Thanksgiving 2013

You guys, my awesome plan to actually break up the work for Thanksgiving dinner not only made my life easier, but it saved our bacon this year too!  

( pie crust - pie weights and into the oven - pumpkin pie filling )

Here's the story...

I awoke Thursday morning just in time to get my morning smiles from little Jude-O and head downstairs to put on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the kids.  Question: Has it always been so commercial? So many fake conversational plugs for products and stores.  Anyway, Matt was busily working away in the kitchen preparing two chickens for our Thanksgiving feast to be slow smoked in our backyard meat smoker.

( oh, so manly )

The first chicken was basted with Bay-infused butter and had garlic and fresh herbs loving shoved under its skin.  The second bird had a "jam" of cooked bacon, onions and garlic rubbed under it's skin.  They were each mounted atop a soda can filled with chicken stock and lemon juice for extra moisture. Then out to the smoker they went.  We bought a "blankie" (which was actually a water heater thermal insulator) for the smoker this year since it was set to be windy and cold.

Matt set the temperatures on our cordless digital read meat thermometer and we settled down for a lazy afternoon. 

( the apple pie )

I started in making a Thankful Tree and cutting leaves from different colored card-stock on my Cricut cutting machine.  The girls and I got branched from the yard and wrapped a used can in paper and twine.  While I was cutting the leaves, the meat thermometer beeped.  The chickens had cooked far more quickly than we anticipated and they were done...3 hours early.  Now what to do?  Hold the chickens for 4 hours?  Nope. I decided to whip together the remaining components of the Thanksgiving feast and we could eat in just 1 hour. We had to say goodbye to the homemade dinner rolls I was planning on making, but no biggie.

And we did it!  The girls pitched in and set the table, I made the side dishes and we got it all whipped together within an hour.  Success!!  This is why preparing ahead of time is fabulous! 

We placed the paper leaves on the table and filled them out while we ate and hung them on the branches.  

As you can see, no one brainwashes their kids as well as I do. It's an art form. This year  Evangeline is grateful for: flu shots.

We had a great Thanksgiving!  I hope each of you had a holiday filled with family, fun and amazing food!  I am certainly grateful for my many blessings and for all of you.

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Happy Thanksgiving

For a FREE PRINTABLE of this 8x10" poster CLICK HERE.

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Very Thankful Indeed

I am thankful for...

- This amazing little family I have.

- My incredible extended Ahern family.

- My circle of close girl friends.

- The chance to be better.

- All of you, my blog readers. You are a great bunch of women (and Jimmy) and your love, ideas, and comments inspire me daily.

It is a charmed life I am living.

Partly because I built it and partly because of a loving God.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

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On top of Thanksgiving

I have made our own thanksgiving dinner each year for the past 7 or 8 years (except for one year).  And every year I have made everything...EVERYTHING...on Thanksgiving day. Why don't I prep ahead of time? No idea.

Every year I am ready to fall into bed about 10 minutes before dinner starts.  I am SO wiped out.  This year I have vowed to change that.

Matt is smoking two chickens in his meat smoker, so I am off the hook for the major menu item.  But the sides and desserts are all me.  I have a plan all worked out.  Whether it will go as planned remains to unfold, but here it is regardless.

Monday:

- buy last minute groceries for T-day

- cut tree branches, decorate can and cut out leaves for thankful tree craft with kids

 

Tuesday:

- mince onions and celery for stuffing and store

- thin slice onions for casserole topping and store

- let kids make homemade place cards for family

Wednesday:

- assemble "Healthy Green Bean Casserole" (except for topping) and store in fridge.

- peel and cube potatoes and store, submerged in water, in fridge

- make Pumpkin Pie

- set out all serving bowls/utensils, tablecloth and decorations for dinner

Thursday:

- make Apple Pie
- bake onion slices for casserole, top and bake.

- make stuffing

- boil and mash pre-cut potatoes

- whip fresh cream for pumpkin pie

Sounds pretty doable, right?  

Might I actually enjoy Thanksgiving day?  

Could it be?

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So I wanna know: 

Do YOU prep and make things in the days before Thanksgiving?

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Thanksgiving Happiness

I heard this little snippet on NPR while driving to church today and I cried.
 I cried, people.
Click the link below to have a listen (it's just 5 minutes long).

Expatriates Thanksgiving Abroad

I hope, someday, that when someone really needs help or needs a safe place to heal their hearts I can answer,  "I guess that'd be us."

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This & that Thursday

This week Ella said to Evangeline,

"Eva...don't you know that everybody HATES you?"

