The Rest of November (Minus Thanksgiving...because that should have it's own post)

November 18th:  The kids didn't have any school this day or the next because they were out for Parent Teacher Conferences.  We didn't do anything particularly fun, just played at home.  We went to conferences Monday night.  Not to brag or anything, but we have really great kids who do great at school.  The teachers all said that our kids were hard workers, turned in their homework on time and were nice and helpful to their classmates.  What more could you ask for?  

November 19th:  Lydia's 11th birthday!!  Holy cow--when did she go from my cute and feisty little 3 year old to my beautiful and fun loving 11 year old?  

 At her Dora the Explorer 3rd birthday party

Since she didn't have school, I tried to do little things that would make her feel special, like making her breakfast and lunch, not making her do any chores, putting up extra pictures of her around the house, writing birthday messages on the mirrors and white boards, etc.  

In the evening, Jim and Georgia came over and we went to eat at Sweet Tomatoes for her birthday dinner.  The birthday person gets to pick where they want to eat.  We opened presents after dinner.  

 She got a camera--she's always taking pictures and videos on her itouch, so we figured a camera would be better for this little hobby.  

 some more playmobile toys

 a new calendar, and some more Nancy Drew books.

 Playing with the playmobile toys

 The birthday cake--she wanted a Texas sheet cake--I made it for the missionaries when they came over a few weeks back, and she loved it.  

Noah started being silly and was eating his ice cream with no utensils and smashing his face in it. 

 So we all laughed and he kept doing it.  

me and my Lydia Kate.

Lydia's Annual Birthday Questionnaire:

1.  What is your favorite color?  Red

2.  What is your favorite toy?  white tiger and her tan stuffed dog from when she was born

3.  what is your favorite fruit?   apple or banana

4.  What is your favorite TV show?  cooking and home decorating shows (she watches those with her Grandma Georgia)

5.  What is your favorite movie?  Addams Family

6.  What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch?  Blueberry bagel with strawberry cream cheese

7.  what is your favorite outfit?  jeans and a t-shirt with a sweater

8.  What is your favorite game?  Clue

9.  What is your favorite animal?  a cat

10.  what is your favorite snack?  hawaiian rolls with butter and grape jelly

11.  What is your favorite song?  "Don't You Want Me Baby?"  Glee version

12.  Who is your best friend?  Elise

13.  what is your favorite book?  Ella Enchanted or Nancy Drew books

14.  What is your favorite cereal?  Crispix

15.  What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Shooting her bow and arrow or shooting baskets or playing soccer

16.  What is your favorite drink?  root beer/milk/water

17.  what is your favorite holiday?  Christmas

18.  What do you like to sleep with at night?  nothing

19.  What is your favorite thing for dinner?  Salmon or sweet and sour chicken with fried rice

20.  What do you want to be when you grow up?  A good mom

November 20: Bella is such a character!  She loves wearing her winter hat around the house just because.  This day she was doing her "homework" and copying letters off of anything--from books to DVDS to signs on the wall--into her little book.  She looks pretty cozy there. 

November 22: 

When I remember, which isn't that often, I try to make Fridays, "craft days" and make something fun with the kids.  Today we decided to make turkey's.  I was just going to have them cut feathers from construction paper, put Noah really wanted to paint.  So we did.  

 He loves to paint!

I usually start the craft when it's just me and Noah, so I can give him one on one attention.  Then as the other kids get home, they can join in.  Bella and Paige each made a turkey too.

The final product is on the left.  The one on the right, he made at preschool.

Later that night we went over to Jim and Georgia's because Georgia invited us over for one last hot dog roast for the year.  Sounds fun, right? It was fun, except in was down in the 20's that night!  It was so cold--but also a lot of fun.  She made these home made jo-jo fries that were heavenly.  And she had hot cocoa with just a touch of maple in it.  It was really good.  

 For dessert, she had s'mores, but she also had these fun treats to cook in the fire.  She had sugar cones and you could add marshmallows, chocolate chips, diced bananas, butterscotch pieces and something else, but I can't remember.  Anyways, you put what you want in the cone, then wrap it in tinfoil and put it in the coals and cook for a few minutes.  It was really yummy.  

Then these crazies went hot tubbing.  You couldn't pay me money to get out of my warm coat. :)

November 23:  We had signed up to clean the church, so we did that in the morning and then came home and Garrett organized the garage and cleaned it out while the kids played outside.  I worked on organizing inside where it was warm.  That night, Garrett and I went to see "Catching Fire".  Good movie!

November 24:  Sunday.  Church, choir--we just started staying for choir last week to sing Christmas songs.  Garrett and I both like to sing, so it's good that our music lady "urged" us to stay.  We just need a little push sometimes.  :)  Maggie and Lydia were also involved in a musical number for the ward Christmas party where they were playing the bells, so they had a practice this afternoon.  Lydia volunteered and I volunteered Maggie.  Lydia loved it and Maggie thought it was boring.  Then that night, Maggie went to a Stake Choir practice because they were having a youth stake choir sing for Stake Conference in December and they weren't having a very good turn out, so I suggested that Maggie sing in it.  It was a busy Sunday.  Nothing big happened on Monday or Tuesday, but then the fun started on Wednesday--again nothing big, just getting ready for Turkey Day.