Great Games!

Our family really enjoys playing board/card games, but it's hard to find one all four of us can play together (without E getting discouraged or someone else getting bored). We hit the jackpot tonight, so just in case you are also looking for some great non-reader, easy to learn, but still FUN games, here you go! (Both games are by Gamewright and we got ours at Fred Meyer (BOGO, today, as well as some 1/2 price towels and socks, of course!))

Laughs

The girls were mildly bickering about something this morning. I said,

"Do you really have to argue about that?"

M replied, "Yes, Mom. It's our job to argue. I mean, a kid's gotta make a living somehow!"

***************

E was thrilled to receive 4 mini powdered doughnuts at Fred Meyer today. She ate two, then graciously gave one to me. She informed us she would be saving the last one for Daddy and we praised her for her thoughfulness.

In the car, this little voice behind me said,

"I just tooka bite of Daddy's doughnut. But it's ok 'cause I am little. So, it is just a little bite."

I Made It

P has to work his regular shift today and tomorrow (he said it was reeeally busy until noon), so we were homebound for Thanksgiving this year. The girls enjoyed building a "float" out of 10 pillows and blankets in the living room while watching (and dancing along) with the Macy's Parade on tv. We got the pie made and the turkey in, then went out for a bike ride(them) /walk (me). It was sunny and gorgeous along our nearby lake. I wish I'd had my camera with me then. I also wish I had a bike myself, or at least roller blades to try to keep up with those two on their bikes! ;)

Daddy got home just after 2pm, and I had dinner (or lun-er, or dunch, as the girls were calling it) on the table at 2:35. We had:

turkey

(just a breast, but oh it was good)

mashed potatoes

(yes, they were real, Eric)

gravy

(which I got thick for the first time ever)

stuffing

(ok, that was Stove Top)

cranberry sauce

(homemade)

corn

(that we froze ourselves this fall)

yams

(with apples, raisins, walnuts, and marshmallows)

Heavenly Trash salad

(whipping cream, fruit cocktail, bananas, marshmallows)

Fancy green salad

(cranberries, broccoli, bacon, nuts, yummy homemade dressing)

Crescent rolls

(Thank you, Doughboy)

And for dessert...

I had just planned on making P & M's favorite pumpkin pie, but my foodie friend, Colleen, beckoned me to her home yesterday, saying, "Come keep me company while I bake. And, if you bring a pound of butter and 8 eggs, you can make a chocolate mousse cake with me." Oh. My. What a decadent treat! We didn't even eat 1/4 of it; it's soooo rich! Heaven, but I hope it freezes well 'cause we'll never finish it this week!

Here's one last picture of something I've "made..." I am so very thankful for these girls, and for their daddy, too! Happy Thanksgiving!

She Knows When to Give Up

M has recently been campaigning to be allowed to watch shows on Cartoon Network. We have let her watch a few, but I've had objections (sassy, disrespectful, potty humor) as I've listened to them. We had a bit of a family meeting about the matter on Monday night and she agreed that she probably shouldn't be watching 2 of the shows, but there were still one or two she thought were ok. I said I'd sit down and watch next time and we left it at that.

I happened to mention it to two friends of mine who have tweens and teens and both of them said, "Oh, no, we don't let our kids watch that channel!"

I relayed the conversation to M that night. She didn't say anything. I said, "Did you hear what I just said?" She said,

"Yeah. I just know I don't stand a chance against all those moms."

"Silly, Silly Tree"

M's class just wrote poems themed on fall, winter, and/or holidays, then printed them all in a booklet. Guess who wrote my favorite one?!?

Silly, Silly Tree

Tree is foolish

Tree is strange.

He'll wear a green coat

When summer comes near.

And when it gets cold,

When Jack Frost does

His stuff, Good old oak

Drops his blanket and

Stands bare in the snow.

For You Black Friday People...

Thanks to my merchandise-savvy friend, Colleen, here is a great website to preplan your "Black Friday" strategy. I never knew such a website existed, but apparently, it gathers all the major ads for Nov 28 for you...I guess this is usually top secret info?!

