no matter, we are thankful anyway

Today, Noah had a Thanksgiving Play.  He did wonderful on all of his lines, but I don't really think he was listening to the message.  When we were eating our sack lunches together afterward, he looked at one of his classmate's acrostic* for the word "Pilgrams" and saw on the letter 'g' she wrote the word, God.  He looked at me and said, "God?  What does God have to do with Thanksgiving?"

Umm...

I asked if he really listened to the play about why the pilgrims came to America. 

"They wanted to worship God their way, I know."

Well?

"But what does that have to do with Thanksgiving?"

Noah, why do we have Thanksgiving?

Blank look.

Don't we give...

"Thanks?"

to...

"We pray to God.  Yeah, yeah."

Okay.  Good to know he knows.  I guess.  Does this mean, if Noah lived all those years ago, he would not have been a Pilgrim? 

Here is Noah's Pilgrim acrostic:

P lymout
I ndian
L akes
G rowing crops
R owing canoes
I ll
M ayflower
S ail

Have a great Thanksgiving my friends and family. 

An acrostic (Greek: ákros "top"; stíchos "verse") is a poem or other form of writing in which the first letter, syllable or word of each line, paragraph or other recurring feature in the text spells out a word or a message.

how long until HP part 2?

It was wonderful.  It  was the best movie so far.  I would see it again tomorrow if I could. 

Just in case you all were wondering...

:)

PS- It is funny that probably half the people who regularly read my blog haven't gotten into Harry Potter.  So to you, I ask why?!!?  No, no, just kidding.  Really I just wanted to say, sorry if you get tired of me talking about it.  I just really, really love the books.  When I think of the world that J.K. Rowling created, I am amazed at her imagination and her ability to tell a story that has connections to all sorts of themes:  good vs. evil, growing up, friendship, love...and those are the easy ones.  These books make it hard to read anything else.  And that is a mark of a good book.  In my opinion.  But I hope you know I'm not trying to shove it down your throats.  Mostly, I'm just trying to share with the two people who regularly read my blog who love hp as much as me:  my mom and my sister. 

nothing gold can stay -Robert Frost

 The colors of the trees here are beautiful!  I have really been enjoying Fall this year.  This is my tree in the front yard.  I think it is an acorn tree and yes, there are Christmas lights on it!  I put those on today because it is only going to get colder. 

Also in the front, I planted some pansies and paperwhite bulbs, which are already coming up.  It will be nice this winter to look out and see spots of color in the otherwise dreary landscape.

 Do you see the bird in the lower left corner?  I didn't even realize I had gotten that!  Anyway, I have put  up some bird feeders and wow, the birds love to hang out in our backyard now.  They go through feed fast too, as you can see by the the empty feeder.  Actually, a lot of it ends up on the ground but they don't seem to mind that. 

Here is another picture of some birds, flying and just hanging out.  

Maple trees are really pretty right now too.  Ours in the backyard is just turning colors.  I wish fall would last longer but I know as soon as a big wind comes, the trees will be empty of their leaves.  Maybe it is doesn't last long because that way we won't ever take it for granted.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Fall too.  Only one more week until Thanksgiving and then December comes and goes so quickly.  It will be busy as usual so I'm thankful that I stopped and enjoyed the colors and nature for a few minutes. 

I'm also thankful that I got to spend some time talking to my mom today (its her birthday!).  Love you Mom!

a big dose of Harry Potter

In anticipation of the new Harry Potter movie, we've been watching the Harry Potter movie marathon on ABC family.  It seems silly to watch it on tv because I have all the dvds but I've been sick, so laziness is pardoned.  Oh and we is mostly me but sometimes Rhett comes in and watches the second half and Noah comes in once or twice as well.  Seth usually comes in at the very end. 

Rhett is a question man.  He comes by it honestly but it drives me crazy during Harry Potter. Number 1, I've been trying to get him to read the books forever, even offering to read them with him but he is never interested.  Number 2, as I said before, he comes in during the second half of the movie.  Which means there are many questions.  And in Harry Potter, if you ask one question, it leads to another and then you seem to be trying to explain the entire series to a boy who takes everything literally.  It is exhausting.

Last night, we watched the third and fourth movie (Prisoner of Azkaban and The Goblet of Fire).  Here is a sampling of questions from my son:

Who is the prisoner?
What are those flying things?
I thought they were called the Death Eaters?
So what are the Death Eaters?
Werewolves don't really look like that, do they?
Why did the big dog bite Ron?
Is the big dog a werewolf?
So the prisoner is good?
Who is Peter Pettigrew?
Why did he kill Harry's parents?  Wait! Voldemort killed his parents, so why did Sirius go to prison for it?
The time travel would make a black hole in the universe, right?  At least it did in Penguins of Madagascar.  Does it here?
What is that bird thing?
Why is it going to be killed?
It eats ferrets?  Birds eat ferrets? Oh its half horse, ok.
So, the death eaters are sucking out his soul?
I thought they were death eaters! What are the death eaters?
Do they eat death?
But why are they called the death eaters?
Does Voldemort worship anything or just himself?
Why does Voldemort have a nose like a snake?

