Kids:

Random notes:

Layla got a used "Hello Kitty" alarm clock from Anja, with a radio.  She is having so much fun scrolling the dial and discovering all of the new music they can dance to.  Cora has joined her in ballet costumes, and they scroll the dial for a while to find good dancing music, dance for a bit, then go off in search of another station when a commercial comes on.  Ah, the fun of old technology.

Cora's biggest frustration in life right now (OTHER than being left out of anything, of course...) is that she does not have long hair.  She talks about this very regularly and is immensely jealous of Layla's hair.  She saw a Dora episode sometime when Dora used a magic brush to grow her hair, so now Cora regularly asks me to brush her hair, then laments that it's not long after I'm done.  I'm considering buying her a baby wig for Christmas just to make her dreams come true sooner than 5 years from now...haha.

Finn woke up with Croup on Saturday morning, but it was mild enough that he didn't even have to go to the doctor!!!  This is BIG progress for us!  He still had to have 2 doses of Decadron, and is clearly working through a cold, but I'm so delighted that this episode did NOT cost us $1,000.  :)  Wheeeee!  Hooray for growing up and maturing everything in his respiratory system!  Now, of course, this may just be a fluke and not the result of growing up...but Croup is most normal in ages 1-4, so the fact that my kids still get it at 5.5 and 7 does puzzle the doctors a bit.  Jonas and I must have given them a doozy of a genetic combo when it comes to respiratory health.  ;)

Thanksgiving 2016

It was a SMALL gathering this year!!  I can't remember the last time we all fit around the 14 person table! :)
(Well, I mean, I guess we didn't...kids were at the little table...but they don't count, right?  Haha.)

My annual contribution:  Bacon Brussels Sprouts.  

My aunt makes the best Coconut Cream Pie.
All other pie is dead to me now.

Her faces crack me up.  So intense!

And on to the cookie decorating!  Every major holiday has the frosting of the sugar cookies. 

This was the FIRST holiday where my kids could eat the cookies and the frosting.  It was not as big of a hit as I imagined it would be.  But they had loads of fun decorating, that's for sure!  

Cora had lots of fun.  Not lots of success, but lots of fun! :)

We stayed REALLY late at Mom and Dad's house.  Cora had taken a nap that afternoon (forced by us), but even so...we sort of lost our minds and stayed too late.  An hour before we left Cora was asking to go home.  When we got home all I did was pretty much put her in PJs, carry her up to bed, and she was OUT within about 30 seconds.  Poor tired girl.  I felt a little bad for keeping her up so late.  :)

Today has been such an odd day.  I slept in a little bit, and then have mostly been reading my book for book club("Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie).  I made 200 pages of progress on it so far, so that's not too shabby for a day's work.  We meet on Monday, so if I can do at least 100 pages tomorrow and Sunday I'll be good.  And I read fast, so I imagine that won't be a problem...as long as I don't have any children on those days.  So...for sure it'll be a problem, right?? 

This evening, early, we walked down to the Phalen Park to see their light show.  Every year the set it up along the driveway there, and it runs until New Year, I think!  They charge $10 for any car that wants to drive through.  Um, no.  Folks.  It's not THAT cool!  We take the cheap seats route and just walk about half of it.  Finn remembered it from last year and kept reminding me and reminding me about it this year...long before it was set up.  Last week he saw them setting it up and about lost his mind with excitement.  :)  So, tonight, we took our annual family stroll.  Finn was beside himself, excited and singing for at least half the walk.  The anticipating for this event had been lifting his spirits for days!!  It's always a great idea on the walk there, but the walk back is when I start second guessing my ideas...haha.  The wind was against us on the walk back...enough said, right?  Cora started complaining about her eyes being cold.  Layla couldn't feel her chin.  Etc., etc., etc.

So we enjoyed the lights, then went back home and made a big fire, popcorn and pizza, and told stories by the fire.  Layla had seen somewhere that people soak their feet in pots of water when they are cold, so she INSISTED that she do this.  Then Finn had to take a turn.  And Cora.  Soon water is everywhere, but feet are slightly warm, so it all worked out.  

Cora went to bed, and then we watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" on TV.  Real, live TV, with commercials.  The kids still get annoyed by those..."Hey!!! Where did the movie go???"  Oh, the bliss of a commercial free life.  

Layla doesn't have ballet tomorrow due to the holiday, so we'll have ANOTHER totally free day at home.  What will we do with all this time??? :)

Babysitting Eamon today:

The kids had the time of their LIVES today, helping me babysit Eamon.  

Layla loved feeding him (bottles are a rare thing around here).

Finn loved playing Peek-a-Boo (lots of belly laughs from Mr.E).

Cora just loves being anywhere everyone else is, doing whatever they are doing.

Too bad this child is so sad... :)

Layla was delighted that Eamon was holding her hand while she fed him.

Cora got in on the fun too, trying to take Eamon's toys away.