Dec 2, 2009
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Okay – I left off last Wednesday with our hijinks & hilarity at New Moon (or, as I prefer to call it, Twilight 2: The Wolfening). I stand by my thoughts and still cannot figure out really why this series is so popular and speaks to loudly to the people who are obsessed with it. I think Edward is thisclose to being an abusive boyfriend, Bella is a codependent, whiny, self-absorbed idiot and their relationship should be in the DSM V under “your teenager needs an intervention”. It says a whole heck of a lot about our society and the women in it that this series has fursploded like this and Stephenie Meyer is now a squillionaire. If this is the pinnacle of TWU WUV, I quit life.
Anyway. Thursday was Thanksgiving or, as I call it, Stretchy Pants Day. (Well, technically, everyday with me is stretchy pants day, but that’s not important now.) We decided to have a quiet day with just my parents, us & the kids and my grandma & aunt. In the past, Steve has put together this amazing, overwhelming and utterly delicious Thanksgiving meal (last year’s recipes provided by The Pioneer Woman), but this year my mom decided to get the meal from Peapod and just asked Steve to make his sweet potatoes and stuffing dishes that we all love. They turned out deliciously and I could have eaten nothing but the stuffing and sweet potatoes. And, since Thanksgiving is just an excuse to eat stuffing, potatoes & pie, that’s okay.
That night, I accomplished my biggest chore – ordered all the Christmas presents for our kids the the other kids we have to buy for. So, other than for Steve and any little things I’d like to get for my parents (I usually make bread for my dad every year and I’ll come up with something nice to make for my mom & grandma), I’m DONE. I can’t believe it. I’ve never done all the shopping in one fell swoop like that. Now, of course, Maggie & Steven have been home sick all week so I have to quickly hide every delivery that comes, so that’s annoying. Steven is one of those kids who HAS TO KNOW WHAT’S IN EVERY BOX THAT ARRIVES, OMG. I’m trying to get the boxes upstairs before he even sees their arrival, but I can’t always do that.
So, yeah. Steven and Maggie are sick. Maggie turned up with bronchitis on Saturday. She was miserable all weekend and then Monday morning, Steven started showing the same symptoms. I made an appointment for him and, lucky I did because that afternoon, William got a fever of 100. Took both of them to the doctor and it seemed to be viral only. Not flu, though. Thousands of milligrams of vitamin C later, William’s fever broke (I took the vitamin C, I didn’t give it to him directly). Unfortunately, Steven has only gotten worse. I called the doctor back this afternoon and she called in Amoxicillin for him. I hope that helps. He’s completely congested and coughing, plus his voice is gone so he sounds like one of the Munchkins after smoking 3 packs a day for 20 years. It would be very funny if he wasn’t so miserable.
Now if William would just get past this stage where he can’t poop and has too much gas. Today he didn’t sleep for more than 20 minutes at a stretch and when he’s awake he’s screaming. I hate it when he screams. I hate feeling incapable of calming him. I hate that I can’t figure out what’s bothering him. I hate.
Nov 28, 2008
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FINALLY getting around to posting! We had a really lovely Thanksgiving yesterday. I’ve never been a real stickler for the holiday – the whole cooking thing, y’know. But for Steve, it’s his favorite holiday. And he goes HOG WILD.
This year, he got involved with an other woman. A hot dish who, unlike me, can cook like a fiend. A woman who makes him drool. Plus? She’s a redhead. I might as well knock over my king right now. You probably know her. Her name’s Ree. And I’d be real worried if there wasn’t a Marlboro Man on the scene.
This year, Steve planned his menu almost directly from her site. And I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if it wasn’t the most delicious Thanksgiving dinner ever.
First he made her amazing sweet potatoes. His touch was to make individual servings in ramekins. It was amazing.
Here we have Steve’s personal family stuffing and Ree’s Fresh Corn & Wild Rice. I thought I’d hate it, but I was wrong.
Here’s my Sweet Potato Bread and Ree’s “Spanish” Green Beans and Extra Creamy Mashed Potatoes. I didn’t care for the green beans much, but to the potatoes I say, “FIE ON YOU.” Fie on you, potatoes, and you, too, Ree. These are the best thing I’ve ever eaten, ever. And I think I gained 25 pounds just from them.
