what not to do

When you wake up in the morning and it is 21 degrees, it might seem like the perfect day to accept your good friend's invitation to go ice skating at Whole Foods . . . especially if you are a boy who will strip naked and happily run through the sprinkler when it is in the 40s. (For my Canadian and European friends and everyone else living in every other country in the world sensibly following the Metric system: I do mean Fahrenheit. really.) By the time we got to Whole Foods, it had warmed to 25. The wind was fierce, making it seem far colder. Whole Foods made an unprecedented error by neglecting to have the ticket booth properly staffed. or staffed at all. We waited in line for over 20 minutes before someone was sent up to sell tickets / hand out skates / open the rink. By that time, me, and most other children were frozen solid and psychologically damaged, no doubt. I made it one time around the rink.

As always, pizza was my salvation.

North Pole Flyer, ride three

Today I enjoyed my third annual ride aboard the North Pole Flyer. Worry not, after being subjected to the coach car last year, we were back in the first class lounge where the hot chocolate was flowing freely and I was able to eat more than my weight in candy canes and Christmas cookies. After grouchy Santa visited the passengers, his sweet wife came through to distribute cookies. We had a good chat so I am confident that I am securely on the good list. It stands to reason that Santa's wife is the one running the whole show anyhow. 

The train departs from Cedar Park (better known as the town where Molly had her wedding) and travels to Bertram (wherever that is) and finally to the North Pole. The scenery is always fascinating but even more so this year because of the recent flood. so many grumbled trees! We pass through some industrial areas and I cannot even count how many football fields I saw.

Thanksgiving

For whatever reason, some genius decided that closing my school for an entire week at Thanksgiving is a good idea; it's not really. Couple the extended break with miserably cold/wet weather (with the threat of snow or at least freezing rain) and it seems even worse. I enjoyed some visits with friends. Attended a birthday party. Did some baking. Went to the library. One morning I was so bored that I vacuumed under the bed. And we finally made it to Thanksgiving. 

Thanksgiving morning started with the baking of a chocolate pecan pie. I suppose it turned out perfectly - like most everything I bake. Once the pie filling was ready/cooling, I was put to work peeling four pounds of sweet potatoes. Throughout the day, I helped with prepping, cooking, and cleaning . . . until I crawled into bed and slept for two hours. It is hard to be a chef.

I woke from my nap eager to host my dinner party.

Team Canada

Winter session of soccer started today. I am back in training. Or still in training. 

Halloween

Each year, some parts of Halloween get increasingly appealing. I don't like the scary part of Halloween though. In the weeks leading up to Halloween, I did not want to wear a costume. In the days leading up to Halloween, I wanted to be "something quiet" like a spider (good luck finding a good costume at the very end). Then I was going to wear the dragon costume that Trinity wore when she was four. But, for the third consecutive year, I opted to dress as a construction worker. Easy.

We went to the same neighborhood as last year to trick or treat. The streets are wide, houses are brightly lit, and it is safe. And the neighbors are so friendly. I am especially well mannered and love to chat with people so I did well with my candy bucket. By the end of the evening, I had discarded my costume but no one cared. I am already excited about next Halloween and have talked to my mom a lot about strategies and plans.

further proof

If there were ever any doubts that I am related to Trinity, or that I am a Montessori student, these photos may clear things up. I have very recently become obsessed with vacuuming. And my mom is especially happy about this because she loves to keep the baseboards clean (no small task with a dog, two cats, and at least 100 muddy boys living here). I like to experiment with the different vacuum attachments and see which one works best. The long skinny tube is best for under the oven. The best part is that I am allowed to vacuum whenever I ask to . . . even in the early morning hours of Saturday. Or Sunday. (Sorry dad, but it's got to be done.)

I also enjoy washing the windows in the afternoon.

And then I make big messes of play doh, construction, and fire rescues. So the house will never ever be clean.

cookies

We are now a little more than a month into the school year and I am settling into my routine. We are keeping busy and have something planned for every day of the week. except Monday. I decided that Monday has now become the day to bake cookies. Here is the batch I made yesterday. I usually don't eat my own sweets - even though I am the best baker and whatever I make is always delicious - but I really enjoy the process of baking. I love measuring (excellent math lesson) and learning about ingredients. Oh yeah, and I love sampling the dough. (Note: my hands were VERY clean when I tasted the dough and I follow the strictest of hygiene practices while cooking.)

Somehow, I decided that every day of the week needs to have something special. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we get to school early and run with a group of kids and parents. It's mostly the older children but, even so, I am the fastest. On Wednesdays, we picnic with my friends after school.

Friday . . . what is Friday? I tend to nap on Fridays since I am so tired from the week. Then my dad can take me walking when he gets home.