Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving dinner was a potluck affair, and it was delicious.

Thanksgiving Day Hike

We spent our morning on a little hike and exploring by the lake. The dusting of snow from the night before had already melted, but it was still cold and blustery. It felt like winter to me!


Aaron loved being by the lake. He enjoyed finding and throwing stones to make splashes, and the ickiness of it all, especially the frog juice (green lake water).



And then the intrepid explorers followed Aaron through the brush back to our cars.

Thanksgiving weekend in Big Bear

We rented a cousin's cabin in Big Bear for the holiday, a fabulous idea, and one we hope to repeat some time. Michael's parents both came, as did his sister Nancy and her husband Manual, their daughter Brianna and their two dogs. Keno and Bo (whom Aaron just adores).


He loved taking a bath with Bo!


We even had some light snow Thursday morning...Aaron was very excited!

Thanksgiving Celebration at SAGE

SAGE held an all-school Thanksgiving feast in a local park. After some initial chaos, we got down to business in our learning centers.


Our first center was making butter. I didn't realize it was quite so easy. Shake it Aaron! Then we spread it on bread and ate it, yum!


Beading center!


Drumming center! At the camp out in September, Aaron would not participate in the drumming. Not so, this time!


Our last center of the day was a hike along the creek.


After centers, the teachers led the children in songs of thanks.


Then, it was time to eat!


A lovely day.

Child Tossing - A Time Honored Tradition

Aaron's 5th Birthday Blow-Out

Well, the plans for Aaron's 5th birthday party were well intentioned. It was a pirate theme, as a brand new playground had been newly erected at a local park, complete with two pirate ships. Aaron and I made and decorated cupcakes for the occasion.


But the morning of the party it was windy. By the time we got to the park - which is on the ocean - there was quite a gale!


We weren't going to be able to do any of the activities we had planned, nor put out any food, including the cupcakes. We called all the guests we could reach to give them the bad news. A few either got our message too late or decided to come and play in the wind anyway.




Some of Aaron's friends even managed to look like pirates even without all the accouterments they couldn't wear due to the wind (we had hats, eyepatches, earrings, etc).


After about an hour and a half people were pretty cold and most of us called it quits.


The next day, on his actual birthday, Grandma and Grandpa Meraz came to visit and we ate some of the salvaged cupcakes and hunted for presents around the house.




The next day, to make it up to him even further, I stayed home and we played video games all day long, in our pjs (His school was closed for the day anyway).

Ban's baby shower

We had a baby shower for a co-worker today and I took Aaron with me as he had not been to my office in quite some time and had been asking to go. He hung out with me in my office for a few hours (mostly running up and down the halls to visit people instead of coloring like I had hoped), and then we went to the shower where he had a blast. He particularly likes Ban, the mommy-to-be!