Our unexpected Thanksgiving

Feels silly to report on our Thanksgiving now that December is literally around the corner. Yikes!

I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable time of feasting, football and family (no, I did not try to alliterate that sentence). We sort of did. Matt came down with the stomach flu late Tuesday evening and was hence in no mood for feasting come Thursday. I started to feel queasy Thursday afternoon. So instead of traveling to see family, we were needfully quarantined at home for a quiet sickie Thanksgiving.

Despite the sickies though, we truly had a lovely weekend. We got out the Christmas box and did our holiday decorating. Chloe put ALL the ornaments on the tree for me this year. Usually I'm super gung-ho on tree-trimming but not so much this year with the nausea coming over me. What a blessing that she's miss independent lately!

Unfortunately I missed Black Friday shopping. Nuts! But Chloe and I did some Saturday shopping and picked up a few little things. Did any of you brave the crowds to shop BF? What deals did you score?

We laid around, watched much football and generally hung-out together as a family. It was surprisingly refreshing. And laying around helped me get the Christmas cards addressed and written. Also did some re-organizing of my sewing cabinet to motivate me to get working on my ambitious list of homemade Christmas gifts. Why do I always leave all these projects until the last weeks before Christmas?!?

How was your Thanksgiving and how are you progressing on Christmas preparations?

Thankful?

Today I am seriously questioning my thankfulness. The day is not going at ALL as I planned.

Matt was up several times in the night suffering from a minor stomach-plague. He's been in bed all day. The kids have had several conflicts resulting in spankings, crying and whining. I'm wishing I could have had a few more months before Clive learned the word "mine". Have a major to-do list to accomplish before leaving for MI tomorrow and thus far I've completed a whopping two items on the list. One of which was accompanied by a seriously major crying fit thrown by my darling Chloe. In the public library of all places (the librarians know us by name).

Now that I'm sitting down and have a few moments to reflect I know that I am thankful. During a day like this where everything is going contrary to my plans I am thankful that God's not surprised. He planned this day for me and HE is sustaining me and giving me the strength to not turn into monster mommy.

I'm so thankful for God and His unchanging character and unceasing goodness to me! Regardless of circumstances, I have MUCH to be thankful for. (Not the least of which is a york peppermint patty recently consumed -- why didn't I buy two?!?)

And with that I wish you all a happy happy Thanksgiving!

A fun and easy Thanksgiving project

With Thanksgiving literally around the corner now, we embarked on an easy peasy thankfulness-themed project last week.

I fell in LOVE with this burlap placemat project linked on craftzine's blog and then adapted it slightly to suit our tastes. Pretty much it's a cut rectangle of burlap (no sewing necessary) and it uses a homemade freezer paper stencil to create an image for the kids to paint in the center.

Since we've been talking about and trying to exercise a thankful heart in our home lately (i.e. the cure for whininess) this placemat project was perfect. Around the edges I wrote a reminder verse with a sharpie (it's Psalm 107:1 if you're wondering).

Then I made a stencil out of freezer paper. I'm totally in awe of and in crafting-love with freezer paper. It was incredibly easy and worked super well. Next we got out some paints and sponges and Chloe and Clive dabbed away. (It's seriously an easy enough project for even a little toddler guy like Clive to participate in). Check out the step-by-step tutorial here.

Though the production was fun and easy the BEST part of this placemat project has been practicing thankfulness with Chloe. Every time we eat a meal, Chloe whips out the placemat and before she chows down she tells us something she's thankful for. At first she didn't quite get it. She'd just look around the room and spurt out whatever her gaze fell upon. But now that we've been doing this for several days it's beginning to resonate with her.

And her thankfulness is contagious! Matt and I usually join in and share something we're thankful for too. It's a splendid way to start out a meal.

Now if only I could get her to tote her placemat around to remind her to be thankful in our everyday situations. Like when her brother wants to color with her crayons, when she has to change out of her princess dress and put real clothes on, or just whenever she doesn't get her way. I'm guessing that will be a lifelong lesson. This mommy needs that thankful reminder throughout the day too!

