Zoolights

We took advantage of the 60-degree weather yesterday to visit the lights at the National Zoo. As you can see from the above picture, it's free.

Interestingly, they didn't have any lighting in the zoo other than the holiday lights, so it was a bit of an adventure (see video at the end of this post).

 Lily somewhere in the zoo. 

Amalia did manage to find the one costumed character at the zoo to deliver her customary hug. 

See how dark it is? 

The kids' table

My friend Beth graciously invited us to her home for Thanksgiving again this year. We had a wonderful time.

 See what Amalia's got her eye on? 

Claire kept trying to take her shoes off all evening. Unfortunately they were attached (tights with Mary Janes painted on them)--just cruel. (Here she is trying to put on her brother's shoes.)

 

 Matthew and an unhappy-looking Amalia. 

Colleen and Lily. 

Awaiting the food, I believe. 

Amalia loved Matthew's train set. 

The piñata was budget-friendly this year: a Trader Joe's paper bag filled with leftover Halloween candy. 

No one seemed to mind. 

My first diorama

Lily's self-directed Thanksgiving project:

Not sure why there's a race car in the horse pasture. 

Yes. Yes, I will.

Amalia this morning:

"Mommy, when I'm older, will you teach me how to do everything?

Passing notes

The other night I asked Lily to pick up her room before bedtime. She tried to negotiate a morning-time cleaning instead, and when negotiations failed, she stomped out of the room. Here's the note she brought me a few minutes later, along with my reply. (P.S. I never said she was in a temper tantrum.)

And here's what makes all the tough days worthwhile. Here's a note that came home from school on Monday. She even wrote the two sections in our respective favorite colors. 

A taste of the country

Today we took the girls, and friend Sophie, out to visit Butler's Orchard for their holiday open house. 

 Who's the biggest turkey? 

 Hay ride. That straw may look like fun, but it's not so comfy when it gets down your pants!

 Lily and Sophie. 

 Roasting weenies (much like Stanford did to Cal in last night's Big Game). 

 Amalia and Sophie. 

 Twinsies. 

 Enjoying fresh-dipped caramel apples. 

 Beep, beep! Tractor coming through!

All the roasted marshmallows you could eat. We had to pry the girls away from here. 

The potty fairy redux

There comes a point with each child when I decide that I will no longer clean out plastic pee receptacles.

 And so it was that our house was visited for a second time by The Potty Fairy. A lovely creature of my own invention who swoops in during the dark of night to remove any remaining potties. She leaves a note and a small reward for using "the big girl toilet."

She brought Amalia some stickers, new markers, and cool Band-Aids. 

P.S. I just looked it up. Apparently I didn't actually invent the Potty Fairy. Rather I just repurposed her. She usually helps kids make the transition from diapers to underwear and using a potty. Mine is more like the Repo Potty Fairy.

Mansion, apartment, shack, house

Grade school came rushing back to me yesterday as Lily "taught" me how to play a "new" game called MASH. According to our results, she will be a librarian, live in an apartment, and wear a black dress when she marries William, a pilot. 

I remember having slightly different categories, but the concept has been faithfully passed down from generations of girls, it seems. Lily was on a playdate with her buddy Gabe yesterday and apparently also spent some time with his older sister who is in fourth grade. 

Singing turkeys

Amalia's daycare class invited the parents for a Thanksgiving lunch today.

A rare shot of serious Amalia. Perhaps she's just concentrating on chewing her food, the Mindful One that she is. That's her buddy Nadia behind her. 

The Ladybugs singing "We Are Thankful." 

Take 2 of "We Are Thankful," rolling right into the "Gobble, Gobble" song (with choreography!). 

Nothing but flowers

Lily made this picture for her friend Colleen, but Andy wanted me to capture it before we gave it away.

Clothes encounters

Lily has always had a strong sense of style. But she does tend to get a bit forlorn as the weather turns cooler and she has "nothing to wear." 

 Here is this morning's solution to my ban on tank tops when the temperature drops below 40.

I had to capture the outfit not only for its inventiveness, but also because it made me nostalgic for the Laker Girls.

Over their heads

This morning I helped chaperone Amalia's field trip to the National Air and Space Museum. When I got back to the office, I needed a nap. 

 Don't you just love a bunch of kids in matching oversized t-shirts? 

 Friends from the Ladybugs classrooom. 

 Checking out the flux capacitor. 

 What does this button do? 

Story time: the race into space. ("It was the United States of America against a country we'll call Russia."--storyteller)

 Trying out her wings. 

Roger, Roger. What's our vector, Victor?

The first of many

Well, today was Amalia's first foray into the birthday party circuit. It was for her friend JJ, who was turning 3, and was held at the National Capital Trolley Museum.

 Featuring special guest, Lilo, who also sings at Amalia's daycare every Wednesday.

 Dancing queens. 

 Amalia and her best buddy, Nadia. 

 Silly faces. 

 The line-up, waiting for the trolley ride. 

 Amalia (nearly a head taller than everyone else) looking pretty for the camera. 

 The big yellow trolley. 

Our car operator, an entirely volunteer position. 

Here's a quick clip of the kids dancing to Lilo's La Bamba, which quickly devolved into a fencing match. Not surprisingly, Amalia fell asleep in the car on the ride home. 

It's all a blur

Sorry this picture is a bit fuzzy, but I was trying to sneak a shot of Lily trying to walk and read at the same time. It so reminded me of my childhood.