Earlier this month, Mallory checked out a book about pirates from her school library that Jeff was all excited about, and read from cover to cover.  Then when she got here this Tuesday she’d checked out a book about Indiana, “H is for Hoosiers.”  Again, he was thrilled with her library choice 🙂

Yesterday was the first big Grandparents’ day that they’d ever held at Rosewood Elementary School, where Charlie & Adam go. It was great fun getting to see a little more of their school, and to visit with the principal some. Here are our guys while we’re waiting in line for breakfast.

Adam with his Papa, doing a little chowing down.  We sat on the stage, which is something they only get to do when they have adults from their family come and eat with them.  They were excited about getting to do that.  It was a fun way to kick off our day.

Sunday morning, and everyone’s up and dressed for church. Mason wanted to give us the entire Batman effect with his jacket 🙂

A couple of times a year all of the cousins some over to spend the night together – it is a big thing around here for them to get to do that.  June, especially, had been asking for a while, so Saturday night it was.  It was overcast and drizzly, but luckily enough it was warm enough that they could spend the afternoon playing outside.  Jeff had just built a new bridge in the woods, over a gully and leading to the area they refer to as Pirate’s Island, so that was certainly a highlight for them all.

After supper & baths, everyone crashed watching “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World,” on TV. I think I saw it for the first time when I was about their age, and they still thought it was hilarious. What a special day.

Yesterday when we took Clara to dance, the roles for this Christmas’s performance of The Nutcracker were posted.  Mallory had auditioned earlier in the week, and she was so excited to see that she had gotten a part as a member of the Tea Corps :-).  Later on that afternoon, while she & I were shopping to kill time before she went to guitar lessons, we got the text from her mom that she had also been chosen to be a member of the official York County Ballet Apprentice Dance Company.  It was an exciting day for this ballerina!

Mason’s 6th birthday is next week – what??? – so we kicked off his celebration here this afternoon by making special milkshakes. Here he is painting corn syrup on the glass, so he can decorate it with sprinkles 🙂

Our finished product. How cute is this? Yummy too 🙂

Yesterday afternoon Lindee picked Mallory up from here a little bit early to get to Rock Hill for tryouts for The Nutcracker this holiday season, and Clara stayed here so I could run her into soccer practice a little later.  Kimbrell fell asleep and I had to get up & get ready to go, so got Clara to sit beside her on the couch to make sure she didn’t roll off.  When I came back out Clara was definitely keeping a close eye – and hand – on the baby.  She is such a good helper!

Monday afternoon when I stopped by to pick Meg up for us to go see “War Room” I was finally able to meet Hope’s new dog.  It actually is an old dog – about ten years old, I think they said – from the shelter, but such a sweetheart.

His first purchase of the season 🙂