Busy week

It's been one of those weeks I feel like I didn't accomplish anything I set out to do, but it was pretty busy so I can't say nothing happened.
I had preschool this week. The theme was trees with stars, the letter K, and #11. I added learning about textures to give a bit more learning into the basic theme. Monday the kids painted advent calendar trees. They got to take home stickers that they will add the rest of the month at home. We made a collage of textured tree's that the kids got to cut out and make. I did a story about a tree in the forest who wanted to be a Christmas tree but was too tall for anybody to take home so his forest animal friends decorated him for the holiday. The kids stamped stars out of cheese for snack. The kids' free play was play dough trees they got to decorate with beads and buttons. The kids also had workbook time.
For preschool on Wednesday the children played with clay and different items that made textures in the clay. I had the kids stamp out and give texture to some stars that I baked and turned into ornaments for them to take home. We made painted toast for snack; it was a hit with the kids. Kendal had to do a rainbow like Mommy and Peter wanted his toast mostly orange.  We read stories after snack and then did a coloring page for the letter K and they did a sticker page for the number 11. The kids colored tree / star glasses to play a game of eye spy with. While I thought my games were simple (eye spy, Simon says, duck duck goose) I was proved wrong and the games seemed to be over the little ones heads so we gave up on games and I sang a rhyming song they had to keep beat with.
Preschool is always packed. Whether it's messy play (bits of play dough all over my rug), arguing kids (a barley three year old arguing at me that my two year old is a baby), bathroom accidents (yep one kids not quite set on the potty and another starting potty training soon : ( , and kids who don't listen. I could make my activities simpler and do less, but I feel for Kendal's sake I want to pack in as much fun and information as possible because she doesn't get that elsewhere. I am still doing extra activities and learning time with her at home and she's enjoying all that we do.
We got some outside time this week. I'm grateful for the 40-50 degree days I can let the kids out for a bit.

I got a call just after 2 in the morning on Thursday. Vanessa went into labor and she asked me to come stay with her kids. I hauled but over there and shooed the parents to the hospital. David woke up and had a MAJOR diarrhea poop incident that I got to deal with; then I settled him back into bed and tried to get some sleep myself (managed an hour and a half). Sweet Thomas was born early in the morning just after five o clock. He's a little breath of Heaven and so sweet to behold. Becca and David were still sleepy when we broke the news to them the next morning. They were happy that their "mystery" baby turned out to be a brother and happily went with Grandma to meet him after we got them ready for the day.
Casey had three games this week. He was at Declo on Tuesday where they lost, and at home Thursday where they played Gooding and won, and Friday they played Canyon Ridge and lost.
After Casey's game on Thursday I took the kids to see a nativity display event at our church. I thought the kids would enjoy it and they did, I just had to threaten Kendal with loss of her cookie at the end if she continued to touch the many rare and very breakable nativities. Peter was firmly held on my hip and pointed out every baby Jesus he saw. We watched a the church video of Christ's birth while we ate our cookies and then headed home.
We got to visit and gush over baby Thomas in the hospital Friday morning. Peter was all over the place in Vanessa's room so we made our visit brief. Both Kendal and Peter got to hold the baby and loved seeing him.

 After Casey's game that afternoon we headed out to Raft River for the night. Casey's Aunt brought some photos that had been Casey's grandparents. We found one of Casey when he was two. We laughed and smiled because Peter looks so much like his Dad at that age and Peter was even wearing a red shirt like Casey had on in the picture.
Saturday we went to the annual Webb family Christmas party. Kendal was thrilled to meet and see her second cousins. She happily played and talked with almost everyone there. We had kids all over the church playing. Some were conducting their own primary in the primary room, others were rolling around the gym with balls, and all were stealing cookies and treats when they thought the could get away with it. Peter had about four cookies while we were there. The Darrington crew was definitely the wilder of the Great's that were there but there were a few others that held their own in the crazy category. After we ate we did our cereal story (Johny Wright had $1.00 left. . . ). Our present exchange was "round" gifts this year Kendal got a tube with a pez dispenser, peter got holiday plates, Casey got a flashlight, and I got a thermometer. It's always interesting and random what the gifts turn out to be. We ended with Christmas songs. I gave a meager attempt to accompany a few of the songs with the piano because Vanessa was absent (with good cute reasons :). After the party we spent some time at Casey's parents house.