Doorbusting on what shall forever now be called "Red Thursday"

I, like so many of you, I imagine, was completely appalled by the fact that so many stores were open ON Thanksgiving Day this year.  Initially, some stores announced that they would open at midnight and I thought that was crazy....but then that seemed sane & smart compared to the announcement by Old Navy, Big Lots, K-Mart, and a few others that they would actually be open all day on Thanksgiving Day.

I thought it was completely un-American!  How could they?!? Think of the workers!  They don't get to be with their families on Thanksgiving Day!  OH, THE NERVE!!!

So, you can imagine my surprise when I found myself in a car with 4 others on our way to Big Lots and K-Mart at 7:00 on Thanksgiving Night. 

I know what you're thinking--"oh there must've been an emergency and somebody got sick and you needed Sprite and Saltines."  Nope.  "Well, then--peer pressure got the best of you, Ellen. The others weren't standing for the same values that you were and you succumbed to their evil plan to make people work on Thanksgiving Day." 

Um, I don't know how to say this, but....it was actually my idea.  I just wanted to get out of the house.  We'd been looking at the circulars all day & mapping out a Black Friday plan. Couple that with my serious Kohl's-Black-Friday-prices-online-Thursday SCORE (A $250 pre-lit Christmas tree for $65...plus KOHL'S CASH!!!) and I just caught Black Friday Fever and couldn't possibly wait a few more hours to get it going.

So, around 6:30 on Thanksgiving Night, myself along with 4 female family members loaded into the car and headed out.  We're not completely heartless, though--all 5 of us did have an internal struggle about the shopping.

Note the time on the clock...it's 6:38PM

Here are a few of the quotes from the trip to our first stop:  BIG LOTS (oh, do we have class!!!)

"My heart is saying no...but my wallet is saying yes."

"We are actually being pro American -- it's for the good of our country to stimulate the economy on the most American holiday!"

"We aren't doing anything wrong...we're just walking thru the doors that have been opened for us."

"We are so so opposed to this--like 100% opposed to this. But the employees will be there whether we show up tonight or not. So we may as well go and make it worth their while.  We'll even wish them a 'Happy Thanksgiving!' "

"I'm going to really weigh my decisions about what to buy...not going to buy things willy nilly." 


Who can resist the siren call from The Big Lots WALL OF EXTREME VALUES!!!

Everything was just peachy at Big Lots and we had gotten over our guilt until we were checking out at the very end.  My sister-in-law asked the cashier if she had a good day and if she got to spend anytime with her family....  Her answer?  NOPE. They were going to have to celebrate another day because she had to work.  The manager then came over to get involved and add to the conversation.  AND I QUOTE:  "If more people would've stayed home today, we probably wouldn't have to be open next year on Thanksgiving." 

Boy, did she know how to knock the wind out of our proverbial sails!  We felt like Thanksgiving had just become RED THURSDAY....the minute we handed over the green to pay for our wares, we had blood on our hands.

YOWZA!  Did we ever feel bad!  We felt so bad that I made this terribly scary face on our way into K-Mart.  (What?  You didn't think we actually went home after the Big Lots manager made us feel guilty, did you?!?)

K-mart was a hive of activity--lots of workers and everybody seemed just thrilled to have people stop by.  There were plenty of people out shopping and it made us feel a little less-dirty for breaking tradition and not waiting until Friday to celebrate Black Friday.  All in all, it was a good experience and we shopped until we dropped....or until they kicked us out at 9:00 to prepare for the REAL Black Friday...

To my partners in crime:  'Til next year, girls--it was a blast & I can't say that I learned my lesson or that I'd never do it again... 


Thanksgiving: what it all boils down to...

First things first....HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!   We had all the typical crafts make their way home to us this year from the three schools....  We've got hand-print traced turkeys, cone shaped teepees, pilgrim & Indian stickers on a landscape...and so much more.  (Feels like I'm perpetually drowning in arts & crafts over here, people!)  Anyway, Maddy brought her main project home from school this week and it was too good to keep to myself!     

