Ginkgo Tree

Mom, this blog is made especially for you.  Short and sweet.  My mom, Gran, is known to skip my beautifully crafted writings and just look at the pictures.  So, this time I will limit my wordiness and let y’all enjoy the real reason that you look at my blog, for the pictures!!!

Every year, since I had Ford, I have taken my kids to the Gingko tree in front of our church.  Well, this year the leaves were beautiful for three days, then BAM!!!  The winds knocked them all off.  It was like someone punched me in the gut.  I was crushed.  Luckily, we have friends that allowed us a quick photo shoot in their yard.  It was FREEZING, but I managed to get 78 pictures in about 5 minutes.  Here are the best ones….

Pilgrims and Indians

Next week both boys are out of school for Thanksgiving break.  Therefore, this week they are doing all of their Thanksgiving festivities.  At the beginning of the school year, I signed up to be the chairman for Ford’s Thanksgiving class party too.  This has been a busy week, and we all know that I am Type A, big planner, gotta get it done early kind of person.  Well, I will have you know that I didn’t even begin my preparations for this function until last night.  That is so unlike me, but we have been super-duper busy and there just wasn't any time.

 The teachers had the pilgrims and Indians in the hallway while us moms set up the food stations.

 Last week I met with his teacher and got her “vision”, if you will, for this party and went from there.  I contacted the other mothers and they signed up for specific things to make/bring and I will have you know it came together quite nicely.

The children’s table

The butter, corn and biscuits station

 Cookie decorating station

Carrot peeling and macaroni station

Pudding and fruit kabob station

The turkey!!!!!!  Thank goodness a mother nominated her husband to fry us a turkey.  This momma right here has never baked a turkey in her life.  They may have had deli meat turkey if I were left in charge!!!

 Ready to eat!!!!

 What a great day with my favorite little Indian!!!!

Mr. Cool didn't have a party in his class, but he still wore his turkey shirt this morning and cool Dr. Seuss shoes!!! 

 He loved Fordy's headband!

Gobble Gobble Y'all!!!!!!

Scroogish = me about a tree

Christmas is my most favoritest holiday ever.  I love everything about the season.  I will admit I am feeling a little Scroogish this year with the tree.  I love my artificial tree.  I love to decorate it.  However, since we are living in a rental house a lot of my stuff is packed up which poses a problem.  My tree is deep inside the extra garage with stuff (crap is a better word actually) piled around it.  I really don’t feel like pulling it out and decorating it.  This house doesn't feel like home and I’m just not excited about that tree here.  I miss my old house (sigh).  So, I think I might put up a smaller tree this year.  I haven’t run this by Fancy just yet.  He mentioned a real tree, but I hate to break it to him… I’m allergic to every tree imaginable but a Pine Tree.  True statement.

Back on topic… Christmas.  I love it.  I love Santa Clause too.  The big guy made a debut in Mayberry on Saturday and the Lamar party of 4.5 was at the front of the line.

 I knew Ford would love him.  He always has.  Bitty is a different breed.  You don’t know how that little fella will act.  It all depends on which way the wind is blowing.  Fortunately, it was blowing in the “happy go lucky” direction on Saturday and he was all about Jolly Old St. Nick too.  I like to get my kids “fired up” about stuff.  We talked about Santa coming and what we would say to him well in advance.

 

Ford’s List:

Lego’s
Ninja Turtle Stuff
Creature Power Discs (from his show, Wild Kratts)
Octonauts stuff (another cartoon)

John Brantley’s List:

Two BIG trucks and tray trays (trailers)

 We don’t have a lot of dress up clothes, but lately JB has been trying them all on….

 Spaceman Bitty

 Scrubba Dub Dub

The other night I had a killer headache and wanted to nearly panic.  I kept telling Trey it was time to come home and he was busy or something.  I left the boys to do whatever they wanted.  They made a tent.  Not surprised!  They are tent building masters!

 Dressing up Exhibit B…

 And the original Spaceman, Fordy

 Tough guys

 "In tent momma"

 I have always pushed Ford harder than John Brantley.  First child thing I guess.  He has been doing things (crawling, walking, talking, climbing, etc.) faster than John Brantley.  I decided that was fine.  We all develop at different rates, and I need to just let them be kids, right???  Well, Ford really has a strong desire to learn.  He asks questions… ALL THE TIME.  They aren’t necessarily little kid surface level questions.  He’s a deep thinker.  He desires to know more and wants to be smart.  I decided he needed to really practice reading.  No, they don’t teach reading in 4K, but this is a life skill and he will thank me when he’s ahead of the game one day.  We sort of did sight words a few months back, but now we practice every day.  Here’s his list he can read which I am steadily adding to:

do, she, so, a, at, the, I, off, be, and, yes, it, me, you, out, is, no, go, stop, on, we, of, to, in, can, my, all, am, by, he....

Stay warm people!!!!