2011 Holiday Party

 We stayed at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood.  This is the view from our window!! 

 It was a gorgeous view at night.

 This was a nice little shot station that was set up at the party. The food was amazing.  Wolfgang Puck catering does the party and they do such a wonderful job!!

 We are so lucky that Steve's company really treats us well for the holidays.  It is so nice to have a night out and be able to enjoy all the food, friends and drinks. 

There was also a flip book photo station that was set up.  You stand in front of the computer and then it takes photos of you for 7 seconds.  They cut up the photos and make a flip book.  There were all kinds of silly props as well, Santa hats, antlers and that sort of thing.  It is a nice little memento. 

Deck the Tree

 I like to try to get the Christmas decorations up over Thanksgiving weekend.  Sometimes it happens, and sometimes it doesn't!  This year the big kids were with their mom for Thanksgiving.  I still got all the decorations up, but the tree was bare for 4 days!  I was so happy when they got back to our house and we could finally put the ornaments on the tree.  Joelle was so excited, she kept asking when David and Megan were going to come so we could put the "hangers" on the tree.  I explained to her that they aren't hangers, they are ornaments.  And she would say, no mom, I want to put the "hangers" on the tree.  I finally got her to understand that "hangers" were ornaments!!

 Megan is putting up the sacred Santa ornament.  My mom got me that me ornament many years ago and there is a matching snowman.  When David and Megan were younger, they used to fight over who got to put those on the tree because they were the biggest ornaments. 

The finished product.  I love sitting this room watching TV with the lights from the tree the only lights on. 

Mr. Turkey

A little ditty that Joelle learned at school:) 

Misc.

So it has been a while since my last post.... Not too much is happening right now, but here are a few funny tidbits:
Joelle has a the puzzle mats for her room and she has figured out how to make a cube out of them.  She likes to make the cube and put a toy in it and tell you she has a present for you.  The other day she was crying in the living room and when I asked her what was wrong she said, "I can't make a present for you mom."  She was having trouble getting the cube together and was so distraught that she couldn't give me a present:) 
We were leaving to go to Megan's soccer game and Joelle picked a pair of shoes that were a size too small.  She told me they were tight and we took them off and off we went.  About 5 minutes later in the car she told me she wanted to give her shoes to Makenna.  She said they were too small for her, but they would fit Makenna. 
Megan scored her first goal of the soccer season today!  And then she scored her second.  It was a great day for her.
Joelle has learned the meaning of the word mean.  Of course, everything I do that she doesn't like is now mean.  When she is getting scolded for not listening she will tell me to stop being mean to her.  How oh how can you reason with a 3 year old that you're not being mean, just expecting her to listen?
For everything that Joelle does that makes me cringe, she does 10 that make my heart swell with love and adoration. 

Trick or Treat

 Joelle did a little trick or treating at her school today so she thought she done getting candy.  When I explained to her that we still had more trick or treating to do, she was so excited!  I think she made a wonderful Sleeping Beauty.

 She really had a good time.  After we went to a few houses, we were walking on the sidewalk and she jumped up and said, "Trick or treating is Awesome."  She is so full of life and happiness that it fills me with happiness as well. 

 She really liked the houses that had lights.  We had to go to all those, even if it meant we skipped some others on the way.  She also liked the spooky houses and as we would walk to the door she would say things like, see mom, that doesn't scare me.  Mom, that wasn't scary was it.  I asked her to stop by a spooky area so I could take a picture but she wasn't having it. 

 We are on the way to a house with lights.  We were walking a cul de sac and she spotted it on the other side of the main road and it became her mission to get to that house. 

 Here she is clapping because she got so much candy and we are on our way home.  She actually stopped and sat down on the curb and said, "Mom, it's time to go home.  My legs are really tired mom."  As we were walking down the sidewalk back to the house she said, "When I get home, I need to sit down and watch some TV and rest mom."  I think maybe we should work on her endurance. 

Here is her haul.  I guess it is a good thing she got tired and needed to go home to rest because all she is going to want to eat is candy.  When she is getting on my nerves because she is constantly asking for candy, I will have make myself remember tonight and how much fun it was for me to see her having a great time.  

Mother Nature Farm Pumpkin Patch

 As you can see, Joelle is getting to be such a big girl.  I can't believe that she is almost 4 years old already!!  I remember the first time I brought her to this pumpkin patch when she was 10 months old!!

 She picked out this little gourd for her pumpkin.  When we actually went into the rest of the patch, we got to get a larger pumpkin so this one went bye, bye.

She really wanted to be able to drive this tractor!

 The farm had a huge bounce house that Joelle couldn't wait to go play in.  I was worried that with all the kids in it that it would be too much for her.  She only started to like bounce houses a year ago.  She loved it.  She was jumping all over the place and smashing into the walls like a pro. 

 This is the pumpkin we came home with.  She was very picky as to the perfect pumpkin and I offered several possibilities, but she wanted to pick it out all by herself!

 She was so excited to be able to get her face painted.  The kids before her were getting bats and ghosts, but my girl wanted the sun.  It totally fits with her sunny disposition. 

 There were a few animals there that Joelle was able to feed.  When she saw the cow and she got so excited and ran over to her and scared her away.  Joelle looked at me and said "she won't eat mine mommy."  The cow finally did take some of Joelle's straw and she even got close enough to pet it.  They also had some goats and some baby pigs.  The pigs were so cute!

In the beginning, Joelle didn't want to go on the hayride.  The trailer is pulled by a tractor and I she kept saying it went to fast.  Finally she was able to see it and I pointed out that it really goes rather slow.  After that she agreed to take the ride! 

We had a wonderful morning playing outdoors at the patch.  Joelle was very excited to go and I really enjoy watching her have a good time.  I can't wait to take her trick or treating tomorrow! 

Monster Mash Fun

 This year Joelle dressed up as Sleeping Beauty.  Doesn't she look cute??

 Joelle and Jack playing the Leapster while the parents sold soda at the dance to fund field trips this year.  We ended up running out of drinks!!  Over 700 sold in 2 HOURS! 

 We hung out in my classroom until it was time to start the party!  Megan is Olive Oil:) 

 I am not sure what Joelle liked more, the dancing or flinging her glow necklace around!

Megan had a good time with good friends.  Once the party started she was cut loose from watching Joelle so she could have some fun!