Lately: A November Recap

November was a full month for our family, but we managed to balance two working parents (for the first time since we've had kids!), kids at two different schools, grad school for me, and after-school activities. I even managed to sneak in a few photo shoots this month.  

Here's a peek at some of what we did in November:

The Houston Arboretum is our favorite place to get outside and enjoy nature, so that's where we headed on the first pretty fall day we had.

Another favorite weekend activity is painting the Warhammer figurines we got in Edinburgh.

Gene and Henry attended Kinkaid's Falcon Feast and watched the Falcons beat St. John's.

Henry and I really enjoy author Jason Reynolds, so when I saw he was coming to town with Cool Brains/Inprint, we knew we wouldn't miss it.  Reynolds is an engaging speaker and we were so glad we got to hear him speak. We snagged one of the last free copies of Lu, the last book in the Track series, and then purchased many more books from Blue Willow.  They are that good!

Speaking of authors, the delightful Susan Fletcher came to speak to 5th graders about her new book, Journey of the Pale Bear.  It was my first author visit to manage on my own in the library and it went off without a hitch (mostly because the staff of Blue Willow Bookshop know how to run an author visit!).  Both Henry and I adored the book and hearing Fletcher discuss the story.  

Most of Will's activities happen at school. He continues to play viola with the 7th grade orchestra, plays soccer for his winter sport, and is involved in numerous clubs at school.

One of Henry's favorite extracurricular activities is his Thursday afternoon after class. He has learned so much and his art is showing marked improvement. 

We were happy to attend the fall art show in November.   

Henry also participated in the fifth grade spelling bee this year because he was one of the top two spellers in his class.  He didn't place, but we were so proud of his effort.   

Spelling bee medal

It wouldn't be November without an election. Gene likes to vote early, but I'm a fan of voting on election day.  We went after school and Henry was my voting buddy.

And finally, Gene got out to an opera with his dad and brother one evening.  

I can't believe we're halfway through December and that Christmas is just around the corner. May your last week before Christmas be full of joyful carols, completed shopping lists and some peaceful moments by the Christmas tree!

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year because it's all about spending time with the people you love and eating delicious food! This year, we hosted my parents at our house on Thanksgiving day. 

Heritage turkey from the farmers market on the grill -- our best one yet!

Our very traditional spread

Family

Digging in

This pup is always nearby in case any morsels get dropped.

Pecan pie plus a cheese board for dessert

We had a really lovely Thanksgiving!

On Friday, we headed over to Nana and Pop's to spend time with the other side of the family. The cousins played, everyone talked and caught up, and I took lots and lots of family photos.  

Gene dug out his saxophone and Henry gave it a go.  Maybe band is in this boy's future?

Family photo time 

 

We are so thankful for family!

A Weekend Adventure: Central/East Texas (Day 3)

Will and I woke up bright and early on the Monday morning of our adventure, bundled up because it was cold, and set out to the pavilion for coffee and hot cinnamon tea. We read and talked and sipped while we waited for Gene and Henry to wake up. This was the beautiful view we had of the wildlife park.  

After another hearty breakfast, we set out for another drive through the safari park. We are glad we opted to drive through again because we saw so many different animals this time around.

Ostrich

Common Wildebeest

Roan Antelope

Fallow Deer

Aoudad

Hartmann's Mountain Zebra

These were a highlight of the drive.  Their lips flapped like crazy and they just wanted us to toss food into their mouths.

Giraffe

The giraffe was another highlight. He briefly stopped at our car before moving to the car behind us, so Gene circled around and we opened the roof, and there he was, eager for munchies.

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center and would gladly go back for another visit.  

Our next adventure of the day was the Polar Express, so we had a 2 1/2 hour drive from Glen Rose to Palestine.  We stopped for lunch in Waxahachie and had to check out the beautiful courthouse on the square. 

We also ran into the huge Russell Stover store in Corsicana for fudge.

We arrived with plenty of time to relax before Henry donned his Christmas pajamas and we headed out for our annual Polar Express ride. 

We have been doing the Polar Express for so many years and it is still fun and magical.

All aboard!

Henry is absolutely delighted by the train ride to the North Pole.

 Hot cocoa

And Santa handed out the bells, just like in the story.

This is a very busy time for our family, but we all needed to get away for a few days to rest, relax and explore.  The holiday season is so full of activities, but also so much fun with kids, and we are looking forward to enjoying this season in the coming weeks.