Family Pictures

Every few years or so, we get family pictures done, whether we need to or not. I present to you the good, the bad, and the silly.

Death of the Tooth Fairy

I found the following sentences saved as a draft, but there's no date on it. I'm guessing sometime between 2013 and 2015:

Scott came home from school with a very loose tooth. He showed me how he could push it straight back with his tongue. While we were chomping on popcorn and grapes, the tooth came out.

Scott brought it over to me in his hand, offered it to me, and asked, "Mom, will you transfer a dollar to my savings account?" So much for the Tooth Fairy!

Piano Recital

Christmas carols with some singing and a solo on Carol of the Bells.

Gratitude

Today I'm grateful for Roadside Assistance, so that when I had a flat tire, someone with the right tools would come put on my spare. It took him about 5 minutes, MUCH faster than I could have done it. 

It happened right by a model home that I've been curious about and the sales force let me visit. Emily thought we should definitely buy it and started assigning bedrooms. She was a little upset when I told her it was unlikely we would move there. "But I could ride my scooter to school!" was her compelling reason.

Happiness is ...

I went grocery shopping late this afternoon before dinner. Besides all the things on my list, I came home with a rotisserie chicken, two baguettes, a box of crackers, candied orange and rosemary spread, and five kinds of cheese. It's possible that hunger affected my buying choices.

I walked in just before 7 pm, and everyone was hungry! The boys had just returned from their piano lessons. I pulled out two pounds of washed green beans, steamed them, tossed them into my biggest frying pan with some fresh garlic and olive oil, and finished them with soy sauce. We gobbled them up for dinner with the rotisserie chicken and some sliced cucumbers. EVERY SINGLE CHILD LOVED THE BEANS! "These green beans are so good!" "May I have more beans, please?" "Why do people serve the short fat beans instead of these?!" "I love the garlic on the beans." "These are the best beans I've eaten in 6 months!" 

As we finished dinner, I decided to inaugurate the cheese board that has been living in my cupboard for over a year. I set out aged white cheddar, goat cheese with herbs, camembert, and a cranberry cheese ball, plus the crackers, some grapes, and the baguettes. After Family Home Evening, they were just right for devouring.

I wish we had a picture of the cheese plate before we started eating and that it was on a beautiful clean table with no broken blinds behind it. However, I could not have been any happier in that lovely place than I was at my messy table. I take great pleasure in my children's food preferences, especially when they overlap with mine! Ethan's favorite was the herby goat cheese, Elizabeth preferred the sweet cheese ball, and Scott couldn't stop eating the cheddar. (Where was Emily?) I enjoyed them all, but candied orange spread on baguette and topped with camembert was extraordinary.

I have glimpsed the future and it's full of cheese!

Scott's first taste of camembert

A little shut-eye

In our family prayer tonight, Ethan prayed that we would get enough rest so we wouldn't fall asleep when we aren't supposed to.

Whereupon, a conversation ensued about everyone's nap today:

• I (Erin) laid down after running 3 miles, taking a shower, and scrubbing the shower. What was intended as a power nap turned into 2+ hours. 
• Ethan fell asleep reading scriptures on the couch after school. 
• Scott fell asleep when he laid down on a bench instead of playing kickball during PE; one of his classmates covered him with sticks. What?!? Let's give that person the benefit of the doubt that she wanted Scott to be warm and tucked him in with what was available. 
• Elizabeth fell asleep on the bus after school.
• Emily allegedly fell asleep five times: during music class, during calendar time, outside, during nap time, and on the way home. 

Mr. M is rehearsing at ComedySportz, and I cannot verify whether he followed his routine of taking a nap in his office to prepare for practice and defend his mental acuity. 

A sleeping family is a happy family. Here's to more sleep at night! 

Happy Halloween

Elizabeth's friend from school invited her to come trick-or-treating this evening. I showed up with all the kids, even Ethan, who decided yesterday (after winning that costume from his orthodontist) that maybe he would trick-or-treat today. People LOVE that costume.

We spent about an hour walking through the neighborhood. We got soaked from a 3-minute cloudburst pretty early on, so we were all wet and a little cold.

Trick or treat!

Tonight the Great Pumpkin made all the candy disappear. He is leaving certificates for bikes for the girls and $30 towards a phone for Scott. Ethan opted against Great Pumpkin this year for the first time ever.

Kettle meets pot

About 18 months ago, I chopped off my long hair and donated it. I love it short. It feels very me. 

Not everyone in the house agrees. Yesterday, Emily said, "Mom, you HAVE to stop cutting your hair!"