Project Gratitude: Day 15

We are thankful for our ancestors.
Read a story about them.

The kids love listening to stories about their great grandparents. They love seeing pictures about what they look like. We have been blessed to have those that have gone before to leave us a legacy of love and learning. Their stories make us laugh and cry as we read about their triumphs and their trials. They encourage us to make a record of our lives so that our future generations can come to know us.

Project Gratitude: Day 14

We are thankful for the sky.
Go outside and look at the sky and the planet we live on.

We are thankful for early morning sunrises, breathtaking sunsets, and beautiful blue skies. We are grateful for opportunities we've had to look up and see all the God has created for us. We've seen comets, meteor showers, planets, the moon, constellations, and stars. We've enjoyed laying on our backs and watching clouds go by and finding shapes within.

Project Gratitude: Day 13

We are thankful for our senses.
Make a good looking and tasty treat to eat.

We had crunchy Honey Crisp apples with either smoked Gouda cheese, Nutella, or caramel sauce. We used our eyes to view the toppings, our ears to listen to the crunching sound of the apples, our hands to touch the sticky Nutella or caramel or the smooth cheese. We smelled the apples and toppings and our mouths enjoyed the tastes of all the various foods. We are grateful for eyes to see beautiful things, ears to hear, mouths to taste, hands to touch, and noses to smell.

Project Gratitude: Day 12

We are thankful for trees.
Go on a nature walk.

I was sick this day so we had to wait for a few days until we could go on our walk but on this day the kids enjoyed playing outside in probably one of the last 'warm' days of the year. A few weeks ago, the kids walked down the street and played in the leaves in a neighbors yard with their friends. They buried themselves, jumped in them and threw them up in the air. We love trees and their leaves for the fun they provide, the shade they give, and the oxygen they make.

Project Gratitude: Day 11

We are thankful for Church.
Read the scriptures.

We are thankful for church and religion that helps us and others to become better people. We are thankful for the promises made and for the hope and peace that it brings to our lives.

Project Gratitude: Day 10

We are thankful for our friends.
Make them a treat.

We each chose a new friend in the neighborhood and gave them some cookies and a giant honey crisp apple.

Friends are great--they like you even when they get to know you. We have been truly blessed with wonderful friends. I was thinking about the friends I had growing up and how much they mean to me and how often they helped me or didn't mind my crazy antics. I know I wasn't the coolest or most popular person but they didn't care and somehow seemed to like me despite the flaws. I appreciate my close college roommates who kept inviting me to live with them despite my lack of social skills. Then after Steve and I got married an older couple befriended and watched out for us--they watched little E so that we could go on dates and then a few years later they watched little T for us so that we could take E to speech classes. Then we were blessed with wonderful neighbors and friends when we bought our first home. They welcomed us and made us feel like we belonged. Then when we moved again we thought that we'd never have close friends in our new neighborhood but we do and it is nice to be able to still do things with our other friends, too. Not having family close by to watch the kids for Doctor appointments or other things, it has always been nice to have friends to call and know that they would help you anytime, anywhere. They come over to help give blessings, sleep on your couch when you have to go to the hospital to have a baby, share their vegetables or flowers, help you paint, make you laugh, sit outside during the summer evenings and talk till the sun goes down. They bring you things and you bring them things and you simply do it because that's what friends do. Thank you friends--for everything.

Project Gratitude: Day 9

We are thankful for books.
Read a story together.

We are thankful for all the wonderful books out there that can take us to another time and place--for the opportunity we have to learn and to enjoy.



Here are some of our favorites:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Fancy Nancy, Curious George, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, The Lord of the Rings, Screwtape Letters, East of Eden, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Secret of Droon, Harry Potter, Ferdinand, Don't Let the Pigeon, Knuffle Bunny, Frances books, Nancy Drew, Little Women, Anne of Green Gables, A Tale of Two Cities, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, A to Z Mysteries, Ramona, . . .

Project Gratitude: Day 8

We are thankful for electricity.
Turn off lights when not in use.

We are grateful for the electricity that runs our lights and appliances. We tried extra hard to make sure lights were not left on and to also limit our use of appliances. At the end of the day we ate some apples by candlelight while visiting with each other. It is nice to have lights to brighten our home and to see by. It makes our lives easier.

