Ironic

Neve: Mom, KIERA IS COLORING IN ONE OF NANA'S BOOKS!
Me: Oh, shoot. Kiera....where are you. Did you really color in THAT book?
Kiera: No, mommy. I didn't do it.



Luckily it was pencil.

Merry Christmas

Second Annual Nutcracker Ballet trip

Thanks Nana and Papa for a great afternoon and lots of great memories. I am ready for Christmas now.

Kiera's Ballet show

I don't think I have ever been angrier at one of my children before. In the nine years since Maren was born, we have yet to spank one of our children. That almost ended on Wednesday.



In the above photo see if you can spot Kiera and I along the wall on the right.

Wednesday was Parent Observation day at Ballet. This only happens once a YEAR. All the parents are allowed into the classroom for a special treat. Kiera refused. Outright. She just wasn't having any of it. Granted, she woke up with a bit of a cold that day, but really. I asked her to just participate in one thing. Please, just the arabesque. Oh, how about bourre. Just show Mommy you learned to passe. Denied.



I promised her the world. I will buy you Pokemon cards, take you to McDonalds, buy you a barbie. Refusal.



I threatened the world. No treats after dance. I will call Santa and tell him not to bring you any toys. I might even take your special blankie and cut it up into little pieces. And then throw them away in the outside garbage. Can you see my level of frustration growing? I am resorting to threats of mutilation.

At the end of the class the teacher gives each dancer a stamp on the hand. That is when she decided to participate. Oh, no you didn't. I pulled her out of there so quick her head was spinning.

And then we had a few choice words in the car. What am I going to do with that girl?

The video footage is sorely lacking (all three seconds of it), but you'll get the idea. Kiera, all 'no go'. All the other cute little 3 year olds prancing about for their parents...

Nativity Duet

We had our church party last weekend, and Neve and Maren were asked to sing together on one verse of the Nativity Song. They loved practicing together and did a nice job that night, despite all the chaos. Sixty kids on stage with costumes makes for some high drama! I love Christmas time. Now excuse me, I need to go make some more toffee.

belated piano recital

Neve had her first recital last month and in the crazyness of it all I never posted the performance. Maren was up first and then Neve. Alas, the camera battery died about halfway through the song. She did amazingly and wasn't nervous at all. Way to go, girls.

My morning didn't start out so well...

It is interesting the thoughts that run through your head when you realize someone is going to plow into you and there is nothing you can do about it.

1. Sure am glad we are all buckled in.
2. Sure am glad it is Thursday and we don't have anywhere we HAVE to be today.
3. That trip to Target for the last of the envelopes for my Christmas cards will have to wait until another day

Yes, Kiera and I are just fine. And, no it wasn't my fault.

Thanks to my girlfriend Jenny who happened upon us and gave us a ride home so we didn't have to do the perp ride.

Do you think they will be able to fix it?

Conversations

Tonight Kiera had to pee in the middle of dinner, like she does almost every night. Upon preparing to mount the toilet seat, she paused and said, "I wish I could do it like a boy. It would be easier."

Can't do anything about that, but at least her daddy's been trained to always leave the seat down.

Marathon runner in training

Today when we rode to school for the second time (First trip: Maren, Second Trip: Neve) today Kiera was as usual, in her pajamas and sans shoes. After we dropped Neve off Kiera refused to get back into the bike trailer for the ride home. She insisted that she was going to run. Now, remember, we DO live pretty close to school, but not THAT close. I just checked and the distance is .8 miles. So I let her start out thinking she will get 100 yards into it and ask to climb back in the bike trailer. No way. She ran the whole way. Ok, she had to stop for a rest a few times on the way home, but always started back up with a OK, Mom. Let's go!



I got some strange looks on the way home. Strange you think? Me on my bike with my empty bike trailer and my three year old running barefoot beside me. Why would you want to ride in this chariot when you can run all the way home? Yes, I did make her reenact the run for the photo. She didn't mind at all.



Those were some cold, dirty feet.

Thankful

We had such a nice Thanksgiving weekend. November was a little crazy, so I am thankful it is over. December will be better, right?

The actual dinner was fantastic, of course. Only I didn't want to know that the out of this world rolls had 160 calories each (Thanks, Corey). At least I only had 2. Clay had 6 (um, yeah 920 calories on bread) Good thing he is a skinny boy, right?

