Countdown

For Christmas, Louise hasn't asked for much.  Charlotte, however, would like a guitar, and Claire would like a rock band.

Meanwhile, the tree and the lights are up, and we're busy getting ready for the 25th.  The whole street enjoyed decorating Christmas cookies and a gingerbread house at Chez Atherton:

Thankful

We were thankful to be able to spend a couple of weeks over Thanksgiving with Pop and Granny.  We wrestled, did crafts, went to birthday parties, visited the Greensboro Science Center...and Granny tried to teach Louise how to knit.

We may have driven them up a tree, but they seemed to enjoy riding the Santa Train with us.

  

   

They also enjoyed watching Louise, Claire, and Mummy ride on the Masters Garden float in the Hillsborough Christmas Parade:

Even more party time!

C&C had TWO birthday parties to attend this weekend.  Daddy & Louise had a comparatively leisurely day of gymnastics and playing with neighbours.

Mummy's view of Party 1: the first party featured pony rides, a hay ride, and toasting marshmallows / making S'mores.  Claire's favourite aspect?  Cake.  Charlotte's?  The pony ride.

Party 2, according to Mummy: lots of happy running around at the Museum of Life & Science, 20 minutes of learning about animals (a chinchilla, a ferret, and a silky chicken).  Claire? "My favourite part was Addison (a classmate)."  Charlotte raved about the gift bag.  The contents of the gift bag were interesting.  The two bags were identical.  Charlotte pulled out a two-part toy and said, "Wow, a Propeller!"  Claire pulled out one part of the same toy and said the birthday girl "gave me a Sword of Light to fight Daddy!"

In other news, the girls were behaving like siblings Friday evening, and Louise commented on Charlotte's stature.  "I may be small," Charlotte replied, "but I can do big things!"

Louise last weekend had a playdate with Katie, who she hadn`t seen for quite a while. They had a fun morning and afternoon. With Karen's help play-doh was made and played with!

PHun on the PHarm

We had a crafty weekend.  On Saturday, we built boats at Home Depot and painted ceramics in Carrboro.  But the most fun was had at the Maple View Ag Center, which had opened its gates to raise money for Jackson Wall and other kids with pediatric pulmonary hypertension.  There was a face painter, a clown who made balloon animals, four craft tables, a hay ride that toured the farm, a petting zoo, and a bouncy castle.  Jackson was also there, looking cute and having fun, and Daddy and Mummy felt exceedingly grateful for good health.

Happy Halloween

All three girls were very excited to celebrate All Hallow's Eve.  Initially, Claire planned to be a ninja, Charlotte a pirate, and Louise a peacock.  On the morning of Halloween, Claire planned to be Spidergirl, Charlotte, Spiderman, and Louise, an angel.  So naturally, when Trick-or-Treat began, these are the characters who left our house:

Sleepover!

On Friday night, Owen, Sammy, and Lily Howard came over for a sleepover.  All six kids were quite excited; Sammy apparently woke up saying "we get to have a sleepover with Louise tonight!!"  A great time was had by all on Friday evening - at one point, Sammy, Lily, and Louise were busy trimming the hair of stuffed animals. They had a lively discussion over whether they could treat, then trim, animals with fleas, or should simply turn them away at the door.  Around 9pm, the Howards wanted to collapse, whereas Louise had insomnia ("Sleep?  But I have an audience!!!").  Charlotte & Claire were delighted to be around so many big kids, but they were happy to have their own, separate sleepover in Charlotte's room.  Amy Howard was kind enough to capture this "before" moment:

Field trips galore

At the end of September, we enjoyed a visit from Pops and Grammy, and even had the opportunity to clean Pops' car!

In October, with a little encouragement from Louise, Claire discovered dresses!  These are identical, reversible dresses:

Last weekend, we had a lovely meal with our beloved Ms. Judy.  That afternoon, Charlotte came up to Mommy and asked, "Mommy, can I get my whup on?" Took us a minute, but we realized she wished to put the artificial whipped topping on the chocolate pudding pie.


Yesterday, all three girls went on field trips.  Louise went to the 911 call center.  She was sweetly proud of one of her classmates, who picked up the phone in the "smoke house", called 911, and told the operator his address.  "He's really smart, and a bit quiet.  I'm not jealous, I just really like his personality!"

Charlotte & Claire had the opportunity to milk a fake cow, feed real goats, take a hay ride, enjoy a rather wet picnic lunch, and jump in the corn crib at Ganyard Farm pumpkin patch:

Guv'ment

Claire & Charlotte attended a birthday party today.  One boy's Daddy is on furlough, and during the journey home, we discussed the government shutdown, "who is the government", etc.  Claire thought for a bit, then said, "Can you & Daddy be my government, Mommy?"  Why yes, yes I can, and you will never have a government shutdown.  Claire also won't have the opportunity to vote Mommy out of office for unpopular actions, but given the gerrymandered districts in the US, one could debate our ability to remove elected officials.  "I choose you to be my government, Mommy," Claire concluded.

During a car journey, Daddy braked suddenly to avoid injuring a small rodent.  "Daddy has a squirrel habit," the girls concluded about learning of the taxidermy squirrel in Pops and Granny's attic, and Daddy's evident attachment to it.

 

Claire started tae kwon do lessons this weekend.  We have no photographic proof of the event, however, because after the first 20 - 25 minutes, she decided it was horrible, awful, intolerable, and she didn't want to be a ninja any more.  Ninja don't quit, however, so we'll be back again next Friday - maybe we'll obtain proof then.