Thanksgiving 2013

We had not planned on doing anything this Thanksgiving day except watching the parade and just our little family being together.  I took the children down to their grandparents house last Sunday for Thanksgiving.   We had the big traditional meal then, plus the boys had it on Tuesday at school.


Gregory



I did not think I would be able to get them to eat it 3 times in one week.  Although they said their feast at school was the best one ever.  And the first I missed, I was sad about that.

At my parents house



Me and babycakes because she is easy to get a picture of.  Whereas Faith..



This is every picture of her lately.  You tell her to smile and she makes silly faces.



And why no pictures of the boys?  Well I could not get them to hold still for 1 minute they were to busy playing .  Even Gregory was playing like a little boy.




Late the previous evening the tiny team and I watched


(though they were not happy about it though)



It was so cold!  And snowed most the entire time.

the older boys march,


Gregory yelling I am cold!

and ride

Evan



In the Thanksgiving/Christmas parade.  There school is celebrating its 25th year of being in Chambersburg this years and this was a fun event for the kids, sorta minus the cold.

So with Thanksgiving essentially behind us I was not planning on any big meal.  But I keep asking the kids what do you want to do, eat?  They did not care.



Besides these two turkeys...

I had bought a big turkey a few week ago frozen and it has remained frozen since and now to late to do anything with.  The boys did say they would like a salmon dinner a few times, I love that.  But I did not want to go to the store.  Last night I stopped asking and started pulling things out of the freezer.  Yes I would do a Thanksgiving for my family and it would be from what we have on hand.  I pulled out a big beautifully marbleized chuck roast.  I had so many vegetables that were close to going bad I picked up at the farmers market in October I new I wanted to use them.  So with what I had on hand I whipped a day long feast of

* The best pot roast I have made to date.  So moist and so delicious
* cooked with it in the crock pot were all the carrots we had left, lots of celery because I love celery! and some onions for flavor and they are so good when crock potted (and yes I make up my own words all the time, a friend has also pointed that out this week as she learned 5 new words in just one of of being together, it is just genius I tell you) all day in delicious juices
* baked mac and cheese- mostly because we had everything, and I made 2 because it is delicious and it will come in very soon.  I don't know when but trust me it will.
* pasta salad because I had extra noodles to use as well as it is a great fridge clearer, and Jay loves it.  I can't believe how often he tells me he hates mayonnaise and how digesting it is but yet every few days I make him dishes with mayo as the base ingredient and he can't eat enough-silly guys, he does not know though ;)
* sweet potato casserole.  Baby cakes loves sweet potato and since I had not shopped I used what was on hand which meant multi colored marshmallows.  It did not matter at the end of the day...NONE of the kids would eat it.  ha.  But they all helped make it and poor Smiley even hurt his finger doing so, peeled some skin right off it.  Ouch.
* rolls, for Gregory, he loves those
*Evan made his special gravy to which I made my special turnip mashed potatoes for.  It adds more veggies in their diet, gives it a bit of a different taste but not too much.  It is 1/3 turnip to 2/3 potato and tonight it was a mix or Yukon and red because that's what I had.  I was good and not nearly enough.
* peas, because there is a lot of starch mentioned above so to give them smaller portions of starch I add pure straight vegetables.
*pears and applesauce
* dozens of homemade cookies, yum
*Plus I bought them ginger ale as a Thanksgiving treat.  It does not matter though they are so wound up.  I think from the sugar, soda and cookies but Evan is assuring me it is from the extra couple cups of coffee they had this morning.




It certainly turned out to be a good Thanksgiving.  A filling Thanksgiving.  I had thought they would not want Thanksgiving but I was wrong, they did.  They were excited and happy and helped make the all of the meal the entire day.





 It does not matter what you cook it matters that you are together.  It matter that you all contribute and you keep with the importance and traditions of the day.  My kids like routine, my kids like traditions, my kids like Thanksgiving and I LOVE my kids.

Happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours!!!

Pictures from Thanksgiving

Here are a few snapshots from the kids playing on Thanksgiving...

We watched the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade twice.  The kids loved it Smiley was super excited to see the Ninja Turtles and the Power Rangers.  Faithy was super crazy to see Dora.



At one point today she was walking around yelling map!  But truly expecting it to come. (Map is a talking map that rides in Dora's bag pack and helps her find her way.)



She also like all the cheer leading and dancing.  She would dance right a long.



Smiley also enjoyed the rockettes, me too, he was kicking high and then ran and started making Gracie kick too.



It was going well until...



Nooo brother is that who I think it is???



She was so worried he would get out of the tv and come here she about cried.

Gracie is such a rollie  baby now.  We put her down and find her across the room.





But the biggest brother steps in and is trying to teach her how to crawl.



She really likes the way these mats feel.  She scratches at them like her cat, Wyatt, who I would not let inside for Thanksgiving.  She would go after that bird and ruin everything.