Project Gratitude: Day 7

We are thankful for our country and the military.
Write a letter to a soldier.



We are thankful for this great country where have so many rights and privileges. We are thankful for the men and women who serve and protect us and our freedoms. We are truly blessed to live in a country free from tyranny and oppression with opportunities surrounding us on every side.

Project Gratitude: Day 6

We are thankful for our house.
Play a fun clean-up game.



We really are grateful for the house that we were able to buy last year. It's in a great location and we've met some wonderful friends and neighbors. It gives us the space we needed so everyone wasn't on top of each other. We are thankful for a roof over our heads when the cold and snow comes and for shelter from the heat and rain.

“There is a magic in that little world, home; it is a mystic circle that surrounds comforts and virtues never known beyond its hallowed limits”--Robert Southey

Project Gratitude: Day 5

We are thankful for our parents.
Do something extra nice for them and be extra nice to them all day!

Yesterday E, T, and M mopped the tile floors and tried to do so without complaining. They then tried really hard to be obedient and to help us when we went to Nona's house and helped Nona and Grandpa Craig pick grapes and weed a part of the garden. T is quite the grape picker and crawled under the vines to get the hidden ones. M and H ate more grapes then they picked.



Yet, it seems that no matter how much you try to help your parents out they always seem to top you because Patty and Craig might have received a small amount of help from us but they let us take all the grapes home with us so that we can make grape juice. We are grateful for parents both near and far who love us unconditionally and I am grateful for children who love me enough to mop the kitchen floors every Saturday--they will never know how much that it means to me.

Project Gratitude: Day 4

We are thankful for the scriptures.
Read a favorite story from them.

E read to us her favorite scripture found in 1 Nephi 10:18 which reads: "For he is the same yesterday, to-day, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him."

T loves the part of the Book of Mormon when Jesus comes to the Nephites. 3 Nephi 11:6-11 which reads:
"And behold, the third time they did understand the voice which they heard; and it said unto them:
Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.
And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they saw a Man descending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.
And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:
Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.
And behold, I am the light and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter cup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in taking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the will of the Father in all things from the beginning."

M told us that (this week) she liked the story of Captain Moroni and his title of liberty.

We are grateful for the scriptures that tell us stories and how we learn to be better people. We love how we feel when we read them as a family and how even little H wants to try and read some words with us. I am thankful for scriptures that give me peace and comfort.

Project Gratitude: Day 3

We are thankful for music.
Play, listen, sing, or dance to a fun song.

We let the kids choose some of their favorite songs and they sang and danced along. Here they are dancing in H's method of choice with M's song...


Music plays such a huge role in all of our lives. It has the power to change our moods and change our actions. It can make us feel happy, sad, energized, calm, or loved or even angry and bitter (though music of the latter two should probably be avoided). It can reaffirm truths or cause us to reflect. We are grateful for music in our lives that touches our souls and makes us soar, that makes us want to get up and dance, that puts a smile on our faces, and that creates a better world.

Project Gratitude: Day 2

We are thankful for our grandparents.
Write a note or draw them a picture.


Grandpa and Grandma Gaufin with the kids at the General Sherman Giant Sequoia tree.


Nona and Grandpa Craig with the kids at Leigh Lake in the Tetons.


Poppy and Steve with the girls at his home in Oregon (2007)


We are grateful for grandparents who love us and we love them. I have no grandparents living but I have so many fond memories of them that it's been a nice to reflect on them on this day.

Project Gratitude: Day 1

We are thankful for our teeth. Eat a healthy treat.



A sweet honey crisp apple is just the thing.

Extreme underpants

We received free tickets to go see part of the Dew Tour in Salt Lake City. We could have seen various events but time wise it worked out best to go see the BMX dirt bike challenge. It was held outside near the Triad center in downtown. Truckloads of dirt are brought in and a course is made in the parking lot. We got there a few minutes before it started and found some seats in the bleachers. It was amazing to see all the tricks that were preformed and all the aerial maneuvers. The girls all thought they could do things like that on their bikes and Henry loved watching them go into the air and then land and then repeat the whole process. There were a lot of interesting individuals and the boys sitting behind us apparently did something to warrant M holding up her hands in claw like positions and then growling because I caught the phrase, "Did you see what that little girl just did..." and then I saw their version of the reenactment. M also wanted to know how come we saw everyone's underpants and then all the girls agreed that it was very immodest. But despite the fact that we saw their underwear, it was very cool to see their performances.

