Advent calendar

As if I didn't have enough crochet projects going, I decided to add another. Since the Thanksgiving tree went over so well for my boys, I decided an Advent calendar would be right up their alley. I searched online for some ideas of one I could make myself and saw one that had 25 mittens stung up on a string. I knew I could do that! I found an easy mitten pattern to crochet and have 6-1/2 done so far. It only takes about a half hour to whip one up so I might be done by December 1. We'll see!

Here's what I've finished so far. Maybe when I'm done I'll figure out how to embroider numbers on them.

I was trying to come up with something to fill each mitten with and since I really wanted to get the boys a plastic nativity set that they can play with, I decided to put one piece in each mitten. I'll have to come up with some other things, but that will be my main focus this year. I want to get some Christmas story books too. Not for the calendar, just to read to the boys so we can talk about the meaning of Christmas. Any suggestions? I could use some suggestions to fill my other mittens too.

Okay, off to crochet more mittens.......

Thanksgiving weekend

We didn't do anything super exciting this Thanksgiving weekend, but it was a nice time of family, food and fun (how's that for alliteration). We hosted at our house again this year and my mom was gracious enough to take the boys all day Wednesday so I could cook and clean in preparation for the feast.

I wish I had gotten the camera out on Thanksgiving! I guess I was just too busy preparing the meal and then too full and lazy to get up and get the camera.

On the menu:

** Spinach artichoke dip to munch on while we waited for the big meal to be ready

** This year I loosely used Pioneer Woman's recipe for the turkey. I bought an already brined turkey from Trader Joe's so I skipped that part and I roasted it at 325 degrees instead of the 275 that she suggested. I've heard you shouldn't cook a turkey at lower than 325 for safety's sake. Anyway, I did use her suggestion to baste with butter, orange zest and rosemary. It was pretty good. I've made better turkeys with a butter and herb mixture put under the skin, but this year I went for easy.
** Sausage and herb stuffing
**Cranberry sauce
** Mashed potatoes with turkey gravy
** Rolls and butter
** Sweet potato casserole - my mom brought this and used Joyce DeKock's recipe. This is one of my favorite parts of the meal. Its almost like dessert with its streusel topping. Yum, yum, and YUM!
Just a funny side note about this recipe: My mom let me borrow it to share with a friend and I had to laugh when I saw the paper. It was a typed out list of ingredients. No measurements, just the ingredients. My mom had to ask Joyce for amounts and then hand wrote them on the side. Oh, Joyce. How I miss you!

After dinner we read the things on the leaves of the Thanksgiving tree. I am so glad I decided to do this with the boys. They really enjoyed naming the things they were thankful for each day this month and I think maybe, perhaps, Jacob is understanding the concept of thankfulness. It was fun to read these. Some of my favorites were: umbrellas (Jacob), seeds (Jacob), garden (Isaac), bees (Isaac), turkeys (Jacob - after a trip to Bracken Bird Farm), Baby Jesus (Isaac), kites (Jacob - from Thomas the Train Runaway Kite). They were all really cute, but I won't list them all!
I took this picture today before dismantling the tree.

Mike and Jennifer had to leave soon after we ate the main meal so they could have dinner with her family. While my mom and I tackled the mountain of dishes the guys took the boys out to burn off some energy outdoors. I am loving this weather! It has been crispy cold and feels like Thanksgiving should.

For dessert my mom brought homemade apple and pumpkin pies. Isaac requested apple pie, so she HAD to make it, right? A couple weeks ago, Isaac kept saying he wanted apple pie so I said maybe Oma would make one for Thanksgiving. I told him to ask her, so he promptly went to the front door and said 'Appo pie, please, Oma. Appo pie!'

After dessert we headed to the living room and perused the Black Friday ads. The boys loved looking at them! Isaac kept bringing Alan the same one over and over. 'Read it, Daddy. Read it to Isaac.' He only wanted to look at one page too. Probably one with Thomas the Train.

