So much to be thankful for...God is good!

This week was busy. School was for two days only (Monday and Tuesday) because I had to work (Wed and Thursday) and then Charlotte and Connor both took turns with the cold/flu for the weekend. We did do some finger painting which was fun. A seasonal turkey, which actually turned out pretty nicely. Crafts are certainly not my strong suit, but I have now another lovely book full of ideas from Nana B, my mother-in-law. She was a teacher and said she has a few more helpful things we might be able to use for our homeschool. We are truly blessed, surrounded by supportive parents! The best thing about this book is the art supplies, usually things found in my house such as buttons, cards, etc. So I don't have to spend a lot on different materials which makes things easier!
Charlotte has really improved in her colouring or, as I would put it, fine motor skills! She is now being careful about staying in the lines and having much more success at it. It's great to watch as she refines her skills. Anytime there is colouring involved, the object, no matter what colour it might be realistically, will be crayoned using a beautiful array of colours. "Look Mom, I did rainbow colours!" She is quite happy with her rainbows! She's a colourful child.
Charlotte was so tired Friday that she actually took an afternoon nap, which is very unusual for her and she said "I don't want to do school today Mom." with a tired look in her eyes. This is rare, so we left it at that. This week we will be able to make it up though as I only work Wednesday this week. Yay!
The weekend was a lot of fun! Friday evening, my cousin Jenaia and her kids, Jodi-Lin and Dominic came up, and the kids had a blast. Charlotte and Jodi-Lin play very well together. Connor and Dominic are at the "not sharing stage" and Connor has this irresistable urge to take away things that Dominic was playing with. He does the same with his sister's things. Not that he really cares to play with her doll or anything, he just picks it up with a big grin on his face, and says "Charlotte! Baby!" and then he runs. He just loves the reaction I guess, which he always gets! And the battle that ensues.
My cousin Jenaia is homeschooling too so we always have lots to talk about when we get together. It's a great support for me and exchanging ideas is fun. Their family is also on a gluten/dairy free diet now so we made a delicious gluten free dinner Friday night. It was amazing! The kids enjoyed it too. And then it was cinnamon apples for dessert. That was a hit as well.
Saturday, we took the kids next door and our neighbour Jade taught me how to brush and saddle up Tess, the little pony, so the kids could go for a ride. Charlotte was pretty insistent she be the first to ride. The kids enjoyed brushing Tess, sweeping out the barn, and picking up all the little kittens there, but Connor made me a little nervous always going to walk behind Tess, where he couldn't be seen. Tess is a good little pony though, very friendly. Jade even showed us how to "spike" her mane! We've got a bit to learn about horses but I think it will be a great experience for the kids...and me!
Saturday afternoon, it was off to Aunt Patty's place way out near Lion's Head for turkey dinner with the whole Gard family! It was great to see cousins we haven't seen in years!
Danielle, my sister, and Derek, her hubby, arrived Saturday night. Dani's belly seems to have jutted out more than the last time I saw her, maybe 3 weeks ago. We are very excited to have a new little baby in the family. Charlotte is pretty certain it's a girl. So we'll see.
Sunday night we had my immediate family here and Great Grandma Kruisselbrink, Andrew, my cousin, and Carl Mulder, a friend of the family. Another big turkey dinner.
On Monday night, we had a delicious dinner with Papa Doyle and Nana B. The kids liked watching the chipmunks and squirrels in their backyard, we don't usually see those at our place. It was a great night. And they of course gave the kiddies their usual little packs of Smarties for the ride home. Grandparents and their candy!!
So it's back to the routine after busy weekend. I am not afraid to say it, I always like to say goodbye to company, almost as much as I love having them here! It was a beautiful Thanksgiving weekend. Sure reminds me of how blessed we are...and how fast my waistline can expand after that many dinners (and desserts) in a row. I'll be sure to post some pics of the weekend later.