Sorry Guys,

Mom totally forgot to dedicate a post to moi for my birthday.  I mean, come on, you only turn  the big "1" once.  Good thing my big sis saw my birthday pics and told mom to put some on her block.  

They tried to make me eat this cake after Thanksgiving dinner. 

I wasn't into it.

And check me out!  I'm walking!

Happy Birthday Luke!

Shadow Dancing

The other day I had reason to borrow an overhead projector for a little project.  I had no idea the fun that would come of it.  Cheap thrills, I tell ya.  That's what they like.  Buy them Polly Pockets and yet all they want to do is see their own shadows.  I confess, I found it a bit amusing too.  How 'bout Anna figuring out how to get her hands up there...Kate was legitimately scared.

Overheard

I was in the kitchen the other day and the girls were at the table coloring and singing Christmas songs.  It was pretty entertaining.

Anna:  "Deck the halls with thousand hollies..."

Kate:  No...no...Anna...it's, "Deck the halls with thousand ARMIES..."

So, I guess,  Merry Christmas!  And, watch out for the soldiers.

Love Notes

Anna loves to write.  Her favorite thing to do when one of us is gone (even if it's for twenty minutes) is to write a note and tape it to the wall so we see it when we walk in.  Well, I was gone last night to a meeting and when I returned home, I found a note written for Barrett.  Apparently Luke wasn't crazy about the idea of going to bed.  (I blame it on Alecia.  She spoils him.)

"I am sorry that Luke screamed."

The deciphering is a treat.  I hope we'll always be the recipients of her little love notes, no matter how they're spelled. 

Sunday Drive

It's been a little crazy around our household lately, so I haven't really even thought about posting.  But last Sunday we did take a nice little family outing to enjoy the tail end of the leaves.   We all piled in the car and headed off down the Colonial Parkway, which is every bit as charming as it sounds.  

Destination: Yorktown.

20 miles of this!  

I've been to Yorktown many times before, but I had never seen this home.  Right in the side there are cannon balls left over from the Revolutionary War.  So amazing!

Here's Kate clinging to one of the balls.

And nothin' like a big sis who will help you stick your face in front of a cannon.

The highlight?  The garden maze.  Off in the distance there are 

two shrieking girls with a father in hot pursuit.

Once upon a time I think it was fashionable to take a Sunday drive.  If they're all as distracting and enjoyable as this one, I think we'll bring them back!

We Like Leaves.

There is a tree in Colonial Williamsburg which, when it turns, it turns.   We played in the leaves for a good hour.  We tried building a pile to jump into, but Luke "The Wrecker" kept doing his job.

Playin' in the leaves takes serious effort.

Random Bits

I've already brushed my teeth twice this morning.  It's my defense mechanism against the chocolate lingering in Halloween bags, calling my name.

(I can't lie...it's a half-ditch effort.)

I made pumpkin seeds after the kids begged.  They don't like them and secretly I'm glad because I love them and now I can eat them all.

I still say fall is bittersweet.  The trees have peaked here and it's beyond gorgeous but I'm not looking forward to barren branches.  And I don't love picking up coats and shoes.

But I do love hot chocolate with marshmallows and cinnamon.

Barrett ate Shredded Wheat for breakfast.  Anna looked into his bowl and asked, "Is that hay?"

I'm putting on my cleaning soundtrack.  Maybe it's funny, but I love cleaning house to the Bee Gee's.   

"How deep is your love, how deep is your love....."

Snot-Nosed Charlie

Ta-dah!  

I Love Halloween.

Mostly for the candy, but the kids in costumes come in a close second.

When we were in Disney World Anna asked me when we were going to meet "Princess Alison."  I couldn't figure out who she was talking about until she said, "You know.....Alison Wonderland."

I knew immediately who she'd be for Halloween.  I saw the perfect dress while we were there but it was $65, so I thought I'd try to make it instead.  Ha ha.  Funny thing is, I don't know how to sew.  And then, when I checked out at the fabric store with all my goodies it was $40.  I started laughing.  So, after much effort, and not much savings, I finished the dress.  It's a sorry sight really, but from a distance I think you can tell who she's supposed to be.   But I think I'll stick to pillow cases and stuff from now on.

