We had a really fun, whirl wind of a last two weeks.
Taylor danced in the nutcracker at Weber from the 18th-22nd. It was a great experience. I went with her and helped out behind the scenes doing makeup and chaperoning. I got really good at painting faces like solders and buffoons! I also became an expert at buns, taking out curlers, costume changes, and touching up lipstick! We learned a lot of fun games like "Here comes Sally Walker" and "Elevate Your Body" Taylor and I will have to teach everyone. If I can remember, I thought I would never get it out of my head after how many times they sang it and played the game, but a few weeks go by and a 30 year old mind forgets more than you would think.
We had a really great Thanksgiving. We went to the Trump's and it was decorated so cute. Little oreo cookie turkey's, so cute! The kids had fun in the yard, I don't know how they can stand the cold though! My Dad took down the swings for the winter and we were all talking about how he should have left them up, at least till after thanksgiving. Poor kids. Then we all joked and laughed, as we realized the kids were all playing just fine, and in fact better than usual, because they weren't all bugging us to come push them on the swings! So thanks Dad we know you did it for us-right!:) We played with my parents new i macs, played the Great Dalmuti, the guys went and hit a bucket of balls, while the women got hooked on a 1500 piece puzzle, talked quilting with Grandma Cram, and then we moved on to crash the Mayfield's Thanksgiving party. At the Mayfield's we had a lot of fun and got hooked on fuse ball and another puzzle! Even Chris enjoyed puzzles this year, a break through in puzzle history. We got home so late that we slept till 10:45 the next morning. We never do that, and even the kids slept in!
We got our Christmas tree and bought a bunch of new decorations. Every year we think we are set on decorations, and then we get these brillant but crazy ideas, and end up buying all new decorations. Any way it does look really good, even if I do say so myself. Getting the tree in the stand was quite a trick! I've never seen such a fat tree trunk in all my years. We had to saw off all the "nubbies," we had fun saying "Nubbies" all night. Someone would say it and we would all laugh, and say it again and laugh. Try it! Say "Nubbies" it's such a silly word! The tree is tilted funny because of it's freaking "Nubbies" and because it's too fat for the stand. I have no idea if there is even a bigger stand to buy. We also have about every tree stand possible after all our years of trees, because sometimes we do more than one or the type of tree is different... oh well I guess everything can't be perfect!
Speaking of perfect, putting on the lights was as far from perfect as it gets! I do the lights every year, because Chris says I'm sooooo good at it! But I wonder...? I was watching a Christmas movie and had the lights almost done on the tree when, POOF, all the lights go out but one strand at the bottom. I just about started crying, as it had been an hour of light stringing and kids anxious to decorate. It's like finding a needle in a hay stack! But with Chris' help and much frustration, and about 12 fuses later, 1 broken light bulb, a cut toe, 2 screwdrivers, 1 pair of pliers, and 3 fixes, and 3 more POOFS, 1 extension cord, and 3 almost crys, 2 massive headaches, and 3 kids running wild we fixed it! PHEW!!!
Moving on,
Taylor was asking about death and we were answering her questions. Then she said "Will my bones turn into fossils?" We thought that was cute. Taylor has also acquired her own bathroom time. I guess she's at that age.
Brooke had been spreading this white stuff all around the house. I couldn't figure out what it was or where she was getting it from. It looked like she had chewed up paper and spit it out all over. But it was hard as a rock and not wet, so I confronted her about this and she said: "Oh, Mom, that's just my play dough from Halloween! It turned to metal!" I laugh a lot as you may have noticed!
Presley got babysat all by herself, because she was too young to attend the Nutcracker. It was the first time she's ever been babysat without her sisters. She went to my neighbors house who has a little girl her same age, that Presley is good friends with. Presley could hardly contain her excitement to go to Laura's house (her friend) for the night! When I went to pick her up my neighbor said: "I have to tell you a funny thing that happened while you were gone. Presley walked out the front door and started walking to your house. I followed her and asked her where she was going. She told me she was going home to go potty, and that she would be right back. I tried to explain that you were gone and the house was locked but she got really upset. She sat on my couch for a half hour with little sobs as she was trying to hold it until you came home. I finally picked her up and took her to the bathroom, but we didn't quite make it! So thanks for the extra undies!" I thought that was cute that she wanted to go home to go potty!
Presley is very particular about who helps her go potty! She hates anyone to see her naked. This is really good, but can make for other troubles.
Chris and I are doing well. I'm a little stressed about the holiday coming up, but that's nothing new! It seems I always have stress as Chris has recently pointed out to me, so I'm working on that! Chris is grateful to have a seemingly secure job at the Church in this time of recession, as am I. We're both enjoying the low gas prices! I saw twighlight and was disappointed. Chris played x box a lot. I cleaned a lot. We ate chicken a lot. Oh and we were on time to church for the first time in about 3 years. We're feeling pretty good about that one! Celebrated Grandpa Norm's 60th Birthday, it was sweet and fun! We shared memories of Dad-I'll have to post our poem later! Mostly, we have felt blessed and happy in these past weeks of Thanksgiving! I'm grateful we have each other to bolster one another up in our times of need-thanks Chris!
And that's a big peek at our week(s):)
