Thanksgiving love.

As much as I can't be bothered with Halloween, I absolutely love Thanksgiving.  It is a day of dreams for me.  The lounging around, catching a couple Broadway songs during the Macy's parade, scouring Black Friday ads, planning shopping strategies, preparing food, delegating out food preparation, family, and finally!  Eating the most miraculous dinner known to man.

We hosted this year, but I felt like I didn't have much to do.  I handled the turkey, dressing, and cranberry jello salad, Melissa did the mashed potatoes, Jill did the green salad and sweet potatoes, and Glenn's mom did the croissants and green bean casserole.  Dessert was a group effort between Melissa, Jill, and the Ryans. Apple. Pumpkin. Pecan. Key Lime. Cheesecake. And some divine brownie peanut butter concoction (that I may have to ask for when my birthday rolls around).  I mean seriously.  If one was to hold that dinner up as an example of all American dinners, there would be no doubt in anyone's mind that this is the land of plenty.

The fun really began as we began getting serious about Black Friday shopping.  Tyler started thinking that he might want to come along with my sisters and me.  He had his eye on an Xbox and some potential birthday and Christmas money burning a hole in his pocket.  We decided that we'd try heading to Target at midnight instead of going the usual 5:00 am route.  We would brave the elements, and Tyler would brave standing in line for an hour or so with us three crazy girls.

After freezing outside in line, watching some drama take place over some cutting in line, and then after standing in yet another line once we got into the store, the whole trip ended up being a success.  Tyler, getting more and more anxious as we approached the pharmacy counter (all electronic deals were found there), proved to be a perfect gentleman by carrying packages and holding the doors.  He impressed my sisters by scoffing at the potty-mouthed teenagers in front of us and denouncing Grand Theft Auto.  He was a good shopper and a good sport for being willing to be seen with the three of us, that's for sure.  And it must not have been too horrible for him because he has said he wants to go back out with us next year.

I don't know...for small and simple reasons, this day might just have to be added to my list of best days ever.  Perfection.

Leave the gun, take the cannoli.

The day before Thanksgiving Glenn worked from home, and when he decided to wander downstairs, we all decided to wander down to the Cleveland Art Museum and Little Italy.

Art.

More art.

Gazing down upon the art.

The hall of armor.

Is this anything?

Yes, I was there, too.

Heading to Presti's for pizza and subs.  The pizza needed more cheese.

Heading to Corbo's for cannoli.

Delish.

We got our own private dining room.  It felt like we were part of the Family.

Yay for Cleveland and all the fun things to do here!

Social networking.

Brooke has been quite the busy little lady recently.  The day after Halloween she up and left for Mohican with the rest of the 6th graders.  She was so excited to go and had no qualms about leaving.  After all, she pointed out, she's been away from home before.

Mohican was great for her because she got to spend the week with her friends (with fabulous weather, I might add!), and it was great for us because we got to sing all the songs from her summer play in their entirety without her yelling at us to stop. Too bad we didn't think of this till the last night.

 

She and her friends all got matching necklaces, which she still wears pretty much every day.  She had such a great time she plum wore her self out, and despite assurances that she didn't need a nap, promptly fell asleep on the couch after arriving home.

Brooke and her friends have a very active social life, at least for their age.  There are always some sort of plans being made, usually via chatting online just about every day after school.  She has gone to see one friend in a play and will see another on Saturday.  And this is with a whole group of girls.  There are invitations to "hang out," which I guess is the new "play date."  Tomorrow is mix-it-up day at school and the girls are dressing up as each other--not quite sure what that means besides making t-shirts that say "Hi! I'm _______!" and on Brooke's part, wearing a headband.  Because that's what her friend does.  The girl who is dressing up like Brooke is wearing skinny jeans and her hair down (which sets her apart from every other 6th grader how?) and writing "I was born to be a star!" on the back of her t-shirt.  Now that makes sense.

Despite all these big plans, Brooke still had time for a  special night with her dad.  The activity days girls had a fun Daddy-Daughter Night.  It was a 50's theme, complete with poodle skirts for all the girls (their leaders are amazing).  Brooke loved hanging out with her dad, and came home with stories of how he tried to flip her (you know, that 50's dance move?) but she was having none of it.

Whew.  It makes me tired just writing it.  And she's only 11.  I hate to think of how it's going to be in junior high (next year!!!), or when she's 14 and going to stake dances, or when she turns 16 and starts....ok, I can't think about that.  For right now, I am happy that she has a good little group of friends who are nice girls, and that she is so happy with her life.  I can only hope it stays this way forever.

Halloween, Schmalloween

Maybe the reason why I've taken so long to blog about Halloween is because of my general apathy towards the holiday.  Now before you get all up in arms over my lack of holiday spirit and overall sense of fun, just simmer yourselves down.  I love me enough Thanksgiving, Christmas, and my birthday to make up tenfold for my Halloween deficiencies.

Coming up with four costumes every year is enough to send anyone running and screaming.

The one good thing about this year?  It was the last time I have to worry about four costumes.  My costume responsibilities will decrease by half next year, as Emma and Leah have now gone the way of all good teenagers (emphasis on the word good) who no longer trick-or-treat.  In fact, they really should have been relegated to handing out candy THIS year, but they made a good case for themselves...last year, their would-be final T-or-T, Halloween fell on a Sunday and no one went out.  So this was the last hurrah.

Hurrah!

