Weekend Update

I am glad all of you liked my "Get in the Spirit" list! It was a lot of fun to answer and really get myself psyched about Christmas. I'm sorry for being away from blogworld for a couple of days, but I think I was in a Tryptophan Stupor and couldn't really collect my thoughts. LOL.

So, here is an update of what we did/are doing this weekend!

Thursday was, of course, Turkey Day! It was a rough start with "Preschooler Meltdown", but we trudged forward and made it to our dear friends' house for the afternoon. We enjoyed the "4 F's"!!!! Lots of food, family, friends and fun! The kids enjoyed being with the older ones as mine were the youngest. It was a great ending to a rotten starting day!

Friday, no shopping for us! We went to the Dallas Museum of Art to see the King Tut Exhibit. We took both kids and went with the rest of my family. I have to say my 5 and almost 2 year old were probably some of the most behaved children there. They were quiet and took in the beauty of the exhibit (and I think Max learned a thing or two). We then returned home and hung out and put up our decorations. Now, I know that I mentioned on my list that we don't put up the tree until after Max's Birthday in a little over a week, but this year we didn't do a tree. We will be in Virginia for Christmas and so we didn't want a dried up mess when we got home! And...since his birthday party will be away from the house, we didn't mind getting an early start on the decorations. But, next year it will go back to the weekend after Max's birthday. The kids enjoyed "helping" with the decorating. I also worked on my Christmas cards (cutting all the paper, stamping the images, choosing the family photo, etc). Again, Max had a major meltdown which wore me down to the bones, but after many tears from both of us, we managed to get him down to bed and Matt and I enjoyed a nice laugh with "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (you know that's my favorite)!

Saturday, my parents came over and hung out with the kids so that Matt and I could get some errands done without them. Plus, after the evening we had on Friday, we needed some one on one adult time. I got my hair colored and he did some shopping (for me?), then he picked me up and we went to lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and shopping for a few of the last gifts we had left to buy. Once we got home, I worked more on my cards (I make over 100 each year) and the kids played. A good day for once! We watched a little football and went to bed.

Today, we plan to finish the decorating. We put a giant Christmas tree on the ledge over our front door and Matt needs help from my "6 foot plus" brother to do that. I'll post pictures later! Then, my aunt (who my kids adore) will come over and watch them while the rest of us go see the newest James Bond movie! An old tradition from when I was little was that we always went to a movie the weekend after Thanksgiving. We haven't done that in years. Should be fun.

Tomorrow, I am the reader in Library circle time for my son's class. We have to choose some of his favorite books. I have a feeling Polar Express will be one of them!

I hope all of you had a wonderful weekend and have a great week ahead!

Souper Saturday - Squash Soup

Squash Soup

6 zucchini squash - peeled, diced in large chunks
1 large onion - chopped
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
3 cups chicken broth or stock
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Cook squash and onions until tender and transluscent. Add salt, pepper and curry. Place in a blender with half of the broth/stock. Blend until smooth, then add rest of the broth/stock, milk and cream. Then, return to pot and cook until hot, but do NOT boil (only a simmer)!

I hope you enjoy this classic recipe from my grandmother's recipes. For more soup recipes, check back here every Saturday and also at www.dandeliondayz.com. Thanks, Janel for hosting!

Get in the Spirit

Kristen over at La Dolce Vita had this fun holiday meme and I thought it would get us in the spirit now that the Christmas countdown has officially begun! Happy Black Friday!

THIS IS FUN AND GETS ME IN THE SPIRIT!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, as it is more fun for the kids!

2. Real tree or Artificial? Real...even though last year was our first one! Love the pine smell!

3. When do you put up the tree? AFTER Max's birthday Dec 8th.

4. When do you take the tree down? BEFORE Cate's birthday Jan 4th!

5. Do you like eggnog? That's a big, fat NO!

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My Cabbage Patch Doll, Rhonda!

7. Hardest person to buy for? My brother, his taste and mine are totally opposite (But I love him despite this!)

8. Easiest person to buy for? The kids...at this age, toys are a given!

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, too many to count (and my mom has even more than me)!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Well, if you know me, Christmas cards and a letter. I hand make them and usually make over 100! I know, it's a sickness!

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Not sure the worst one, but I'll never forget how I asked Santa (two years in a row, mind you) for one of those giant Barbie heads you could style their hair and make-up. Yep, never got it...Bitter...NAH!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Hands Down, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Watched it a thousand times and I still laugh 'til I cry!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? I try to start pretty early since I have 2 kids birthdays surrounding the holiday. I never want our credit card bill so high from one month's purchases that I send my husband to the grave.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Never, but my grandmother would take about 20 minutes to open a gift so that she could...and she did (Oops I thought that said Christmas paper, which is what she did. So, no, never re-gifted anything)!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? My Cinnamon Monkey Bread that is our new Christmas morning tradition started the year we got married!

