Ahem.

Note the new Christmas-y blog background.

I was looking for a little blinky to replace the harvest leaf that had been on the right. I was looking for something to go with the Christmas-y.

But instead, I found that ===============^

Twelve

A certain someone is very excited to be twelve.

We started early...the Friday night before her birthday...dinner at Islands and lava cake for dessert (as evidenced by Brooke's black teeth). Speaking of Brooke's teeth, she is missing a few in the front, giving her a bit of a gruesome look paired with the chocolate...

The next day, the actual day, 3-21...two friends were dropped off, and our first stop was Yummy Cupcakes in Burbank, CA. Each child (and one mom and one dad) picked out a cupcake! Oh, and we saw Jay Leno hanging out with his antique car right there on the corner of Hollywood Way and Magnolia Blvd. However, we had a tight schedule, so we didn't stop (because only one of the four kids had even heard of him...)


Next on the agenda...a movie for the big girls. I took them to see Knowing with Nicolas Cage. Gee, I lapsed and didn't check Movie Mom for her review. Guess what. It's freakin' scary. Wouldn't REALLY recommend it for your 12 year-olds. One of the three couldn't hang, so she and I left the movie 40 minutes into it.

I do recommend it for older kids and parents. I want to go back so I can see the end...it was a GOOD movie, just not really for youngish kids. Even those in middle school.
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So, the one who couldn't hang and I had an hour and a half to spare, so we went into Coraline...which was really weird and really not good. Can't say that I'd recommend that one for anyone. Most especially NOT the little kids in the theater...just because it's animated doesn't mean it's for little kids!!
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After the movie, the girls saw a cool chair in Urban Home as we walked back to the car. They HAD to sit in it!!!



It was a Twilight birthday indeed. And guess what came out on DVD right on 3-21?? Yes, indeed, Twilight! I think that Edward is yummy. For a vampire anyway.

Here are our Yummy Cupcake selections looking quite...well...yummy!!!



We went to dinner at Benihana. So yummy. Yummy is the theme for today it seems.

So the girls (minus Brooke) stayed up late watching Twilight. It was a fun, yet low-key, way to turn twelve!

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Happy Birthday dear Kennedy...we love you!

Puzzle Insania

Kennedy got a puzzle for Christmas.

A 1000 piece puzzle.

A puzzle with a picture of a group of vampires dressed in various shades of black and gray...

and then a background made up of various shades of gray.

Kennedy worked on it for about 10 minutes.

August and I worked on it for about four weeks.

It's done. It was an amazing thing to put that final piece in. We finished it a week ago.

Yet, it still sits on the coffee table because we cannot bear to disassemble it after all those hours and hours and hours and hours of work. And hours.

And hours and hours and hours...hours of not straightening the house, or organizing the closet, or scrapbooking our memories, or putting away Christmas presents.

...

But it's done! Now what????????

Merry Merry Part 5 - A Very Twilight Christmas

Some years there is "that" theme that interests a child and makes gift-buying a little easier...all you have to do is buy something pertaining to the theme, and you're set! Themes from years past: Wizard of Oz, Barbie, Webkinz.

This year's theme for Kennedy: Twilight

In case you've been on another continent for the past six months (or maybe you just don't have a pre-teen/teen girl in your house), Twilight is the teenage vampire series sweeping the nation's teens (and their mothers, too...see this website if you don't believe me: Twilightmoms.com ) Crazy! And, NO, I do not contribute to that website...but I do have a crush on Edward. :) Click here for the post about the time Kennedy and I went to see the movie.

Here is Kennedy with her Edward t-shirt:



Here is her pile of stuff which includes: Twilight pins, Edward keychain, Twilight soundtrack (thanks, Granny!), Twilight Book 3: Eclipse (thanks Papa & Beppe!), and a Twilight film magazine full of information about the film and its cast.

However, there is one Twilight gift from Granny that wasn't in this pile. This gift was left in Granny's room until all the other gifts were opened. I went into the room and hid behind the gift.

Here is her face when she saw the gift.

A life-size Edward standee. Complete with Santa hat (I added that myself).

Edward is very tall.



So now Edward is part of the family. He had to stay in our room the first two nights. Vampires don't sleep, and he was freaking Kennedy out a little bit just standing there staring at her. Now he stays in her room, but we pull the Santa hat down over his face at night.

Sorry 'bout that, Edward, but welcome to the family!

Twilight

Kennedy and I are in love. With the same...vampire.

We went to see "Twilight" today with a group of 6th graders, a few moms, and their homeroom teacher, Mrs. Eaton. Mrs. Eaton's husband also came...what a sport!!

I will admit to you all right here and now that the moms and the teacher all have a huge crush on one or more vampires from this movie. (Myself, I am Team Edward 100%) :) I prescreened the first two books before Kennedy read them, and I will now give you my movie review. It. Was. Awesome. I found the movie to be incredibly well-done. The cinematography was excellent, the soundtrack was just right. The casting...also near perfect.

Ice cream at Ben & Jerry's afterwards marked the end of an excellent Saturday 6th grade get-together.