Birthday

My parents took me and the kids out to dinner at Mt.Baldy Lodge. It was great except we missed all the Christmas decorations that were already taken down. And I made the mistake of pointing a stuffed moosehead out to Gentry above our table and she F.R.E.A.K.E.D. out. She would not sit there, or turn around (hence her sitting backwards for so long).
We finally got her to sit backwards in her high chair but she kept holding her blanket over her eyes or spying the moose out of the corner of her eye. She was in so much turmoil over it - doubt we'll ever get her back in there again.

More Christmas 2011

The girl cousins were excited to be together and get to play.

The 3 littlest cousins slept over at our house with grandma & grandpa. It was so much fun!

More of the cousins - all met up and went to the Santa Ana zoo. It was perfect weather.

Happy December!

Chores

Our "helping hands" chore chart has proved invaluable, particularly around the holiday 'buying' season when we could all use a little extra spending cash:)
Meanwhile Gentry stays preoccupied climbing up things and drawing with dry erase markers.

Thanksgiving 2011

We went to Ventura on Thanksgiving Day to hang out with the cousins this year.

Pilgrim Place Festival

This year I discovered the best time to go to the Pilgrim Place Festival in Claremont - on the friday afternoon around 2 because it closes at 4 pm. This year, the weather was great, overcast and threatening rain, the kids got treats to eat while we waited to ride the Mayflower, took in another Indian teepee storytime, wrote with quills & ink and did the glue-in (the things the kids are holding).

Mom, Dad and A.Molly even came down and joined us after dad and Molly had just driven in from AZ earlier that day.

Always have to get a pic by the Hadley House when we are there.

Halloween 2011

Hadley was Annie Oakley. Lauren, a flapper and by default, Gentry was one too b/c she refused to take off Lauren's dress so grandma awesomely made her a costume as well. Check out how Gentry shows how old she is: "2!"

Highlights: Lauren running to each door and ringing or knocking and yelling 'trick or treat' while Hadley and Vincent walked up timidly. I don't know what they would have done without her b/c it reminded me of last year how I had to remind them each time they went to a door to ring or knock. Lauren knows no fear.