Introducing...."My Thankful Pouch."  Included are a series of cards that state what she is thankful for.  We have the expected "I am thankful for my family...I am thankful for my home..." type of sentiments, but I snapped a few pics of the standout cards.  Feel free to use these as inspiration for when you come up short during your family's feast/time of thankfulness.  And never, ever forget this most important profound thought:  "WITHOUT THE SUN & EARTH, WE COULD NOT LIVE."

I need clothing to live.  I like my new shoes.

I am thankful for me.  Without Sun & Earth We could not live.

Plants give us food and oxygen.  I love my cosins [cousins].

I have freedom.  Freedom is when you can say things that you want to say.  We need electricity to see.

60 seconds with a four year old

This was our conversation at a single red stoplight the other morning on my way to the Y:

"Mama. Mom. Mom? Do you know what's in your head? It's a brain. Mama. Do you know what's inside Lightning McQueen's car? Nothing. Mama. Do you know how I say Amen?  I say it like this: AMEN.  Mama? Do you know how babies say Amen?  They say it like this:  amen. Mama? Do you remember when I was two? I used to be two. Do you remember when I was two? How did I say Amen when I was two? Mama? Did you know there is a Lightning McQueen toy that has eyes that move? Mama. Did you know that I'm going to be five at my next birthday? Mama. Do you want to play Zhu Zhu pets with me today? Mama. Can you turn up the radio? Mama. Do you know how much I love you? So much."

:)

Apparently, when he's not busy talking, he's also a photojournalist, documenting his days on my ipod touch.  Here is a small sampling of his latest photographic works....There wasn't enough bandwidth to post all the pictures on my camera roll here. 

Check your local cable listings before you clean your house

This is the part of my blog in which I become overwhelmed with the state of my house.

I had planned to start decorating for Christmas yesterday and I got my kids all pumped up for the momentous occasion:

Moi:  "Who wants to decorate for Christmas today?!?!?!?!" 

Offspring:  "MEEEE!!!!" "Me Me Me Me!"  "I wanna decorate for Christmas!  I can't wait!" "Score!"

Moi:  "OK then...here's what we need to do:  YOU, there, boy--take out the trash.  Daughter: pick up all your coats! [editorial note--she has jackets aplenty so it really IS an overwhelming task]  Puzzle boy:  PUT THE PUZZLES AWAY. ALL OF THEM."

Offspring: "Ummm....errrr, actually, we aren't all that interested in decorating for Christmas.  In fact, if cleaning is involved as a precursor to decorating we'd just rather not celebrate Christmas this year..."

So, we didn't. Instead, I accidentally fell asleep.  I like to say it happened on accident, but if I'm going to be completely honest, I may or may not have employed the use of ear plugs and room darkening shades....so "intentional napping" might be a more accurate description of what went on, but it makes me feel better when I think of leaving my equally exhausted husband on an unexpected solo parenting journey for the entire afternoon. So there.  I accidentally took a very long winter's nap. With ear plugs.

All that to say, we didn't decorate for Christmas, but in light of the fact that I got a mid-day phone call from hubs who had invited some friends over to watch the Vandy/UT game at 6pm, I made the kids pick up the WRECK of a bonus room....by bribing them with cookie dough.  Oh yes I did.  Now, I know what you're thinking:  "bribe your kids?  for cleaning up THEIR mess?  How dare you!"  Don't judge, people...don't judge... you do what you gotta do sometimes when the impromptu football viewing party is less than 1 hour away from commencing at your home.

What's REALLY funny about all of this is that my husband did not happen to check what channel this game was on.  We have a pretty hefty cable channel load, but apparently not as hefty as required for watching this particular game.  VU/UT was on ESPNU and ESPN 3D.

Good news:  we have ESPN3D! 
Bad news:  We don't have a 3D TV
Bad news:  we don't have ESPNU...
Good news:  our best next door neighbors do!
Bad news:  they don't give one rip about VU or UT 
Good news:  they are good enough friends to let a party of 12 crash in their bonus room.  (We owe you big time K & V!)

