monday thoughts

1. I can see my breath in my house. Brrr.
2. I love that the kids are back in school, but I hate being back in a routine.
3. I want a Christmas tree.
4. I loved Harry Potter 7 more than I can even say.
5. I'm glad the sun is out.
6. My hands hurt.
7. I don't know what to feed Z for lunch.
8. It's Advent. Hooray.
9. I love stocking hats.
10. I need to vacuum under my couch cushions.

now listening to: what's left of the flag by flogging molly via rhapsody

advent

Love this article about Advent.

::sigh::

now listening to: we speak no americano by yolanda be cool & dcup via rhapsody

a bicycle built for 5...

We spent Saturday in the city. A started circus school (and learned how to do a bit of plate spinning along the way). We then proceeded with step 2 of our Awesome Day in the Sun which was a picnic by the lake. After the picnic, the kids wanted to rent paddle boats. Luckily, the boats were all rented out and they only seated 4 people (because honestly, pedaling 3 kids around a lake sounds kind of like a nightmare to me). We compromised and rented one of those ginormous bike surrey contraptions and pedaled around the park for an hour. Well, pedaled and pushed at one point when someone, who was navigating, missed our turnoff and we had to push it up a steep path. (They key thing in this story is that the kids weren't tall enough to help pedal, try as they might, so it was just the two of us making this enormous thing go.) We followed the "bike" ride up with some Icees and tree climbing.

It was a really, really good day.







now listening to: sesame street theme by elmo via rhapsody

it's not even december yet...

J already has his Christmas list done and hanging on the fridge. Among the items he's asking for this year are:

- Star Wars sheets
- a Star Wars sticker book
- a Star Wars poster
- an Ugly Doll
- a globe
- a Millennium Falcon that really flies
- and a little penguin statue

(A few thoughts here... a) evidently the Pottery Barn Kids catalog was open while he was writing his list, b) this kid kind of likes Star Wars and c) I have no idea what a "little penguin statue" is.)

J and I were reading "Where's Waldo" tonight (wait...is that something you can actually say you are reading?) when I noticed one of the pictures had Santa in it. I told him he had to think about what to ask Santa for this year. "Well, I already made my list" was the reply. "Yes, but Santa only brings you one thing," I countered. "But I want Santa to bring me everything!" Then the tears came. For 5-minutes. Sigh. We tried to convince him that other people would buy him gifts (hint, hint to any grandparents, aunts or uncles out there) and that Santa had far too many kids to deliver toys to, with a limited amount of space in his sleigh. "But Santa's toy bag is SO big!" How can I argue with that?

Meanwhile, A successfully cleaned her room by throwing everything into her closet and Z had reoccurring meltdowns for 2.5-hours straight, with a small break to tuck Curious George into bed (thereby looking completely adorable and helping us to remember that we actually like him.)


now listening to: i'm yours by jason mraz via rhapsody

falling back

I used to love daylight savings (in the fall at least). Then I had kids. Now it just means small children start crawling on us even earlier than normal. (And let me just say, my kids get up too early as it is.) So...today we're up at 4:30. Fun.

now listening to: viva la vida by coldplay via rhapsody

dia de los meurtos

J's class celebrated Day of the Dead on Tuesday. (Kind of appropriate that it took place on election day, given the results. That's another post, though.) Anyway...this is what it looked like at the end of the day...



now listening to: jailbird by m. ward via rhapsody

verb conjugation

Like all 5-year olds, J was asking us about verb conjugations this week. (Not that he was using that term. If he was then he would be even more brilliant than I already think he is.) Anyway, he wanted to know if he added a "t" at the end of a word to change it. Nope, we said. It's actually an "ed" and it will mean it happened in the past. Judging from the message I found on the fridge, he understood what we were saying...



now listening to: fisher of men by m. ward via rhapsody

breakfast

Today I learned that this frosting tastes fabulous on these pancakes.

(And in case you are wondering, that frosting also tastes fabulous on the cupcakes that accompany it. Seriously good. Like, eat 3 in a row good. Not that I would eat 3 in a row or anything.)

Don't forget to vote, kids.

now listening to: governator by green day via rhapsody

ugh. candy.

The Sugar Sprite came and took the kids candy last night (leaving Legos behind). Unfortunately, she is working from home today so the candy is still in the house. There are also carrot cake cupcakes. And pumpkin brownies. And yummy soup full of cream.

I need to get out of the house and go for a walk.

now listening to: i'm yours by jason mraz via rhapsody