Thanksgiving Camp

I feel kind of sorry for all the people who don't have Thanksgiving camp. We wait for this all year. A few days full of family, food, puzzles, walks, fishing, horseshoes, washers, boules. And this year, a mouse in the bathhouse, for a little added excitement.

No catfish this year, just some little bream.

Still working on teaching the Americans to play boules.

Noah was over the moon to discover how the kitchen sign-up sheets worked. He told me, "I didn't know I could write my name there! Now I know I can write my name!" He signed up for meal preparation and clean up several times.

Where the Wind Comes Sweepin' Down the Plain

After a quick overnight visit to our friends in Arkansas, we drove to Tulsa. We saw cows... and then cows and a city. That's Oklahoma, I guess.

We enjoyed visiting with my grandparents and my uncle, as well as my cousin's kids. Uncle Jim played camp counselor and engaged the kids in some kind of year-round Easter egg hunt game. They loved it! I don't know about you, but I think he could probably get a Santa gig going for the holidays.

My Logical Child

Noah made some cloth napkins.

I told him that maybe Grandma could teach him to sew them right side out next time.

 

He told me that he made them this way on purpose.

 

Oh? How's that?

 

This way, the pretty side won't get dirty.

 

Well. Hard to argue with that.

Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head

My friend Emiley, whom I hadn't seen in three years (!) came up to St Louis for the weekend. Unfortunately, St Louis decided to not put its best foot forward for her visit, and we visited downtown in a downpour. This is what Union station looks like in the rain. We did get to see its St Louis birthday cake, though!  

The other thing is that all of the roads leading to the Arch or the riverfront were under construction. So you can see the Arch parking lot, but you can't get to it. And there are ZERO helpful signs for tourists (or former residents!) to help you figure out where to go. After about our third circle, including a quick hop over into Illinois, we finally found a parking garage... I think it was a hotel just taking advantage of the situation, but whatever.

This is what the Old Courthouse looks like in the rain.

This sign would have been more helpful had it been pointing towards a parking lot...

But finally, we made it inside. A park ranger showed the boys toys from pioneer days. They learned all about Lewis and Clark's expedition. Their great-great-grandmother came west in a wagon like the one pictured below!

French street signs! The boys were disappointed that we didn't go up in the Arch, but given the weather, and the fact that we couldn't see the top of the Arch, we didn't think it would be worth it. Maybe next year!

Settling Right In

Noah did not waste any time getting busy in the kitchen. And he even got Grandad in on the action!

They got to see their cousins the weekend after we arrived. Noah also convinced Grandma to let him sew, and he made these banners for his cousin Xenia's birthday party.