All that last minute scurrying and cleaning occurred just so we could fix a plate of food and walk next door to the neighbors house.

That said:  Less than 24 hours ago, my house was clean...picked up...organized, even!  Because we entertained last night (lets use the term "entertained" loosely...it involved bags of salad, frozen pizza and pre-mixed cookies that require an egg & a cup of oil). Therefore, I had a lovely, clean, picked up, organized home as I'm prone to when we "entertain" (again--use the term very, very loosely).

We then spent the entire evening next door, followed by a morning at church.  Do the math and realize that we have now been in our house for about 4 hours of actual usage time and it is a WRECK. 

3 puzzles + 2 types of Legos + Pretzel and triscuit crumbs + Little People (the Fisher Price toys AND actual little people)  + Hot Wheels = ONE BIG HOT MESS

What football season means to me

Going to his very first football game--he was so excited!

My fabulous family--all 5 of us kids are UK grads!

Krispy Kreme FOOTBALL donuts!

Coloring to pass the time during a VERY long football game

scalping tickets! We got 19 tickets total for $120...pretty sweet deal!

smooching when your team scores or makes a great play (this couple was VERY supportive of Vanderbilt in this department)

Swinging on a handicap swing with your cousin

enjoying a coke & a donut with your favorite #1 cousin

A House Divided: the Cats vs. the Commodores

This weekend is big.  HUGE.  Massive.  It's positively monumental for our household.  It is the weekend when the powerhouse football team from the University of Kentucky (my alma mater!) comes to Nashville to challenge another powerhouse in college football:  the Vanderbilt Commodores (Michael's alma mater!). 

Now, let's just stop for a minute.  If you know even the slightest bit about college football, you'll quickly realize what a ridiculous string of sentences that first paragraph holds.  Neither team has EVER been described as a powerhouse when it comes to football (not in my lifetime, anyways).  However, we are going to act like it's a big deal...complete with a tailgate attended by my fellow favorite UK grads (my ENTIRE family...no really--my entire family) and a few local friends. 

Let me be absolutely clear about something:  there are only about two reasons that I've ever gone to a football game.  One is to impress a guy.  Well, guess what:  I already got the guy.  I'm married now so that excuse ended when I got married 3 weeks after college graduation 13 years ago.  The other reason is to TAILGATE.  If you provide the food, I will go.

So, that's what we will do!  Tomorrow morning, a caravan of huge UK fans (about 11 of my family members) will make their way down I-65 to join us in a little pre-game munchfest followed by a quick scurry around Vanderbilt's campus to buy tickets from a scalper.  We'll go into the game where I will most likely be reading a magazine or a cookbook and chasing Will around the bleachers.  There may or may not be some first downs, touch downs, flags on the play, field goals, facemasking, penalties, and quarterback sacking....but I'll never know.

I'm just here for the party.

Cupcake journal: the ultimate DNA test

I was cleaning up my daughter's room recently and came across something that positively delighted me: her Cupcake Journal. Oh, what's that? You mean you don't have a Cupcake Journal? Well, as you probably suspect, (obviously) it is a little notebook that has a cupcake on the front.

What you might not expect, however, is that it's her own special place to journal about all the cupcakes she has eaten. Yes, really. There were three entries so far and each one chronicled a few details and finer points of the last few cupcakes she has eaten. She even went so far as to rate the cupcakes.

If I ever wanted pure proof that she truly, really, absolutely, 100% is the child that I gave life to and is not the product of a horrible hospital "switched at birth" situation... This would be all the proof that I need. My daughter keeps a chronicle of her cupcakes.  (Genius! I SO wish I'd thought of it first!)

Oh, the best part of all: remember those über healthy banana muffins I made on Sunday? Those made the cut! And if you wanted to know what a kid who loves cupcakes thought of my flax seed/whole wheat flour muffins....well, she rated them "the best!"  Told you they were good....

