Thanks again

Today I'm thankful for:
1. Pigtails (see previous post)
2. Fingerpaint fun (after school, rainy day activity today)
3. An awesome preschool teacher (I worked in the class today and had a lot of fun, even on a rainy day)
4. That Kara did okay at a friend's house today while I was at class
5. John's progress in swimming and with getting his face wet in the bathtub
6. Being able to watch the last leaves fall from the trees and knowing how much we were able to enjoy the fall season this year
7. A warm house and cozy bed
8. The time to watch the Va Tech Hokies play a football game tonight
9. My sweet kids and hubby
10. And even for a rainy day to help make me slow down and appreciate the fun we can have indoors too.

I don't know if I'll make these "thankful" posts a regular thing, as I know several other bloggers do, but I do enjoy taking the time to think about the many things I am thankful for, especially during this time of year.

Pigtails

Oh my goodness!! Pigtails are about the cutest thing on the planet! After talking with our playgroup moms last week about putting their girls' hair into pigtails, I finally today had the opportunity to give it a try on Kara. I'd been waiting until her mood was just right and today was it. I gave the kids a pre-dinner bath, so while her hair was wet and she was in a good mood, I gave it a try. It was surprisingly easy and she looks absolutely adorable! As many of you know she's got some kooky curly hair to start with, so her pigtails just turned into a string of curls on either side of her head. We're so used to seeing her with her hair down, it looks a little funny to us, but I just can't get over how cute it is. And it keeps her hair out of her face. She's had them in for almost an hour and a half now and hasn't even tried to pull them out yet! I see me trying this again VERY soon. Like maybe tomorrow. :-)

Pics will come soon

By the way, in case you were wondering, my recent posts have not included pictures. And I will begin posting with pictures again soon, I promise. Right now we're still in the process of switching everything over to the laptop and I'm doing most of my posts from the laptop, but the pictures are still on the old pc. So, I apologize for all the text without any good photos to go with it, but that will change soon, I hope! Thanks for your patience!

Playing Games

While I type this, the kids and Matt are playing a whole variety of board games. John is mostly directing the situation, with Kara following along with his directions and Matt is alternating participation with a little football watching. It's a very cute scene on a quiet weekend for us. John came down with a seemingly random fever yesterday and Matt isn't feeling well either. Only Kara and I are healthy (so far). We had a nice early dinner and the kids have had a lot of fun pulling games out of our big game cabinet and playing each one before putting it away and selecting a new one. John's definitely in charge - picking out games that will be easy for Kara to play, doing the set up, and helping her take turns and play the game. Kara has actually won several times and they've both been having a lot of fun. It's very special family time.

Before the kids were born, Matt and I spent many nights together playing games of our own, card games and board games. It was a lot of fun and we really enjoyed it. So now the kids are starting to reach the age where we can do it all together. I look forward to many evenings ahead when we can play games together as a family. Very special stuff.

Friday Morning

So this morning we're all up nice and early. Yea...or not. We've been enjoying some relatively slow and relaxed mornings this week as the weather has been dreary and wet and we've been light on morning plans. This morning we're heading out in a bit to get John a haircut before our family portraits tomorrow and then to the grocery store to pick up some milk (we're bone dry - major problem around here).

While we're waiting the kids are fighting about what game to play and whether or not Kara will be able to be included. She's to the age now where she's not quite old enough to play most of our games, but she REALLY wants to be allowed to play. And being Mommy's "teammate" isn't quite cutting it anymore. She got the Goodnight Moon game for her birthday from her great-aunt and that's helped a lot. But it's not always what John's willing to play. So, the battles and frustrations have already started for today.

Thank goodness the weather has improved so we will definitely get outside for some playtime today. It's going to be 72 degrees here today! We have windows and doors open already and we're wearing short sleeved shirts. Is it really November?

Yes, it is November because I'm already starting the deliberations and search for Christmas presents. It's definitely the year that Kara will get a play kitchen, but finding the right one - that's tricky. There's size, space, features, cost, accessories, and more to consider! I never realized how hard it would be to make this decision! And I haven't really thought too much yet about what John's going to want. Oy vay!!

TGIF....Have a great Friday and great weekend!!

Thankful for...

This morning I'm thinking about a few things I'm thankful for...
1. COFFEE!! :-)
2. John and Kara
3. rainy fall days
4. slow mornings in our pjs
5. good friends, new and old
6. my 2 year old who can blow her own nose! wow!

Just thought I'd share a few random thoughts this morning. Life is pretty good.

Yummy

First let me say that I realized in the midst of the election results process last night that I hadn't posted anything to the blog in almost a week! Yikes! I'd gotten myself onto a regular schedule with it and then with Halloween and the election, I'd clearly gotten way off course. So, for that, I do apologize.

So now I want to write about how funny Kara was tonight during dinner. Matt was delayed at work, so it was just me and the kids and I had made a falafel casserole with cucumbers and pita bread on the side. It was mainly something I thought Matt and I would enjoy and I figured if the kids at least tried it I'd be happy. John was skeptical, but not nearly as objectional as usual. He did try it, but didn't eat much. Kara scooped it right up and declared it "Yummy" or more realistically it was "Nummy." She ate and ate and ate it up. MUCH to my surprise! And given the nice high fiber count in that meal, I was thrilled that she enjoyed it so much. Yeah! Mommy did something right in the meal category. Now if I can just do that again tomorrow. Or at least some day in the not too distant future....