Our Black Friday Activities

I hope everyone had a great holiday!

We spent Thanksgiving night at my sister’s house–you know, the same house where we went for Easter, where everything is gorgeous. The weather was fabulous, so the girls were having a fabulous time clamoring around the backyard. And, sure, the backyard had fewer trees than last time we visited (two of which landed on the neighbor’s car during Sandy), but it’s still a small wonderland.

One of J’s favorite activities is to gather natural items and sort them. Here’s a spread that she was working on.

In just the same way that your kids might get way too much dessert and inappropriate tv at their grandparents’ house, the girls enjoyed an embarrassment of clever crafty activity riches at their aunt and uncle’s house. The grown-ups were drinking coffee and chatting while the girls were frolicking happily outside. We didn’t even hear from them, and yet my sister interrupted herself in the middle of assembling a fruit platter to call out to the girls that she had an idea for a messy craft! Woo, hoo!

Next thing you know, the girls were spray painting pinecones. Perhaps this is a little toxic? I don’t know, but they had a lovely time.

And the pinecones looked awfully purty!

The girls had a wonderful time making way more glittery pinecones than any household could possibly need. They dried pretty quickly, because we had to pack up and head to my other sister’s house for another day of eating too much while doing our triannual birthday celebration (did you know that “triannual” means 3 times in a year, and “triennial” means every three years? Isn’t this blog super-informative? You’re welcome). So the vehicle was a bit fume-ish, but it’s a small price to pay for creative expression in the great outdoors.

Among the fabulous food items available at our birthday gathering was this chocolate cornucopia. It was created by my brother’s girlfriend, who’s attending pastry school. She’s in her chocolate unit right now. I love the chocolate unit.

My daughters love-love-love my brother’s girlfriend. She is sweet and she makes chocolates and she crochets them presents, and they would like her to be their official aunt. Also, my brother is turning 30 soon. And so I should have seen it coming. Actually, I did sort of see it coming. At some point in the early evening, I heard a huge wave of girl giggles from the girls and their cousin down in the playroom. J stomped up the stairs, all full of purpose. M and their cousin trailed after her and hovered on the steps, looking appalled-delighted. Then J was dragging my little brother and girlfriend down the stairs and I murmured to whatever sister was next to me, “Uh-oh. I’m afraid that they might be staging an intervention. . . .” Turns out that I was right. Between the three girls, there was some sort of stern talking-to. The girls are ready for a commitment, and they’re not afraid to say it.

So then my girls got their own stern talking-to from me about minding their own business. Although after another glass of wine, my apology to my brother morphed into an endorsement for listening to the abiding wisdom of children. Because I’m totally on their side. I mean, did you see those chocolates?