Toward the end of the long week off of school I convinced the family to trespass on a beautiful orchard for some family photos (minus Jacob and Jayne and the kids...we missed you guys).















Here's to thinking December will be less busy. Is that possible?

Maren's Ninth Birthday Party

Why is it that when ever you plan a birthday party at your house, something has to go wrong? It really isn't true. Just this time. It hadn't rained here since February, but the first drops of the deluge began on Saturday morning and didn't end until Sunday. Just in time for the outdoor party. And did I mention that we had 25 kids? Why do I do these things?

At least the food turned out well. I think the brains were the favorite menu item.




The other menu items were purple and orange kettle corn, salty bones, severed monster toes, witches fingers, cheesy witches slop with bat wings and boogers on a stick. (I am pretty sure these were the least favorite). We followed this feast up making our own dessert. The kids decorated in such creative and spooky ways to make their creepcakes. I loved them.





The after dinner activities included a visit to the Dr. Callaway's Scientific Laboratory where they got to feel bat wings, skin, brains, human eyeballs and witches eyeballs. The finale was a trip to the Haunted Garage. We planned to have this spook alley outside in the backyard, but the rain forced a morph. It turned out fabulously creepy and with the help of uncle Josh and Papa, we really scared those partygoers.

Then we (meaning all the grownups at the party) were ready for some peace and quiet, and started the Hocus Pocus movie, hoping and praying for them to sit and watch the through the entire length. And they did. Yahoo!

We sang happy birthday and cut the cake. It was deliciously creeptacular.



Yeah. It took a lot of time to make this cake. Yeah, I know. I could have done something much more productive. But I love it. This may be my favorite cake ever, even though it was structurally unsound.

All in all it was a good, but crazy and noisy party. I can't believe it has been 9 years since my firstborn joined our family. She is turning out to be a pretty amazing little girl. Happy Birthday, MG.

High on a Mountaintop

Clay today. Britt wanted to post a few photos of the recent dirt bike trip to Tahoe that I was invited on. This is most of the group.



View from a fire tower we rode up to.






The good news is that I won the contest to not have to share a bunk the night we spent in John's camper in a Wal-mart parking lot. The bad news is that I had a crash on the second day. I have an MRI today to determine the extent of the damage to the posterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament in my right knee.

Update: The PCL is badly damaged. No surgery though, since surgery to reconstruct the PCL is usually not successful. So 4-6 weeks of rehab and a brace for all activities will get me back in action at 90-95% of what my knee was. I asked the doctor if we could get that a little higher since my knee wasn't that good at 100%. He just laughed a laugh that said, "Cha-ching, this guy is gonna be a repeat customer."

Going Voting

Yea, I voted. It was SO nice to be able to walk in, get my ballot, and vote in under 10 minutes. They sure know how to do at least one thing right in California. No 3 hour wait with Kiera in the stroller for me. No siree!

Kiera and I went right after her gymnastics class. We were driving in the car and she asked if we were going straight home (we usually run errands). I said that we were going to go vote. Then she said that she needed to go home and get her live jacket. I thought and thought and couldn't figure out what she meant...

Me: You need your LIVE JACKET?
Kiera: Yup, my LIVE jacket.
Me: What do you need a Live jacket for?
Kiera: Well when the boat goes fast, you HAVE to wear your LIVE jacket.
Me: Oh, Oh, Oh! You thought we were going to go boating, not voting. Oh dear, this won't be nearly as fun.

If you haven't voted or boated please try to do so today, the latter might be a bit chilly. Don't forget your live jacket.

Getting Spooky

I am getting so excited for Halloween+Maren's birthday party this weekend.






The kids have been helping me get the house spookified and loving it. I think the consensus on the funnest project this year was the glittered bones featured above. You wouldn't believe the amount of glitter it takes to cover a small skeleton!



We are almost ready to boo!

Roasted Creamy Tomato Soup

At a friend's house last week, I was greeted by the most amazing smell. She was roasting tomatos, onions, garlic and basil in olive oil for dinner. Swoon. I had to be a follower and try it myself the very next night. Roast. Blend. Add heavy cream. Enjoy.