Saturday, November 27, 2010

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

 One of the best things about our homeschool association is the great field trips.

Last month we headed off to an animal shelter to learn about pet care and how to help animals in our community.

This month, we headed to a Christmas festival.  It was a lot of fun and there were tons of Christmas trees to get us in the holiday spirit.



This tree was a couple stories in the air, completely made of stuffed animals. 
On the way to the North Pole

Excited to see all the neat stuff!

Yarn spinning live Christmas scene

The train has a gondola going up the mountain!

A farmer Christmas

Where's ET, I mean, Little Bean?

Hanging with the Reindeer

Posing with the train

Look Santa!  I'm taking good care of your pals!!

Posing with the cakes

Tasty holidays!

Fits right in at the North Pole :)
After the Christmas festival, we headed to see family for Thanksgiving.  It was exciting to see family, and even got to see my husband's cousin take her first steps (she'll be 1 next week)!

Little Bean and her second cousin hanging out

Her royal highness viewing her subjects

A chilly, chilly walk!

Trying to get a family photo....

Opening early birthday presents

Fergus taking us for a walk!

Star Wars Legos!

The audience continues....

Family photo take 2.....

Up to no good....

The final family photo!

Cousins getting crazy!

....and crazier!
A pre-Thanksgiving snack


The subjects basking in the glow...

High-five!

When we went visiting family, we brought a jello and cream dessert.  As we packed up to head to the store (it's cold now and trips take some preparation!) Little Bean told me she wanted to bring her wallet and buy something.  I told her she could buy a treat with her allowance money, but she wanted to buy "something important".  So, she bought the jello for the dessert.  She was so proud of herself, she handled the money at the register and even got her own receipt.  She thought I was a ridiculous to take a picture of it and refused to be in the photo, but I told her it was a milestone!

Little Bean's first purchase!

Once we were back and at our place again following Thanksgiving, the deep cleaning and decorating began.

The space is clear



The boxes are down from the attic
Cracking open a new tree

It's taped together quite well

Almost free...
The star on top!

At last, a finished tree!
And to finish off a look back at our week with something truly ridiculous.......

Making a list for Santa

My husband often teases me about being lax with Little Bean.  I'm strict about manners and treating others with kindness and that sort of venue, but when it comes to some things, I just don't see the point in there being a rule.  This picture captures one of these instances.  It's a sturdy table, she helped clean it off and she's not damaging it by writing on the table.....therefore, if she decides that laying across the table makes the Santa list easier to write, I really have no problem with it......my husband will just continue to look at me like I've got a screw loose :)