Category Archives: Family

Un-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving

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Fair warning:  Very rambly post ahead.

We started with S’s birthday celebration on Wednesday.  Of course, that had to include visiting Daddy at work and eating lunch with him at Chick-fil-A.  Then we came home to make the cake.  Clever mom that I am, I thought I’d save money by making the cake at home instead of ordering it, but by the time I bought all the supplies I didn’t save a cent.  What’s the cliche’ commercial?  ”Spending time with your children while making their own birthday cake:  Priceless.”  I decided that it had to be one of those moments instead.  :)

She had a fabulous birthday party with presents she loved, including a brand new bike!  On Thursday, we intended to head to SeaWorld instead of having a huge meal (and avoid the large crowds on Friday) but Chris moved our plans to Friday, mostly because their Christmas festivities started on Friday.

So what did we do for Thanksgiving?  Why, we had an un-Thanksgiving, of course!  Frozen pizza!  Ha!  (Chicken pot pie for those of us with tomato sensitivities, ahem.)  I had opted not to go grocery shopping to avoid pre-Thanksgiving crowds and then go shopping on Friday when everyone would be in the Black Friday frenzy and NOT at the grocery stores.  (Yes, I strategically plan to avoid crowds, it’s a disease.)  So who did not have any food in the house on Thanksgiving Day?  *hand raised*

And which store was open on T-Day?  The dreaded W-World.  The place I do not buy fresh fruits, veggies or meat.  *shiver*  So frozen food it was.  :)

And we were thankful.  :D    I was thankful my kitchen was clean, oh so very clean.  I was thankful I didn’t spend hours cooking.  It was nice and low-key.  This way I can gear up for a lovely Christmas meal now.

Friday…SeaWorld.  We got there late, after lunch, so as to enjoy the after-dark festivities.  The kids really enjoyed the ice skating show.  S’s facial expressions were something to behold.  I think I enjoyed watching her more.  The weather was incredible – just perfect for walking around a park like that.

Did you do anything un-Thanksgiving-like during Thanksgiving?  Like eat frozen pizza?  :)

Five

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She’s five.  FIVE.  Today.

Five years old.  The big five.  A handful.  S is our beautiful and amazing surprise from Heaven born on Thanksgiving Day.  We call her our Turkey Baby, but she quite offended by that the other day and cried.  She didn’t know what we meant.  Ha!

She is drama, she is joy, she is our social butterfly.  She can be very discerning, she is very artistic, she loves to dance.  She wants to learn piano, she loves to hear the “God songs” in the car and sing them as loud as she can.  She wears the craziest outfits you have ever seen and wears them proudly, then changes into something else 30 minutes later.  (Laundry is the bane of my existence, currently.)

She loves to be on stage.  Yesterday at her preschool’s Thanksgiving program, she boldly waved to us and yelled “Hi, Daddy!” then primped and posed between songs.  She was dressed as a little Indian Princess

Today, we will be making a Unicorn Cake (her choice, I have NO idea where the idea came from) and having pancakes for her birthday dinner (can we say sugar overload) and having dear friends over for the dinner and party.  Then tomorrow, we buck Thanksgiving tradition and head to a theme park to celebrate her birthday.

A little wild, a little crazy….just like our beautiful S!

Randomness 87

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  • The Hunster, the Huntley-dog, the Hunt-man, aka our Golden Retriever, has put on some weight.  Time for a diet plan and more exercise plan.
  • The extreme Southeast unseasonal cold winter blues and resulting family hibernation has not helped matters.  I suppose it’s time to get out and walk again.
  • He sure is fat and happy though.  :D
  • I have the best piano students and families in the world.  Have I mentioned that before?  I always fall in love with all of them.  So precious.
  • I am reading Creative Correction by Lisa Wheschel.  It is a book and Bible study aimed at, well, creative and loving discipline for our families.  I’m looking forward to a slew of new ideas for my highly energetic and stubborn children.
  • I say that most lovingly.
  • Supernanny’s time-out methods work beautifully, too.
  • I actually like watching episodes of Supernanny when I need a boost to my parenting morale.  Ha!  Not that I am a perfect parent by ANY means.
  • Then there are the days when I want to call her myself and ask, “Now what do I do with THAT?  You never cover THAT on your show!”
  • Before you know it, they are both standing in front of you with cherubic grins on their faces, drawing hearts in the air, “cutting them out” and handing them to you.  ”Here, Mommy, here’s a heart for you!”
  • And I melt.
  • What makes you melt?  (Kids or not.)

Randomness 85

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  • I have items in my closet that I just cannot bring myself to toss or donate.
  • I think I keep hoping they will come back in style.
  • It worked for bell-bottoms, didn’t it?  :D
  • This weekend I held my piano studio recital at an assisted-living facility.  LOVED it!
  • S was a social butterfly handing out Christmas cards to the residents and chatting it up with them.
  • We have yet to figure out where this social DNA comes from in her.  Neither Chris nor I have it.    She does it with ease and thrives on it, in fact.
  • G is like us.  He was content to hang out in back and watch the festivities from afar.
  • It is 32 degrees this morning and has been frigid the last few mornings…unusual here.  Tomorrow and Friday?  Back up to 68 and 70.
  • My heat and a/c system just can’t handle the excitement.
  • S had her Christmas dance recital yesterday – a mini-recital at the end of her last December class.  It was adorable.  They did a tap routine to “Jingle Bell Rock” and a ballet routine to “Happy Birthday, Jesus.”
  • Next, they demonstrated some technique things and they girls had to correct the teacher on incorrect technique.
  • You guessed it.  S took charge of that and told her what was what.  Our little ballerina.
  • I’m trying to decide what holiday cookies to make with the kids.  We always do decorated sugar cookies in Christmas shapes.  Ever since I was a kid.
  • I might twitch if I didn’t do holiday sugar cookies at Christmas one year.
  • It wouldn’t be a pretty sight.
  • We also do dates (pitted) with cream cheese frosting and pecans – oh YUM.  I know, those aren’t cookies but they holiday traditions around here.  I know you’re making a face right now, but don’t knock it until you try it!  They are wonderful!
  • And homemade (I stress homemade) apple cider.  In a crock pot, simmering all day.  Mmmmmmmm.
  • What holiday cookies or foods are traditions for your family?  Those that you just cannot do without?

Randomness 84

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  • Oh, Randomness posts, how I have missed you!
  • G is doing very, very well in homeschool!  Mommy is loving it, too.
  • Even S is picking up on so much.  She can write her full name now.
  • Speaking of S, she just had a birthday and is now FOUR.  I know, FOUR.
  • Her birthday party was a Barbie explosion.
  • She loved every second of it.
  • She blew out her candles, opened one present from the pile, then declared, “Ok, can we have cake now?”
  • Ha!  That’s my girl!
  • Yesterday, we had to have a long discussion about Christmas not being about her birthday, too.
  • Yes, there were tears involved.  Oh, the drama.
  • G has a heart of gold.  Such a giving spirit in that kid.
  • S accidentally left George, her stuffed monkey, at Grandma’s.  She cried (of course), so he promptly drew her a picture of George to make her feel better.
  • Read any good books lately?
  • Favorite Scriptures?  I’ve been enjoying Hebrews lately.  Oh, such good stuff in there.
  • Speaking of birthdays, TODAY is Chris’s birthday!  Yea, Chris!  The awesome rescuer of damsels’ in distress (aka Daddy’s girl), and the great fixer of trucks and builder of things (G’s favorite), and incredible super-gluer-of-shattered-childhood-Christmas-ornaments (yea, that was me) – we love you!!
  • Ahhhh….Randomness-awesomeness is back!!