One tough little girl

Last night, M kept getting up and coming into our room saying, "My ear hurts." About 11:30 or so I gave her some children's Motrin in hopes that it would help her sleep because by that time the only option would have been to take her to the ER and I wasn't willing to pay. This morning I asked her how her ear was and she replies that it still sort of hurts. I decide that we need to go the doctor as she probably has an ear infection and I new that we have family pictures tonight. We get to the doctor and he's looking in her ears. He says it's the right one and when M agreed he said that it was indeed infected and looked like it was getting ready to burst. I told him that all night and all morning she had simple stated, "My ear hurts." She never cried and she never acted like it was painful. It just hurt. The doctor laughed and said that he was amazed that she didn't complain more. M is one tough little cookie.

A bike ride

The kids are off-track for the next little bit and for playgroup it was decided to go on a bike-ride to a small park. As the big kids will attest the park wasn't the fun part as it was small and geared towards smaller kids; however, they enjoyed the bike ride to the park. We set off at 10:30 am to meet up with another family going. We were soon on our way when suddenly T's chain fell off. I noticed that it was looking a little loose but was hoping it would hold. Luckily we weren't too far from home so T managed to ride/coast home and I hurriedly called my friend up ahead and told her what had happened and that if she wanted to we would just catch up. Now on Saturday I had repaired flats on E, T and my trailer. T's required me to remove the chain and back tire but apparently I didn't pull the wheel tight enough so the chain fell off. I tried tightening it better and thought we did a pretty good job. I took the tools with me this time and we were off. Yet, just around the corner the chain fell off again. I knew T really wanted to ride her bike to the park but I also knew I lacked the man power/strength to physically pull the wheel further back. Then I noticed that the neighbors were out. I new the neighbor girl used to have an old bike and so we asked her if T could use it on our bike ride. Now I also know that these two neighbor kids might also like to go and since we are now using one of their bikes I only thought it appropriate to ask their mother if it was indeed alright for T to use the bike and also if they'd like to come with me. They are eager to go and so now the 6 of us start off again (I think M and H in the trailer were excited to get moving instead of sitting around). So for 2.7 miles we move upwards. The highlight of the trip was crossing Bangerter Highway on the pedestrian walkway so that they could see all the cars below them. We finally made it to the park and enjoyed the lunch that I was also carrying in the trailer. It was a grand time and the bike ride home was very enjoyable as it was now all 2.7 miles downhill. We only had a few falls during the trip and everyone was alright. All in all a very successful bike ride. The girls want to know when we can now take Dad with us--let's see how painful my legs feel tomorrow... But I do know that before they start school again we will be taking a bike ride over to see the buffalo and elk.

Glasses

I got my new glasses today. Last week I went in for the eye exam. It had been 5 years since my last visit--things just came up in life that prevented me from going sooner and to be honest I wasn't in a big rush. I know that my glasses are never cheap and I hate trying to choose frames. The last place I went to wasn't very helpful when I asked them to help me pick out frames; they told me that it was really up to me and what I liked. What!?! Apparently they must have thought that my prescription wasn't that bad and that when I'm trying on the frames without my glasses on that I can see perfectly well. Apparently the coke bottle lenses in my old glasses and the prescription in their hands weren't bad enough to warrant their help. So I did the best I could. I didn't hate them but it's really hard to see what looks good when you are literally inches away from the mirror. When Steve said that I should go get glasses before the year ended to use up the flex spending money I was excited to go but I didn't want to go to the same place as before. We don't have insurance that covers glasses so I wanted a place that was affordable yet helpful. Steve helped me search online for places that were close and had good reviews. I asked friends in the area. We had it narrowed down to two places and I went with the cheaper eye exam place after driving by and making sure it wasn't like our ghetto dentist experience. I had the exam and the doctor was nice and said my eyes hadn't changed too much--always good to hear when you have eyes like mine. Then we went out to look at frames. From 20 plus years of experience I know that I need tiny frames that are more circular to help hide the fat lenses. I found quite a few but then I was in the position I was in before--needing help to see what actually looked alright on me. The lady came back and I asked if she would help me and she said that she would certainly help me and then told me that she would be brutally honest. I told her I liked that because I couldn't see and needed her to tell me what she thought. She hated the first pair (which was fine by me as they were most expensive) and liked the middles ones alight and really liked the last two. She then called over the other lady in the office to ask her opinion. They both thought the ones that I had on were the best option and liked it with my coloring. Today I picked them up and am trying to adjust to the new prescription. It's amazing how different things appear right now--more in focused and vibrant. I remember when I first got glasses I stepped outside the office and I could see individual leaves blowing on the trees something that I had never recalled seeing before. I still find a tree and look at the leaves every time I get a new pair of glasses and am thankful that even though I might not have the literal eyes to see such beauty that I can have the opportunity to have glasses that will allow me to see those things. Each time I get new glasses I donate an old pair so that someone in some country that hasn't before seen the individual leaves on trees blowing for quite some time can now see the sight that thrilled me over 24 years ago and for which I'm continually thankful for being able to see.

