Bathtime and sleepovers- December 3 to December 6.

The internets is full of cool hair braiding videos featuring people with seriously amazing hair.  Since none of us have amazing hair, I didn't try anything crazy, but I did get Georgie to sit still long enough to try to do a french braid around her head.  Between the wiggles and the cowlicks, it's not very straight. Georgie wasn't that impressed.

Bea took a bath in the big blue bath tub.  and apparently, we don't properly bathe her enough, because we put her in the water and she loved it!

Ecstatic happiness!  

Check out how pleased she is!  No more quick sponge baths for this kid.  

Henry was allowed to have friends over for a sleepover for his birthday.  From left: John, Will, Henry, Jack, Katie, Will, and Aiden.

This was a seriously loud group.

It probably didn't help that we brought the chocolate fountain back out.  These kids were sugared up.  

There were many games of extreme hide and seek.  The little Christmas tree was an unfortunate casualty, not that these kids noticed.   These guys were going strong until 2am, when we thought we finally got them calmed down.  Little did we know that at 3am, one kid bailed and walked home to his house.  It was only 2 doors down, but still.  I was not too happy when I woke up to a text from his mom saying that he came home.

The next day, Bea and I attended a baby shower.  Well, at least I did.  Bea slept through most of it on the floor of my friend's house.  It's too bad this photo is fuzzy, because we both really cleaned up well.  

Here's a set-up by June.  She puts a tremendous amount of effort into getting everyone in the right position.  I call this one "Even punk rockers have to do their chores."

Henry's birthday- November 30 to December 2.

After our big Thanksgiving party, we sat back and relaxed a little bit.

  Until, just like every Thanksgiving, I realized I hadn't made the yearly photo books for our Christmas presents.  And there is always a big coupon that expires that weekend.  

To complete the book, I needed a picture of the kids in front of the tree.  (See?  Justification for putting my tree up so early.)

And a picture of the kids outside in the leaves.  They were less than cooperative.

Seriously, how hard is this?

I guess this will have to do, even if Henry and Georgie are fuzzy.

On December 2, Henry turned 9.  9!  How did that happen so quickly.

So far 9 is proving to be a good year.  Henry is an agreeable kid.

 Except when you try to take his picture and he acts like this and makes goofy noises.

And drives his father crazy when he just wants one photo together.

 But when he's not trying to drive us crazy, Henry is a fun guy.  He is doing great in 4th grade.  And his teacher lets him read his book when he's done with his class work, so he's happy.  He's read the Harry Potter series at least twice.  And is working his way through the Ranger's Apprentice Series now.  He's on the swim team, Lego Robotics team and Odyssey of the Mind.  All of those along with piano lessons keeps him very busy.  When he does get a few free minutes, he's usually out running around the neighborhood with his friends or baking cookies (because he loves to eat the batter).

Henry has been saving up two years worth of birthday money and working like crazy to earn money through chores.  He finally earned enough to buy a Lego Mindstorm, an awesome lego robot that you build than program on a computer to move.  It's pretty cool. And Henry is stoked.  (Look, a genuine smile for once.)

For Henry's birthday supper, we went out to eat at Peppino's for pizza.  It worked out well, because the Clemson Christmas parade went right out front.

And the parade featured Georgie too!  She rode on a trailer with her preschool class.  You could hear her coming slowly down the street yelling "Merry Christmas!  I know you!" 

Poor Bea wasn't feeling great, but still got dragged out for pizza and a parade.  Poor feverish, snotty baby.

In other news, Beatrice is becoming a very strong sitter.

And makes the cutest little sounds when she talks.

Juliet sent over this picture of Georgie and Christopher, who have become friends this year,  They are in the same class at the dayschool.  And they will play together outside, though usually Christopher just follows John around like a puppy.

This is from back in November, but PawPaw came down for the school's Veteran's Day celebration.  The kids got to eat a special lunch with him at tables set up on the stage.

It (kind of) got cold enough for Bea to have her turn in the frog suit.

Originally Evie's, each of our kids have worn it as well.  

Here's Henry, sitting with the pumpkins at the Madison Farmer's Market.

June crawled through the leaves at our condo in Winston Salem.

And Georgie and I dressed up as the Princess and the Frog. 

Finishing up November- November 18 to 29.

Okay, I've got a new computer, so my blogging capabilities are now more than just what I can type with one finger on my phone (which is why I haven't been blogging-sorry).  Let's this this going again.

Georgie is still into building towers with the wooden blocks- maybe one of the best toys we've ever had for the kids.  I'm not sure how my yarn got strewn all of the floor, but I can tell you I wasn't pleased about it.  (I can knit simple washcloths, by the way.  And that's all I can knit.)

Henry got in on the block building and actually gave the camera a mostly nice smile.

I guess rainbows are our thing now.  It's easy to spot these girls in a crowd.  Look close- Georgie's got a dress and a sweater.

I'm still acutely aware my time with Bea as a baby is running out.  Documentation of one of the last naps we took togehter before she started waking up and getting squirmy every time I tried to cuddle her into submission.

Georgie remains a good napper, even if we just throw her on the floor of the office.  

Thanks for the cool shirt, Aunt Jill!

Georgie's school held a stone soup celebration- the annual Thanksgiving celebration.  Our friend Ellie got a cuddle in with Bea.

Surprising no one, I decided that I needed the Christmas tree up before we hosted 45 people for Thanksgiving.  Sweet Bea was not much help in sorting the branches.

The finished product.  Georgie's class made their own Flat Stanleys.  Georgie took a picture of herself in front of our tree before she sent Stanley to London to her friend Magda.

Have I mentioned how great it is to have a baby that doesn't roll over?  We could just leave her here and she won't move.  WONDERFUL.

You can even perch her on papa's knee while he plays mandolin.

Isn't she so cute with her little seahorse and yellow blankie?

And she loves to suck on a graham cracker.

Though she still erupts from time to time.

On the day before Thanksgiving, it was still warm enough to wade into the water in the lake.  

I do love fall in the south.

Like I said, on thanksgiving Day we hosted 45 people for a Thanksgiving dinner with all the fixings.  But first, Bea and I joined some friends for a local 5k to preempt some of the turkey we were going to eat later.

While we had all of the traditional foods of Thanksgiving, we also went all out and got a chocolate fountain too.  This especially entertained all of the international students we hosted who wondered "Can you really eat any more sugar in one meal?!"

But the kids were really into it.

After the excitement of the party, we spent the rest of the weekend relaxing.  June's still working on growing out her bangs.

June really loves the little tree where we hang al of the Mary's Angels ornaments that my Aunt Mary Ellen has given me over the years.

Even though she's technically not supposed to be playing with them.

She does adore pretty things.

Just like Bea adores putting her fingers in people's mouths.

Oh Henry, you're the best.