Thanksgiving

We are getting ready for Thanksgiving around here. What am I most grateful for? Easiest question ever. These two of course, and the man I am proud to call my husband who I get to share them with.
Tomorrow Jake's three sisters and their families will be joining us for what I hope to be our best Thanksgiving yet. Aside from the Thanksgiving Jake and I had by ourselves our 1st year of marriage- where we cooked a small but complete entire Thanksgiving dinner for ourselves including a entire pumpkin pie a piece-this will be my first real hosted-by-me Thanksgiving.
To bad my entourage is not that much help-I've got lots to do.
I've already been to the store three times for the big event- partially because it took that many stores to find a turkey big enough to fed the crew- and it is not like I waited until today, I guess you have to go more than four days in advance if you want to biggest bird- now I know. I finally found us a 24 pounder who has been defrosting in the fridge ever since. What else does the menu include?

Hors d'oeuvre
Chilled Vegetable Platter
Assorted Crackers and Cheese

Beverage
Assorted Sparkling Cider

Dinner
Slow Roasted Turkey with Lemon
Mashed Red Potatoes with Garlic
Classic Brown Gravy
Slow Cooked Cornbread Stuffing
Cranberry Sauce
Three layer Jello Salad
Garden Salad
Pepperoni Pasta Salad
Homestyle Green Bean Casserole
Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallow Carmel Glaze
Homemade White Rolls with Honey Butter and Strawberry Jam

Dessert
All-you-can-eat Assorted Pies
Vanilla Ice Cream

Good thing I've already started the chopping/ baking/ roasting/cooking. I am looking forward to the meal, and even more so the company...and the leftovers. I think a lot of women stress out about cooking Thanksgiving. I think it is mildly stressful- mostly figuring out how to have everything perfectly warm at the same time with one oven. But I will take making Thanksgiving for everyone over traveling for the holidays any day. That really stresses me out- and turns my children into rabid mommy eating monsters. I am looking forward to staying home and remaining thankful for them instead.

Happy Thanksgiving- I hope it is safe, and delicious!

Why there haven't been pictures recently

It has been a while since I posted anything, even just pictures of the kids. Hmm I wonder why. Could it be that my monsters aren't a photographers best friend. This one grabs and eats any part of the camera he can get his hands on, and the other one appears to have an aversion for photos being taken all together.

Oh finally kids, there are your smiling faces.

Blogger Face Lift

Do you like the new look? Jill with the Bird and the Berry made the header for me. The least I can do is plug her blog, which actually doesn't really need my simple props. She is a Utah party planner friend of a friend. I love her Dr. Suess ideas especially here, perhaps I will put a few to use somehow in Samuel's Dr. Suess themed room. Go check her out.

The Good Stuff

The kids have been doing really well with playing nicely with one another. Much better than when Kate used to smack Sam in the head whenever we weren't looking. I occasionally leave them for a minute or two to run laundry upstairs or pack a diaper bag. Sometimes it doesn't work out so well, like when I came back three minutes later to find Kate lathering Sam's face in Diaper Rash Cream. But this day being unsupervised momentarily was more to his advantage. He found the pantry door open, crawled across the entire living room and kitchen, pulled down a bag of generic frosted animal cookies, and started munching down. He cried like the baby he is when I took them away.

Favorite Children's Books

For a friend a few weeks ago as a shower gift I compiled what have been my kids favorite books. It was fun to think about the books they love. Some of the books Kate loves leave me wondering why for sure. While the kids and I were shopping for the gift (aside for trying not to laugh/ cry), I was reminded of my love for the bookstore. Though I usually order our books from Amazon, there is something so perfect about the bookstore on a cold fall evening.
I have always enjoyed books in my adulthood, but since I became a mother my love for books has certainly multiplied. I think my motherly love for books is actually three fold. I have stocked my bookshelves with everything from the "What to Expects" to the -how to sneak broccoli into your children's food -type of books. I have enjoyed reading them, and they have given me some confidence that I might in some way be capable of caring for another human being. Plus they area much better place to go for advice I have found than the "mother's I know" club. You get all kinds of crazy information for people you know.
Secondly, I have always read novels and autobiographies and enjoyed them. But now they are an escape into a world where I have a brain, and give me something more to talk about than the bowel movements of my children. Seriously it is sad how much mom's talk about that.
But third, and the reason that is best above all, is how much I love the magical moments laying in a toddler size bed turning pages for eager eyes. So far my intent to pass on a love for books has been successful.
Here is a list of the top ten Children's Books in our home.
1. Bright Animal Babies Board Book: Priddy
This book is simple, but Kate learned a lot of her first words out of this book.
2. Goodnight Gorrilla: Rathman
Liked much more than Goodnight Moon by our night time crew
3. Hand, Hand, Finger Thumb: Perkins
I think I loved this book when I was young too. Dum Ditty, Dum Ditty!!
4. What Makes a Rainbow:
The most durable pop up book we have ever encountered.
5. Brown Bear, Brown Bear: Carle
Anything by Eric Carle is a winner around here
6. Thumper Counts to Ten: Richards
This book looks like nothing speical, and I don't really get why Kate loves it still, but she has memorized it completely and will recite it when prompted without the book to even help her.
7. A Tree Named Steve: Zweibel
Okay, Kate just thought this book was alright, but it my favorite. It makes me cry- and I hate crying.
8. How do Dinosaurs...: Yolen
This whole series is lyrical, appealing to looks at and teaches manner... yes you heard me.
9. Eight Animales Out on the Town or Say Hola to Spanish; Elya
We love pretending like we are teaching our kids to be bilingual. This is the best Spanish vocab children's book we have found so far.
10. Heaven is Having You: Andreae
This was a bedtime request at our house for six months straight. Kate still loves it, especially when I do the actions I have made up with it.

With the holidays coming up there will be more books added to our children's library with out a doubt. What are some of your families favorite children's books?