16. Lights on the tree? Yes - but only white ones.

17. Favorite Christmas song? O, Holy Night by Luciano Pavarotti!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yes...Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, but do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all, Rudolph!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Sometimes an angel, sometimes a star, the kids get to pick between the two.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning for sure (but as a kid we always got to open one gift on Christmas Eve)

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? The crowds at the stores (I used to work retail and hated working this time of year)!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? My favorite ornaments are the ones Max (and soon, Cate) make. They are treasures for years to come!

Favorite for Christmas dinner? Turkey or Ham! But, my husband's family always does their Italian tradition of "Feast of the Seven Fishes" on Christmas Eve! yummy!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? I would love a watch (but hubby says that will be a 10th anniversary present), so I have picked out some jewelry pieces I like from Lisa Leonard Designs and KiKi and LeLe and a new purse from Brighton.

Tag you're it! Go ahead, copy the questions, answer them on your blog and let me know the link in the comments section and I will come and visit and read about your holiday faves!

Happy Thanksgiving

HAPPY THANKSGIVING
FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!

WordFUL Wednesday - Give Thanks

I am so thankful for this little boy! This was the other day at his preschool's Thanksgiving Feast. I am thankful for the joys he has brought me and yes, thankful for the frustrations, too, as I try to learn and grow as a mother from them. I still can't believe that in a matter of 11 days, he will be FIVE! Where has the time gone. It is good to know that he still has his childhood innocence and tenderness! God bless him and God bless you and yours this Thanksgiving!

This post is hosted by Angie at SevEn cLoWn CirCus. Head on over and join the fun!

Hallelujah!!!!!!

This morning was a good morning! Max slept until 7:20am! Well, I am not sure he slept until then, but he didn't come in to my room until then. And, he stayed in his room, no playing loudly in the playroom. I am literally doing a happy dance in my seat right now.

We had a long talk about being a responsible 5 year old (his birthday is in a couple of weeks) and what that means. We got him a responsibility chart for things like making his bed, putting on his own clothes, brushing his own teeth, taking a bath (and not putting up a fight during it), sharing with his sister, and no whining! Each time he goes the whole day and does that particular chore, he gets a smily face for that day. We told him that each week that he has all happy faces, he will get something special like an outing of his choice, a new book, special dinner, etc. We'll see how it goes.

On another front, Cate is now in Pull-Ups and we have only had one stripping episode! She has also been very cooperative when it does come to changing those. So, dare I say it, potty training next?! I think we'll at least wait until after the holidays and her birthday in early January. But at least it is no longer too much of a battle changing her and we don't have a half naked baby running around.

Only 2 more days until Thanksgiving and you know what that means....only 3 more days until our ELF makes his debut! I think it will be a fun distraction before the holidays and also the anticipated rule keeper of the house. More on him/her in the coming weeks!

Thanks for listening to all the updates of my adorable Slices of Heaven! I can truly say after lots of rest last night...I THINK TODAY WILL BE GOOD ONE :)

Big Dreams

"Daddy, when can I be the 'boss' of my own house?"

"Well, probably when you are 21 and all grown up. What kinda house are you going to have?"

"A square one with a triangle on top with square and circle windows. And it will be in California!"

"Wow, California, really, why?"

"Cuz I like California. And it will be on the beach and my cousin Shannon will be my neighbor."

"What are you going to do for a job?"

"I am going to be an artist that paints and I will drive trains, because you know I love trains, and live on a farm to be a farmer."

"What are you going to grow on your farm?"

"Cotton Candy and doodleberrys and a giant hamburger. But I will only have 1 horse, 1 sheep, 1 cow and 1 pig, cuz that's all I want! Oh, and I have a great idea...I will race horses, too, so I can win a shiny medal at the finish line."

"So, you are going to live on a beachfront farm and work as a train driving artist that raises lots of things and also races horses on the side. What is Cate going to be when she grows up?"

"A mailman! And she'll live next to me, too, but in a girly house. She will also make computers, china, and chopsticks."

"Are you going to go to college?"

"Yep, just like Steve on Blue's Clues, but in California since that is where I will live."

That was pretty much our dinner conversation last night. Matt and I really got a kick out of listening to him dream such big dreams. We have always told him that he can be anything he wants when he grows up as long as he is happy. By gosh, we will love him just as much, if not more, if he is a artistic train driving farmer in California.