I've never done the day-after-Thanksgiving-shopping-4am-madness...I'm more of a "10:30 am stroll thru Fred Meyer to see if there are any socks left" kind of gal. BUT, I did spy a digital camera at WalMart for a very good price...maybe I can talk Colleen into grabbing one for me? P has to work (on Thanksgiving and) on Friday, so since he leaves home at 4am, I won't be able to leave my sleeping children unattended to go to WM myself.

(Can't you see that story on the evening news..."Mother of Two Leaves Sleeping Children to Shop Black Friday?")

ANYWAY, I just thought I might help you save a few $$$, or some zzzzz's, if you look at the ads and don't see anything that's really worth getting up that early for!

Just In Time for the Holidays

Once again, M has come up with another hit. Inspired by the upcoming holiday (Thanksgiving) she penned "Grateful, Thankful" today. I think it is also a great song for all those kids working on their lists for Santa...I feel so blessed to have children who are grateful and thankful and are not "Gimme, Gimme" Girls!

Lyrics:

Grateful, thankful, grateful, thankful

Who needs a mansion, I've got a roof over my head

Who needs a grand feast, I get a warm dinner every day

Chorus: I got what I need, I got what I want

Why go looking for more?

Who needs a limosine, we've got our little van

Who needs a 100 bucks, I've got enough for gum

Chorus

Who needs to be popular, I've got my share of friends

Who needs video games, I've got my imagination

Chorus

Look for the best, not for the most

For in life, it's quality, not quantity that counts.

Self Manager!

Just when we thought life couldn't get more exciting and wonderful, E was awarded her "Self-Manager" badge at school yesterday! It is quite a process to apply and be found worthy of the honor...you have to be consistently kind and responsible for your teacher to even begin to consider the possibility... Then, you have to take your application around to about 10 different adults in the school (music, library, recess, etc) plus get 2 of your friends to sign off on it, too. Once everybody agrees (including yourself, your teacher and the principal), your name gets read over the loudspeaker and you get to walk down to the office all by yourself to pick up your Self-Manager Badge!

As an official card wearing member of this exclusive club, you get endless privileges, like special seating at assemblies and running errands for your teacher and all sorts of other amazing honors. Better watch it, though, 'cause if you are not managing yourself, then your teacher or any other adult in the building can take it away from you, and will only give it back when you've earned it back! (Lord, help us survive that trauma if it ever happens!)

Little Miss E was the first in her class to earn her SM badge, and wow, is she hot stuff. I guess after library time, she was the only one who remembered to go back and ask the librarian for her signature, thus completing her application first. You snooze, you loose, guys! I'm sure there are other classmates who will join her soon.

The best part of all of this hoopla is that it's inspired us to come up with a Self Manager Award at HOME! For instance, I am pretty sure that a Self Manager would put her shoes away and hang up her coat (instead of tossing them on the floor) when she came home, aren't you? She would probably clear her place and pick up her socks without being reminded, too... Oh, the possibilities! Now I have to think up the reward privileges and we're all set. Any suggestions? ;)

Reptile Man

The Reptile Man came to our friends' elementary school tonight and, knowing how much our girls LOVE close encounters with animals, she called and invited us to come along. It was great, and M especially got into the hands-on time!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Sorry the lighting is weird on this one...

Today was my happy birthday, and my girls, of course, made up a song and dance to commemorate the occasion:

"Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom

You're the best of the best of the best

No words can describe

How great you are

You take care of us

And feed us

Talk to us

And help us

So thank you,

We love you,

Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom

That was your birthday song,

It wasn't very long

Hey!"

Museum of Flight

P's parents are visiting us from Illinois, and so he took the day off on Tues (since the girls would be out of school for Veteran's Day). But, what do you do in November in our area?! Go to a museum, of course! All these years, and we've never been to the Museum of Flight, so we decided the time had come. Not being a huge fan of things-that-fly (unless I'm on one, headed someplace fun), I was surprised I liked it as much as I did. It was very hands-on and the kids LOVED it! It wound up being $3 cheaper to buy an annual pass than to pay admission for all of us, so you know me, always looking to save a few bucks...we are now members! So, for those of you in the area, let me know when you want to meet us there!

