Thanksgiving

Jim worked on Thanksgiving and the day after Thanksgiving this year, so I took the girls to Jeremy and Trisha's to join both of their families for Thanksgiving dinner. I was in charge of rolls and seriously spent ALL of Thanksgiving morning making them. I made probably double the number we needed. The extras got divvied up and sent home with people, though, so none were wasted.

As always, Ever and Wren had a grand time with Uncle Jeremy.

Tiny was not the easiest. She kept trying to climb onto the piano bench (from which we were afraid she'd fall), the table, etc. Littles don't really make for a relaxing dinner, but they're cute.

Papa Carl photobombed a pic of Trish, Mishelle, and me.

Wrenzy found fun headwear.

It's nice that Trisha babysits for a (partial) living so still has a high chair, baby utensils, bibs, etc.

Ever, Gammy, and Cali:

We had a lovely time, and I thoroughly enjoyed, again, not having to cook Thanksgiving dinner.

Clevenger Canyon South Hike

On Saturday, November 11, we hiked the Clevenger Canyon South trail. I'd done it with the girls (or two of them) and some of the family a while ago, but Jim had never been. It's not the easiest hike, but we made it to the end.

Jim tried to climb these giant boulders with Bear on his back but had to give up and come back down for the safety of those involved.

Tiny really wanted to climb, too.

The first time we did this trail, we turned back before the precarious spot where these two chairs are bolted for a nice view.

Rock climbing practice at work:

Ever had some trouble coming down and cried out. Jim was with Wren on the rock behind Ever. I had Tiny in the carrier but could have done something, had I not just stood there as I always do in times of trouble. I'm the worst.

A note about Wren: She's so cute in the backpack. She just sings and talks the whole time. The nonsense she chatters about is amazing. Jim always tells her she needs to stay small because he'll be so sad if she gets too big to ride with him. 

Not Much from November

Our lives aren't very exciting these days, and I'm OK with that. Sometimes I'm afraid I've lost the will to try to do anything ever, but I'm hoping that when the girls are a little older and more self-sufficient, I'll regain some motivation. Time will tell.

These are the little miscellaneous November moments I captured in pictures. All else (besides a hike and Thanksgiving, which will get separate posts) is forgotten.

I thought this sleep position of Wren's was interesting:

I put off a Costco trip for months and months. When I finally went, it was quite an ordeal because my shopping list had grown so long. I piled the cart crazy high and didn't get a couple things I wanted because there was no room in the inn. I could barely push the cart. Several hundreds of dollars were spent. I was a spectacle. 

Susan went a day or two later and asked if I needed anything. I requested a couple items I hadn't gotten. The store double-charged her for my paper towels, so I had to go back to get a refund. The parking lot was insane, and I hated the excursion. The littles were loving and adorable in the cart, though.

We went on our first family run since before Jim ruptured his Achilles. It was good to be back. We passed a street named after Tiny Tot:

Wrensday loves Daniel Tiger (PBS show inspired by Mister Rogers' Neighborhood). The episodes teach lessons and use little ditties to do so. When we were potty training, I showed her the snippet on potty training. "If you have to go potty, stop, and go right away. Flush and wash and be on your way." The song has been sung many, many times around here. 

We decided that we should spend regular one-on-one time with the older girls. The second weekend of each month is to be Ever's date night, and the third weekend Wren's. Jim and I will alternate who takes which kid. Last month I took Ever out, and he took Wren. This month he should have taken Ever out on the second weekend, and I should take Wren on the third weekend. It appears, however, that we may be canceling dates this month due to holiday busyness. We'll have to resume in January. 

On our date, Ever and I started out at Yogurtland. 

Then we went to Barnes and Noble, where she sat on my lap and we read some books. No buying; just reading. I imagined some big heart-to-heart conversation. No such deep talk occurred, but I imagine it's still good for Jim and me to make ourselves available regularly in a more intimate setting so that when things do arise, the girls will be able to talk to us. 

Jim and Wren did the same thing on their date the following weekend, although he bought her a coloring book with pencils because he's the nicer parent.

