Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It is about food and friends and family and bringing everyone together to be thankful for what we have. One of my most favorite memories of Thanksgiving was the one when I was about 8 years old, in the kitchen helping my mom cook. I loved that she baked homemade bread for Thanksgiving and I loved having my own little ball of dough to shape and bake. Thanksgiving… I expect won’t be an easy time for me because I have so many memories of the holiday as spent with my mom. This will be my first without her.
I am normally the go all out person for Thanksgiving. This year it will be truly impossible since I won’t even have been at home for the 11 days prior to prepare. AB’s sister and mom will be here and aren’t expecting much. We have prepared them for the fact that there will be no cooking at the Thanksgiving magnitude done on Thursday. I am not sure what we will do. However, we WILL cook our Thanksgiving meal on either Friday or Saturday. This is going to be good for me this year to do something completely different for the holiday that will likely remind me the most of my mom.
Christmas will be in our house! AB and I have agreed that we have no intentions of traveling for the holidays potentially ever again. At least until our kids are grown and we travel to them. We have traveled for so many holidays and have done our share of it. I don’t really expect anyone to come to us, it would be nice, but I won’t be disappointed to host Christmas for my family here in town. I am thinking I will be taking nearly two weeks off and keeping the kids home with me. Yes, my sanity may be called into question at the end of this. I am looking forward to a real Christmas tree, lights on the house, Mina the elf making her appearance the day after Thanksgiving, shopping, planning our Christmas meal, the Living Nativity, Christmas Eve service and teaching what the holiday means to my kids.
Skadi has asked for a “big doll” and I haven’t started looking for one yet, but I have ideas. Leif asked for Wii games and I might have made a mistake in redirecting him. AB rolled his eyes at me when I suggested that maybe he should consider something other than Wii games since he has a lot. Something like maybe a Nintendo DS, for example.
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving. Show all posts
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Monday, November 23, 2009
My week
Thanksgiving is my week. After about my first year at the lab I started saving my personal holidays to use during Thanksgiving, whereby I could then supplement these two days with 8 hours of vacation time and wa-la... a full week off with minimal expense on my part.
Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday of the year and one that I really enjoy prepping for. I remember back to 1st or 2nd grade when the neighborhood boys came to get me for sledding one Thanksgiving day and I declined the offer in favor of cooking with my mom.
I enjoy puttering about the house, working on small projects, improving little things, thinking about Christmas presents and prepping for the big meal. Or little meal as the case may be. We always cook more food than we can possibly eat because it is thoroughly impossible to make a traditional Thanksgiving meal for just a few people.
This time around I hadn't taken much time to plan for my week. Many factors playing into this... first the plan to host Thanksgiving for my mom and stepdad and then that not working out. The second is work. I have never been so busy and overwhelmed with work. Third is the kids, they keep me hopping. Fourth is that this year is just moving by so quickly that I am still (despite the fridge full of groceries) having trouble believing that Thanksgiving is really here.
I did think ahead enough when we found out my family wouldn't be visiting to declare it a good time to paint Skadi's room. So we are tackling that. (Pink, green and periwinkle with flowers. The pink is done.)
Aside from that the plans are:
-Make jerky (aka pemmican) with Leif (done and it turned out superbly).
-Clean the fridge (done)
-Dermatologist appt (done and I have the wounds to prove it)
-Cook/bake (will start with cranberry zin sauce tomorrow)
-Entertain children for six days straight.
-Check work e-mail multiple times a day (ongoing)
-Keep checking my phone for signs of work distress (ongoing)
-Empty (and quit paying for) the storage unit (still need to inform AB of this one).
-Christmas shopping started and/or done (good start)
-Photo for the Christmas card (working on tomorrow)
-Abandon town for the snowy hills this weekend for a day of sledding/scouting ski areas/retreating to nature.
You will notice a number of different things on this list from previous years. The work aspect... cannot seem to abandon it all this year. And the Christmas shopping (normally nearly finished by now) and the photo (normally with cards in hand at this point). Also there are fewer projects.
