Thanksgiving Recap and Christmas Preparation

Thanksgiving was a wonderful time for us. We got to visit lots of family and eat lot of food. The children really enjoyed seeing all of their grandparents. My parents had a surprise. They had redone their living room with new carpet and paint. It looks fabulous.

Beka and Jared have been ready to decorate this house for Christmas since Halloween. I put them off and said we were not going to decorate until after Thanksgiving. I did give in a little and let them make posters for their walls. Well, we arrived back at our house the Saturday after Thanksgiving and I somehow managed to hold them off until Monday. The tree is now up and decorated. They have garland hanging in their rooms. We need to get some of those cling things for the windows yet. But I think we have made a great start.

Beka is already discussing what kind of cookies Santa needs for a snack. It should be an interesting Christmas. Beka talking about Santa's snack reminds me of one year when I was a kid, my wonderful Aunt Sherry mentioned to my brother and I that the reindeer needed a snack too. Of course, we were then on a mission. The reindeer had to have a snack. Aunt Sherry brought over feed corn on Christmas Eve and told us it was for the reindeer. My brother and I sprinkled a full coffee can of corn all over our patio. I still don't know what happened to all of it by morning but it was gone just as if the reindeer had eaten it.

Snow and forts

Today winter officially started in Illinois in my opinion.  We woke up to snow flurries that continued off and on all day.  Nothing accumulated, but it was enough for me to decided that winter is here.  The kids were overly excited when they discovered it was snowing.  They really wanted to go outside, so out we went.

Jared decided this afternoon to build a fort out of some old cushions in the basement.  He declared that he had a garage door and front door.  He played down there for a very long time.

On a side note, when did my daughter decide she was going to be all girl?  Beka has always been into princesses and dress-up, but she could also play in the mud and get dirty.  Over the last two weeks that has all changed.  Now she only wants to wear dresses and doesn't want to get dirty.  I am not ready for this, but I want her to be herself.  So....I guess I should buy some more dresses.
 

STOMP

Tonight, the family watched a DVD of the Broadway show STOMP. This show is the percussion team that uses ordinary things, such as trash cans, as instruments. It is highly entertaining. All of us enjoyed it. But Jared loved it. He would sit and watch the show for awhile and then all of the sudden....I. MUST. MOVE. He would get up shake his little tush, jump around, dance, wiggle, or whatever else he could do to move with the beat. Jared really could not just sit there and listen to the sounds he had to experience it. It was so cool to watch. But the best part had to be when the show went off. Everyone was inspired. All the instruments in the house (drum, tamborine, maracas, walls, bowls, etc.) came out to be played with. You name it; it was beat on tonight. Even Daddy got into the act. I just sat back and enjoyed the show. It is so wonderful to be a family.

Apple Blossom Farm

We took the kids to Apple Blossom Farm recently.  It is a place that has a petting zoo, pumpkins, monster truck rides, and a giant slide.  They also have a corn maze.  The place is really fun to visit in the fall.
 
 
  Andrew made me do it.  That is my only excuse.  
 
      

I have to say Andrew was a completely grossed out by feeding the goats.  He kept asking for the wipes to wipe all the goat slobber off his hand.  It was funny.  It is always so great when we take time to be a family together.