What special Thanksgiving crafts or traditions do you employ to practice thankfulness?

A baby Chloe-ism

Last night Chloe wanted to listen for and try to feel the baby growing in my ever-expanding tummy. She put her head on my belly and quietly expectantly listened.

I asked if she heard anything.

Chloe looked up quizzically and said, in all seriousness, "No, silly mommy! She can't talk yet!"

Chloe then proceeded to say goo-goo ga-ga loudly on my tummy. Presumably the baby understood that. :)

And yes, Chloe is CONVINCED that the baby is a girl. She'll either be very disappointed or elated in another few weeks!

Hope this little Chloe-ism delivers a smile to your face on this dreary fall Friday!

Balance

Now that we own a super fabulous wonderful mini-van (NEVER thought I'd use those words to describe my mom ride) I'm tempted. Tempted to over-schedule and throw the kids in the car and go places.

One of the best things about owning one car for our family was knowing that three days out of 5, me and the kids were forced to be home for lack of wheels.

Though at times being home 3 days was a bit stifling (especially on Wednesdays when Matt also taught an evening class), it was comforting to know we could plan on certain down days. Me and the kids would hang out in our jammies until late morning, get some cleaning and laundry done, and just chill out in general. The kids certainly seem to thrive on at-home time especially after a few busy days of driving.

So, now that I have my own set of wheels I have to decide on our weekly schedule. Originally, I wanted to maintain my 3 days of at home status. Some weeks that doesn't seem possible. Already, this week that plan is botched. I gave into the temptation and took the kids out errand-running on a usual at-home day.

As the holidays loom nearer and the December calendar fills up, I'm wondering how I'm going to maintain this schedule balance. (I know the magic word is "no". My problem isn't merely saying no to things but realizing that oft times it's ME who wants to do a particular activity and it's not in the best interest of the kids. That means I have to be self-less and consider their needs as more important than my own. Ouch.)

My goal is still to be at home for 3 days a week during the busy holiday season. Involving the kids in homemade Christmas gifts and letting them play in their home environment will be activity enough. I'm reminded of the wise words, "A child's work is his play". As I plan activities for us I'm struck by the fact that some activities usually aren't as beneficial to them as just plain old playing or shadowing me in daily tasks.

Of course there's a balance we need to strike for our family. If we were hermits all the time that wouldn't be helpful or healthy either (though my husband wouldn't offer any complaints).

How do you maintain a find the balance between over and under-scheduling?

Chloe and Clive hit the lanes

Thanks to a friend's awesomely fun birthday party today, Chloe and Clive experienced bowling for the first time ever!

Both the kiddos enjoyed it but Chloe more-so since she's older. Once she got the hang of it, she happily bounced out by herself (she insisted on doing it herself) and threw the ball. Loudly. And her tongue came out with the exertion necessary for each throw.

I think we've found a fun family activity for the cold winter months! :)

It's an absolutely gorgeous day here in northeast Ohio. After supper we're hitting a favorite park to enjoy the remaining lovely mild weather of fall.

How did you spend your Saturday?

A problem that sucks

In the last few months Chloe has developed a rather annoying habit.

She sucks.

On her shirts, her fingers, toys, spoons, zippers . . . anything that's nearby when the urge strikes goes into her mouth. Of course, it isn't a constant sucking. I've noticed that she sucks things when she's rather in active. When she's watching a video, riding in the car, or listening to music the sucking begins.

I guess there's nothing inherently wrong with her sucking habit but during this cold/flu season especially I'm more leary of the germs she's imbibing while sucking. And in general it seems like a dirty habit.

I've rebuked her several times and she always stops when I ask. But then I'll find her sucking again later. I'm guessing it's a comforting habit rather than a teething issue since she's old enough to be past all that jazz.

Besides asking her to stop when she's sucking on apparel, my recent strategy is to provide her with a clean sucking apparatus (usually a spoon or a straw). That way at least I know she's not getting any weird germs in her mouth.