Oh, and as we were going up to bed, he said to us, "These were great happy questions, thanks for asking me, Dad."

Definitely a "Slice of Heaven" kind of night!

Early Bird Gets the Worm

...or just baggy eyes!

Ever since Max was very little (6 months or so), he has been an early riser! Now, at 6 months it is understandable but at almost 5 years old...5:30am...not so acceptable! Let me explain how this got started. When Max was 6 months old, we moved to NJ after Matt finished grad school. Since we wanted to find the perfect home and not feel rushed just to have somewhere to live, Matt's parents graciously offered us the opportunity to live with them while we looked and saved. Now, don't get me wrong, we loved being able to share Max's daily life with them for almost 3 months. However, because we were in someone else's house with 3 other people who worked and needed their sleep also, we went to Max any time he cried out in the night. Any. Time. He. Cried! So, from that point on, he got in the nasty habit of waking up early. Very early. Once we moved into our new home, it took awhile to get him to sleep a little later. At least it wasn't 4 or 5am.

He also has this thing that the later he goes to sleep, the earlier he seems to get up. If we are ever out late with friends and trying to get going to get him in bed, people will often say, "Well, at least he'll sleep in a little!" Well, not Max. However, going to bed early, going to bed on time, going to bed later, these days, it doesn't seem to matter.

His newest thing is to get up (not sure exactly what time), go in the playroom, turn on the TV and watch his shows. I know, sounds great, but around 5:45-6am, he'll come in and wake me up to say good morning and that he would like some breakfast to eat! I will roll over and tell him that he needs to wait and be patient until the sun comes up and then I will get up. Most of the time, he'll happily go back up, but now I am AWAKE and can't go back to sleep. Then, there is the issue of him playing and giggling loudly. Right. Next. To. Cate's room!

Now Cate, if not awoken by her brother, has been known to sleep until almost 9am!

I know this will be helpful once he starts school as I won't be the mom trying to drag her child out of bed. But right now, I would just love about two or three days of sleep until at least 6:30! At least there is one good thing about it all, Max is a morning person! He does wake up Happy!

Ok, enough rambling. I guess I need to go to church today and thank God for my wonderful, healthy, children, and maybe pray for just a little teensy weensy sleep!

The Mother Letter Project

Yesterday, I was stumped on what to blog about, then later in the evening I read a blog from one of my loyal followers (well, officially the only one...see my sidebar!). Heather introduced me to the idea of a man who is compiling a book of inspirational, funny, serious letters to his wife, 'THE MOM'. It is called the Mother Letter Project, and he is calling on all moms to help him with this project. It is a wonderful selfless gift from a husband to a wife, and after reading about it, I couldn't wait to get on board. Check out the links I just provided to get more on this...But without further ado, here is my letter to MOM!

Dear Mom,

Have you ever had one of those days? You know the days you think won't end. You are missing clumps of hair (that you pulled out in times of frustration). You haven't showered. You look through the pantry before dinner and all you can find is Triscuits, a can of Chef Boyardee Ravioli, and some leftover Halloween candy. And then, when you think your day can't get any better, your child just smiles at you and gives you a hug for no reason and then says something like, "Mommy, I can help you clean the bird poop off the roof of your car since the bird used it as his car-potty!" And that catches you completely off guard and you bust out laughing and smiling and the worries of the day simply vanish. Those are what I like to call "Pie and Ice Cream Moments".

Yes, you have your Slice of Heaven (your child) with a little Scoop of Reality on the side (life in general). Life as a mom can be trying and exhausting and frustrating, but you can't forget rewarding, memorable, and a great accomplishment.

My children are the light of my life. Even though life can definitely shove those hard times right in your face, every once in awhile, I really try hard to just politely push it back and say, "No, thank you! I've had enough ice cream today!" Don't let those precious endearing moments pass you by, because as we all know, they grow up WAY. TOO. FAST!

Merry Christmas,
Allison

Souper Saturday - Tomato Basil Soup

What a great idea! Janel over at Dandelion Dayz is hosting Souper Saturdays. If you would like to play along and get some delicious soup recipes...head on over and take a look!

Here is one of my faves:

Tomato Basil Soup

1 large (32oz) can of plain crushed tomatoes (without the seasonings already added)
2 (16 oz) cans chicken stock (may use vegetable stock for completely vegetarian)
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp of dried basil
handful of fresh basil

Bring the tomatoes and stock to a boil. Slowly whisk in heavy cream and dried basil and bring to a gentle boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to your liking and serve. Cut the fresh basil into ribbons and sprinkle on top for garnish.

