November 2014

November, well the whole of fall actually, was unseasonably warm. We got a chance to play out on the playground a bit and Maddy showed me her new found skill on the monkey bars. She spends so much time on them that she actually has come home with callouses forming on her palms. It's a far cry from the scared little girl of only early the spring. Peer pressure at kindergarten and preschool is making her a brave kid and I'm so pleased. I want for her to try new things and to be confident in her abilities and to be happy to try things that are new. And when she falls, because she will, I want her to remember that she can pick herself up and try again and be successful with some practice.

Trying on dad's gear. She's growing up but when I see this it reminds me she's still my little girl.

 It snowed a brief bit but any snow means a trip out to the lawn and a treat to eat.

Scott installed gutters so we wouldn't have an ice rink on the driveway this year.

Maddy loves when my co-teacher teaches because she always gets a treat or a flower or something to take home. Not so when I teach.

Toby get's ready for Christmas

 At kindergarten they had a Thanksgiving feast.

Maddy came to work with me on a day when there was no school and we worked a little then went to lunch at Johny Rockets and saw the giant Christmas tree. We did a little Christmas shopping and had a fun girl day.

Maddy is quite the artist. My white board after she visited me

For Thanksgiving it was a Dalton year. But, Katie and family were in San Diego for a soccer tournament. Sarah and family were on a cruise. Mary and family were in Idaho with Ryan's family and Rachel was still in Tennessee. So, we had dinner at Uncle Win and Aunt Tricia's house with some of the extended family. Cousins Janet and Tracy and their families were there as well as Aunt Dawn and Uncle Dick and our family. It was fun for Maddy and Adele to play together and Janet's husband Joe and Scott had a great time finding things in common as well.

Janet brought a pinata which makes every party an instant success no matter what else is going on.

And because it is worthy of being documented, Maddy and I had a spa night. Actually, she wanted to play and I was really tired so I laid on her floor and told her that she could put make up on me. It was so beautiful (said with much kindness and a bit of sarcasm) so then we decided that we needed to have a spa day. We washed our faces and did a face mask. Maddy asked if we could put "those things on our eyes" and since we didn't have any cucumbers, we decided that apple slices would probably do in a pinch. This girl of mine! Boy are we going to have fun when she's a bit older. Wait, we are having all those fun girly moments now, what am I saying :)

Happy November.