One day I wanted Wren out of my hair, so I asked Ever to distract her. Before I knew it, she had nearly finished turning them into kitties with marker. 

For a brief period after that, she wanted to start a little face-painting business by setting up a stand outside. I told her we didn't really have the proper supplies, and eventually she stopped asking about it.

The day after the cat-face incident, Wrenzy tried to mimic Ever's handiwork and draw on herself. Then she made a mess trying to clean her face. The pen didn't come off so well, but after a few days, she looked as good as new.

Jim's longtime roommate, Mark Harwood, and his family were in the area the week of Thanksgiving. We went with them to Roy and Karen Bunnell's for dinner on Sunday and then met them at the Safari Park Wednesday afternoon. Inexplicably, and unbeknownst to anyone, Wren threw away the water container I'd brought for her and Tiny right at the entrance to the park. Tiny does not know how to drink out of regular cups yet and is very attached to her water, so it was a tough day. I didn't believe Wren when she said she'd thrown it away, but Jim found it right in the garbage can at the entrance on our way out. He promptly gave it to Tiny without so much as a rinse. I was horrified, but Tyna was pleased to be reunited with her beloved wa-wa.

Ever learned about bats at BASE (her before-school program) and loves them. We didn't have a lot of time that afternoon at the Safari Park, but we made the bat house a priority. Those things are possibly the most disgusting creatures on Earth. 

Usually it's Mercedes Wrenz trying to love on Tyna (who doesn't like it), but one day Tyna was really feeling the love for her biggest sis.

In an effort to be festive, we went to the Christmas tree lighting at the Forum Carlsbad mall. Santa and Mrs. Claus ride in on a sleigh and light the giant tree, and then there's music and a light show and bubbles and "snow" (soap). Parking was impossible, and it was really crowded. We watched Santa from a second-floor balcony and then went down close to the stage afterward to enjoy the bubbles/snow. The girls seemed to enjoy it, and the fake snow seemed a little magical and made me emo because I'm weird like that. Tiny's diaper soaked through, so we had to find a bathroom and deal with that. We were going to hit up the free refreshments but didn't want to wait in lines. Instead, we picked up some Ben & Jerry's Tonight Dough ice cream and gave the girls a bowl at home before bed. Tiny carried the ice cream through the store and all the way out to the car.

We hosted a Wednesday-afternoon playdate involving Ever, Leela, Lelei, and Ella. It was not ideal. There was lots of, "Why won't you two let us play with you?" and "You're telling secrets, and that's mean," etc. I think Ever is better at other people's houses, but she often has a hard time at playdates at our house. Right off the bat, Ella said Ever hurt her feelings, and Ever ran upstairs and pouted because she didn't think she'd done anything wrong. Drama, drama. Not my flave. At the end, they went outside and took turns climbing up onto the very top bar, scooting across it, and sliding down the beam on the other side. Ever had done it before. Ella is up for anything athletic and/or adventurous. Leela looked completely petrified but did it a couple times anyway because of the peer pressure. Lelei got up there but was too scared to go through with it. The other girls were saying things like, "Are you scared?" Of course Lelei got upset that they were making fun of her for being scared. 

Kristi hosted the following week. Leela didn't participate in that one, but another neighbor girl did. Kristi said there were more of the same problems, although she thought they were mostly instigated by Lelei. We'll keep trying, but so far the bigger playdates aren't turning out how we'd hoped.

Mamo asked me if Wren has taken all the clothes out of the drawers again. I said no. Then a few days later, I found Tiny like this:

The damage was not as extensive, but it made me laugh since Mamo had just asked. 

Ever's school had a lockdown on November 30 because the police lost sight of a suspect by some railroad tracks not too far from the school. I got a call from the school and then a text from the teacher at BASE. (Ever was at the before-school program at the time.) I wasn't super freaked out, but given all the gun violence in this country in recent years - particularly at schools - it's really horrifying to think of what could happen. A friend who also has kids at Palmquist happened to be driving by the school right at the beginning of the lockdown - before she knew anything about it - and saw all these cops all over with guns drawn. She called and was told the school was on lockdown, and she couldn't go in. She was pretty shaken. Anyway, the BASE teacher texted Jim and me to tell us what was going on and then later to tell us it was over. Jim's response at the end made me choke up: "I would die without Ever." 

