Ten on Tuesday.

1. I have no idea what's for dinner. Anyone who knows me knows that this is not like me. I'm extremely panicked.

2. The culprit? Thanksgiving! You do this ginormous shopping trip and on Sunday realize it was all for ONE meal. ONE. And there is nothing else to eat for the rest of the week.

3. Today is the day (usually there are one or two in a month) that Fisher has decided not to nap (go figure, it was also a school day, you'd think he'd be exhausted), so he's up there singing, Alla and me, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g!

4. How happy am I that I have that down for posterity.

5. Oh, I do have a bag of tortilla soup in the freezer! Drats, I just remembered that it was part of the batch that was so fiery my lips nearly fell off. Don't think the kids will be eating that. FYI: Make sure you don't pick up chopped jalapenos instead of diced green chiles. And if you do, double check that you don't add them to your soup. They're hot.

6. Alla got "bus sick" on the way to school yesterday. I'm worried about this.

7. Fisher is doing oh so good in school! Two more weeks til Christmas break, and then when we start back up in January, he will go on Thursdays all by himself! I can hardly believe that he's old enough to do that!

8. The house is decorated for Christmas!

9. Tomorrow starts the 24 Days of Christmas. Alla cannot wait! Fisher is going to be amazed once he realizes what is going on. I can't wait to get it all recorded!

10. The kids are both in love with Sid the Science Kid. Love love love this show.

Gobble, gobble.

Turkey Day started out with bacon, sweet potato biscuits, coffee, and the parade. Fisher was into the parade for about 15 minutes and then he was completely over it and wanting to watch his own show, Sid the Science Kid I think. I at least got to sit there long enough to finish my coffee and read the paper before the day of cooking began!We had special guests, Nana and Pappi! Here's Fisher trying to make his duck face for me. And trying not to laugh.

Here he's asking Pappi if he has his duck face on!

I could never make this whole meal without my Mom! Thanks, Mom!

See the steam?

My goofball of a husband, who I am very, very thankful for!

Fisher said it was taking beary longer for his food to be ready, so he passed the time drawing on the chalkboard.

I am so thankful for two healthy, happy, wonderful, sweet, cuddly children.

Last but not least, the wishbone! I'm pretty sure Alla asked for a magic wand with real magic in it. Or maybe a giant snowflake punch. Not sure. Either way it was a wonderful weekend!

Ten on Tuesday.

1. One of my favorite food blogs, Dinner: A Love Story, has our 24 Days of Christmas number boxes featured today!

2. They also have a book. It's on my nightstand. I review all cookbooks from the library first, since we have so many food-things to work around here. I have now read it cover to cover and added it to my Amazon wish list.

3. Fisher's favorite thing to do lately is play sink. I love how babyish he looks here. And I love remembering how little Alla loved that activity so much, too.
4. Her favorite activity is art, always art. Always creating something. And always wearing a headband. That doesn't fit.

5. Daddy's favorite activity is worshipping his iPad.

6. I do not like how tall and big boyish he looks here.

7. Our favorite Thanksgiving book is Thanksgiving at the Tappleton's. Oh, three-year-old Alla would request that one night after night well after Thanksgiving. Hurry and get to the library before the big day!

8. Today's Thanksgiving tasks are done! Cranberry sauce is in the fridge, and dry ingredients for both Coconut Apple Cake and biscuits are measured out in baggies.

9. Friday the whole family went to Daddy's work to see How To Train Your Dragon. Fisher did great!!

10. One year ago today we began a three-day stay in the hospital when Fisher was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I am so incredibly thankful that we haven't left the house today, and that my sweet little son is upstairs sleeping soundly, healthy in his own bed.

First snow.

We woke up last Saturday to the first snow of the season! Luckily we were prepared with snow clothes already hanging in the closet. It was 6:53am when Alla popped out of bed, pulling Fisher with her and begging to go out already.

She literally ate snow for breakfast and then went out and played. Fisher was made to eat a proper breakfast.

It was a wet snow that soaked you, but she was excited nonetheless. I couldn't believe how quickly our landscape changed. One day we had trees still losing leaves, and the next it was a winter wonderland. A winter wonderland that will be sticking around for sometime, as our snow typically doesn't melt until about, oh, April. Ish.

Friday Five.

1. Two days ago I ran in shorts. Tomorrow they're calling for three to five. Inches. Of s-n-o-w.

2. Monday I took Fisher on a field trip to the airport. We found a little field and watched the planes take off and land.

3. Mornings can be hard around here. We can't let Fisher sleep past 7:30 or he won't nap. We can't let Alla sleep past 7:30 or she won't get on the bus on time. So, morning snuggles. In our bed, in her bed, together. 4. I'm thankful for their love of each other.

5. Everyday in her folder, Alla brings home papers she worked on in school that day. Everyday the papers say the same thing, I *heart* Mom. I'm thankful for her love of me.

Ten on Tuesday.

1. This is unofficially going to become the Ten on Tuesday Blog.

2. While looking closely at his little arm one sunny day after lunch, Fisher told me that he had "fuzz" on his arm, and when I told him that was just hair, he told me he wanted the hair to "go bye bye."

3. We have a Thanksgiving menu! So now I'm making a grocery list and a schedule of sorts. Last year it was very simple, so we're trying to replicate that, but also add in the stuff we couldn't do last year since we were, oh yeah, just getting out of the hospital the day before. That.

4. I told Fisher he was my doodlebug, and he told me, No I'm not your doodlebug, I'm a boy!

5. He is doing great great great in school, we are so proud of him.

6. He asked a neighbor girl if she likes trash trucks. She said no. He was appalled. Alla then asked her if she liked princesses. She said no. Again, appalled.

7. We got a new mattress pad and oh wow were we missing out on some serious warmth with that joke of a hole-y piece of crap we had before!

8. Last Friday we had Pizza Friday at Pappi's! The kiddos LOVE going there and playing with Pappi. And shutting Mommy and Daddy in the closet, apparently.

9. Alla has learned all of her kindergarten sight words!

10. One evening last week, Fisher called us from bed and said, When I wake up, can I pay-aint? Super hard to be mad at that, I mean we don't want to stifle the artistic genius or anything.

Ten on Tuesday: Halloween 2010.

1. We started Halloween morning by carving the pumpkin to Alla's heart's desire. 2. Fisher cracked up when Alla said, "You didn't tell me you were going to kill it!" They had watched Charlie Brown quite a few times by that point.3. They completely surprised me by getting in on the pumpkin-gutting!4. Later in the day they put on their costumes just in time for an early dinner with Nana and Pappi.

5. First up, the little kangaroo! Every kangaroo needs a fishing pole that they swear is a sword.6. The most beautiful Cinderella.7. And, the best one of the two of them. At least they're both in it!
8. Alla could barely contain herself, but was so good about dragging her little brother to our starting point, a few houses down, where we met up with the rest of the neighborhood gang. 9. Fisher decided he wanted to trick or treat at a few houses and then head home.

If you're a long-time reader of this blog, you will remember that Alla wore this costume three years ago, and, sadly, this is the last of the gender-neutral costumes so Fisher will have to get an opinion about it next year. (Or decide that Halloween is a stupid holiday for a peanut-and-dairy-allergic, diabetic kid.)

10. While waiting for the bus the next day, Alla told me, I'm glad we don't live near a pumpkin field, because if I spent all night waiting for the Great Pumpkin with a boy, I'd be mad.