Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a great time cooking, eating, and playing this Thanksgiving!  Aiden was especially thankful to have his sisters to play with him... Ciala was thankful for her first taste of game hen... and Lauren was thankful for pumpkin pie with whipped cream!  I was thankful for the gender balance shift our two girls brought along, and Clyde was thankful that I had someone else to help me plan our Christmas cards this year (I'm pretty sure he is tired of mustering up a false opinion!).  We hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful!

Clyde and I worked together in the kitchen.  It was delicious!

 

Clyde isn't ready to be the father of a 13-year-old (Dec 25 is coming!)

 

Lauren is always ready with a smile.

 

Aiden was so excited from his sisters' arrival, that he missed the dinner.  We saved him a plate.

 

Our bookends (for a few more months!) spend some quality time together.

 

Reindeer games!  I'm not sure if you can tell, but only the top half of our tree is only decorated.  Aiden found it way too enticing to pull ornaments off the tree and hurl them at the wall, so a compromise was reached!  Fingers crossed for next year's normal tree!

Fall's New Phases

        Aiden and the Fall season have collided in a burst of interesting new phases.  Temper tantrums (I guess the Terrible-twos came a bit early), puppy-impersonating, and a fervent obsession with Elmo.  I did not expect his latest craze... wrestling!  Clyde is a willing partner, though Aiden always collapses into a bundle of giggles when he challenges Dad. 
        Kona and I seem to be his constant (albeit unwilling) partners.  There was a time when Kona held the title "Most Rambunctious", but Aiden's closing in and looking to block her nearly 4-year-run.  We are grateful for Kona's patience with her wild little brother. 

 

Our Long Absence

We never intended to be gone so long!  Things have been quite busy.  It feels like I woke up and Autumn was in full swing!  I'll do my best not to stay gone so long.  Here's a snapshot of our unseasonably warm afternoon, and I'll try to play catch up very soon!