LMNOP

Gemma: that's my name!
Mom: yes! That is your name!
Gemma: yeah!
Mom: what letters do you see?
Gemma: Gemma!
Mom:yes! Good girl!
Gemma: G...e...M..M...N...O....P

Sent from my iPhone

Rain, rain

I was combing Gemma's hair several weeks ago. I spray her hair with water to cut down on the frizziness of her curly hair.

Mom: hold still gemma! (Sprays water from water bottle)
Gemma: rain, rain go away! Come again another day!

Sent from my iPhone

The many faces...

Of Gemma!

Gemma had her Halloween party at school last week. We decked her out and I tried to get a picture of her Halloween finery. She wasn't especially cooperative, but she did make some comical faces for me!

Pumpkin patch

We went to the pumpkin patch last weekend. No one was feeling cooperative, but we got a few seasonal pictures.

Let it go

Gemma sings "let it go" while sitting on an upside down stool with a pillow inside it. A rubber band guitar has been improvised for her by her brother.

Halloween crafts

The papers! The papers! I would estimate that each day our kids bring home between 10-20 pieces of paper. In a week, I would guess close to 75 pieces of paper.

This is so overwhelming for me. Each page has to be examined and processed for pertinent information, assessed for skills that need to be reviewed, and reviewed for potential contribution to our "save" folder (shows personality, has clearly taken a great deal of effort/time/thought, or is a formal assessment of skills).

Gemma's fall into the pure cuteness pile almost every time. Here are 3 pages that came home ONE day last week along with about 6 others. Adorable, right?

Happy Halloween!

Here are three of the best pictures of our trio this year. Not the greatest pictures, but they still had fun!

William was a dragon. Not a dinosaur. He had the best costume as it was very warm. It was also great as it came to us in a box hand me down clothing and cost us zero dollars.

Amelia was a snow queen for a second year running. The costume is actually too small, but she would not be swayed into anything else. She was a trooper and walked for over an hour of trick o treating. This costume was also zero dollars in yet another box of hand me downs. (Two years running!)

Gemma wanted to be a "pink dress girl". Luckily, we had a Sleeping Beauty dress in the box downstairs. She doesn't know or care about Sleeping Beauty, but she was delighted to be wearing a beautiful dress.

It was cold here- lower 40's with a cold wind. Our kids were troopers and walked the whole block.

Some funnys:

We ran into William's teacher from last year and the teacher Amelia has been visiting for enrichment.

Teacher: Amelia! You look beautiful!
Amelia: (curtsy, smug smile on her face) thank you!
Teacher: what is the best part of Halloween?
Amelia: the CANDY!
Teacher: what is the best part of candy. (She is clearly expecting a certain answer:eating it)
Amelia: counting it! I can't wait to get home and count it! Then I can make a chart of the kinds of candy!
Teacher: (surprised look on her face). ...... Of course you do!
Teacher: (to me): you are raising little geniuses. They are hilarious little geniuses!


........

Halfway up a drive way:
Gemma: (loudly) TRICK OR TREAT!

At the door:
Gemma:..........
(Neighbor puts candy in the bag anyway)
Mom: say "thank you!"
Gemma: ......

Halfway down the driveway, without prompting:

Gemma: THANK YOU! Happy Halloween!


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Neighbor's house:

Neighbor: oh look! A dinosaur! Happy Halloween, dinosaur!
William: I am a dragon! A dragon!
Neighbor: oh! Sorry!
William: why does everyone think I am a dinosaur?

Yet another neighbor's house:
Neighbor: a dinosaur! Dinosaurs are extinct. I guess I'll have to give all the candy to the princess!
William: (disbelief on his face)
Neighbor: go ahead princess! Take a bunch!
William: but, but, but... But! I'm a dragon!
Neighbor: (squints eyes) hmmm... Well, dragons aren't real....
William: they are in my imagination!
Neighbor: (laughs) good point young man, good point! (Gives William a handful of candy)