Give Thanks

This Thanksgiving weekend was jam packed with fun! We began Thanksgiving with a fun soccer game with our friends. We were all a bit out of soccer shape, but managed to have fun and not get hurt too badly. Highlights included Mason getting attacked by a fence (I mean a bear) and all of the kiddos playing. Clarita thought it was fun to run around and splash in the mud!

Reedcito keeping Clarita and Kierito occupied

Taken with Drew's drone

We rushed home after soccer and made it just in time to welcome Tio Robert and Tia Erika. We got ready while they played with Clara. By 1:00 everyone was there and we enjoyed lots of yummy food! Clara was not too impressed with Thanksgiving. She refused to eat turkey (a girl after my heart) said she wanted mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes but didn't eat them, and spent most of the meal eating rolls and picking the raisins out of the stuffing. Teagan was equally impressed with the food.

Clarita and "Teegee" had a blast playing together and of course with Tristan too. The girls did a good job of sharing for the most part and we didn't have any major meltdowns. We even managed to get them to sit still for some family pictures. Of course, the second Teagan was out of the pictures Clara was done and wanted to follow her. She kept calling, "Teegee, Teegee" and trying to run after her! Baby Bailey spent almost the entire time napping, but did manage to open her eyes for a little while after everyone else had left! It was a lovely day!

On Friday Gruncle Tod and Grauntie Traci had a Thanksgiving celebration. Dada and I had to work, but I left at noon and he took a long lunch so we were still able to make it. There were nine kids (most two and under) there and they had a blast playing with all of the toys! It's fun to watch all these little ones grow up together!

Friday evening we met the McClartys and headed downtown (aka a few blocks from our house) for the annual Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. It began at Memorial Park with the lighting of a large Evergreen Tree, and then everyone walked a few blocks to the Christmas Tree set up in the middle of the street downtown. Clarita and Reedcito really liked the lighting and were pretty quiet (weird for them) taking it all in. Clara cheered when the trees were lit and had to point out that there were "arboles" and "luces". Kierito smiled away in his carrier so I assume that means he enjoyed it too!

On Saturday we went to the Fresno State football game. Tailgating is a must but was, unfortunately, in the middle of Clara's nap. We compromised and put her down for an early short nap. She had fun eating tomatoes, carrots, and popcorn at the tailgate. I wasn't sure how well she would do at the game since she is constantly on the go. She was content to jump and run around our seats and managed to stay happy and entertained for the entire game! She loved the marching band and danced along with them signing and saying "fin" each time they finished a song. She loves watching football on TV with Dada and liked to point to the field and say "football." I'd say it was a success!

What are those crazy guys doing?

With Brian and Madi

Sunday we finally had time to decorate for Christmas! I absolutely love Christmas and have a bit of decorations that seem to multiply each year. Clara was very excited when I brought the boxes up from the basement. She exclaimed that they were "green" and demanded that I open them. She was obsessed with the stockings and found a tiny one that she declared to be her "bota" (stocking in Spanish). She also loved the small fake trees and stated that one was Clara's and was big and the bigger one was Dada's. We had planned to take her to pick out a tree but she took a super long nap so Dada ended up picking one up from Savemart and we had it set up when she woke up. She was very excited and declared that it was "arbol Mama." She was really into the lights on the tree and had fun handing me decorations and telling me what they were. Dada's grandma made him and his cousins ornaments each year when they were growing up and these were Clarita's favorites! These ornaments are quite impressive and the cousins decided to continue the tradition after Dama passed away (this is Dada's year). Clara's favorite was a llama.

She spent the rest of the night fawning over the decorations and admiring the trees. She insisted that the penguin decorations were "Cawa's" and kept taking them off the tree. Between Clarita and the cats we may not have any decorations left on the tree!