Coloring Fun

In the past few months one of our favorite activites has been coloring, in all of its simple glory it really keeps the kids' attention. Especially if I sit down and color with them. I usually find coloring pages online and print out 3 - one for each of us to complete. Sometimes I make up projects or just hand them a blank piece of paper. I keep teasing Andy that he should join us sometime. Actually, by doing this I am trying to help both kids a little with their coloring skills... and I'm starting to see some improvement! This is just one of the pictures that we colored during November. I hope you can tell who colored which picture! (I did NOT color the one on the right!!!)

Lynnae's First Decorated Cake

A couple of weeks ago Lynnae had the opportunity to decorate a cake, for the first time ever. I sent her off with my decorating tips, of course she chose to use them with blue frosting, and this is the result. She was pretty proud of her cake!!!

We Are Thankful For...

At the beginning of the month we made a turkey to help us countdown the days to Thanksgiving. I believe my sister, Daja, found the project and suggested it from another blog... But I’ve forgotten where it came from. The turkey’s body was easy to make, and then we traced and cut feathers to place around the turkey. Each of us had a different color so that we could take equal turns filling out the feather with something that we were thankful for. Most days we were able to discuss this after dinner as a family... It was a great exercise for us, and it was neat to see the full list of things that we are thankful for as a family. I’ve listed them all by color below – can you guess which person came up with the items for each color?

Teal:
Family
Mom and Dad
Food
My BFFL’s (Best Friends For Life)
Paints
Holidays
Air

Pink:
Friends
Rainy days
Music
Technology
Quiet moments
Good deals
Sleep

Green:
Buzz Lightyear
Cookies
Books
Dancing With The Stars
Letters (abc’s)
White shoes
Buddies

Yellow:
Nice house
Tasty water
Lazy days
My pets
Good humor
Warm slippers

We hope that you all had a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Letters to Santa

We are sending off our letters to Santa this week. Charlie drew Santa a pretty picture. When I asked him what he wanted from Santa, he simply said, "Christmas!" He does not yet understand the concept of Santa!

Lynnae's was a bit more interesting... I'm not sure if the picture will be legible so, here is what she said:

Dear Santa,
How are you? Are you having a good year? I've had a long year and I'm trying to be good. I hope I have been good enough to not to get cole [coal]! Here are things I want for Christmas: A ceabord [keyboard], my [birth] mom, sheaky dinyks [shrinky dinks], a happy Christmas. Horeses [horses], dolls, to meet my cusans [cousins], Spongebob vidoe [video] games, Spongebob The Movie, a kitten, my tooth to come out.

Isn't it interesting what kids come up with?

Dear Mama, by Lynnae

[In answer to the question of whether I'm going to get one... lo and behold, I did. These letters are so cute and inspring me to think up a new plan for the next FHE...]

Dear Mama,

I love you and thank you because:
Your helpful!
Your helping me on the United States test!!!!!!!!!
Your nice and caring!!
Your antelagent [intelligent]!!
Your smart!!
Your loving!!
You show that you love me!!!!!!
Your always helping the family!!
You like mosic [music]!!!!!
You play with me!!!
Your a good leter [leader]!!
Your always helping me, you, Charlie, and dada!!
You spend most of your time with me!!
Tern [turn] over...
I've never epresheaded [appreciated] someone like I do in this family!! [awe... this one surprised me]

Love you with all my heart,
Lynnae

To Daddy, by Lynnae

Dear Dad,

I love you decause [because] and thank you Your helpful!!
Your antelagent [intelligent]!!
You like since [science]!!
You work Microsoft!!
Your smart!!
You helped me with Ziggy, tiger and boone!!
You play with me!!
Your nice!!
Your loving!!
You teech [teach] me!!
You so [show] that you love me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your helping the family!!
Your a good leter [leader]!!!!
You've always deen [been] nice to the family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Lynnae!!

Dear Charlie, by Lynnae

Novemder [November] 17 2008
Dear Charlie (age almost 3),

I love you becouse [because]:
Your the sweetest boy I've ever met!!!
Your a reily [really] sweet and caring doy [boy]!!
Your adorable!!
Your funny!!
Your playful!!
We're family!!
Your always thair [there]!!
Your the only one from are [our] rele [real] mom!!
Your yonger [younger]!!
Your always coping [copying] me!!
Your able to be with me!!
We have stof [stuff] in comin [common]!!
Your entellegent [intelligent]!!
Love,
Lynnae

[isn't that sweet?]