Intimate Thanksgiving

We shared a wonderful intimate family Thanksgiving this year. The weather cooperated and provided us a beautiful day, which allowed us to run and play outside.

We started with some pre-Thanksgiving festivities like making treat turkeys and cinnamon sugar wheels.

Treat turkey using an Oreo cookie as the base and melted chocolate as glue. Glue on three pieces of candy corn for the tail, a Hershey kiss for the head and neck, a chocolate chip for the head and red hot for the gizzard. Kaitlyn loved it! I have her tennis coach to thank for the idea.

We made yummy cinnamon sugar wheels with leftover pie dough. I roll out the dough, lather it with lots of butter and generously sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar. We bake it at 400 degrees for probably between 20 and 30 minutes. Be careful - these are addicting!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!
Daddy and I started off the day getting the turkey in oven. After that, I got ready for my first race, an eight K in downtown. It was an awesome experience. I must admit I felt quite the adrenalin rush while running and loved the peace of running along the river and quietly competing against myself and no one else.

Daddy brought the girls downtown and found a spot to cheer me on just before the finish line. I am coming in just about to give Kaitlyn a high/low five. She's in the striped hat at the bottom of the picture. I must admit - nothing beat seeing my honey and two babies waiting for me at the finish line.

Here I am with my awesome little girls. They were my cheerleaders!!

After the race, we headed home, played outside and then started preparing for our small, yet yummy dinner. Kaitlyn helped pop the ends off the green beans.

Here Kaitlyn offered to help peel carrots. She's becoming quite the little sous chef in our kitchen.

Madelyn did not want to be left out of the fun, so she set up her own cooking area in the kitchen.

Daddy pulling the turkey out of the oven.

Look how beautiful! I'll admit that I did an olive oil/herb run under the skin. I do not think I'll do it again. Unless you get a piece of turkey that had the run on it, you really don't taste it.

Daddy gets the first bite of turkey. Yum!!

Our yummy dinner consisting of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing/dressing, carrots, green beans and of course gravy. Daddy made an awesome gravy - it was silky, smooth, perfectly thick. Yum, I could eat some right now!

Kaitlyn enjoying her dinner. She's a mashed potato kid!

I loved to make the pumpkin pie and found a great recipe from Cook's Illustrated. This was a winner. Daddy, who doesn't really like pumpkin pie, had several pieces of this over the course of the weekend. I know it is a winner - yay!!

Madelyn enjoying some pie.

We promised Kaitlyn she could make a gingerbread house on Thanksgiving night. Here we are working together to make our fun holiday center piece for the kitchen table.

Ta-dah!!

November Happenings

I am way behind on blogging. It's been a busy couple of months. Here are some fun pictures from November. While I do not have the stories posted, Kaitlyn and I continued our pumpkin them. We made pumpkin soup, bread, muffins, whoopie pies, pie and one other pumpkin goodies that's escaping me. She wanted to continue the pumpkin theme in December, but daddy and I convinced her it was time to change to get ready for Christmas. The word Christmas was enough to change her mind.

Madelyn laid her raisins out on a toy plate. She decided to read Cook's Illustrated while snacking too.

Madelyn found a new spot to sit in while waiting for dinner.

Kaitlyn zesting nutmeg. I believe this was whoopie pie day.

We shared the whoopie pies with Kaitlyn's soccer teammates. They were tasty!!

Mommy didn't realize Kaitlyn had a whoopie pie, so when she got home, I had a hot chocolate and whoopie pie waiting for her. What a lucky girl!!

Pa Mark came for a visit in November. After a hard days work with daddy, he chilled with the girls.

Madelyn trying desperately to get on a hat from Pa Mark. It came from Turkey!

She did it!!

Dear Santa,

Dear Santa,

Thank you for marketing Christmas in October. We received your Toys R Us catalog before Halloween and I carefully circled several things I would like for Christmas. I will do my best to be a well behaved girl, but just know that I'm not perfect. My mommy typed the list of toys from the catalog, which I hope your elves can make for me (just some, not all). These are just some ideas. I like surprises too! Thank you very much Santa Claus!

Love,
Kaitlyn

P.S. I have some ideas for Madelyn too!

Kaitlyn's Christmas Wishlist

• Bungee Jumper (hearthsong.com)
  
• Pirate Princess Costume
  
• Rocket ship
• Sea0Scope (hearthsong.com)
  
• Barbies like Barbie Sisters Camp out
  
• My Little Ponies
• Zoobles
  
• V-Reader games (Toy Story, Elmo & Abby, Chuggington)
• Barbie with Barbie jeep
• Pallina Stick Game or Pop 'n Penguin game (hearthsong).com
  
• Playmobil Pirate Ship
• Jasmine, Snowwhite, or Ariel Princess Dresses (size 5)
• Shooting Stars or Rainbow Maker for her room (hearthsong.com)
  
• Airswimmers extreme by animal planet remote control flying shark
  
• Guitar
• Sleeping Bag for me and Madelyn (hearthsong.com)
  
• Jake and the Neverland Pirate Gear/Toys - Izzy is my favorite
  
• FAO Schwarz - The Big Map (not sure where we'd put it though)
• Red, silver or pink Glitter shoes from Target (size 10)
  

Madelyn's Christmas Wishlist

• V-tech shapes and sharing picnic basket
• Small rocking Horse
• Imaginarium wooden block activity center
  
• Things she can take apart and put together

Disney on Ice

Mrs. Donna and I took Kaitlyn to see Disney on Ice. Having been to the circus with Kaitlyn, I knew this could be a hit or miss experience. It turned out to be a big hit. Kaitlyn loved it! Here are some pictures from the show. I would gladly take her to see this again over the circus.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse welcome the crowd.

Kaitlyn, dressed as Rapunzel, shows us the ice skaters.

All the Disney Princess characters and their beaus dance on ice.

Kaitlyn and Mrs. Donna at the show.

Simba and Nala from the Lion King dancing.

Kaitlyn loved using her binoculars to see the ice skaters up close.

Mommy and Kaitlyn after the show.

Pumpkin Soup

Princess Kaitlyn loved playing outside. She loved climbing trees too. The leaves had turned beautiful colors of red, orange, and yellow on the castle grounds. The trees slowly let the leaves drift to the ground. The sprinkling of color on the grass made for a lovely walk to Princess Kaitlyn's pumpkin match.


Despite the pretty scenery, a light breeze left a chill in the air. Princess Kaitlyn decided this cool fall day called for some pumpkin soup. She selected two plump pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. She headed back up the castle grounds to the kitchen.


Once inside, Princess Kaitlyn along with her mommy and grandma made Pumpkin soup. Princess Kaitlyn helped cut the thyme while her mommy and grandma cut onion and garlic. The adults sauteed the onion and garlic. Princess Kaitlyn poured chicken stock into a soup pot. She carefully scooped out the inside of each pumpkin. She added it to the chicken stock.
Princess Kaitlyn also pouring in the thyme, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and some cream (at the end). The pumpkin soup turned out quite nice, but Princess Kaitlyn thought it was missing something. So, she added some fresh parsley for a garnish and served it with fruit and oyster crackers for a lovely lunch.