This year there is more simple struggle to stay on top of what is at hand as opposed to undertaking new things.
Thanksgiving is my second favorite holiday of the year and one that I really enjoy prepping for. I remember back to 1st or 2nd grade when the neighborhood boys came to get me for sledding one Thanksgiving day and I declined the offer in favor of cooking with my mom.
I enjoy puttering about the house, working on small projects, improving little things, thinking about Christmas presents and prepping for the big meal. Or little meal as the case may be. We always cook more food than we can possibly eat because it is thoroughly impossible to make a traditional Thanksgiving meal for just a few people.
This time around I hadn't taken much time to plan for my week. Many factors playing into this... first the plan to host Thanksgiving for my mom and stepdad and then that not working out. The second is work. I have never been so busy and overwhelmed with work. Third is the kids, they keep me hopping. Fourth is that this year is just moving by so quickly that I am still (despite the fridge full of groceries) having trouble believing that Thanksgiving is really here.
I did think ahead enough when we found out my family wouldn't be visiting to declare it a good time to paint Skadi's room. So we are tackling that. (Pink, green and periwinkle with flowers. The pink is done.)
Aside from that the plans are:
-Make jerky (aka pemmican) with Leif (done and it turned out superbly).
-Clean the fridge (done)
-Dermatologist appt (done and I have the wounds to prove it)
-Cook/bake (will start with cranberry zin sauce tomorrow)
-Entertain children for six days straight.
-Check work e-mail multiple times a day (ongoing)
-Keep checking my phone for signs of work distress (ongoing)
-Empty (and quit paying for) the storage unit (still need to inform AB of this one).
-Christmas shopping started and/or done (good start)
-Photo for the Christmas card (working on tomorrow)
-Abandon town for the snowy hills this weekend for a day of sledding/scouting ski areas/retreating to nature.
You will notice a number of different things on this list from previous years. The work aspect... cannot seem to abandon it all this year. And the Christmas shopping (normally nearly finished by now) and the photo (normally with cards in hand at this point). Also there are fewer projects.
This year there is more simple struggle to stay on top of what is at hand as opposed to undertaking new things.
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Our Colorado Thanksgiving Vacation in Pictures
Skadi's new favorite animal.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Thanksgiving prep day
I reveled in today. *I* woke up with smiles (the rest of my house didn't).
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year. This goes back to when I was a kid. The first memory I have of Thanksgiving is probably from when I was about 6. I looked forward to wearing my long skirt and baking with my mom. She always made fresh bread and pies on Thanksgiving.
Dinner was always at my grandmother's house with games afterwards. We had to cross the North Platte river to get there and I envisioned myself a pioneer girl crossing the river while I sang "over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go". There wasn't any through the woods though. In fact it was more like, down the street, over the river and down the street again. She lived about a mile away as the crow flew. By the time I finished my song, we were there.
I loved the smell of baking bread and my mom always gave me little bits of dough to shape and bake in my own little pans.
That year I was so excited to be baking with my mom that when the neighborhood boys came and inquired as to if I wanted to go sledding, I turned them down. I remember my mom saying I could go if I wanted to, she could get things done without me, my only hope was that she didn't MAKE me go sledding. I loved sledding, and the neighborhood boys were nice enough. But cooking on Thanksgiving happened only once a year. And at least in Central Wyoming, snow happened all the time.
My first year in grad school we didn't go back to Colorado. Instead we had a few people up to our place in Reno. I think that was the year my sister flew in, JB (AB's best friend) came over the hill from San Fran as did Brian and maybe Josh too. I am even thinking JB's sister came out too. Our turkey was late. (The plastic popper thing never popped.) I discovered AB really didn't like mayo, it wasn't just his imagination. I tried to convince him it was yogurt in the spinach dip - he replied, "well I guess I don't like yogurt either" - it was a year or so before I could convince him to try yogurt again. We had mashed potatoes, lumpy gravy and not much else.
My first Thanksgiving was a real learning experience.
