November in a Nutshell

The kids are giggling through Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving Special so I'm going to update the blog for the second half of November. Ready?? Here goes ...

I'll start with some random scenes of daily life around here. MTN giving Mike a haircut which kept MTN entertained for quite awhile. If only he learned not only how to wield (fake) scissors, but how to sit still for a haircut. We're still battling on that one. And staying in the hairstyle vein, EMN has learned the joys of longer hair. Things like ponytails, pigtails and barrettes. Cute!


We had the pleasure of hosting our friends the Tysons for a few days in the middle of the month. Their daughter is only a few days younger than MTN so it was a lot of fun for all the kiddos to hang out together. In fact, it was such a special occasion that there was a rainbow the first morning they were here!

We also made a trek to the zoo which was our first. The kids stayed pretty busy climbing statues, brushing goats, watching ducks and hippos and exploring the aquarium. When we asked EMN what her favorite part was, she answered "the butterflies." Mine had to be the hippos because they really surprised us. We were enjoying the fish when the hippos swam into the area we were watching. We had no idea that was part of the exhibit and the kids got quite a thrill from seeing such large animals up close.

We had a wonderful visit and hope to visit them in New Mexico sometime early next year before the next little Tyson arrives!

Shortly after the Tysons departure, we furnished MTNs room. Now that his clothes are in drawers and accessible, it's been interesting seeing his clothing combinations.

The weather is cooler here now and so I've introduced the kids to hot chocolate. I make a special mostly-milk blend that is the perfect guzzling temperature. They ask for it more often than I expected they would but it's a nice way to get them to calm down a bit during their very active, rambunctious days.

So the holidays are coming up, which I'm sure you're aware of. EMN's school had a special school-wide Thanksgiving Luncheon last Friday which we attended. We had a very good meal, catered by Bill Miller Barbecue and chatted with friends and teachers. Afterwards we had a playdate at our park so the kids could run themselves ragged and tire themselves out for a good rest later.

I've been busily knitting matching stockings for our family. Two down, two to go. We have a lot of mismatched ones that will be good for decorating but I made these big enough for loot. Once EMN can decide which color she likes, I'll embroider names on them all. Wouldn't want the loot to get mixed up!! Santa's a busy guy .... and the kids don't need the Starbucks or iTunes cards I hope to receive.

And finally, this is a priceless video captured earlier this evening. MTN is going to light some dance floor on fire someday ... I can't stop giggling myself now!!!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

Baking, Festival, Picnic and a Sweater

Not a creative title but accurate!

The kids learned about the letter B this week so we baked banana bread (muffins). They loved it! Mike ate all the muffins because, in his words, they tasted awesome. We have at least 2 dozen bananas in the freezer that need to get used up so today we'll be making another dozen muffins. The kids are pretty good helpers in the kitchen as long as they share the step-stool nicely.

Today we went to the Kid n'Ewe festival in Boerne. I was interested in seeing all the yarny goodness and I was able to convince the kids it was a good idea because I promised there would be sheep and llamas there and a place for a picnic. Mike has drill this weekend so he missed out on the fun. I think the kids enjoyed themselves but they are certainly not country kids just yet. The barn was "stinky" and the animals were "scary." Never fear - they loved the spinners, weavers and knitters all over. We even saw bobbin lace being made (which reminded me of Burano Italy) and silk being processed (which reminded me of Beijing). Ok, so the kids weren't in on those trips so my little walk down memory lane bored them. They stuck with being mesmerized by the spinning wheels. They were very well behaved which made me extremely happy. They also kept me from any real shopping which the budget appreciates. And perhaps best of all, we took back roads home and the ride was gorgeous. EMN repeatedly mentioned "Mommy, it's a beautiful day" and "We're all alone out here." I explained that this is what Texas really looked like and she decided that maybe she does like it here. The Hill Country has some fantastic roads with spectacular scenery and enough dips and hills to feel like a roller coaster. A little something for everyone!

And yes, for the astute reader, those are goats. No sheep or llamas but goats and alpaca. Subtle difference to the kids' eyes.

And finally, I finished up my cardigan that I started in June and I'm beyond thrilled with it! It fits well, feels great and I'll be proud to wear it. I'm so happy it's done because the weather is starting to get chilly here in the mornings and this will be perfect to ward off the briskness. Now on to Christmas Stockings!

Wurstfest

Tonight we celebrated Wurstfest in New Braunfels and it brought back many memories of our three year European Vacation. The kids loved the music and both had their first Ferris Wheel ride! The food and atmosphere were great and we look forward to making this an annual event. Next year we'll know to go on a week night if possible. EMN was fascinated by the band (until she declared them too loud). She tried dancing with daddy but wasn't able to keep her balance that well. She did learn a lot about the instruments and German oompah music though. MTN isn't feeling the best these days (allergies? 2 year old molars? Hard to tell...) so he was content to ride in the stroller, watching all the visitors in funny hats and German outfits.



Look at that - a photo with me in it!!!

Happy Birthday Cookie Monster!

It's been a fun weekend here! We watched the air show at base yesterday and we all loved it. If you have never seen the F-22 demo, you should. It's stunning what that airplane can do! I was really impressed and I'm not even an aviator. I've never seen a group of pilots so quiet as when they were watching that demo.

Today we visited yet another church as we look for a church home here. We also decorated cookies because it's Cookie Monster's birthday! I know it's soon after Halloween and who really needs all that sugar, but since EMN has to reliquish most of her candy due to allergies, it all balances out for us. Plus we have a few cookie monsters living here in the house ...