I'm sooooo Tired...

Our Alanna Belle has decided napping during the day is no longer what a big girl like her needs to do (unless, of course, she's strapped into a car seat and it's the middle of the afternoon). So, she has been falling asleep during bedtime stories once or twice a week. This evening, she snuggled up with Daddy's arm and fell deep asleep before the end of stories. At first I was jealous that Daddy was getting all that little-girl love, but then I got to be the one who carried a sleeping two-and-a-half year-old to bed and tucked her in. I felt better after that.

Baby, It's COLD Outside!

It's 7:17 am and the thermometer reads -5.1 (F).

Wow. Record breaking cold snap. Indeed.

First Signs of Christmas

One evening last week we were out after dark (which doesn't happen very often...) so we were driving through Santa Fe after all the streetlights and such were on. Alanna was very excited and remarked, "I see Christmas everywhere!!" We all laughed and noted the similarities between our modern-day well-lit evenings in an urban area and Christmas lights (could I sound any more dorky in my description?). And then she saw an actual tree lit up with Christmas lights and shouted, "That tree is wearing Christmas!"

'Tis (almost) the season...

3 Little Pumpkins...

So these:

Became this:

We have enough pumpkin puree to last the winter, I think. And it makes good bread and pie (we've already tested it!). The little jars are for pumpkin pancakes, which are delicious on snowy Saturday mornings.

Wednesday Afternoon

"I can't do it Mommy!"

"Alanna, don't put your foot in the pillow."

"Why did you say that, Mommy?"

"Because I don't want you to put your foot inside the pillow cover."

"Why? Why, why, why, Mommy? Why don't you want my foot in the pillow?"

"Uh, because I don't want the pillow cover to break."

"Why, Mommy? Why won't my foot go in the pillow?"

Superhero BFFs

We have a great event on the Friday before Halloween called Trick-or-Treat on Main Street in which the local businesses hand out candy and there are costume contests and a jack-o-lantern viewing all together in the same place on the same evening. It's a place and time when superheros of all kinds can come together in friendship and camaraderie, and in a show of unity,... they can hold hands:

Rhys was Iron Man, Matthew was Captain America, and Logan was Spiderman. In the background was Alanna as an adorable little ladybug.

Farewell, Rock Mountain

We finally have no more piles of rocks sitting around our yards, taking up physical space, causing serious mental anguish, or entertaining kids (but causing muddy-laundry issues). We are free! All that remains in the back is a ghost-like dusting on the walls, that is actually quite beautiful, I think.

Rhys is the only one who is missing the piles. As we pulled into the driveway the afternoon after Aaron had spread the last of the piles around the front/side yard, he sadly asked where the rocks had gone. When I asked him why, he replied, "I like to climb on them!"