The end of an era

I've walked the girls to school since E was in kindergarten. I've pushed strollers, pulled wagons, weathered the snow, the wind and rain; yet, now I find myself in the morning not walking the familiar route to school. Last year I took a big step in allowing E and T to walk home together since there are so many children that walk the same way and now this year E and T are riding their bikes with Mari, Isaac, and Luke. So now instead of rushing M and H to get in the wagon or stroller, I find myself waving to E and T as they ride off with their friends. They are growing up and I feel sort of not needed; however, M misses our morning rides so I will still pull the trusty red wagon as M and H and I take a walk around the neighborhood. It just won't be to drop off the girls at school. Our good-byes are now said on the driveway and not at school. I now wait patiently for 3:45 to roll around so that I can see them again and give them a big hug. I now pray that they make it safely to school and back. The neighbors were right in saying they grow up too fast.

Summer memories

I love sitting on the front steps on a beautiful summer night watching the children play. E and her friend, Mari, have lately been inseparable. They are two peas in a pod. They think the same, the enjoy the same things and I delight in watching them play. They both enjoy the Percy Jackson books and they have created for themselves an entire imaginary world where each knows exactly was is going to happen. They fight invisible monsters and plan counter attacks. They charge these monsters with celestial bronze swords (sticks) in hands riding their mythological pegasus' (bikes or rip riders). They shout out commands to attack and then fall back. They go on these monster hunts to find more monsters and they constantly tell me that I am just a mortal whereas they are half-bloods or sometimes they are full blooded gods. They went to the library last week with Mari's dad. Each came home with books about Greek mythology and monsters; yet, these books are books that I might check out and are not your typical kid book. They love them though.

Not to be left out, T has become quite good friends with Mari's brother, Isaac. They have a club and according to Isaac's mom, T has had such a calming influence on Isaac that she is happy they are getting along so well. T and Isaac run from house to house spying on the other neighbor children and then go racing off to their secret fort. Every day as soon as homework and chores are finished they rush off to the others home to see if they can play. They laugh and laugh and they are so good to include M and H in their games and it makes M and H feel so big to be included in the secret fort and in the tauntings and jeerings (all done in good fun) directed at the other children as the neighborhood kids exclaim that their fort is the best and the biggest and since they are all secret and well hidden forts no one knows for sure how big their own fort is exactly.

M is my little spark of life. She continues to race at high speeds on her scooter down the sidwalks as she tries to do tricks. If the trick makes her fall she will get up, smile her big smile, and then ride off again.

H is the neighborhood's little brother--they all love him. Once when there was a spider on H's tricycle and he started screaming and crying all the kids rushed to him and either helped him get off, calmed him down, or killed the spider that frightened him so. They love getting him to chase them and making him laugh.

I'm afraid that summer will end all too soon.

Rocket girls and boys

What do you do when the temperatures soar and there air is so still that nothing moves--you launch rockets?

T wanted to build a rocket with Steve on Saturday. She wanted to build the rocket out of cardboard. Steve thought it would be better to go and buy the rocket with launch pad, remote detonator and the likes. So we went to the store and bought the various components and came back and the girls helped Steve build the rockets. Only one was ready to launch by early evening so we took it over to one of the local parks and let it fly.



