Thanksgiving and Christmas Preparations

This Thanksgiving we did a lot to get in the spirit of gratitude.  We made a gratitude turkey that we added feathers to throughout the month.  It finally donned on me that I should laminate it so we can use it again and again with dry-erase markers.  Next year, it will be easy to put up and not have to start from scratch.

Bryson and I also went to a Thanksgiving orchestra concert with Grandma Jane and Grandma Pearl while she was visiting.  The orchestra did The True Story of the Three Little Pigs with narration and it was a fun concert for children.  Bryson loved it.  We also decorated our home for Christmas this Thanksgiving weekend.  Jarom put up some lights and Bryson liked putting up the ornaments he's made or accumulated the last few years and hearing the story behind each one.   Jarom and I have always loved setting up for Christmas and it's fun to see Bryson getting into the holiday spirit too.   

We sent Thanksgiving with Jane, Randy, and Molly and enjoyed lots of good food.  Aunt Molly helped Bryson make cookie turkeys and had fun helping with meal preparations (like peeling potatoes and washing vegetables).  We actually ate Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday this year because both Jarom and Molly had to work on Thursday.   Boy was it nice to just be able to pop in leftovers all day on Thursday after Bryson, Jane, and I went to see Free Birds at the theater.

Our reusable gratitude turkey

Kindergarten Friendship Soup and Field Trip

The kindergarten classes celebrated Thanksgiving a week early by sharing "Friendship Soup." Each student brought a vegetable to add to the soup, and Bryson was extremely excited to bring the potatoes he peeled and I cut for him.  He's not a big soup and vegetable eater, but he did try a few bites.  Although he wasn't a huge fan of the soup, Bryson did enjoy the pumpkin pie. . . with lots of whipped cream.

The next day I accompanied Bryson's class to the Children's Museum for their first field trip.  I had a group of six kids that kept me very busy the entire time.  Bryson had a blast with his friends playing at the grocery store, building a house, and blowing bubbles.  His favorite areas were the veterinarian room and the "balls in motion" room.  He was upset that he didn't get to do everything in the time we had, but I promised him we'll go back sometime because it is such a fun place.  With that assurance and the pleasure of getting his first ride on a school bus,  Bryson was a field tripper.

Paws to Read

Anyone who knows me, Jarom, or Bryson know that one of our favorite places is the library.  Besides being able to check out awesome books, we love the programs that libraries offer.  This past weekend, I signed Bryson up for the "Paws to Read" program.  He was able to practice his reading by reading some "easy readers" to Blue the therapy dog and his trainer.  The trainer provided some guidance as Bryson read and Blue provided the entertainment as she asked to be petted, pointed to book pages with her paw, and licked Bryson's face.  Bryson loved reading to the dog and is really taking off with his reading, and will continue to practice this skill with and without reading to Blue.

Paws to Read from Melissa G on Vimeo.

More Than Halfway

More than halfway there! 21 weeks, and so far, so good. There have been no signs of early labor yet, which is such a difference from last time.   Doctors put me on Progesterone five weeks ago which seems to be helping to prevent my cervix from shortening and dilating too early, which is what happened with Bryson.  And no, I am not sticking my stomach out on purpose; I just have bad posture and a semi-crooked back and while I may seem "tiny" to so many of you, I feel huge and very pregnant.  I believe Jarom's exact words to me the other day were "Wow, you're looking rather bulbous."   Bulbous or not, I am happy to be pregnant and am so glad things are going well, and hope that that trend continues for about 19 more weeks! 

The Dark Knight Rises -- Halloween 2013

This Halloween, Jarom decided we needed a family movie theme, so he chose The Dark Knight Rises.  Bryson was Batman, I was Cat Woman, and Jarom was Bane.  We think our costumes looked pretty cool, though my pleather pants were WAY too tight for twenty weeks pregnant.  We went to the our local Harvest Festival earlier this month and took pictures in the pumpkin patch.  We've taken Bryson's picture in the pumpkin patch every October since he was born.  Last Saturday, we went to our ward's Halloween party and trunk or treat where our costumes and white chicken chili were well received.  On Halloween, I worked in Bryson's class in the morning and helped the kids make a spider snack (Oreos with pretzel legs and M&M eyes).  Then, Jarom and I saw the classes parade through the halls before we helped with Bryson's classroom Halloween party.  We finished the night trick or treating in Papa Randy's neighborhood and enjoyed showcasing our family costumes.