Have any of you encountered this? Is it a normal phase for a 4+ year old? If you have seen this before, what strategies did you employ to deal with it?

I'm not stressing out about this. She could certainly have yuckier habits! (And she does. But eating boogers is a pretty normal thing and I'm being a strict booger policeman when I catch her in the act.)

Christmas photo and free cards

No, the picture at left is NOT our 2009 Horn family Christmas photo. It didn't make the cut for obvious reasons.

We usually get the kids' photo taken at a cheapy-cheap portrait place and slide a copy in with each Christmas card we send out. Then I hand-write a quick 2-3 sentence note in each card.

I know that sounds laborious (and believe me, it is when we're talking about 50+ cards) but Christmas correspondence is the only way we connect with extended family and friends. Many of Matt's aunts, uncles, and cousins I've never even met but we've formed a relationship through Christmas cards. There are older ladies in my extended family too that enjoy receiving our cards and pictures each year.

Knowing the immensity of the holiday card project, I had already unpacked my Christmas box and taken out the cards and stationery for this year. (I always buy the next year's stuff during the previous year's after Christmas clearance sales.) I've already crafted a general address list and bought return address labels (check out the swell deal on these at VistaPrint).

To my elated surprise, I came across this deal advertised by Freebies 4 Mom for FREE Christmas photo cards. ABSOLUTELY FREE including shipping!!! Heather, the author of Freebies 4 Mom, will post the free coupon code sometime on Monday.

In anticipation of the free photo card deal, I dressed everyone in coordinating red and green this morning for church. If we're going to get gussied up for a photo shoot, might as well do it when we're already getting dressed up!

Are we the only crazy family that goes through this process of card writing and sending? How many cards/letters do you send out ? Do you opt for a letter or traditional card?

Mini-van mama

As of today we are the owners of a new-to-us mini-van! (And also as of today, I can punctuate that statement with an honestly excited exclamation point!)

Baby numero tres is due in April so we knew our teensy weensy VW Jetta wasn't going to cut it much longer. Hence we began the research into used mini-vans in our extremely limited price range.

I have never been a mini-van gal. I always envisioned our expanding family cruising around in a sleek black Saab or Volvo station wagon or a maybe a fuel-economic red Mazda5.

But alas, a mini-van was the best and most practical choice for our family. So, I must swallow my pride and embrace my new identity as a mini-van mama. :)

Which leads me to a question . . . How many of you drive mini-vans? If you're not a mini-van mama, what wheels do you drive?

The princess and the pirate

I can hardly believe Halloween has come and gone already! Can we seriously be in the midst of November?!? I swear time has sped up now that I have two bambinos to chase after.

We had a smashing (pun intended) good time this year celebrating Halloween! We don't do anything spooky or scary mind you, just plain old innocent dressing-up-and-collecting-candy fun.

Our neighborhood began the candy fest at 6:00 p.m. and we were raring to go. Clive was obviously confused about what was happening but he quickly got the hang of it when he saw candy was involved. :) He then became a non-nonsense pirate and often snatched an extra piece or two at each house.

Chloe was tickled to trick-or-treat with her little girlfriend, Sarah. They were BOTH princesses and looked so cute holding hands and prancing from door to door. Showing the depth (or rather, the lack thereof) of the 4 year old mind, both Sarah and Chloe excitedly compared candy winnings after each house. :)

And Chloe displayed her utter girliness once again by opting NOT to be a pirate (for the past few months we've talked up matching pirate costumes for Chloe & Clive) at the last minute. She sat whimpering at the kitchen table and finally burst out sobbing, "Mommy, I don't want to be a pirate. I want to be something pretty!" So, the cinderella dress-up dress came out and we improvised on accessories. The princess hat consisted of stapled poster board and my wedding veil! It turned out to be a tad bit too tall and needed constant adjusting but it worked. Chloe especially enjoyed decorating the hat princess-style.

