Here's What People Are Talking About (around here anyway)

everybody gets in on the 2nd grade salt map action

Andrew is freakishly good at keeping his socks on. As a result, we tend to forget to change them in the morning before we put his shoes on (or perhaps we think the other spouse already did?); I think his current pair is going on about 5 days.

Luke has been quoting - from memory and loudly - the Garfield strips. It's not quite as entertaining as it may sound.

In related news, Sarah was thrilled yesterday afternoon when she was able to pick up a Garfield book and read several words in it. Because that's apparently the Highest High for our kids: being able to read Garfield.

getting ready to see the parade of lights downtown 

Andrew has always been outspoken about his needs (even before he could speak). His current obsession is sitting in his carseat and either imperiously demanding that we "buy a COW" or asking "where we goin'?" every three minutes or so, even after having been given the answer five times. And this is why you'll hear the car radio blasting full volume for the next several weeks. Let's pray that "Holly Jolly Christmas" has what it takes to beat out a two-year-old with crazy lung capacity.

Sarah has taken to drawing about fifty hearts around her name on all of her worksheets at school. No wonder they keep sending them home because she didn't finish in class...

Luke surprised us all by being thrilled about going to Monday's Scout meeting, but then it turned out he was only looking forward to receiving his reward for popcorn sales. Apparently, he tried to interrupt the whole meeting in order to question the den leader about the whereabouts of said rewards. #modelcubscout

mom forces a photo op before sunday lunch

I have become somewhat addicted to a few local Buy/Sell/Trade forums lately, and no one could be happier about that than Sarah, who has gotten a number of new outfits out of the deal as well as her very own Disney Princess table and chairs - which she loves so much that she is literally carrying it up and down the stairs with her. I even had to remove one of the chairs from her bed (the top bunk) the other night. Who needs Christmas? (Ah, if only that were the case...)

And speaking of Christmas, you HAVE to come see our tree. As almost always happens, by the time we'd gotten all the other junk down from the attic, sorted, and then placed around the house, I was too Over It to help with the actual ornaments on the tree; usually I sit on the couch and watch Philip hang each one with care and precision. But somehow this year, the children managed to take over that job completely, and the result is Fantastic. Of course, Luke and Sarah's ornaments take center stage. No ornaments were wasted in the "window side" effort, nor in the "above 4 feet" sections. Every single handmade creation can be found dangling precariously somewhere, and instead of the red and gold balls hung at perfect distances from each other across the branches, all ten of them are hanging from one branch. It's truly a wonder to behold.