Thanksgiving Traditions

Does every family do the thing where they can't eat anything (aside from all the stuffed olives, roll dough, celery sticks etc., etc. everyone snacked on pre- sitting down to the dinner table) until everyone around the table has said three things they're thankful for . . . and no one can repeat what someone else has said? So the food gets incrementally colder as each person racks their brain for a new way to say they're thankful for the same things everyone preceding them said. Sweaty palms are wiped on napkins, minds go blank, and you find yourself blurting out "manicurists, muck boots, and bleach pens" (or some nonsense) only to see your loved ones sadly shaking their heads at your inadequate answers. "No!" you shout, "I'm not mocking tradition! I DO HAVE a thankful heart! I just want to move onto the pie and the little leftover turkey sandwiches that come LATER! And, and, and the first five people stole my TOP FIFTEEN ideas!" No? Your family doesn't go for that craziness? First, I don't believe you. Second, can I come to your house for Thanksgiving?
Since that's not an option, and I really do love Thanksgiving and family togetherness, and I AM grateful for a bazillion things that I could list any time of the day - except when it is suddenly demanded of me - I have a plan. I'm making cards. Not crafty little foofy cards (although my inner Martha is thinking some place cards would be a nice touch) but sneaky cheater note cards. Then, as all my thankful speaking points are taken I can just toss those cards casually over my shoulder and be ready to eloquently add whatever blessings I'm still holding. I'm not even writing down "Family, Friends," and "the Gospel" because I know those will be taken up by the first person to speak. Unless it's Nick because - judging from his prayers lately - the three things he is most grateful for are the temple (good one), dinner (if only he would eat. . .), and potty (really, and he can have that one all to himself).
SO I'm starting my note cards with these:
Love (which will SO get taken)
Music (ditto)
Freedom (ditto)
What would you say? You know it's coming. . . better be prepared.

Treats I Can Sink My Teeth Into. . .

Okay, so I can pretty much sink my teeth into (and am willing to sink my teeth into. . .) most treats. BUT I don't always want my kids to treat themselves to all the irresistible snacks that I would - at least without my supervision. Two reasons: First (and most importantly) - some treats are just for me. . . and maybe Tyler, if he's nice. I'm not talking about a secret stash of something BAD here, but let's be honest no three-year-old has a palate that would really appreciate a square of Scharffen Berger bitter chocolate. Might as well give them M&Ms, or even the fake M&Ms - they'll be just as happy. . . and so will I. Second - Maybe some kids out there have (and pay heed to) a "that's enough" warning signal in their heads. My oldest actually rarely overeats anything, including treats. The other two? Fuhgettabouditt! They'll eat snacks until they're quite literally sick if we let them. (ie: if they 're sneaky enough.)

The solution? Healthy snacks that are good enough the kids sneak those instead of the alternatives. Several years ago Tyler introduced me to the best dried apples ever. His mom had dried them from some of the trees in their orchard. I've never been a fan of most dried apples - mostly because I 'm not a fan of eating cardboard OR styrofoam which is what most dried apples taste like to me. So why were hers so different? She used a different variety of apple - Jonathons. Not Jonagolds, Jonathons.

Aren't they beautiful?

SO yummy, I swear. Unfortunately we took out the Jonathon Apple trees a few years ago and are left with a bunch of Red Delicious trees- which are not so delicious (although the boys and the horses like them just fine. . .). I always look for Jonathons in the stores and farmers markets and I was so excited last week when I found some. (Yay!) So we've been using one of my favorite kitchen gadgets - my apple peeler/corer/slicer and drying a ton of apples. (Alright, a couple of bushels or something, but it seemed like a ton.)

The boys take turns using the gadget and then run around the house eating the long strings-o-apple-peel. (and screaming of course, but that has nothing to do with the apples, that's just all about little boys. I don't know why. It makes no sense to me.) I even made a pie for no reason other than we had so many apples. I'm feeling so very Martha Stewart-ish. And now we're monitoring the dried apple consumption instead of the Halloween candy. Much better.

Mini-Celebrations

Sometimes I feel like I'm working on so many different big projects, goals, what-have-yous that I'm endlessly wrapped up in the doing and never stop to celebrate what's been done. More of a 'can't see the trees for the forest' rather than the other way around. Curse of the multi-tasker. SO, today while the craft area of the house has been piled (lovingly, I'm sure) with my STUFF from storage for me to sort out, while the laundry looms menacingly (and rather stinkily, I'm sure) in the hampers, while dinner sits marinating on the counter I am going to celebrate an accomplishment a long time coming.

We - have - finally - finished - off - my - worst - toothpaste - purchase - ever! Hooray! I thought the day would never come. Seriously. I'm not kidding. First off, I need to say that toothpaste needs to be minty. Knock-down, almost choking, breathing crisp frosty air minty. Cinnamon doesn't enter this equation. It doesn't make you feel fresh and clean. It makes your mouth feel. . . well, warm. If you disagree, good for you. You can have all the funky flavors out there that I wish I could love, but can't.