We always make it and serve it with grilled paninis as kind of a "grown up" tomato soup and grilled cheese meal!

Thankful Thursday - Unlikely Thanks

Today I would like to take some time to Thank God for some unlikely things. Things you wouldn't think, at first, would be worth thanking Him for, but as you will soon find out, anything can be worthy of my thanks.

I thank Him for:

years without a boyfriend wondering if love would ever come to me
bad choices I made in the past
ex-boyfriends (ie. some of those bad choices)
hard life lessons

Now, you are now probably asking yourself why I am thankful for these odd things and circumstances. Well, because without those things, I would never have been led to the most precious thing in my life. My love, my friend, my strength, my confidant, my "lighthouse in life's stormy seas", my husband and father to our children...Matt. As he said in his vows to me, "everything happens for a reason".

I love him and so more importantly, I thank God for him and the children that we share.

WordFul Wednesday - Just Like Dad

Since last week was a picture of Cate, I decided this week's Wordful Wednesday needed to be Max. I just love this picture. Max loves to dress up in Daddy's clothes and be just like a grown up. And if he is really lucky, he gets to go to the office with Daddy on some Saturdays and do his "work" (aka coloring) while Daddy catches up on things. He truly wants to be just like his Dad and based on how wonderful Matt is, I think that he is aiming in the right direction!

Note: Did you notice the hangar is still in the shirt? That's the best part of the picture! So darn cute if I do say so myself!

For more Wordful Wednesdays, visit Angie at SevEn cLoWn CirCuS

Will Mickey Remember Me?

A couple of weeks ago, Max asked me, out of the blue, if Mickey Mouse would remember him when we go back to Walt Disney World for Easter. He seemed very concerned about this, but once I assured him that Mickey remembered all little boys and girls, he quickly returned to what he was doing.

However, it made me want to go back and reminisce over our trip pictures from that very trip. We took Max for his first Disney vacation and left new little sister, Cate, with the grandparents. When Cate was born, we promised him a trip to WDW to get some one on one time with us for being such a great big brother and NEWLY potty trained! For those of you who haven't heard about our trip back in September 2007, here is a little recap!

Max was a little cautious of Mickey and the rest of the characters our first day in the parks, which prompted Matt and I to question our decision to bring him when he was only three and a half years old. However, after a few hours in the park, and a good nap the first day, it went uphill in the fun department!

We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Here is a picture of the giraffes munching just beyond our balcony! We watched them one evening for at least an hour and Max was mesmerized! He also loved his 1st bunk bed experience here. This hotel was phenominal. Our favorite is still Wilderness Lodge, but we did love the Animal Kingdom Lodge with the exception of its distance to everything but the Animal Kingdom. However, we would recommend it to anyone!

This is when the true excitement and joy came out of Max. He had been a little hesitant at some of the rides. He seemed to enjoy them, but after each one, we would ask him if he wanted to go again, he would simply say, "No!" But, when he saw Goofy's Barnstormer, he wanted to ride it immediately. We were a little cautious walking up, hoping he would be tall enough and not too scared of the speed of the ride. As you can see...pure joy and magic oozed out of him as he squealed with the delight. Before we even had a chance to ask if he wanted to go again, he exclaimed, "I want to ride it again!"

Fortunately, we happened upon this ride during the afternoon parade and there was no line, so we rode it over, and over, and over again! My heart and love for Disney grew about 100 times more while watching him. I will NEVER forget his squeals, laughter, and the look on his face for the rest of my life. I have a lot of favorite childhood Disney memories, but this ranks right at the top!

Max beamed with pride in his new "Captain Max" hat and was able to become his favorite character, Captain Hook!

After several days of shying away from the characters and waving from a distance, we had reservations for a character breakfast with the Playhouse Disney gang. We weren't sure how that would go, but as you can see, he FINALLY warmed up to the characters and had a great time at the meal.

Our final meal of our vacation was at Coral Reef Restaurant in Epcot. It is one of our favorite spots. We got a table right next to the tank and Max was in awe of the sea life. It was the perfect ending to a memorable vacation. I will never forget the memories we shared with him and look forward to making some new memories with both kids this Easter when we go with both sets of grandparents, an aunt, uncle and cousin and some wonderful friends. It will be hard to top this trip, but the MAGIC of Disney never disappoints!

Holiday Bedtimes

Over the weekend, I got some wonderful holiday bedtime stories for the kids and pulled out the favorites from years past.

