Turkey Days

Thomas and I made an executive decision this year to stay put for Thanksgiving.  Knowing that the following weekends between now and Christmas would be saturated with gigs, we wanted a little down time before the end of the semester.  So, we had a quiet Thanksgiving, just the four of us.  This was our first major holiday since getting married that didn't involve either set of parents, so it was kind of a big deal, and I would be lying if I didn't say we missed our extended families, but at the same time, we were still able to celebrate gratitude...in the comfort of our own home.  We were, however, very busy.  

First, there was the cooking and eating of the feast:  

(I brined a free-range organic turkey and it was crazy delicious)

(We used the good china and crystal)

(Calvin next to the turkey (one of many) he made at school)

"Hi Everyone!"

The first fire-in-the-fireplace of the season:  

Then, there was the long over-due painting of Calvin's room:

(C and S "helped" a lot:  here they are sanding the wood work and putting on the first coat of blue.  Truthfully, while I intended this to be a project for T and I to do together, he ended up doing most (umm, make that all) of the work.  We all love C's new blue room with white trim)

And the selecting and cutting down of the Christmas tree (which, because of the aforementioned gigs, we have to put up early, otherwise it won't get done before our own Christmas activities):

(This was not a picture perfect outing to the tree farm; the children tired quickly of wandering around looking for the tree that met their father and mother's high standards, and C was disappointed that he wasn't allowed to use the saw; S didn't want to wear her coat...or walk.)

We'll put up the tree tonight, Monday, just in time for the filling of our advent Santa's pockets on Tuesday morning.  We are still eating holiday leftovers.  The weekend also involved a few trips to the river, a wee bit of shopping, and cleaning up the house.  No one really wanted the holiday to be over, but now the children are counting the days until Christmas; but hopefully they will go into that holiday prepared with gratitude. I know Thomas and I are.

Mommy Eats Raw Fish

Mama Babs needed a special treat on Tuesday, so while she and Calvin were at the grocery store, she couldn't resist the brightly colored, beautiful sushi when she walked through the meat section.  Before she could reason her way out of doing something nice for herself, she grabbed a box of spicy tuna rolls, chop sticks, and an extra package of soy sauce.

When she and Calvin picked up Suzana, Calvin said "Suzana, guess what Mommy is going to have for lunch?"  Suzana just stared at him blankly while she munched on her apple."

"RAW FISH!  YYUCKK!"  

Then Babs heard her little girl say "Mommy, I don't want raw fish for lunch."

"No, Suzana, that is okay.  Mommy bought hot dogs for you and Calvin."  

When the three of them sat down to eat upon returning home (of course, Babs prepared their gourmet hot dogs with broccoli on the side before she popped the lid off of her sushi box), the children stared inquisitively at what their Mom was eating.  Suzana requested a bite, and informed her Mom that she wanted it dipped in the wasabi infused soy sauce.  Against her better judgement, but too tired to fight a battle, Babs relented and Suzana took a tiny bite of the roll; Suzana only got a little bit of the rice, but the wasabi was a bit of a surprise and she couldn't get to her milk fast enough.

Then, Calvin had to try, except he requested using the chop sticks to hold the roll instead.  This time, Babs said "No."  He took the same sort of tiny bite that Suzana did and had the same kind of reaction.  

The two of them happily returned to their hot dogs, which incidentally were special for them since Babs rarely purchases that processed meat.  

Babs knew that if she really wanted her kids to like sushi, she should have gotten a less controversial roll for them to try their first time, like a California roll, and not have given then wasabi.  

But while she is usually obsessed with expanding their culinary palette, she does not want them to like sushi; because,  it really is nice to have some special treats for herself that her children want nothing to do with.  

Falling in

At dinner tonight, Calvin asked us "What would happen if you didn't have children?"  Being the smarty-pants that I am, I quickly answered "Well, you would never have grandchildren."  But then Thomas and I both looked at each other and explained to Calvin and Suzana how boring our lives would be if we didn't have children.  No one to hug, no one to bake cookies for (even though they said I could still make cookies for Daddy), no one to each lunch with.  I am extremely curious what prompted my son to ask this question.  I hope we made it clear to both of the children that our lives would be miserable without them, despite the fact that I complain about picking up their coats off the floor, whine about their inability to listen or follow directions some days, and that Thomas and I fantasize about being able to get up and having slow mornings on our own terms without having to fix breakfast for the natives or fend them off to play on their own while we finish our coffee and paper.  

For sure, leaf raking is one chore that is so much more incredible satisfying with children around.  We had a perfect afternoon here, so after the requisite after-school apple cider refreshment, we head out to the front yard:

My big boy LOVES raking.  

