The Tree

 Well, I'm unusually slow with this post - the tree has been up a whole week now!  Parker was obsessed with putting the ornaments on the tree.  The day before we did the tree, Parker started asking for pie at 10:30am (and asked every 5 minutes until 7pm when we finally ate pie!).  However, when he was decorating the tree, I offered him pie and he didn't want to stop.  He just kept digging in the box of ornaments, unwrapping one, and then yelling, "I found an ornament!!"  The bottom of the tree was well decorated.  (And still is; I only moved a few because I was sure he would notice!)

 McKenzie (with her steel-trap mind) was able to remind me where every single Christmas decoration was located last year. 

 Monday we watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on Daddy's laptop.  Cameron was glued to the screen!  He even made little comments and fussed if he didn't have a good angle.   I don't know if we should encourage him or not, but it was kind of funny.

 Here's this morning - my little guy asleep by the tree.  I guess it's pretty boring around here when his siblings are off at school.

 And here's this afternoon, just trying to get him to smile.  Kenzie and Parker got their new snow boots delivered, so they tried them on -

- and this really should have been my Christmas card photo!  (It was Pajama Day at Kenzie's school, which just makes this even better).  What a start to the holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

 Here's Parker in his Indian costume he made at preschool on Monday.  He sure loves preschool, but it was sweet that he was happy for Thanksgiving break because, "I can stay home and play with Cameron!"

 While Mommy and Daddy got the deviled eggs ready, Kenzie did mazes and Parker colored all over the egg carton with markers (this was quick thinking on Daddy's part - Parker had been jealous and wanted to do mazes, too, but thankfully was distracted this way).

 Both kids decided to help shape the rolls, and actually were good helpers.  I made a triple batch for the Arnold family gathering, so there were plenty of rolls to shape!

 Some cute guys ready to head to Uncle Wes and Aunt Hannah's for dinner.

 As always, goofy cousins!

 Poor Cameron is still not sure about this huge family - it's loud and confusing for him.  He took a lot of naps to cope!

 Here's one random picture of dinner.  Then I was too busy eating to take any other ones!

Parker is so good at Mario Bros. on the old Nintendo - a few weeks ago he was even holding the controller upside down yet was still doing well!  He camped out in the basement the entire evening and still was sad to leave.  Then on the way home he said, "I'm just getting really tired back here!"

Kenzie's Thanksgiving Program

 

This afternoon McKenzie's second grade class put on a short little program.  McKenzie was very excited in her turkey hat! (I was at a weird angle - she's almost hiding there in the second row in orange).

Here's her line.  Each kid had a letter of the alphabet - I was a little slow with my camera since I was trying to hold Cameron at the same time (and of course right then he decided he needed his pacifier) so I missed her saying the letter, but I got the rest: "Y is for Yelled.  The children played and laughed and yelled."  

 

And here's one of the many poems.  I love the monotone way kids mumble through these kinds of things!  It was cute, and now Kenzie has the rest of the week off!  (That means I have the rest of the week off, too, right?)

Lots to Say

Here's Kenzie and Parker's entertainment du jour: patting Cameron's cheeks.  For some reason Cameron really talks to them about that, and they think it's hilarious.  I thought I would post it just for fun, since, as always, there's not much going on around here besides this!

Bath

Every baby needs a bath picture, and so here's Cameron's.  He seems to enjoy his bath lately, provided the heater is going and his water is nice and warm.  I even warm up his lotion!  (See, I earn those smiles!)

Snow!

 McKenzie and Parker were both totally surprised to see snow this morning.  They had a long discussion at breakfast about seasons.  Parker insisted it is now winter, but McKenzie tried hard to explain sometimes it snows in the fall.  It was quite entertaining.

 It kept snowing, and kept snowing (and is still snowing as I type this).  I'm not a huge fan of the snow, especially having to run errands in it with three kiddos.  Still, there is one huge bonus to the suddenly chilly weather --

--the teddy bear outfit!  It made my day!

Funny Note

The past few days I embarked on a crazy journey through McKenzie's room, trying to clean it thoroughly.  She "cleans" it on her own a lot, which mainly consists of shoving as many things as humanly possible in three locations: her closet, her desk drawers, and behind her bookcase.  Anyways, one paper I could not throw away was this one!  Based on her spelling I'm guessing she wrote it several months ago at least, but it still made me chuckle.

"To Mom From McKenzie.  I love you because you make a great sandwich.  You make a great Mom.  You fix a great meal sometimes.  You plant great things sometimes.  You are the best Mom I ever had.  Love, McKenzie."

Go, Cameron!

 Cameron likes to be the center of attention.  As long as everyone is looking at him, he is very happy.  The other night I discovered rolling his arms while cheering, "Go, Cameron!" also amused him thoroughly.

Now McKenzie does this to him every day, too.  He still thinks it's great fun!

Trick-or-Treat

 Once evening rolled around, Cameron changed from being a pumpkin into Superman!  He had already spit up on two pumpkin onesies by then, anyways.

 Daddy was helping Cameron pretend to fly.  Cameron thought it was funny!

 We had a superhero Halloween over here with Batgirl...

 ...and Captain America.

 I loved this - Cameron was cooing at McKenzie very intensely - I don't know if it was because of the mask or what, but he had a lot to say to her about it!

 Daddy took Kenzie and Parker out to trick-or-treat, and Superman wasn't much company for me while I passed out candy at home.  He fell right asleep.  All that talking to Batgirl wore him out, I guess.

 Back with their loot!  The Halloween pretzels are always the first thing McKenzie picks (unless you count the donut she didn't even make it home with!).

Happy Halloween!