Grandma pulled through and sent Kate hers.  Glad I didn't have to sew another one!  If you ask her who she is, half the time she says "Ruby."  I think she gets confused because of the Ruby slippers.  Oh!  And I went back to the creepy Pottery Factory to find Toto's basket.  The place pulled through for me this time.  And sorry Joni, I wasn't able to pick you up any gnomes.

I'll post a picture of Luke soon.  Oh, he's a cutie, but I didn't get him into his "costume" until it was dark.   Thankfully, there's still more candy to collect, so he'll be back.

Pumpkin Patch....Check.

I think there's unwritten blogging protocol that there should be a post about the Pumpkin Patch.

We went.  We picked pumpkins.  We took pictures.  And then I hurried home so Luke could have a good nap.  

Kate's teacher asked which pumpkin would be a good "class pumpkin."  

Of course, she went for the biggest.

When I found myself in a predicament out in the field with a large pumpkin and Luke in a stroller I sent the girls off to get a wagon.  And I must confess seeing Anna running toward me with Kate in tow was pretty darn cute.

Until next year!

Way to Go, Idaho!

Just returned from a trip to Boise to see my sister Steph and her family.  I went alooooone.  No kids.  And you know, that long trip's not half bad with a good book and a small  quiet space.  I confess though, I did have the jitters on the plane.  I don't really like leaving my family.  But I kind of like it.  :o)  

I got to take a bunch of pictures while I was out there.  My sister's family and two other families.  I'll post some more pics later, but this is by far one of my favorites. 

Super Mary!

Peanuts

If I go to a store, it's a rare occasion I leave without something.  

Case in point: Saturday I headed over to this place called "The Pottery Factory."  They name it that because "A Collection of Dilapidated Old Buildings That Should Be Condemned" doesn't really have a ring to it, nor would it solicit much business, I'm sure.  

I went to find a specific platter.  I saw it there last time I went which was, oh, three years ago.  See, when I returned home from that last expedition I realized I had made an appointment with a good friend and had totally stood her up!  (Sorry Amy, I still haven't forgotten).  

So because of intense feelings of guilt (and because the place is just weird) I've never gone back.  But I really wanted this dish.  And, of course, I couldn't find it.  We went on a scavenger hunt through places with names like "Solar 3" and "Building 21" (there's no building 20....or 19 for that matter).  Sorta makes it sound like a nuclear testing facility, but really it's just filled with stinky fake flowers and a whole bunch of other junk.  

Anyway, you'd think since the platter wasn't there I could've just left, but I didn't.  I had to see all the junk.  And while looking, Kate asked for a large bag of roasted peanuts in the shell.  I liked the bag they were in, so I bought them.  And Anna got some cheese.  I went for a platter and came home with peanuts and cheese.  But at least I didn't buy the "princess" lamp they wanted. (It was a bustier-type thing...pink satin and a black boa.  I didn't even try to explain the why behind my "NO!").

The weather has been ideal, so we sat out on our deck and shelled peanuts and ate cheese.  

A good time was had by all and I'm only down eleven bucks.

Field Trip

One advantage of homeschooling, I've learned, is that we can do whatever we want, whenever we want.  And last week I wanted to go to Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson.  

We checked out some books at the library and read up and then recruited Alecia and Andrew and took a day trip.  After I took a detour around the entire city of Charlottesville while trying to find a specific restaurant, we ate some stellar pizza we happened upon accidentally and finally made it to Monticello.  We've been a few times before, but the girls didn't remember it.

Thomas Jefferson was such a fascinating person.   Visiting his home tells so much about him...how he lived, what his interests and priorities were.  Something I remember from the tour was that a grandson once said of him, "he was a miser with his time and expected others to be the same." 

