Backyard Shenanigans

 I spend a lot of time looking out my back window into the yard.  When I'm lucky, Sam and Michael are outside playing and I get to watch.  Backyard Shenanigans.  Rain or shine they like to go out there and have adventures.  I lost the picture where Michael is lying "dead" in the grass.  They were playing "The Worst War Ever."  When I asked, Michael said, "All the good guys die."  Should I be worried? 

 I would love to know what they're talking about.  Anna gets into it sometimes but is usually chasing them around trying to keep up.  We've started taking turns each day of the week with who's day it is.  If it's your day then you get to pick what make believe we do, what we watch on t.v., what book we read at story time.  It's basically a free ticket to boss everyone else around.  Anna will have to have her days too I suppose.  It's solved the problems of bossiness and jealously a little bit.  I cannot be two make-believe characters at the same time, you see, so this has cut down on the schizophrenia, well, at least the pretend kind. . . They are sadly outgrowing make believe a little bit. Sam hasn't asked me to play "The King's Pancake" with him for a couple of months.  I should ask him if he remembers what it is. Basically he puts on his king costume from last Halloween and eats pancakes.  Then he goes off to fight an invisible enemy with his foam sword and comes back to tell me, the queen, all about his battle.  It is also known as "The Queen's Pancake." 

 We did most of our cookie baking last week and I had some great helpers.  We didn't even eat too many, yet, and had fun dancing around to Christmas music while we baked.  I read Anna books on the floor while we watched the cookies bake.  It's magic.  We had some little friends over last week and started dancing in the kitchen when some fun music came on.  They thought we were insane.  I don't think they dance at their house. 

 That picture makes me a little bit sad because that bunny, Lady, has been missing for a week.  It is Anna's number one security item and she even does the sign language for bunny while she says "Wady."  We've been looking everywhere and haven't seen her.  It's not looking good for Lady.

 

We put the bunk beds together.  There is so much more room to play in their bedroom now.  We moved most of their toys up there but it's like they don't realize they're there.  They never play with them.  Maybe they're just ready to move on to some new birthday and Christmas toys.  They'll be five next week and I am dying at how fast they're growing.  Sam's up to the bottom of my rib cage now.  The rib cage his head bent when I was pregnant with them.  It's very sentimental, that left rib cage. 

At our Relief Society service exchange I won a photo shoot from a friend.  She was so generous.  She took an hour out of her Saturday to take pictures of these wiggle worms and then edited them up into these beautiful shots, all for free.  No one would hold still so I was thankful for her fast camera!  

Check out those eyes!

 Michael said he was like the country mouse and Sam was dressed like the city mouse.  It was unintentional, but true.  Michael loves his cowboy boots and that was the only shirt of his that fit into this color scheme.  Sam cracked me up being shy for the camera.  He never is at home! 

And sweet baby girl was having too much fun running around most of the time to get a good shot, be we love her and those kissable cheeks and tiny pony tail!

 

"Let go!"

 

And here's the Christmas card.

 Those are the best ones and there is a goofy face in each one, but that's my life these days.  Nothing is perfect but things are getting done and there are plenty of kisses and hugs and stories in my life with those goofy faces.

I am so happy she tilted that and lopped off the bulky part of me, leaving the smiling part.  Thanks, Katrina!

My boys. 

 Here is my favorite part.  I asked the boys to kiss me and what a surprise I got!  A total kissing marathon from Michael.  My little snuggle bear.  Can he stay four a little longer?  I have really enjoyed age four. 

 It was like an old "Big Red" commercial. "So kiss a little longer . . ." 

I ate it up and I'll eat up these pictures forever!

Thanksgiving was mediocre.  We did it.  I am grateful and happy but without family it was a little flat.  And the dark meat of the turkey was underdone.  The mashed potatoes were dry.  The stuffing was wet.  Fortunately, that's all I made.  Someone else brought amazing green beans, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin CHEESECAKE.  I ate three slices in two days.  Good thing it only comes once a year.

We're moving on to Christmas and oh how excited we are around here!  It's like Michael and Sam don't remember it.  I asked them what they want and they could only tell me two things each that they've recently seen at the stores.  They don't know what toys exist out there and I'm glad.  They'll be so excited to get the few things they want.

Last Sunday we put up the tree.  They couldn't stop bursting into "Oh, Christmas Tree Oh, Christmas Tree!  How lovely are your branchees."  We're deep into rhyming and tree rhymes with branchee.  It's all logical with Michael.

Next up, birthdays and Lucia, ward Christmas party, singing at the stake Christmas night.  Hopefully lots of fun after lots of preparation.  Now go rest your eyes after skimming this long post!