Evangeline cried her eyes out because her heart was hurt.

Ella was sent to her room for the rest of the night

(from about 4pm on) with only a break for dinner.

Around 5:00 pm Eva came to me and said,

"Can Ella come out now? It makes me so sad that she has to stay in her room for so long."

#ClassicEvangeline

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Today I am determined to finish writing

the remaining chapters of "Emmy Loves Chachi".

Jude has other plans.

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My book club has a rule that all books must be under 300 pages.

I think that rule is pretty impossible.

Unless you want to read "Ramona Quimby, Age 8" for book club.

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Jamie Ford has a new book out.

I am SO excited.

I chose it for my month to host book club, which is January.

It's 304 pages, but they let it slide.

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It was cheaper for me to buy a bag of 12 limes at the market

than to by just 2 at the grocery store.

Key Lime Pie anyone?

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During a serious whine-fest in a Target yesterday.
Me: Honey, do you need a nap?
Bianca: No! I just need Emily Foley!!!

Me too, kid. Me too.

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Book Love: Chapter 01

I'm starting a new blog series called BOOK LOVE. This will be a place where I share my love of books by telling you about some of my favorite reads of all time. I hope you'll fall in love with some of these wonderful books too!

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HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET

Author: Jaime Ford

Genre: Fiction

Recommended Age: Teens and adults

Henry Lee comes upon a crowd gathered outside the Panama Hotel, once the gateway to Seattle's Japantown. It has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made an incredible discovery: the belongings of Japanese families, left when they were rounded up and sent to internment camps during World War II.  This simple act takes old Henry Lee back to the 1940s, at the height of the war, when young Henry's world is a jumble of confusion and excitement, and to his father, who is obsessed with the war in China and having Henry grow up American.

People, I loooved this book! The story had me engaged from beginning to end and shed light on a new part of American history for me, while never being stuffy or boring. Amazing!  I was completely obsessed from beginning to end and of all others books I read this year I have recommended this one the most to others.

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BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY

Author: Melissa Sweet

Genre: Picture Book

Recommended Age: All

This book is SO GREAT!  My kids loved it and so did I. It's informative without being preachy or boring and crazy-fun for kids with it's lovely illustrations and fun story. After checking it out from the library we bought a copy and will be reading it every year before watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade.

A must-have for a child's library.

 
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THE BEST MAKE-AHEAD RECIPES

Author: America's Test Kitchen

Genre: Cookbook

Pretty much the bible of make ahead cooking! Every recipe I have tried has been delicious and received rave reviews!

As is always the case with America's Test Kitchen, some of the recipes are a bit more complicated than they need to be. I have amended a few of them by replacing complicated ingredients with simple ones. For instance, in the Beef Tamale Pie recipe, I replaced a gazillion listed spices with a taco seasoning packet and had fabulous results.

A great resource for any kitchen.

*for all of my Book Love recommendations click HERE.

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Ick. I'm becoming a "mommy blogger".

Confession:  

I dislike it when Moms make their profile picture their kid or have a handle like "JacksMommy". Not because obsessing over your kids is wrong...because it's not...but because I think it sometimes marginalizes women.

Yes, being a mom is the most important thing in my life right now, but it's not the only thing. I am a woman and an artist and a wife and reader and a teacher and a photographer, etc.  

But I toggled through my own blog posts lately and...oy...I have become a one-dimmensional, mommy-blogger.  It's only photos of my kids and updates about my kids and blabbering about my kids.  

So here's one more post and then I'm writing something dimensional tomorrow.  Promise.

This morning Bianca was "reading" a book to Jude and it was pretty much the cutest thing ever.  (Oh dear, I just died a little inside as I typed those words.)

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“Didn’t your wife want to give birth in a gown someone died in yesterday?’

This stand up from Jim Gaffigan is hilarious!
Love that Jim is a clean comic and also really funny.

Watch it.
You'll laugh.
Promise.



If you have NETFLIX you can watch the entire special for free! It's called "Jim Gaffigan: Mr. Universe".  I watched it and it was hilarious!

Thanks to Lolly for sharing this with me!

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enough said

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Jude Weight Update

{at 5 weeks}

Just got back from the 1 month appt.
Jude is the picture of health!
8 lbs. 3 oz.
This is a great weight gain for him!
Time to chub this kid up!

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Ramble

I haven't blogged very much lately.  So here are some ramblings as to why...

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Last Saturday was Bianca's Robot Birthday Party. She had 4 friends from church come and it was fun and low-key. For once, I didn't OVER-plan activities for the kids.  In fact, I had a special robot book we were going to read, but we just let that slide because it was going well and everyone was relaxed and having fun.

