Thanksgiving

Lauren and Sammie.

Cousins

Lauren and Elaine

After dinner game.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I think it is great that we have a day to think and reflect on what we are thankful for. I am so thankful for so many things. One of the things that I am most thankful for is my family. I have great family. I love that we can have a great time when we spend time together and that we actually enjoy each other.

Thanksgiving this year was at my sister, Janine's house. We usually have Thanksgiving at my brother's house but my sister-in-law is about to have a baby (she was due yesterday). It was a nice day. We had a great meal, good conversation and a fun time joking and playing some games. The cousins all get along even though they are different ages. They have fun with each other and seem to enjoy being with each other.

This year I am thankful for so many things. As our world is going through so many problems I am thankful that I have a good job that I enjoy. I am thankful that I have a nice home to live in. I am thankful that I have good friends. I am thankful for my faith in God and the church I attend. But what I am most thankful for is my little girl. She is the best part of my life and I just love her so much. Everyday I think that I am the luckiest person because I get to be her mom.

Thanksgiving Cards

This morning before we went for Thanksgiving dinner, Lauren decided to make cards for everyone. She worked so hard on them. She put glitter and wrote the names on each one. She also added "by Lauren" on each card, in case the recipients didn't know who made them. She was so proud to hand them out.

Ice Skating

One of the parties that Lauren went to this weekend was an ice skating party. Lauren has only been ice skating once before so I got to go with her. Things have changed since I learned to skate many many years ago. They now have this "walkers" that the kids us to keep their balance. By the end of our session Lauren was doing pretty well. I am sure we will try it again sometime.

Cookie Time

Fall cookies.

Blaire and her cookie

Lauren and Elaine

Sammie decorating her cookie

Lauren eating more than she is decorating.

The past five days have been a bit crazy. My sister, Janine and her husband, Don went to Las Vegas for a few days. So, from Saturday to Wednesday I stayed at my sister' home and watched her three children and Lauren. I am so glad to be home with just one little girl. My weekend included 3 birthday parties, dance lessons, soccer game, pictures taken, church, tutor, church group and pizza dinner with cookie making time. Oh, I forgot, homework and getting ready for school Monday morning. That was just the weekend.

The week was just a crazy starting with getting 4 kids up and to school. (Three different schools) making breakfast, taking kids to the bus, taking one to school, waking up a high schooler that keeps going back to sleep, going to work, then meeting the school bus, picking up one from school, soccer practice, cheer practice, horseback riding lessons, dinner and of course homework. The homework included a book report with a shoebox diagram and helping one study for a history test on Islam. By Wednesday I was ready to go home.

On Tuesday night my niece asked me what I would do if I had 4 kids all the time. I told her I would run away. Being a single mother to one child is tough at times but for the most part it goes pretty well. I can now understand how hard it is to be a single parent to a lot of kids. I have so much more respect for ladies in that situation.

First Cheer Competition.

Outfit on, hair curled, make up on, ready to go.

Checking out her outfit.

The whole team ready to compete.

All lined up and ready to go.

Saturday was Lauren's first cheer competition. Lauren competes in the Tiny division. In that division you cannot be older then age 5. Her team has a lot of 3 and 4 years old and some 5 and even a 2 year old. In this competition they only competed against one other team. However the other team was mostly 4 and 5 years old. That made a huge difference. Lauren's team did great for their first time and they came in 2nd. (They don't need to know there was only 2 teams.) There was a lot of divisions competing and some of the teams were pretty amazing. Lauren's club did really good, 4 of the 6 divisions came in first, and they also got a third place in a very competitive and large division.

Cheer competition is a world of it's own. There are a lot of parents that are just way way too involved in this activity. It was interesting (strange) to see the parents decked out in "Cheer Mom" shirts and "Cheer Dad" shirts. And of course the more blingy the better. They yell and scream and it is a huge deal for them. I hope I don't become like that!!