Since we were only out for 45 minutes, the kids netted a manageable amount of candy. Our house rule is 1 piece a day (not including mommy and daddy of course).

How were your Halloween festivities this year? What did your kids dress up as?

Deals and faves

This weekend I scored some pretty sweet deals!

I came across Oprah Winfrey's very generous coupon deal for Payless yesterday afternoon (50% off everything) so Chloe and I scooted out right after supper. I got her a pair of really sturdy navy blue shoes for only $6.50! And mama got two pairs of clearance shoes for $3 and $4. Woo-hoo! Now that this belly of mine is starting to grow, it's nice to distract from my hugeness with some cute new shoesies. :)

Then after a rainy lazy morning, I scooped up the kiddos and drove out to Target. As we were leaving, Matt said, "What do we need from Target?" Such a silly question! Target ALWAYS has something we need. :) Thanks to Money Saving Mom's recent blog post on Target deals, I snagged two cake mixes for 25 cents each and two bags of mini-marshmallows for 50 cents each (perfect for making another several batches of rice krispies treats). And as I hopefully expected, several items were 75% off in the dollar spot. SCORE! I got some lovely cards, stocking stuffers, thank you notes, and board books for just $3.00. To top it all off, I even got 5 cents back from bringing my own bag.

I love Target. It's on my all-time favorite stores list.

And so is Chick-fil-A. Have you heard about their Operation Christmas Child partnership? I'm sure lots of you recall this annual charity which sends out shoeboxes full of goodies to needy kids in third world countries (see more details here). Chick-fil-A is joining in the generosity this year by offering to send the shoeboxes for you AND giving you a coupon for a free sandwich for every box you fill. We've got two boxes almost filled and ready. I L.O.V.E. the idea of showing Chloe and Clive that Christmas is not about getting but giving. (Though I AM excited about getting some free food.)

What deals have you snagged lately? And which shops are your favorites for bargains and pleasant shopping experiences?

My stubborn little son

Today Clive and I spent a record 90 minutes battling over a spoonful of three macaroni noodles.

I came out victorious but not without many tears (from both of us), spankings and wavering in my stamina.

Poor little stubborn guy. He didn't know who he was up against. :)

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, "One more spoonful and you can be done" I knew I had to back up my charge. Clive obviously did NOT like the homemade mac-n-cheese I fixed for lunch (I think homemade mac-n-cheese is world's better than the boxed variety but my kids beg to differ). Lest you think I starve my children, Clive devoured his pumpkin muffin and oranges. He happily salted and peppered the mac-n-cheese noodles but then refused to open his mouth for a spoonful.

By this time, Chloe had finished her lunch and asked for seconds. She quickly finished, cleared her dishes and was off to play. She was an ANGEL during the 90 minute showdown! She even tried convincing Clive to eat his spoonful and tried reading him a book to calm him down. To reward her for her helpfulness I read 5 books to her before quiet time (that's a record) and I plan on treating her to a special bowl of ice cream after supper tonight.

In reflecting on the ordeal, it was interesting to see my emotional progression. I'm a pretty stubborn gal at heart so once I decided I needed to stand my ground, I was in it for the long haul. I started out with optimistic determinism, then proceeded to frustration, anger, empathy, total desperation and humility (during which time I cried to God for help), and finally exhausted determinism.

Though I know I did the right thing in making my words weighty and displaying my follow-through with Clive, I did not enjoy the process. My heart broke for Clive when again and again I asked him if he was ready to eat his noodles and he whimpered, "No". And when he cryingly said, "Hold you! Hold you!" I balled right along with him as we hugged.

Man, am I glad that's over! After we all crashed for long naps this afternoon, I plan to take the kiddos outside for some fall raking and jumping fun. I'm tired of being the mean mommy.

Have you had a similar battling experience with your kiddos?

A baby Chloe-ism

As a mama, it seems I get climbed on, stepped on, elbowed and generally man-handled often by my dear offspring. Of course I would never trade the bruises for the bumps and bruises for the preciousness of Chloe and Clive climbing into my lap while we read books. Or the unhindered joy in Clive as I toss him around or wrestle with him on the floor.