As always, I went kind of berserk on the crafts, favors and activities. I designed everything myself.  This is fun because it's fun to do. Not-fun because I'm always scrambling at the last minute to finish up and only AFTER pour guests arrived did I run upstairs and swith my pajama pants for jeans....at 12:30pm.

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Ella has had a bad bought of asthma with the changing of the weather to winter winds. I have been to school twice in the past week to either pick her up or administer her inhaler.

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I have had a wicked migraine since Saturday morning.  I finally went to the doctor and got 4 different prescriptions. They're not doing much to help.

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Jude's been pretty fussy at night these days.  I think his time table is reversed. He's pretty calm and naps in the day.  

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Evangeline had her first Girl Scout meeting this week and LOVED it! She was so cute in her little vest.  She came home with a special certificate, welcoming her to the GSA.

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Homework and more homework and more homework for these kids.  I actually like that they have homework.  It helps me know where they are at in the schooling and helps me supplement their learning at home. And it teaches them discipline and hard work. Maybe I need homework.

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After two weeks of tying huge, bulky, blankets around her shoulders I sewed up a Super-Bonka cape for Bianca today. She loves it!

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Working on graphic design orders for clients, including translating scriptures into different languages.  It's a lot harder than just copy+paste.  I found out the hard way.

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Getting ready to sew up two knit tees for my girls to help test a pattern for my friend, Jess.

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Making posters and hand-outs for the coming Relief Society Christmas dinner.

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Hard Work: My Greatest Struggle

I used to think my greatest struggle in life was my weight.  And now I have that somewhat under control.  My second greatest struggle has now become my first. Loving hard work.

I hate work. A lot.  I would even say I'm straight-up lazy, but only when it comes to something I don't want to do.  I can be pretty industrious and hard working when it comes to baking, cooking, crafting, sewing, and other fun pursuits. 

I know what you're gunna say, "The reward is the result." The problem is I don't really care about the result.  I just want to read and watch TV and craft and let the dishes in the sink go to hell. I don't currently get satisfaction from seeing a clean sink as a job well done.

My friend, Steph, shared some wonderful quotes on Facebook today that came from her lesson to the Young Women in our church.

“Let us realize that the privilege to work is a gift, that power to work is a blessing, that love of work is success.”  - David O. McKay

By work we sustain and enrich life. It enables us to survive the disappointments and tragedies of the mortal experience. Hard-earned achievement brings a sense of self-worth. Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God. A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires.”  - Todd D. Christopherson

I believe that hard work is a necessary trait and a way to come closer to God. I believe that in the next life we won't be just floating on clouds, strumming harps. I believe we will be anxiously engaged in a good cause.  I believe that I have to come to love work, hard work, if I am going to be truly happy in this life. This is going to be a struggle.

Learning to love work is hard work.  Ugh.

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Jude: 1 Month

My baby is one month old today! Can you believe it?
That was quite literally the fastest month of my life.
Maybe because it was so busy with getting this kid's weight on track.
He is perfect. And wonderful. And ours. We just adore him.

Height:
21.5 inches

Weight: 
8 lbs. 3 oz.

Loves: 
Being snuggled very tight or cuddled in lots of blankets.
His swing.
His monkey Wubbanub.

Hates: 
Being cold.
Hats.
 
Quirks:
Always wants his binky, but always pushes it out with his tongue.

This past month's milestones:
First smiles.

A favorite memory from his first month:
Having a camera in my hand when he gave us his very first smiles. The photos are blurry, but I don't care. His little face was so perfectly joyful.

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This & That Thursday

Why didn't we announce that we were pregnant like this?

Now it's too late.

How cool are these parents?

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Jude is still doing well.

He's started handing out smiles.

Hello, melting heart.

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I need a new camera.

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We still haven't potty trained Bianca.

Oh my gosh, I hate myself.

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This Etsy shop has the cutest prints.

I want them all.

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Last night I re-labeled my blog posts.

It was a mega job,

but now I feel organized.

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So, I finally watched Casablanca.
The tricky thing is, it's not quite as good
when you watch it for the first time 70 years too late.
Because the closing scene is so famous
that there's no suspense leading up to it.
Humphrey Bogart walking away with a police officer
is a Spoiler Alert 70 years in the making.

This begs the question:
Should I watch Citizen Kane?
Because...I know who "Rosebud" is.

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Remember last year when I pooped-out 

on listing daily things I am thankful for on Nov 7th? 

