Mmmm...cookies

Thanksgiving Part II

Because we are usually traveling for Thanksgiving, we've started the tradition of Thanksgiving, Part II. The kids help prepare the meal and we have whatever we want.

This year, I sent Lily and Emma out to pick carrots from the garden. It was actually pretty satisfying to eat something we actually grew. It doesn't happen that often.

We garden mostly by luck. These were some pretty lucky carrots.

Being the idiots we are, we also painted our living room. For the 4th time. This set the stage for Lily to take measurements (seriously - she used a tape measure) for the placing of the tree and generally design how we decorate our living room. She lives for the holidays - not that the other kids don't, but her particular brand of excitement and level of pre-planning rival Martha Stewart. Danny and I have been more than happy to turn over the reins of holiday decorating to the kids - it is really about them anyway.

We all agree that we will all go to Lily's for the holidays, years from now. Gladly. Although I will miss all the messy chaos of this time, in this place, with the kids, this age. It really is my favorite time of year.

Gloria the Plastic Happy Meal Hippo Rocks My World

We have been pasty-white, inside-cranky people these last few weeks, just itching to get out and feel the sunshine. A few hours this past Saturday afternoon was our chance -our give-up-and-go-to-the-beach time... Awesome! But even the best beach day in early March only band-aids this late-winter testiness. After a sand-muddy romp at Salisbury Beach, we all piled in the car - a little refreshed, but still a bit cranky and tired, and from the bowels of the van comes this, "I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT!"

Gloria the plastic Happy Meal Hippo from Madagascar stars this running commentary..."LEEET'S GO!", like this muffled Jada Pinkett-voiced ghost from the Great Beyond. The kids scoured under the seats, but we can't find her anywhere. She is our secret Buddha, dropping her pearls of wisdom when we least expect it. When fights break out in the back seats, she roars, "I KNOW THAT'S RIGHT!", and shouting matches magically turn into giggle fits. Everyone grows quiet, listening for her sassy comebacks to burst forth from below. I hope we never find her. I hope she continues to bring goofiness in times of gloom. Who knew a rotund plastic sass-goddess could bring so much humor to our March madness. I know that's right! Gloria rocks my world.

Jake and the Firefighter Group

Jake is the first member of my family that I have not met. Henry has long, animated conversations with him (see picture up top), and Jake frequently gets into trouble. One night before bed, Emma and I asked Henry who Jake was, thinking that Jake was someone in his preschool. Henry explained that Jake was not in his preschool class, but in his Firefighter Group.

Henry does have an Uncle Jake out in Texas, but to my knowledge, he has never been a firefighter.

Henry's firefighter group has many members, however the only names I recognize are Jake and someone named Jane, who is also a boy. Girls are in a different firefighter group. The rules can vary slightly, but are usually pretty much the same day to day. I don't know how long Jake will be with us, as sometimes he dies and goes to heaven, but then he has to be at work at the firehouse the next day, which in my book, is pretty remarkable.

I will miss Jake, and Bobo (the piggy Henry is holding in the other picture), and Henry's thumb, all of which he has no intention of giving up anytime soon. I cannot believe Henry will be four next month. I hope they stick around a little bit longer...

Snow, snow, and more snow...

Things I Loved About December

Lily making presents for everyone and putting them under the tree before we even had a tree.

"Contrinary" - Henry's new vocabulary for "getting presents from Santa."

Emma singing "Where are you Christmas" in the shower, in her room, everywhere when she thought we weren't listening, to practice for her chorus concert.

Making cookies, eating cookies, Lily expecting to bake something everyday.

Learning how to make bread (questionable bread, but still tasty).

Being snowed in most of the month.

Sophie snuggling us on the fire room floor as we tried to keep warm during the power outage.

Henry's expression when he tastes something yummy - "Mmm, belicious and dum dums!"

Still making Grandma Mary's perogies, with all the crisco and butter included.

Lily and her friend Alanna's fabulous Christmas Eve song and dance performance, they they rehearsed and planned for most of the month of December.

Henry's preschool class chucking jingle bells at each other when their performance of "12 Days of Christmas" got a bit out of hand.

We Love George

George in our house means two things - sometimes it means Curious George, as in the morning TV show on PBS that I actually enjoy watching. Other times it means Concert For George, as in Harrison, a DVD we rented from Netflix and watched a billion times over about 6 months, and now own.

This George is playing nice and loud in our living room while Henry snoozes. This is also the George that all my children really like to watch, presumably for the music, but probably more because of the Monty Python numbers, one including a great mooning of the audience ("Shake A Bum Bum" in our house, courtesy of Henry). If anyone ever does a concert tribute to me after I am gone, certainly a good mooning should be included.

I love that my kids like to watch this. It is lovely and silly and sad - gorgeous, emotional, and musical. I love that this will entertain them for a goooood long time, which will be put to the test tonight while Danny and I are rehearsing for a benefit show to raise money for my friend Christy (see below), a show that is really cool that both Danny and I are in - I sing some songs, he plays guitar on one or two - this George will babysit our cranky, stay-up-too-late-this-first-week-of-school children well, for which I am very very grateful.