Happy Thanksgiving La la la

October ended as all Octobers since the kids made their appearance into our world, with a HUGE pile of candy even AFTER I have gone through the bags and discarded all the obvious tubes of sugar like pixie sticks – actual tubes of sugar, every mother’s nightmare.  I sent Jim into work on November 1^st with the offending confections.  When he asked me what he should do with it, I told him to put the pixie sticks by the coffee.  Maybe someone would use it as the sweetener.  Whatever works, as long as it is out of the house!!

The girls barely had a chance to turn around before they were off and running – literally!  Plew Elementary School has a run for Fundz every fall the first week of November.  Both did a great job of raising pledges, collecting their pledges and of course the run itself!! 

Up next was a visit from Jim’s parents for the weekend.  We got to go to the USMC Ball and they got to spend time with the kids.  I am pretty sure I got the better end of that arrangement, but I am sure they would beg to differ.  Although as quickly as they pulled out of the driveway on Sunday morning, maybe not!  HA HA HA

damn the iPhone flash!

Lilly’s birthday was the following weekend, but since we didn’t have birthday parties for the other two this year, I didn’t feel that it would be fair to give one to Lilly.  Jim really tried to talk me out of this.  The more I looked at that pile of candy that could have been stuffed into a pinata and more importantly taken to other people’s homes in goody bags, the more I really was regretting that I was taking a stand against the birthday party.  But stand I did.  I have recently become addicted to Pinterest like many others (don’t worry, no names, you know who you are).  At any rate, I had stumbled upon something cool and different for Lilly to take into school as her birthday snack.  Behold the Rainbow Slushy!

Of course wouldn’t you know it; the weather changed the day we brought the slushys in.  The day before it was in the mid to upper 70’s and the day of – 50’s!  But the kids didn’t care.  They loved it!  I didn’t get to stick around after the birthday song, There was a cake cutting ceremony on base.  Look!  An F-35!!  No, not a Marine Corps F-35 (sigh).  Maybe next month.  I just hope we get one here before we leave.

Now to keep with the Wellons’ family tradition of OVER celebrating birthdays, we took off for Panama City for the weekend.  Jim said it was to celebrate Lilly’s birthday, but I think it was more likely since we are within the 3 month window of the move, we needed to scratch off some things on our Florida Panhandle Bucket list.  So Panama City here we come!!  We decided to go to the beach to go shelling.  Jim doesn’t really like this activity, but lucky for me the kids do.  We found TONS!  I actually found my third, fourth and fifth scotch bonnet EVER!  Scotch Bonnets are North Carolina’s state shell and are IMPOSSIBLE to find.  I found 3 within 15 minutes!  I was in heaven.  We also squeezed in some pool time.  And then some quality Leappad time.  Shameless plug – They love that thing.  2 thumbs WAY WAY up.  We still have the leapster explorer and a DS so there is marginal fighting over who gets what super cool gaming toy.  They have it so hard.

Lunch was at Margaritaville.  I know what you are thinking, that isn’t typically a hot spot for 7 year olds to celebrate their birthday.  I have a sneaking suspicion that Jim may or may not have implied there would be parrots there.  Just for the record, there aren’t.  But there is a big giant Birthday Sundae.  It made up for it.

We also had time to do a little bungee jumping.  WHAT!  I go get the car and by the time I get across the parking lot, Jim has been talked into bungee jumping, well not him, but the kids.

I forgot to take pictures of Lucy’s turn because I basically suck as a parent, but I did get a video, which I did not get of the other two (again the whole suckiness thing).  But let’s move on shall we.  Positive thoughts people, positive thoughts!

We also had a rematch at the bowling alley.  The last time we bowled I beat Jim – handily!  This time, Jim won.  Ben was a close second.  Check out that form guys!

Has this day not ended yet!  They have been going at it for HOURS!!  What else can else can they possibly cram into this day?  Oh I know, how about more sugar!  Once we got home we sang Happy Birthday (again) and we brought out her actual birthday cake.  It was a Rainbow cake; another Pinterest find (is it really a problem if you know it is a problem.  Yes, I do hear what I am saying but now I am not so sure which voice to listen to anymore).

Can you believe we are only 12 days into November at this point in the recap?  I just want to skip to the end.  Next up Thanksgiving!!  We have a tradition of singing "Happy Thanksgiving La La La" in this family.  Thanks to the creepy Hallmark e-card from forever ago.  Last year I stumbled upon a HUGE cardboard cutout of the girl chef holding the turkey platter and quicker than you can say Dum De Dum, I had that thing in my car!!  SCORE!!! Jim would argue that with you - he isn't a fan.  Well of course I broke her out of the attic on the 1st day of November!!  So we had twenty four some odd days of hearing her click clack around singing "Hi there!  Brought you a turkey" because of course I have brainwashed the kids into loving it too!  The tradition lives!!

Ben had his program.  He did a great job!  We were thankful that it was during the day this year.  Last year Lucy's Pre-school program was at night - did not work out so well for us.  But that is a different story for a different time. 
Lucy also her day on stage.  Isn't she cute!!  They had a "First Thanksgiving" for the Kindergarten.  The meal consisted of seeds, cranberry sauce, apple juice and popcorn.  Who knew!  Apparently the Indians taught the Pilgrims how to pop corn.  All those years of watching Charlie Brown trying to feed his friends popcorn for Thanksgiving and I didn't know I was ACTUALLY learning history!! 

Not to be outdone, Lilly also had a solo.  Well technically Lilly’s was for Veteran’s day, but it fit better here, so I am taking a liberty – sue me.

Nanny came into town to celebrate Thanksgiving with us for a WHOLE WEEK!  That silly woman, will she never learn.  Seriously, we loved having her here, especially me.  I am seriously lacking in the adult female 1:1 face time.  That and she is super funny so it was a win-win really. 

We really didn’t have a “plan” for Thanksgiving.  I know you find that hard to believe after reading this blog but it is true.  All that was getting ready to change.  My husband operates by the motto of “which alligator is closest to the boat”.  That being said, he wakes up Sunday morning and proclaims we are going to have a pot luck at our house.  Oh really!  Who is coming?  We don’t know.  So after a quick poll EVERYONE already has plans!  Can you believe it?  5 days out and everyone already has plans.  SHOCKING but true.  Well, we end up horning our way in on some families from the Squadron.  Only kidding of course, but kind of true.  I hope we didn’t totally mess up their Thanksgiving. 

Saturday after Thanksgiving we drug everyone down to see Santa!!

Of course there is one week left in the month, but THANKFULLY it was uneventful.  Or maybe I am getting carpal tunnel syndrome and my wrists are about to fall off from typing.  It is hard to say.