She has had a hard couple of days.  She has more than anything just wanted mom tp pick her up and play with her but I had to keep passing her off to a brother for help because dad not is not the best babysitter,



I have been at school and cooking a storm and was unable to hold her constantly like she deserves, oh she is the most spoiled of them all.  But why not she is our baby!!!



And might I not add so happy, cute, cuddly kissable just a pure and gracious gift!

I did make it out side.  I cleaned the shed.  The days for that are coming short and it has been needing to be done for a while.



Not the funist Thanksgiving activity but needed.

I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving and enjoyed a peek at ours.

It is over

What a beautiful day it is outside as I look through the window.  I should go out and enjoy it but I am still shaking off the sleepy head.  We are done eating done watching the parade and I just woke up from my turkey induced nap.  3 others are still sleeping, while the other 3 are playing wii.  I did not care because they left me alone to sleep, sorta.

Dinner was good.  I made enough for tons of people but we only had 7.  Everyone ate the dinner but baby.  But I know she wanted to.  She has now started eating oatmeal.  Although I don't know how much she actually eats because she is always smiling even when eating.




I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Here is a little turkey day trivia.

Source: prettieparties.blogspot.com via Alisha on Pinterest

happy THANKSGIVING eve

I am busy getting ready for us to feast tomorrow.  I am writing this as I have 4 pounds of bacon cooking right now.  I need the bacon to make 3 other dishes and 4 pounds takes a while to cook at 5 pieces at a time.  Yes, I do have a large griddle but no I did not think of that till now.  So I thought I might be able to pop over here and say Hi!

This week has been a tremendous week.  I had two major shopping trips and two other times getting the things I forgot or could not find.  I don't think I have ever spent so much on groceries.



Here is my little helper holding a receipt larger than her for 1 of the many trips.  I have mostly shopped for us  for Thanksgiving but I had to get some other things too.  Remember I said I had to make potatoes for the kids school too?  Well that is included in those receipts also.  Thanksgiving fest at their school went well.   I made lots of potatoes!



Not my best ever but I have never made such large quantities at one one time before.  I over did the butter so I had to adjust a lot of the other elements.  A helpful hint... If use mess up with liquids while making real mashed potatoes you fix it and not have to start over is, instant potatoes.  Yup as simple and easy as that.  Keep a box in your pantry just in case, and if you have to much liquid you can fix it by adding small sprinkles of instant until it is back to the desired consistency.

I also learned something new today while making potatoes for our family.  I never use a mixer.  I mash our potatoes the old fashion way leaving them a little lumpy.  That has always been the way we liked them best.  But today I read a potato recipe that said:
                   When the potatoes have finished draining, place them back into the dry pot and put the pot on the stove. Turn the burner on low. What we’re going to do is mash the potatoes over low heat, allowing all the steam to escape, before adding in all the other ingredients. That way, the potatoes won’t be watery or “mealy.”  Mash away until most of the steam has escaped and most of the chunks of potato have been mashed well.  Turn off the stove then add the rest of the ingredients and keep mashing.

What a potato revelation!  Doing it this way made the potatoes so nice and creamy and much better than the way I was doing it chunky home style.  And you still do not use a mixer.  From now on.  To bad I did not learn this before I made the ones for the school.

It went great.  It all looked so delicious and smelt so good.



Me and a bunch of moms ready to serve the hungry pilgrims and Indians   Who would have know that was a big decisions for the kids to make what to be, a pilgrim or an Indian   The boys talked and reasoned which they want to be the night before and I though oh that my silly boys but when I was talking to another mother she said her daughter was debating the same thing!  Who knew it was such a tough and import and decisions?

But in the end the boys chose the same thing they were last year.  Evan an Indian.


Gregory a pilgrim.



The all were so darling!  This is most of Gregory's class I think they are missing 1 or 2 kids.



These are the 3 years.  Remember their classes go from 1-3 in the same class.



Those two pictures are from 1 of Gregory's teachers, remember each class always has at least 2 teachers.  This day it however had 5.  Five teachers for 18 kids, that's a good ratio.  Or maybe they turned out for the feast today.



These pictures give you a good glimpse into Montessori life.  Gregory is here in the coroner doing his work. That does not at all mean it is what the class is doing.  They have some lessons together but they are allowed to take it in what direction they like.  I was taking these pictures though a window.  There rooms are full of windows  I was standing out in the large common room looking in at him through a what I call nursery window.  On the shelf in front of him is the bead frames they use those all the time and to the side of him are the number chains.  They are all used to teach the children math and work fantastically   The kids have so much fun with them too.  there math is just a bit different too.  In school you probably learned to add then subtract a few years later multiplication and divining.  Their structure is set to build upon itself.  They learn to add then the next logical step is to multiple it.  They learn  higher math very quick because it also builds upon itself.  They do learn to subtract and divide but it comes at the end of there second year.



