The Ruoss Family

The Glitter Incident

So, yeah. Let's get the obvious out in the open: I wasn't watching.

The girls were at the kitchen table having a snack, while I did some other task, and when we all finished we were going to do a supervised glitter project. Only as I was coming into the kitchen I hear the dreaded:

"Oh, No! Here she comes!"

You just know it's not going to be good.
The only good thing (and it's a VERY good thing...) is that "Oh, No! Here she comes!" is a warning - a warning to compose, breathe, prepare, choose. And I am so very proud of myself. A week ago - I probably would have totally freaked.

They decided that they really wanted to have glittery dining room chairs.

I didn't freak. I did set a "glitter containment zone" and got the vacuum.

Breakfast at the Diner

I rallied the girls out of the house early one day last week and as a reward for their cooperation and good behavior all morning we went out for pancakes!
(A pretty good time to practice restaurant manners, too.)

and these holiday decorations made me grin.

tumbleweeds painted and stacked to look like snowmen.

that's pretty funny.

VFD Operation Santa Claus

Our local Patterson Volunteer Fire Department has an early December tradition of driving their vintage engine through the various neighborhoods The truck is brightly decorated with lights and carrys Santa and his helpers collecting toys.

We knew which evening to expect the firemen and Santa to come to Diablo Grande, and planned to meet them. We went shopping for presents so we could act like Santa's helpers, too. And we decorated the golf cart so we could follow the fire truck around the neighborhood.

and rode bikes (kinda? LOL)

Santa's Helpers

Here Comes Santa Claus!

(and the Diablo Grande firemen and their families!)

Well, that was a good day! After our "open sleigh" ride in the cold night air, Santa's little helpers were all tuckered out and fell asleep on the ride home.

Remebering Mia

Several months ago our friend's baby stopped breathing during her nap; she died at only four months old. She was loved greatly in those short months and she is remembered by many and memorialized on Ruth's blog of her journey with this grief. As soon as we heard that Mia was hospitalized we brought this teddy bear's look-alike sister and a little (electric) candle over to Noah and Gavin (Mia's brothers who are the same age as Olivia and Mimi). We still play with our bear, and (I, at least) remember Mia whenever we do.

This month she sits on the bookshelf looking at our beautiful lit tree - I know Mia would have loved Christmas lights!