Well, now that there's a new life growing inside me I've cautioned Chloe especially to be more gentle with me. When I first explained why she needed to be more careful around my expanding middle, here was her response . . .

Me: (after Chloe tossed herself heavily on me) "Chloe, you have to be more gentle around my tummy now that the baby is growing inside. You can't kick or hurt mommy's tummy or the baby might get hurt."
Chloe: "Right, mommy. We don't want the baby to come out with a bump on her head!"

(Notice that Chloe is already referring to the baby as a girl.)

Hope this Chloe-ism gives you a giggle on your Friday!

Reluctantly buying retail

For good or bad, I take a certain pride in knowing that I buy almost all our family's clothes second-hand. I truly enjoy thrift-store shopping, repurposing, and using clothes until they are worn or no longer fit me. Thrifting is like a treasure hunt for me!

Also, our budget requires us to be incredibly frugal with our clothing purchases. Add to it that I have the world's fastest growing daughter and buying second-hand is imperative.

As Chloe is growing older and taller, I've found it increasingly more difficult to find used clothing, shoes and outerwear in her size. Shoes are the worst! Chloe has inherited my clod-hopper feet and is already in a size 13 or 1. It was so disappointing this fall to open up her bin and see 11's and 12's I had bought ahead of time that were hopelessly too small.

Hence, my quest for a winter coat for Chloe began. I searched all the thrift and kids' consignment shops in the area to no avail. In fact, I was utterly appalled at how much consignment shops charge for USED coats! Hello, $30 or $40 for a used coat?!? I realize supply and demand is at play here but that's utterly ridiculous.

I turned to ebay next and was equally disappointed in the price and selection.

Reluctantly, I tried Target. Turns out for 20 bucks I scored a super warm lined puffy coat for Chloe in her fave color blue. I had a $5 gift card and since the 6/6x was a tad snug I went with a bigger size so the coat will (hopefully) last two seasons.

It felt strange to buy Chloe something brand spanking new but I must say I'm pleased with the bang I got for my buck. Yet another wonderfully satisfying Target experience. :)

Where do you find affordable outerwear for your kiddos?

Mystery

First, thanks to all of you for your pumpkin bread recipe contributions! I feel as though I am often tapping you dear bloggy friends for recipes, advice, and know-how.

Forgive me, it's just that recently I've been somewhat brain dead. More than just the regular mommy brain too.

And the reason for that is a mystery for you to figure out. That's right a spooky mystery just in time for Halloween! See if you can puzzle your way through this one. Here are your clues . . .

* I've been gaining weight
* I'm extra tired and going to bed at the same time as my children
* I'm irritable and emotional
* I'm taking a new medication (prenatal vitamins)

That last clue should pretty much give it away!

Most days I think we're insane for expanding our family to 5. BUT I know that God put this desire in our heart for more kiddos AND I know what an inexplicable blessing and joy children are AND I'm incredibly excited to see how this new bambino enhances our family dynamic.

We're about 13 weeks along now and my burgeoning belly has most definitely popped. Though I'm still trying to stave off the maternity wear for another week or two. I go in for my first appointment next week and I'm pumped to hear the baby's heartbeat! That will make this pregnancy seem more real. Right now I feel like I'm just getting fat. (The flab could also be due to the cheeseburger craving I must satisfy every week.)

Breaking the 2-kids barrier has met with mixed reviews. It's interesting the notion some have that 2 kids is the "ideal family". While I whole-heartedly believe parents should be prepared to provide for their offspring, I don't believe that means two children is the perfect prescribed number.

We are rejoicing and so thankful to God for this wonderful new gift of life!

Pumpkin Bread

I made a double batch of pumpkin apple bread yesterday afternoon and although it made my kitchen smell divine, it didn't taste quite as good as I had hoped. In fact, Chloe wouldn't eat more than a few bites. She said it tasted like soap. Unfortunately, it did have a baking-soda-ish flavor.

