Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree, You Are So Very Heavy....

My best story of the season is lacking a picture, but when you hear it you'll understand why. This morning, Tony was tending to the turkey, and I was cleaning. At some point the kids had been told to get dressed. I hear, from upstairs, a scream, a crash, and breaking glass. I race downstairs to find the 9ft tree on it's side, broken ornaments everywhere, and two little legs coming out from under the tree. This is another story, where now that we know he's ok, is really kind of funny. And he was NAKED. AGAIN. Naked, and pinned under a decorated nine foot tree. Seems he wanted to move an ornament to a higher branch, got his little chair, lost his balance, and everything went over. He was of course screaming, Tony had raw turkey all over hands, and the tree was too heavy to lift by myself. At the time, we really thought he could be hurt, so of course Tony grabs the tree and I pull his little naked three year old body out from under. (I'm sure our tree is now contaminated with raw turkey germs...don't tell the food police). He was fine. A little scratched up but fine. Ellie was beside herself. Not sure if she was most upset over her brothers impersonation of the wicked witch of the west, or over the ornament massacre. Funny - just yesterday I has given them a big speech about not touching or breaking the glass ornaments. Sigh. Such is life with little kids. I should have taken pictures.

In other holiday news, Ellie had to dress up as a pilgrim for school. Nana sent my Little House on the Prairie dress that she had made me...hmmm, 25 years ago? It was perfect for Pilgrim wear. Unfortunately, no one else chose to dress up so we took it off once she got to school. She made up for it by wearing it for Thanksgiving at home today.


Here she is taking a break from tree decorating and choosing to direct instead. Telling people what to do is her favorite past time.


And this one....as sweet and innocent as it looks, is quite contrived. We have an Elf on the Shelf who flies back to the North Pole each night to report to Santa what when on during the day. This is Matthew and Ellie after they cooked up a plan to hug in front of the elf, so he'd see how nice they were being to each other. Sweet, but sneaky.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Halloween

Happy Halloween! As the web and facebook are inundated with every mother's adorable photos of her kids, I just had to add mine to the bunch. As I was watching the kids in the neighborhood trick or treat, I realized that we are thankfully still in the stage where I have major control over the costumes. They have ideas, sure, but I get to influence them, and ultimately, get the costumes. That's why moms of little kids are out there taking so many pictures. We've worked hard at this! You don't see the moms of all the tweens, who are dressed in some combination of ripped things, makeup, fish nets, and wigs, out there taking pictures. I think they'd rather just forget. I hope when we get there, my kids are not wearing ripped things and fish nets. For now, here are my adorable trick or treaters!


And Eric Carle presents....the Very Hungry Caterpillar....before and after he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice cream cone, one pickle....


Below is our gang of cuties who trick or treat together every year. Hmmm....we parents vaguely remembered promising last year to dress up this year. We'll have to remember earlier next year.


They had a ball, remembered to say thank you, and didn't get to scared. They did get tired though. Below is my view from behind the stroller after Matthew gave up for the night.