SO, forever ago (seriously) I bought a tube of cinnamon toothpaste and loved it for maybe one use, decided it was icky and bought the old standby mint-fest. I would have tossed the nasty one immediately but that little voice in the back of my head told me it was too irresponsible and wasteful. (Think of all the people that don't even have toothpaste. . .you know what I mean.) Luckily the other voice in my head said, "leave it for Tyler, he'll use it. He'll use anything. Hey Tyler!". Brilliant, no? Somehow he started using my minty wonder again though, so I tucked the cinnamon freak-show into the tin box under the counter I usually reserve for my 'back stock' toiletries. Problem solved. BUT THEN, MONTHS LATER (Eeeewww, right? I know.) the minty-wonder was gone and the cinnamon tube reappeared. Apparently Tyler went through the 'back stock' bin and found the reject toothpaste! UGH! I was guilted into finishing it with him and it lasted for-e-ver. I swear it has been weeks now that I have been squeezing the end of that tube hoping to NOT be able to get another toothbrushful out. But, no, it just kept on coming like unwanted manna. Waaah (angels singing) - the miracle of the toothpaste. Hooray. I couldn't toss it away and then have Tyler fishing it out of the garbage all, ''whada-ya-mean you couldn't get anymore out?' and squirting ridiculous amounts onto his toothbrush to out do me! (That's not me being competitive, by the way, that's just sheer pride.) No more though. The proverbial well is dry. Woo-hoo! Color me minty fresh. I'll be breathing frost-bite breath from now on, thank you very much.
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Edited 12:15 am
No way! I just walked into the bathroom to find Tyler (who had not read this post yet) struggling to get one last dab of toothpaste out of the yucky tube. (At least the tube was on the counter instead of in the garbage) I guffawed loudly and, yes, sadly, snorted. When I had kind of composed myself I peeked back in and he was holding his toothbrush (topped with yummy cinnamon paste) triumphantly for me to witness his feat. And then I ran downstairs to tell you all. Brilliant.
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Edited (again) to add 12:30 am
Not only did he find enough toothpaste for himself, but my toothbrush was waiting for me all toothpasted-up when I returned upstairs. Oh, how sweet.

That's One Super Tuesday Alright

Remember a couple of weeks ago when the colors were still brilliant in the mountains, and before it decided to snow? (Grrr.) Remember that? Yeah, me too. I thought I would have all the time in the world to post Fall color pictures. Then winter bared it's ugly teeth and swallowed up every last leaf - at least from the branches in the higher altitudes. Along with the winter weather came the big move of the horses from the Summer Ranch to the Winter Ranch. It looked the rest of the week was going to get colder and wetter so we decided to move the horses on Tuesday. . . Super Tuesday to you. Talk about bad timing, since Tuesday decided to be the day with the worst weather of the week. (A bit foreboding, perhaps even a little foreshadowing, if you ask me.)


Let's remember the sunny weather with the gorgeous colors and feel warm and happy, shall we? For a minute.

Oooo.

Ahhh.

Nice, eh? (That's for all you Canadians out there. The 'eh', you know) The Saturday before the move we got a chance to get one last ride in, we we even brought our husbands. It was so much fun.

Now it's on to riding in the valleys if we can get a little nice weather, and soon we'll stick to the arenas. (BO-RING!)

Happy Halloweeeeen!!

(Max as a Dementor, Grey as Zorro, Me as Elphaba the Wicked Witch of the West, and Nick as Batman. . . ready to hit the streets and get some candy! Oh yeah, and Tyler as the cameraman and door-answer-er.)

Oooooo! (That's a scary ghost sound by the way.) Nick has been drawing little blobish circles and saying 'Oooooo' for weeks now. 'Dat's a scary ghos, Mom'. All the little blobs look pretty much the same to me, but he assures me they're all very different ghosts. SO, our whole family has been pretty preoccupied with Halloween for some time now and now that it's officially over I'm not sure I want to let it go. The spooky decor is definitely staying up a few more days at least.
Th boys' school doesn't let the kids wear costumes to school on Halloween which I thought was very sad. I have great memories of the Halloween Parade at my elementary school. Teachers and students dressed up, parents came and the entire school tromped through the halls and through every classroom in the school. I'm sure it was chaos for the faculty and maybe even a dreaded event, but seriously, it was great fun for the kids. Part of the fun of being in costume is seeing (and being seen by) all your friends. In lieu of any costumed festivities at school I told the boys we would have a Halloween Costume Party for them at the house. Their guest lists weren't too bad separate, but they were a little spooky put together! We had twenty-three kids (and Grey's amazing kindergarten teacher, his wife and their son even stopped by - the kids went wild. He's quite a celebrity to them). When all was said and done (seventy-five 'witch-finger' cookies, twenty-three spider cupcakes, and twenty-three treat bags later) it was a very crazy, fun, chaos-filled hour-and-a-half! I'm definitelty glad we did it though and think it might have to become a tradition for us.

Witch Finger Cookies

I didn't have a chance to snap any pictures until the very end of the party. By that time, of course, most of the little goblins had shed multiple pieces of their costumes. Too bad I didn't group them together for a shot in the beginning - they were so adorable!