Dream On

I had a dream the other night that we needed to escape quickly and we couldn't leave any trace of being where we were. Everybody was ready to flee, except for me, 'cause I kept picking up toys and clothes, toys and clothes and they just seemed to keep multiplying. I was frantic! The bad guys were coming any minute and I couldn't get our "evidence" gathered up quickly enough!

M says, "I think that means something, Mom..."

"The Better to See You With, My Dear!"

M was thrilled that her glasses (finally) came in today! The world is bright and beautiful again!

P is calling her "M Palin" ;)

"The Princess and the Pea"

The Missoula Children's Theater came to M & E's school last week and both girls were lucky enough to get parts in their "Princess and the Pea" production. It was based VERY loosely on the original story, so don't worry, there were parts for boys. :)

Try-outs were on Monday, and M was given two parts, so she then had rehearsal from 3:50 (when school gets out) unti 8:15pm on T, W, and Th nights! E had an age appropriate part and "just" had to be there from 3:50-5:50 on W and Th. Friday, they were kind enough to dismiss the entire cast at 5:50 so they could go trick or treating! Saturday, we were at the high school for dress rehearsal at 9am, and then they had performances at 1 and 4pm, so that was a long day to cap off our long week!

M's roles were "Fuschia, the Flower Gardener" and one of four "Phony Princesses." She had some great lines and really played them up. We got many compliments on her expressiveness! E was a Dust Bunny (lived under the princess' bed). No lines, but she danced and sang a couple of songs with great cuteness!

As you can imagine, they ate it all up and had a great week. I couldn't believe they never once complained about being tired or having to wait their turn. We have a professionally recorded DVD of the show if you ever need some cheap entertainment!

Halloween in Kindergarten

I spent all day on Thursday in E's kindergarten class (they don't go to school on Fridays) celebrating Halloween. I was pleasantly surprised that they let the kids wear their costumes to school all day! We set up stations for them in the classroom, and then they got to do a little parade through classrooms in the school. It was cute to watch the girls be excited to see each other when the class went through Maren's room!

Another parade picture, and I really like E's strut...she looks ready for the "catwalk!"

Ah, Halloween in kindergarten. Does it get any better than that?!

Trick or Treat

I don't know why the pictures loaded in reverse order, but I'm going to just go with it! Here are our happy treaters with their loot!

We went to a nearby neighborhood for the most amazing trick or treating we've ever seen. If I ever needed to make a movie with a trick or treating scene, this is what it would look like. Most homes were all lit and decorated a la Christmas, except it was Halloween themed stuff, of course. I didn't take many pictures 'cause I wasn't sure how they'd turn out. But, here's one of our "Pink and Black Ballerina Princess Cat" warming up near a fire pit (there were several out in people's driveways) with a cup of hot cider they were also passing out...along with the candy!

M isn't in this pic b/c she and daddy were a few houses down at a "haunted" house. They were kind not to scare her, but we sure saw some freaked out pre-teens come roaring out of there! She is very proud of how brave she was to go there (but daddy says she went just to the edge of the garage and wouldn't step in...they brought the candy out to her)!

There were several inflatable Halloween decorations out, and we got a kick out of this one (reminded P & I of Death Eaters from Harry Potter)

M decided to be an Indian princess this year and I totally lucked out and found a friend who already had the velvet dress. We added some layers and accessories (thank you, Goodwill, for the cool fringe leather belt and Target for the moccasins). Viola! E's costume was also easy...she was a black cat last year, and wanted me to make the same costume again, but in pink. We tried on her black one, and it still fit in the bodice, but the legs were about 4 inches too short. Thank goodness leg warmers are making a comeback (?), 'cause we just added those and I cut apart an old pink boa for trim, and she had already acquired the pink cat mask somewhere along the line this past year (thank you, Claire's). I was so relieved to get out of full-blown costume sewing this year!

Both girls insisted that they each bring along a webkinz...M brought "Joshua" to be her "hunting dog" and E brought "Shado" b/c she is a cat, too. We tried to convince them that they were taking up valuable room in their buckets with their pals, but they could not be persuaded, and we figured it would just get us home sooner, so it was all good.