Hey, isn't that Edward?!? (from Twilight)
Is this their summer vacation?
Is this the one when the dementors come? Death Eaters!
Oh! I get those mixed up!
What is that skull in the sky?
Who is the guy that made it?
Who is that guy with the fake eye?
Why does he have a fake eye?
Why is Moody drinking that stuff all the time?
Why is Neville crying when the bug is being tortured?
Who tortured his parents?
Why?
Why does everyone have a "Harry Potter stinks" button?
How can Harry get his broomstick if he isn't allowed?
What does gillyweed do?
Are they going to die?
Is her name Harmony?
Why are Krum's eyes like that?
Does Dumbledore die?
Why won't you tell me?

I finally asked him if he wanted to finally read the books with me and he said, "Maybe."  But I'm sure he is thinking, "Why read them? I know all I want to know."

Seth has watched all the movies with me but the problem is, he doesn't remember what happens.  He needs to review before we go watch the movie, because I told him no questions during the presentation.  ;)

waiting for the glue to dry

Because I can't seem to talk myself into buying the aforementioned (I love this word) shark quite yet (hoping it goes on sale or something because seriously, $119 for a wire shark seems like a lot), I decided to make Noah a paper mache shark.  I told him what I was doing, because this was the first he's heard about decorating his room this way, and he was excited.  In case you were wondering, the shark is added to the photograph this and share it on blog list.

Also on the list:  a picture of me.  With my new glasses.  The eye doctor said I didn't have to wear them all the time, but I was amazed when I put them on and could see clearly again. 

What else?  Rhett went back to school today after being home sick for two days.  So he missed the Veteren's Day assembly at school and couldn't share his interview with my dad. Bummer.

I did talk myself into buying a dining table and chairs for the empty dining room in our house.  So excited.  Also on the list...when it comes AND I repaint that room AND hang new curtains. 

I just realized I still have a lot to do.

Going to paint the shark now.  Have a good weekend!

thought I would drop a line

I really want this for Noah's room.  Isn't it so cool? 

on my list: watch The Fly

I have had every intention of posting more last week, but didn't.  So here are some things:

We went to our old neighborhood for a birthday party for one of the sweetest one-year old girls ever.  She cried though when we sang to her and didn't want anything to do with cake.  Very funny.

Yesterday Rhett started baseball pitching practice (for Spring baseball) and then we went to see Megamind, which was pretty funny. 

Noah disguised his paper turkey as Benjamin Franklin and it is adorable.  I forgot to take a picture of it!  Rhett thought of that disguise but Noah knew why.  "Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird! Not the eagle."

I am going to talk to a college advisor today.  About some things.  The extra push I needed:  Last night, Rhett says to me, "Mom, do you get bored during the day without your two sons and husband?"  Noah says, "No! She probably watches tv all day!"  Rhett says, "Do you watch tv all day?"  Noah:  "I bet she watches grown up shows like The Fly."   I laughed but this conversation hit home on what I've been thinking for awhile.  It is time. 

I'll let you know more when I know more.  Til then, have a great day.

parents are for remembering the good

Happy Halloween from two tough kids!

Iron Man:  Noah did not like his mask.  It smushed his nose.  He asked if I could put a nose piece on the mask.  I told him I don't think it would work.  His response, "Okay.  But I bet Tony Stark's mask doesn't smush his nose."  (Yes, he uses "smush".  So cute!)

Clone Trooper: Rhett didn't have a Clone Trooper gun which bothered him a lot, so in his bag, he carried his Nerf Gun.  He also told us after every house he went to that he couldn't see very well.  Then he said his foot hurt.  He was also hot. 

The boys went around our block, then decided to hand out candy.  I think they had fun but Rhett was bothered when some kids took more than just one.  Mr. Fair, that is my Rhett.  At bedtime, they said that this Halloween wasn't as much fun as last year.  I told them last year, Halloween wasn't on a school night.  This morning, Noah hoped that Christmas was more fun than Halloween was. 

Don't you hate when you reach that age when something you look forward to, like Halloween, ends up being just...so-so?  Well, I think the boys just hit that age.

Although, I wish when they think back to this Halloween, they would think about:

*Going to a Pumpkin Patch and getting to ride camels. 
*Going through a Cane Maze.
*Feeding goats and llamas and trying to feed a cow. (As Seth and I remarked how sad it is that our kids have to go to a petting zoo to see a cow.)
*Painting 2 huge pumpkins.
*Baking a Chocolate Cake on Halloween for Noah's homework assignment.
*Watching their scary movie of choice:  Mall Cop.  Yeah, they really weren't into scary movies this year.  So they chose Mall Cop.  Honestly, it was pretty frighteningly awful.

But I am sure they won't. And that's okay.  That is why they have us.