He loves his girls so much. In fact, he's told me that he would never leave me, even if I cheated on him, because he couldn't handle not seeing his girls every day. I'm told not all dads love their kids like that. I'm so grateful my girls' father does.

Tiny Tot at 16 Months

Tiny has made great strides in personhood over the last month or two. She's become very active and feisty and communicative. She's a good little walker/runner/climber.

At her 15-month appointment on November 16 (when she was 16 months), Tiny weighed just under 21 lbs - 38th percentile - and was in the 45th percentile for height. Her head stayed steady on the top curve in the 97th percentile.

When I went to her appointment, she was saying several words. Over the following two or three weeks, she started saying so many more. Some of her favorites (besides Mama and Dada) are Ever, please, books, box, shoes, brush, bye, apple, wa-wa (water and milk are both "wa-wa"), bath, yeah, up, down, out, outside (which she says "side"), and snack (pronounced "knack"). She's stringing words together: "Wawa, please," "I want dat" (or "Want dat" - it's not clear), "Want books," etc. She mimics words really well.

One of the first things she started saying was "good." Every time you ask her how she is or how something was, she says, "Good." It's so cute.

Her answer to any yes-or-no question is, "Yeah." She's very agreeable.

For the longest time, she had no interest in books. The doctor told me at her 12-month appointment, I think, that I should be reading 30 minutes a day with her, and I scoffed. I was a little worried about her scholastic future. No longer. All of a sudden, she became out-of-control obsessed with books. When we get her from her crib in the morning or after a nap, she says, "Books, books, books, want books" the second we walk in the room. She has to hold books and carry them around all the time. I'm constantly gathering books and taking them back upstairs. We always read before bed, and she always wants more. She still doesn't sit and listen to real stories, but she's really into the age-appropriate books. 

She climbs up chairs and stools and onto tables and wants to do everything her sisters do. It's hard to keep her safe. Now when I'm in the kitchen preparing food, I've got three girls pushing chairs over from the table and climbing up to see what I'm doing and try to participate. It would be cute if I had patience and weren't always anxious to get things done.

She has the cutest whole-face smile and remains the sweetest little thing and best snuggler. We love our Tiny Tot.

P.S. These days, inspired by her name, I'm always singing, "Tiny tots, their eyes all aglow" and thinking of this:

'Tis the season.

Halloween and Other October Things

Ever had a school project that required the family to decorate a pumpkin together. Jim made it happen, although Ever was very much the artistic director. She was very proud of the result.

I took Ever to the dentist, who discovered and treated two cavities. I'm really hoping that's not a sign that she's got Jim's problem-prone teeth. The dentist previously recommended that we do sealants on her teeth, which have really deep grooves. I didn't do it because insurance didn't cover it, so I thought it probably wasn't necessary. The cavities made me trust the dentist, though, so we got it done. Frozen yogurt afterward seemed right. Waffle cones were free that day, so what could we do?

Usually Saiji Clarke walks Ever to the back gate after school so I don't have to park in front and walk to the kindergarten gate. When a funky schedule issue requires me to go to the kinder area, it is hard. Wrenzy really likes the curbs, which does not make the walk faster or easier for me.

Jim is the best dad. Sometimes he initiates dance parties.

As soon as we got home from Santa Fe, Tiny started walking. Apparently the practice she got walking around holding the cousins' hands did the trick. Maybe her mother should have walked with her a bit. This was the day after we got back:

The biggers were witches at our ward trunk or treat. Tiny Tot wore the Halloween shirt Nanny originally gave to Ever, I believe. There is something to be said for having all your kids be the same gender. Not buying clothes is amazing.