Rhythm is Gonna Get You

I was just reading a blog post by Boomama as she was traveling through the Miami airport when she expressed how surprised she was that she hadn't run into Gloria Estefan yet. It reminded me of a little situation I handled a few years back with a healthy dose of Gloria.

I had been receiving quite a few prank calls from the same phone number. Sometimes they would just sit there silently; sometimes they would ask for someone. Other times, they'd just laugh. This happened a couple times a day for a few weeks and I was just fed up with it all.  Most of the time I ignored the calls....but after they would call back about 10 times in an hour, I would answer in a moment of weakness and demand that they stop calling.

TO. NO. AVAIL.

SO....something just came over me one day--I picked up the phone and just sang.  At the top of my lungs.  What did I sing?  You guessed it:  "Rhythm is gonna get you." 

"OH EH OH EH....... OH EH OH AAH....."

I sang it--loud.  Proud.  With an little Spanish-y flair, even.

That ended the prank calls that day.....but the next day they called back and I said:

"1-2-3-4 Come on baby say you love me....5-6-7 times...."

Apparently, that song does not have the power to stop a prank caller, so they called back. I pulled out an old trick:

"OH EH OH EH....OH EH OH AAH...."

And that was it....for that day. 

Third time's a charm, I suppose because on Day 3 of my Gloria Estefan Prank Caller Awareness Program (GEPCAP), they called.  I answered.  "OH EH OH EH! Rhythm is gonna get you....."  And they hung up and never called me again.

Some people suggest blocking a phone number to get a prank caller to cease. 

I suggest warming up your vocal chords, picking an artist (feel free to use Gloria's songbook) and serenading your caller.

"I don't want to lose you now.........."

Early bird gets the muffin

5:11 a.m.  That's what time my 4 year old was up this morning.  Dang time change....  I knew this was coming!

Anyhow, as the old saying goes, when life hands you ripe bananas and an extra hour in the day, you make banana muffins!  However...I am trying to lose about 5 pounds before the holidays start, so I had to make these HEALTHY and DELICIOUS and that, my friends, is what they are!  I'll include the recipe below... 

Here's how I spent the first lovely hours of daylight darkness this morning:

I *think* these are ready to be mashed.... ;)

Note the time on the clock:  6:44 AM  I'd already been up for an hour and a half, people!
also....using whole wheat flour and flax seed!  Don't be afraid...your kids will never know....they are incredibly tasty!

Kitchen Tip #243:  use an ice cream scoop to put batter into the muffin pan.  No mess! Perfectly portioned! I'm so excited!!!!

Batch 1 out of the oven by 7:22 AM.  I have a group of eager taste testers at the ready.

YUM.  I made a double batch so we are going to be snacking on these for a while.  They freeze well...put them in a ziplock baggie and pull them out one at a time--defrost in the microwave for about 30 seconds and you have a warm HEALTHY muffin to snack on!

HEALTHY BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS

2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup flax seed (milled)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Combine flour, flax seed, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, stir together the bananas, eggs, brown sugar, applesauce, and vanilla.

Add wet ingredients to the flour mixture--a little at a time.  Stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes.

yield:  18 muffins

Source:  K Mickelsen, M Douthit

Time change...and just how silent is a cemetery?

Saturday mornings!!!  Love them....for now, anyways--we are getting ready to start our youth basketball season (2 kids on 2 different teams will positively EAT UP your Saturdays!) which leads right into youth baseball/softball season, so our chill Saturdays are about to go away until June.  Wah wah wah. Anyhow, it is 10:00 in the morning and I'm still in my PJ's drinking a little Diet Coke and enjoying the pace of sleeping until 7:00 and then staying in bed until 8:00 just because I can.

It's all about to change.

Tonight.

Daylight Savings goes bye-bye.  :(

I wasn't dreading it too bad until I was re-reading some vintage "Welcometomyblog" from a few years back.....apparently I came up with a few reasons why I strongly dislike setting the ol' clocks back.

