Thanksgiving Dinner

Yesterday we had a small Thanksgiving dinner.  In previous years, we'd get dozens of people together to play games and eat piles of food, but this year it was just Alan, Gaoder, Cedric (Alan's and Gaoder's friend who is new to the area), Enno, Imran, and us.

We aren't big fans of turkey, and it's harder to cook anyway, so this year we made Thomas Keller's roast chicken.



It was SO GOOD.  The skin is so salty and crispy and the meat is so moist.  I ate the tail, and now understand why people talk about fighting over it.  The chicken tail may have been the most delicious piece of chicken I've ever had in my life.

We also had Laura's homemade butter rolls, green beans, apple-sausage-cranberry stuffing, vegetarian stuffing, mashed potatoes, pistachio salad, and Enno brought a spinach, salmon, and leek quiche.

For dessert, pumpkin pie, rice pudding, port, and a board game.  :)

It was the most delicious Thanksgiving dinner we've ever had!

Grant laughs and laughs

Videos from Grammy's visit

Videos from Grandma Peanut's visit

Videos of Cecilia and Grant

Playing with bouncy balls and showing off Cecilia's artwork

Videos of Grant

Videos from my phone

Here are a few videos from the past few months from my phone.

Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo

We also went to the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo while Sue was out visiting. The kids and I had gone there a couple of months ago, but this was the first trip for Chad and Sue. We had a lot of fun seeing all the animals and then playing with the little exhibits inside. 

Swimming Lessons

Every Tuesday this fall, we have gone for swimming lessons. The kids (usually) enjoy them and seem to be more comfortable and excited to be in the pool. While Sue was out visiting, she was able to take some photos and videos of the kids swimming.

Grant's "Mommy and me" class

Cecilia loves sitting on the little "raft" while we sing songs.

Cecilia is getting much more confident in the water.

Halloween

For Halloween this year, we had a little dinosaur and a fairy (Tinkerbell). They both had a lot of fun dressing up earlier in the day for a Halloween party at IMVU. Then when it was time to get dressed for trick-or-treating, Cecilia and Grant were both excited. 

Our little dinosaur...

...and our fairy.

Shayla (Aurora/Sleeping Beauty) and Johnny came over to go trick-or-treating with us because Evelyn and Shayla's new little sister, Annabella, were still in the hospital.

These two love and fight like sisters...

The first stop of the night

Grant's first trick-or-treating experience. He took the candy, and then tried to walk into everyone's house. Apparently he assumed that getting candy meant that we were welcome to come in and visit for awhile. :)

This house had a big spider that jumped out at us as we walked up to the door. The girls were both TERRIFIED and wouldn't come to the door, but Grant didn't seem to be too bothered. Here he is looking at the spider as we walk by it again.

Off and running!

Our dinosaur decided to have a tea party once we were back from trick-or-treating.

And then he got to try some of the candy he got.

He loved it and kept whining for more until we gave it to him!