Pre

This past week has been a flurry of activity.  It was pre-Elliott's birthday, pre-Christmas, pre-Christmas Vacation, pre-the end of the year, pre-everything.  All week I felt like we were just preparing for anything and everything.  

We're going to plow through Monday- Friday so we can then get on to the good stuff, like 1,800 posts about Elliott's birthday. 

On Monday the 11th I took a picture of my red cardinal manicure.

That afternoon Spencer went to the orthodontist.  They were having their annual gingerbread house contest.  I voted for Snoopy. 

On Tuesday the 12th Michael and I went to a special screening of Love Actually.  We first saw this movie when it was released in 2003.  We were living in Greeley, CO while I was in graduate school and we went to a theater in Loveland to watch it.  It's been a favorite ever since. 

Since it is encouraged to dress up for these movie parties, we went as Prime Minister David and Natalie.  I already had to name going for me!

We tried to recreate their moment in the movie. 

A side by side.

That's actually Michael, but he really could be mistaken for Hugh Grant. 

I joked about stealing this from work on Wednesday the 12th.  I didn't. 

Ellliott was very, very busy in the hallway. 

We were gathering all of our Minion supplies for the party and I finally took a picture of all of it on Thursday the 13th. 

I had to pick Spencer up from school early that afternoon, so I took Elliott's homework assignment in with me. We were nervous about it falling apart in his backpack. I took a picture before giving it to his teacher. 

Spencer had to be picked up early because he had a dermatology appointment that afternoon.  It was at a satellite location of Phoenix Children's, so this is the only Christmas tree we got to see this year.  The main location always has a festival of trees with something like 50+ trees throughout the hospital. 

On Friday the 15th our pool was acid washed.  I got home from walking Ginger just as they were starting. I think our pool looks terrifying when it's empty. 

While all that was going on I went to the kid's school and did Art Masterpiece with Spencer's class. 

Then, back home where the pool was all clean and ready to be refilled. 

Then back to school where I did Art Masterpiece with Elliott's class.  

We did stamped ice cream scoops.

The teacher took the kids out for recess when I was done, but Elliott wanted to stay with me while I cleaned up.  We took some pictures of his special birthday sign.

And of some of the other bears his classmates brought in. 

Back at home again where the kids were totally enthralled by the pool. 

I think Spencer thought he was going to jump in.  He stuck a toe in and admitted it was really cold. 

Up next: birthday, birthday, birthday and Star Wars.