Afterward, we stopped at an orchard nearby and filled our faces with hot-off-the-press cider doughnuts....amazing!  The leaves were just showing a hint of change, so it's tempting to head back in a week or two.

Monticello, "Little Mountain" in Italian.  

I think that's the only thing Anna and Kate learned 

from this whole expedition.

The grounds there are so well kept.  It's obvious why he chose 

this spot, such an amazing location.

Luke totally loved it ;o)

("Find a happy place. Find a happy place")

Could You Just....Let Me Eat?

Why is it that whenever we sit down to a meal, my kids have to start a discussion about which part of an animal we are about to partake of?  They bombard me with "Mom, which part of the chicken is this?", "Did they take it's skin off?", "Why do we call it roast beef if it's cow?"  

It never ends!  And what blows my mind is that while engaged in such conversation, they continue to eat as if we're talking about the weather.   

While we were in Disney eating with the princesses, Kate ordered a hot dog.  She picked up her bunless frank and while wielding it in the air (keep in mind she's decked out in her Cinderella garb) she asks, "What part of the dog is this?  The tail?"  Holy moly!  And you're eating it?

A few weeks ago while at Chick-fil-A I was grateful it wasn't busy.  Again, my girls were discussing chickens and wondering how they "get dead."  I tried to ignore the conversation so I could finish my meal.  Kate was asking Anna if they cut up chickens to make the nuggets.  Anna, very sure of herself, answered, "No, Kate....they're dead baby chicks."   I swear a guy across the wall from us just about lost his milkshake.  

Seriously, it's no wonder people become vegetarian.  Just come eat a meal at our house.  Maybe we'll have pig.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Being the ninth of eleven children, our vacations generally consisted of a 4 hour road trip to Utah to pick up plaster for my dad's work.  We'd stay in a hotel and swim in the pool.  Honestly, I didn't know any better and really have some fond (and some less fond) memories from those days.  But one place I've always wanted to visit was Disney World.  

So, with the encouragement of our good friends, Chuck and Alecia (to say they're Disney fans is an understatement) we went and had a wonderful time.  The place really is magical.  

A few of my favorite highlights:

• We went to a lunch with 5 princesses--Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Ariel, and Cinderella.  During the lunch we had a young server from Norway.  Apparently the girls thought he was pretty cute because after he walked away from our table having taken our order, Kate leaned across the table and asked, "Mom.....whose prince is he?"  
• The Buzz Lightyear ride.  I could've done that dozens of times.  After the first ride the girls asked if we could go on it again, and "could I please let them use the guns to shoot Zurg's guys this time." 
• There was one day it was particularly hot.  There was a water fountain/splash pad thing in the middle of Epcot.  We were fully clothed and had just eaten with the princesses, but I suggested they take a run through it to cool off.  We stayed there for about an hour.  I think it was their favorite part of that park.
• "Turtle Talk" with Crush from Finding Nemo.  I can't really explain that one...just that it was a very cute interactive show that they still talk about.  Anna lets everyone know that Dory taught her how to speak whale.
• Mickey's Philharmagic.  It's a 3D show (and it came highly recommended by Afton).  Watching the girls reach out to touch the characters was so adorable.
• Cinderella's castle.  And the fireworks.  

Whoa, get ready for some pictures!  This first one was my favorite from the whole trip.  It's from our Princess lunch.  Anna had just caught sight of Sleeping Beauty coming around the corner.  I'm pretty sure she was excited.

This picture with Buzz was the first that either of them looked like something other than a deer in the headlights. Way to bust out of your shell, Anna.  Thumbs up!

Anna, waiting for the 3D show.

Under the "Tree of Life" in Animal Kingdom

I think Anna asked us thirty times when we were going to Cinderella's castle.  

This would be the teacups.  I was ill from looking through a camera while on this ride.  

But Kate loved it.

Ha ha...Kate trying to pull the sword from the stone.  

Even with all that effort, it didn't budge.

The castle at night.  We loved watching it change colors.  

This was my favorite, right before the fireworks.

We had a wonderful time and are so glad to have the memories.