Birthday Bash!

Elizabeth turns 6 tomorrow, but we've already done all her birthday celebrating. On Friday, she and her father dressed up (she loves to see him in a tie and he rarely wears one) and went to a "fancy" restaurant called "Piece-of-cake" to have lunch. The waitress there (small restaurant) sang happy birthday to her and gave her a cupcake with a candle in it.

  

On Saturday evening she had a pajama party (not a sleepover; no sleepovers yet!). Six girls came over in their pajamas. We had waffles with whipped cream and strawberries and sausage. Then played musical pillows.

  

Elizabeth has wanted a pinata for the last two years, so we finally made one together this year. It had so much paper mache though, that the girls all had 3 turns each and none of them could make a dent. So one of the moms took a hammer to it and I shook the contents out onto the floor so the girls could hoard the candy (leftover Halloween candy; yea for getting rid of it!).

  

They then painted their nails with the nail polish they found from the pinata.

  

We had chocolate cake and opened gifts and then the plan was to watch a movie; but that many girls will not sit still, so they ended up in the garage riding bikes and scooters and playing dress up and singing and chasing one another.

My Place in this World

One of the times I feel most satisfied as a wife and mother is when I take time to relax and fix a tear on a shirt or sew on a new button. This shirt is for Phoebe and is so very cute. It just needed new buttons on the two sleeves and on the front.

Baking Cookies

Elizabeth gets to stay up an hour later than the other two now (bedtime is 8 o clock for her). So we often do things like make cookies or watch Andy Griffin or play checkers. And we always try to have a cup of tea right before she goes to bed.

Memories

I remember going to Grandmas for Thanksgiving or Christmas when I was a kid. The aunts and uncles and cousins would all come over. One year was snowy and icy and I believe I had a new driver's license. Maybe it wasn't so new, because Bunney was with us, I think. The adults had gone to bed and the kids were up, probably playing cards. Nathan and Bunney and I (was there anyone else with us?) backed the car out of the driveway with the headlights off and started slowly to the store on the icy roads. We purchased a half gallon or so of ice cream and made our way slowly back to Grandmas. We turned the headlights off again to drive into Grandmas yard. We thought we'd gotten away with something, but the next day my mom found ice cream in the freezer and gave a knowing smile.

We played lots of cards at Grandmas. Watched Princess Bride and Anne of Green Gables countless times. Seems like there was always shrimp and dip which was really, really good. Uncle Dan and Aunt Lenora would make fresh salsa. We would play outside in the snow. I remember going to shoot guns on a mountain one year. Lots of good memories made with my cousins and aunts and uncles. I hope my children have their own special memories by the time they leave home. Memories and traditions that they can make with family and with friends. But there seems to be no more special bond than the ones made with family.

"Do you know what Thanksgiving is about?"

This I asked of each of the kids. Their replies:

Phoebe: "Yea! Hewupdewow"

Jonathan: "Um... Food!"

Elizabeth: "The Pilgrims moved to America to get away from the king. They had a big feast. The Pilgrims and the Indians shared their food. The Pilgrims were the first Americans in the country." (then she got a little confused because she wasn't sure if the Indians were the first Americans or if the Pilgrims were.)



Rush Limbaugh always reads a section from a book he wrote and the section is about the real Thanksgiving. The link to read it (scroll down to the bottom of the page) is:

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_112107/content/01125113.guest.html

It is so good to be reminded of because the Pilgrims had a great faith in God and we don't hear about that very often.

Handsome Preacher Heading out the Door for Church!

Kids

Phoebe in her monkey pajamas eating her breakfast of golden grahams, half a banana and her cup of milk.

  

Jonathan eating his breakfast of cheerios and milk (tired of bananas) in his spider man costume which he wears for pajamas now.

  

Phoebe crawling up on the table being silly.

  

Jonathan wants to be super spider man!

  

Elizabeth in the play equipment at Burger King.