O Christmas Tree

This year we chose a very tall and thin tree, perfect for our living room. It was named "Flower Jingle Bell Snow" as soon as we brought it home.

Baby Jesus drawing

"Baby Jesus getting a toy airplane for Christmas...because it's His birthday." by Grace

Halloween lover and LOVER

The difference between Madeline and Grace with Halloween is huge. Grace loves Halloween as much as most kids, and was enthusiastic about dressing-up, trick-or-treating, and eating her candy for a day...but she moved on quickly. A week after Halloween, Grace said "Sure" after I asked her if it was okay to throw the rest of her candy away (she hadn't asked for a piece in days).

Madeline had decided on her costume last summer, and had discussed several costume possibilities for next year by the morning after Halloween. She also spent the next 3 weeks telling everyone within listening range her ideas for next year. Each day, Madeline RELENTLESSLY asked for candy and/or to go trick-or-treating again. Tired of the candy in the house (and the whining and crying), I slowly threw all the candy away. Madeline threw a proper 2 year-old tantrum when she realized the candy was gone.

Thanksgiving

We spent a warm Thanksgiving week in Corpus Christi with family, filled with constant activities. After running around until dark with their cousins, the girls played board games and Wii until bed. Grace was very proud of the 2 trout she caught, and named them Snake and Snail. An arctic cold front on Thanksgiving night made it feel more like the holidays.

Sensitive morning

After breakfast this morning, Grace left the table mad at Sam because he made a joke that she didn't think was funny. When I went into her room a few minutes later, she was sitting on her bed playing with a wooden puzzle. She told me, "I'm furious at Daddy." "Really?" I said. "Yes. I'm furious at him." After a big pause she shook her head and said, "If he keeps this up...I just don't know if I can marry him." After we all started laughing at her she was his best friend again.

Visit from Lovie

We had a few days of perfect weather after Halloween to be out playing with Lovie.

Halloween

This year they wanted to coordinate their costumes, and since Madeline has been insisting on being a bumble bee since June, Grace dressed as a butterfly and Charlotte was a dragonfly...all with a girlie flair, of course. Grace and Madeline each designed their own jack-o-lanterns, and Grace was able to do most of the carving on hers. Our biggest treat was having Lovie, dressed as a cowgirl, over for the day.
Grace understood this year that speed means more houses, which means more candy, so she lead the way. Madeline followed pretty close, and Charlotte was just happy to be along. She would come down each walkway laughing, even though she was too shy at most homes to even get candy. Madeline was traumatized after reaching into a candy bowl with a motion-sensored skeleton hand protecting it.