Happy Thanksgiving!

Through our preschool's social events and workdays, we've had the opportunity to meet some amazing families who don't necessarily have children in Daisy's class. One Swedish/German couple we met sends their 4 year old daughter to the German School on Saturdays, so we've bonded over that and now carpool together. Here's a video of Daisy and Smilla playing in the leaves after class last week:

We hadn't really found a time to hang out before Thanksgiving, so the holiday seemed like a perfect opportunity to get our busy husbands together. We were so thankful to celebrate a delicious meal with them in their beautiful home, watch the girls absorb themselves in play, and talk about Europe and the US. Here are some of Helena's pictures from the feast: 

It was a meaningful day for us, reflecting on how much we are grateful for. After four months in Atlanta, we've found a lot to appreciate!

Atlanta Fall Wins

It is November 17 and I am wearing long sleeves and sandals; in other words, the weather is perfect. Although summer is ridiculous here, fall just about makes up for it! It's by far the longest, most colorful, and most quintessential fall I've ever experienced.

Here is the beauty we see from our living room window:

Dirt paths

I've found them - dirt paths, which was the only way I knew how to verbalize the idea of an authentic outdoorsy walk. Someplace to go on a nice day. A walk away from road noise and mailboxes. Just minutes from our place! Hurray for inner city nature trails.

Ballet Observation Day

Daisy completed her first session of ballet, and the next one doesn't start until January! Parents were invited on the final day to observe and take pictures. Since Chris couldn't come, I documented extensively. Here are some of my favorites!

Classes are held in a mansion-turned-fine arts center. Isn't this an amazing room?

Daisy loves the other girls and following the teacher's moves. She's combining music and movement, talking about things like beat and sequence...to me, it's less dance education than body education.

There was a little rhyme to this about Cinderella tapping on her glass slippers.

This was part of building an ice cream sundae. Sprinkes.

Hard to capture these sorts of things. Cute, though :)

Beautiful.

One of the other girls brought flowers for everyone. Her parents own a restaurant, and we're going to visit next week when we don't have class!

I took some video, which I'll upload some other time!

A 3-Year-Old's Halloween

Princess Daisy helped design a jack o' lantern...

...allowed her mom to play with her hair...

...played in a decidedly un-princesslike way at the playground...

...walked through a neighborhood parade with her friends from church...

...and did her first trick or treating! She tried to fish inside the buckets for M&M's most of the time, but her chosen candy to eat was a lollypop.

We went to about a dozen doors before quitting - I had chorus, and besides, goodness gracious, it was already almost 7:00! Plus, I could already imagine how long that 1/4 filled bucket would last her at one candy per day.

Another girl we passed on the streets was dressed as Snow White. The two girls stopped and chatted for a bit, then hugged. Princess Sisterhood!