Thanksgiving

Last weekend, our pipes started gurgling.  The kitchen sink and the downstairs toilet in particular.  A few days after the gurgling started, we saw liquid bubbling up on the outside sewer line.  Things felt ominous.  On Tuesday, while the washing machine was running, I heard water gushing onto the floor.  I ran to the laundry/bathroom area and witnessed gallons of water flowing up out of the toilet.  It wasn't clean water either.  Towels were quickly put on the floor to stop the water from advancing everywhere, but it had already gotten the bathroom quite disgusting.  I called the plumber and they were able to come out two hours later.  They cleared the clogged sewer line.  When they took their high-powered snake out of the line, some twigs/roots came with it.  They believe there is a break in the line because the tree roots are so close to the sewer line.  That is, unfortunately, a very common problem around here because the neighborhoods require so many trees in each yard.  Once the trees grow big enough, the problems begin.  It'll have to be dug up and replaced very soon.  Cleaning the bathroom was quite the task.  One I hope never to have to do again to that degree.  

On Monday, Henry got invited to a sleepover.  The plan was to go to a trampoline park.  It was the father's idea that if he could wear the boys out, they might actually sleep at night instead of trying to stay up for hours on end.  It worked to an extent - they went to bed around midnight.  However, the boys woke back up at 4:00 a.m. because of the family's outdoor cats scratching and making hissing noises.  When Henry got home, it didn't take him long before he was napping on the couch.

While Henry went to his sleepover, Josiah, Caroline, and I played Monopoly.  Josiah really enjoys the game.  It's because he always wins.  He is quick to buy everything he sees and it seems he has luck on his side.  This round, he frequently hit Free Parking and picked up the $500 we put there each time it was emptied.  We played until frustrations set in.  The next day, we played some more before Caroline conceded her spot to Henry.  Henry played for a while until he, too, got frustrated.  Meanwhile, I was on the verge of bankruptcy for the better part of the second day of play.  I, too, buy everything I can in the beginning, but it never works out for me the way it does for Josiah.  When I'm close to petering out, Josiah tries to do everything in his power to keep me in the game.  Often times, that means treating me like a charity case - paying my $26 rent with a $500 bill 'hidden' at the bottom.  I don't need your handouts!  Eventually I got into such deep bankruptcy that I was completely out of the game.  That was when I took over Caroline/Henry's spot to keep the game going with Josiah.  Josiah is a deal maker.  Every round he tries to make deals to trade properties.  He especially likes gaining ownership of Park Place and Boardwalk.  The game had to be taken up so we could eat our Thanksgiving meal, but it was clear Josiah would have won eventually.  

The Progression of the Game of Monopoly.

How it Starts:

Halfway in - Less Than Enthusiastic:

How it Ends - One Player with all the $$:

We did redo our Christmas pictures because Josiah got a haircut.  When asked what style he wanted, he said, No more curls.  So he had quite a bit taken off.  

Shaggy

De-shaggified

At jiu-jitsu this week, the classes were a lot smaller than usual.  Because of that, they did different types of warm-ups.  Caroline really liked the agility ladder.  They had to hop across it on one foot; two feet in, two feet out; then double hops.  

Google likes to make collage pictures from our uploads.  Typically they're really good and they'll focus on one kid or two kids together.  This week the collages seemed to focus just on Benson.  It's like Benson asked, What about me? and Google delivered by cutting off all the kids heads while keeping Benson front and center.  

We had a small Thanksgiving meal.  Henry wanted to help with all the cooking.  He scrubbed the potatoes and reluctantly let Caroline help peel the potatoes.  He put the spices on the chicken breasts (I'm not cooking a whole turkey), he stirred the gravy, he helped set the table.  We had stuffing and rolls, too.  

Josiah made his annual Turkey Tissue Box.  This time it was a nod to SWU whose mascot is the Warrior.  

And our turkey pictures.

The following day, with Thanksgiving officially over, the kids wanted to put up the Christmas decorations.  Josiah set the mood by starting a crackling fire.  

The tree was brought upstairs.  It is on its last leg at this point because 1/3 of the lights didn't come up when we plugged it in.  The kids decorated with with less ornaments than usual because it "felt full."  Josiah was our star putter-upper.  He wanted to wait for Todd, but that's a month away and he wasn't going to pick Josiah up to do it anyway.  Caroline created a hyperlapse video of the tree decorating.

When the decorating was done, the competitions began.  Drawing competitions.  Caroline gave the theme and judged the first set of drawings.  For the first competition, we were tasked to draw a "truck with a Christmas tree and Christmas trees in the background."  

Josiah was the judge for the second theme of: an indoor Christmas scene.  Benson photobombed the one picture.  

Josiah started his weekend off with a hot cup of cocoa.  As he got the whip cream out of the refrigerator, he pondered aloud, I wonder if whip cream will cool off my hot chocolate so I can drink it sooner?  Henry watched him squirt the whip cream into his mug and said, What's a four-syllable word that starts with D?  

DI-

A-

BE-

TES.  

Josiah spent his entire Saturday with friends from church (from noon til 8pm!).  They gathered at one girl's house with the intention of watching a marathon of The Hunger Games movies.  Josiah had never seen them before.  They made it through a movie and a half before they headed outside and took a walk around the neighborhood.  He had a good time and really enjoys this group of friends.   

This week coming up is our last week of CC for all three kids.  The boys have their Blue Book assessments.  Caroline has just a regular week.