Thanksgiving Quick 5

There is no rest for the weary.  So, at the insistance of my father and brother-in-law, you get a Quick 5 on this Black Friday.

1.  Alaina is starting to love to play games.  I think she learns them at Cubbies.  Her first favorite is "I Spy."  It's so cute to hear her say "I spy with my little eye sompfing...red!"  Except she doesn't quite have the concept that you should spy something before you say it.  Sometimes, after several failed guesses, I'll give up and then she'll take a moment to locate something of the color that I didn't say.  Or she'll name something that is up in her room when we are in fact in the car at the moment. 

2.  Her second go-to game is "Pretend Flip the Cards."  She always suggests this one when I tell her I'm tired of playing I Spy.  To play, you simply pretend that you are playing a matching game.  Unfortunately it is very easy to cheat when you are playing a pretend game of matching.  Where's the accountability?  I can't very well argue when she gets seven or eight matches in a row. 

3.  It has been so fun to watch all the cousins playing together.  Last year, except for Alaina, they were all just lumps.  This year they are starting to play together, even though most of their play involves taking toys from one another.  They'll get it.

An unsolicited, completely candid kiss for cousin Naomi

 4.  For their ornaments this year, my sisters and I painted ceramic letters for all the kids.  It was fun, and Alaina got to paint too.  The girl loves her crafts.  I should buckle down and let her do crafts more often.

5.  My mom's friend came over on Thanksgiving day to take pictures of our family.  The key to a good family picture at this phase of life is to not expect anything from the kids.  So we didn't.  And I think we got some great pictures.

The whole crew

The Kimble Crew

 Let the enjoying of the Christmas season begin!