Thanksgiving Break

The girls were off for Thanksgiving week, and we started the first weekend by going to the Christmas Tree Lighting festivities in Newhall. To be perfectly honest, neither girl wanted to go, and it wasn't exactly a "fun time had by all." 

We had more fun the next night, when we went out to try a new ice cream place. All the ingredients are fresh and organic, and we enjoyed trying four flavors.

On Monday, we helped paint and decorate Cora's set for her upcoming Great Gatsby play. Stace installed molding and chair rail.

Cora finally trimmed her hair!

On Thursday, we celebrated Thanksgiving with this lovely turkey. I forgot to take more photos!

We did a little shopping on Black Friday.

We also visited with Colleen and Rigo and the kids. Not a great photo but I was sneaking a shot of them all cracking up at the video game they were playing.

The girls helped get the Christmas lights up.

I was sitting on the couch on Sunday evening, and Spencer raced into the house from the side yard, through the hole in the screen door he uses as a cat flap. (Why fix it, when it's so useful?)

Anyway, he raced in with this huge RAT in his mouth! He put it down, and thankfully it was dead, so it didn't race under the TV stand or couch. Seb jumped off the couch to have a closer look.

 

Thankfully Sebby normally has more fun with his catnip felt pizza, and doeesn't catch many rats.

Friday Happenings

Stace and I went to our *last* parent-teacher conference Friday afternoon! How did this happen?? 

Violet is doing brilliantly in school. It was nice to finally see her classroom again, since I'm not volunteering this year. (The teacher doesn't need volunteers, sad for me!)

This is Violet's Percy Jackson artwork...

...and her fingerprint pineapple.

I enjoyed seeing her take on "the story of her name." It's nice that she approves of her name; I remember that on Cora's 6th grade assignment, she said she doesn't like her names.

After the conference, Stace and I went back to work on the library project, extending the beauty of the loft we helped with to the downstairs.

On Friday night, Stace played football, while the girls and I joined Grandma and Grandpa at the Magic Mountain employee family Christmas party. I don't know what my mom was showing the girls but I love Cora's laugh.

I remember when they used to love playing in the snow at these events. 
 

Good Times

Colleen and Rigo hosted the Connect 56 kids on Friday night, with the theme of a campout. They played games and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows.

They also made a fall craft, mod-podging tissue paper to a jar with a tea light inside.

On Wednesday, we met up with friends at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood to watch Hamilton. It was such a fun night! (Though I wish this photo was better...)

Our friends had received a special promo code for great priced tickets mid-week, and we were able to buy tickets right behind theirs. We were in center-left orchestra, not nose-bleeds like I'd normally buy! 

We all had fun, and Cora had to contain her wish to sing along. She and Violet know all the songs by heart!
 

Weekend Fun

 

Violet and I made a little trip to Placerita Nature Center over the weekend. This is one of her happy places.

Violet is in the tree, but it's nearly impossible to see her.

Saturday evening was unexpectedly fun. We went to an event at the park, ran into Jeff and Jenn and the boys, and then got dessert together and had fun at their house until very late at night. We got to see their new batting/pitching cage at the bottom of their yard - it's awesome! Zach's a lucky boy.

Violet also got to do her mounted archery again.

And on Friday night, Cora's friends came over for D&D. I love seeing them use our new "game room."

Violet Tidbits

Violet created this dragon's eye painting last year, but recently added more detail to improve it.

We were on campus the other day to take measurements of Stace's next little project in the school library. (As a board member on the Foundation, it's handy being married to someone so handy!)

We took Violet with us, and she showed us her contributions to the wall art. 

A couple of months ago, she and Stace made this silhouette drawing, which she turned into this work of art. I love it! Looking forward to framing it at home at some point.

Also, in the school lobby, Violet's Reflections pieces that did NOT win first place are on display, while her first-place entry has moved on to a higher level competition.

Later that afternoon, we got her hair cut - it had grown so long!

For the first time, she had some layers cut in the front.
 

Tidbits

Wrapping up October...

Violet's class presented book reports this week and dressed up as the subject of the book, whether it was fiction or nonfiction. Vi chose to portray Queen Victoria.

Santa Clarita has always had houses and neighborhoods decorated fabulously for Christmas, and we've had some haunted houses in October. But I've never seen a house this fantastic for Halloween! It was like being in A Nightmare Before Christmasland, if that existed at Disneyland.

Cora has been wanting a punch bag for a while, and with her busy show choir/theater schedule, she's taking a break from karate. But now, she can work on her punching and kicking at home.

Stace and I had some errands to run over the weekend, and stopped in the Dudes' Brewery near the mall for a quick drink. I love spending time with this guy!
 

Halloween

Melanie, Nick and Ellie came over for Halloween, along with Colleen, Rigo and Liana. Cora here is happily helping Mel with a Dungeons and Dragons character Melanie is making, because one of her good friends plays and has invited her to join occasionally.
 

This cutie enjoyed her second Halloween!

After dinner, we all went trick-or-treating. Nick, Melanie and Eloise were in Ghostbusters garb, naturally. 

Cora went as one of the D&D characters she's created.

I forgot to get a "sister" pic, so I'm grateful I could crop the group shot to get what I needed!

This year, like last year, our neighbors and Stace set up little tables out on the driveway for passing out candy. Stace had fun decorating this year.

Cora went to one friend's house, and then to another's, after trick or treating with us for a little bit. Violet and Liana did most of our neighborhood, and collected quite a big pile of sweets!