Week in a Minute (or Two!)

Our lovely piano teacher/choir teacher/girls group leader had another wonderful day of cookie making and crocheting at her house Tuesday.  She is such a sweet and gentle woman, and I love my girls being around her.  There is a peacefulness in her home, even when I walk in at the end of their fun and it looks like this.  (Sadly, they had cleaned up a lot of their yarn mess before I got there.  A picture the week before would have been mucho better.)

Wednesday a little friend from the neighborhood was over playing with Madeleine.  They had played very quietly most of the time so I didn't think much about not seeing them for a while.  Suddenly I heard Erin say, "Madeleine!" with that certain pitch in it (I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about).  I found them quickly - Madeleine had decorated herself a bit, but she had decorated her friend in black marker almost head to toe (they were both mid-wardrobe change).  Can't tell you the relief I felt when I noticed it was dry erase marker, and flashed immediately to a friend writing about how they had used dry erase markers to draw on each other's faces because it is so easy to get off. After Madeleine's little experiment, I'm very happy to say that was.  Whew!

Wednesday is also my Webelos day, and this week we went on a super amazing field trip to my eye doctor's office.  We've been working on the Scientist activity badge, and part if it involved going to a place a scientist works and talking to them about how they use science.  Dr. Judkins was amazing with the boys.  I think he planned on just showing a few here and there things he does, like give a quick exam to one boy, and take a picture of one of the boys' eye, but they were so into everything that he ended up doing those on all the boys.  They LOVED it.  I would post pictures, but kiddo privacy and all that.

Adam and Sammy both interviewed to work at Camp Bartlett on Friday.  Adam was excited and confident.  Sam was on the nervous side.  We're supposed to hear sometime before Christmas.  We love going to the scout office, because we love visiting with the great people that work there.  It always reiterates to me what a great organization scouting is.

On our way home we pass an Arctic Circle, and it's hard to pass up 59 cent ice cream cones (and I get off easy being the hero mom!).  Before handing Madeleine's back I always give it a few good licks to get it started, but when we got on our way I was watching the road and not Madeleine, and apparently neither was anyone else.  When we finally did it was already a mess, so I tried to help at red lights (even slowing way down so we would hopefully hit them), but at one point the cone was just mush and she had a wad of ice cream in her hand.  Note to self - pay more attention to her ice cream next time.

Friday evening the kids had a choir performance with the Light Side Choir, full of homeschoolers ranging in ages from 5 to 16.  The kids did a wonderful job.  Carolyn and Erin sang beautiful solos, Adam was part of a little dancing choreography during one song, and Melanie sang in smaller groups a couple of times.  Sammy does his best to not have to be seen too much.  Madeleine played with her little marker friend and they both helped lead the music from their chairs once in a while.  Thanks again to our amazing piano teacher/choir teacher/girls group leader! 

Sunday (today) our kids sang "Heavenly Choirs," one of their choir songs, in sacrament meeting with the kids in another family also in the ward and choir.  They did a beautiful job, with Melanie singing a solo for the first part and the others all joining her on the second.  Melanie, Carolyn, and Erin sang the same song at the Barker family Christmas party tonight, with my cousin, Stephanie, accompanying.  I knew this song somehow before they sang it with the choir, but I still haven't been able to figure out how.  The words are "Heavenly choirs must have had children singing along when they came to the earth.  Jesus, I know, loves little children, so I imagine they sang at his birth.  Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Had I been there I would have sung.  Alleluia!  Alleluia!  Praise to the Lord, praise to His son.  Praise to the Lord, praise to His son."  Beautiful.

And hooray - snow!  In December it just feels like there should be snow, and it starts to get worrisome when there isn't any.  Jamie and I enjoyed watching our cute little girls playing in the backyard.  Madeleine started throwing snow at Carolyn and Erin, and they were so sweet to just take it, even when it went down coat collars.