After Thanksgiving

This is what we got Thanksgiving day. Snow! The kids dug out their mittens and snow pants so they could play outside in the 1/8 inch of snow. LOL! We went to my inlaws for dinner. The turkey wasn't alive when we got there, nor did they cook it on the car's engine. Everything was delicious and we had a nice time. (None of my inlaws touched my cheesecake!) :) Hee hee



Since I promised, way back in July, to show you pictures of my inlaws' garage, here you go...

This is ummm, I don't know. I think it's part of the outside of a car. Don't ask me what kind
of car. It's an old car.

This is another section of the garage. Note the shiny blue car up in the air.





Here is yet another section of the garage. Here are a million and one car building tools. And a TV. I think there may be a fridge, bed, and toilet around the corner too.

Shiny blue car. That's as technical as I get.



I was all set to hit the stores Friday morning, but when my alarm went off at 4:00, I thought to myself, "What, are you INSANE?!!! Do you really want to get up now and battle the crowds?" I answered myself with a big, "HECK NO!" and promptly fell back asleep.

I did brave the traffic to go out yesterday afternoon however. I met a couple friends for lunch. I only get to see my friend, Julie a couple times a year so it was great to see her and her husband Ron. And I haven't seen my friend Heather in several years, so it was wonderful to visit with her and meet her new husband Christian.

Ok, now I have to make fun of Ron a little bit. You had to know this was coming, Ron. ;)

So, Julie and I were talking about taking care of the kids and juggling all the chores that need to be done on a regular basis. Ron made a comment to the effect that stay at home moms don't really work. We "get" to stay home all day. It isn't really work. You know, since we lie around eating bonbons and watching Oprah all day.

He went on to say, not two minutes later, "And then I get home from work and she (Julie) expects me to watch the kids. After I've been working all day, she wants me to do more work watching the kids."

Wait a minute, Ron. I thought it wasn't work watching the kids. Oh, I think I understand. When Julie watches the kids, while paying bills, going to the store, cleaning, and doing laundry, it isn't work. When you come home and have to play with the kids while she makes dinner, it's work. I see. Yep. That sounds about right. :D

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33 More Shopping Days Until Christmas

Mmmmmm, mmmmm good. I'm sitting here feeling like I'm going to throw up because I just had to take a second helping tonight. (I'll have pictures and more about Thanksgiving tomorrow.) After dinner, I spread out dozens of flyers and planned my strategy for hitting all the sales tomorrow. Actually, I'm only planning on hitting one or two stores in the morning. I bet about half of you think I'm insane for even considering going out into the crowds to get a deal. You're right. It takes a good dose of insanity to battle all the lines and crowds and craziness. Yet there's something fun and exciting about those after-Thanksgiving sales. The years I've gone in the past were filled with a kind of excitement. The people I encountered were friendly. Christmas music pumped through the store's speakers. I walked through the crowds of people juggling winter coats and packages while I sipped eggnog flavored coffee and thought about the upcoming festivities - decorating the tree, wrapping presents, having people over for dinner, baking Christmas cookies with my kids. I have good memories of this time.

Last year I sent my husband on the black Friday mission. He did not fare so well. There were awful traffic and parking problems. He ran into people who were greedy for the last toy. They were so anxious to get down the aisle that they didn't care about plowing their carts into other shoppers. He stood in long lines only to discover the item he was looking for was sold out after waiting an hour to get to the front. He came home empty handed after hours of frustration. He will definitely not be going again. I think I'm going to finish my shopping from catalogs.

'Tis the season for catalogs. Lots and lots of catalogs. I get about a dozen catalogs a day this time of year. I hadn't had time to look at them, but I just couldn't bring myself to recycle them either, so I'd been piling them up, fully convinced I'd get to them "eventually". When the stack of books hit my ceiling last night, I finally took the time to look through them. While perusing the holiday gift giving offerings in these books, I marveled at the many items that were actually for sale. I contemplated the kind of person who invented said items. I wondered how a company could think, "This is a great idea! Let's market it." I tried to envision the kind of person who would buy such items. And then I ran to my computer to compile, for you, my devoted readers, a top ten list of gifts you don't want to give (or receive) this holiday season.
10. Aqua Friends Bath thermometer - This handy gadget warns you with a flashing light when the bath is too warm. It's a good thing we have this marvelous invention now. How ever did generations of parents manage to bathe their children without scalding them before this nifty thermometer came along? Oh yeah, we put our hands in the water to make sure it wasn't too hot!



9. Butthead Game - What could be more fun than strapping on a velcro covered hat with a buddy and throwing balls at each other's head? I think the name says it all. And check out that kid's expression! This is what will happen to you after having balls thrown at your head for an hour.

8. Dog Doo Candle - It's a candle that looks like a pile of dog poop. Nothing warms your home on a rainy day like the smell of a dog poop candle flickering in the evening. Ahhhh home sweet home.

