A week or two in review...

This was the tent that Brishen built for the kids.  I know I should be impressed with the construction and the amount of fun when I see something like this, but it's hard not to think of the number of blankets I'm going to have to fold when the fun is over.  Plus, with multiple little ones, a tent like this doesn't last!

Yes, my children have earned their red belts in taekwondo!  They did a great job on their test and did not have to redo any part of it.  They were also two of the first kids asked to be on the brand new demonstration team.  I hear that Basia will be the cute, fierce girl found front and center for parts of the demonstrations.  They both love the extra hour added to their Saturday training schedule.  From this point forward is preparation for earning their black belts.  Wow!

 We enjoyed a field trip to the Southern New Mexico State Fair.  My three toddlers were all petrified of all the animals, begging to be held the whole time.  It's tough enough pushing a triple stroller around but even tougher when you also have to carry kids who are sure that the plump piggie is going to eat them and don't feel said stroller offers enough protection.  It was still a really fun day and a tradition that we love.  We got to hang out with friends and ran into three Las Cruces homeschooling family friends while we were there.

We liked how Jon and this bovine had similar coloring and hair lines.

 I did say the words, "you all need to wear bibs," so why should I be surprised that my big ones decided to don bibs as well?

So we made sugar cookies, and I really considered letting everyone help with rolling out dough and cutting shapes.  Then I chickened out and just let the big two have the fun.  Will my little ones someday complain about all the things I never let them do?  Probably. Three toddlers at once is a whole different ball game.  Ita  vita, little ones.  They did get to eat a cookie or two, and this activity reminded me to get out the play doh now and then, so they got some benefits, too.

We have a great homeschool co-op that meets at our house once a week.  The best things about co-ops, besides the friendships, are that other moms teach my kids things that I cannot teach:  art, music, other messy activities that I regularly pass over.  This month alone has seen our co-op making and eating Korean food, learning about dental health in creative ways, dissecting owl pellets found in the actual wild, painting with a new technique, and learning songs for a Christmas concert with their tin whistles.  This week the kids will be giving their own election speeches.  It will be interesting to see what this group of kids would do if they were in charge of things.

Here's Kordy, still alive and well.  She's now at least 13 years old, and the vet recently declared her to be in excellent health for her advanced years.  She is still more playful than our younger dog, and is always on the lookout for food to steal from distracted toddlers.

 My parents were quite lovely on Friday night and let Jon and I enjoy the dinner theater at UTEP, "Spam a Lot," based on Monty Python.  It was so, so funny and really great to get out as grown-ups alone.  The above was my mom's parting gift to us.  Unfortunately, Jon was attacked on our way to the theater.

And there's your week or two in review.