Haircuts and Thanksgiving Break

Our cutie ragamuffin. I loved his curly hair, but with winter here and less humidity it was less curly, which meant in the back it hung straight and was starting to look mullet-ish. So I left the top and cut the sides and back. I knew he'd look older, but it was still a little sad.

And after! Clean cut!

Ruthie wanted to join in. She's asked me a few times now if she can cut her hair. So I finally said sure, as long as it still fit in a pony tail. So we agreed on shoulder length and went with it. I was totally blown away at HOW MUCH OLDER she looked!!! AHHH! I still look at her and can't get over it. But I also am totally in love with her haircut. It is easier to do but it looks so bouncy and healthy and adorable around her shoulders!

It was a good four inches, and probably five by the time I finished trimming it all even.

The next day. Soooooo old looking and adorable!!!

Russ's hair making him look way too old.

This may be my favorite picture of him of all time. Talk about handsome boy!

 The kids had an entire week of for Thanksgiving. Sterling took Step 2 (a huge national standardized test required to move on to residency) on Wednesday. So Monday through Wednesday we were pretty much on our own. We did a LOT of park time in the mornings---it was gorgeous weather.

Ruthie had a playdate with her good friend Huxley on Tuesday, so I took Molly and Will to downtown Delray for Doc's burgers---my favorite.

He got a foot long hot dog, and then proceeded to eat only the bun dipped in ketchup. Weirdo. Haha.

We spent most of our evenings in front of our house with the neighbors, drawing with chalk, riding bikes and scooters, and riding down the slide that is enclosed---which is heaven sent because I can fence Russ in and have a moment of sanity. I am so glad that our next door neighbors here have 3 kids, and the neighbors in front of us have two, and the ones down the street have a couple---usually they are in after care during the school week, but we do see them around and it makes me happy to see my kids out playing with neighbors, not pre-planned and not organized!

CHRISTMAS! I have to post this because this is my FAVORITE Christmas thing I think I have ever bought. I am in love.

After Sterling took his test and Thanksgiving was over, we did a few fun family things. One was bowling. It was a little crazy during the event, but afterwards the kids could not sing it's praises enough--so I think it was a win!

We usually do the Home Depot craft every first Saturday of the month. But last month they let us know that on Thanksgiving weekend they had a special extra one. My kids did not forget. But we didn't know that Santa would be there!!

She wouldn't look at him the entire time, haha.

He took the candy cane, but he didn't like it. Ha!

We picked a couple of kids from the angel tree at the Delray Library and pick out their presents. This is us dropping them off at the library--the kids were very excited.

We ended Thanksgiving Break at the beach. Perfect ending. It was a beautiful night. Russ was not having it, which was rough, but everything else was magical.

He is everywhere.

Thanksgiving!

Art time at the Delray Library. They learned about these artists in the 60s who used to paint Florida sunsets and then go up and down the Keys selling them. Will said "Next time can I please just paint whatever I want?!?!?!" haha.

Sterling was still in Utah--for his two Idaho interviews--- and I thought Ruthie broke her arm on our banister. Luckily, the huge goose egg swelling went down and I still sent her to school. But after two ER visits while he was in New Mexico I was NOT looking forward to a broken bone. Glad Sterling could facetime with me. It looked pretty horrible though and it hurt a lot, poor Ruthie!

One of the reasons I have been so so grateful that I get to send my three oldest to the First United Methodist for the Florida pre-k program (as opposed to just the regular public elementary school, where it is offered) is how much they focus on kids being kids. This program lasted about 10 minutes, and the kids sang all their little memorized songs, and it was absolutely the cutest thing in my life. Perfect amount of time. Perfect hilarity watching the kids. And then finished before the kids ran out of steam. They sang the cutest songs (the turkey only knows one word, gobble, gobble, gobble...it was hysterical) and learned how to be brave and perform!

I LOVE this pic I caught of Molly's teacher--she was laughing at something a student was doing. Kids are hilarious.

Oh I just love her!

The little boy directly in front of Molly is Edison. Edison's mom, Aneta, is our good friend. She picks up Molly along with Edison, and I pick up her daughter Annabelle who is in 1st grade with Ruthie. We spend a lot of time chatting while we pick up and drop off kids. Edison just had a birthday party and he made sure to invite Russ and all of Molly's brothers and sisters! They are the cutest and I am so glad for good friends and good people in our lives!

I don't know if I posted the first pie I made, but it was my goal to make a pie a week in November. The first week was apple, the second was lemon meringue (which is my favorite). I made this one a *little* tart, but all in all, it was pretty fantastic.

When your hubby goes to put on his boot and there is a massive pine cone inside. Haha.

Painting over Thanksgiving break.

This ballerina painting of Ruth's is one of my absolute favorites. I love the roses falling down around her. The criss cross shoes. How every single space is painted.

Will asked me to look up a dinosaurs and owls for him, so he did have a little help on the outlines of the animals, but basically he did it all himself.

I drew the outline for Molly's unicorn, and she did the rest herself. She has our whole family there in yellow at the bottom. I especially love her palm trees.

Thanksgiving prep. I had a 7-layer salad, jello, sweet potatoes, and pie crusts made ahead of time.

The third pie I made in November was a chocolate-cream cheese-caramel-pecan pie. It was heavenly. Every time I ate it I feel even more in love with it. Jeff and Diana said I should open up a bakery. It was everyone's favorite on the day of Thanksgiving. And while it had a lot of steps, it was pretty straightforward and easy. I think this will become a Haws family traditional classic.

Sterling cooked our very first turkey!!! It was wonderful!

All ready for Thanksgiving!

Jeff and Diana brought even more food--corn and cornbread, bacon wrapped water chestnuts, more turkey, etc. We were loaded.

I didn't think to take a picture of everyone until Russell was in bed and we had the pies out.

Me at 34 weeks, Diana at 38 weeks.

I also made your traditional pumpkin pie, because it is one of my favorites, and apparently everyone else's, because all my kids (and Jeff) requested it.

I am so glad that Jeff and Diana got to come for Thanksgiving! We have been enjoying game nights with them for the last four years of med school, but the past few months we have seen so little of them. Jeff has had a ton of away rotations scheduled in utah, washington, and I think Virginia and so Diana spent some time in Utah and then has been working crazy shifts. When it seemed like Jeff was finally around, Sterling was in New Mexico and Utah and Idaho and we just couldn't sync! But we had such a great day. Lots of games, races, running, playing, some wii, some cards, stories, etc. They are so great with our kids--and then so much fun to have around for adult games afterwards! It was a great Thanksgiving!