This year I didn't even begin. 

But I'm fine with that.

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And one more awesome video to make you happy about life.

Faced with a double mastectomy, 

Deborah Cohan danced for joy this week.

The Ob/Gyn and mom of two did the hospital gown boogie 

to Beyoncé's "Get Me Bodied"

with the surgical team at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco.

She asked family and friends to do the same,

and send her the videos.

She's going to watch them while she recuperates.

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motherhood lately

motherhood lately has meant changing my goal to do everything right

to just being grateful I am doing at least some things right.

although today i feel hopelessly flawed.

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Celebrating the lovely...until I barf.

Sometimes "too-perfect blogs" make me want to vomit.

I must be hormonal this week (or just butt-doggy) because I keep un-following blogs that are all airy photos and food shots taken from above with white bowls and white tablecloths.  Kids playing in homemade playhouses wearing striped tights and adorable, elven, hand-knit, hats.  Oh, and the white fireplace mantels decorated for every holiday? Ugh. I mean, I like celebrating the lovely as well, but sometimes it's just too much.

I truly hope no one thinks this blog is a showcase of shallow loviliness.

And just to be sure I'll just pass on the information that this week Bianca produced a hand covered in poo at our dinner table.  She had snuck her hand into her dirty diaper and then held it up for display. 

Follow THAT on Instagram.

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Halloween Costumes 2013

My little mommy-Heart rejoiced this year when Ella declared she wanted to be Princess Leia for Halloween. After years of pink frocks and femme princesses we finally got a Princess I can get behind! We bought the costume and borrowed the light saber from a friend.  She hated...HATED...wearing that itchy wig, but there was no other easy way to make her short, red, bob into Leia hair.  So she made do.

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Evangeline decided on being The Tooth Fairy.  Another fun one!  We bought the white dress (originally an angel costume, including the wings). I added the pink sash and tooth belt-buckle, the pink ribbons on the sleeves, the crown with polymer clay tooth, the wand and matching necklace and earrings.  It was really fun to make the homemade pieces together with her. She also had a hot pink treat bag with a matching felt tooth on it.

In a classic parenting move we planned on Bianca being a pirate, bought the costume, hid it to "keep it safe" and forgot where I hid it. Doh! So, two days before Halloween I headed into Gymboree (where I had a gift card) and snagged this awesome peacock costume on sale for under $10. It was a 18-24 months and Bianca wears 3T, but we rammed her into it for cheapness' sake. it worked and she LOVED it. At each door, when the other kids yelled "Trick-Or-Treat" she yelled "I'm a PEACOCK!" She also wore this costume all day the following Sunday after church.

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Jude went as R2-D2. We chose this so I could make a snuggly and warm sleep sack.  I bought sweatshirt material (from Joann Fabrics) and sewed it into this gown for him and added a matching hat (which I sewed twice to get the size correct...sheesh!).  Then I added felt shapes to perfectly recreate R2-D2's buttons.  It was fun, but also a bit stressful.  In the end the hat looked a bit Pope-ish, but I still felt like a freakin' rock star for getting it done at all!

It was a great Halloween overall.  I did fall asleep at 8:00 pm that night and never awoke until morning.  I was exhausted!

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Jude update

He is soooooo much better! Once again, I was right and the Pediatrician was wrong (why are doctors so cocky?). I told the stupid Doctor that the weight loss AND bum rash was due to a milk proteins allergy. He wouldn't hear it. So I switched Jude to soy formula on my own. 48 hours later....he's great!

His weight is up. His bum rash is almost gone. I'm a genius. Good times ahead.

He rewarded my Tiger-Mother skills with bestowing on me his first smiles this morning as we snuggled in bed.  There is nothing...NOTHING...more heart-melting than seeing your baby's first smiles, meant just for you.

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No costume recap....yet. But here are some crappy iPhone photos.

I had planned on dressing up my kids right after school tomorrow so I could take photos of their Halloween costumes before trick-or-treating. But it rained all day yesterday...EXCEPT for a 2 hour window when the kids went trick-or-treating....Yay!

I did finished Jude's costume in plenty of time (meaning yesterday afternoon) and we took him out, but Jude and mommy both headed home after 2 blocks.

I got this photo of the big girls trick-or-treating as Princess Leia, the tooth fairy and a Peacock.

I survived Halloween 2013. Then I crashed at 8:10 pm never to awake until morning.  This is the benefit of bottle feeding AND having a wonderful husband.

Now to get going on the prep for Bianca's 3rd birthday party in a week.  Sheesh!

 

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