7. Foam Party Machine - You pour baby shampoo in and this machine spits foam out all over your house. It's almost as much fun as a broken washing machine loaded with an entire bottle of detergent! For those times when your kids don't make a big enough mess on their own, help them out with the Foam Party Machine. "Makes oceans of foam... use it indoors or out."
6. Airheads - It's a propeller that you lick and stick to your head. Its blades spin in the breeze. Why, you ask? I have no idea, but it's on sale and for only $3.48 you can look like an idiot.




5. Bug Listener - It's a microphone so you can listen in on bug's conversations. What do you suppose bugs say to each other? "OK, everyone understand the plan? We're marching into the house tonight and taking everything in the pantry with us. No prisoners! Ready ants? Go!" Or maybe, "Hey Mosquito Fred! How's it going? Have you tried the little red head's blood? It's De-Lish!"


4 1/2. Twirling Spaghetti Fork - It's a motorized fork that spins around. This is the perfect gift for the pasta lover on your list who is also too lazy to move his fork! Maybe next year they'll invent a fork that actually moves to your mouth by itself too.

4. Slingshot Flying Chicken - It's a slingshot! It's a chicken! It's both! What could be more fun than a flying chicken? I can't think of anything! Fling a chicken across the house, into the yard, or at innocent passersby! Fun for the whole family!


3. Farting Salt and Pepper - That's right. Salt and Pepper shakers that make farting sounds when you use them. Nothing says, "please pass the beans" like the sound of flatulance.

2. The Mathematics Calendar 2008 - There's a math problem to be solved every day in this calendar. For the love of God, WHY?!

1. The Mangroomer - It's a do-it-yourself, electric back-hair shaver. Need I say more?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! gobble gobble

I'm going to my inlaws for Thanksgiving tomorrow which means I do not have to cook! For real. Every time we've been invited to my inlaws for dinner, I've asked, "What can I bring?" My mother law, for years, answered with, "Green bean casserole. You do such a good job with it!" Yes folks, apparently I'm a whiz at opening cans of green beans and cream of mushroom soup. I didn't even go to culinary school for that! Impressive, huh?

So for years, I was the official "green bean casserole" lady. Then, a couple years ago I was demoted. I didn't think there was anything below green bean casserole, but I was wrong. I was asked to just bring Jello. I guess I didn't do such a hot job on the Jello as the following year, my mother-in-law requested I bring nothing.

I've never thought I was an exceptionally bad cook. Well, there was that one time I made shrimp creole for my inlaws and I substituted red pepper for chili powder. (We drank a lot of milk.) Oh well. I made a pumpkin cheesecake to bring anyway. I just can't show up empty handed.

My mother-in-law likes to get creative with Thanksgiving dinner. She never just puts an ordinary turkey in the oven. Last year, it was Cornish game hens. One time it was a deep fried turkey. Another time she got a turkey from a farm. A farm fresh turkey. This turkey was so fresh, it still had its feathers when she got it. As we sat down to eat, she told us how she had to pluck its feathers out. OK, I'm no country girl. I'm from Chicago. And I really have no need or desire to hear about or see my food in its alive state before eating. That was just a little too fresh for me. My inlaws are car people (as you might recall from this post) so I'm a little surprised that they've never tried to cook a turkey on the engine of a car. Maybe next year.

So, in honor of Thanksgiving, here is my thankfulness list...

I'm thankful for each of my kids even when they're poking each other, running around the house, messing things up, and burping the alphabet.

I'm thankful that despite all the ear infections and colds, we're all healthy.

I'm thankful my husband has a steady job.

I'm thankful for art even when it's on my walls.

I'm thankful I live in a country where I'm free.

I'm thankful that even though it's miserably dreary and cold and the landscape is barren, there's the promise of spring.

I'm thankful that I'm tired because it means I have a lot of fun things to keep me busy.

I'm thankful for my parents who put up with all the things I did that my kids are now doing to me.

I'm thankful for a sister who's also a best friend and who understands what I'm talking about when I say, "He was a tall man."

I'm thankful for my Yia Yia and my aunt Vasiliki who are always thinking about us and cheering me on.

I'm thankful for Sue who is always on the other end of the phone when I need someone to talk to while I clean or when I need someone to commiserate with after paying bills.

I'm thankful for Jen who has been a best friend since high school. I would never brave camping if it weren't for her company. And who else would stand in an elevator with me for a full five minutes before realizing that neither of us had actually pushed the button for the floor?

I'm thankful for Julie who has been a best friend since high school. She gives me firewood and Chicken George and she laughs at my lame jokes.

I'm thankful for Gin who is not only a friend, but my hairdresser and she can always fit me into her schedule when my hair starts turning funny colors.

I'm thankful for my loopy friends and their endless conversations, jokes, and pretty blue lines.

I'm thankful for laughter, especially the tears from your eyes, stomach hurts, peeing in your pants, snorting kind of laughter.

I'm thankful my kids didn't scare my sister from having kids of her own.

I'm thankful for the opportunity to share a smile and a laugh with so many people on this blog and soon - my book as well.

I'm thankful for all the people who read and/or comment on my blog. You make my day.

And I'm thankful I have a God to be thankful to!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!