Even though fall is very much still in the air, we spent today getting ready for winter!  The dreaded day arrived when I had to change the clothes in the girls’ dressers/closets from summer clothes to winter.  That process takes nearly a whole day.  We have to make sure all the summer clothes are clean and take them out of the dressers/closets, get all the storage totes out of the attic, put the winter clothes in and pack away the summer clothes.  There are always some clothes that we decide not to keep.  Our donation to Goodwill is always huge after the change!  Then, there are the clothes that Avery will not be able to wear by next spring/summer.  I always hate giving those away, but we do not keep anything under the size she now wears.   A lot of those clothes are ones that we have had for about 8 years!  I have the hardest time parting with the things that have been passed down through all of them.  There were several pairs of pj’s that I had to put in the donation pile today that about made me cry!  And, since we don’t donate old panties, I had to throw about about 10 pairs of Barney, Blue’s Clues and Elmo panties that all the girls potty trained in.

We also had the pictures done today that will be our Christmas card…we took the girls to the photographer that did our family photo 2 years ago in Kinston, NC.  She is fabulous!  If you are on Facebook, you can get a sneak peak because she added 7 of the shots from today on my profile.  I’ll never be able to pick which one I want once I get the whole gallery on Monday.  I am so amazed at how beautiful and unique they all are.  Each one is so different and special!  Julia is looking like a teenager, and Bailey is already in that sort of awkward pre-teen stage.  Madi won’t smile with her mouth open because of all the teeth missing (the tooth fairy has nearly gone broke in the last month at our house!  Bailey lost 2 in one day and Julia lost 2 in that same week!).  Avery is just Avery…she is so hilarious and had an absolute blast at the shoot today.  She picked out her sassy little dress and insisted on that flower headband. She won’t even wear hair bows anymore, but would not let me leave Target without that headband.  If you aren’t on Facebook, don’t worry…I’ll have your cards to you in less than a month!

I am being allowed to decorate for Christmas early this year.  Thayer’s rule used to be not until after the Thanksgiving meal is over.  Last year, I got to do a little the week before because I had gotten burned out decorating at church 2 years ago and almost didn’t finish my own house.  Since I adore Christmas, I made a deal with him that if he wants me in charge of the church decorating, my house has to be completed first.  So, this year, because the girls’ play (Miracle on 34th Street) is the weekend before Thanksgiving and we’ll be swamped that whole weekend, and we’ll be gone most of the Saturday before that for Matthan’s birthday (I can’t believe that sweet boy is already turning 3!), I get to start on Veteran’s Day!!!  Since the girls and I are out of school, we’ll be getting a start on the decorating then.  I know, I’m nuts!