Home again, home again jiggity jig

We ventured to Peoria for Thanksgiving, which is pretty much our usual plan.

Devin was thrilled to see Uncle Carson & Aunt Catherine! She followed both around the house and asked them to play with her pretty much constantly.

We played cards.


We had tea parties.


We looked in amazement horror at many dead animals, while visiting a cousin's house.


So beautiful...and so dead:(


I guess there are plenty of zebras in Africa.






There was putting green, which made Devin and Matt very happy:)


Apparently, I interrupted their office game.


Pies, pies and more pies.


Connect Four Anyone? We play it in a very different way. All you have to do is fill up the squares and let them out!!


Dev spent the whole weekend dressed up in one costume or another. She rotated between polar bear, kitty and clown.


We all played Scrabble.


And, as always...we sang and danced to the piano music.


C&C brought their dogs. I learned the only thing harder than taking pictures of children is pets.

I took over 50 shots of the dogs and got maybe 3 decent ones.

Apparently is was just a matter of time

I should have known something was wrong. Dev was being so quiet and playing well by herself, so I could vacuum and dust.

What I didn't know was she was giving herself a haircut. And, not just a trim. I followed a hair trail up the stairs. *Cue Psycho shower scene music* I looked in horror at the sizable pile of hair on the floor.

When asked why she was cutting her hair...

"So I can look like Snow White."

So, luckily my little stylist has LOTS of hair and it's not horrible looking. I notice...the big chunks out of the bottom. But, it can be covered.

I told her that she would no longer have access to her scissors. Her response?

"I still have my hole punch, right Mama?"

My friends tell me it was just a matter of time...

Serendipity

Isn't is fun when things just work out?

We went to Westport Village to visit the wine shop and Chuck & Mikes.

The bad news...I forgot my camera all day and missed so many amazing photo ops. I guess my brain is just elsewhere. She had her preschool Thanksgiving luncheon, for which I made the famous Rainbow Cake. Good job Mama...no pictures of the 6 layer magic:(

So, I pick a few cheap"ish" bottles of wine and we decide to go look at the fire truck parked in the plaza. Turns out there's a fundraiser going on for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and we stopped by as it opened.

Devin was 2nd in line for face painting and she chose a kitty.



She was thrilled with the result! I had to move the full-length mirror into the main room so she could see herself all night long:)

Livin' On Tulsa Time

My trip to Tulsa was uneventful and it was good to see some of my family. Mom and I needed a good breakfast to face our very long Tuesday.

Nothing like a local diner to fill your tummy!



Apparently, they're known for their cinnamon rolls. I ordered one, but there was a 20 minute wait. Our tight time schedule meant a picture of the roll would have to do.


The biscuits and gravy sufficed.


The place was nearly full...and local law enforcement were present. (Always a good sign)


Mama Lou's house. Oh. My. God. When a 90 year old still lives at home alone...let's just say she had a few collections. Layers and layers of stuff, dust, catalogs.....

Like these clowns.


Jesus scarves.


The funeral was nice, as funerals go. We were waiting in the Bride's room. See the smiles?




Homemade lunch from the church ladies.


I flew back in the late afternoon, but didn't get home until well after midnight. It was an exhausting day & I'm glad it's over. Mom's still in Tulsa, so she can continue to help Bob and Carole with the house.

The fun side

We still had some fun this week, especially yesterday.

On Monday, I forgot to use my brain and agreed to let her make her own clown face.


She asked me why she, "Didn't look like a real clown."

We assured her all clowns look different...and her face was perfect in its' own way.


I went all Martha Stewart again and baked this apple pie for my tennis luncheon. This is my creation, which combines several recipes and a few twists of my own.

The top crust is made of leaf cutouts...you know, for Fall.


So. We went to the mall to find the perfect gift for a 4-year old's Birthday party. Can you believe Santa is already there? Neither did we...I assumed they were still getting the decorations up and prepping.

I was wrong.


They were so sweet to let us do a "practice" run. There was no one visiting Santa yet and he seemed ready to talk to the kids!

She was beaming while Santa asked her what she wishing for.


We had not talked about seeing Santa yet. Apparently, she asked for a bike and here he was telling her about always wearing a helmet.


Say, "Cheese!" We promised to come back for the real thing in a couple of weeks. I'm just not ready for the season yet. Soon. But, not before Thanksgiving.


As if we hadn't had enough fun, Devin went to her first "real" kids Birthday party.

This little girl and Devin found each other during summer camp. They're in different classes, but still see each other on the playground and when they trade classes on Mondays.


It's so fun to watch her interact with someone her age. And, A is perfect for Devin. She's spunky, outgoing and very verbal.

Devin had a great time at the party. Plus, she got a good lesson in watching someone else open presents and get all the attention.

Before and After

Before:



After:

Happy Veteran's Day

How fitting...November 11th. Veteran's Day.

My Dad. Serving his duty in Korea when he was drafted in the late 60's. (Mom...help me with the year:)



My Dad, his mom (Mama Lou) and Me!


Today, our Mama Lou passed away.

She was a wonderful grandma. Who would practically slap anyone who dared say the word grandma in her presence. She was, "Mama Lou." And, she had no problem letting anyone know that.

Week in Review-1st Report Card

Tuesday was a beautiful morning. It was cool and crisp...perfect for a Fall trip to the Zoo.

I LOVE going to the zoo during the off-season. There were only a handful of cars in the parking lot and we had the place to ourselves.

Thankfully, the carousel was still operating.







They were still cleaning up the zoo from the big Halloween party. It's a huge event and I hear it gets very crowded, so we skipped it this year.






Devin's first teacher conference of the year was Thursday. They asked her to draw a face and her name...so cute!


It seems a bit much to give a 3.5 year old a report card, but it was fun to hear their perspective.

We're so proud of how she's doing. This time last year, we were still in the throws of major separation anxiety.

The one thing we're all focusing on, is her quickness to tears. Sometimes, my little drama queen bursts into tears over the smallest thing. She's so articulate...so we're encouraging her to use her words, so we can help her faster.


The many faces of Devin.