The last month...

I thought I had some catching up to do last time I actually wrote a post.  It's almost been a month this time.  We've had Julie's birthday, Hallowe'en and in three days we leave for Vegas.

Julie turned 35 on Oct. 28, and I decided to use the force to make her a cake.  Since marrying me, she has really embraced Star Wars and I wanted to give her a symbol of my appreciation.  What better than a Princess Leia cake.

She was quite shocked to find out I made it totally free-hand.  Move over cake boss.  Here are all my girls gathered around the cake.

 

Jorja has been into helping out around the house lately.  After every meal, she likes to clear the table into the dishwasher.  It wasn't anything we made her do - she just started volunteering one day.  It's pretty sweet.  It also makes me stay more on top of emptying the clean dishwaher so things are neater in general.  After she had been doing this for a while, she asked when she could start doing chores.  Wow!  It's not every day a parent hears those words.  I told her that she already was by clearing off the table.  She figures she wants to take out the garbage as well.  She sees our sitter's boys taking out the garbage and wants to get in on that action.  I haven't got her to yet, but she is still going strong with the dishes.  I guess I'm not sure how to approach the situation.  I want to embrace this willingness to help out, but don't want to burn her out too soon.  I think we'll just stay with the dishes for now.

 

Hallowe'en this year was cold.  We've had snow for a while now, and I don't think it's going anywhere.  I think when we went out, it was -13 with the wind chill.  Needless to say, it was a shorter outing than most years.  But the kids still have a pile of candy.  CeCe really got into it this year.  She was very friendly too.  As she was walking away from houses, she would yell, "Have a good day!"  At one house, a woman held bowl full of goodies for CeCe to see and asked CeCe what she liked.  Without missing a beat, CeCe said, "Candy!"  She knows what she wants.

 

A couple of nights ago at the supper table, Jorja asked Ginny what 10 plus 11 was.  Ginny paused for a minute and then said, "21."  Jorja and I looked at each other with equally shocked looks.  How do you know that, I asked her.  She replied that ten plus ten was twenty, so ten plus eleven would just be one more.  Pretty impressive for a four year old. 

 

This morning as we were getting ready for church, I was buckling CeCe into the car.  Sometimes getting all three of them into the car is like herding cats.  Ginny was off eating an icicle and Jorja was off putting the toe of her church shoe into a snow bank.  I yelled at them from inside the car while still buckling CeCe.  CeCe saw the look on my face and asked, "Why you so grumpy Daddy?"  She calls it like she sees it. 

 

I guess the next time I write will be post-Vegas.  It is going to be a lot of fun.  Later.