November 2016

Autumn Enchantment festival at your school.  This is one of your favorite classmates, Alessandra.

November 8, 2016 was the day of possibly the most significant election of my life.  I have so much to say and nothing to say at all.  I think this topic is best left alone for now and I will be glad to sit down and talk with you about where all this leads us at some point in the future.

For the time being, our discussion went something like this:  There was a very major election where everyone in America could vote for who they would like to run the country.  That election didn't go the way that a lot of people wanted it to and you might hear grown ups talking about it a lot.  If you have any questions we can talk about them.

I'm also just going to say, 2016 has been a real shocker.  In November alone, the Cubs won the world series, Donald Trump was elected President, and Jamie Rau got married.  Never in a million years would I have guess that I'd see any of those things happen in my lifetime.  (Just teasing Jamie!)

You have become quite the little backseat driver, offering up your suggestions even when they are not welcome.

Makeshift curlers.

First time assembling your own taco.  You were so excited.

I've been trying to incorporate more ways to allow you to help with preparing meals or even just putting together your own plate.

Last day of ballet.

Surprise package from Uncle Matt and Rene'!

Christmas Bear!  He counts down the days until Christmas and plays Christmas carols each day.  It's been quite a hit.

Christmas Bear serenading you over your Cheerios.

As a Thank You for helping out with the Autumn Enchantment, Miss Sunshine paid for a sorbet from a local ice cream shop.  Kudos to them for having a non-dairy option in chocolate!  This was a huge treat for you.

Favorite quote:  "for in-stance...."

Daddy:  "Why don't you want to go back there (to your bedroom) on your own?"
You:  "When you're a kid and there are no grown ups around you hear noises and you think they're monsters."
Dad:  "But you know that monsters aren't real."
You:  "Yeah."

Hana missed our going away party (pics from that later on in this post) so she and her Mama wanted to do something special with us before we move.  We met her at the Santa Monica pier and had so much fun!

Santa, gifts, and his sleigh.

I'm ecstatic that on Thanksgiving Day we went for a walk in our new neighborhood and discovered a back entrance to the neighboring park where we can get in without having to walk on Adams Street.  This is huge for me.  Adams is really busy and cars drive much faster than I would prefer.  Now I'm planning countless trips to the park, worry-free.

Just a girl with her pie and ice cream.  This was by far your favorite part of Thanksgiving.

Trying out your new chalk paints from Hana.  I was skeptical due to the presumed mess, but I actually really loved them.

Day after Thanksgiving visit to The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens.  I'm so excited to live conveniently located close to a zoo that I went ahead and bought the membership so I hope to be back often.

Great picture of you two!

Huge model train display.  I'm trying to use this to lure the Tolivers to come visit.

Mommy-daughter date to see The Nutcracker.  As a special treat I even curled your hair with a curling iron for the first time.

You loved the performance.  As we were leaving you were shocked to see some of the performers come out in the lobby area.  You were so excited to meet them, but you were so nervous.

The Sugar Plum Fairy!  They were all very sweet with all the little kids who were giddy to meet them.

We finally decided to do our own little car mods and turn your wheels into a convertible to give you a little more head room.

Christine threw us an awesome going away party with some of our favorite friends.  It was the sweetest thing ever and I felt so loved.  I totally held it together the entire day until the end when Charlotte gave you a personalized picture book of the two of you over the past 3 years.  Then I wept.

Charlotte, Ollie, Kelly, you, and Lucie.

I love Lucie's face in this one.

Annie, Gina, Mimi, me, Christine, Jack, and Pamela.

I wanted to send out our new address on our Christmas cards this year and was determined to have a family photo in front of the house.  I planned our outfits, the tripod, even bought a camera remote.  We got Daddy out of bed early on a Saturday, but you just wanted to play with the remote, and Daddy was grumpy because it was 7am.  Despite the early hour we were still squinty, the tripod cast a shadow on the grass, and I couldn't get any more of the house in the shot without moving the camera into the street.  This was the best I could do.  Not exactly what I'd hoped but it will do.  I was able to crop the shadow out for the cards at least.  *sigh*

Decorating for Christmas!

More than once I've heard you talk about Santa and his goats.

A decorated Christmas tree is really just a tree of toys.  You take the ornaments off, move them around, play with them.  One day I heard two different gingerbread ornaments having the following conversation:

"I'm made of ginger." (ginger-scented salt dough ornament)
"I'm just brown, that's what makes me a gingerbread man."  (paper sack ornament)

True, very true.

Also, you pronounce "ginger" like "dinger."  I love it.