Thanksgiving Lunch

Last Friday Lauren's school had a Thanksgiving lunch for the students and their families. Since each lunch took a little longer then their regular lunch hour they moved up the lunchtimes about 30 minutes. That made the Kindergarten lunch at 9:45 am. Yes, turkey, stuffing, corn, mashed potatoes, and rolls at 9:45 in the morning. It was bit strange. I think I finished drinking my morning coffee right before they served us lunch. It was a bit strange.

Other then the odd time to have lunch it was fun to go and have lunch with Lauren. I got to see her friends and then she took me into her class and showed me the things they were working on . I think she was happy that I was able to leave work and come and have lunch, I know I enjoyed it.

My Folk Singer

Lauren's cousin, Elaine, started to take guitar lessons a few months ago. Elaine is very musical and was a very good clarinet player before she gave it up this year. I was happy that she started to play another instrument. She learns to play so quickly and it is a joy to watch her.

Lauren adores her cousins and tries to be like them all the time. Her new thing (which started when Elaine started to take guitar lessons) is to pull out her guitar and tell me that she wants to play a song for me. Or she will tell me she needs to practice one of her songs. It is pretty cute and I snapped a few pictures the other day when she was singing me one of her songs.

Veteran's Day

Both Lauren and I got off today in honor of Veteran's Day. I decided not to do a bunch around the house and just enjoy the nice weather and the time with Lauren.

My father died last year and since his death, I have tried to keep his memory alive in our home. I try to talk about both my father and my mother, who died in 1993, so that Lauren could learn a little about them. One way that we remember them is when Lauren and I put flowers on their grave. Since today was Veteran's Day and my father was a WWII veteran I thought today would be a good day to go and bring some new fall flowers for their grave.

I wish my parents were still alive and able to see Lauren grow up. I wish Lauren could have grandparents that are living and active in her life. Those things are not possible so we have to do with just memories.

Fall Festival

I love this picture. Lauren seems so intense.

She had a great time on this and went on it again and again.

Playing one of the many games.

Doing an art project.

Rock climbing.

Lauren won one round of the candy walk.

Today was Lauren's school fall festival. It was a lot of fun. Lauren had her face painted, her hair painted, she played a ton of games, did some art projects, and went on a few of the rides. Lauren saw a lot of her classmates and some of her teachers. She won some prizes and ate some goodies. It was a fun time. She asked when they would have it again. I think she was a bit sad when I told her they would have another one next year.

Halloween

Ready for her school party. (I think she was trying to have a piece of candy in the morning.)

Ready to go trick or treating.

Cousins before going out.

Getting treats and helping her cousin, the doctor.

This is such a fun night!!

Eating one piece of candy and looking at all the treats that she got.

After baths and ready for bed but one more Halloween treat!


Halloween was a fun full day for Lauren. She started the day with a party at school. Her school does not allow them to wear costumes. Instead she wore her Halloween skirt and shirt. We have had such a busy week that we overslept on Friday. It was an interesting way to start Halloween but it probably worked out for the best since we got a bit of extra sleep for a busy day ahead of us.

After work, Lauren and I went to my brother and his wife's house to join them for Halloween night. Their daughter, Sammie, was excited to go trick or treating with Lauren. Sammie is two and so it was all pretty new to her. I explained to Lauren that she was now the big cousin and would have to show her what to do. She did a good job of making sure Sammie was with her and helped her when needed.

We got them dressed in their costumes, Lauren the bunny and Sammie the doctor. Then we were off. It was a great night to be out. Not too hot and not too cold! It was nice to go trick or treating in Sammie's neighborhood. It is a very family neighbor and a lot neighbors were sitting outside waiting for the kids to come. There was a ton of people out and about. It made for a fun time.

After walking around the whole neighborhood we headed home. It was time for chili and of course to check out the treats they got. They had baths and then enjoyed a pumpkin cake that Aunt Diane made.

It was a very fun Halloween and now it is time to start get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas!!