Someone saw Santa last night....A 2nd attempt. We went the first time and the line was a mile long, Mom was cranky and the kids were in clothes came straight from daycare. Roman with a hole in his pants. "Roman!"

When we went the next time Roman refused to go, but Zoe talked me into sitting in on a picture. Note the hole in the knee. "Mom!"

Waiting in line was well worth getting this shot though. 

After I told Santa I wanted a pouting shot he commented "Oh, I like those".

Roman should have come with!

Roman's picture made it in the November school newsletter (left).

Nice surprise in the inbox today :)

What motivates?

At parent teacher conferences, Roman's teacher had him pick out two pages from his daily journal. One he wasn't proud of (= spirally squiggle...not words) and another he was proud of.

Proud.

When I get a p.s.4

When I get a p.s.4 i waht to get lego demenshons p.s.4. edishon and all the expanson packs and mincraft p.s.4 edishon and the lego movie vidogame and star wars battle front....

It goes on.

He even illustrated it.

Books!

Thursday night we had teacher conferences and visited the book fair at school. They each got to pick out a book. I told them each one would cost 4 pieces of candy per dollar (little did they know I've been grabbing ziploc bags full of halloween candy for work).

The next morning as I passed by just after 7 am I saw this.

The light on and each of them reading in their bed.

Not typical, although it makes me smile.

They were so excited to read their new books that they were bright eyed and bushy tailed much earlier than normal. I can't vouch for how it went the rest of the morning, but this made me chuckle.

Favorite color: Orange

Favorite food: spagety

I love: Legos

I don't like: Lego friends

I am afraid of : Lego elves

Cake auction 2015

Theme: nature

A little Pinteresting and...

What is that?

Red velvet cake with rice crispy head and tail?

A snake!

The cub scouts do a fundraiser every November and this cake got the 3rd highest bid!

After a Shark Tornado cake and a volcano cake (the exploded when dry ice was added)

Halloween

At the Mall of America in front of the stage Dad decorated.

Site of a costume contest.

The lab - time to make gack (or some similarly titled ooey gooey stuff)

Mummy wrapping fun. Zoe is being wrapped (far right) an Roman is wrapping up someone else (far left).

I love this.

Carved by the kids with a little itty bitty help from Dad.

We missed a year, but we did get out to see Jannie and Gordon, and the new additions this year, Mika.

Trick or treating cowgirl. We got some new boots since Zoe likes boots. Not exactly cowboy boots, but it worked.

Except when we went out she decided to wear winter boots.

With Vader.

Quite the 'take'

crazy!

Misc

Click and Clack.

With cousin Audrey!

Before and After

Tiger Scout!

Day 7

Monticello!

We had a very small amount of time to stop by here before heading home.

It was a nice day, but, you know.

Tulip Poplar, circa 1766.

Holy Cow, Batman~!

Time for a nap.

Day 6

This was actually Day One, but note the contrast.

Roman: "That's not the White House...it's too small!"

True, it looks pretty small, but a good portion of it is hidden from view (the West Wing?). Also after some discussion he thought it was the Capitol building.

Posing mode fading.

I'd wanted to make it to the Botanical garden, but all we got was to see was the garden outside. Still nice.

Under construction. Appropriate I suppose.

There was a big rally the next day (Justice or Else! with Minister Louis Farrakhan - I must say I felt like a native Minnesotan).

We got rained on that night - a downpour on the way to the Metro. 

We didn't melt, although some of us behaved like we might.

Math

I don't think I was doing this in first grade....

Olivia walked past the Bike Shop on Monday. She saw some tricycles in the window. She counted 18 wheels.

Q: How many tricycles did Olivia see in the window?

A: 6

Q:Draw or explain how you know.

A:I made 18 lines and crossed them out and counted how many groups of 3 I crossed out.

On Tuesday she counted 21 wheels

On Wednesday she counted 24 wheels.

On Thursday she counted 27 wheels.

Q: How many wheels do you think she counted on Friday?

A: 30 wheels

Q: Draw or explain how you know.

A: I knew(?) that it is counting by 3's so I just counted with my fingers 3 more then 27

Day 5

I forgot this day 3 picture - the one museum open a little later, so we could visit after my 2nd day at a conference. National Portrait Gallery...it was a struggle to get Zoe to stand there, but gosh darn it...she did

(Day 4 involved renting a car, moving to a new hotel and visiting Annapolis, MD in the afternoon) 

Art - how INTERESTING for 7 year olds.

See the enthusiasm?

National Gallery of Art.

I was impressed by seeing the Thinker in person. Or at least one version of it.

Show us the Monet, the Seine at Giverny

A bit more joy for Kermit at the Smithsonian History Museum

(and just now Zoe telling me she read a book about Kermit's creator at school).

America innovates...sometimes with Legos.

Gadgets. Indispensable.

And paper. Indispensable.

Hoping you two appreciate a good map. I find it still has a place.

And ready a metro map...a good skill.

A  quick stop at the Smithsonian History museum to show Mom the Hope Diamond. The trio spend some time here a few days before

.

And this guy in the entry. Wait a minute, why is this sitting in an American museum?

As far as the Hope Diamond...I was mostly impressed by the collection of other rocks in the nearby galleries. I guess I'm not a sparkly, shiny kind of girl.

At the Jefferson Memorial

The non-English speaking couple next to us asked Mike to take a picture of them via the international miming of "can you take my picture"? And then she wanted the kids and me in it. The woman then gave Zoe a big hug. So when I go over the Pacific I'll pluck a family at random so I can get a picture with the locals. Kind of funny. 

FDR Memorial

MLK at dusk

Lincoln Memorial - as impressive as I hoped it would be.

The Vietnam wall was also very moving. The list of names has an impact when you walk along the wall.

We ended up eating pizza and drinking very good beer (well some of us) at a pizza place in Georgetown. Roman impressed up by displaying the magnetic quality of his silverware. Only his silverware, mind you. And me, Ms. Mom's-not-a-Scientist was quite impressed. 

But also quite tired and enjoying the beer.

This doesn't happen very often, but we wiped you guys out with all that walking.And all that beer ;) 

Asleep on the Metro.