Being Thankful

Every November I try to do something turkey with the kids, usually hand turkey variations. This year I started the hand turkeys but they are now taped to the side of my entertainment system, glued on top of each other for easier growth reference next year when I do it again. My next project was a fall cake: yellow cake with some food coloring to make layers, but the layers were barely different colors; at least I decorated the top really cute with a turkey design. What I did do was coffee filter tie-dye turkeys. We colored a folded coffee filter with markers then ran water over them so the colors would run. To make them extra special I wrote on top of them a few things we were each grateful for.

Laura, I'm thankful for Mommy, Daddy, food, and music

Robin, I'm thankful for Daddy, food, and movies (her words)

Jacob, I'm thankful for being born, the swing, and chocolate milk (his words :) )

Matt, I'm thankful for wife, kids, and having a job

Kim, I'm thankful for snuggles, sleep, and desserts

Laura has started to get grumpy and I can only hope that it is teething. She is such a squishy, lovable child and her giggle always brings a smile to my face, I could just kiss on her all day. Just a couple of weeks ago she started to walk, yeah! Every time she falls she gets so frustrated, I wish I could help her, but she just have to practice. Lately she has been trying to talk more. It is fun to pretend to have a conversation with her while she babbles :)

It feels like this month Robin has started to ask a million questions and every one starts with why. Many times she asks the same question multiple time and after a while I just tell her to stop talked because the words coming out of my mouth aren't reaching her ears. Robin loves to smile and is always trying to get in more playing.

Jacob, oh Jacob, he is such a good brother and then at the same time he gets too rough and he is oh so sensitive. He loves to be helpful and right in the middle of projects whether it is handing your the materials or mixing something together. I know that he is smart and I also know that he doesn't like to share his knowledge with me even if I ask him a question. This boy likes to surprise you with what he can do/knows.

 This is my family and I love them very much. At times they try my patience and keep me on my toes, but they are the main reason I get up in the morning and do everything that I do. They are my friends and keep me no matter how many grumpy faces I make at them.

what i have been doing since matt left: day 3 &4

DAY THREE: The day started with my girl joining me in bed and somehow sleeping through all of the wiggles. I know for a fact that Robin elbowed Laura at least a half dozen times, but she slept. The bear slept with me every night so that I could subconsciously say there was someone in the bed with me (I don't like sleeping alone) and the sheet is to keep the fuzzes from the bear off the bed. 

Our activity for the day was to color Halloween pictures. Robin was the only one who got into it though Laura did play with the crayons and put a few marks on her page. Mine is the other picture shown and I spent a lot longer coloring than Robin did.

DAY FOUR: It looks like we did a lot, but really each thing lasted for 10-30 minutes so there was plenty of time just sitting around. The kids decided to become superheros shortly after waking up, so pictured we have Spider-Robin and Wolver-Jacob. Robin wasn't very happy because Jacob kept attacking her and she wasn't up for that much playing so early in her day.

Our next activity was to paint, on card stock this time. I pulled out all the colors we had, put them on a paper plate for them, then let them go. Robin used lots of paint and Jacob just sponged some circles. It didn't take long for them both to revert to painting themselves and trying for hand prints  but they didn't get enough paint for that and simply colored their hands. Luckily they didn't get too much on their clothes or on the tarp though I am glad I put that down anyway. Pictured below is their finished projects.

 The third activity was some balloon volleyball. They decided that this would work best with oven mitt then proceeded to see how long they could keep the balloon in the air.

 And of course there was Halloween which i don't have pictured. Everyone was excited for trick-or-treating and the pumpkin buckets came home half full each. We brought along a stroller for the smallest kids (went trick or treating with my sister, Stefanie) and of course Jacob and Robin wanted a free ride to each house, so of course fit ensued. For about ten minutes Jacob refused to participate in candy getting because a dog scared him, but I wouldn't let him sulk the rest of the night so shoved him up to the next house which got him going again.