Yesterday I texted Courtney to ask if I should do a long annoying post with all of November or break it up and do two and she responded, "One post. GET IT DONE" sooooo let's do this thing!
Random outside pictures in November when the weather was nice. Grandma Pam rode her bike over - maybe Clyde rode to her house and got her? Who knows.
We put Jack on a waiting list for Miss Cherry's preschool and a spot opened up at the beginning of the month, so off he went!
He was so excited and it helped SO much to get him ready to kindergarten.
That same afternoon, both Clyde and Will received the 'Respect' character trait award at school:
Obviously I hope my kids embody all of the character traits highlighted during the school year (others include self-discipline, honesty, courteous, etc) but respect is one of my favorites and I'm thrilled that Clyde and Will are both respectful to their teachers and classmates and school staff.
Such a milestone day necessitated some pictures after school:
I think this shot was declared the winner - OH Will hahahahaha!
Chuck's mama celebrated a birthday at the beginning of November so the boys made some pictures. Our big party for her was a few weeks later.
Election Day! Thank goodness for Avengers shirts to supplement our family supply of Old Navy flag shirts ;). I think Jack's back and forth expressions on his face provide a nice preview of the mood swings I experienced that night as the results came in AHHHHHHH!
Obvs had to do a comparison shot with the midterm elections two years ago:
Jack and I stumbled upon a cute Election Day activity at the library, so he patriotically voted for the summer reading program theme. Later that evening we took the whole gang to the bike park for some fun before coming home for some red white and blue jello:
Oh yeah, and Chuck and I both voted. Explanation of my experience courtesy my social media:
Step 1: Research the Idaho statute on electioneering. Step 2: Show up to vote and be (very politely) informed - in front of my preschooler, my sons' adorable piano teacher whose respect I would like to keep, and a room full of voters that presumably live somewhat near me- that I need to turn my shirt inside out immediately. Step 3: Do so, then vote. #ImWithHer#ImWithCWIgettingmoremoney Step 4: Go out to the car and cry (automatic response to getting in trouble 😳😭) and call the Idaho election office for clarification - find out that since Obama isn't on the ballot, I was totally fine. Step 5: Go back in and (very politely) give the poll worker a heads up, get questioned about "which office" I called, get told again that the training was very clear. (Very politely) nod and say, "Yes, I understand that I wouldn't have been able to wear a Trump or Clinton shirt, but this one is okay." Watch the poll worker look down at my shirt and up again and stutter, "Oh! I just thought... he's been campaigning so much that I forgot..." THAT'S RIGHT THE HEAD POLL WORKER THOUGHT BARACK OBAMA WAS ON THE BALLOT. #areyoufreakingkiddingme Step whatever step we're on: (Very politely) ask for an apology, get a fairly sincere one. Go back to the car, cry some more (also not a fan of confrontation 😭), call the election office again so they know the training wasn't the problem 😬, get a very nice apology and assurance that I did nothing wrong. Step the end: Move on with my life, I love America! 🇺🇸😎💃🏻#ivoted
November brought some serious room re-arranging at Casa del Izatt, and fittingly I only appear to have photographed the mid-move chaos and not any of the polished finished product ;).
We dissolved the guest bed and room (SORRY out of town family!!) and moved Carma in there instead. Clyde moved into the far back 'blue' room BY HIMSELF (which is funnily where he started out when we bought this house), and Jack moved in with Willy Boy and took his rightful place on the bottom bunk as Will was promoted to the top:
"These yahoos have only been roommates (or in Will's words, "Bedmates! Because we are on bunk beds!" 😳👀😂) for 48 hours and they're already accidentally coordinating outfits 🙌🏼👬😎."
Random picture of Willy Boy riding home from school one day; I love when I get home at the same time from errands or whatever and get to watch them bike. Chuck has done an excellent job teaching them the rules of the road and they really enjoy biking.
"Carma has been carting around these five characters and eagerly introduces them as our family, minus "Daddy at work": (L to R) Mommy, Will, Jack, Clyde, Carma. I'm not sure if Clyde or I should be more affronted but I may have waxed my upper lip this morning ahead of schedule just to be safe 😳👀👨🏻🙅🏻😂"
Carma and I took GREAT offense to this slanderous NPR article insinuating that Nutella possibly shouldn't be such a staple... aka the only staple... in her diet.