My second Thanksgiving though was different since I had a little cooking experience under me with a real professionally trained chef. My stepbrother cooked the rehearsal dinner for 50 people as his gift to my other stepbrother on the eve of his wedding day. I was thrilled to act as his sous chef. I am not sure I have ever learned so much on one topic in 48 hours. I still apply all that knowledge I learned that summer in any large dinner I cook.
I bought my last minute groceries this morning and picked up some different cheeses. In preparation for the games on Friday I bought a couple six packs of beer which resulted in a marriage proposal from the guy bagging my groceries. (Apparently his ex-wife never brought beer home and the fact that I did just made me the ultimate potential wife to him.) Ok, it made me smile. (He said nothing of the wines I happened to score... so much for him.)
Today I made the turkey broth/drippings for the gravy - all that needs to be done tomorrow is the roux base and mix it together. The cinnamon rolls are done and doing the final rise in the fridge. The components of the dressing done and ready to be combined and baked. The pumpkin pie is baked.
Tomorrow I will do my mushroom soup, make mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts and act as bartender while AB smokes the turkey and makes his yam and apple gallete with pomegranite reduction.
---------------------------
I picked Leif up from daycare and his mood was vastly improved. I am wondering if it has to do with the fact I let him haul HIS blankey in. I fear this is going to be a routine now. My little Linus dragged his blanket in and out of preschool today with a smile on his face. I had a blankey too.
Leif has AB's speech patterns down to a science. This morning he was watching Skadi play and he said to me, "did you see what your daughter just did". It was all I could do not to just completely bust up laughing at him.
Oh and speaking of my daughter. Three forward crawl steps today. She has yet to reproduce it, but I fear my days are numbered!
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year. This goes back to when I was a kid. The first memory I have of Thanksgiving is probably from when I was about 6. I looked forward to wearing my long skirt and baking with my mom. She always made fresh bread and pies on Thanksgiving.
Dinner was always at my grandmother's house with games afterwards. We had to cross the North Platte river to get there and I envisioned myself a pioneer girl crossing the river while I sang "over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go". There wasn't any through the woods though. In fact it was more like, down the street, over the river and down the street again. She lived about a mile away as the crow flew. By the time I finished my song, we were there.
I loved the smell of baking bread and my mom always gave me little bits of dough to shape and bake in my own little pans.
That year I was so excited to be baking with my mom that when the neighborhood boys came and inquired as to if I wanted to go sledding, I turned them down. I remember my mom saying I could go if I wanted to, she could get things done without me, my only hope was that she didn't MAKE me go sledding. I loved sledding, and the neighborhood boys were nice enough. But cooking on Thanksgiving happened only once a year. And at least in Central Wyoming, snow happened all the time.
My first year in grad school we didn't go back to Colorado. Instead we had a few people up to our place in Reno. I think that was the year my sister flew in, JB (AB's best friend) came over the hill from San Fran as did Brian and maybe Josh too. I am even thinking JB's sister came out too. Our turkey was late. (The plastic popper thing never popped.) I discovered AB really didn't like mayo, it wasn't just his imagination. I tried to convince him it was yogurt in the spinach dip - he replied, "well I guess I don't like yogurt either" - it was a year or so before I could convince him to try yogurt again. We had mashed potatoes, lumpy gravy and not much else.
My first Thanksgiving was a real learning experience.
My second Thanksgiving though was different since I had a little cooking experience under me with a real professionally trained chef. My stepbrother cooked the rehearsal dinner for 50 people as his gift to my other stepbrother on the eve of his wedding day. I was thrilled to act as his sous chef. I am not sure I have ever learned so much on one topic in 48 hours. I still apply all that knowledge I learned that summer in any large dinner I cook.
I bought my last minute groceries this morning and picked up some different cheeses. In preparation for the games on Friday I bought a couple six packs of beer which resulted in a marriage proposal from the guy bagging my groceries. (Apparently his ex-wife never brought beer home and the fact that I did just made me the ultimate potential wife to him.) Ok, it made me smile. (He said nothing of the wines I happened to score... so much for him.)
