First Snow on our New House

On the Slopes of Mt. Nicholson-Weir

Pabi.

Nina.

Anneliese.

Back at the Lodge: grilled cheese sandwiches, apples, and celery sticks with peanut butter for lunch. Later: an afternoon tea party featuring peppermint tea, popcorn, chocolate-covered pretzels, malt balls, and M&Ms.

Nina sings "A True, True Friend"

The Sound of Carrie Underwood

Tonight's live broadcast of The Sound of Music on NBC features American Idol-winner Carrie Underwood, who is from Checotah, Oklahoma--which is just 110 miles from Ada.
Tonight's upstairs picnic menu: nutella and strawberry crepes, peanuts, almonds, pecans, lemonade, snow cones featuring actual snow, and "Simply Salted" Orville Redenbacher popcorn. We're digging Maria, the Mother Superior (Audra McDonald), Laura Benanti (The Baronness) and the rest of the cast (with the exception of Captain Stephen Moyer, who seems a little hysterical).

Snow Day

No school today. We are all very sad.

A Return Ride on the Polar Express

Trinity River Legacy Hike

UNO Morning

It looks like Nina's winning this round.

Thanksgiving Hootenanny

Brian es capitan. Mom approves.

The 59th Street Bridge Song.

Good Riddance (that's the actual name of the song, apparently).

The Very Last Day.

Grandma's Feather Bed.

If I Had a Hammer.

Leavin' on a Jet Plane.

I'll Fly Away.

Good Riddance (reprise).

Nanny Melissa McPhee

Postprandial Gratitude

I'm thankful for our new house. And for the dressing I just ate. Mari's thankful for aunts who entertain our children. Our children are thankful for "love," "family," "water," (some combination of Emilio and Nina) and "life" (Pablo). We're all thankful that Melissa got a job offer on Tuesday (which she's telling us about). I wish I remembered what everyone else was thankful for, but I had a second helping of dressing since we shared.

Sleepover at Grandmother and Granddaddy's