Matt and I love to read to Max and Cate each and every night. The kids love their books and we are so glad to encourage such a wonderful gift in them.

My parents are both retired teachers, so books were always a gift we received. Here are my Top 10 Holiday Books for Kids. Some are Classics, some were my childhood favorites, some are my kids' favorites, and then some are new this year, but hopefully will become new classics. I hope you enjoy!

1. Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg2. Bear Stays Up by Karma Wilson
3. Tonight, You are My Baby by Jeannine Q. Norris
4. The Night Before Christmas by Mary Engelbreit

5. Mrs. Claus Explains It All by Christi Love

6. If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff

7. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

8. Can You See What I See? Christmas by Walter Wick

9. Christmas in the Manger by Nola Buck and Laura Godwin

10. The Animals' Christmas by Wiersum/Little Golden Book Series

I hope you enjoy my list of Children's Holiday Books. I would also like to give a little shout out to my blogging buddy, Musings of a Housewife and her holiday gift guide! Check out her button to the right!

Bathtub Wars

Ok, so this has become my newest battleground with Max...the BATH!

Is it to much to ask of a 4 1/2 year old to wash himself or at least be willing to bathe?

Yes, he's a boy and yes, he's only a kid, but by the way he acts each and every bath, you would think we are torturing the poor child, which results in us (hubby and me) raising our voices, which then turns into more than it needs to be...I mean, it is just a BATH!!!!

We have tried playing for 5 minutes before the washing begins, so he gets his fun time in. We have tried bubble baths and told him to cover himself in bubbles, thinking that even if he doesn't get any real "washing" done, at least the bubbles are somewhat like soap...but I am at my wit's end!

I know I am not the only parent out there dealing with this, but in the moment, in a bathroom that echoes the squeals and screams of impatience (from both of us), it sure feels like it.

Is there a truce on the horizon for these daily "battles at sea"?

Do any of you have any suggestions to making our bathtimes more productive without taking away the childlike fun out of it. Any would be greatly appreciated.

Take a Peek

Ok, as a fun little post where I don't have to do much thinking, I am taking this idea from Darcie from Such the Spot and Heather at A Day in the Life. Here is how it goes....

I dumped the contents of my purse and took some pictures and now you can take a peek into my bag of motherly organization or unorganization, depending on how you view it! Then, I answered some questions that could almost rival those asked in the presidential debate. Ok, maybe not that important, but fun and mindless, nonetheless!

So, here goes!

Isn't it purdy! I love it...it is a Brighton (I now have 3 of their bags)!
Ok, I didn't exactly dump, but this WAS everything. I promise I didn't edit!

Close-ups of some of the more untraditional items!

Ok, now for a list of the contents:

wallet (also Brighton)

phone

2 Passports (mine and Max's)

travel toothbrush (just had a dental appt)

floss (ditto)

dental appt card (do you sense a pattern)

loose change (26 cents to be exact)

random LEGO pieces (not sure how they got in there)

sugar packets (compliments of my sticky fingers daughter)

pen cap (pen, nope!)

chips (from my lunch)

pacifier (GO TECH!)

2 picture holders (hold chronological pics of kids)

extra napkins (can never have too many of those)

fruit snacks

lip gloss (Origins Really Rosy)

Ok, now for the questions...

What is the most important thing in your purse? Well, if we are going for sentimental importance, I would say the 2 picture holders. The black and red one holds wallet sized pictures of Max starting with his very first picture in the hospital to his latest school picture. The little green one has Cate's pics. But, if it is a question of practicality, it would be my wallet or passport. In all honesty, I don't usually carry both with me, but I hadn't taken out my passport (and Max's) from when we had been traveling a couple of weeks ago. By doing this, it reminded me and I put them back in their safe place.

What is the most embarrassing thing in your purse? Um, not too embarrasing, but maybe the sugar packets. The only reason I would be embarrassed is that Cate must have been taking sugar out of the holders at the last restaurant we went to and put them in my purse. I don't even take sugar with anything. How wasteful and I am trying so hard these days not to be!

What is the smallest thing in your purse? Probably, the loose penny!

Is there anything illegal in your purse? Who do you think I am?!

Small editor's note: I do have car keys, but they were not in my purse at the time since I had set them on the counter when we came into the house! Just in case any of you were wondering!

