The Unthinkable......

It's not even Thanksgiving, and we've pulled out our Christmas decorations (collective gasp). I am a firm believer in the fact that you gyp Thanksgiving if you do that. And I cringe walking through the stores past piles of Christmas trappings displayed in October. You just can't decorate for Christmas until AFTER Thanksgiving.

But, we don't have the U.S. Thanksgiving here. sniff, sniff. And when we try to have it, everybody else is at work (including Daddy) and it's business as usual out on the streets. So it never FEELS like Thanksgiving. And the only good thing about that is the freedom to pull out Christmas decorations before December. It's a small good thing, and a little bit sad, good thing. But a good thing, none-the-less, because we get to enjoy Christmas for two extra weeks. (But if you had to vote to skip Thanksgiving for that? Yeah. I didn't think so.)

So here we go-

Daddy started by telling the kids that he was thinking of just having a Christmas pole this year...

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We put on Christmas Radio (cool Internet site that lets you choose the styles of songs and play Christmas music 24/7 all year long. And no, we don't do that). Greyson assembled the tree this year.

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This was the cue for the cats to show up. They always do, don't they?!

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Daddy made a fire, and Kiki found Daisy's Christmas collar.

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I started to make brownies, was short 3 eggs and had to run to the store.

"Are you making egg brownies?" Sawyer asked suspiciously. He hates it when I try new things.

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But they turned out to every one's satisfaction. Sawyer served and all the kids got "coffee".

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The night ended with a surprise. Tristan found a left over goodie from last year in the toe of his stocking. He was actually food savvy enough to throw it in the trash. We were all glad it wasn't Sawyer that found it.

The tree is done. But I don't have the heart to blog it until the true date for such things: The day after Thanksgiving. Let me know when you all have it.

Sawyer's First Pet....

Meet "Fluffy"......

Sawyer's ladybug.

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An unlikely name for a ladybug. But Sawyer grew very attached to the idea. Until Kiki derisively said,
"You can't call a ladybug Fluffy. Call him Spot."

So now he's Spot.

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"Mom, do ladybugs die?" Sawyer asked.

"Well... everything dies."

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"Can you spray some cod liver oil on him, so he'll grow big and strong?"

"I don't think he'd like that."

"Would he like ice cream?"

"You can give him a little bit"

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About this time big brother and sister stepped in like they usually do.

"Sawyer, you know you're going to have to let your lady bug go, or he'll die. Tonight. You have FIVE HOURS."

"MOM, do I have to?"

"You can keep him 'til tomorrow, but then he'll want to be back out in the sunshine, where he lives."

"Can I keep him this day?"

"YES!"

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"We're going to go watch a movie!" he said, and wondered down the stairs talking to his little bug friend. I went down a while later to see them both sitting on the couch.

Such a happy pair. What am I going to do tomorrow?!

"SIT, Daisy. STAY!"

It's warm today. Remarkable! For November in Canada. It was warm enough to go outside barefoot and jump rope.


You've seen this trick before, just not in action. Thought I'd capture it before the snow hits.
Such a good dog! She's waiting for the neighbor on the other side of the hedge to show up so she can roar at him. Otherwise, she'd be smiling at the kids with a lolling tongue and laughing eyes.

Random Rules

I never questioned the rules to games we played as kids, but today, listening to my kids as we rode in the van, I was wondering....
"Yellow car!" they'd yell.
And then they got to hit someone.
"Why do you get to hit them?" I asked.
"Because you saw a yellow car and called it."
"What if they're not playing?" I asked again.
"They are."
I remember. By virtue of the fact that you hit them, they ARE playing. This could work well for us as adults. Here is my random rule game: The next time you are standing in line at the grocery store... No, standing in line anywhere, If someone coughs, you have to be the first one to yell "jinga-jinga" and then you get to be first in line. But you've got to be the first one to yell jinga-jinga, or it's not fair.
Doesn't this sound like a great game? If you can think of another one, please share.

Oh, and if anyone dares to counter with "no cuts!", you just send them here and I'll explain things to 'em. You have my full support.

It's "Would You Rather" Wednesday!

Would you rather....

Find the golden ticket?

OR

Live as the Swiss Family Robinson?

Let the voting begin---------->

Who Needs Toys?

Remember blanket sleds?

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I had planned to capture Greyson as the puller, rip-roaring through the hallway, but what you can't see is Tristan, committing a foul. He snatched the other end of the blanket to swipe a free ride. This stopped Greyson in full stride and you can just see the remnant of complaint on Greyson's face. Tempered by the fact that it's being recorded for all to see.

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Remember the shiny pot mirror?

Sawyer's experimentation graduated from this.....

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To this, in the space of a few bites.

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A rare occurrence, Sawyer was deemed worthy of imitation in this instance. Pig noses are just too intriguing.

A Theological Conversation...

Upon overhearing Tristan ask me if he could be Spiderman in heaven, Sawyer had a question of his own:
Sawyer: Mom, are there games in heaven?
Me: YES, wonderful games.
Sawyer: Yahooooooooo, I want to go to heaven!
And he went skipping off to join his brother.
Tristan: SAWYER, first you have to get old and old and then die, like Grandpa Charlie. Remember? He's in heaven.
Sawyer: Can I stay there forever?
Tristan: No, when everyone's in heaven, then we go to the new earth.
Sawyer: (silence)
Tristan: And you can't go to hell. It's closed.

Kiki yelling from the other room: NO! It isn't made yet!

Tristan: That's what I meant.