That Puzzle Was Just... the Worst!

On Thanksgiving Day I saw (on Facebook) that a neighbor's family was doing a jigsaw puzzle.  As I shared earlier, I love, love, love jigsaw puzzles.  I asked if they had any extras I could do over the holiday weekend.
Now, I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I've probably spent 4+ hours working on this 1000 piece puzzle of Salt Lake City over the past few days.  I thought I was doing this puzzle to relieve stress.  I thought it was a harmless escape from Peter's incessant temper tantrums.  I thought it was a good kind of intellectual frustration that would make me smarter.
NO!
This was an absolutely horrific puzzle that was, this very evening, returned to it's owner.
Lots of pieces fit together and you had to notice such miniscule details that weren't even visible to the naked eye.  So I'd put a bunch of it together and then have to go back and find where a mistake was made.  No more puzzles for me for a while.
Okay, now that that is off my chest.

Thanksgiving dinner was delicious and the company was lovely.   I do make a really scrumptious dinner roll-- I am an adequate cook, but this is one area I shine, if I do say so myself.  I sort of just wanted to eat hot rolls and butter and pumpkin pie.

We had our local missionaries over for Thanksgiving dinner and although they weren't able to stay long, they did entertain us.

I know I've seen fancier spreads for Thanksgiving, but everyone seemed to be satisfied and to get their fill.

We did the traditional going around the table and sharing what we're thankful for.  Everyone else shared things of eternal significance... I was thankful that Greta didn't cry all the time.  Have I mentioned Peter has been on a bad run lately?  He's not in the picture because he was playing downstairs.  He refused his Thanksgiving meal and I was fine to eat in peace without him.
Do I sound heartless?  Sometimes I feel heartless.  Except I am very frustrated with him, so darn it-- I must care.

He does have moments when he quite delights and charms us.  After dinner the kids had turns to "exhibit" for the family.  Exhibit time always make me feel so Jane Austen.
The missionaries shared a message and had left to another dinner appointment.
Here Peter would sit down, play one note after a dramatic pause and then play the lowest black note on the piano for his finale.  We all cheered like crazy and then he'd perform his masterpiece again, without variation.

In an impromptu exhibition, Bethany fiddled while Faith, Cannon, and George did an interpretive version of River Dancing.  

I think they offended all of Ireland, but we got quite a kick out of it.

Then George shared a hidden talent-- he called it break dancing.  That title might be misleading, but it cannot be argued that the boy lacks rhythm.  He was right on it and I will say I was impressed.

Cannon's encore performance of a lip sync/dance to "Lasagna" by Wierd Al Yankovich was...well... as his mother, I found it hysterical.  He air-played the accordian, the violin, the guitar and danced with air castanets.  The exhibitions stopped after his, because really, where do you go after that?

Grandpa and George were the boys in red and George liked trying on Grandpa's glasses.  

We recently let Greta try out the baby saucer that all of the kids have used and loved.  She's not really a fan yet, but hopefully she'll get used to it.  

Here's what she is definitely a fan of.

I recently purchased this nifty baby carrier.  Now you may or may not know that I am something of a connoiseur of baby carriers.  In that, I have purchased and used just about every kind of baby carrier that there is.  It's a little hobby of mine.  I've been eyeing this one for a while and I've justified it by saying it is my Christmas present and it has good resale value on KSL classifieds.

In all my experience I will just say, I SHOULD HAVE BOUGHT ONE LIKE THIS 17 YEARS AGO!  Ergo Performance is so, so comfy and she loves it.  We might actually get some things done around the house!

She fell asleep when I took the middles and littles to the aquarium recently and her peaceful slumber inspired this selfie.  

And you know how much I love selfies.

Not.

I took them to the aquarium on Saturday because we were all going a little stir crazy.  I hoped that the play area at the aquarium would soothe Peter... or at least I wouldn't be tempted to abuse him out in public.  

Oh, did I just say that out loud?

And for the most part, my plan worked.  He was a little calmer and there was no abuse.  Win/Win.

Faith was so sweet to carry him across the rope bridge.

Why is it that my boys resemble reptiles at this stage?

Clark has a picture about this same age where he looks distinctly reptilian.  

For the record, I know this is an amphibian and not a reptile.

There, there, Peter...

Let the poison arrow dart frog soothe your soul.