus. I suppose he's right.
And because this is what my kids do... they came home and played parade. Princess Sparkley put on a parade outfit. They made a banner. Blurry Little Guy (still couldn't find my camera) is in front as either a dog (which there were in the parade) or a horse.
Yea! California! Oh, it's California, PENNSYLVANIA. (Great Grandma M went to college here to become a teacher in the late 1920s/early 1930s)
The whole Ohio trip our kids were hoping for snow. I was not. Then Princess Sparkley decided maybe there would be snow at the high point in Pennsylvania. We didn't think so. But there was!
Highest Point in Pennsylvania: Mount Davis (3213 feet)
A deer hunter stopped us as we parked the car to ask if we were heading up to the observation tower. Then told us we were going to freeze. B told him how we froze at West Virginia's high point the week before and he asked how high West Virginia's high point was. Then said WV had them (Pennsylvania) beat. Sort of a fun competition.
It was cold. The "hike" was little. Little Guy didn't want to raise his arms (hence the two pictures). The plaque behind us says it's the highest point. You can see the observation tower in the background.
We hiked to the top of the tower. Our kids were a little nervous but very brave. And for once, all of us our looking at the camera (perhaps just to see if the wind was going to blow it over).
After climbing down, B saw a US Geological Survey marker on a large boulder and had his picture taken standing on it. Since he was climbing, Little Guy was climbing too. The picture of the kids with their hands in the air is on the neighboring boulder.
[Keep in mind that you can see these collages larger if you click on them.]
What was going to be just our family of five, B's parents and B's little brother with his wife and new baby, turned into a family reunion with all 23 Ms present.
The kids had a great time with their cousins. I saw Buddy for about ten minutes each day. Usually for a food request, or because he needed to use a bathroom and they were all occupied. He was in the basement playing the Wii or in the "Lego Room" building Lego creations.
Little Guy got along great in the Lego room, or hanging out with his cousin Danny, just 6 months older than him.
Princess Sparkley was in heaven with her two girl cousins and getting to hold the newest girl cousin, 4 month old Amy.
We over packed on shoes and socks because we barely left Grandma's house. B went and played football with Grandpa's ward Thanksgiving morning and went on a 10 county solo trip to Indiana on Black Friday. When he got back, he and I hit a few stores. And we went to church on Sunday. That's about it for leaving the house. Otherwise we played games, played Rockband, chatted and ate.
Grandma/Grandpa and their 13 grandkids. B and M family. H and G family. B and N family. Not pictured: B and L family.
After traveling to B's parents' in Ohio last January and dealing with cold and snowy driving, we decided this year we'd make our holiday trip to Ohio in November, hoping to miss that. And we did. No snow. Yea.
B skipped his Tuesday night class and we left Tuesday morning around lunchtime. Because it's B... we of course picked up counties on the way**. 10 of them. (12 for Little Guy.) And we got a new highest point**: West Virginia's Spruce Knob (4,863 feet), the tallest mountain in the Alleghenies.
After winding up and around this mountain road past deer hunter after deer hunter, we finally made it to the top. And it was windy and COLD.
Here's the lookout tower.
Here we all are celebrating on top of the lookout tower. And freezing. And almost being blown off.
Since there was no clear marker for where the high point was, at least that we could find, we also took our celebratory pictures with the sign.
We listened to every Weezer album on our drive starting with the Blue Album and ending with Raditude. (We got to our hotel before we could listen to Hurley, and their two newest albums (released in November) are only on our cell phones). B gave them the behind the scenes info on the band (like how there is a big space between the Blue Album and Pinkerton because Rivers (the lead singer) had surgery to lengthen one of his legs).
We stopped for the night in Bridgeport, WV. Little Guy got to sleep on a chair.
*B keeps track of how many counties he's been to. **And now we are trying to go to the highest point in each state.
Little Guy is doing great in his big boy bed. Except for the occasional facing the wrong way (and being attacked by a pant-less Prince Charming). Maybe it's because his pillow matches his blanket.
The kids have broken me. Last year we decorated the day after Thanksgiving. Which is unheard of in my world. This year we started on Saturday. Before Thanksgiving. I'll blame it on their persistence, their love for holidays and decorating, the fact that we'll be gone and then I'm hosting book club on December 2nd and would like my house to look festive.
Little Guy tried on his stocking. I'm not sure if he really thought it went on his foot or if he was just being goofy. Last Christmas he was about to turn two, so I don't think he actually remembers too much, if anything. After I hung the stocking he kept trying to put random stuff in it. I explained that it's for "Santa" to fill with candy and toys. He said "Oh. Hmm." Lately he says "Hmm" a lot. Not a thinking "Hmm" but a more of a "huh!" hmm. I heard him explain to B earlier that that is his stocking hanging there and it is for toys and candies and stuff.
We are finishing up a unit on Ancient Greece and a mini art unit on sculptures. It seemed only obvious that we should try to create some sort of Greek sculpture. I thought the kids would enjoy building the Parthenon (but didn't take into account that salt dough wouldn't be strong enough to make columns out of).
