Everyday Life- late fall 2010

Grandpa Ken came to put up the swing he made Lucy for her birthday...she loved it. The other kids were a little unsure but they soon got the hang of it. This was mid-November, but the day after he put it up, the weather was gorgeous and a few neighbor children came over. They stayed out there for about 3 hours, taking turns on the swing!




Jane was using pattern blocks one day, and called me over to see what she made.


A few minutes later, she called me again. "Mama, I made ME!"


The car was covered with condensation one morning before school. The kids were miraculously ready early, so I let them wipe the windows.



This puzzle of the United States has been sitting out on our floor for a couple months, and all the kids have done it a few times. Even Jane can put all the pieces in within about 5 minutes...she's our Puzzle Girl now!


Jane somehow got interested in counting all the way to 100, so we stopped at the library after school to get her some books about it. That fed her interest, but she was always asking for help when she got to 29, 39, 49...what comes next? So we made her a chart, and she could look for herself. She figured it out pretty quickly, thank goodness. I'm talking about EVERY TIME she was in the car with me, she'd start counting, and needing help. Now, however, she is doing it in Spanish. And there's no way I'm making a Spanish counting chart...she can't even read yet. But she can go up to 100 (cien) with help.



I forget why we were so tired, but I know we stayed up really late one night and then had to wake everyone up to go to church. The girls crashed with Brendan in the afternoon.


Gene almost fell asleep, but then for some reason Brendan turned on a football game to fall asleep to...but Gene's eyes stayed open from that point on.


Jane figured out the entire ABC puzzle, which stretched across the dining room floor.


The girls built a barn stall for their animals.


Lucy arranged all the different-diameter pony-tail holders in concentric circles.


And Jane...she's into headbands these days:)

Long-overdue update...Thanksgiving 2010

The kids were all excited about the upcoming Thanksgiving celebration, especially since they are all talking about it and making Thanksgiving art projects in their respective classes. Jane kept asking and asking how many more days there were until Thanksgiving...so we made her a calendar (notice the stickers on Thanksgiving Day). She loved it!


We drove to Niles the day before, to spend Thanksgiving with Hannah's grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousins. Whenever we go, for some reason, Brendan is always given the job of carving the turkey. A privilege, right?


Hannah's Grandma Lucy, from whom Lucy Joy Cousino was named. She observed the preparations...


Aunt Kate (right) and Cousin Lizzy, dressed for dinner.


Aunt Pat always brings out her best toys for the kids when we come...the girls just love all her Beanie Babies and Pound Puppies...

Jane (right) and her second cousin Easton played with the dollhouse. Actually, Jane put things in and Easton threw them out I think. He is about a year younger, though the same size as Jane.



Pat made aprons for the girls a while ago, and they insisted on bringing them so they could wear them when they helped cook.


Lucy helped Grandma H arrange the rolls.


Those are all the pictures we took, but Thanksgiving morning we all ran in the Niles Thanksgiving Day fun run...Gene ran a whole mile (!!!) and Lucy ran her goal of a half-mile (yeah Lucy!), while Jane rode along in the stroller. Grandpa H and Brendan and Kate's fiance (though not at the time) Craig ran the 5k.