It Ain't Mr. Roger's Neighborhood

Ah yes, we all have that neighbor.

When we do Christmas with my side of the family, it's become an annual tradition to walk down and see the Santa Babes (aka the Ho-Ho-Hos). Some of us go thinking it was all a dream last year, and the year before, and before that...and couldn't have been real. Others went because we had a new person who had never seen the house and wanted to see his reaction. I went because where else can you see Santa being pulled by eight flamingos?

(Yes, flamingos, you read it right)

What do you think for next year's Christmas card?

Mee-YOW!

Thank you to Grandma Dolly's, friend's, daughter who had tickets to CATS and couldn't use them! They were amazing seats--four rows back, dead center. For some reason Scott didn't want to go (not really a people-dressed like cats-dancing on stage kind of guy) so I was very happy to take Morgan. We both thoroughly enjoyed the show.

Will This Be An Exchange Or Return?

WARNING: Cheesy post to follow. Some side effects may include gagging, dry heaving, and or saying to yourself, "Come on now, really?!" Should any of these symptoms occur stop reading immediately.

We have a new tradition this year. Actually, can you call it a tradition when you have only done it for one year? Let me start again...

We've done something new this year. We are enjoying it so much I hope it sticks and turns into a yearly tradition. It's sort of a twist on the "Draw A Name" gift exchange. The gift is the part that got twisted. From last Monday until Christmas each person has come up with something they are going to do everyday for the person they drew.

It turns out everyone is having such a good time giving their gifts sometimes it's hard to tell who is the giver and who is the receiver!

Scott drew Kendall. The gift: Do math.
When you are four, this is a very cool gift.
















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I drew Morgan. The gift: A chapter a day.
This is on top of her own 20-minutes of reading a day-she is a total nerd.
















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Morgan drew Beck. The gift: Reads a book. (or points out pictures to)
Which is also a gift to Mom and Dad since he is always bringing us books.














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Kendall drew Me. The gift: Helps with dinner.
This is the biggest one where the giver is also the receiver. She LOVES to help in the kitchen. And I am enjoying the company,













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Beck drew Scott. The gift: A back rub.
Beck stands, walks, jumps, sits, climbs, and bounces on Daddy's back. Scott says it would be perfect it he was twice as heavy, but is happy to take what he's got.

Kendall Quotes

After taking a bike ride:

Whoo! It's hot. They need to change the weather!

Hippo-ray!

About a month ago our family took a trip to the San Diego Zoo. I have been meaning to post these pictures for a while but haven't because I'm totally drawing a blank and can't think of anything clever to say about them. Just look at the cheesy title. Can you come up with something better?...Enjoy!

Gnomeone Mourns The Wicked

Ever wonder what a garden gnome does when he's not busy greeting the passerby?

First he finds his two best friends to hang out with for a while...until he gets tired of being mistaken for a munchkin.Glindaand Elphaba.

Afterwards he's usually hungry and hits up the ladies for some food......where he then makes an old family recipe, "Candy Soup."He gets thirsty too.He sometimes helps out the trolls and mans the local bridge.He volunteers at the dog training center. Dogs like them because they see eye-to-eye.He finds time to catch up with his buddy, Superman, while playing with a whoose-it-whats-it.He enjoys his time out of the garden so much, he sometimes throws a fit when he has to go back...or his mom won't let him have a sucker.

Saturday

Why we like our Saturdays...


We get to see Kendall's fish-face.




(It's her concentra-tion face)

Oh yeah, she totally scored right here.

We get to see Austen so cool under pressure. Just look at the guy charging him!

This is the one day when the "highlighter pack" gets together.

Grandpa brings out his pink parasol.

And finally, we get to run through tunnels.

Who wouldn't love today?

Halloween Action

Halloween is in full swing at our house. Although Kendall is a bit confused -- we put up our decorations because "it's Halloween" but we are not going trick-or-treating today because "it's not Halloween yet". So, here is what we are doing to pass the time until the Halloween Halloween is here.

Kendall first came up to me and said, "Mom, I know how to make a ghost." So naturally I asked her to show me.



She's also been having fun with Play-Dough. We've been making lots of ghosts and jack-o-lanterns.














Morgan was given an assignment to help Clifford decide what to be for Halloween. All she was given was an outline of Clifford on an 11 x 17 piece of white card stock. What else would he want to be but Elphaba? Doesn't everybody?

Soccer Babes

Soccer season has begun and I think I was born to be a soccer mom. I really do enjoy my Saturday's at the soccer field. Maybe it helps that Kendall's games are only 20 minutes long and Morgan's are 30. It helps too that my own kids thoroughly enjoy it. Scott is enjoying being a coach and I a Team Mom. The other day Beck spent Kendall's entire 45-minute practice by himself, literally dribbling a ball and wandering all around the grass. I am happy to say I think we have many a Soccer Saturday's to come. Soccer is in our blood.

Frockly T-Shirt Giveaway

You can try, but just so you know I'm totally going to win. Still, you should try, I love competition...

Frockly T-Shirt Giveaway

BTM

I made a little reference a bit ago that I have turned into a bean...meaning I have started working part time for Lymabean. Here is a little background on my coworker...

Pre-Practice Practice

So, are you as excited for soccer season as we are?

It's Kendall's first year playing, we had to work in her new cleats. And it's Scott's first year coaching (Morgan's team) we had to work in his new cones.

Before we could officially hold practices the cleats and cones were just begging to be used so we went to the park and had a pre-practice practice. It turned out to be lots of fun. We had some friends meet us there and had a good time running some drills and playing a scrimmage.

The cleats and cones work perfectly.

This Is What's Up

For all of my readers (all two of you) who have been wondering what we have been up to lately and why I haven't been able to post, I give you these excuses...



I recently turned into a bean working part time for this guy...(he's totally going to be in GATE)

I've been doing laundry. I truly loathe it.

I've been to the market with these little piggies a bunch of times.

I did some more laundry. Have I ever said how much I loathe it?
I've been hanging out with these guys...
...and trying to get them out of the house before they go crazy.

I went to a Hawaiian festival to see my cousin dance. She dances as beautiful as she looks.

Yep, more laundry. Unadulterated loathing.
Thank goodness for all my distractions from the you know what. It's what keeps me sane.