B had never been to Great Falls National Park and since we'd been a few times, we knew there was a great hike (involving a bridge) that we wanted to go on there so we took advantage of the free admittance to National Parks today and headed out for a hike. The weather was beautiful. Driving to the park was beautiful. For some reason, most of the trees in the park were leafless already.
The Scenery: If you look closely (and click to see it bigger), you can see in the bottom right hand picture, a kayaker. B was holding Little Guy while we watched this kayak make its' way through the falls/rapids. At one point he said to B, "I do that when I'm bigger in my own kayak. It be fun."
B had an interview in Arlington today so we dropped him off and went to the Arlington Cemetery since it was just a few minutes away. I hadn't been since I was 14 or so and the kids have never been.
We made it there just in time to see the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown. Then we wandered around some and ended up at the Arlington House (with its' beautiful views) and L'Enfant's grave. Then we wandered around some more, stumbled upon Robert Kennedy's grave (without knowing it until we got home), got lost, missed Taft's grave, found JFK's grave and then wandered around a bit more until the kids were worn out and it was time to go. Washington DC looked absolutely beautiful with all the bright colored fall leaves on the trees.
Princess Sparkley went to Activity Days at church last night and informed one of her leaders that she made a cookie pie for math that day. She also told a friend, but she also explained to her friend that she's learning about fractions in math. Her leader probably thinks we are weirdo homeschoolers now. But she really is learning about fractions and I made her do all the measurements on her own. I only stopped her and made her think a little harder when she was only going to add 1/2 a cup of flour instead 1 AND a 1/2 cups. Plus, it was pie shaped and we used fractions as we cut it up. AND, so she doesn't forget her times tables, she did a worksheet about those as well.
We received notice from management that we would be getting a new sidewalk. Just our townhome. They marked a crack with a giant florescent X and left the note. Little Guy is a huge fan of the X. He told me all about it when I tucked him into bed the other night. Then the next morning at 7:45 a jack hammer woke me up. Nice. Not only can I not use my front door. Or park in my space. I also don't get to sleep. The kids were thrilled though when the cement truck backed up to our door. And again when the workers all left and placed a giant orange traffic cone on our step.
Little Guy still has a loud screech. He doesn't take naps, but desperately needs them. Spends most of the time we're trying to do school bugging the big kids and demanding that me, or Princess Sparkley or Buddy do something for him or with him. I can usually pop in a dvd for him and occupy him long enough to power through the difficult stuff when the kids really need to concentrate like math, or the instructions for the handwriting practice, etc. But our TV is only about 20 feet from our table where school happens, so I've had to have Little Guy watch dvds on the laptop with giant headphones on. He looked so cute today I took his picture, but once he realized what I was doing, he got a bit paranoid.
And Soccer is over. It was a lot of fun for the kids, but I am glad to have our Saturdays back. Plus it was starting to get really cold for those early morning games and practices as the sun was setting. Princess Sparkley's team had a party after their last game and they were given their trophies and a certificate the coach had made up for each kid on the team. The coach's awards were all silly things about the kids. He gave PS the "positional player and listens to the coach" award because (especially at the beginning of the soccer season) when he told her her position, she didn't stray from that spot on the field at all. They didn't keep score, but the kids all knew they hadn't won a single game, except for the last practice of the year, they scrimmaged against the parents and beat them 8 to 2. The kids were all happy about that.
Buddy's coach has a daughter on Princess Sparkley's team. So he just handed out trophies really quickly after their game ended, took a few team pictures, and one parent brought little cupcakes for everyone. Then we all ran up the hill to PS's soccer party.
Little Guy has been doing great in his "big boy bunk bed." He doesn't even get out. I went in to wake the kids up Saturday morning for soccer games and he sat up and asked, "It morning now?" In an "I'm asking permission to get out of bed" tone. And this morning, Buddy was up first and already downstairs when I heard Little Guy yelling from his bed asking if he could get out. If only I'd trained my other kids so well about never ever getting out of their beds I wouldn't be as crazy (and hoarse from yelling at them at night) as I am.
Here's the before... well, not really the before, more the middle.
Princess Sparkley has had two twin beds (the top bunk and her new day bed) in her room since my parents were here in August/September and it's been a bit messy and disorganized. We finally bucked up and booted Little Guy from the crib (and took away his binky), to the lower bunk and organized/rearranged bedrooms. The boys' room is done (although still with a crib up just in case Little Guy isn't handling the "big boy bunk bed" well). Princess Sparkley's room still has a lot of work to be done. We'll get there. Until then, here's a peak at the boys' room:
The big boy in his big boy bed with his new doggy, Chocolate that he bought with his money to help the transition from crib to bed (and losing binky) to go smoothly. Don't worry, his favorite doggy, Bubble, is in the background. Along with his other doggies; Gus, Heart Doggy, and Cuddles. As well as an alligator.
Here he is wishing he had the top bunk.
And here's Princess Sparkley's room in its current condition. The boys' room was just as bad so there is hope.