This? I made. Per Steve’s instructions and Ree’s recipe. And it’s the second most dangerous food in the world. It’s her Caramel Pumpkin Pecan Gingersnap Cheesecake. And it’s made of the songs of angels and the deep, resounding temptation of sin. It’s NOT FAIR. You think that looks good? Look at it beckoning you nearer, reflected gluttonously in the granite, dripping caramel so temptingly…
Though as good as this was, I would sacrifice a piece of it for more mashed potatoes. Seriously.
What else? He also made her Whiskey-Glazed Carrots, Stuffing, and a beautifully brined turkey. And the stuffing was made using her Cornbread recipe. So, basically, the Pioneer Woman provided our Thanksgiving. I’m gonna have to block her site, I think.
And, no, I’m not jealous. Why do you ask?? HMMM??
Thanks Happy Giving from our overstuffed family.
Nov 14, 2008
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It’s coming…..right around the corner…..descending upon us. It’s Thanksgiving!
I loooove Thanksgiving. I’ll admit it freely – mostly because of the food. I couldn’t really care less about the turkey – it’s the rest of it. The stuffing – cornbread & traditional – the sweet potatoes, the rolls and breads and, of course, the pumpkin pie. Or sweet potato pie. Man, there was this Thanksgiving over a decade ago where a friend of my in-laws from Belize made a sweet potato pie that KILLED ME. It was so incredibly good. The secret? She said it was fresh ground nutmeg. But it was more than that. She just wasn’t giving it up.
What are your plans for Thanksgiving this year? Do you go all out or keep it more low-key? Over at Celebrations.com they have a boatload of Thanksgiving ideas that look so fun! I am TOTALLY digging the ideas for veggie fall table arrangements. Of course, the words “Butternut Squash” grabbed my attention (my digital scrapbook store’s name is Butternug Squash Designs, in case you didn’t know), so I had to check that one out. Totally clever – cut the top off of a butternut squash, hollow it out and use it as a vase! I never would have thought of that. They also suggest using an artichoke or mixing flowers in with asparagus in a loose, tied arrangement. Very cool.
They also have a whole section just for theThanksgiving Dinner Menu. They offer recipes for dishes like Rum & Cherry Cornbread Stuffing, Grand Marnier Roasted Turkey, Anise Pecan yams, Cranberry Orange Relish & Irish Cream Pumpkin Pie. Some of them are a little too “A Super-Drunk Thanksgiving” for me, but they still sound good!
They also offer ideas for Thanksgiving crafts & skits for the kids, recipes, prayers, art projects, nostalgia and lots more. I think I might have to use this site for a few clever ideas to make our Thanksgiving a little more interesting!
Nov 22, 2007
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Okay – watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Giant bobbleheads of our Founding Fathers?? WHAT?? Nothing represents our patriotism like gigantic bobbleheads of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington & Thomas Jefferson. Could there BE some more clowns in the parade?? Please? Because 57573465789645796387634786 clowns make me so. very. very. happy. (NOT) An entire marching band filled with clowns?? The FIRE MARSHALL CLOWN BRIGADE??? Somebody out there hates my guts.
Nov 18, 2007
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Dear stupid people at the grocery store, Thank you so much for making our marathon shopping session this morning the single worst shopping experience of my LIFE. Your ignorance, obliviousness, selfishness & general moronicity made me want to not only claw my way out of my own skin, it made me understand what makes people “go postal”.
First of all, if you are the only adult present on your particular shopping trip? You absolutely may NOT use more than one cart. On a Sunday early afternoon. Before Thanksgiving. When every other person in the world is also shopping. Because you can not possibly navigate both carts & your children without causing cart-related traffic accidents. Not unlike a 150 year old person who drives at 40 MPH in the left lane on the expressway. You may not actually be INVOLVED in the accident, but you are leaving carnage & tears in your wake. Seriously. Secondly, if you’re shopping on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, please refrain from using the hugely annoying (and simply huge) carts shaped like a car or a truck or a tractor or that plays episodes of the Wiggles. Because there is NOT room in the aisle for people to get around you. Plus, you’re not strong enough to move that stupid cart over to the side, so you sit in the middle of the aisle blocking everyone. If you’re a person who abandons a cart in the middle of the store? I get to punch you directly in the larynx. If you’re a store employee who leaves a stocking cart in the middle of the store? I get to bash you in the shins & Achilles’ tendon with said cart. And, finally, shelf stockers? If you stock the shelves so that the items are sticking out over the edge? I get to boil you in prune juice. Thanks much, Me.