Today I made the turkey broth/drippings for the gravy - all that needs to be done tomorrow is the roux base and mix it together. The cinnamon rolls are done and doing the final rise in the fridge. The components of the dressing done and ready to be combined and baked. The pumpkin pie is baked.
Tomorrow I will do my mushroom soup, make mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts and act as bartender while AB smokes the turkey and makes his yam and apple gallete with pomegranite reduction.
---------------------------
I picked Leif up from daycare and his mood was vastly improved. I am wondering if it has to do with the fact I let him haul HIS blankey in. I fear this is going to be a routine now. My little Linus dragged his blanket in and out of preschool today with a smile on his face. I had a blankey too.
Leif has AB's speech patterns down to a science. This morning he was watching Skadi play and he said to me, "did you see what your daughter just did". It was all I could do not to just completely bust up laughing at him.
Oh and speaking of my daughter. Three forward crawl steps today. She has yet to reproduce it, but I fear my days are numbered!
Monday, November 19, 2007
One mental health day down
I kept Skadi home, but dropped Leif at daycare today.
I used to state that I didn't know what the Terrible Two's were all about. Nope, we didn't have the Terrible Two's in our house. We do, however, have the Terrible Three's. So not a fun experience. I am lucky, he is a great kid, he is a smart kid. But wow, he is exerting his will right now. And he is willful about everything. Everything is a battle lately. From sitting down to dinner, to what shirt he wants to wear, to pooping in the potty (again).
I selfishly kept him in preschool this week while Skadi and I took the week off. I want to give Skadi some one on one time with me. I want to live by her schedule for a few days. I want to not endure screaming at the mere suggestion of naptime.
Oh wait. I forgot... must maintain my facade that my child is an angel. Let me think of something funny or cute he has done lately...
Really, there should be something to write here...
Thinking...
Ok, well the one thing that really cracks AB and I up lately is that his speech patterns are uniquely AB's. I asked AB the other day what it feels like hearing your own voice and sentiments echoed back at you. Because I find it frankly hilarious hearing AB's speech patterns come out of this little 34 lb beanpole walking around my house. "Probably", "actually", "why don't we do this", "how about we..." and any combination of these phrases.
I am being selfish leaving Leif in preschool. And I am working on not feeling guilty about it.
Skadi fell asleep last night at 7pm and woke at 4:28am for a quick nurse and then back to her marathon sleep until 6:48am. That child can snooze when there isn't anything popping up in her way (teeth).
We took Leif to school and then ran to the bank. It was closed and since I wasn't going to take her out of her carseat and schlep her up to the foyer ATM, the banking will wait.
We headed to Winco for groceries. I debated Albertsons vs. Winco. Albertsons and the convenience, the nice store, the one stop shopping beckoned me. But the vast money savings of Winco won me over. Skadi is a most excellent shopping assistant and didn't make a peep the entire time, even while I bagged my own groceries (hate that).
We headed home where she went immediately down for a nap. I put the groceries away and had time for a quick e-mail check before she was back up again. Not surprising given the sleep previously.
We played around the house. She watched me hang the pictures that have been begging for places on the walls. She worked on her crawling (backwards still and that is oh so very frustrating to her). We ate some lunch, turned on Days of Our Lives and folded laundry. At 1:30 she was back down for her afternoon nap.
Wow did I score with the afternoon nap. 2.5 hours to pick up the house, make my Cranberry Zinfandel sauce and start on my photo albums. I was productive there. At 4pm she started making peeps and we packed up to go assuage my guilt and retrieve the boy child a little early.
I looked at my Monday list. I accomplished about half of it. The other half remained untouched, or changed. So "Go get bearhands" changed to "See if Leif's old Bearhands will fit Skadi and call the shoe store and see if they have Bearhands this year". (They do.) I will run Leif down sometime this weekend to pick some out - he wants yellow... they don't show yellow as an option on the website. Why oh why do they not make yellow when they make every.single.other.color. Mentally preparing myself now. "Oh look Leif, they have ORANGE! Isn't ORANGE your favorite color? ORANGE will match your olive green and blue coat SOO well!"
