My Sunday Best, Volume 82: Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! We celebrated with family on Thursday and have been happily eating leftover pie since then. It's always kind of a tricky holiday to navigate since my dad died almost four years ago, but I think we've all figured out that we really need to keep things to just family so that we don't have to worry about how we grieve in front of each other...

An Age by Age Gift Guide

I can't help it, I just love sharing my gift recommendations! Looking around at the toys that are still on our shelves after purging, I wanted to let others know what has worked for us over the years and which toys get love from a variety of ages. Almost all of these toys in the 1+/2+ etc. age range get played with by 1-year-olds aaaall the way up to adults! So when you give one of these recommendations as a gift, it's going to last a long time. Happy gifting!

46/52: Thanksgiving Prep

My Sunday Best, Volume 81: Gearing up for Black Friday

Happy Sunday! Somehow it's already almost Thanksgiving... How is November almost over?

45/52: Gingko Grove

Peter, Age 3

You guys, Peter is amazing. He's just so funny. We have long, deep conversations about lots of important things, and I wish I could properly demonstrate the way he talks, because everything he says is hilarious. The way he cocks his head, and has to think for a long time, and squeaks and runs in place when he gets excited... I should probably take a video.

The other day we were talking about praying for the holy souls in purgatory, and he told me, "Yeah, betuz we want dem to det to Heaven. And Heaven is at Mass. It's at da top of Mass. Where da people are and dey tan't det down." We had this conversation several times and then figured out he was talking about the choir loft. Which is NOT Heaven, obviously.

He spends loooong periods of time building elaborate Lego & Duplo creations and carrying them around the house, crying when he drops them and they break to pieces and desperately trying to protect them from the pillaging baby. He really, really loves babies and soft cuddly animals, and needs LOTS of hugs. I spend much of my day with Peter wailing, "I need a HUUUUUD!!!" actually...

Peter's survey answers:

1. What is your favorite color? Ummm... Looks down at the toy he's holding. Blat, red, dreen, owange.
2. What is your favorite toy? Um, dis (the Zoobz the twins got for their birthday, but probably legos and magformers are his favorites).
3. What is your favorite fruit? Ummm, da fwuit dat we ate for bweakfast. Do you mean pear? No, da fwuit dat we ate for BWEAKFAST. We didn't eat any fruit for breakfast today. Um, LATER we did. Do you mean the fruit that Dad brought home last week? Yeah. (Okay, the Costco pre-cut melon and strawberries and everything)
4. What is your favorite television show? Ummmm... Stinty and Dirty.
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Ummm... Hmm... Da cheese dat Dad bwought home from his office.
6. What is your favorite outfit? Dis. (Striped polo shirt and cargo pants).
7. What is your favorite game? Ummm, pwobably Blokus.
8. What is your favorite snack? Ummm, pwooobably Cheez-its.
9. What is your favorite animal? Um, bunnies.
10. What is your favorite song? Um, In Heaven Da Blessed (the second verse of Immaculate Mary).
11. What is your favorite book? I haven't fidured it out yet... Is it Little Blue Truck, or... Little Blue Trut!
12. Who is your best friend? Ummm... Pwobably Bid Peter. Yeah, Peter Hayes Peter.
13. What is your favorite cereal? Ummm... Pwobably Cheewios with milt.
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Um, play. What do you like to play? Um, kick da ball.
15. What is your favorite drink? Um... Pwobably water. Or apple cider. 
16. What is your favorite holiday? I haven't fidured it out yet.
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Um, my teddy bear.
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Ummm, pwobably... Ummm, pwobably... Da fwuit dat Dad bwought. Pwobly da honeydew. Ya, I do.
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Um, pwobly tup... Um, pwobably pizza. 

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A man.

Happy Birthday, Peter! We love you!

Here are the questions if you want to try it yourself!

1. What is your favorite color? 
2. What is your favorite toy? 
3. What is your favorite fruit? 
4. What is your favorite television show? 
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? 
6. What is your favorite outfit? 
7. What is your favorite game? 
8. What is your favorite snack?  
9. What is your favorite animal? 
10. What is your favorite song? 
11. What is your favorite book? 
12. Who is your best friend? 
13. What is your favorite cereal? 
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? 
15. What is your favorite drink? 
16. What is your favorite holiday? 
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? 
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? 
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? 
20. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Mary Claire and Elizabeth, Age 5

Happy Birthday to our sweet twins!!!

My Sunday Best, Volume 80: Hair Ribbons and Praising Babies

Fun fact: I didn't know how to properly tie a bow (so that it actually lies nicely) until... This week. I think I finally have it, though! So the girls all happily wore hair ribbons today, then complained when they slipped out because ribbon is slippery and so is their hair. You win some, you lose some.

44/52: Apples and Guns

My Sunday Best, Volume 79: Can You Say "Time Change?"

Oh hey, we all got to "Fall Back" today - what did you do with your extra hour?

HA.

And all the parents start sobbing because now our kids are still up before the sun AND the clock reads a depressingly early hour...

43/52: Pumpkin Carving & Cute Costumes