Also, I acknowledge that the correct pronunciation of Nutella is "New-tella" and I also acknowledge that I cannot make myself say it that way and will continue with "Nut-ella."
November girls' night:
Small in number (Nycole was there! but had to sneak off early) but soooo many laughs - let's be honest, often at inappropriate times - and so much love.
You know those Facebook posts imploring dads to be aware of their surroundings and actually be the photographer once in a while, snapping beautiful candid pictures of their wives interacting with their kids?
Maybe we did something wrong though, because my picture doesn't look like the examples from the fb article. It's possibly my attractive candid pose hahahahahaha.
Chuck and I bundled up and went to a BSU football game - it had been forever since we've gone to one, so we loved it!
Carma took to staying in her leotard after dance and wearing it to plasma haha. Paola's hairstyling just looked that much cuter on our little dancing girlie!
We frequently hit up Costco and Target after plasma and this particular day Jack and Carma were so hilarious and random and adorable and crazy - and fell asleep HARD once we finally drove home:
Pro tip: when my kids get really excited about a toy, I take a picture of them with it and tell them we'll show Daddy and 98% of the time it works and they walk away without a second glance. The other 2% of the time usually occurs at Savers or D.I. for some reason and I have been known to spend $2 on random crap to get us out of the store happy on the days when I'm not feeling up to carrying out a screaming toddler.
Oh, I got two little Daniels kids one day for a couple hours:
which means I felt less guilty when two of my kids needed haircuts the next week ;). This was Carma's first (and only to date) official haircut - Nicole evened up the back where there were some long random stragglers. Clyde Monster got his first official big kid haircut, as opposed to Dad just buzzing him. Our grand plan was that a 15 minute lesson in our kitchen would qualify Chuck and myself to replicate the cut (as opposed to, you know, going to beauty school) but that has not thus far panned out and we continue to pay nice people to cut Clyde's hair haha.
Okay, I don't mean to drag out the election or the results that confounded and devastated me ;) but I dare you not to laugh when you look at this picture:
Caption courtesy of my insta/fb: "Taken exactly an hour apart yesterday... clearly what the world needs now is chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate. 😡+ 🍪= ☺️ #itstheonlythingthattheresjusttoolittleof"
Okay, I love that I took this picture because I was excited about the first little snow flurries of the winter. WHO COULD HAVE KNOWN THAT SIX WEEKS LATER WE WOULD ALL DESPISE THE SNOW AND THE SADNESS AND ISOLATION AND CABIN FEVER IT BROUGHT WITH IT????? I mean, that might be a little dramatic. Who knows for sure.
Oh man, texting kids are the best hahahaha.
Also the best? Kids old enough to read to littler kids!
Oh Jackers. I have no idea where he learned that 'finish off the milk' trick. Couldn't have been from me.... I always glance around for witnesses before I do it :). Also, I utilized an oil change expedition to introduce Jack to Ho Hos and he was enamored as expected... if only we had a jug of milk to wash them down with....
Random crazy Carma pictures! Grandma Pam is so patient to let Carma play with/destroy that dollhouse on such a regular basis.
Carma went through a shoe-tying phase and I'm just glad we didn't trip over her more than we did.
Okay I saw this at D.I. and had to text it to my mom and brothers - one of my favorite games when we were packing at my mom's old house was texting Sam and Quinn and having them guess how many wicker baskets were in a certain room over there. I kid you not, one time the answer was in the high teens. LOVE YOU MOM!!!!!!!
Speaking of my mum, here are a few more pictures from while she graciously watched our crazy kids while Chuck and I went off galavanting to Utah:
She chronicled their adventures with this super cute book - each day each kid made a page and then my mom did a happy/sad round-up of the day's events.
Here's Wednesday (Chuck and I left early that morning):
Thursday:
Friday:
and Saturday (Chuck and I got home that evening):
Seriously thanks so much Mom! We couldn't have taken that trip without you.
Have I mentioned lately how much I love the boys' elementary school? Because I do. One neat thing they do there is really encourage teachers to reach out in positive ways to parents. Over Thanksgiving break, I was so thrilled to read these kind words about Will and Clyde from their respective teachers:
Teachers in general are amazing and patient, loving, kind teachers are especially the best!
And that's November!!
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