Santa

We found a fun tree farm in North Bend. After hunting around for the perfect tree, we found a building with a warm fire, hot cider...and Santa! This was the coolest Santa. He visited with each kid for quite a while. Consequently a short line took a long time to get through.

By the time we were finished we decided to pick a pre-cut tree and be on with our day!

Cobb salad

We track Kenzie's spelling progress over time by having her write shopping lists. I don't give her any hints, just tell her the item and she gets to spell however she likes. Sometimes it makes for an interesting shopping trip as I try to decipher what she meant, such as "letes" = lettuce and "backen" = bacon. But she got pretty close on a lot of them!

And, because she's thinking ahead, she put a star next to each one so that she can fill in the star as we find the item. Which she did. She's actually quite handy to shop with, like having my own little assistant. Maybe I'll buy her a clipboard for Christmas.

Thanks for...

Thanksgiving was at our place tonight. We had a nice day with friends and family. We asked the kids to tell us one thing they were thankful for.

Kenzie - "I'm thankful for nature. Even the sticker bushes because they turn into blackberries."

Mason - "I'm thankful for wheels. If we didn't have them we wouldn't be able to drive."

The dental gnome

This is another post that must be disguised into obscurity in order to discourage one curious juvenile from further study.

I am a novice Dental Gnome. With approximately 39 loose bicuspids and incisors ahead, I will surely get more practice. However, last night required four separate trips into the chamber of the juvenile. The first one I carefully stepped, tip toe, tip toe, hand ready with coinage all the way to the dental cushion when a little voice said, "Mom, what are you doing?" In quick step I replied, "I'm just checking to see if the TF came yet. Nope, you better go to sleep or she won't come."

After thirty minutes, adventure numero dos began. Tip toe...success. Exit. Parental until number dos returns to inquire about the dollar amount, which was singular. She doth protest and insist on doublage. Trip number three I begin. Tip toe...seven more coins, clink, clank. Exit, success. "Did you remember the tooth?" Dang! Back I go...tip toe, empty entire cushion, retrieve object, replace coins, exit.

Toothless wonder

Alas! Kenzie was saying goodnight and showed me her tooth. I said, "Kenz, that needs to come out. Just twist it." She grabbed it, twisted, and then squealed in utter joy. She is ecstatic that her tooth is out!



She left this note for me before she went to bed:

Slumber party

Kenz had her first official slumber party last night at her friend Taylor's house. It was Taylor's seventh birthday. That seems so old!

The kids (boys and girls) were dropped off at six. They ate pizza, watched half a movie, had cake, kicked out the boys, then watched the other half of the movie. She self-reported going to bed at "midnight-oh-six." The mom woke them up by popping balloons (never met her, but think I like her already).

Stubborn tooth

How long can this one wiggly tooth hang on (literally by a thread)??

Snowman, by Mason

Thanksgiving tradition

Mason's preschool got in the Thanksgiving spirit.

Later, Mason demonstrates that a feather is truly a versatile accessory.

Structural changes

Evidently we like to pack our life changes into small, one-week segments. Perhaps to get it all over with, perhaps to add interest and intrigue. Regardless, this was one of those weeks.

Cindy started teaching this week. Except for summer school, this was the first teaching job she's had in over five years. So this week she signed up as a substitute. One day she taught little kindergartners and the next she was in the juvenile detention center teaching middle schoolers. To care for the kids, Grandma June stayed with us the whole week. She and Bob are selling their house and planning to move near us. Very near as a matter of fact! We're starting construction on a new house on our lot! With Mason just starting preschool and Kenzie starting two after-school activities, everyones routine was changed.

Change is hard for everyone, but we're excited about the good things ahead.

Dude got a pho-hawk (and 2 suckers)

School boy

Mason started preschool today! He loves his new school. When Cindy picked him up the teacher said that he had a good day...except for when he and "Jason" snuck away from snack time into the bathroom to spike their hair with water. And so it begins...

Cat pillow