Friday, November 25, 2011

Thankful

We have all been sick, on and off, since last Sunday night. We were so disappointed to have to cancel our Thanksgiving trip to Los Angeles at the last minute, but we had no choice... as many of us have been fighting some sort of flu with high fevers, body aches, and coughs.

Instead, we have been staying in our pajamas all day. Anabelle is starting to get old enough to play games of pretend, and she mimics what she sees the rest of us do. Vita is so sweet and encourages her as she learns to play tea party. At one point I overheard Vita say "Thanks Anabelle! This sock tea and piece of lint is delicious."


We have been taking long three hour mid-day naps (even those of us who don't nap anymore).


We've been playing with dolls. Anabelle is working on being able to put clothes on the dolls. At this point, she takes clothes from her own drawers and tangles Vita's doll in a mess of sleeves and pant legs, places her in the doll bed, and pats her gently with a big grin on her face. I wish I had a picture of THAT.


Or sometimes, she throws the doll out of the doll bed and climbs in herself (which is why a certain much fancier doll cradle has been placed out of her reach until she knows better).


Vita has been learning more computer skills, including having a bit of fun with Photoshop.


We have also been sneaking in extra snuggles while the kids are too weak to resist.


The end of Thanksgiving does mark the beginning of the Christmas season, which has not gone unnoticed here. We're already singing Christmas songs, reading Christmas books, and working on our letters to Santa.


Finally, we're also getting ready for Vita's pirate themed birthday party next week. We made these cute invitations tied up into a scroll (with burned edges of course) and placed them in recycled plastic bottles with sand at the bottom to look like a message in a bottle. They were a big hit with the kids at school! (Note to self, when you make cute invitations, the kids notice them in the school cubbies, and then you end up having to invite the entire school to avoid hurt feelings. This can be avoided in future years by putting the invitations in plain white envelopes.) 

So much to look forward to!