Hunting + Piano

December means lots of things - among them, Hunting.

 Owen practicing his aim w/ Grandpa Robert & Kyle in a blind on the Honeymoon (Mezger) Ranch.

Won't pull his hat up, can't see. Still cute.

This stinker got bored and fell asleep in the blind. In the hat is post-nap.

December also means Pinao. Take off your camo, put on your Sunday Best (which, incidentally, isn't very nice for us since our church is so casual)...it's piano recital time!

Both kids did great. Maggie threw a world-class tantrum so had to be forcibly removed...thankfully Kyle got both performances on video.

Owen played: Rock Song and Sing We Now of Christmas

Rebecca played: Skating and Angels We Have Heard on High

Fall is definitely full but these little events are highlights of the year. So fun!

Happy Thanksgiving

Same turkey, new pumpkin - Happy Thanksgiving 2014!

Our list doesn't even come close - but I love November because its just so refreshing to have thankfulness as a theme and something we talk about often. Can you even read my handwriting?

Okay, so last year we did The Big Thanksgiving Feast with Everyone. So this year was a good year to just take it easy as a family. And easy was definitely the goal - if it wasn't easy, I wasn't interested. Somehow that meant we went camping...which is not always easy. But we headed to Inks Lake on Wednesday, hoping to stay until Friday...

Hot chocolate and oatmeal. She's a fan. Is he?

Yes and yes.

Post-bike-riding booby-trap-prepping.

Another booby trap project with Daddy's help. It involved a trip wire made out of fishing line that made a piece of wood swing out a tree and into the gut (or face if you're a kid) of whoever tripped it. Safety first.

And on that note...Hey Kyle, how about you teach our 5 year old how to use matches? (Please don't call CPS.)

She got the hang of it really really quickly. She enjoyed it really really a lot.

Thanks Dad!

Now on to a little "hike." The highlights were Owen getting to use the Camelbak and both he and R getting pretty good and identifying TX trees thanks to the Texas State Champion Range and Pasture Judger (199?).

Maggie's starting to fade...

She went pretty quickly from this (wild-life-spotting w/ backwards binoculars) to...

 ...writhing in pain in the tent because her ears hurt and finally passing out. Poor baby.

 We're thinking ear infection. So Kyle takes the big kids into Burnet to get some tylenol (not on my permanent family-camping-packing list)...and we made the call that we didn't want to try to spend night #2 out with a potentially sick kiddo, so...

While she finally slept, we had a quick bite of pumpkin pie (our only real Thanksgiving food, outside of the turkey hot-dogs we had for lunch)...

And posed for our requisite Pilgrims & Indians picture! (PSA: I'm told that American Indians is now a widely accepted/PC term for Native Americans.)

Thanksgiving group selfie (minus the Maggers).

The craziest part was once she woke up she seemed pretty okay and didn't complain of ear pain anymore...by then we were packed so we headed home with the promise of a Mezger Family Fun Day the next day in lieu of camping. The kids handled the news that we were leaving well, but Owen did say (politely): You know Mom, this isn't our BEST Thanksgiving ever. But that's okay. 

On Friday, at home, we played board games (Uno and Catan) and introduced the kids to the Christmas classic movie Elf. Maybe not our best Thanksgiving ever, but still a good few days!

So, not quite a Thanksgiving tradition yet, but close: the past 3? years the kids have gone with Dahdo and Pam to her family's place in Comfort for at least part of the weekend after Christmas for the town's annual Christmas bazaar/fair/market/parade/festival Christmas in Comfort. It's a TX small town Christmas at its best. This year Kyle was working so the kids and I drove out to Comfort on Saturday.

Watching some musicians

Petty zoo time

Maggie liked the horse a lot - wasn't scared at all. She also kept walking around telling everyone to Shhhhhh - the pigs are asleepin'!

Rebecca was obsessed with catching a chicken and she finally did it. Aren't you proud BEE?