Current favorite song:  Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  For awhile you were singing, "All of the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him by name."  Very polite reindeer indeed.

One day you were playing with Baby and wanted to put her down to sleep.  I wasn't paying much attention and didn't think anything of it.  Then a few minutes later I heard you say you needed to check on baby and then proceed to walk around to the back of the Christmas tree.  I looked under the tree and didn't see your doll and then started to piece it together.  Sure enough, Baby was napping in the Christmas tree branches!  While sweet, we had to put a stop to that, for the safety of you and the tree.  We agreed that Baby can sleep under the tree instead.

Helping get things ready for Thanksgiving dinner.  You were actually able to help with a lot of things this year which was really exciting for both of us!

New Santa jammies!

Also new candles in the freshly cleaned fireplace!

We even got Dad in on making the bread for Thanksgiving.

You set the table for us all on your own, complete with turkey decorations.

Maybe there is something kind of sad about eating Thanksgiving dinner on a card table in a mostly empty house, but to me I love it.  I love that we were in the house, in whatever shape it is in.  I love our little holidays with our little family and, even if I would love to see some of our extended family as well, I still love it the way it is.

Rolling dough for Christmas cookies.  We had to get an early start if we want to get them ready in time for Christmas.  The baked cookies are in the freezer awaiting our return so that we can decorate them on our next trip, then back to the freezer until we move.  This back and forth stuff requires a lot of careful planning.

More Nutcracker pictures.  Having fun with your curly hair and sparkly shirt.

When we are in public and I need to hear you better I often kneel down to your level so I can talk to you.  You then proceed to kneel down as well so that I still can't hear you.  Like we're just kneeling.  It's the thing to do.

One day when I was picking you up after school I noticed your rain boots that we keep in your cubby were full of lemons and limes.  I wasn't sure if they were for us to take or how they ended up there.  Miss Sunshine explained that Mr. Gary (her husband) had a bunch of extra fruit and brought it in to share.  She said you picked up a piece in each hand, took them to your cubby, then came back carrying your boots as though they were bowls or something.  And they were filled to the brim.  We brought them all home and made lemon/limeade.

For the record, I didn't see any other person leaving with fruit that day.

When I put you to bed each night and I'm leaving the room you always tell me, "Have fun in your bed!"

There is currently a college football player named Chad Kelly who is the nephew of Daddy's all-time favorite quarterback, Jim Kelly.  He's obviously talked about Chad Kelly more than he realizes as every time there is a game on you ask if Chad Kelly is playing in it and if not, why isn't he?

One day I caught part of a conversation where you were asking Dad who is the best quarterback and, because it was during a Packers game he said, "Some people would say it's Aaron Rodgers."  To which you replied, "Aaron Rodgers is definitely not the best quarterback.  He is a bad quarterback."

Sometimes you like to play trick or treat.  You gather up a collection of items and bring them to me, then walk away and come back and pretend to knock on a "door" or ring a pretend doorbell.  We go through the "trick or treat," distributing items (usually into an upside down party hat), "Happy Halloween," then we trade and it's my turn to trick or treat at your house.

We have the best sunsets this time of year and with the pending move, I've been trying to take a few minutes each day to enjoy them.

Also extra appreciative of any glimpse we get of dolphins in the water.

A little out of date, but here is a school picture from Halloween.

Cute picture from Ajeet on the carousel.

Once again, we each wrote down something we were thankful for on a paper leaf each day of November.  In no particular order, here is your list:

my little toy kitchen

the dark

the sun shining up above us

the TV

my play kitchen

crafts

you (me!)

my next birthday

the wind and the winter

my mommy and daddy

our view

our whole building

what my mommy and daddy's names are

the grass and the waves

my cups and my little chairs

the refrigerator and the lights

my cousins

our apartment

Earth

California

the new house

the ocean

my toys in the living room

I got to watch 2 shows today

the view out our window

the food that I eat

the ghost that I got from school

the walls and the building and myself

my ears and my nose

my kitty that I got from school

And mine:

your preschool

Kinley cuddles

living in a free country

warm weather

our friends

pie

my family

a healthy breakfast in the morning

coffee

butterflies

the allergist (I've had a lot of tests done lately)

warm socks

chilly fall mornings

warm showers

music

family hugs

Bossa Nova

sunrises and sunsets

fluffy white clouds

seeing dolphins out our windows

my Kinley

the sun and moon

sleeping in my own bed

a healthy body

visitors from far away

having a yard to spend time in

grandma and grandpa

exercise

hearing the marching band from our house

your aunts, uncles, and cousins