With 8 more cups of pumpkin puree in my freezer, I'm gonna need a better pumpkin bread recipe! I love using allrecipes.com but I don't want to gamble with my next batch of bread. I'd much rather get a tried-and-true recipe from a veteran baker.

Any winning recipes for me?

(Speaking of winning recipes, if you're itching to cook with pumpkin you simply MUST try this pumpkin pancake recipe. It's our favorite fall treat!)

Clive the comedic chatterbox

It's been WAY too long since I've posted a cutesy video of my progeny.

Overnight it seems Clive has become our household chatterbox. He's always talking to himself or identifying items to whoever will listen. And we are constantly asking him to speak quietly at the dinner table. Already he's trying to monopolize the dinner conversation!

As you can see from the video above (persevere through the cousin naming until the end), Clive thinks he's a comedian to boot. He does indeed know his sister's name. Though he said "back-hoe" long before ever attempting to say "Chloe".

What a darling character Clive is becoming! It's been so fun to hear him find his voice and see his personality blossom.

Apples

Seems like even after a busy week, I'm also itching to take the kids and do something special on Saturdays.

Since fall weather hit us with a bang this week and because last week's book in Chloe's five in a row curriculum was How to make an apple pie and see the world (GREAT book by the way) an apple orchard was today's obvious destination.

Matt had a meeting this morning so we dropped him off and headed to a nearby orchard. Unfortunately, it wasn't a pick-your-own apple joint but we still had a lovely time. LOTS of great apples at great prices. Plus a corn maze, pumpkins, a bakery, shop with local homemade items, and plenty of apple trees and gardens to walk through.

We came away with a peck of gala apples for $8. That's approximately 11 pounds of apples so I thought it was a fabulous deal. I currently have about 1/3 of the peck cooking for a big ole pot of applesauce. Yum!

By the way, I'm no good at corn mazes. We had to break our way through the dry corn stalks to find our way out.

Have you done any apple picking this season? What's your favorite way to prepare apples in the fall?

I have a smashingly good applesauce recipe that I never tire of. Though I do tire of peeling and coring the apples.

Happy apple season to you!

A new Chloe-ism for your Friday

My sweet Chloe is at a precious age right now. She's not always precious (don't ask me about her new expressions of anger and selfishness) mind you. But in between the lectures and discipline, she's been giving me lots of reasons to smile.

Since Matt has been super busy this fall with teaching, his dissertation, and a list of other resume-building projects too long to mention, he relishes his playing time with the kids. He often plays with them full-force after supper while I clean up the dishes. (And believe me, after a full day with the kids some quiet dishwasher time is extremely enjoyable and necessary for me.) One evening this week, Chloe had it in her mind that she wanted to play wedding. Hence the dish towel veil she's sporting in the picture at left. She was convinced she was going to marry daddy. Here's how the conversation with Matt proceeded . . .

Chloe: "Daddy, c'mon let's go get married"
Matt: "But I'm already married. I'm married to mommy! What about her?"
Chloe: (after pausing to contemplate this conundrum) "Well, mommy can be the flower girl. C'mon, it's time for the wedding."

(At least she didn't ask me to be the maid as she has in the past when playing Snow White. I will NOT play a maid or cook in any pretending game. Too much like my regular job, thank you very much.)

Chloe continued on with their pretending game, complete with asking Matt for a ring and then leading him upstairs to their new "home".

Kids certainly do and say the darnedest things.

Help!

Dear faithful and wise bloggy readers,

HELP!

I bought a humongous pork tenderloin that was on super sale yesterday and I have no clue what to do with it. We've already cut it into thirds and Matt slathered italian dressing on 1/3 and roasted it for supper last night. It was delicious but with this much pork, we'll need some variety to keep our tastebuds interested.

A good pal of mine suggested slow-cooking it in the crockpot, shredding it for bbq pork sandwiches, and breading and frying it in slices.

Any other ideas for me?

Thanks in advance for your culinary assistance!