There is a significant lack of pictures, despite there being plenty of festivities.  Church Trunk-or-Treat (out of town), major rager at the intermediate school (bookended by a sleep over), class parties (no longer a room mom), and of course the haul at the end of the night (I think I just wanted kids to get in bed).  But for posterity's sake, here are a token few...

chicken taco soup and cornbread for dinner--better than any snack-size candy!

my crew--a couple I-Luminate girls, a bodyguard, and a Hogwarts student

the whole darn lot of cuteness

this is what the parents have to look forward to next year...the teens taking the littles around by themselves!

the very start of what would prove to be a lengthy night.  and yes, jake was the ringleader of it all.

Ok, so Halloween isn't so bad, but it's got nothin' on a day like today.  I got out of bed at 9:30, I watched the parade, I smell that turkey in the oven, I'm about to pore over the Black Friday ads, and in a couple hours the entire family will descend upon my house ready to eat and relax and be together.  It is a bright, sunshine-y day and I love it.  Now THAT'S what I call a holiday.

Dearly beloved...

We are gathered here today to mourn the passing of one whole month since my return from a lovely get-away to Minneapolis with Glenn.  As now I am in the depths of teacher conferences, doctors appointments, secretly getting the house and other affairs ready for my parents to come for Christmas, kids home for the entire Thanksgiving week, and making meals, let us reflect back on the beauty that was five whole days of TIME. 

TIME to attend the temple.

TIME to see a movie and have the theater all to ourselves.

TIME to experience the out-of-control craziness that is Mall of America.

TIME to take a picture by the Michael Kors sign.  But not to go in.  Not with those prices.

TIME to be as amazed as I imagine Porter would be in the Lego store.

TIME to head up to the banks of the Mississippi River and walk pretty much all the way to St. Paul.

TIME to admire the color and uniqueness of the Farmer's Market.

TIME to enjoy the downtown atmosphere.

TIME to ride a bus down to a Scandinavian store and deli.  Because why not?

TIME to enjoy the freshest guacamole (like we watched her make it right there at our table) at a fancy Mexican restaurant that we were maybe a little under-dressed for.

TIME to walk a couple miles to see this sculpture.  Which apparently is a big deal.

TIME to take a picture of myself as a crossed a (rickety-looking) bridge that spanned a very busy freeway.

TIME to sit at a wanna-be Parisian crepe shop and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate that I was convinced had a little java in there.  But no caffeine buzz, no foul.

TIME to find a bahn mi food truck and decide to get one for lunch.  (It wasn't Nom Nom, but it was probably pretty close.)

TIME to eat the bahn mi in the two-story Target.  It was a little chilly outside.

TIME to get the yummiest turtle candies from Candy Land.

TIME to get a cupcake (or two) and bring them back to the hotel room and eat all by myself before taking a nap.

TIME to pose in front of the Mary Tyler Moore statue on the way to the airport.

And now, as this idyllic moment in time goes the way of all the earth, we give our sincerest thanks. Yes, this trip will always be remembered most fondly for its gift of TIME. It did for me what few others, if any ever have. It gave me a chance to be independent, feel cosmopolitan, and exercise my agency in ways heretofore unknown. And then get to hang out with my husband when he was done working. We will never forget.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

It's 11/11! Make a wish!

I had a roommate in college who would say that every time the clock showed 11:11, so in honor of today's very special date, I thought I'd make a few wishes...

I wish that every night was pizza and movie night.

I wish that the pizza would make itself.

I wish that we could have a fall like we've had this year every year.  And that it would last for a good six months.  Four even!  Three?  How about just six solid weeks of the gorgeous fall colors and 60-degree weather like we had on Tuesday?

I wish that I would never have to get out from under a warm, cozy blanket after a warm, cozy nap.

I wish that I could to get my act together and get those blog posts written about my fab trip to Minneapolis with Glenn and Halloween.

I wish that the road construction guys would take away the huge pylons from in front of my driveway so that I don't have to park my car across the street anymore.

I wish that my parents would get here for the holidays.

I wish that my house would always be as peaceful as it is right now...kids playing happily and quietly with cousins, more cousins on the way, a piano lesson in the background.

May all your 11/11/11 wishes come true!

And with that, we went out to breakfast and did a little shopping.

Dear Mr. Principal, Mrs. Assistant Principal, Mr. Home Room Teacher and Mrs. Home Room Teacher,

Good morning--

Because of our family's values system, we do not watch R-rated movies--adults included.  Emma and Leah made the choice to not participate in the viewing of the unedited version of "Last of the Mohicans" or any other subsequent R-rated movie at school.  It is my understanding that the alternative activity for them is to spend the morning in the school library.  This doesn't sound too fun, and as a parent I would like to reinforce and reward my children's tough and courageous decision rather then have them feel as though they are being punished.  I am going to allow them to stay home from school Friday morning to relax and have some fun while their friends and classmates are relaxing and having fun watching the movie.

I understand that there are lots of fun activities planned for later that day.  I will have Emma and Leah back to school at 11:00am.

I do not wish to cause any trouble or make too big of an issue, nor do I wish for any undue attention to come to the girls over this situation.  I appreciate your sensitivity and support.

Interestingly enough, that movie is being shown in its edited form on network TV this week.  We are recording it and will be watching it this weekend with the girls, so they will be able to participate in any classroom discussion.

Thank you again for your understanding.

Sincerely,
Amy Franklin