Luke was gone for a few weeks off and on this fall. I jotted down what we did during his absence - often it's so chaotic I have little recollection of how we spent the time.
Clementine is more up and atta 'em in the morning so I gave her a project: making bagels for breakfast. I fished them out of the toaster but she did the rest - splitting in half, placing in toaster, spreading the cream cheese. Meanwhile I cajoled Josie to get dressed. For their lunches I made a large batch of tuna salad and doled that out throughout the week.
Piano with Miss Christine:
Boo at the Zoo began that Tuesday - we've missed it every year! This year - there on the first night.
Strange Doughnut breakfast run.
Beta testing Halloween costumes.
Clementine wrote me a thank you note for taking them to Boo at the Zoo - heart melt!
Twinning with her lovey Jennifer Lee.
More costume testing.
During the week Luke usually takes Clementine to choir and I pick up Josie a bit later. This week Josie and I had a bite at Panera between the drop off and pick up after rehearsal.
Friday was the school's trunk or treat and despite being less than eager to chase the girls around a field in the dark, we went. They had so much fun. I enjoyed the trunk decor creativity. It turns out Josie has terrible taste in candy - she hunted for Dum Dums, Skittles, etc.
Saturday: tennis, dance, playdate!
Missing exactly the same teeth as her buddy!
On Sunday our sitter came over so I could go to brunch with friends and go to work to catch up (all those after school events left me a little behind). When I came home Clementine had painted Josie's face and the sunshine was just brilliant. I grabbed my camera.
The next week I was working at another campus and had to be there early - luckily Clem is very competitive and was excited to RACE to be the first kid at before-school care! Hustling them out the door wasn't as bad as I anticipated (Josie is the limiting factor ... she's never been a morning person).
Luke came back for a
few days ...
On Halloween, I didn't feel up to finding a neighborhood trick or treat. We went swimming and C lost a tooth. I wrapped it in a Kleenex to take home to the tooth fairy.
During our Saturday morning activities Clem mentioned she wanted to go apple picking. [googles nearby farm attractions] No apple picking but there was an almost-empty pumpkinland to explore! They had so much fun until Clem slipped, was covered in mud, and we had to repair home quickly for a change of clothes before their cousin's birthday party. (I think I have everything in my car except extra clothes).
Luke came back and left again ...
And we saw The Big Muddy Dance Company's
A Christmas Carol production. Especially exciting because Clem's ballet teacher is part of the company and they spent much of time whispering during the show: "Is that Miss Carly? IS THAT MISS CARLY? Everyone has a bun."
As homework for the show we watch an animated
Christmas Carol (a movie I completely missed), a version a little dark and intense for the girls but they weren't as frightened as I feared. They didn't completely grasp the plot but the takeaways, yes:
Be kind to people.
People matter more than money.
Three ghost visitors plus Jacob Marley, who yes is also a ghost but doesn't count as one of the three ghosts. (They can't stop talking about the Jacob Marley character).
With Miss Carly ... "She must have practiced for at least three days!"
Back to the Saturday routine: tennis, dance, a Girl Scout event. Too many things.
We arrived home exhausted. The girls changed into their activewear to lounge (must be my kids). Clem picked out their favorite loveys of the moment and a blanket and they settled in to watch
The Secret Life of Pets.
Luke arrived home that night and since then we've ticked off two more holiday activities - The Nutcracker at the Fox Theatre and the Garden Glow preview. Now
I'm ready to relax!
