Tree cutting 2012

We went back to Pea Ridge to cut our tree this year. Megan was home for Thanksgiving and so we went this weekend.  Since November 1st was on a Thursday, Thanksgiving was as early as it could be this year and so this has to be the earliest day we would ever cut a tree!!!!
Pea Ridge is now growing fir trees and I have been after one for years.  They don't usually grow well in MO so it's hard to find them, unless they are pre-cut. Of course, they were more expensive but worth it!!! 

We stopped and ate dinner with the Bosch family, as usual.  Can't break the yearly tradition!!!!

We got the tree up and all the decorations on.  It looks great

This is our "angel" on top of the tree, I think it has a "Nightmare Before Christmas" look about it!!!!

Thanksgiving 2012

We had 8 of us for dinner this year. Milly is with us for a few days. We are a host family for two students from China through a program at SLU and I picked them both up for dinner. Vivian brought us some sushi that she made. Sam and Greta ate it as an appetizer!!

Vivian took this picture while we were all getting our plates together.  Ben and Eulanda are the best of friends.  He absolutely loves her.

I made paleo and non-paleo dishes for dinner.  It made everyone happy.  we had apple pie and ice cream for dessert.  It was great.  I haven't had ice cream for ages!!!  Ben didn't eat too much because he said his stomach was hurting.  He came back and tried eating turkey again and he said he thought it was that.  He said his stomach felt all tingly.  I remember this happening last year.  I wonder if he has an allergy to it?

International Education Week (part 2)

Turkey Trot 2012

Sam and I ran the 5K Kirkwood/Webster turkey trot this morning (my bib number is 3067). I ran my fastest time ever, 5K in 30:43. I was surprised that I beat my time from last year.  The major difference was that I felt fine after the run, whereas I thought I was going to die last year!!!!

Sam is the best running partner EVER, he really keeps me going when I want to walk for a while.

Now to start cooking......

My evenings this week

Monday
Leave work at 1pm. Take Greta to do her presentation at Maggie's school
Work at the book fair 2:30 to 4:30
Go to Maggie's parent-teacher conference at 4:30
Crossfit at 6:00
Bens parent-teacher conference at 7:30

Tuesday
Leave work at 2 pm. Work book fair 2:30 to 3:30
Pick Greta up from school at 4:00. Drop Ben off at gymnastics at 5:30
Make dinner
Take Greta to Target
PTO meeting at 6:45

Wednesday
Go to work usual time.  Take Greta to Ben's school to do her presentation at 9:30. Go back to work
Get Maggie from school
Take Greta to get shoes for choir
Go to Billikens game at 7:00. Part of our SLU host family program

Thursday
Get Maggie from school. Get Ben from year book club at 3:30
Make dinner
Go to Greta's choir performance at 7:00

No wonder I am tired!!!!!

International Education Week (part 1)

As part of International Education Week, Greta has to do 3 presentations about her Country. She did her presentation for Maggie's class yesterday. The kids did really well listening to her presentation, but they didn't ask too many questions.

When she was done with her slide show, she played a couple of games with them.  This was definitely more up their alley!!!!

Now, she gets to do the whole thing again for Ben's class.....

An unexpected diversion

After weeks of waiting, they finally resurfaced our road this week. They just paved the part outside our house first thing yesterday morning. I was walking up to Tilles Park to get the kids and saw that the water main had burst AGAIN, this time further up the road. It was pouring out of the ground in our neighbour's yard.  The new grass was completely washed out 

Of course, as soon as they heard about it, the kids wanted to rush home so that they could see it.  They had great fun riding their bikes through it

They had to turn the water off again, second time we've been without water recently.  After they had fixed the break, they opened the fire hydrants at both ends of the street to clean everything. It was like Christmas for the kids (all 3 of them).

They ran around in the water for ages, even though it was freezing.  Greta said she couldn't feel her feet!!!  Who knew you could have so much fun with a little (OK, a lot) water.