I don't know where Ever got this pose:

A couple nights, the biggers were put in their bunks and later found in makeshift beds on the floor. The first pic is from October 21. The second is from October 23. You build bunks, and then they don't sleep in them. 

Tiny continues to entertain with her scrunch face.

She learned a new word while we were in Santa Fe: "Bella." That's the name of Rob and Anna's dog. While we were there, Wren kept saying, "Bella dog-a," Italian style. Before we left, Tiny started saying "Bella" perfectly. Now she calls all dogs and some other animals "Bella." She seems to find it fun to say.

The Friday before Halloween, Anna Dubrovsky, mother of Ever's friend Leela from school, took Ever with them to the Halloween carnival at Rafi's preschool. (Rafi is Leela's little brother.) It looked like a grand time.

Anna had asked what we were doing for Halloween, and I invited their family to join us for trick or treating. I told her I was going to try to feed my kids as close to 5:00 P.M. as possible and then hit the streets. So Anna had her kids ready to go early. Meanwhile I compensated for an unproductive work-at-home-day by not knocking off as early as I needed to, so we weren't ready for trick or treating until well after 6:00. (Besides my work, the other major setback was the green makeup I tried to put on Ever and ended up taking off because it looked terrible.) Rafi and Leela were chomping at the bit, so Anna brought them down to our place while I finished getting my girls ready. (They just live up the street.) Their dad, George, got home from work just in time to join us as we headed over to Rancho del Oro for trick or treating.

I had told Anna that we'd probably go for a little jaunt on the trails over to Rancho del Oro to trick or treat there since it's more festive than our rather dead neighborhood. The walk is a lot farther than I remembered or prepared her for, and the kids were struggling. It was pretty much a disaster at first - another ill-fated tour led by the Kringels, much like unto our unexpectedly long and/or arduous hikes on which we don't bring enough water, etc. It seemed as if we were ruining Halloween. But then we finally got to the good trick-or-treating neighborhood. Houses were decked out, lots of people were out, and the kids loved it. All was well. The kids got plenty of candy, and Jim and I enjoyed chatting with Anna  and George while we walked. I didn't get any pictures of the kids, but I tried to take some of a couple of the houses. They don't capture the elaborateness. I can't imagine how much time and money go into decorating some of these places.

Tons of our ward members live and/or trick or treat in that area, so we saw lots of people we knew. At one point, Jim crossed the street to say hi to a bunch of youth that were out, and Anna said, "Jim is like the mayor around here! He knows everyone." It was pretty funny. 

Those connections came in handy at the end of the night when we were about to head home and Leela said she needed to go to the bathroom. Anna and George were going to make her squat, but I said, "We know people. Our friends live just a few houses down from here. They have people over right now, and they won't mind at all if we go use their bathroom." (Tom and Amber Sorenson live right near where the trail takes off to our place, and they invite everyone to their place after trick or treating every year.) So we went to the Sorensons', hung out outside by the fire pit, and introduced Anna and George to people while Ever and Leela made a pit stop. I told Amber about how we made them walk all the way over there, and she offered to drive us all back in her minivan. Jim didn't want the girls to go without car seats, but I didn't want to kill the Subrebosts* by making them walk the trail again. So Jim decided to save Wren, and he and George walked home with her while Anna and I caught a ride with the rest of the kids. All in all, it was a successful Halloween.

Jim and I were going to limit the girls to a certain number of candies while we trick or treated, but he immediately relented and allowed them unlimited junk. Afterward, however, we had them pick five or ten items (plus fruit snacks, which we considered freebies) and then took the rest to a dentist's office in Carlsbad where they pay $1 per pound of candy and also give raffle tickets (we didn't win anything) and goody bags that include coupons for Chili's and Ruby's Diner (buy one adult meal, get a kid's meal free). In years past, Ever has had so much candy that she couldn't ever get through it (since we ration), even with me eating all the good stuff at night after she goes to bed. The buyback was a revelation. Everyone was satisfied.

*Anna didn't take George's last name, so she's Dubrovsky while the rest of them are Subrebost.