November Recap.

I wish I could say that I was training for a marathon and that's why there was a gap in my blog updates. Unfortunately, I haven't done much running in the last few months. Instead, here's what I've been preoccupying myself obsessively with every single day for the last month and I wish I were doing it now rather than blogging about it.

That's right, knitting. A month ago I came across a knitting blog which led me to dozen other knitting blogs. I kept bookmarking beautiful items people posted pictures of. I kept restraining myself from running to a craft store, but finally I gave in and purchased enough yarn to last me for ... 2 days. I wish Julia shared my passion, but since she ends up staying in a cart while I shop, it's no wonder she gets a bit cranky when we approach the same store for the fifth time in one week. Maybe if I make enough knits for her, one day she'll add up the two together.

So, what exactly have I made so far? Most of the projects ended up being rolled back into a ball of yarn since I either didn't like the design, the yarn didn't work for that specific item or the size wasn't right. I intended to make these socks for Julia, but they ended up big enough to fit me. So, that's one of the projects that isn't going to be worn, but that's ok because I enjoy the process not just the finished project.

What made it to our drawers? Julia's scarf (not shown here), fingerless mittens for myself, a set of mittens and scarf for a friend.

Now, back to a more fun topic -- the kids. There have been some pretty fun, busy, testing, will-it-ever-end days last month. So, onto the pictures. Of course they won't tell it all since I usually don't take the pictures of the kids hitting each other, screaming from the top of their lungs or potty talking for hours.
David loves drawing and he is getting pretty good at that. Here's one of his "masterpieces" of him and his sister holding balloons (I only drew a large purple balloon).

Here is one of him , rainbow , sun and the clouds.

Here's a picture of two snowmen holding broomsticks.

The cooler days keep us home especially since Julia has zero tolerance for even a slight breeze. David has no understanding of time yet, so our time outside is spent listening to one kid screaming "I am too cold, I want to go home" and the other "Five for minutes, please". It goes on like this for an hour and neither one of them enjoys playing. So, while the kids are asleep my mind plans the activities for when they wake up. Baking,

Non-stop singing from David's favorite "Free to Be You and Me" book,

Making a necklace (for Julia "b'cause big boys don't wear a necklace"),

Drumming (yes, call me crazy, but I do let him "play" drums),

Building Christmas tree out of playdough

And just old-fashioned playing. (Noticed a cape and a mask worn on both pictures on two different occasions? Once getting them as a favor at a birthday party, David wouldn't take them off for a week. What about the school? Playgrounds? Yes, he insisted on wearing them there too. We have to hide Julia's costume as she wants to wear it everywhere too. When I forget and call her "my princess" she literally yells back at me " I am not a princess, I am Tinkle Bell". It is too funny.)

Seth would always invent a game to teach David just about anything. So, to teach him higher numbers, Seth would draw a chart with David and Julia's names on it. He would draw a number and whoever would guess it right, would get a star in front of that child's name (of course, usually David would be the one getting more stars). At the end, whoever gets all four or five stars gets a spin from Seth. So, one time, out of nowhere David drew a chart, wrote "mama" and "J" for Julia and started playing this game with us. I let Julia guess the numbers, David would draw a circle next to her letter and at the end he gave her a hug. I had to turn the camera off for a hug and run to save Julia as hug turned into a strangle.

Every weekend we took the kids to play a miniature golf at an enclosed warehouse. I can't believe how concentrated both Julia and David get. Too bad we had to leave after two rounds.

David went bowling with Seth which our son is pretty good at this too.

I took both kids to the concert with some of their friends. They had a blast there.

Unfortunately, I missed David's Thanksgiving performance at his school, but Seth and Julia made it. Seth told me David did a great job singing two songs instead of running towards him.

Speaking of Thanksgiving. We were celebrating the holiday with Seth's cousins, uncle and aunt. As soon as we walked into the house (I had never been there before), I didn't know whether I should laugh or cry. Decide for yourself what I did especially since a dining room was located next to the instrument room. Oh, yes and they had 3 guitars (two of which they hid right away after seeing David's "performance") and a piano.

I don't know when I'll post next, but I'll be back.