Let the Countdown Begin

Happy Thanksgiving

Boys! Where are the boys?!
Alida, thank you for bringing five items to hold back your hair, and then not using a single one of them.

Boys! Why are you horizontal?
Come on. Elaine, dear this is not American Gothic.

Okay, let me just run in here. I think the, oh, argh, never mind. Just a minute.
Wait, Patric are you wearing a hat?

Oh, that'll do kids. That'll do.
Happy Thanksgiving!

The Nutcracker

Dressed for the Nutcracker. With Doritos in hand. That's how we roll. I find it odd that I've made it to here without ever having seen this story performed, in any fashion. Good that we had the kids along because they were explaining the story to me as it unfolded. Holiday kick-off, here we go!

Grandpa

Getting ready for school with grandpa in the house is much more fun than any normal morning.

And three generations of Stuber boys. Pretty handsome.

A Little Advice

If you are ever assigned Nevada for the second-grader State Box project, because you have that child that just doesn't care what he's assigned, just put "Andre Aggasi" in the famous people portion of the narrative report. Don't google image search for famous people from Nevada with your second grader. Or you will get the following: "Mommy! She needs to put some clothes on!" Brother.

So we made a mini Hoover Dam in the optional inside space to make up for our lack of fun facts, other than teaching my child that gambling is described as "betting money on a game of chance."

Welcome Trampoline Relief

In the form of grandpa. The best kind of relief.

Bedtime Stories

He sat like this for the entire reading, squatting on the table.

Oddly, I didn't even really notice this until nearly the end of the story because I was busy being struck by the fact that Benjamin has recently grown into a teenager it seems.

Dodgeball

Daddy's team

Daddy's team didn't maybe take the tournament as seriously as the other two Air Force teams, who came with matching jerseys, names and numbers neatly placed and their team rosters in hand...

Halloween Withdrawl

Having seen all of the Halloween decorations and costumes go into storage for the year, Alida decided to make herself a new costume--complete with antanae, wings, and a stinger.

Boy Scout Food Drive

Expired

Ben, during the nature hike/death march. He could go no farther since we made him walk for all of about half an hour. His sweet sister poked him with a stick to confirm the time of death.

How we tell them apart now

Elaine. Straight to the closet after school--clothes changed, hair brushed, and ready to relax.

Alida: After school, just ready to relax, can't remember where the headband went that she started the day with and doesn't care. Every day.

Overheard

Patric: "It's like our house is a fun college party, and we're the cops that arrived to break it up..."

If you can't talk them into it,

Make your own dog--out of balloons....

School Fall Festival

It occurred to me as we stood in line that the skirt may not have been a good idea for horseback riding. She told me no worries.

And sure enough, she had no problem hiking it up and mounting.

Fairy Gardens

Fairy Garden update for the fall. Including a larger pot for Elaine, that may have a chance at growing some plants.

Some rosemary for Nicholas to brighten up the place a bit...

Alida added some paper snow after the arrival of her snowman.

And Ben continues with what seems like a master plan in his head each time we add something--it's fascinating.

Thumbs up on this activity

Boyscout Camping

A little glow-stick war-fighting, a pretty cool haunted house, hot dogs and hot chocolate, blow up things to jump on, a few nature hikes.

A campfire of course.

And their fearless leader. Happy after the tent was finally up....

My little pumpkins

The Devil, after the angel costume that we originally went to order was not in stock, Elaine went straight for this one.

 The Witch, the cutest ever.

The Wraith, the Harry Potter something-or-other, and at last he just said he was a soul sucker.  Of course.

The zombie ninja, if you can get past those eyes, you'll see the throwing star stuck in his forehead...

 Favorite Trick-or-treating moment number one: After taking off the hat, then taking off the leggings, she was still hot.  So she just asked at one of the houses if she could have a glass of water.  They were apparently obliging.

Favorite Trick-or-treating moment number two: after I couldn't find red shoes for the devil, Dorothy stopped by the house and offered to trade.  Dorothy in silver shoes--just didn't see her mommy agreeing to this, particularly when their whole family went together as the cast, her daddy was even a good sport about being the scarecrow.