I didn't get out to pick up one of AB's presents. But I will do that tomorrow while my housecleaner is here. Since I don't want to be here while she is here - yap yap yap. (Must remember to pack up the stroller tomorrow morning.)
My list was optimistic. I knew this. But what is really important to me is to have the time with Skadi. What I get done while she sleeps is just my extra bonus.
(Will get more down on my how I started dating my husband post tomorrow.)
I used to state that I didn't know what the Terrible Two's were all about. Nope, we didn't have the Terrible Two's in our house. We do, however, have the Terrible Three's. So not a fun experience. I am lucky, he is a great kid, he is a smart kid. But wow, he is exerting his will right now. And he is willful about everything. Everything is a battle lately. From sitting down to dinner, to what shirt he wants to wear, to pooping in the potty (again).
I selfishly kept him in preschool this week while Skadi and I took the week off. I want to give Skadi some one on one time with me. I want to live by her schedule for a few days. I want to not endure screaming at the mere suggestion of naptime.
Oh wait. I forgot... must maintain my facade that my child is an angel. Let me think of something funny or cute he has done lately...
Really, there should be something to write here...
Thinking...
Ok, well the one thing that really cracks AB and I up lately is that his speech patterns are uniquely AB's. I asked AB the other day what it feels like hearing your own voice and sentiments echoed back at you. Because I find it frankly hilarious hearing AB's speech patterns come out of this little 34 lb beanpole walking around my house. "Probably", "actually", "why don't we do this", "how about we..." and any combination of these phrases.
I am being selfish leaving Leif in preschool. And I am working on not feeling guilty about it.
Skadi fell asleep last night at 7pm and woke at 4:28am for a quick nurse and then back to her marathon sleep until 6:48am. That child can snooze when there isn't anything popping up in her way (teeth).
We took Leif to school and then ran to the bank. It was closed and since I wasn't going to take her out of her carseat and schlep her up to the foyer ATM, the banking will wait.
We headed to Winco for groceries. I debated Albertsons vs. Winco. Albertsons and the convenience, the nice store, the one stop shopping beckoned me. But the vast money savings of Winco won me over. Skadi is a most excellent shopping assistant and didn't make a peep the entire time, even while I bagged my own groceries (hate that).
We headed home where she went immediately down for a nap. I put the groceries away and had time for a quick e-mail check before she was back up again. Not surprising given the sleep previously.
We played around the house. She watched me hang the pictures that have been begging for places on the walls. She worked on her crawling (backwards still and that is oh so very frustrating to her). We ate some lunch, turned on Days of Our Lives and folded laundry. At 1:30 she was back down for her afternoon nap.
Wow did I score with the afternoon nap. 2.5 hours to pick up the house, make my Cranberry Zinfandel sauce and start on my photo albums. I was productive there. At 4pm she started making peeps and we packed up to go assuage my guilt and retrieve the boy child a little early.
I looked at my Monday list. I accomplished about half of it. The other half remained untouched, or changed. So "Go get bearhands" changed to "See if Leif's old Bearhands will fit Skadi and call the shoe store and see if they have Bearhands this year". (They do.) I will run Leif down sometime this weekend to pick some out - he wants yellow... they don't show yellow as an option on the website. Why oh why do they not make yellow when they make every.single.other.color. Mentally preparing myself now. "Oh look Leif, they have ORANGE! Isn't ORANGE your favorite color? ORANGE will match your olive green and blue coat SOO well!"
I didn't get out to pick up one of AB's presents. But I will do that tomorrow while my housecleaner is here. Since I don't want to be here while she is here - yap yap yap. (Must remember to pack up the stroller tomorrow morning.)
My list was optimistic. I knew this. But what is really important to me is to have the time with Skadi. What I get done while she sleeps is just my extra bonus.
(Will get more down on my how I started dating my husband post tomorrow.)
Thursday, November 08, 2007
A look ahead
I am already relishing the fact that I have only one week left until I am gone baby gone for one full week. Ok, not really "gone", but just not at work. Leif will stay in daycare Monday and Tuesday and likely Wednesday. I would normally keep him out Wednesday, but truth be told I think he will have a better time at preschool than home with Skadi and me. Additionally I want to give Skadi some much needed one on one time. And selfish me - I won't have to deal with getting him down for nap.
