Happy Thanksgiving!

I taught Avery how to make a picture of a turkey by tracing her hand, and she decided she wanted to make one for Nemaw and one for Mimi. So after drawing the first turkey, I encouraged her to color the feathers different colors. Then I asked her if she wanted to give it a face. Finally, I said, "Why don't you color its body brown?" She looked at me for a second and then colored an area below the turkey brown.

Next, we made one for Mimi, going through the same steps. Again, I asked her, "Do you want to color its body brown?" She hesitantly took the brown crayon, paused and gave me a long look, then started to color between its legs.

As I finally realized what she was doing, I almost died laughing. I had forgotten that Avery thinks her "body" is somewhere in her bottom area! What a strange request she must have thought I was making, asking her to color the turkey's "body" brown!

I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with just as much love and laughter!

A Learning Experience

I've been busy!! This is what I've been doing for the past month in any possible spare moment I had:

I must admit that I'm pretty happy the craft shows are behind me. They were a wonderful opportunity, but made me realize how much I would rather spend my free time being a mommy than being a frenzied seamstress.

However, they also made me realize how incredibly blessed I am to have some amazing people in my life. My mother-in-law, Lynn, is the reason I even know how to sew. She gave me a sewing machine a few years ago, and has been a very patient teacher ever since. My mom is the one who gave her own time to watch the girls so I could participate in the craft shows. And, more importantly, she gave her enthusiastic encouragement and support. Leanne was behind the whole thing. She believed in me, pushed me, and gave me the confidence I needed to even attempt such a project. How many friends do that?

Being reminded of these blessings was much more valuable than any money I ever could have made. I am not talented, or extraordinary, or particularly crafty, but I have people in my life who believe in me. And, in turn, those people are an inspiration for how I want to treat others, especially my own girls.

(Ha! I sound like I'm giving a speech for winning a prize or writing a dedication for a book! Sorry for the cheese factor, but I just wanted to acknowledge how appreciative I really am.)

A Great Gift

Ella is 7 months old!

She continues to be the sweetest, most laid-back baby ever. She just absolutely fills my life with joy. In fact, she is so wonderful, she gave me a gift for her birthday. Sound the trumpets:

Ella has SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT for the past three nights!!! Whoo-hoo!!

Trick-or-Treating

Halloween was so much fun this year. I suppose someday it won't be so exciting, but right now it is such a joy to experience it through Avery's eyes.

This is the second year we went trick-or-treating and she really got into it. She loved being dressed up, and of course loved watching her pumpkin fill up with candy. I think my favorite part was ... hmmm, how should I say it?... how emphatically she used her manners. She always made sure to say thank you.

Once or twice she got to the end of the driveway, turned around to Ben or me, and said, "I forgot to say thank you!" Then she ran back up to the homeowner, who of course was busy giving out candy to other kids, interrupted them, and yelled, "Thank you!!!" At one home, when she tried to thank them for her candy, they didn't hear her. So she stood there, determined, and repeatedly thanked them, with her voice getting louder and louder to the point of yelling, until they finally acknowledged her. Satisfied, she announced to us, "Mommy, Daddy, I said thank you!"

Ella seemed to enjoy her first Halloween. She loves being outside, so she chilled out in the stroller and was content to just watch the older kids. She looked adorable in her little mini-tutu!

That Sums It Up

Avery: "Daddy likes to watch football and baseball and golf in the weeds. I like Dora and Diedo. Mommy, you like to watch the news and Big Brudder. Ella doesn't watch t.v. She likes to watch me!"