Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Salt Dough

MJR: Did you finish the first chapter of that book yet?
ALR: No. Summarize it for me.
MJR: We need to start helping her identify her feelings and encourage identification and using words.
ALR: Makes sense.
2 days later.
EER makes "breakfast" in her kitchen, has it laid out all over her entire play table.
EER walks off to play with the lego train
GRR walks up to breakfast table.
EER screams
ALR: Eleanor, you are mad but let's use our words tell Grady that you'd prefer if he didn't play with your breakfast.
EER: GET OUT GAE-Y!
MJR: Well, that was close.
GRR doesn't move.
EER gives GRR the stare down.
Takes arm and does a clean swoop across the front half of the breakfast table.
ALR: Eleanor, that's not how we play.
MJR has lost control.
ALR: Keep it together, Remynse. You aren't helping the situation.
MJR continues to chuckle.

I'm sick of our house being sick. Last week it was pink eye and ear infections. This week I get the flu and then we end this last week with the same go around of pink eye and ear infections. Ugh. 

We had Thanksgiving this week at Eric and Amanda's house. It was a nice day and I was a little nervous about the kids wreaking havoc on their place and animals but they did real well. First Thanksgiving that I've ever been at that had squirrel as a potential protein - I can't say I partook but everything else was really good. E enjoyed the family review of the black friday ads.

But barely made it out of town before she crashed.

Friday was the day Matt's glory day... he's been looking forward to it since last year's black friday. He takes the kids and goes off in the morning in pursuit of "good deals." He had a few recruits with him this year as he took his parents. I have a feeling his mother enjoyed it more than his father but they all walked away with items. I'm not quite sure why the man that won't go into Walmart because of the people likes to take on the throngs of people on Black Friday but who am I to sit and judge from the sidelines. He was pretty pumped to show me the haul that they achieved that night after the kids went to bed. I did get a pre-show fashion show from him and Grady.

Saturday and Sunday were lowkey compared to Thursday and Friday. Saturday was some time with Grandma and Grandpa while Matt and I debated about the nursery. We've been slowly making the change over to empty the nursery. We also had my cousin's family over on Saturday night for pizza, E did okay playing with them. We are still working on how to play together, skills that need a bit of work.

Sunday, we started doing some holiday things. I started getting holiday totes out and also started

hauling out kids clothes. I didn't realize how much kids clothes
we've had/been storing until I start dragging it all out to sort and organize for the new baby. Nothing like overwhelming me a little that this baby is coming.

Eating lunch.
ALR puts ketchup on her plate for her corn dog.
EER: I want some of dat.
MJR attempting to negate the situation with logic: You don't have a corn dog, you have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and soup - what are you going to put with the ketchup?
EER points to compartment on her tray: Right here.
MJR: No, what are you going to dunk in the ketchup?
EER: My sandwich.
MJR puts ketchup in allotted compartment: I don't think you are going to like it. 
EER dunks ketchup, seems content with this flavor profile.

Hunting, Kevin, Breakfast

Matt loves the fall - like the cliche of the white girl. They get pumped for pumpkin spiced lattes, boots, vests, and scrunched up cc hats. He loves everything about the fall and this past week was big for him. It was like a holiday. It's actually one of the anti-holidays that bring his whole family together. Deer Opener.

Now this year was different and weird. Due to population issues, there wasn't the
usual amount of licenses given in the lottery and the only ones that drew tags were Eric and Amanda. Kevin and Randy had bow licenses but that requires a different approach to the chase and find. I'm not sure what Matt loves most about this time.. getting to wear blaze orange, the crisp cold air, carrying a gun with no questions asked, shooting things, or spending time with his family - specifically Kevin.


We arrived Friday night and left Sunday. The kids had a
great time. Eleanor made pancakes for everyone on Sunday and we are still hearing about how she did it. That's her new favorite thing - for her and Matt to make pancakes from scratch and these are specifically pumpkin pancakes with the pumpkin puree that Matt made from scratch too. They had a little flub at Grandma's house and forgot to put in the pumpkin but everybody was sweet about it. When we got home on Sunday, Eleanor looked at me, "Where's Uncle Kevin?" Was cute and I wasn't at all surprised that he made an impression on her heart. It was good to catch up with family and hear how lives in California are going and the housing things Jan and Kevin are working on and how Denise and Rick are getting along and the changes and building they've done over the past year.

The week, despite being short was a bit tough. I ended up with the flu knocking me out a couple days. Plus the extra cold has brought the snow in requiring some shoveling. Eleanor isn't too bad about it this year but Grady is not impressed and lacks some serious skills in the shoveling department.

We took the weekend to recoop and regroup. We are ready to start transitioning the kids in the same room - frankly the idea scares the crap out of me and keeps me up at nights because when they are in the same room, I will be up all night. I guess it will be what it will and other people do it, so the Remynses can too.

 

EER: I'll make you breakfast.
MJR: What are you making for breakfast?
EER: That's my business.

Cupcake, Astronaut

Halloween hit our house this week.
It's been a big build up with the pumpkin patch visits and the pumpkins and then the pumpkin carving. We've been prepping E what she was going as for the big night and she's thought it was fun, even tried her costume on a couple times but only for a few minutes here or there. But Wednesday was the real deal.

We started at my office, went to Great Grandma Dar's, heading the Uncle's and then Aunt's, and

finished in our neighborhood with our house being the last stop. Mom and Dad came to our house so that when we rang our doorbell, they were there.

The kids didn't do too bad. Grady didn't want to hold his bucket. But he wanted to hold his items - which was fine until someone wanted to give him another thing. Then his system became a one in, one out. E attempted to help by taking things from him, which went over like a lead balloon. When E's bucket got full and we had to dump it into a

grocery bag, she wanted her "stuff" and was unimpressed that I didn't trust her enough to just hand it right over. She liked ringing the doorbell and visiting and wearing her "hat" but I'm not sure what she liked more... the trick or treating OR the visitors that came to trick or treat our house! She's also a very liberal candy giver. We probably had close to 30 in total.

Talking to Grandma Michele on the phone on Halloween.

Michele: What are you?

EER: I'm awesome!

Driving home after a Friday night out.

Drive past Gate City Bank.

EER: Ohhh! 

MJR: Yes, look at the bank!

EER says something.

MJR: Yes, it has blue trees!

ALR: Oh, good catch, Dad. I thought she was asking for big cheese.