I drove back that afternoon to meet Kyle when he got off work. We went and saw the movie Interstallar that night (mind.blown.) and then couldn't fall asleep because we went down the Wikipedia rabbit trail of everything I don't know about science which is a lot. We spent Sunday decorating for Christmas - which may be my favorite thing about Christmas in Comfort - that it gave me the time to decorate for Christmas in my own house in peace! :) Happy Thanksgiving!

November Hodgepodge

When I don't post for several months the updates get shorter because I don't remember the details - lucky you! So, here is a random hodge-podge from way back in November!

I got new reading glasses. Owen spiked his hair up (with his sweat, of course) and put them on and made his "professor face" - I think he nailed it.

I kind of pretty strongly dislike the whole Selfie Culture we live in, but at the same time thought this one I found on my phone of Rebecca was pretty great.

I have no idea what is going on here. She looks pretty comfortable.

Sweet Elizabeth from my LDP cohort (read: Bible Study) decided to come hang out at one of our First Friday Happy Hours - she knew Kyle was gone and I could probably use an extra set of hands. Geanine was great to stick around that night too! So, I had two friends and helpers. And only ONE neighbor (and her 3 precious kiddos) came. Ya'll - that is the lowest number we have EVER had except one freezing day last winter when we stood on our porch drinking hot cider and a neighbor came over because we looked so pitiful (and crazy - why did we not just cancel?). We usually have 20-30 people - Murrays - back me up here. At least these two had fun on the see-saw and can confirm that it is a harder workout than you would think!

Owen faux-rock climbing at a park near Dahdo/Pam's house - complete with the CamelBak he discovered (and thinks is the coolest thing ever).

This was actually right before Halloween - Rebecca had me take her to JoAnne Fabric so she could spend some of her own money on fabric and notions so she could make Rosalon a Hallowen costume. She picked out this black stretchy fabric and some purple trim plus the black/orange spider web fabric. She said she made her a Halloween ninja. Ya'll - she did this ALL by herself. She cut the fabric, even arm-holes and wrapped her up. No sewing was actually done but I bet it won't be long before she's begging me to teach her. And I'll be begging my mom to teach both of us. :)

Ha! Geanine being my family-stand-in to see if the upstairs light would work for our Christmas card photo. Nailed it.

An overcast Saturday morning at the neighborhood school playground. Pretending to be the goalie.

Against these two.

Maggie "playing frisby" with Nana. Not so much.

On a whim Rebecca starting talking about how Rosie's birthday was coming up. Rosie is a recently named panda bear that has become a key friend amongst Rebecca's stuffed people - she is one of three identical pandas that Bee brought back from china, so at least she's legit. 

After a few days I realized I wasn't going to be able to make this obsession with Rosie's birthday and her plans for a party go away...so we made it happen. A text invite went out to some neighborhood mommas and when I surprisingly got a bunch of Yes replies I gave Rebecca the go-ahead to put her party plans in action. 

She set the table w/ animal print paper plates (that Pam gave her and she had been hiding somewhere) and a table runner. Put out juice boxes, asked me to make brownies, and brought down all of her other friends to sit on the table as both decorations and participants. 

Kids enjoying their birthday treats after we sang to Rosie.

She doesn't look it but she was quite the Happy Hostess.

The game: Pin the Bamboo on the Panda (I drew it but she came up with it)

So thankful for these friends! And for R's creative spontaneity (something that is not easy for me - but good for me - and so fun for US.)

Another I-dont-quite-understand-but-okay Rebecca plan - something to do with playing UNO and then voting (you can pick any number) and putting it on the list and then you win a prize from Rebecca...

I picked a million (written later) and then others picked higher numbers but she told them they couldn't pick higher than a million, but could pick any number. So, I am pretty sure I'm going to "win" - whatever that means.

This is Maggie. Hair all crazy. Baby close by. With my iPhone. She doesn't even try to be sneaky anymore.

Happy January November 2014 to you!