It's Dr. Jennings to You/Just to Get a Binder?

It's official! Andy is a full-fledged Ph.D! It was a really moving, rewarding experience to attend Commencement. It never occurred to me that I would shed a few tears, but I did. Either Andy or I has been in school our entire 8.5 years of married life, so this is really the end of an era. I am so proud of Andy and grateful he never put our "real" life on hold to achieve this dream.

This is one of Andy's committee co-chairs, Dr. Barcelo. She was instrumental in getting us to Paris a few years ago. Thank you Helene!

The big picture! Afterward, we went out to dinner at Monti's La Casa Vieja with Andy's parents, my parents and Sarah. Good food, good company and good conversation all around. Thank you Gordon and Lindy for dinner and to ALL of you for coming.

Here's the "after-party" picture! We got Blizzards at DQ and ate them on the rug together (the table is covered in my Etsy mess.) Then Andy got dressed again and walked around the room ceremoniously/silly while I played "Pomp and Circumstance" on the piano. The kids loved it. Then he acted out getting his diploma and his picture taken. Warren took the diploma cover, looked inside and said, "You did all that work just to get this binder with only one folder inside?" Yep, Warren, he did.

Avery Avery Avery

This picture was taken Avery's first day of dance class. Oh how she is loving it, then and now! Several nights a week, she and Abigail put on "shows" on the rug/stage. They dim the lights, usually turn on "Ordinary Miracle" or "New York" by Alicia Keys and fight over who gets to dance. They are actually quite good; I mean, they use a lot of what they are taught in ballet.
This next story is totally unrelated to ballet, but definitely worth sharing about Avery. A few weeks ago, Avery excitedly and proudly announced to me, ''Mom! I am going to have 3 nipples!" I was stunned, and trying not to laugh at what she found to be so wonderful. I asked, "Really?! Where?" She pointed out her 2 exisiting and some spot/scab/bump on her chest that she took to be a blessed third one growing. LOL! I replied, "Oh, sweety, you just want 2. Two is the best amount to have." Avery looked a little happily-sheepish and said, "Oh, okay" with a smile on her face, like, "Phew, either way, I'm covered."

(Sometimes I go to Picasa and find my kids have been photo editing, as is the case with these last 2 pictures. I thought it was funny, so I left them for you to see.)

Getting in to Giving

Warren's class is doing a Secret Santa gift exchange all week. Today he told me he gave the little girl he has "broken rocks--the shiny kind that have some crystal in them." Hmm. I was a little worried. But then he really got excited when I suggested he make a coloring book. He chose 24 pictures and printed them, punched them and tied them into a coloring book. He had me do the cover writing so she wouldn't recognize his writing; I had to explain that 2nd grade boy handwriting his pretty hard to disguies, even if you try to write "really ugly" as he suggested. Still, he couldn't hold back when he got into it and dres some jewels and a princess after coloring the lettering in. After he drew the princess--which Abigail had been BEGGING to let her draw--he asked her, "I drew a princess dress, and I'm not sure if it looks bad. Abigail, does it look good?" "Yeah--actually, no" replied Abigail. Since I had just given a lesson about gifts from the heart, I chided, "Abigail, is that a gift from the heart to say that?" To which, Warren responded enthusiastically, "No mom, it's good Abigail told me the truth. I really wanted to know if it looked good or bad."
Warren also made a purse with some small paper trinkets, and on the back cover of the coloring book, he taped a pocket, decorated it with fun foam and put in a coupon redeemable for "one paper airplane made by [him.]" He is so excited to give his gifts.

2010 Thanksgiving Parade

Madeleine didn't get into the festivities so much.

LOVE love LOVE this picture of Avery.

Strung out along the parade "route."

Yes, Warren carried the "house" to symbolize he was thankful for his house.

My Abigail

Tonight for family night we made cards/tags/ornaments; whatever you could do with self-adhesive foam and paper. Abigail kept saying, "Tonight is so fun, isn't it?" and "I like you mom." From the child who has taken to saying "Whatever" whenever she gets frustrated with me or the situation, this is music to my ears. It reminded me how much Abigail thrives on creativity.
A few weeks ago, she made this HO HO HO banner all by herself. She chose the paper, cut it, punched it, strung it, did the writing. She even took it outside for a photo shoot. She set it up just like she'd seen me do in my Etsy shop. Then when she was done with this one, she stamped 4 of her own HO HO HO banners, modeled after mine. She proudly gave them to her friends and our neighbor. I have got to go over and get a picture of it hanging in his house. It is pure Christmas lovin'.

Every year at school, there is a Thanksgiving feast, and this year Andy carved the turkey. This is a big event, and everybody watches you and your skill--or lack thereof. It was getting a little long, so I asked the kindergarten/preschool class if they could sing "Dry Bones" as Andy carved, since he had just told them about the bones. They agreed to do it and Abigail immediately sprang into action, coming up front and facing her class to lead them in song. She loves to lead and organize.

Also every Thanksgiving is our very small and very homegrown children's parade. This year was so busy I almost skipped it, but I knew it meant a lot to Abigail, so we did it. She made her own "float" to pull. All I did was tape the banner on the side. She also chose her outfit, an old dress of my sister's that we keep in the dress-up bin. Abigail just loves it.