Thanksgiving Fun

Happy Thanksgiving!

The picture looked great on the little camera screen....

Play Date

Nicholas has a bestie.  It's so cute.  (Also the kid is ridiculously cute.  Look at that hair!)  His friend is a MWF kid so Nicholas asks me if it's a Mac day in the morning and his teacher says Mac waits impatiently for Nick to get there (Nick comes a little late because of how my schedule works.)  Mac's mom says he's always talking about Nicholas at home.  They have Plans.  They're going to jump out of a jet together, with parachutes, when they are grown ups.  This is the only plan I've been told but I have a feeling there's more.  I love it.

Our school went to see The Star (which is a cute movie).  Nick and Mac sat by each other on the bus, held hands in line and insisted on sitting by each other during the movie.  Mac's mom was with us and she got booted (by the boys) from her original seat so that they wouldn't get split up.  On a side note, taking kindergartners to see a movie in a theater with recliners is hilarious.

 They played Rock, Paper, Scissors, Rocket Launcher on the bus.  Also hilarious.

Our school had Wednesday off but the big kids didn't so we invited Mac over.  We planned it a week ahead and there was counting down of days in both households.  They had a ball.  No need for me to help them get started, they just played.

They played cars,

trains,

and remote control cars for a LONG time, (which was the only thing they picked up because the cars are Thomas' and Nick said, "We have to pick these up!  I don't want Thomas to find out."  He found out anyway.

They took a thirty second rest,

and played with almost every other toy in the house too I think.  They tried to play outside but it was too cold and windy.  They finished up with a little time on the Kindle.

I'm already having guilt about splitting them up next year.  But for now I'm enjoying the overwhelming cuteness!

Halloween 2017

We carved pumpkins this year.  As you know, we don't do it every year because I hate it.  Now that I can be less involved it's not so bad.  I only had to scoop out Nicholas's, and he chose a very small pumpkin.  Woot.

Nicholas was a race car driver at school but that costume is a 2T so he barely squeezed into it and his ankles were showing much too much for the cold weather during Trick or Treating.  He opted (or was told he had to pick something else) for this warm dinosaur instead.

Philip was an army guy.

Thomas was Garth Vader.  As in the Darth Vader costume countried up.  If only he knew enough Garth Brooks songs to speak only with lyrics for the night!  He enjoyed the Halloween Junior High Dance last weekend and his last year of trick or treating Tuesday night (unless I relent and let him go next year but that will be the end!!)  He got to go around with his friend Anthony unaccompanied by adults.  We gave them a time to meet us back at the van and they did.  I can only assume they were good because I got no phone calls and we know a lot of people in the neighborhood where we went.  :)

Julia was a zebra in a costume we got from Becca's nieces.  She loved it.

Samuel went to the Junior High dance as well but opted not to dress up.  He doesn't love dressing up.  He got to have his friend Tommy over to spend the night instead of Trick or Treating.  This is one "the kids are growing up" thing I'm not very sad about.  One not trick or treating any more.  Yes!

Fence Line Up

I have a love/hate relationship with these pictures.

Love the cuteness, hate the absoluteness of how much they grow up each year.

Picture Time!

My wonderful friend Marnie came and did pictures in the yard again.  I think next year it will be time for pictures with Jeremy and me too.  I'd better plant that idea....

Here's my favorites of each of them.

Full body shots and the best pose we did of them all together.  It's not my favorite shot of that pose though.  I'll save that one for the Christmas cards.  :)

Up close

 With a little extra personality.

Here's a few out takes.  I like the sitting line up but we didn't get a good one.  I do like that we have one of Julia admiring Thomas's stinkeryness and one of Nicholas admiring Philip's. 

The individuals turned out as cute as ever.  The five kids together just didn't go as well as other years.   They were in rare form.  Some little girl was being over the top silly, she ruined more than her fair share of pictures.  Philip and Nicholas were inspired by Julia.  Thomas decided he doesn't like his teeth and did a ridiculous smile in at least half the pictures.  And Sam got frustrated that no one was cooperating well so he looks annoyed in a bunch.  *Sigh.  They'll be one year more mature next year right?

All Saints

Fourth grade does a special saint Mass close to All Saints Day every year.  Julia was St. Rose of Lima.