This concludes my week-long vacation. Tomorrow I go back to school until we go on a holiday break.  Today, we put up our little Christmas tree and holiday lights and decor outside.  I have a little tree, too, in my room that I helped decorate.  Here's me in my footy pajamas rearranging pillows.  Good night!

Giving Thanks 2011

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our family yesterday.  My cousin Leanne said a very eloquent grace before we ate the feast.  It was very nice.  We had a very late night and boy, was I tired.

Today, was catch up day on sleep and movie day.  After enjoying The Muppets, we had dinner at our favorite spot. My mom and dad talked a about a lot of things like the politics, economy, and life.  I was busy playing with the salt and paper shakers, but I was listening. After dinner, I told my mom and dad that I want to take a walk in Sierra Madre, a quaint little town just west of us. We did and I did my usual climbing rock boulders in front a church and scaling low walls and planters and hopping over giant pots with my dad's assistance (I'm part Spider Man, you know). We stopped by and watched a guy put together a life-sized manger in the town's center.  He hauled Mama Mary and Baby Jesus from the back of his truck, which was kinda weird. But once it's finished, it'll be beautiful.  It got darker as we walked through the quiet streets.  My mom let me borrow her tiny flashlight to light our path.  I actually stopped talking and spent the last half of our walk in silence.  I think all of us were just thinking how grateful we are that we get to do this together.  With that, I want to share some remarks from a beautiful Thanksgiving note from my Great Grandma:

 ~

We are thankful for the freedom to worship.

We are thankful for the freedom to speak our minds.

We are thankful for the freedom to change our minds.

We are thankful for the freedom to chart our lives.

We are thankful for the freedom to work for a better world.

We are  thankful for the freedom to celebrate these holidays.

~

Here are some snaps from our family Thanksgiving.

There were almost 50 of us!

 Good thing we had all this food.  We are very thankful for this feast. 

 Here are my second cousins.  These are my mom's first cousins' kids (are ya following me?) except for that guy holding me.  It was good to see them because many of them are now living on their own or are away at college.   

Here are the "big" kids trying to burn off the Thanksgiving calories by playing "Just Dance" on Wii.  They took turns and got all sweaty and stuff.  They were funny.

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving with your loved ones.

Rainy Sunday

It was cold and raining today.  Perfect day to catch up on reading.  Good thing we stopped by the library yesterday to pick up some books.  My daddy read me "Walter the Farting Dog." He found it very amusing.

My mom was finishing up reading "The Hunger Games".  She's looking forward to the film version of the book next year.  I sat with her as she read and ate Cool Ranch Doritos.

She let me have the some and Charlie wanted some of it.  Can you flip your tongue like he did? 

Charlie follows my mom around hoping for scraps.  Who's backside do you think is interesting?  My mom's saggy-diaper-pajama look or Charlie's round butt?

It was really was a random day today, which I love.  How was your rainy Sunday?

Fall Haircut

I got a haircut.  My mom cut about six inches off my hair.  

It's so much easier to comb and fix it in the morning. 

Morning Jog

We went for a morning jog today.  Guess where my daddy is?  He's behind us riding my little scooter.  He's a funny guy.

Poser

 

This is what I do when we stop by Old Navy for play clothes.   I pose with these mannequins.  

They are endlessly fascinating to me.  C'mon, they are.  They are my size and they don't move.

They are gigantic dolls to me. "Lemme fix that for you little girl."

"How are we doing here, doggy?"

More friends.  Do you like their grin and mine? Little creepy, huh?

Gosh, I'm bored.  

Veterans Day

"A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself." 

Joseph Campbell

Road Racin' Daddy

I don't think I ever told you that my daddy road races, huh?  About three to four times a year, he attends these track events.  Cars are his hobby.  

Daddy won first place last Saturday on the Speed Ventures track event in the Mod-1 Class.

His car has been featured in magazines.

He, himself, has been featured in some and he has also written articles.

Here's him in action with his helmet on. He's fast.

Here's him winning first place at another track event.  Those are his friends Lee and Erik getting second and third places.

He likes to get his hands dirty.

Daddy aka "Katman".

It's the same daddy that takes care of me in the morning before school and the same daddy that let's me ride his shoulders during our family Christmas gift exchange. 

Congrats, daddy!!

Leisurely Time with Mom

Today is Veteran's Day.  It's a holiday, so I don't have school and my mom didn't work. We hung out, ran some errands, and ate lunch at our favorite place.  We wanted to go to the mall, but it was packed, so I suggested that we just go to our favorite oasis, the L.A. Arboretum. I kinda know how to navigate the place now, so she let me take the lead.  

By the entrance.

Me brisk walking.

Me and the leaves.

Me scolding the geese.

Me cooking our lunch.

Me doing yoga.

Hanging out on the grass doing absolutely nothing.

My mom has been a little stressed and has been feeling a little overwhelmed lately so this is a nice break.

We laid on the grass and just watched the clouds go by.  I told her to take her shoes off and relax.  I know she's sort of forgotten how to do that, so I have to remind her to enjoy just the stillness and moment of doing nothing. Hang in there, mommy.