Here is Evan doing crafts with friends.  He loves arts.  One thing pretty evident in this picture are the mats and couch.  They have no desks.  There are maybe 3 small tables in each room.  Could you sit behing a desk for 6-8 hours and be expected to sit up, not fidget  not talk, be ultra uncomfortable and learn so much information.  Can you expect 7 and 9 year old boys to do that?  No not at all.  The children sit where they are comfortable.  They learn where they are comfortable.  If they need to get up and move they can.  If they have to go to the bathroom they can, if they want to stop doing there math and do there science they can.  They encourage the children learning without putting unreal expectations on them.



Aww see this cutie!  What a dear.  And yes that is my son running from me behind her.  Very light uncluttered classrooms.

Well this lasted longer than just cooking the bacon.  I have spent ALL day cooking.  So much food yeah.  But I am so worn out.  I am calling it good for the night.  Tomorrow I do have a few things to make and even more to eat.



Happy Thanksgiving too everyone!

The vote was for a traditional Thanksgiving

The other night at a family meeting I asked my 5 little turkeys what do you want to do for Thanksgiving.

Source: google.com via Amayaboo on Pinterest

They surprised me with the answer.  Mom I want to have turkey and corn on the cob, like at school, and I want you to come to our Thanksgiving at school.

Wow, it was Gregory who said this and HE wants turkey??!!  Okay.  I will do this for you.  And aww that you want me at school with you. He says that now but when I am there with a camera he will change his mind, quickly.

So yesterday I went to the grocery store to buy some of what I need for us and this year I am making mashed potatoes for the school so what I needed for that as well.  After an hour of shopping and 1 very full cart I get up to the register to go pay and the credit card system was down.  They could only take cash.  UGH you got to be kidding me!  I have all this food very little cash and now wasted so much of my time.  I bought a few thing from my cart with the money I had and left an half full cart.  It was horrible and now today I have to go back and re-shop with ALL the kids where as yesterday I just had one.  I am not looking forward to that.

But I did take home our turkey.  It is frozen so he is defrosting away in our fridge.

Source: google.com via Loretta on Pinterest

just kidding!  Although that would be easier?

I looked at a few recipes yesterday and watched Paula Deen's Thanksgiving this morning, I am getting excited but I have got so much to do.  I am going to remake a list for my re-shopping trip and included some of everyone's favorites.  So today are mission of of many is to eat out a bunch of food from the fridge and make room.  I accept this challenge.

So to add to a super busy week I am off.  I have got so much on my plate to put so much on everyone's plate.

Source: vignettedesign.blogspot.com via Susanne on Pinterest

Wow wouldn't that be nice?  One day but for now...

Source: curtistucker.com via Becky on Pinterest

Thanksgiving 2011

Are the holidays ever not busy?  Is anyone's family ever exempt from sickness during them?  Both are true with mine.  Time is flying and the tissues are always empty.  And each year it seems to get busier, however each year we have more kids.  Maybe there is a connection.  This year I wanted to do it up for the kids but this year now only has 19 days left till Christmas!  I even started before Thanksgiving and am so far from done. I kinda have a mess and boxes everywhere.

As far as Thanksgiving goes it was nice.  It was not what we had planned.  My family is not much for (one of my all time favorite meals) the traditional thanksgiving dinner.  So we decided to go to our favorite family dinning place and have a Chinese dinner for Thanksgiving.  Chinese restaurants are ALWAYS open, so I though.  On Thanksgiving day after we did not watch the parade, we loaded up in the truck and headed out for our lunch.  We arrived at the Chinese restaurant and they were closed!  I could not believe it.  Chinise restaurants never close.  I guess in small towns they do.  We drove around two towns to ALL the other Chinise restaurants and yes they were all closed.  We were sad.  We drove to cracker barrel which was open but had a wait time of an hour and a half and with hungry screaming kids that was not an option.  We drove buy all the big chain restaurants and they were all closed.  UGH.  I thought lets just stop at the grocery store and get something but no one wanted to do that either.  Finally there was hope.  Ruby Tuesdays had cars in the parking lot.  We drove in and yes they were open.  Hooray!  We will have dinner there.  We stayed and ate.  We all had a seafood dinner which was not bad but was not great.  I don't see us going back.

We headed home full.  Dad spent time doing the traditional Thanksgiving activity, went to bed, and the kids and I went out into the warm weather for a soccer game.



As far as the traditional dinner maybe I will make it for Christmas.  Maybe my husband will make it for me.  Maybe we will have better luck with the restaurants then.  Nothing has been decided yet.  But I did get to go have thanksgiving with the boys at school.

They had a feast.  A grand feast it was great.  We the parents served the students, staff and teacher all the Thanksgiving trimmings.  My boys even ate it! They enjoyed it, we all did.


Evan


Greg and friends

They were all to cute.  The lower elementary kids dressed up like Indians and pilgrims.  They each made there hat.  Evan made a necklace too.  The girls wore there bonnets I wish I had a picture of that.


Gregory


Evan

As I said he made the hat himself and glued the feather on how he wanted. Process art not product art. It was hard for me to look at and not want to fix but the feather in the face did not bother him at all.

I love going to there school and spending time with them.  They may have perfectly dressed themselves as opposing pilgrims and Indians but they are still my two turkeys.