The first week of December was crazy. I only taught two days out of the five. I spent the Monday after Thanksgiving break at an Elementary Science Academy and, after dropping the girls off at school on Thursday, I drove up to Long Beach for the National Science Teachers Association Conference. I had another great weekend of sleeping all by myself in a quiet hotel room and did a four hour workshop about Argumentation in Science with some of my fellow Noyce teachers. Even better, I got to see my former student Kat and catch up with her! Matt kept the girls all by himself. He took the girls out to dinner, to breakfast, and to a birthday party to keep busy!
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| Hotel room view! That's the Queen Mary! |
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| Kensington Cafe with Daddy |
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| An Elsa Party! |
Of course, after a weird week of work when I am expecting to actually teach my students all five days, we get a phone call on Thursday that Eleanor has a fever at school and needs to be picked up. Thank goodness I have a students teacher this year! I was able to leave school early and take Friday off to be home with Ella since Ms. Davidson was in my class teaching. Ella spent two days with an off and on fever followed by a lovely rash that broke out on Sunday evening all over her body. Looks like roseola.
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| Sick cuddles with Daddy |
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| My mama made me go to Target even though I have a fever |
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| Cuddly sick baby |
Grandma Sue and Gramps came down on Saturday night to watch Ella while Matt and I took Madeline to her first showing of the Grinch at the Old Globe. Hopefully Eleanor didn't infect them since her fever was gone before they came to babysit! Madi had a great time seeing the play. I was impressed that the theater had boosters for the kids so Madi had no problem seeing the stage. There were a few moments that Matt and I thought she was going to ask to go home when the Grinch first started singing and was scary . . .but Madeline made it through and ended up enjoying the play and the happy ending!
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| Showing off her new theater outfit |
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| Waiting for Daddy to park the car |
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| Family Selfie |
On Sunday, Matt had his last home Charger game of the season. The girls and I had a very busy day. We met Grandma Sue and Gramps at the club for Brunch with Santa! Madeline was so excited this year and said she was definitely going to sit on Santa's lap and talk to him. She was willing to stand near him, didn't cry, said hello every time she saw Santa walk by, and generally did a million times better than last year! Eleanor . . . not so much. After brunch (and a car nap), I took the girls to see the snow at Kensington Park. It was not so awesome. There were unwatched big kids everywhere hurling snowballs at any and all humans. We made it about 5 minutes before leaving the snow and going to play in the regular park. The girls had a great time on the slides and swings. After Matt got home, we walked down to the traffic circle for the annual Talmadge neighborhood caroling event. This was wonderful, festive, and chilly! Even Lani came with us, all dressed up like a puggle sausage in her christmas sweater.
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| Ella waiting for Madi to wake up in the car. |
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| "This snow is cold mom" |
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| Santa's car |
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| Lani as a Christmas Reindeer. Her sweater was awfully tight! |
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| The girls at caroling |
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| Grinch Ticket |
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| I love the obligatory screaming child on Santa's lap |
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| Looking at Santa |
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| Before Brunch |
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| On the way back from getting food |
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| Happy Madi with Santa |
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| Ella not so happy |