Would you like to play along? Here is the fine print:
Find a safe quiet place free of significant others, nosey meme makers, priests, nuns, all things religious and men in general. (If you’re a guy just reverse this process to male and tell us about your wallet, tool box, briefcase or metro sexual accessory.) Hello?!?! I believe that's called a European carry-all!
1. Dump the contents of your handbag in a pile.
2. Take a photo of your handbag and the contents.
3. Be brave and explain to your fellow bloggers what lurks inside the handbag.
4. Tag others who might want to embarrass themselves.
5. Answer the above questions in your blog.
And leave a comment here to let me know if you're playing along. I wanna see if your mess can top mine!

HAPPY PEEKING! HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT!

Thankful Thursday - Thanksgivings to Remember

Growing up, Thanksgiving was probably a bigger holiday in my family than Christmas. Don't get me wrong, Christmas was pretty important with us kids, but Thanksgivings had more of our family traditions attached.

Every year. I mean, Every. Single. Year. We would travel to Dallas from my little tiny Texas hometown to visit my grandparents, Me-Maw and Pa-Paw.

Very early Thanksgiving morning, the adults would get up and prepare the turkey. We were "stuffers". Me-Maw would make her homemade stuffing in this large yellow bowl (which my mother now has), then they would stuff the bird and Pa-Paw, who I might add was a doctor, would sew up the bird with such precision, you would have thought him a surgeon. But, he wasn't, he was an anesthesiologist. Anyway, then they would SLATHER that bird with butter. Yes, REAL butter. Then, off it would go into the oven to roast to perfection.

A little while later, us kids would get up and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, as Mom and Me-Maw continued with the food preparations. The rest of the food ALWAYS consisted of mashed potatoes, green salad, stuffed celery stalks (which I always helped with), cucumber dip, and of course, Pea Casserole. Now, I am not a huge fan of peas and I couldn't just eat this casserole at different times of the year. But, Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgving without it. In fact, as we still gather to this day, I still have to have it, even if it means I make it myself! The desserts were always brought by the other family that we celebrated with.

Let me back up a little. When my grandparents moved to Dallas with their family for Pa-Paw to join a practice, they didn't have any family close-by and neither did this other family, whose father was also in the practice with Pa-Paw. Their kids were the same age, so they bacame quite close. In fact, I still consider the Porters like family. They spent every Thanksgiving with us at my grandparents house.

In the afternoon, all the "men" would head to the Cowboy game. The Dallas Cowboys always play at home on Turkey Day. Pa-Paw and Dr. Porter had season tickets, so off they would go, while the food cooked. A little after they left, those not going to the game would start to arrive and the appetizers would begin. Once the game ended, the Turkey would come out. I am still not sure how Me-Maw was able to time that every year since you can never judge how quickly or slowly a game will progress, but she always seemed to get it perfect. In fact, one year the meat literally fell off the bird, it was so moist and wonderul. By the time the guys got back, the bird had rested enough to be able to carve it. From a very young age, I remember Dr. Porter always took my picture next to the turkey. I guess to see how much I had grown.?! Then, everyone would gather in the family room, join hands, and someone would offer a spontaneous prayer of thanks to our Lord and Savior. Some years were harder than others with deaths in the family or people missing from the festivities, but it was always warm and comforting to know you were with the ones you loved. Then, the food was set up buffet style and people took their time eating.

Then, towards the end of the day, most of the kids and some adults would gather around their player piano and crank out the tunes, which ALWAYS included "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer". The women would do the dishes, although, in later years, we were finally able to wrangle in my uncle to do them a time or two, since he tended to tease us about women need to do the dishes. Always joking of course, but, nevertheless, he got a chance to do them a time or two!

Since I have been married, I have split my time between families and have not been to our family Thanksgiving since it took place at Me-Maw's. Pa-Paw is gone and she is now in assisted with Alzheimer's and their house was sold. The Porters and Roehrigs still get together each year but at one of their homes. So, this will be my first year in about 5 to spend it with my family here in Dallas. I am really looking forward to it....and I am bringing the PEA CASSEROLE!

I am so thankful to have lifelong friends in the Porter family and hope this tradition can continue in some manner for years to come.

WordFUL Wednesday - Bad Hair Day

Well, isn't this priceless?

Now an explanation....The day before I had put her hair in pigtails while it was wet. Then, she went down for a nap while it was still wet and kinked up one of the pigtails. Since we had done baths that morning instead of the night before, we didn't do baths that night and Daddy put her to bed with the rubberbands still in. The next morning, we were in a hurry with school drop-off and such and I didn't have time to wash her hair and start over. I tried to pull it up into one band, but the remnants of the prior day's kinking remained. Then, to top it off, she rubbed her greasy hands from lunch into her hair and this is how she ended up! To explain her finger. I was taking the picture while she was watching her favorite Baby Einstein video (which I might add her hair looks just like the logo!) and saying, "Look here, Cate" which got a "SHUSH" out of her! Well, that's it in a nutshell! At least her bad hair days are cute and endearing.