Now to justify my actions--the rocket was starting to fall right to where M, H, and I were sitting. I knew that if that parachute (which I was in charge of folding correctly) didn't come out that we would be bombarded with a that rocket now plummeting back to the earth at a rapid rate. However, as soon as I shut off the camera, the parachute deployed and the rocket was carried on the breeze away from us. I'm not normally afraid of things like that unless they are aimed at the little ones. M however was clear across the field because my "oh my" scared her. We sat and enjoyed the next launch and that rocket went so high that it blew into the neighborhood by the park and one gentleman, out in his backyard, saw it descending and offered to go get it for us. Everyone thought that launch was awesome. We now need to find a bigger open space if we launch the rockets that high because even the slightest bit of wind picks up the parachute and carries it away. H loved it all--the countdown, the lift off, the thrill of a speeding rocket traveling upwards, and then the descent of the rocket and chasing after it.

Bubble gum basics

We don't eat gum or very rarely do. I don't like it so I don't buy it. I don't let the children have it because it either gets swallowed, spit out on the carpet, or winds up in their hair. So the long and short of it is my girls are clueless as to how to blow bubbles. E had "Camp Cowabunga" this week where part of the time they had a bubblegum blowing contest. Being fairly competitive I never want my kids to feel like they can't do something compared to others so the day before I bought two packs of gum at the store. One for E to take and one for practice. That night we practiced. We practiced for a long time. We started at the basics--chewing and learning how to flatten a piece of gum. We then moved on to how to cover your tongue in gum and finally how to blow. Teaching how to blow a bubble is hard work. E, T, and M all had their gum and were so ready and anxious to blow a bubble no matter how small or how big. They liked practicing in front of the mirror so we went into the bathroom. Gum kept flying out of their mouths when trying to blow (we were still trying to learn how to cover our tongues). T was the funniest in how many times the gum kept flying out of her mouth. M just liked chewing and sticking weird gum creations out of her mouth pretending they were bubbles. E was eventually successful in creating a few bubbles and sincerely thanked me for teaching her. E didn't win the contest but she said that she did blow a bubble--one of her biggest in fact about the size of a lime. I'm mighty proud.

Math terms

Tonight I had the following conversation with E as she is trying to write up two things that she has learned this week in math.

E: What is the word that means shapes are similar?
Me: Um.... (Now trying to google "what are similar shapes called in geometry..." and not finding much.)
E: It starts with 'con' then something, something, something 'e'
Me: (trying to rack my brain and then my light bulb moment). Congruent?
E: Yeah, congruent. Thanks.
Me: (now googling 'congruent' and finding that it is indeed the correct term). No problem E.

Wow. I'm glad I still know something and what would I do without google?

Introduction to classical music

T is working on a project for school where she must listen to classical music, choose a favorite song and then share it and what she likes about it with her class. Last night she was listening and we told her that she should keep notes about what she likes about the songs. Here are the notes:

Edvard Grieg's Opus 54-3. Nocturne--I like this one because it sounds like spring is coming and birds are waking up.

Mozart's Piano Concerto #21 in C major K 467-- This song makes me think about a ball. It's soft and smooth.

Edvard Grieg's Opus 23-12. Solveig's Song--It makes me think of opera


Vivaldi's Four Seasons Autumn (Allegro)--It makes me think of traveling and makes me think of horses. Makes me happy. Makes me want to dance.
(Adagio movement)--makes me think of sadness and rain falling from the sky, like tears.
(Allegro Hunting movement)-- I like Allegro dancing.

I'm not sure when I listen to songs if I think they remind me of such simple things but listening to them again with her descriptions I can imagine it and begin to see how she thinks. I can picture her dancing Mozart's Piano Concerto with a sparkly ball throwing and catching it in mid air and I can see galloping horses in Vivaldi's Autumn Allegro movement.

I am grateful that I get a chance to catch glimpses into how T's mind works. I find it very rewarding as we have been enjoying the music together--she dancing to it and I listening to the notes as they take on new meanings that T has introduced me to because she was not the only one learning new things.

Names to a four year old

Today as we were driving we saw M's old Primary teacher and I asked her if she was excited to get a new one. She replied that she was but said that she couldn't remember her name. I told M that her teacher's name was Sister Prison to which M exclaimed, "She went to prison!"

