700—WOW

Seven hundred people. That is how many posts I am up to. Not too shabby, if I do say so myself, and really, who else is going to say anything around here?

I have done the Black Friday thing. I have gone and victory was had...

by the stores, that is. I got plenty of good items, but a few snuck in there that I know were not on the list. But enough of confessing my weaknesses. Let's reminisce about the days of yore. (i.e. yesterday)

My sister-in-law carried the burden of Thanksgiving this year for the first time. She did such an amazing job. I feel guilty that since I come from out of town, I am never asked to bear the onus of hosting the feast. Although I think karma caught up with me in the car yesterday. Regardless, I am secretly pleased that I am not in charge. (Although I guess that is not so secret anymore.) It is a wonderful thing to arrive, partake, and see all the work someone else has gone to in your behalf. Seriously, all those of you who showed up at someone's house yesterday, even if you brought something, be grateful.

Kathryn did an excellent job, from the food, to the decorations. The chow was great.

There were cool lights on the table. (Never seen that before.)

Drinks and desserts were plentiful.

Pearl was digging her first Thanksgiving. Have I mentioned that child can eat?

Lastly, Kathryn got these scratch cards where you could write what you were thankful for. Those were way too much fun. And such a great idea.

Kathryn, for the record, I am indeed grateful. You outdid yourself. Maybe I can bring more next year. Or maybe, one of these years, you will just have to come down my way.

What was your first clue?

June may be one of those people who gets sick while reading in a car.

The drive to Idaho is not a bad one, and considering the weather, we made excellent time. However, literally ten minutes before our destination, June pipes up from the back, "Um, I just threw up."

Those are so NOT the words you want to hear in the car. EVER. I looked back and assessed the situation. I was riding shot-gun so it was my job to move about the car and help children. I dutifully left my seat and was deciding what to do next. I thought about going for a plastic bag, but it seemed like the damage was already done. So, the next option was wet wipes.

I should have gone for the bag.

Moments later, like a fountain, June threw up two more times. Oh, I love the holidays. We had no good way to clean it up, so like good parents, we made her sit in puke while we drove the last ten minutes to Grandma's house.

She was fine for the rest of the day and enjoyed all the feasting we did. We are thinking it had something to do with the fact that she read to her sisters for almost the whole four hours. And miraculously, we only got vomit on one book. (That is amazing since I think they brought almost 15 in the car.)

I do have pictures from our Thanksgiving spectacular, but I need to get to bed. Black Friday is a tradition around here, and I need to get some sleep before we wake bright and early.

Hope your turkey day was a groovy one.

HE'S Packed

...or so he says. Which means that it is only my unpackedness that is holding us up. Sheesh, don't I get any credit for helping children pack? Although, I didn't help that much this time around, and the one who needs the most help (Pearl), is also not packed yet. So maybe, he has a point.

So, I am going to go pack.

Old People

I kinda love old people. Kinda. I love them because they have lived a long time and seen so many things. They have weathered the storm and come out intact. They are kind and forgetful. Granted this doesn't cover all old people. I am thinking more of those that live in assisted living facilities.

I worked at a retirement home when I was in high school. I served dinner in their dining room and I really enjoyed myself. But it was hard to watch them get older. Some moved up to the building with more security. (For those with Alzheimer's and the like.) Others died. It was inevitable after all...they were old. It was hard to look at those people and see what I might become someday. And it was hard to see some of the employees treat the residents like a task to accomplish and not like human beings. I mean, how hard is it to cut up a grapefruit for someone? Especially someone who's hands shake? It is the little things that count.

And despite all the time I worked at a facility like that, I still get uneasy when I go to a retirement home. There is the smell, the randomness, the hesitation about knowing how to talk to older people. Some are fairly lucid and others, not so much. Which brings me to my story.

Our ward is located close to a Retirement Living Center. Each ward in the Stake helps out with their church meetings once a year. Our ward is usually scheduled in November. Anyway, the kidlets and I had the opportunity to go and participate today. It seems the senior's are usually very happy to see children and especially babies. Pearl put on her biggest smiles and made friends immediately. We sat next to a very nice woman who exclaimed over her again and again. At one point she said, (talking to Pearl)

"Aren't you precious honey? You have big smiles, don't you honey?"

I was thinking that she might like to know Pearl's name, so I said in an enunciated voice, "Her name is Pearl."

Immediately the woman responded, "Well, when I called her honey, I didn't think that was really her name. I was just thinking how sweet she was."

I felt so rude. Did she really think I was correcting what she called my child? I tried to explain myself, but I'm not sure if she followed.

