How many more sleeps?

Only 17 more sleeps til the trip! I'm thankful that we got to stay home today, even though it didn't include the outdoor play we were hoping for.  It was at least +1, but the wind was bitterly cold.  We stayed inside, listened to stories and made playdough instead.  I haven't made any in a couple months, so it was about time for a fresh batch.  I tried some new ways to color it,but I'm not sure I really care for the way they turned out.  I used Kool-aid crystals, cookie sprinkles and then the tried and true food coloring.  The Kool-aid one didn't spread enough, so we ended up with swirled coloring.  The one sprinkle kind went kind of dingy looking after just a little bit of play time.  Here are some pics:

Caleb took mine too!

Garrison methodically pounding his.

Elyssia carefully forming hers into a ball.

The girls bedroom set.  Click to enlarge.  There's a person in a bed, with my first completed quilt:))).  There's a bookcase on the right with 4 books.  A dog on a little bed.  A hope chest.  A hand mat. A bedside table with a lamp and  there was a bookcase over to the left that had a Bible on top.  Not sure how that didn't get in the picture.

Baby playing with the old containers we saved.

Scott and Garrison making their "manly" bedroom set.

Lots of fun when we work together.

Super cute baby with her dolls.

Elyssia dressing the doll.

Caleb latched onto this and carried it around for part of the day.

I've got a green thumb!  If only it applied to gardening.

Click to enlarge: They're French, with no English, what's up with that?

 We went to town for Prayer Meeting and didn't get back til around 9.  The boys are still awake arguing about goggles.  I took a picture of Caleb laying next to Scott wearing goggles while Scott sleeps:).  I forgot to take the camera to church, but hopefully I'll remember on Saturday to document the progress.  Today, I got Kiersten to give Caleb a kiss.  She thought it was funny and was giggling, so then Caleb started pretending to eat her.  It's nice to see them getting along.  The past couple days they've been squealing at each other because they both want the same thing.  Kiersten's limited vocabulary means that she just gets louder the more she wants something.  We're really looking forward to a growth spurt in her vocabulary.  Praying it's soon.  Today I also noticed that she has 3 new teeth.  It hasn't kept her up at night, for which I'm very thankful.  She usually cries around midnight, I go in and give her a drink of water, rub her back and tell her it's time to go back to sleep.  She lays back down and is asleep til between 4 and 5.  I'm praying this continues to be the norm, with the 4 changing to a 7:).
  Well, I did promise to post a couple stories, so I'd better get to it.  It's almost 10 and sleep is calling my name.
                                           "Jack Lassos Wild Horses" By: Garrison

  In a town called Cowtack, lived a cowboy named Jack.  One day he saw a wild horse.  He threw his rope and caught the horse's neck.  He trained him for a jousting horse and called him Goliath.(He remembers Greg's horse). 
  The other horse he caught was a girl and he called her Star Bell.  He trained her to hold an axe in her mouth and chop the window open during a fire.  (She had some bad habits though).  Whenever a fa was spinning too fast she would chop that down too.  Goliath and Star Bell loved to catch onto the fan and swing around together.(Garrison said that the Penguin told him that.  Pretty funny.  Apparently the Penguin is an aspiring author too!)      
                                                                 ...The End...

                                                  "Billy The Bully"  By: Elyssia

Once there was a little boys, named Dick.  He lived in Fleet, Alberta. He was singing at the park.  He was getting down when Billy the Bully came over and beat him up.  Billy gave Dick a black eye. (Billy wasn't usually a bully, but he was very upset that day).  His dad had died and his mama had to go to work.
  Another boy, named Joel, came along, got Billy to go away and picked up Dick.  They became best friends.
                                                          ---The End---

If I don't post for the next couple days, you'll know I got swamped down by our "to do" list.  Til next time...