First Snow of the Winter

Christmas Song? Thanksgiving Song?

Scientist

Award Winning Girl and Award Winning Sky

Good job, Rachel!!!

I loved the beautiful full moon tonight. It is so rare to see the moon around here especially during the winter because it rains so often, but tonight it was full and bright. I took several pictures with my bad camera and none of them begin to show how beautiful it was. The sky was midnight blue and hadn't turned completely dark yet. The air was crisp and cold. What a great night for looking at the skies!

I told my kids that I hoped my fourth grade students were looking for their constellations tonight (we are currently studying astronomy in science). Rachel responded by saying, "Of course they're not looking at the stars, Mom. They are playing video games and watching TV." I laughed, but unfortunately, she is probably right. Too bad. The world is so beautiful and there are so many fun things to see and do...it's sad to waste time with video games and TV.

This is Why Stores Should Provide Napkins With Their Sample Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yes, I let her go to school dressed like this...

She is also wearing Halloween orange and black socks. I'm just grateful she got dressed by herself even if she chose to not wear the matching clothes we set out the night before. She makes me laugh all the time.

Here is a pre-Christmas conversation we had last night that made me laugh:

"Do you want a stuffed animal for Christmas, Mommy?"

"I want whatever you decide to give me. Don't tell me though. I want to be surprised."

"I didn't tell you what KIND of stuffed animal."

"That's true. Don't tell me anything else, okay?"

She then wrote "mukee" on a napkin and asked me to read it. I can read her spelling and I responded with, "MONKEY."

She then started to cry. "Now you know what kind of stuffed animal I want to get you. You're not supposed to know." She really sobbed and I had to hug her. Silly girl. She asked me to read the paper. She told me she wanted to buy a stuffed animal. Maybe she will change her mind now that I know her Christmas surprise. I don't want a stuffed monkey:)

My Dancing Girls

Veteran's Day Fun

Rachel really, really wants ice skating lessons. She wants to be a skating princess for Disney on Ice when she grows up. I told her we would go ice skating a few times and see how she liked it. I didn't think she would like it. I don't like it. I didn't even get skates for myself. Erin Joy went around once clutching the wall. She began her second round, fell, sobbed loudly, and had to be helped by a nice man who brought her crying hysterically to me. That was the end of Erin Joy's ice skating experience.Unfortunately, Rachel liked it. She didn't get too far from the wall, but she thinks she is ready to be a skating princess. We'll go again because Rachel had so much fun, but next time Erin Joy and I will both watch from the sidelines :)
We then went to the Children's Museum to play with our friends whom we don't see often enough.
Isn't she adorable!!! She is the newly adopted daughter of my friends and I was so excited to finally meet her.
The art project was making flags and bricks for the "Veteran Wall of Thanks." The girls made their bricks for their Great-Uncle Lyle, my mother's twin brother, who served in Vietnam.




In the "Glow Room" without the flash....
And with a flash...

Making money to spend in the restaurant and movie theater...


The roof-top adventure is a lot of fun until it starts to rain...

"A table for three please."




Dancing in a dark room and me trying to take a picture with the flash...

Looking for the bricks they made on the the "Wall of Thanks."
This one was hung upside down. Ooops. Erin Joy was a little upset about the upside down brick and even more upset when I laughed. This is the reason for the frown in the picture.

All She Wants For Christmas

I know it's early, but I am afraid her teeth will grow in soon. I was disappointed when she lost her top teeth this summer because I have always wanted a kid with missing teeth at Christmas. (Yes, I know that's silly...) I have very few pictures of Rachel with missing teeth because her permanent teeth came in so quickly. I have plenty of pictures of Erin Joy! Her teeth have been missing for months. I think it's cute:)

Here is her big production:

Disney on Ice

We had a great time with friends at the Disney on Ice show.

The night started like this: And ended like this:

My Little Artists

I'm so glad my girls learned how to paint pandas in their expensive Chinese Art and Calligraphy class. I framed these pictures. Erin Joy's pandas are wearing clothes and Rachel's panda is eating bamboo. I think both pictures are beautiful!