This post was hosted by : 7 Clown Circus Take a look and play along on her blog!

Fighting for Memories

My best friend, Hayley, and I have grown up together. We have known each other since Kindergarten. We have been through everything together - slumber parties, a cross-country RV trip to Walt Disney World ,science fairs, band camp, proms, deaths in the family, breakups, college roomies, engagements, weddings, pregnancies, babies...and now our children are friends. However, we never expected to go through this devastating fact of life. A little over 4 years ago, her very active, vibrant father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. It came as a shock to all of us considering he was not what we consider OLD! I grew up with this man. He could be considered a second father to me. I remember him coming into Hayley's room on Saturday mornings after a sleepover and flipping on the lights, cheerfully crying,"Rise and Shine", as we would moan and roll back over in bed. He was also the man that presented me with my high school diploma (he was the school asst. superindentent). So, as you can imagine, this has been beyond hard on his family, but also those of us who have known him for so long. It breaks my heart to see my best friend and her mother and brother (who is also my brother's best friend) go through this. So, for the first time last year, I joined her team in the Memory Walk. And I intend to join her every year that I can to help raise awarness and funds to fight this terrible disease.


If you would like to help me in this fight, please feel free to click on my link over there----> and access my donation page for the Memory Walk 2009. It is this coming weekend at the Dallas Zoo.


Sometimes we take the simplest of things for granted...like our memories. So, take a moment to remember a special time with a loved one in order to put a smile on your face. And help us keep "Fighting for Memories" that those with Alzheimer's have lost!

Feel free to pass on this post! It would be a great way to get the word out so that we can all make a difference.


PS Hayley, Alice and BJ---I love you guys and this one's for you!

Hayley and me at last year's Memory Walk

Hayley and her dad, Corky

Corky with all of his family around him!

The Big 33

Well, another birthday has come! I am quickly creeping toward my "MID-30s". Wow, some days it seems like just yesterday that I couldn't wait to be 16 and get my drivers license. Then, I was so excited to finally be legal at the age of 21! By the time I got married, I was 27. I dreaded my 30th birthday because in some ways I didn't feel that old. However, at this point, I often find myself losing track of my age and having to do the math in my head to figure it out! I do enjoy teasing my hubby for 3 weeks exactly about how he is a whole year older than me since our birthdays are exactly 3 weeks apart! The year we turned 30, I used that time to gloat about how he was in his thirties and I was still in my twenties.

Anyway, to celebrate, we went bowling with some friends the other night and had a blast. It was nice to hang out (without kids) as long as we wanted and let the good times roll! It was something I will remember for a long time.

Then, as an added bonus, my college alma mater, yep, that's right, Texas Tech won in an unprecedented victory over Oklahoma State University, to hold onto the #2 spot in the BCS rankings! Their 10-0 record is a first since 1938, and we actually proved that we do have what it takes to possibly go all the way to the National Title!

To top off the eventful weekend, we plan to try out a new restaurant that we have heard nothing but good things about. All of my family plans to be there.

What a memorable weekend! Maybe 33 isn't so bad after all!

Another Cool Christmas Find

Well, today I found yet another really cool Christmas find. Take a peek at a Pretty Organized Palace. She was "hired" to be Santa's Secretary. Post a comment before 10pm AZ time 11/8/08 and you are registered to win a giveaway of a personalized letter from Santa. If you miss the deadline, she leaves instructions on how to contact her by email to purchase these letters. Take a look! A really neat find!

It May Save My Sanity!

Have any of you heard about this "Elf on the Shelf"?

Let me tell you...what a concept! While on Facebook the other day, one of my girlfriends was mentioning how she was running out of patience and was thinking of using the Big Guy in the Red Suit as a reminder to her kids to keep in line. In response to that, her friend suggested that it was time to pull out the Elf on the Shelf. I quickly dimissed it since I didn't know what she was talking about and thought it might be a "code" between the two of them, and I don't know her friend personally.

Then, the other day, while shopping at a local store for a child's birthday gift, I noticed these boxes behind the register with the name "Elf on the Shelf". I asked the sales person what it was and she kindly took one down and let me take a look. On the back was the description/explanation of what it is.

