Thanksgiving at School

We got the soccer pictures back. Very cute in their own way, but Xander is squinting and biting his lip. Oh, well, it's still exciting. He says he wants to play soccer again next season. We'll see...

Nick has been "telling" me with various sounds and signs when he has a dirty diaper. I am encouraged that it may be almost time for potty training. He has a better disposition when I pay more attention to him and what he's trying to tell me.

Xander's class sang a Thanksgiving song ("Hello Mr. Turkey") and recited a story (Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?) for the parents when we joined them for a Thanksgiving luncheon yesterday. I was late due to not thinking about the way parking would be affected. I actually didn't hear the song but Nick and I were in time to hear the story they recited. Xander didn't seem to mind, and he taught me the song on the way home. Nick had a great time in the hustle and bustle of lunch.

Books and Talents

It's National Novel Writing Month this month! So I won't be posting as much here until December.

Today Nick and I went back to Mother Goose Storytime. It will take many many trips for him to learn to sit on the mat for the story instead of heading straight for the pink bouncy ball on the stage. I'm not sure if I'm willing to put in the effort! But we got some cool books today. The New Adventures of Curious George, Un Lun Dun by China Mieville, The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross, Los Amigos de Elmer, a Toy Story graphic novel, a Go Diego Go! book called Bats to the Rescue, Baby Signs, Franklin in the Dark, and The World of Shannara by Terry Brooks and Teresa Patterson. Since last week Xander and I and Erik have been reading through some non-fiction dinosaur chapter books, including one about paleontologists.

I still think Xander has all the qualifications necessary to be a paleontologist in real life, or as Xander would put it, "in our world." He likes science, doesn't take much care for his physical safety, is obsessed with dinosaurs, can memorize facts about them, and sometimes uses painstaking care to work his toys, including dinosaur dig toys. And he loves books.

Nick learns well and is very affected by music. I've learned that when he's fussing in the car, turning on music immediately stops him. He also loves books.

Xander went to his room time with his bin of figures and told me, "Mommy, I'm not doing Chronicles of Narnia this time. I'm doing a story of a graphic novel."

Awesome. I think I'll have a partner next year for National Novel Writing Month!

Today We Are Arranging Pots

Pinocchio Toy

Xander has a Happy Meal sort of toy, a Pinocchio that says, "I'll never become a real boy!"

Xander is playing in his room right now and I heard that toy cry out, and then Xander's reply: "Yes you will. You will."

Healthy!

Nick and I picked up our first delivery of CSA veggies from KYV Farms this morning! The vegetables look beautiful. I will be making leftover pot roast soup tonight with fresh veggies. I have ideas for pureeing lots of them and making breads, breakfast dishes, and even a type of poached eggs with cubanelle pepper puree! We received baby bok choy, spinach, a leafy green that has a nice flavor similar to arugula, yellow squash, zucchini, green bell peppers, cubanelle peppers, two types of cucumbers, and radishes. I had two cucumber and radish sandwiches today and loved them. Nick likes to play with the vegetables. He may have actually ingested some cucumber with lunch. Xander said he really liked his diced-cucumber-mayo-and-ham sandwich.

The kids came with us to vote at lunchtime today. Xander has been to voting before, but it was Nick's first time. He had a blast running up and down the room. Xander got four I Voted stickers so he thought it went pretty well, too.

I did some research just now on firesafety.gov to make a fire safety plan for the family. I'll go over it with Erik when we get a chance. I feel like it has been a day of good physical, mental, and civic health - ahem - so far. There are many hours left in the day.