Les Miserables!

At the beginning on the year I read Les Miserables.  It took me six months.  In March I saw that the Broadway musical was coming to Memphis in the fall.  I've been excited about going for months.  A CC mom got us awesome inexpensive tickets with group rates and a educator's discount.

A quick selfie at the crosswalk as we hurried from supper at the Majestic to the Orpheum down the street.  We were seated with only five minutes to spare.

We had tickets on the floor.  I've always sat in the balcony at the Orpheum. 

 My friend Anna and her family.

After the play (at 10:30 p.m.) we took a minute to get a better group pic.  These are the ladies I had supper with but our whole group was 18 people total.

I discovered this morning that we were in the program -- Classical Conversations Southaven.

Random

 Sunday night we built this rocket for a science project.  It needed to weight between 350 and 400 grams so we borrowed a scale Monday and added clay in the nose to meet the weight requirement.  It's due on Thursday but we knew that we had a busy week and needed to get it done early.

This is Mollie Grace's acorn oak.  It has split open and she was very sad.  We're going to try planting it in a pot.

Ice Skating

Saturday the girls and I left the camp right after breakfast to be home in time for Sophie's birthday party.  This year it was ice skating.  They both fell at least 100 times but were determined to not use the skate helpers.  They got pretty good by the end of the party.

 Super pink tongue and lips from the icing.

Thanksgiving Week

During the week of Thanksgiving, we went to Jena for a few days and then to Jackson and then to the hunting camp.  On the Wednesday night before Thanksgiving we had dinner at MawMaw Wilma and PawPaw Sherman's house.  I have a few random pictures.  For Thursday lunch, Jamie and Jenny hosted a combined Stapleton and Francis Thanksgiving dinner.  Jenny thinks there were 93 people there. I counted 46 Stapletons.  Thursday night we had dinner at the Elders' house and watched Mississippi State beat Ole Miss.  We spent Friday night at the hunting camp.  

 These pics were taken in the car during the drive.

 I accidentally took a picture of myself.

 After Thanksgiving, my phone was full of weird Ben selfies.

 Annie and Marlee playing.

 Annie cuddling with Rylee.

 Tuesday afternoon we went to The Grinch with Cara, Aubrey, and Ella Kate.  The kids thought I had tricked them when they learned that it's an hour drive to the movie theater.

 Annie's magic trick was balancing a bowl on her head and blocks on her hands.

 Mollie Grace with her favorite cat, Shadow.

 Everyone is tucked in the princess room.  I failed to include Oak, Mollie Grace's acorn, who was tucked in on the foot board.

 Always has to have her picture taken when she completes a puzzle.

Marcie was along with us for the entire trip.  She was great in the car, but didn't like being in new places.  She woke up and cried every two hours Monday and Tuesday.  And Tuesday night she peed on the carpet.  She thought the horses were terrible scary monsters!

Before Thanksgiving

 Mollie Grace and Annie acted out the first Thanksgiving.  Annie is a pilgrim sailing on the Mayflower. Mollie Grace is an Indian riding her horse.

 Landing on Plymouth Rock.

 So hungry.

 Meeting Squanto.

 The first Thanksgiving meal.

 Taking a bow.

 This was the day of the snow.  I went back out and took a picture of Annie's snowman. (The rebuilt one after Marcie destroyed the first one.)

 There was still still some snow the next morning.  Ben's school pushed back start time until 9:15.

 Ben took this selfie with John's car and sent John this message:  Ho Ho Ho! Santa's new 405 rp (reindeer power) sleigh.  Followed by every Christmas emoji.  Ben gets emoji happy.

 All the snow was melted by 10:30 a.m.

 Mollie Grace built this robot.

 Ben had a major book report project due the week of the snow.  He was sick for two days and got behind.  He had to work very hard Thursday evening to complete it in time.  This is 9:30ish Thursday night.

 Ready to take it to school Friday morning.

 Friday after school we went to John's work.  They had the FedEx show car visiting.

 From the show car, we went to Annie's end of soccer award presentation.

 She received the special Coach's Award on her team.

 Sunday we packed our shoeboxes took them to the drop off location.

Snow!

 Ben had a headache when he got in the car after school yesterday.  When we got home I took his temp and he was running fever.  He slept all evening and still had a fever so he stayed home from school today and went to the doctor.  He has an ear infection.

 While we waited for the doctor.

 Snow was predicted for today but I didn't actually expect it to stick.  I was amazed when I looked out the window.  Marcie wasn't sure what it was.

 And then she jumped back on the porch.

 Pizza pan sledding!

 Annie's tiny snowman.  Marcie ate it and Annie cried.

 Marcie did go back out in the snow once the girls went out to the play.

 Mollie Grace finally convinced Annie to go down the slide.

 Required snow angels.

 This is Mollie Grace's.

 This is how Ben spent the snowy afternoon.