As the meeting progressed, she slumped over in her seat and slept. This didn't bother me in the least. I would probably fall asleep in church too if I didn't have children. I was kept busy watching Daisy, trying to keep her in the seat next to me, and balancing wiggly Pearl on my lap.

Suddenly the kind lady next to me was awake again and exclaiming over Pearl. I thought this odd for a moment, but upon noting the fistful of silver hair Pearl clenched in her fist, it didn't take me long to figure out what had happened. Pearl is fascinated by hair recently and apparently I let her get too close to the nodding white noggin and Pearl took her opportunity. I felt terrible, but I think Pearl's ear to ear grin and giggles made up for the pain in the woman's scalp.

All in all, it was a good trip. It has been too long since I have been to see the Grandma's and Grandpa's, as Ivory called them.

Turkish Delight

Making our thankful turkeys is one of my favorite traditions. You can see some of the others here and here. I only had four to put up this year, but each year we get another. It is like watching a little family of gobblers grow. I keep imagining a whole wall filled with these turkeys twenty years from now.

I did steal the hand idea from June's school turkey this year. I thought it would be so cute with Pearl's tiny hand. Plus, it was really fun for the girls to find their own hand and compare the sizes. Daisy in particular loved finding everybody's hand.

Seriously, it is never too late to start this tradition. Do it.

p.s. If you are worried that you have no artistic talent, you are missing the point. The weirder the turkeys, the more fun it will be to look back at them and laugh. Already, our turkey from 2008 lost one of his googly eyes right before we laminated him, making him the famous one-eyed turkey.

The King's Highway

There is a fine line, when helping a child, between having them do it, and doing it yourself. When June brings home her book report projects, I admit that I get an idea in mind (after she chooses the book). I try to get her to help as much as possible, but in the end, I often feel that she is creating the picture I have in my mind. Perhaps I shouldn't help at all and see what she comes up with. After all, she is very creative.

Anyway, the book this time around needed to have an interesting setting. (To create a diorama.) I helped June find a good book, because it is hard for children to envision a book with a good setting. We chose The King's Highway.

Many of you may not have heard of this book. I picked it up one year at Deseret Book. It was on sale, and I am kind of a sucker for children's books. I hadn't ever seen it before but after reading it, I was pleased with my purchase. It is a simple story wherein a king has no successor. He asks people to travel his highway and the one who does this task the best will become king. Wealthy men and knights come out decked in their finery to travel the highway. A young shepherd boy, Michael, watches these men and follows to see who will be chosen.

Along the way, they come to a bridge covered in rubble.

The wealthy men and travelers are put off by this mess in their way. Michael quickly goes to work clearing a path so these men of prestige can pass through. When the path is cleared enough, the travelers continue, but Michael remains to finish the job. At the bottom of the pile of rubble, Michael finds a ring with the King's crest. He would send it to the castle, but no one is left to carry it so he takes it himself.

Upon arriving at the castle, he tells the King he has found his majesty's ring. The King replies that it is not his ring, it belongs to Michael, the one who helped clear the trail for others, and who was therefore the best traveler on the highway.

We had fun creating the King's highway. I particularly like our sucker trees and gumball bushes.

It is fun to create with a child. But I also look forward to the days when my vision doesn't cloud hers.

And I'm Not Talking About the Coins in Your Purse

I need change. I don't think I look forward to moving, or Tyler changing jobs, or illness that comes, but I do desire a certain amount of adjustment in the daily grind. Hence, why I decorate for almost every holiday. Also why I am constantly looking at a space and reorganizing it. I move furniture around, buy new clothes, cut my hair, and try new recipes. Most of the time, I am very happy with the diversification, but once in a while, something does not shift in the right direction. Mostly that means that I just need to try again. And happily this post is not about a failed transformation. In fact, I am rather pleased with Heidi. Sassy, ain't she?

My ribbon drawer has been suffering for quite a while. Too many ribbons, not enough motivation to actually put them in the girls' hair. And when you want to find one, you have to dig and dig and hope you find one that is not fraying. Well, no more. I don't actually think I will use ribbons more than I used to, but it adds a little flair to my laundry room, and I have a whole drawer upstairs for the taking. I am not even sure what to do with it yet.

Please don't think that I thought of this all on my own. Almost all my creative genius started in someone else's mind. I love this one even more, but I don't think she would fit above my laundry room shelf.

 I am a tad jealous that the picture is obviously taken during the day. Have I mentioned my snobbery about taking pictures at night. I really don't like to do it, and that doesn't bode well in the winter. I will just have to get over my stubbornness. Apparently I need a little change in that area.