Reason #93

Reason #82

Reason #46

Some people really buy into this whole "extra hour of sleep" gimmick....but I've not seen benefit of that in several years. I've always had early bird children and they don't seem to mind what the clock says. For instance, my child who is finally (FINALLY!) finally sleeping consistently until 6:30 or 7:00 am (after years of 5:45 am, we're so grateful!!!)....well, 6:30 will be 5:30 tomorrow morning and we'll start this cycle all over again.  Wah wah wah.

Alright, that's it for your friendly reminder about setting the clocks back tonight.  I can't end on a down-note...so I'll just say that strep throat has now been banished from my house and pneumonia has been all but squashed!  Things are looking up after a very long week at home with sick peeps. (Here's how bad things got:  I was so desperate to get out of the house last night BY MYSELF that when Michael got home from work, I left to go running.  In a cemetery.  At dusk. By myself.  I was SO desperate for some alone time that I couldn't even make myself walk into the gym to get my workout!  I wanted to be in a spot where there was no shot that anybody would talk to me.  FYI:  a cemetery is good for that.)

Friday Linky Loo 11.4.2011

Here's what I've been reading this week that I thought was worthy of passing along:

1. Stuff Christians Like: The 5 types of Nursery Workers

This is a funny look at the different people you might find working "behind the scenes" with your children at church on Sunday. I most definitely fall into category #1. Let's face it: if you're a parent, you're doing children's ministry 24/7/365. I absolutely cherish the Sundays I don't have to work in the nursery (or be a greeter or pick up the donuts or etc etc etc...what can I say---we go to a young church plant! All hands on deck...) But I know I must do it because, well, I have 3 kids using the children's ministry facilities and staff each Sunday, so I gotta pitch in!

 

2. Boomama's 2011 Christmas Music List

I mentioned in my last post that I am going all out for Christmas decor this year. While my decorating "oomph" has plummeted over the last years of childrearing, my Christmas music listening has skyrocketed! Check out her list of music to tune into this year. I second her recommendation for Dave Barnes' album that came out last year. Simply marvelous...and not just because he does a cover of the all time greatest Christmas pop tune of all time: "Mariah Carey: All I want for Christmas is YOU." The whole album is great...but particularly that track! Listen and love it.

 

3. Cakewrecks: Cardinals World Series tribute cakes

Congratulations to the St. Louis Cardinals on their World Series victory! If you are wanting to get a cake to celebrate the big win...don't go to any of the bakeries featured on the Cakewrecks blog.

 

That's it for today. It's been quite a week: I have one child with pneumonia; one with strep throat and another headed to a sleepover in just a few hours....Needless to say....The Redbox: it is our friend.

Take back the holiday

Christmas: you may as well go ahead and surrender now...because you're MINE, all mine this year.

 It's been 10 1/2 years of babies, toddlers, and children who weren't under any type of voice control and now I'm back baby, and I'm better than ever!

 What in the world am I talking about? Just what exactly does Christmas have to do with disobedient toddlers?

 It's simple: This year, I can actually decorate for the holidays again!!! It's been a LONG time. Like I said, 10 years ago, I had a baby...then I had another one and yet one more....and that last "one more" is now FOUR and I'm thinking it's time to break out the Christmas cheer with a little more than homemade/school made/Dollar Store ornaments. Not that there's anything wrong with that....

 I've got LOADS of ideas...been pouring through the magazines that arrived on November 1 with decorating ideas aplenty....

I've also decided I'm going to decorate early & often....Like a friend of mine said, it's an awful lot of trouble to go to for only one month...Go big or go home, I say!

 Deck the halls with boughs of holly. O Christmas tree...O Christmas tree...how lovely your branches will be with my color-coordinated and themed "MAMA's tree".... I'll have a kids' tree that they can go to town on and throw tinsel all over if they want....but then, there's going to be a mama tree and what a tree it will be!!!

 Here are a few snapshots of the Lowe's Idea book that has inspired this post...

 If you have any great ideas or new ways to decorate, let me know!!!