December 10, 2017

  When I got on Facebook today it reminded me that I posted this picture six years ago:

 These are the pictures I took this morning:

My life has done a 360.

 Usually I really dread spelling bee day.  But Ryan is so confident and laid back, I knew that he'd be fine with whatever happened.  Also, Jeff went to watch while I stayed with Brynn.  I'm much less nervous getting a play-by-play through text than watching it in person.  

 Erik asked me earlier this week if I would teach him how to bake.  We started with brownies.  I think this will actually be good for him.  He's a very cautious boy.  Baking required him to get his hands dirty (cracking eggs) and be aggressive (stirring the batter vigorously).

 My view for the third time this week.  I'm in the drive-up at the pharmacy.  Three kids with strep throat, three different days.

  Sometimes giving Brynn my phone at church is a good way to entertain her.  She'll probably take some random pictures and she might figure out how to start the music and play loud Christmas music in the middle of Sunday school.  It's worth it.

December 3, 2017

 THIS IS A STUBBORN BABY.  Why won't she eat baby food?  Not even bananas.  She's figured out that she can't smile or cry with her mouth open when I'm trying to feed her or I'll sneak food in.  

 It's no secret that I don't love Cub Scouts.  But my boys like it, so I play along.  Maybe I shouldn't play along so enthusiastically when there's a chance that someone will take a really awesome picture of me doing one of the lame cheers.  I think I was climbing a coconut tree.

  Now that she can crawl, she has found all kinds of new and exciting places around the house.  Like the piano.  She's been stuck under the bench a few times.

 Christmas Story Monopoly.  I think Sydney was losing. There was a really annoying song that went along with her losing, but I won't post it.

  Bailey taking the break in her soccer game seriously.  I have a feeling this will be her one and only season of soccer.

  I feel like we were the last people I know to decorate our Christmas tree this year.  The first day back from the Thanksgiving break Ryan said that he was the only one in his class that didn't have their tree up yet.  It's only December 3rd.  Sheesh.

November 26, 2017

 Happy Birthday to this guy.  We were lucky to have a lot of his family in town to celebrate with us.  We're used to getting a table for two, plus a highchair, so waiting for a table for twelve to open up at the restaurant tested our patience.  But dinner was fun and delicious.  Also, I'm terrible at group photos.  The unblurry ones didn't even have the birthday boy in them, so here are all the people we were with, photographed separately.

  Wednesday was pie day.  Everyone but Shelbi, Sydney, Brynn, and I went to the movies this afternoon.  We stayed home for a pie-making bonanza.  Four Foster chocolate, 1 pudding chocolate, 2 apple, 1 cherry, 1 banana cream, 1 peach, and 1 pumpkin.  That's almost a pie per person.  Sounds about right.

  Thanksgiving is definitely in the running as my favorite holiday.  The best food for lunch, usually a nap in the afternoon, and pie to end things off.

The obligatory kids' table.  I adore the centerpiece and banner Bailey made for decorations.

 My dishes helper.  And doctor who glued my fingertip back together after an incident with the potato peeler.

  The kids couldn't fathom a Thanksgiving without High Stakes Bingo, so I put the older girls in charge of it.  For sure another successful year.  Except me.  I won zero times.

  Friday was about as beautiful a day as you can get in late November.  I forced the kids outside to enjoy it.  

 Late Saturday night we found Ryan's can cozy on the kitchen counter, among the left-out card games and dishes.  Surely Ryan didn't realize that's where he left it.  Jeff relocated it, to test Ryan's can cozy radar.  When lunch came around today and Ryan was ready for his soda, he came right to the spot on the kitchen counter where it was left out.  He really does keep track of it better than any other possession.

   I commemorated the beginning of the Christmas season today with my Elf shirt and Christmas Legos.  It's a magical time.

Some bonus photos, because how could I not.

November 19, 2017

My dinner at 9:00 P.M.  It was that kind of day.

 The school Thanksgiving lunches were this week.  Parents are invited to eat with their kids.  My kids had the traditional Thanksgiving food of McDonalds and Chick-Fil-A.  They may as well have served Chick-Fil-A in the middle school cafeteria; that's what 80% of the kids were eating.  I felt kind of bad for the lunch ladies who had spent their morning making turkey and stuffing.

A fly kept landing on his head while he tried to nap.

A new trick?

  We don't have huge trees to drop leaves, but we can still make our boys help with the raking.

  Bailey playing Peppa Pig.  They were taking a school field trip to the Pilgrim Village.  Sometimes I want Bailey's life.

  Let the fun begin!  Many of Jeff's family are coming to Texas for Thanksgiving.  Ellen and Rich were the first to arrive today.  

Sunday night Dance Party got a little weird tonight.

November 12, 2017

 If Texas is going to insist on 80 degree weather in November, I'm going to have to fake Fall.  Apple cider and homemade donuts for dessert tonight.  Not quite as good as the donuts and cider we used to get from the orchard in Michigan, but we've been gone long enough to not really remember what we're missing.

She was so proud that she did her doll's pigtails herself.

  The older girls both played for Young Women in Excellence tonight.  Sydney had a lovely assistant.

  Bailey went from one activity to the next today.  I was the chauffeur.  This is after one of the birthday parties.

  Sunday night shenanigans.  Ryan and Bailey having a stuffed animal war and Brynn in the Dome of Doom, made by Ryan.

November 5, 2017

  We nearly forgot to carve pumpkins this year.  It wasn't easy to find them the day before Halloween.  Jeff had to work tonight, but luckily the kids all did their own pumpkins.  Even Erik, even the guts inside.  That's a first.

  All ready for trick-or-treating.  Erik (a stick figure man) and Sydney (a girl in pajamas?) had already left with friends.  

  My parents were here tonight, passing through on their way back home from Fort Worth.  Grandpa's lap is just what Brynnie needed after a night of trick-or-treating.

Fresh from her morning bath, especially jolly and squishy

  A couple of years ago we took off for Oklahoma City for my birthday for a few days.  It was awesome.  We tried to convince the kids to do it again, but they didn't want to miss school.  Something about some important tests.  Whatever.  I guess if we had been in Oklahoma City, Shelbi couldn't have taken this really good picture of me.  Reminds me of another birthday...

  If I can't be out of town for my birthday, at least I can try to milk it for as many days as possible.  One of my favorite things to do is go out for breakfast, at Cracker Barrel specifically.  I always get the French toast breakfast, with oj and hot chocolate.

  This little girl has been asking me to roast our pumpkin seeds since we carved them on Monday. I finally got to it tonight.  I've never done it before.  None of my kids have ever asked.  They weren't so bad.

  Return of the after dinner dance party, brought to you by Alexa and Newsies.