Thanksgiving Eve, 2 pm.

This holiday baking gig is ALRIGHT.

With Apologies to Clement Clarke Moore.

'Twas two days before Thanksgiving and all through the house
Dad was at the office but not so his spouse.
She was at home, scrubbing and cleaning,
making sure every inch was a -gleaming.
The shopping was done and the dinner was planned
Most cooked from scratch (but the yams would be canned).
Cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and rolls,
stuffing and turkey and cran relish in bowls.
The cinnamon rolls were in the fridge waiting
as dreams of a low-calorie day started fading.
Hot coccoa was bought, extra marshmallows, too,
to sip while watching the parade and balloons.
The kids' outfits were ready, all red, brown and white,
to show off at church on Wednesday night.
All that was left was the cooking and baking-
the dishes Mommy looked so forward to making.
Pumpkin pie, apple crisp, sugar cookies galore
spiking blood sugars and kids shouting, "More!"
As Mommy unpacks her apron of toile,
the paperboy brings fliers of sales at the mall.
Later on there'll be football and plenty of naps
as kids tug on wishbones until they hear snaps.
Maybe a fire, some games or Playstation
and hopefully a screening of Christmas Vacation.
So much to look forward to! So much to savor!
The family- the fun- the smells and the flavors!
Thanksgiving is harvest, abundance, and autumn
a family holiday from its top to its bottom.
For no matter where people may ramble and roam
they always return for this celebration of home.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fall Soccer 2011.

This fall was Michaela's 9th season playing soccer, and it was a tough season, weather wise- brutally hot and buggy (from all the rain we had over the summer) in the beginning of the season and frigid, wet and windy at the end.  Not good for players or loyal fans.  Michaela played on a girls' team of 4th and 5th graders, and I am embarrassed to say how few of them I knew by the end of the season.  I used to take pride in getting to know all the kids she played with, but since I've had Alec, whose behavior is pretty attention-dominating at games (we mostly just sat in the car and watched during the practices) I have dropped that ball.  And that's really okay.  Thankfully she was with two good friends from her old school and her favorite Coach Tim, so she had a good time.

Action shots

 Watch out, Sports Illustrated- there's a (very) young photographer coming onto the scene... once he figures out how to exactly look through the viewfinder.

After shooting a tough game, this photographer rewards himself with a Popsicle.

 Michaela and her friend Erin, who has been on her soccer team every season but one since they were four years old.  What a joy it is to watch them grow up together.

One of the team moms made these cookies for the girls to enjoy at the End of Season Party.  Super cute. 

Michaela's shoulders are up by her ears because it was about 35 degrees outside and we were celebrating in an unheated pavilion.  Brrr. 

Congrats to Michaela and her team on another great season!

Halloween, One Week Late. Sorry.

Everyone was happy this Halloween:

1. I was happy that I didn't have to convince Michaela to NOT wear a Teenage Goth Vampire Hottie costume.

2. Dan was happy that the girls' costumes were warm and that they both took trick or treating seriously and really worked the neighborhood.

3. Michaela was happy that she got to troll two neighborhoods with her friend and gathered an impressive 210 pieces of candy.

4. Jenna was happy that she looked so adorable in her Jessie costume and that her aunt and uncle got her the super snazzy hat and boots.  "I want to wear them EVERY DAY!" (Thank you, Brian and Beth!)

5. Alec was happy that we did not force him to wear a costume at all, just a Halloween-themed t-shirt.  And that was good enough for Mommy.



Our neighborhood Halloween Parade and party was cancelled due to the freak snowstorm that came through Saturday night.  Luckily, we were mostly spared and only got about three inches of snow.

Sunday night we ventured out to the Halloween Barn Party we go to every year at a local family farm. 

Michaela helped with the face painting.

In very typical Alec style, he refused to wear a coat the whole time. 

Did I mention there was there was three inches of snow on the ground?  And we were in a barn?

Here's the girls in their Halloween themed t-shirts they wore to school that day.

Here's a Halloween themed treat I made with chocolate chocolate chip cookie dough.

Here's my Eskimo girl.

 

Here's my Jessie from Toy Story.

 

Here's Alec eyeing that snazzy hat.

 

Here's Alec walking away, hat stolen.

 

Here's Alec sitting in the best seat in the house- inches away from the candy bowl.  He's no dummy.

He helped me greet all our trick or treaters: he would run to the door, open it, look at the people and wait for me to hand them the bowl. When we were done, he would close the door and then touch the door lock and the deadbolt, because that's what we do.  I can only imagine how bizarre the whole evening was for him: why are all these people coming to our house? Why aren't they coming in? Why do they look so funny?  Why are we giving them our CANDY? 

 

And here's the loot- Michaela had to count and sort it for a Math homework assignment, which led to a spirited discussion of whether Tootsie Rolls are a "bar candy" or an "other" and whether Whoppers are a "bagged candy" or an "other".

It was a great, safe, happy Halloween.  Now... on to Thanksgiving!!!!



Yesterday's Score Card.

Victory: (Sort of) Understood two new words said by Alec today: "burp" and "excuse me". Thanks to Michaela for teaching him how to fake burp at the end of tea parties.

Defeat: Endured three temper tantrums.