My girl loves her new pink chap-stick that Calvin bought for her today (but she calls it lipstick) and she held it in her hand THE ENTIRE time we were outside raking.

Then, she pretended her rake was a horse.

Then, they ran and jumped....

Then, I sucked 'em up.

While they moved on to homework on the front step.  Check out that cool new secret agent watch on Suzana's wrist.  They each got one at Wendys today and are ultra excited about them even though they don't really know what a secret agent is.  

One last disclaimer:  While I am a woman of many skills and talents, most of these outside chores I leave for Thomas.  He has more time for it while I am ironing underwear and cooking gourmet meals.  But I do enjoy it immensely when given the opportunity.  I am just saying, he is doing most of the leaf work, not me, which is certainly not reflected in these pictures.  

New bike

It is not pink, but it is all hers:

When my mother-in-law was here a few weeks ago, she was telling me all about these little 2-wheeled bikes without training wheels that all the little European children ride everywhere.  I didn't really get what she was talking about, but when I dropped off some junk for a local rummage sale the following week, Calvin spied this little wooden bike and said "Look, Mommy!  This is a bike like Omi was talking about."  I really couldn't believe it.  Obviously, his young, fresh, imaginative brain had understood right away what Omi was describing, while my cob-webbed, detailed filled brain, just couldn't process the descriptive information.  I worked at the sale and kept my eye on the bike and at the end of my shift, paid for it and brought it home.  We couldn't wait until Christmas to give it to her, and Suzana is quite pleased with it.  

fests! Part 2

Twas the night before Halloween, and we went with the Schmidt family up to their church for a the big Autumn party that they put on every year.  Unfortunately, it was raining, but we still had  a fun time.  I didn't take a lot of pictures because I was busy chasing children and navigating through people, but here is some of Calvin playing putt-putt.
I was proud of stuffy-nosed Calvin for waiting in line so patiently.  Of course, when we got to the inflatable obstacle course, he totally cut in line and zoomed through.  Then he and Suzana did some serious bouncing.  When he woke up the next morning, he was whining that his legs hurt.  Uh, yeah, that is what happens son when you have been lying around all week trying to recuperate, and then you suddenly decide to use all of your muscles again.  Did I mention that he took a three hour nap on Saturday?  
'

fests! Part 1

We have been busy with all sorts of festivities the past few weeks, and I haven't had the time (or energy) to post anything.  

First, there was the 2nd annual Autumn Festival at Wesselmen Woods.  For any of you tri-stater who haven't gone, I suggest you put it on your calendar for next year. There were serious crafts that my children loved, face painting, lectures, snacks, smores, campfire, night hikes, hay rides.  It was really a great time.  

Gum ball spiders.  When we got home, they put them on Thomas' pillow to surprise him when he got home from his concert.  He was totally grossed out.

Suzana got a ghost painted on her face.

Hay Ride!  Which we all loved.  I don't know how many years it had been...

More crafts, of course.

The Night Hike.  We couldn't see anything.  I am surprised that the children still have bones in their hands, as I was squeezing them so tightly.  

Bugs

I need to be more thankful more frequently that my children are healthy, vivacious, energetic children.  Calvin was sick last week...the sickest he has been in several years, with a temperature that reached 103 at times.  It had been so long since he had been this sick, that I forgot how to deal with a sick Calvin.  He was so lethargic and quiet and mostly just wanted to lay around. He didn't want to help me in the kitchen.  He didn't ask me 10,000 times "What are we doing next?".  I kept both kids home on Thursday because I didn't want to chance that Suzana would pass on something to her pre-school friends and I vowed to do get no housework done.  Since I let them watch more TV than usual in an effort to promote rest, I started on some sewing projects, but frankly, I got really bored as the day progressed.  Suzana and I fled to Wal-mart after Thomas got home, and it felt like I had escaped prison, and I don't even like Wal-mart.  When I went to bed that night, I wasn't nearly as exhausted as I usually am, because I just sat around with the children all day.  

Okay, maybe I am exaggerating just a wee bit.  After all, there was some serious craft time, inspired by the sick boy:  crayon shavings, inspired by craft time at the library a few weeks ago.

I kept Calvin home on Thursday too, just for an extra dose of rest, but Suzana got to go to pre-school...wouldn't want her to miss her Halloween party.  And, Calvin returned to school on Friday, in time for his party AND the H1N1 flu mist, which promptly caused him (I suspect) to be hit with a head cold for the weekend.  

As soon as he is healthy, Calvin is back to his old tricks, and an exasperated me wonders why I wanted him to get better so quickly.  But, in my heart, I know I would really rather have this loud singing, trick-playing, question asking, sister tormenting, independent little boy that God gave me.  I missed him.