In a nutshell, it is this elf (small doll included in set) that arrives before Christmas from the North Pole that keeps an eye on things in the house and reports back to Santa on the behavior (Naughty or Nice) of the children. Kinda like Winter Wonderland Espionage! Each night, after the children are asleep, he "goes back to the North Pole" and tells all to Santa. Then, we he returns each morning, he reappears in a new place around the house. So, then it is also a game to find the elf each day. Then, on Christmas Eve, he disappears to give his final report and stays at the North Pole until the next year!

Genius, I say!!!!!

Included within the box is a book with the most adorable story explaining his job. You are encouraged to name your elf and on the website, you can register him, too!

So, the plan is to wrap the box up in brown paper and tie it up with twine and address it to the kids from Santa at the North Pole. Then, I will leave it at the front door and make it look like it just arrived. Then, we'll open it up and read the darling book and GET STARTED!

By golly, this might just work! Let the naughtiness end and the niceness begin! I'll keep you posted on its success once we get closer to the holidays.

Thankful Thursday

With Thanksgiving just weeks away, I thought I would post some things I am thankful for each Thursday leading up to Turkey Day!

5 Things I am Always Thankful For:

1. My wonderful, gracious, loving, and giving husband, Matt.

2. My adorable, huggable, giggling children, Max and Cate.

3. My extremely supportive family and friends.

4. Having a roof over our head (esp. in today's economy) and bountiful food to eat.

5. My ability to stay at home with our kids to watch them grow into giving, gracious, honest people.

5 Things I am Thankful for Today in Particular:

1. That our fence didn't blow down last night, as it did about 6 months ago!

2. My new pillow (I slept better last night)

3. That my birthday weekend is almost here (Birthday Bowling Bash here I come)

4. Getting to sleep in a little this morning.

5. A "grown-up lunch" with a new friend today without the kids!

Now, for something, oh so sweet. While making my list, I decided to ask my son, Max, what he was thankful for and here is his list.

9 Things Max is Thankful For (in his exact words)

1. Mommy and Daddy

2. Cate

3. The whole world

4. Planet Earth

5. All the food and turkey

6. Mark and Matthew (his best friends)

7. My pirateship treehouse (what he calls his backyard swingset)

8. Gretel (our dog)

9. Sprinkles (his stuffed giraffe that he has had since birth)

Now comes the best part...he also told me what Cate is thankful for. Now, for those of you who don't know, Cate is almost 2 years old, and doesn't talk a whole lot, so Max made her list of thankfulness for her.

8 Things that Cate is Thankful for (as recited by Max)

1. The sun

2. The Earth

3. Her naps

4. Her shows (Baby Einstein videos)

5. Gretel

6. Lovey (her snuggly that she has had since birth)

7. Her dolls

8. Her dolly bed

Wow...out of the mouths of babes! Did I mention that I was thankful for them. Oh, yes, refer back to #2 of list #1.

What are you thankful for?

Wordless Wednesday - My Slice of Heaven

Still one of my favorite pics of the kids, even though it was in August 2007

Pillow Talk

Ok, before you exit off this page, this is not what you think it is...rather exactly what the title states...my pillow.

After several weeks of occasional sleepless nights, I have come to the conclusion that I need a new pillow. Last night, I realized that I flip it, turn it, squish it, fold it, fluff it, and nothing seems to help the situation. It is just a flat, limp, fluffless (is that even a word?) mass of nothing! Which prompted me to ask myself, long ago, how did people ever get by without them?

Well, enough random rambling from me...thanks for listening...now, go out and VOTE!!!

Dogs and Ducks and Diapers, Oh My!

Well, here are the kiddos all ready for some Halloween fun! We had two fun evenings starting with the Trunk or Treat put on by my MOMS group at church on Thursday evening and then Friday night we went around our neighborhood. Last year, Cate was so little that she didn't really get the whole concept. I wasn't sure if she would get it this year either...well, I was wrong. She saw what Max was doing and was running to the doors just as fast as her little legs would take her. In fact, at one of the last houses we went to, she ran so fast that she tripped a little and did a face plant right on the walkway. Good thing for "Daisy's bill"! She walked away without a scratch...crisis averted. Max really got into it, too. At one point, he was carrying his treat bag in his mouth since that is how DOGS carry things. All around good fun!

So...we have covered Dogs (Pluto) and Ducks (Daisy), now onto the Diapers! Now you may be wondering how that fits into it all...well, it doesn't exactly, but it was too funny to leave it out.

Cate's new thing to do is removing her shoes, her socks, her pants and YES, her diaper!!! Now, over the course of a week, she has done this probably 20 times!

She will come around the corner...NAKED.

She will come down the stairs...NAKED.

I'll go get her in her crib after naptime...NAKED.

Now she is not quite 2 years old, but this week - PULL UPS!