Yes ma’am

As I’ve mentioned before, A can be, shall be say, a little headstrong.  She has definite opinions about everything.  One of her most prevalent opinions is that she should be in charge.  Of everything.  And everybody.  For example:

The other night, we were at church for Wednesday night dinner.  J and A’s good friend T was also there.  After dinner, we took all the kids to a big room so they could run off some of that aggravating excess energy play.  After about 20 seconds, A had the boys jumping at her every command.

You there! Do my bidding!

The boys cower in fear of her wrath.

When they dare not to obey, she is
forced to “blow the whistle.”

To get everybody on the same page,
she gets them all to “cuddle up,” as she calls it.
OK, so she needs to work on her sports terms.

Bathtime

So, we’re bathing the kids the other night.  They are just about finished.  J is out of the tub getting dried off.  A, now with an entire tub to call her own, does a Superman pose in the water (belly down, arms and legs outstretched), wriggles around a bit,  and declares:

“Ooooohh, that’s what I’m talkin’ about.”

Note to self: check TiVo to see what type of shows the kids have recorded.

Which cereal to eat?

I love me some good cereal.  In case you’re ever wondering which cereal would be the best for you, here’s a handy reference chart (click on the chart for a full size image):

F-f-f-f-f-four!

Last Friday, I suffered through a round of golf with my brother.  Now, before you say “Oh, you poor thing.  Your suffering must have been unbearable.”  let me give you some details.

First of all, I’m not a golf guy.  When somebody asks “Do you play golf?” my normal response is “I have clubs.”  I can enjoy a little golf, now and then.  But I’m not like some guys who seem to base their entire existence around the possibility of sneaking in a round of golf.

And I guess I shouldn’t say “guys” since, in our house, it’s K who is golf obsessed.

One could attribute my lack of excitement about golf to three things:

1) Golf, as a leisure activity, is fairly expensive.  And I’m cheap.
2) A round of golf takes entirely too much time, which could be used for much more important things.  Like watching football.
3) I suck at golf.

Now, let me paint you a picture.  Imagine a large, grassy expanse of land after a couple of days of heavy rain.  Now picture walking around that land in 40 degree weather, without the ability to wear large, bulky, warm outerwear.  And finally, in the weather trifecta, add in 35 mph winds.

Yes, I said 35 mph winds.

This is the environs in which we were blessed enough to try to hit a small white ball.  We could barely stand up in the wind.  The ball was at the mercy of the wind.  And any ball that, by the grace of God, was well struck found itself embedded in an inch of mud upon landing.  Of course, in what could only be attributed to a horrible case of testosterone poisoning, nobody wanted to risk being branded a girly man by being the first one to say “This is ridiculous.  Let’s stop.”  So we played 18.

I think the feeling has just about returned to my extremities.

Just what the kids need for Christmas

Nothing like the Pop-up Book of Phobias to induce night-terrors.

(The first page is especially for you, CPQ)

T-Day

We survived.

Nana’s oven bird and stuffing is almost done

My frying equipment is ready to go.
Wireless internet access is a must.

Swim, my pretties.

My brother, K’s father, his friend, and I enjoy
the sweet ambrosia of deep frying poultry.

K’s brother enjoys our cheese and cracker hors d’oeuvres.
Yes, it’s Easy Cheese.  We’re just that classy.

Guests mingle while Nana makes gravy.

The young man on the right is a college student who goes to our church.
He’s from the Congo, so he had never had fried turkey.
Or Easy Cheese.
We consider them our little contribution to international diplomacy.

Food,

food,

food,

food,

and did I mention food?

J has his eyes on the turkey cake.

Finally, everybody’s favorite part.  Eating.

I think I see K down at the other end of the table.
She may actually be in the next zip code.

Some post-meal conversation

After the eating, it’s time for the watching of football.

Or, in my brother’s case, enjoying a carbohydrate-induced nap.

J’s preferred implement of destruction for the turkey cake head.

Overall, not a good day to be a turkey.

But not a bad day to be a kid.
Or an adult.

Ready to go

OK, at 2PM today, 29 people will be sitting down at our house for Thanksgiving dinner.

Most of the prep work is done.

Let’s just hope the power doesn’t go off.

Yes, those are three turkeys.

K puts the final touches on the placecards.

Placecards, courtesy of a CPQ-provided punchout tool.

Seating for 29, spread across our dining room and study

Of course, A decided that today would be a good
day to try out her crayon skills on our back stairs.
Nice.

My kingdom for a White Castle

Growing up, we’d often travel to Ohio to visit relatives. One thing I always looked forward to (OK, beside seeing relatives), was being able to go to White Castle. There still isn’t anything like it around where I live now. If there were, I would so be making this for Thanksgiving:

White Castle Stuffing

MAKES 12 SERVINGS

4  tablespoons butter
1  large white onion, peeled and diced
1/2  head celery, diced
1  pound brown mushrooms, sliced
1/2  ounce fresh sage, chopped
1  tablespoon paprika
¼  teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
18  White Castle hamburgers (no pickles), chopped into 1-inch pieces, or 1 small loaf white bread, cubed and toasted
1  cup chicken stock
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large saute pan, heat butter until foamy. Add onions and celery and cook until tender but still slightly crisp. Add mushrooms and some salt. Cook until mushrooms are brown and liquid is gone.
Add sage, paprika and nutmeg to the pan and cook until spices are fragrant.
Pour the mixture into a bowl and add diced White Castles; toss together. Put the stuffing in a baking dish and drizzle chicken stock over. Toss again and season to taste.
Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered, until the top is brown and crispy.

Rollerderby girl

A’s newest pastime:

Getting ready

Whoa! Who decided that putting wheels on shoes was a good idea?

OK, this isn’t so bad.

I spoke too soon.

Xanaduuuuuuuu!

This is why we have foam padding on the floors.

Turkey Fry #1

Last Thursday, I continued what is becoming the annual tradition of hauling all my turkey frying equipment out to the back of K’s office park to fry a couple of turkeys for her Thanksgiving party.  And believe me, nothing says Thanksgiving like two 5 gallon vats of boiling peanut oil.

Two burners, no waiting.

It’s important to have the proper equipment:
Fryers … check
Propane … check
Oil … check
Relaxation chair/beverage holder … check

The end result .. tastes like a turkey wrapped in a potato chip
Mmmmm, mmmmm, good.

And I get to do the whole things again this Thursday.  But this time, it’s for 27 friends/family coming to our house for Thanksgiving.

Yes, I did say 27.