Christmas Break

This morning when I got out of the shower, Suzanne was cuddling with Charlie on the couch, Barb was in bed reading, and Elizabeth was in the arm chair reading.

Today is my last day of work before Christmas Break. Can't wait!

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Bear Blanket Stuffy Turn Into

(Guest author, Suzanne Hovey.)

It is a blanket that has paws and a hood. And if you stuff the blanket into the hood, it will turn into a stuffy that I can use as a pillow.

Jasper gave it to me. Chumbo chimbo poke my nose.

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A Brave (?) New World

A few weeks back, Elizabeth mentioned that a lot of her classmates play a game called Animal Jam. I checked it out, because I like computer games. It's got the National Geographic brand, is ostensibly educational, and is played in the browser, meaning you don't need to install software to your PC.

Now both girls are playing it in lieu of watching TV shows on the weekend. They both really like it, and the coolest part is that they can coexist in the same virtual world.



Elizabeth was SO excited about this that she declared with unprecedented glee, "I'm best friends with Suzanne in Animal Jam!!"

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Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving we woke to cold weather, ice on the puddles, and frost on the car. Elizabeth and Suzanne had been hoping for snow, going so far as to perform a snow dance the night before. Undaunted by its failure, Elizabeth used her library card to scrape frost off the car. She collected it in a bowl and we had the world's tiniest snowball fight.

Barb did an amazing job preparing the house and the meal. Patrick, Karen, and Grandma came over. It was a jolly time.

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Two Portraits of Me

Last night while she was listening to an audiobook (Wildwood, by Colin Meloy), Elizabeth did these portraits of me. The larger one she worked on quite seriously. The second was "more of a quick sketch, kind of cartoony," according to the artist.

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Piercing

Lily got her ears pierced on Saturday, and so naturally that greatly increased Elizabeth's interest in getting pierced. Suzanne's friend, Ani, had also gotten her ears pierced recently, so she was interested, as well.

Today, we went to a tattoo parlor / piercing shop. Elizabeth was equal parts excited and apprehensive, so Suzanne went first. She was as stoic as a Hollywood Indian as the heavily tattooed and pierced guy shoved a needle through each ear lobe, then inserted a stainless steel barbell.

Elizabeth nervously climbed onto the table (the same kind you would see in a doctor's office). She handled the piercing well, giving me a pained look but no cry, no tears.

Then, as the guy explained how to care for the new piercings, CRASH! I turned around and saw Elizabeth laid out on the floor like a felled tree. She had fainted.

Barb saw the whole thing: Elizabeth fell against a full length mirror, bounced off and hit the door, then landed on the floor. She was very upset and hurt, naturally. As of bed time, she still has a good sized lump on her head.

And Elizabeth's final word on the subject? "I will never let my kids get their ears pierced."

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Vampire vs. Werewolf

A Halloween drawing by Elizabeth. Smart money's on the vampire. His head is way bigger.

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