Costumes, etc...

I was about to throw out a shopping bag that held Celeste's artwork from preschool when she screamed, "No!  That's my chef hat!"  What?  I held up the crumpled shopping bag to discover that yes, it was a chef's hat made during their baking-themed week.

Here's the picture I had to take (she's growing up too fast!):

This same week, Camille presented her "Eminent Person Project" at school.  Each third grader researches an eminent person, not just a famous person, but someone who changed the world, and creates a poster board, speech and costume to represent their person.  Camille chose Queen Elizabeth I, and affected a fine English accent for the presentation. 

Last Saturday, after coming home from a long Youth in Government weekend at the State House, Gwyneth's "friend" Drew texted her that something was left on the porch.  She went to see what it was, and found this:

I don't quite understand the smashed in mailbox.  I think it's some inside joke about how Jeff used to blow up mailboxes as a teenager with pool shot, but I still don't understand the "joke" part.  Anyway, it was a very sweet invitation to the Mormon Prom next month.  Gwyneth is excited and already deliberating about her dress and shoes.

Teotihuacan Meets Christmas and the End of the World

Here's our latest gingerbread creation.  The girls got a little macabre when they asked Jeff to make pyramid pieces for their gingerbread this year.  I overheard their plans and assumed some type of Mesopotamian Egyptian Christmas, but instead discovered it was a candy blood bath between empires.

Gwyneth had a scary pyramid, on top there was a sacrifice and all the red candy is blood.

For decoration on the side she made a skull and crossbones.

Burning scarifice.

Gummy bears took over Camille's kingdom, climbing on the back of a dead gingerbread man.

The only standing gingerbread person had a gummy bear through his heart!

There was an ever raging war between Camille and Gwyneth, gummy bears tried to attack on the back of a crocodile!

Elise had a pyramid covered in licorice with a ghost pharoah.

Beware! If you enter Elise's land you will be eaten by an alligator!

However, Celeste had a very peaceful land, guarded and ruled by cats and an electric licorice fence!

Celeste Plays Piano

Lately Celeste has been clamoring to practice the piano.  It might be because Gwyneth has been feverishly preparing for her competition (yesterday, whew!), or because one can earn a "piano treat" in this house.  Last week she started "reading" the music with minimal help from me.  I would show her once, then she would demand, " I don't need help!"  The first video is after a few days practicing, and the second one is her second time through a new "song."  Had to capture this!