Friday, November 23, 2012

Tickfaw State Park

We visited Tickfaw State Park back in 2008, and did basically the same stuff: complained, walked, complained, threw sticks and stones in the river. Looked for animals, saw none. Seems as though we must have one complaining child at all times at Tickfaw State Park.

On Friday Q6 was fine, had an attitude, was fine, had an attitude, was fine, had an attitude ... etc. etc. Wow. But we survived. I tried not to take too many attitude pictures and instead when she was in fine form I'd take those photos so we'd have good memories. Pulling out the camera and giving her my sunglasses helped, and she started to smile. Also, C8 was in a grand mood, walked and talked with Ninoo & Papa, and was generally the anti-Q.


Beginning of mood2012-11-23 C8 and Q6 with sunglasses

C8 did fall down on the side of the swamp, getting her shoe all muddy. This is Ninoo helping her up. And that's me trying to preserve the memory, behind the camera. But no crying, complaining, or worrying. Yippee!

2012-11-23 C8 and Ninoo

And I just liked this:

2012-11-23 Q6 ripples on the water

After this we set off walking on a loop walk and Q6 decided no, she wasn't going anywhere. And sat. And threw rocks, and was silly, and cried, and was stubborn. Whole range of emotions! So I took out the camera and took about 30 pictures of her, trying different styles on the camera, since I'd just discovered them, while she did her thing.. Here are three. The dots were her favorite and was what actually made her get up to start walking again.

2012-11-23 Q6 mood 1

2012-11-23 Q6 mood 2  Q6 in dots


We walked along and found the rest of our family on a fallen tree in the river.

2012-11-23 C8 2012-11-23 C43 and C8 on a tree in the river

2012-11-23 In the swamp

After this, Q6 refused to go again. I decided to carry her, and I piggy backed her for 3/4-1 mile while playing I'm going on a picnic and I'm bringing ... Q6 and I brought apples, bananas, cats, a donkey, eggs, fish, (uncle) Greg, ham, ice cream sandwiches, jam, kangaroos, Lucas, marshmallows, noodles, oranges, Parker, quarters, radishes, starfish, turtles, ugli fruit, volcano, witches brew , x-rays, yardstick, and finally zebras. We had quite a list going.  Finally we got to the parking lot again, had a snack, and Q6 perked up. 


Thursday, November 22, 2012

Thanksgiving in Louisiana

First off, I should let you know the weather was 100% perfect in Louisiana while we were there. Perfect. Ninoo's Meyer lemon tree was loaded with lemons, and the satsumas were ripe and delicious. Obviously I don't come from the South. I've always imagined the citrus crop on trees the size of apple trees. Such as the ones in my parent's back yard. Only filled with lemons. Turns out they are tiny little bushy things that look nothing like apple trees. And those orange in lemon trees you can buy for your sunny spacious house in the north? They actually are real, full-sized trees! Think what you will, but there it is. Ninoo gave away lemons on Thanksgiving day, and here is C8 cutting them for everybody.

2012-11-22  C8 cutting the lemons

Both C8 and Q6 wanted to go to the children's museums in Hammond and New Orleans, but we had to rein it in a bit, and walked to the children's museum in Hammond, it was about a 6 block walk, very close.

Just about the first thing they did was hit the bubble area. Amazingly huge bubbles! The trick is to go fast, even though that initially makes no sense ... I wanted to pull the thing up carefully and slowly, but that just pops. Zing!

2012-11-21 C8 in giant bubble 2012-11-21 Both in a Bubble 2012-11-21 Q6 bubble


They then spent a huge amount of time in the restaurant. I ate a LOT of plastic food. Q6 was a grand waitress who also milked the cow, and C8 did it all -- hostessing, waitressing, preparing food, bussing tables, tallying our check.

2012-11-21 Q6 in restaurant window 2012-11-21 C8 in restaurant

Q6 was in a mood here and there, so whenever there was a smile, I took the picture. 

2012-11-21 Q6 in Ditch 2012-11-21 Q6
***Update! I just touched those Meyer Lemons ... also a surprise! SMOOOOOOOTH****

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Another visit

We visited Uncle P and Aunt K today. We had a lovely visit, everybody was well behaved, adults and children.  Mostly, the girls were extremely exited about all the candy that Uncle P set out and -- of course -- about the dogs, Abby and Chloe. Last time we were there I think Chloe nipped -- or tried to nip -- Q6, and was shut in her room. This time she behaved.

Before we left we took a walk with the dogs. Abby was trying to read the pee mail. C8 could barely get her away.

C8 pulling Abby

We headed to see the ponies, but we had go back so we could return in time for Q6's Brownies meeting. So we drove over to the horses. Q6 is cranky here because they wouldn't come up to the fence.

Q6 and C8 try to pet a horse

Q6

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Q6's Turkey Tunes

(When C8 was in 1st grade they did Turkey Tunes. It can be found HERE)

Thursday night Q6's class performed their Turkey Tunes for us. It was awesome. I'm going to post ALL of the videos. We filmed each one individually, so if you don't want to watch them all, you don't have to. Best two videos to watch:  9. Hip Hop Turkey and 6. Thankful Thoughts.

C8 waiting for the show; the performers; Q6 and her bestie H6.
C8 at Turkey Trot The turkey trotters H6 and Q6

1. Turkey Trot Blues




2. Pilgrim Song




3. Albuquerque Turkey




4. The Mayflower




5. Football




6. Thankful Thoughts




7. I like Thanksgiving



8. Turkey Woogie




9.Hip Hop Turkey


Monday, November 12, 2012

Visits

G&G came down to visit this weekend with their cuties, CC2 and S9months. I'm just going to call her S from her on in.

Of course, our house is not baby proofed anymore, nor do we have baby toys lying around. So Saturday night I pulled out the old awesome standby: Open up the lower cabinets and let 'em at it.

S 9 months 2

AND pull out the pots and pans and let them bang while C8 played the piano in the background. We banged so hard we broke a wooden spoon!



The next day we went down to the Museum of American History. Same old same old inside, but we exited around noon, and Q6 asked for water ice, and C43 said yes, and went off to buy water. When he came back with water for Q6 she melted down and we realized food was in order. After a pretzel snack the kids played on the grass for about an hour.

C8 on grassQ8 and CC2
CC2 Q6 and C8CC2 and Q6

Home, and the little girls took a nap. Q6 and C8 managed to get G36 on the trampoline.


Autumn has come to Hyattsville, and the weekend was really gorgeous. The weekend weather was just perfect.

Finally, this morning we had to leave by 7:45 to get to teacher-parent conferences, so G & G & kids decided to leave at the same time. We were a little late, because we were trying to get this photos:

GGCS3

I want to show you the outtakes ... Q6 loves to photobomb!

G's family and Q6 Q6 photobombs G's family

And a few more versions. CC2 was NOT happy to be doing this, but I'm glad we persevered!

By red tree Squish on the swing

Thursday, November 8, 2012

C8 cuts her hair again.

You can't really tell from this photo ...

C8 haircut

But I found C8 having cut off all her bangs when I picked her up at school today. This one is a bit better ...

C8 haircut 2

This one really does show off the mullet cut that she did to herself ...

C8 mullet

 I just like this picture of C8 and her best friend M8.

C8 and M8