Hair and cancer

My hair periodically falls out and one night as I was running my hands through my hair I got some hair and Steve asked me why my hair was falling out. E was right there and responded, "She's got cancer! You're hair falls out when you have cancer." I started laughing and Steve told E that usually it's the chemotherapy you receive when you have cancer that makes your hair fall out and not the cancer.

Seven-fourths

Last night at T's parent teacher conference her teacher was telling me that T is doing quite well in math and that her mind is working beyond her grade level. They have been working on fractions and her teacher gave them a problem: There were 7 brownies and 4 friends so how many brownies would each friend get? T's teacher said that everyone started cutting their "brownies" in half because they knew that they all had to have the same amount. T however just sat there. T's teacher, Mrs. T, came over and asked T what she thought she should do and T responded that they each got seven-fourths. Mrs. T was surprised at this answer because T hadn't cut anything or done anything yet so she had T show her what she meant so T cuts all the brownies in fourths and separates them into 4 piles showing seven-fourths. Mrs. T was amazed that she knew the answer so quickly and understood the concept so well. T is always amazing me with her ability to conceptualize facts.

E is also doing quite well in class and her teacher loves her enthusiasm and is so proud of E for how well she is doing in math since E skipped an entire grade level in math and has had to work hard to catch up and keep up with the rest of the class who were all in the ALPS program last year. Her teacher says that her enthusiasm is contagious and that periodically she has to remind E to bring the level down--just like what we have to do at home.

Both of them have improved in their reading levels and are doing a great job in school. It was a good night and I'm so proud of them.

EEG

So we finally took H in for his EEG. The pictures make it look like he is quite sad but Steve said he was just fine and had just woken up when the pictures were taken. In one of the pictures you can see what H brought for comfort (his man bag and inside it was full of strings and wheels). The only hard part came later that night because he didn't want to sleep after having a short power nap at the hospital.

Super sonic hearing

Last night Steve and I were in the basement watching some tv before retiring to bed. The house was quiet as all the children were sound asleep or at least we thought they were until we felt a presence behind us and when looking back we saw E who calmly said, "I think I have lice. My head itches and I can hear them scurrying over my head." Steve and I are trying not to laugh at this last comment and being the good mom that I am, I told E to come sit in front of me and I would look at her hair. I asked her where she was itchy and started looking there but I couldn't see anything. I had Steve come and he told E that he couldn't see anything either. E however is sure that she heard something. "I hear them scurrying around on my head! I told her that if she could hear the lice that she had super sonic hearing and that she could be a world famous spy as everyone would want her ears. We then said that if should hear them that she should tell them to stop running around so that she could get some sleep. E then responded, "But I don't know how to speak lice." Steve told her that if she listened long enough that she'd be able to figure out their language. E then starts speaking to "them" as she heads off to bed. Steve and I were now laughing uncontrollably. Hopefully tonight will be a better night and that all those lice will have been told to let E sleep.

Earthquake worries

Yesterday in church, one of the speakers mentioned the horrible earthquake that had happened in Haiti and then mentioned the 1989 California earthquake. T heard "the terrible earthquake in California" and then not so quietly said, "What! An Earthquake in California!" She was worried that perhaps Grandpa and Grandma, Aunts, Uncles and cousins might be in trouble. We reassured her that you were all fine. Just know that she was quite concerned about all of you.

Good vs Evil

We are really big into spies, spy gadgets, and anything undercover. Last night for a family movie we were watching a spy movie and E told us all that when she grows up she wants to be a spy. T then says very seriously, "I hope you not going to be an evil one."

On a side note--M says she's going to be a princess when she grows up.

It's all about being British

On New Years Eve we celebrated with the Brazilians so that everyone could go to bed early. We tooted horns, shook maracas, lighted fireworks and shouted Happy New Year. We then had treats and sparkling cider where I thought it would be fun to go around the circle and have everyone complete the thought, "Here's to a (blank) New Year!" E wanted a wonderful and healthy New Year. M wanted a Princess New Year and on T's turn she shouted out British! I'm not sure what that means yet. Maybe as the new year progresses we can figure it out so here's to a British New Year! May you have a wonderful time full of princesses!