Take II

Please let me know if this doesn't work, the other one works on my computer...strange.

Getting in the Christmas Spirit

On this, the day after Thanksgiving we're already getting in the Christmas spirit.

Over the River and Through the Woods...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

We had a wonderful and relaxing Thanksgiving with our friends the Genzale's and while we have and Italian Christmas with them it is traditional American when it comes to Thanksgiving. Judy insisted on cooking everything because it is her "favorite thing to cook"...that's just her nice way of telling me that she didn't want me messing it up, but that's alright with me!

Along with the great food we had a fire (in the fireplace) and, as always, great conversation thanks Greg & Judy!

This is Addi modeling her latest "swap" item, that awesome hat! on our way out the door.

For those who aren't aware, my bff from highschool and myself trade off giving eachother or our kids things, the only rule is that they have to be home made...another rule is no one can look to closely at anything they've recieved. Her stuff is perfect anyway so there's no need.

GOBBLE, GOBBLE

Joy School Rocks!

As most of you know this is mine and Addi's second year of Joy School, a cooperative pre-school where you don't learn as much about the alphabet and numbers (though it is taught) as much as you learn about...well joy. Finding Joy all around you and in everything you do...even sharing!

Addi loves Joy School and I think it is really good for her to learn not only the curriculum but interpersonal skills. She is as you know an only child and Joy School has been a good excersize in getting along with others in the event (fingers crossed) that another comes along.

Honestly Joy School is one of the hardest and most rewarding things I've done, and if you have kids the right age you should do it...it will put hair on your chest!

This was our Joy School Thanksgiving Dinner.

Questions

Warning: this is a boring "family journal" type post

Addi is full of questions and one that has been bothering her lately is how all of those people (dead, to be specific) get under the ground!

There are a lot of cemeteries near us and they are packed! I'm not kidding I swear some people have been buried standing up. We drive past them all the time and Addi wants to know what they're all about.

I decided long ago that when she asked me a question I was just going to tell her the truth so, that's what she gets.

I usually make it a humane death where the person is sick or someone who didn't put on their seat belt. Then I just tell her the whole thing; when someone dies their spirit leaves and we take the body to the mortuary where they are cleaned, dressed and put in a bed with a lid, then they take the body to the church where everyone says how much they loved the person and miss them but that they know they'll see them again. Then the strong guys carry the bed with a lid (closed now) to the hole that another strong guy dug and with a fancy machine they lower the casket gently, gently, gently (this is her favorite part) in the ground then they fill the hole back up with dirt and they put a stone on the top with they're name on it so we can find them later.

She doesn't seem freaked out and that was my goal, not to make death and cemeteries something scary.

My Mom

My Mom was here this week and we had the most incredible time. Museums, parks, shopping and just hanging out at home and popping popcorn. She also became Nanny McGranny when Addi was having a hard time coping after she quit sucking her thumb. It was great! Like I said, we did lots of fun stuff but I just decided to post a few pictures I took of Addi and Grandma together. And if you make it to the end there are fun facts about my totally cool Mom.

My mom is 48 and still does backflips on the trampoline

She has 13 kids (not including all of the foster, exchange, family members and other children that have passed through, and still pass through her house)

She was the Pleasant Grove Strawberry Day's Queen

She was a freestyle skiier (those are the ones that do flips)

She is an awesome photographer

She developed and runs her own summer camp for kids

There are lots of other cool things about her and I'm glad she's my Mom.

Serendipity: a happy surprise

As we were waiting in line at the Home Depot rental counter for coming up on an hour to rent a van to pick up our new (to us) chocolate velvet tufted couch, I noticed the unmistakable sound of a gaggle of woodpeckers at work, either that or the sound of dozens of children wielding hammers. My second guess was right. We just happened to be stuck at Home Depot during the Kid's project day (first Saturday of every month). They were making birdhouses and since Addi and I had nothing better to do while the only guy working the rental counter was giving his doctoral dissertation on the chainsaw to the guy trying to rent one, we thought we'd stop over and make a birdhouse while we waited. Some people may not know but I'm pretty handy with a hammer and a power drill so our birdhouse turned out pretty well I think.

nice form!

finished product...a house any bird would be proud to call home.

Addi's Beans

Addi is so proud of the beans she has been growing from Joy School.
I really should have taken a later picture because there were many more shutes and they were growing out of the jar. I guess you don't realize how fast something is growing right before your eyes when it's...well...right before your eyes. It's the same way with children I think.

More Halloween to come......

Mooooo HA HA HA HA HA!

Halloween Party

The Joy School Halloween Party was hot!
It all began with a parade of costumes....

more costume appreciation...

a rousing rendition of "I'm a Mean Old Witch With a Hat"...


And finally the coup de grace a chocolate cupcake!

"I'm a Mean Old Witch" Performance

Please ignore the lady in the green taking pictures. She was EVERYWHERE! But I'm sure the pictures turned out great.

Haunted Hayride Take II

I forgot my camera when we went on the famed haunted hayride last week so we went again to make up for it.
Here we are standing in the spooky and very chilly line.

A local cable station was taping our ride so we are basically celebrities.

itchy hay

Little Punkins.

On The Hayride

Just a little taset of the wonder of the Wilson Farm's Haunted Hayride