Just another CarleSpawn weblog

While listening to Laurie Berkner’s Christmas songs, Ezri decided to draw her own Rudolf.

Inspired by the most excellent picture book Dinosaur versus Santa, Ezri and two friends made popsicle stick photo frames.

Her gingerbread house with some outerspace inhabitants that came in her Hanukkah pockets this year.

This Santa advent calendar was brought home from preschool. We are adding a cotton ball every day and will add the last one to complete his beard on Christmas Day. It’s a great visual on how many days till Christmas.

Ezri also brought this one home from preschool and said, “Can you tell what it is? Look at the tail? He rolled in the mud.”

This craft’s from preschool too.
Me: What is it?
Ezri: It’s my little carrot. I planted it.

This is a self-portrait. “Look, my bangs are in my eyes.”

It was cold but we had a great time exploring the hedge maze for the first time and stopping by the Enchanted Railroad to warm up and watch the mini-trains go round and round.

Happily holding the owl purse that she’s been filling and unfilling all day.
We took it shopping today.

Ezri could not wait for chocolate dreidel cake and gelt.

They got harmonicas for Hanukkah.

Songtime at the Hanukkah party

Ezri with her gingerbread house team!

I love this series of photos in which Ezri goes from posing for a photo to realizing there is a frosting covered cookie in front of her. The tongue comes out.

After decorating gingerbread houses:
e: When do we get to eat it?
A: We don’t eat it. We are going to use it to decorate for Christmas.
with a very puzzled expression
e: It is candy.

“I can peel an orange all by myself. I never went to orange school. I learned it by eating.”

“When I grow up I want to be a magician or a mama or a grandma. . . or a clown.”

Pointing at one of those inflatable Santas on the drive back from Spanish class Ezri says, “Santa is rojo-ho-ho!”

“Do mermaids use potties or just pee in the water like fish?”

e: I want a SMOOTHY!
A: We are not getting smoothies today.
e: You are a bad mama. I am going to put you in your room.
A: You do not get to put me in time-out for not getting you a smoothy. It does not work that way.
e: IT DOES WORK THAT WAY.
A: No, it doesn’t.
e: YES, IT DOES.
A: No, it really doesn’t
e: YES! IT! DOES!
It may have gone on longer, but I’ll end it there.

Our friends, the Stumbaughs, invite us over for what we call “half sleepovers.”
We have a big crazy dinner with all the kids and then we all play a bit.
Then P.J’s and bedtime for the kids.
If the kids mostly sleep – then we get to play games with just the grown-ups.
We then collect the sleeping children and take them home.
So, it’s a half sleepover because you go to bed at a friend’s house, but wake up in your own.

Here is Susan’s story bringing all the girls to the room. Ezri is in orange snuggling with her friend, K.

Here’s Ezri curled up and looking ready for bed with her friend, P.

The night also included antics with glitter. Ezri came out unglittered, but other children were not so fortunate. There was an epic game of school where I was called to answer to the principal (elected principal by virtue of being the eldest child). The second eldest girl was the teacher. Ezri was one of the good kids. I was drafted to be the bad kid who did not share and tried to eat chalk. Ezri was called to the principal’s office to receive gifts. I had to sit in the corner.

This year Jason and Lori helped take the kids on the Polar Express (AKA a metra train out to Aurora).

Here they are getting ready to board.

Peek-a-boo with Santa on the train.

Ezri sitting with Santa. This year she asked for a Minnie Mouse. She asked for Donald Duck last year and she claims next year she will ask for Daisy Duck.

Later in the evening Lori did balloon art for the kids. Here is Ezri in her “Foofa” hat.

Here is Jason fishing for the kids with a balloon fishing pole.

Lori even taught Ezri how to blow up balloons using the pump.

It was good times.

I just bought the jump drive package, so all I have is digital. I might print one out for my nana, but the rest of the family can enjoy them blog-style.

It was great that Tam and Mark could stay for a week around Thanksgiving.
Both kids enjoyed all the stories and attention.

Ezri helped bake cupcakes for Grandpa Mark and applied the sprinkles herself. She gifted him with a small remote control robot named Torrant. She even let him play with the robot some too.

Oh, she gave him the special butterfly sticker on his forehead as well.