Been A Long Time

So where was I?  Oh, yeah. Thanksgiving.  We went to MomMom's house.  Uncle Mike's family was there as well as Uncle Scott and Uncle Bryan.  The kids had fun playing and we celebrated Uncle Mike's birthday at Chuck E Cheese again. 

We went to the Evansville Children's Museum.  It was really quite nice, they had a traveling exhibit for the Magic Tree House books, which Bubba loves, so it was fun to play out the story themselves.

 

 

 

 

So, What else.  December.  I'll let the pictures do the talking (since I'm having a hard time remembering!)

 

Pictures with Santa at school, Huck would not even go near him



Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer watching party

 

 

 

Pictures with Santa at school, Huck would have NOTHING to do with him!

Cookie decorating, we started a tradition of delivering homemade treat to some of out neighbors.
 Hope the neighbors like sprinkles!

Christmas Eve

 

Headed to church

 

cookies for Santa

 

sleep over in Mom and Dad's room!

His most favorite gift, we couldn't get him to come out to open any other gifts!

 

A BIG bike!

 

Barbie Dream house, I'm a little jealous

 

He was mad we made him get out of the car...

Dressed himself to go outside, Daddy's shoes, Mommy's scarf

New covers for his toddler bed!

A surprise snowstorm the day after Christmas, Huck was not too thrilled with it.  Too cold!

 

Bubba, on the other hand, loved it.  He played outside for a long time with one of our new neighbors.

 

Dutch was kind of in the middle.  She did not like the cold but did not want to be left out
of the fun Bubba and the neighbor were having.

One supper exciting thing that happened the end of the month was that we had TWO new families move in, one right next door and one across the street.  Both families have 2 kids each, 8 year-old daughters and 3-4 year-old sons.  And one has a baby on the way :-)  So, so, so very happy to have kids close by!  It is so fun for the kids to be able to just go knock on the door to see if the kids want to come out and play.  So far everyone as gotten along well even though the genders/ ages don't match up with my kids.  

 

 

 

 

Halloween

Wrote this long ago but never published because I was waiting to add pictures...  Only a few added but putting it up anyway!

So much to catch up on!  Let's start with the Cub Scout Camp Out.  The last weekend in October Bubba and The Hubby set out for Caddo Lake State Park for a weekend of camping.  They rode out with two other families, buddies from school and their dads.  They report that they had a great time despite the freezing weather!  The temps dropped into the mid-thirties at night and the tents were pretty chilly.  Sat afternoon they all went on a steamboat tour and got a turn driving the boat.  There was a pumpkin carving contest, s'mores over the fire and skits for the pack. 
We left at home started Saturday morning at the doctor's office as Huck had an ear infection.  After, went to the school's Fall Festival.  The weather was beautiful in the sun!  It was nice for Duch to get a little more focused attention. 

Then came Halloween!  It was extra special because Grandma with the Spiky Hair arrived that day.  Duch started her day with a costume parade around the school.  Kindergartners are the only ones allowed to wear costumes! She was a mermaid.  Grandma went up to school with me in the afternoon to pass out treat bags for Bubba's class.  After school we were off to ballet.  Miss Amanda had taught them a special Halloween dance and they were allowed to wear costumes.  Dutch could not dance in her mermaid costume so she chose to wear her costume from her dance recital the year before.  Then we were home for dinner and to get ready for trick-or-treating.  Huck loved it...until he saw his first scary costume... Then he was done!  The Hubby took the kids up and down our street and then called it a night.

While Grandma was here we went to the Sea Life aquarium.  It was pretty cool.  We learned lots about sharks and sea turtles.

We had parent teacher conferences for the big kids.  Both got good reports.  Bubba is reading like a 3rd grader, which is no surprise.  He is doing well in math and science.  If there is anything to work on it is handwriting and spelling.   Oh, and not talking to his neighbors.  I'm pretty sure my mom could have gotten the exact same report from my teacher 30 years ago.  Ms.Jenkins said Bubba is one of her star students.   His special job is pencil sharpening :-).
 Dutch is also doing well. She is reading some on her own.  She has read several books with me needing only minimal help.  Her teacher told us that she has taken a special interest in one girl in her class, Vivienne.  She is Burmese and is a limited English speaker.  Miss Holford told us Dutch takes a lot of responsibility to help Vivienne with her work, to play with her at recess and to help her move around the building.  We have been encouraging Dutch to ask Vivienne to teach her some words in her language.  We are very proud of both kiddos.

We are off to MomMom's house on Wednesday for Thanksgiving.  All my brothers, sister-in-law and nephews will be there!