Saturday morning we met my parents at Men's Warehouse to take advantage of their buy one get one free sale. Everything and I mean EVERYTHING was buy one get one free. My dad and Alan both got suits and all the accessories (ties, belts, shoes) for Mike and Jennifer's wedding next month. They are going to look super snazzy!

That afternoon we headed to the park to play for a while.

We took Jacob's bike and he rode it around and around the playground until I, the Mother of the Year, suggested he ride down another sidewalk. It was a bit steep and he went flying down it, went out of control and crashed. There was lots of blood and crying. Oops.
Before the wipeout

The slide was a big hit!


Isaac is a total maniac at the park! He tries to climb anything and everything. He watches the big kids and attempts to do whatever they are doing. He is way more brave and fearless than Jacob!


We didn't stay long because it was pretty chilly and I needed to start dinner. I made a Shepherd's Pie using the leftover mashed potatoes from our Thanksgiving meal. The boys inhaled it!

I'm kinda sad that Thanksgiving is over. Its my favorite holiday and it feels like the weekend just went too quickly. Ah well. Now the preparations for Christmas can begin!

Donut run in Oak Glen

I kept hearing about these cider donuts at Snowline in Oak Glen, so one afternoon I invited my mom up to go up with the boys and I and try some of the donuts.

First off, let me just say that it was CHILLY. It wasn't so bad as long as you sat in the sun and the wind wasn't blowing. I thought I would be fine without a jacket, but I was not. We still had a lot of fun, though and those donuts were super yummy - warm and covered in cinnamon and sugar. They just melted in your mouth.

It may look like Jacob wasn't enjoying the donuts, but he DID!

Isaac was more into just licking off the cinnamon and sugar than actually eating the donut.

There were these two big, white, fluffy dogs hanging about. I thought Jacob would be afraid of them, but he went right up and pet them.

Isaac loved the dogs. Too much! We had to shoo the dogs away because Isaac wouldn't leave them alone and they were acting a bit annoyed with him.


Brotherly love

turns into a wrestling match



There were lots of raspberry bushes with old, dried up berries that Isaac just loved picking.

Random Stuff

I found some pics on the camera and thought I would share them.

Isaac got into some of my yarn. I think he looks a bit like the Swamp Thing.

Jacob had to join in and they did a little dancing wearing their yarn

Hmmmm......I seem to have made quite a mess of things.

A while back I mentioned the Crochet-Along I was doing. I am plugging along, but not keeping up with the weekly clues. I've been wrapped up in making baby afghans and the CAL afghan has been put aside. That's okay! I really enjoy making the baby blankets and now another baby has been born so I get to make another one.
Here are the squares I have finished so far. I've actually been learning a lot. I cheat and read a message board devoted to this CAL and the people on there give great tips and advice.

Last week the Leonard girls spent the day here and after lunch Jacob and Maddie decided that they were tired and needed to rest on the couch together.

As you can see, there wasn't a whole lot of resting going on.

They weren't really sleeping, just pretending.

This year I have been hearing a lot about Thanksgiving trees, so I thought I would give it a go. I am not crafty in the least, so my Thanksgiving tree is a bit Charlie Brown-ish. I was reminded, however, that it doesn't really matter, especially to a 3 year old. He just loves the tree and when he showed it to Alan he said, 'Look at our Thanksgiving tree, Daddy! Its our beautiful tree!'

Every morning after breakfast I ask Jacob what he is thankful for. This usually takes some prompting and after he names everything he has said in previous days, we come up with something and I write it on a leaf and then he hangs it on the tree. I try to talk about that person or thing throughout the day and why we are thankful for it/them. This morning Isaac wanted in on the action too. I asked him what he is thankful for. 'Bees.' No idea where that came from, but Jacob right away said, 'Bees make honey!' Maybe we'll have to have a snack that involves honey today. :D