Phone Photo Friday: 12.19.14

Hello! Happy Friday! Here is my latest offering of phone photos.

We went to a huge Polar Express Party and parents took the girls around while I helped out with crafts. The girls had a fantastic time and Cordelia told me it was the "best night ever."

At the end of the party they had a "snowball fight" where the kids broke into teams and threw wadded newspaper and used copy paper at each other it was madness, there were so many children. When it was time to pick up they had each team race and try to clean their side up by putting all of the paper into recycling boxes. Awesome idea

Bumblebee had surgery last week for a tumor removal, hopefully this will be 

benign like her other tumors. We await results and in the mean time we laugh at her cone.

Sunday evening we decorated the tree with my parents, my youngest brother, his girlfriend, and borrowed sister Laura. 

Look at these two!

After a weirdly warm few weeks we got snow.

This is Elise and her friend Charlie. I watch Charlie once a week for about an hour while his mom, a friend of mine, teaches Spanish at the preschool. 

Elise and Charlie have a lot of fun together.

Here is a random pic of Cordelia eating dinner.

This photo requires a bit of an explanation, my brother Ben sent Eric this gigantic dragon mask. The other day Eric and the girls had played with it and left it on the floor. I went to put it away and had a better idea, I tucked it into bed. When you have been married for as long as we have you must work hard to impress your spouse. 

Santa is not our thing at all. We have never pretended about Santa as a general rule we are direct and honest; we want them to always know we will tell them the truth. So when "Santa" came to preschool we talked with Cordelia and told her that it was fine and fun to pretend, but that it isn't her place to tell her friends that Santa is only make believe. She has it down. Anyway, here she is on "Santa's" lap. Apparently she asked for My Little Pony records.

Ha ha.

Cordelia and I have been working on fractions. Elise is happy to scoop beans for now.

Opening a holiday package that arrived.

Wiped out at the end of the day, after writing and painting Eric and I collapse onto the couch and talk or watch a movie.

Home made Christmas card.

Shopping with Elise while Cordelia was at school.

Actors dressed as a pirate and Elsa showed up at the preschool to present bikes that had been auctioned in order to raise money for a family in need. I was given a head's up so Elise could get in on the surprise.

Elise sang, "Let it Go." We explained to her that it was a woman playing dress up, but I am not sure she really understood what was going on---she was happy about it whatever she thought was happening...

Cordelia went right up to this woman and felt the beading on the bodice of the dress and hugged her. They were thrilled by the experience. Cordelia has once again requested an Elsa crown and high heels (?) for Christmas. And now we have the Frozen soundtrack on repeat, again. Ahhhh!

Here is a very poor photo of Frisbee the squirrel who lives in our cottonwood, his/her nest can be seen from the girls' room. He/She runs to the apple tree and eats the rotting and fermented apples that we couldn't reach. Drunken squirrel?

Last night I finished my final art class until next fall, at the art museum. I have been teaching a group of high school kids and it has been so rewarding. I will miss them!  I took this pic of the museum tree on my way out.

Lucy, just attacking the tent.

Have a lovely day!