So here is my list of planned events...
Prior to the big event (i.e., the week off):
-3. Upload all recent photos and order prints.
-2. Confirm guest list for Thanksgiving day.
-1. Sit down with AB and create menu and compile grocery list.
On my list (priority items):
1. Put all photos in photo album.
2. Finish Leif's curtains for his room.
3. Grocery shop for T-day.
4. Prep what I can ahead of time (that list will come a little later).
After the above "need to do" list is done we move onto:
5. Sort through the bags and bags of baby/kid clothes. What can be donated/sold? What do I really want to keep?
6. Figure out where Christmas village is going and set it up since it is stored in the garage (and I don't need my husband to get it out).
6a. Take a trip to Macy's and Michaels with Skadi to get some "extras" for the village. I want my village to rock this year. Ok, maybe it will rock in a few years...
6b. A proper outline must have two subtopics... it bugs me when they don't.
7. Christmas photo of the kids dressed in Christmas clothes.
7a. Decide on card photo/photos
7b. Order cards.
Further down my list, filed under "wishful thinking":
8. Clean out Leif's closet and get it in order for him to use.
8a. But that will require having a place to put all.that.stuff. (What do you do with your wedding dress, for example?)
8b. Garage sale fodder? (NOT the wedding dress.)
9. Finish organizing our closet - go through and get rid of clothes unworn.
And under "if time should stand still while I remain in motion":
10. A trip to Joanne's for fabric and cute patterns.
10a. Look up pillowcase dresses, get the materials for one, and find/borrow from any number of princesses around, white wings. And Skadi will also need a halo... My Christmas Angel.
10b. For complete hokiness factor make Leif be a shepherd...
And under "if money suddenly becomes no object":
11. I really want a new outfit for the holidays. Maybe two. Maybe I just want new clothes. Whatever it is, shop for clothes for ME and not the kids. Sure Skadi could use a few more things but not one more item can fit into Leif's dresser. No way no how.
So here is my list of planned events...
Prior to the big event (i.e., the week off):
-3. Upload all recent photos and order prints.
-2. Confirm guest list for Thanksgiving day.
-1. Sit down with AB and create menu and compile grocery list.
On my list (priority items):
1. Put all photos in photo album.
2. Finish Leif's curtains for his room.
3. Grocery shop for T-day.
4. Prep what I can ahead of time (that list will come a little later).
After the above "need to do" list is done we move onto:
5. Sort through the bags and bags of baby/kid clothes. What can be donated/sold? What do I really want to keep?
6. Figure out where Christmas village is going and set it up since it is stored in the garage (and I don't need my husband to get it out).
6a. Take a trip to Macy's and Michaels with Skadi to get some "extras" for the village. I want my village to rock this year. Ok, maybe it will rock in a few years...
6b. A proper outline must have two subtopics... it bugs me when they don't.
7. Christmas photo of the kids dressed in Christmas clothes.
7a. Decide on card photo/photos
7b. Order cards.
Further down my list, filed under "wishful thinking":
8. Clean out Leif's closet and get it in order for him to use.
8a. But that will require having a place to put all.that.stuff. (What do you do with your wedding dress, for example?)
8b. Garage sale fodder? (NOT the wedding dress.)
9. Finish organizing our closet - go through and get rid of clothes unworn.
And under "if time should stand still while I remain in motion":
10. A trip to Joanne's for fabric and cute patterns.
10a. Look up pillowcase dresses, get the materials for one, and find/borrow from any number of princesses around, white wings. And Skadi will also need a halo... My Christmas Angel.
10b. For complete hokiness factor make Leif be a shepherd...
And under "if money suddenly becomes no object":
11. I really want a new outfit for the holidays. Maybe two. Maybe I just want new clothes. Whatever it is, shop for clothes for ME and not the kids. Sure Skadi could use a few more things but not one more item can fit into Leif's dresser. No way no how.
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