I have much to be thankful for this year, but right now I’m thankful my whole family is in my house, the kids are playing, the adults are talking, & the food is cooking.

I wish all my readers a Happy Thanksgiving!

K~

It’s the calm before the storm so I thought I’d take a moment & do a quick post:

• Tova did fantastic in her new bed.  I told her last night she couldn’t get out of bed until I told her she could.  We’ll see how long that lasts.
• I love Tova’s quilt.  I found it at Target.  Tova wasn’t as sold on it as I was, but I eventually won her over.  I’m a sucker for stripes.
• Turkey #2 is done.
• Light up Skechers are crappy shoes.  Don’t spend the money on them.  Gavin’s lights went out within the first 2 weeks & this week one of the straps came un-sewed from his shoe.  Crap, crap, crappy shoes.  Gavin was devastated so I exchanged them for another pair.  Hopefully this shoe is a little better made.
• The dog really likes cat food.
• I’m reading a great book, Sarah’s Key.  I’m not done yet, but so far I’m really enjoying it.
• I have made a friend here in Metropolis.  She’s already placed her first Penzeys order, we’ve swapped child care (she has the cutest baby), & we went to see The Blind Side together this week.  Great movie & it was fabulously refreshing to have some ‘girl time’.
• The thing we are getting the boys for Christmas is a Black Friday special.  I’ve never done early morning Black Friday shopping.  Any advice?

K~

K~

I’m making 3 turkey’s this week.  One for Ethan’s Pilgrim Dinner at school & two for Thursday.  I like the idea of a 20lb bird but not the dryness & lack of flavor that usually accompanies a bird that size.  Instead of the big bird, we’re having a med. bird & a turkey breast, just in case the 13 people I’m feeding are really ravenous.

The Party Coordinator (I think they used to be called Room Mother’s) emailed me today to check on the turkey.  Apparently in years past the turkey has arrived late or undercooked so she was trying to warn me of those pitfalls.  Which is exactly why I volunteered to take on the turkey.  It’s amazing how many people are freaked about cooking a turkey.  It’s EASY!  Get yourself a roasting pan.  Spray the turkey with olive oil.  Insert an orange, roast breast side down & voila! a perfect Thanksgiving Turkey.

Now to tackle Bathroom #1 for our Thanksgiving Guests…

K~

There be much appreciatin’ goin’ on over yonder on ye ol’ facebook.

Arrr!

I changed my setting to Pirate English.  It always takes me a minute to stop swashbuckling.

I’m good now.

I’ve been enjoying the Thankfulness posts of some facebook friends so I’m going to do a little one over here.

• I’m thankful for a church where my daughter clapping during a song is encouraged.  She had our whole section of pews clapping away today.
• I’m thankful for Allrecipes.com & Crockpot365.  Because of those two sites, I enjoy cooking again.
• I’m thankful for Paula & her Monday Workouts.
• I’m thankful to have my laptop back.  FYI, it took less than 10 minutes (that includes gathering supplies) to crack open the safe with a drill.  Surprisingly easy.  Just in case you are thinking of taking up burglary, H0neywell’s are the ones to hit.
• I’m thankful for a new pair of Levi’s.  There’s not 100% cotton, but they feel great anyway.

There’s tons more but I’m saving it for filler later this week

K~

We had our family picture taken today for our church’s new directory.  My plan was to order a couple of prints for our parents & one for Jason’s office.

Ha!

An 8×10 was going to be $50!  And the pictures weren’t that great.  Jason was pretty quick to shut down the sales pitch & the salesperson was kind of rude in her eagerness to move us out.  We thought we were being nice by not wasting her time but I guess she didn’t see it that way.

The one thing we did get out of the evening, other than a free 8×10, was a kick in the butt to actually get pictures taken at an affordable place.

The appointment is on Wed.  Just what everyone wants to do on their day off…

K~

I know, I know.  Another toothpaste post?!

Tova had to have a new shirt before we even left to take the boys to school because of this mess.

Did any end up in their mouths or just on the counter?

The kids even made a special blue cap for the tube.

K~

Yesterday I was looking for a book.  In Rural City that meant cruising Amazon & placing an order or borrowing a book from a friend.

Metropolis has a few more options.  Not only do we have a Barnes & Noble, we also have 2 libraries relatively close by & they are staffed by people who enjoy books & children.  What an amazing concept!

So Tova & I are in search of some books.  Tova found a few, her new favorite is Catalina Magdelena Hoopensteiner Wallendiner Hogan Logan Bogan Was Her Name.  The girl loves her word salads…  Anyway, I’m cruising the new stuff & find No Time to Wave Goodbye.  I’d read The Deep End of the Ocean years ago & it was a good albeit disturbing read. I like a good sequel so I picked it up.

And put it down last night at 1:30.

I’m a little tired.

The book was okay.  In retrospect, it was not Reading Till 1:30am Worthy.  There were a few chapters that went on way longer than necessary – I’m talking about you Sheriff Swift & your endless monologue about what kind of weather a rescue team can do an effective search & why you won’t authorize one now & egads, the formula & supply debate too…

Anyhoodle, I baked & salsa’d (fruit salsa, not the dance) & bejeweled trying to stave off a nap.  Now I’m just a little cranky, the camera won’t download the pictures so I can’t do the blog post I was originally planning, & the internet is really slow tonight.  But the kids are in bed, I maintained my composure while Ethan, instead of getting ready for bed, was doing his Risky Business Impression (he didn’t know that’s what he was doing, he thought he was only being ‘funny’.  He says funny, I say annoying).  Now I’m going to finish this post that is way longer than it needs to be, find my jammies, snuggle under the covers & read my next book until I fall asleep.  The book is written by a well-known politician so that shouldn’t take long.

K~

We’ve had a few interesting adventures with our Little Orphan Abbey.  She wasn’t coming around as much for a while but now her first knock after school is usually by 3:45.  The kids have barely thrown their coats, book bags, hats, socks, & shoes on the floor right in front of the door by that time.

Over the weekend LOA’s mom called to find out if LOA was at our house.  LOA’s mom wasn’t home & neither was I.  Instead of sending her husband, who hadn’t known LOA left the house, next door, LOA’s mom called me & I ended up calling Jason to send LOA home.

These houses weren’t built for sneaking out.  You can’t close an outside door without the whole house knowing.  So the fact that LOA’s dad ‘lost’ her is troubling.  And how lazy are these people?  You can’t walk the 20 steps next door & knock to see if your 8yr old child is there?

The love & concern LOA’s parents shower on their child is underwhelming.

It’s arm-chair parenting at its best.

K~