Tgiving 2014

It was a rare solitary Thanksgiving here with just the 5 of us!  But we had a great time.  Thanksgiving games, placemats to color, everyone helping with the food (Eden rolled out the same blob of dough for an hour!  Excellent diversion technique!!), a walk in the snowy woods, a feast for 5 kings, a family movie (in which my 2 year old laid on me and we both fell asleep...blissful tryptophan!), dessert and more games, reading and bedtime.  It was a great day.  "Poor Reuel", though, as my mom would say.  Mom-in-law's everlasting rolls are to die for...except they are a tad too sweet for my taste (not that I'm not happy to eat them that way!  Oh, to be a pickier eater :}.  Today, I picked one up fresh from the oven and said, 'Wow, these are even better than I remember!"  Reuel replied, "Yes, well, you left out the sugar."  I didn't mean to, I promise, my dear!!  Really!  Luckily, I made his family's stuffing recipe instead of my family's, so I think I was mostly forgiven ;)

This year's menu:

Homemade cinnamon applesauce
Pomegranate seeds
Green beans with bacon or mushroom sauce, according to your preference (Owen spent an hour with his nose pinched between his fingers after the mushrooms had sauteed, and Reuel was barely restraining his pinchers).
Mashed russets
Cornbread and biscuit stuffing
Rotisserie-grilled turkey
Everlasting rolls, sans sugar

Fresh pumpkin pie
Crumble-top apple pie
Mint choc-chip ice cream pie in oreo crust

Judging by quantities of the leftovers in the fridge, we ate like mice.  Even so, tomorrow I eat celery!!

Happy Thanksgiving and Thanks Be to God!

Thanksgiving Eve snow!

Excited children!  Now why can't I get them into coats and shoes that quickly?  A dusting of snow and there is no lack of self-motivation :)

Who knows what those boys are scheming but it's always something unexpected.

Eden prayer

You've been warned!  If you don't want a mention of a potty function in your life, turn away!  Eden was in such a cute state tonight at bedtime and this is where I record the memorable moments...I'm gonna record it for myself :)

Me:  OK, time to talk to God.  Are you going to pray or me?
Eden:  ME.
Me:  OK...Dear God,
Eden:  [folds hands, squeezes closed eyes]
Dear God.
FANK you for [pause] WOBSTERS.
[opens eyes, looks over at me, whispers] You can say fank you for wobsters.

Me:  Yes, yes you can.

Eden:  [eyes closed]
FANK you for [pause]  monsters.
[opens eyes, same as before] You can say fank you for monsters.

Me:  I suppose so...

Eden: [closed again]
FANK you for GIANT BIKES!
[same routine]  You can say fank you for big bikes you wike to ride.

Me:  Mmm-hmm.

Eden:  FANK you for poop.
[opens eyes]  NOPE.  You don't say fank you for siwwy fings.  NOPE.  You don't say fank you for dat!
Me:  Well, no, that's not really what we talk to God about, you're right.  We talk to Him about things that we are really thankful for and care about, we don't just want to be silly when we pray.
Eden: [looking a bit inquisitive]  Even we don't say I'm a big girl going poop on the potty?
Me: Well, if you are saying thank you that I'm a big girl, I think that's not silly.
Eden:  FANK YOU GOD dat I'm a big girl and I do poops on da potty!
AMEN.

And Amen!

More Drawing

We are having a little burst of drawing creativity.  Eden has progressed to adding arms and leg lines on her faces, and Asher has moved from abstract designs to more detailed figures.  Compare mid-June (preschool picture from previous post) to this from today.    He is just recently figuring out how to put down what he sees in his mind's eye.  He is a fairly laid-back personality compared to other family members, but wow, is he an artistic perfectionist!!  For so long he has been unwilling to draw much because he just can't make it look like he imagines it...to the point of tears most times he tries.  He has gotten a few things down lately that he likes and is gaining some confidence and not getting so upset.  He was proud enough of this that he asked me to sign his name in cursive on it, like I do mine on my drawings :)

Happy Halloween 2014!

Princess of the blue dress (technically Princess Merida from Brave, but we just picked a dress.  She's never seen the movie ;)  Did NOT want to put on a costume or trick or treat, but Daddy insisted, and you see the smile that happened after the outing :)

An Enderman and Diamond armor Steve from Minecraft (all-time favorite video game around here)

Inventorying the haul.

Oh yes I did

String painting and vegetable prints.  What could possibly go wrong.  Answer:  Nothing 30 minutes of cleanup can't remedy :)

A moment

There's always some sort of zany fun (or fight) going on around here.  Best to catch the fun moments!  I hated to make them put their fun find away, but I KNOW Aunt L. does not want to reknit 5 new stockings for our family :}  They are just so fun to slide around in, though!

Garden's long gone

The garden is long gone, but here are photos hanging out on my camera.  Everyone enjoyed fresh carrots picked from their own little patch of the yard this year.  I think we'll skip tomatoes and just do a lot of carrots next year, since they are what got eaten up.

Asher, end of preschool 2014

Speaking of drawings, finally scanned this one before sending it to the circular file...kept it up for so long because it made me laugh.  It was Asher's last day of preschool drawing of his family.

"Asher, who are each of these people?"
The orange one is mommy, the green one is daddy, the pink one is Owen [color chosen by Asher just to anger his brother].
"What is this on the side of your head?" [mom points to brown figure]
That's Eden.  She is crying, those are her tears.  Wah, wah, wah.
"So you are the yellow one?  Why are you in the air?"
Because I am flying!

Now there's a peek into a 4 year old mind :)