Putting the kids to work

Last weekend was a nice warm one, so Mark got out the paint and some brushes and put Peyton and Liam to work painting their sandbox. They wore smocks and still managed to get paint all over their clothes, shoes, and in their hair! They really had fun and at some point we'll let them paint some colorful designs on it. Maybe we can hire them out as mini paint crew!

Thanksgiving Day was wonderful. We ate lunch with Nonna, Granny, and Uncle Craig, turkey and all the traditional fixings. Then we celebrated Mark's birthday with ice cream cake. Nonna bowls on a league and had received a coupon for 99 cent games so we took the kids to the bowling alley. They loved it. Peyton threw that 6 pound ball right down the lane and did very well. I think she beat me in both games we played. Liam needed help, but he had a lot of fun. I think they both really enjoyed the junk food snacks we shared, maybe more than actually bowling.

We're off to D.C. tomorrow for They Might Be Giants! We told the kids that we were going to a concert and I'm not sure they actually understand yet. They were asking us if we knew the singers and if they would be there. I think they are going to have a blast!

Hibernating

This time of year I feel the incredible need to hibernate, to drink lots of warm beverages, to wear sweaters and thick socks, and to eat lots of soups and stews. We had gorgeous weather this weekend, sunny and warm. Today it is raining and only about 45 degrees. I had to brave the weather this morning to drop Liam at preschool and run into the bank. I have to go back out in a bit and pick up the boy and get some groceries, a few things to tide us over until Wednesday. There are about six other things I should go and do, but I think I'm going to come home after the grocery store, make us lunch, sit on the couch and cuddle my boy, and then maybe take a nap. I have no desire to rush today, just to take it easy. I will just postpone the rushing until tomorrow and hopefully the sun will be out by then!

I started taking an antibiotic on Thursday and am feeling much better. I still have remnants of a cough, but feel so much better than I did last week. I'm still hopeful that I'll be 100% recovered in time to eat and appreciate a great Thanksgiving meal!

Happy Thanksgiving

The kindergarten class at Peyton's elementary school is required to learn about Thanksgiving for the SOLs. They put on a program that also included the 3rd and 4th grade chorus and the ukulele club. Peyton was a Native American and her costume was made from a paper bag and rigatoni pasta. Some of the other children were Pilgrims and they also had paper costumes. They sang songs about Pocahontas and about turkeys. They played some traditional Native American games too. It was funny and cute. I had heard her singing the songs for weeks and was proud of her when she sang on stage.

I have been sick for almost two weeks. I finally went to the doctor and was prescribed antibiotics for a bronchial/ sinus infection. He also prescribed a cough medicine with codeine to help me sleep. It definitely helped me sleep, but it knocked me on my back the next day. I was nauseated and dry heaving and so sick to my stomach. I ended up sleeping most of the day. Mark called the doctor's office and they prescribed something else that does not include a narcotic. I told Mark I would be a horrible drug addict! I just can't tolerate narcotics at all. I am slowly starting to feel better, but I'm still not 100% yet. I'm hoping to be completely recovered in time to eat some delicious turkey with my family this week!

Sweet Liam time

I have been feeling a little under the weather since Sunday, scratchy throat, dry cough, etc. I just feel run down and tired. I took a rest time with Liam yesterday and he fell asleep in my bed. Today he asked to take a nap with me. It's my payback from when he was a baby and wouldn't cuddle with me. I didn't sleep either time, but I really enjoyed resting and taking some time to slow down. I have all of these things I need to do, but those things can wait.

The weather has been warm today, but it's overcast and looks like rain is coming. We had such a beautiful day yesterday, maybe a last hurrah before we get hit with colder weather. Liam and I went to JMU and ate lunch with Mark on the back porch of his building. I would have liked to have taken a walk, but I just felt too gross. I hope the flu stays far away from our home this winter. I would much rather have a little cold than the flu.

"i am sore"

For those who can't decipher 5 year old writing, the title of this post is in Peyton spelling and means I am sorry. Peyton had the day off from school yesterday for Election Day so we dropped Liam at preschool and spent the morning together. We had a snack at Mr. J's Bagels, went to the park, rode the carousel at the mall and just hung out. I let her decide what we were going to do because we so rarely get to spend one on one time together. Mark came home for lunch and we ate on the deck in the sunshine. Then after lunch I took the kids to the Children's Museum for 2 hours!

We got home and I started to work on dinner while the kids watched an old home movie. In one part of the movie I am singing "Old Dan Tucker" while Peyton and Liam dance on a blanket. Peyton came into the kitchen and asked if I would go get that very specific blanket and sing while they danced. By this time in the day I was exhausted (I haven't been sleeping well, I have some pulled muscles in my neck and shoulder) and I just wanted to get the dishes in the dishwasher and read a chapter from my book before Mark got home and we ate dinner. I suggested that she and Liam could sing for each other or that I would put on some music and she said, "This is why it's more fun when you're not here." I could not believe that she could say that after all we had done that day. I sent her to her room until Mark got home.

Later Mark talked to her about being rude and about how she should try to remember all the things I do for her and that sometimes I'm not going to do something she asks me to do. After dinner she handed me a note that read: "To MAMA FURUM PEYTon i AM SORe FOR BeiNG ROD To You" It was a letter that she wrote without any prompting and I started to cry. I thanked her for her apology and I think I'm going to keep this note forever!

*The picture was taken at Hillandale Park. I did a photo shoot with her and this shot is not edited for color, etc. Her eyes are incredibly blue!

Halloween

Sweet Cinderella and Buzz Lightyear - he calls it Buzz Light, which sounds more like Bud Light!

We had a very long day on Halloween. I met a friend and her two children in downtown Harrisonburg in the morning for Halloween on the Square. Local merchants had candy for the children and there was face painting, music, and a costume contest. Peyton learned quickly that any business that had an orange balloon would also have candy. She kept running ahead and we had to remind her to stay in sight. There were so many kids and their parents and it was a little overwhelming. I was happy to have another set of eyes to help because Mark was working that morning. We trick-or-treated until businesses were running out of candy and then we had lunch at the Artful Dodger. The kids wanted to eat there, but then they were a bit freaked out by the severed limbs decor! They sat in the booth and checked out their loot while we waited for our food.

We picked Mark up at work around 3 and went to the local Nazarene church for Trunk or Treat. That event was awesome. There were cars lined up with decorated/ themed trunks. They gave out candy to the kids. We came home with so much candy that we skipped going around our neighborhood. We did run up the street to visit Mrs. Anne and her husband, JC, and we let the kids answer the door and hand out candy. They loved seeing what everyone was wearing. We also bobbed for apples, something Peyton has been asking about for a while. She thought it was so fun. It was basically a free for all after dinner. I rationed the candy all morning and then we let them go nuts after they ate dinner. Liam's belly was swollen when we gave him a bath! Now we are rationing like crazy. I'll probably end up taking out some of it soon and giving it away.