Now the story. We’re shopping today. Not only our basic family groceries, but also the stuff we need for Steve to make Thanksgiving dinner for our extended family. We’ve got 2 carts going, but we’ve got 2 adults, so it’s good. We’re trying to move efficiently & quickly because we know that we’ve only got a specific amount of time before the kids freak out. Of course, every person on the planet was also shopping today. Because we are idiots, we didn’t think of that first. Our first indication of the rampant stupidity was Shopping Mom who was trying to navigate 2 carts by herself, with the “help” of her 2 kids who were around 10-12 or so. Not bad on a normal day – totally annoying on the Sunday before Thanksgiving. She simply couldn’t do it. She couldn’t find what she wanted on the shelves. She couldn’t maneuver the carts. I’m corralling my 2, telling them over & over, “You MUST be up against the shelves. Get out of the aisle. Up against the shelves, guys.” Additionally, Shopping Mom was unaware of the phrase polite people use when they need to get by. Yknow, “Excuse me.” Instead, she’d just stand RIGHTNEXT to you & glare. Using her amazing magical mind powers to get you to just KNOW that you need to get out of her way. I’m up against the far shelves, trying to stay out of the way & wait for an opening in oncoming cart traffic to dart across & grab my Emeril seasoning or all-purpose flour or ground mace and I was totally losing patience. We finally finished in the spice aisle & got in front of them to continue on. We move on the juice aisle where AnnoyingThemeCart Lady is trying to reach juice that’s on a shelf about a foot out of her reach. Of course, AnnoyingThemeCart is smack dab in the middle of the aisle. Plus, there’s an abandoned empty cart just SITTING in the way. At first, ATC Lady just looked at me and went back to trying to be Mrs. Incredible to reach her juice. Then, she came to her senses and moved Abandonded Cart and then tried to move that big, huge, stupid lug of a cart over to the side. I say, “Excuse me, sorry.” and move around her to the left. Then, to avoid ABandonded Cart, I have to whip back right. But who’s right behind Abandonded Cart, completely oblivious to the fact that I’m coming and starting to move out & around herself?? That’s right. It’s Shopping Mom. In order to avoid slamming into her, I weave back to the right, totally flush against the shelf. Proceeding to hit a shelf with big jugs of juice hanging out over the edge (that I couldn’t see because of the STUFF IN MY CART), which cause a domino effect, knocking 3 jugs of PRUNE JUICE onto the floor – popping open & allowing prune juice to flow like a river all over the floor. 3 JUGS of prune juice. Which smells, y’all. Shopping Lady & AnnoyingThemeCart Lady just gawp at me – not even bothering to try to help or say, “Sorry!!” or “Oh, geez” or ANYTHING. So, I try to get the jugs up so they stop POURING stinky prune juice all over everything while Henry takes the opportunity to start pulling crap off the shelves. And I?? AM. SO. ANGRY. THAT. I’M. SHAKING. I roll the cart through the pruney river, hop over & instruct the other 2 kids how to cross without getting covered. Henry pulls 5798346578643879 envelopes of lemonade Kool-Aid off the shelf. All I want to do is SCREAM like a guest on Maury and abandon the cart as I leave the store in a flurry of cursing & stuff Henry’s pulling off the shelves. Unfortunately, we’re not even close to done. Because we have to hit produce for all the stupid healthy parts of the meal. (Why we can’t just have stuffing, potatoes & pie with a side of turkey is beyond me) Henry’s now hit the point where every time I put my hands on the cart handle, he scratches them. Now we’re walking through the store going, “grab handle, push, scratch, remove hands….grab handle, push, scratch, remove hands…..grab handle, push, scratch, remove hands.” And I’m getting angrier & angrier. When Henry’s not doing that, he’s turning 180 degrees in the cart & pulling things out of the cart & throwing them on the floor. And finally, cashiers?? STOP COMMENTING ON WHAT I’M BUYING. I know we buy a lot of baby food. Take it up with His Highness. Okay.
Now for the pictures. Here is our MBR with furniture!
The LR from the top of the stairs (please forgive all the miscellaneous crap)
The dining room from the LR – if you look closely, you can see the missing glass in the china cabinet. It’s in the side facing closest to the camera.
The new desk in the family room:
And what I think is a lovely niche in the living room. Note Steven’s art work on the rotating bookcase.
Here’s my interesting son with Nika, our foster dog:
