Under Attack

"Thanksgiving is under attack!" I heard those words this morning after breakfast from my Brianaby.  He declared years ago, as in I hear this every year, that Thanksgiving is his favorite holiday.  I'm so very happy that he is thankful for all of his blessings.  I am too! It's just that in his "I am the spokesman for preserving the sanctity of Thanksgiving" campaign, he has also seemed to take it out on Christmas.  Now I get it...people are skipping over Thanksgiving more and more to move straight to Christmas.  I am NOT in favor of that at all.  It aggravates me too that stores and marketing campaigns "get their Christmas on" right after Halloween without even recognizing Thanksgiving at all.  It's truly a shame.

However, here is where we differ.  While I love Thanksgiving and all it represents, I think of the Thanksgiving season beginning on November 1 and ending on Thanksgiving Day.  Of course, I believe that Thanksgiving should be in our hearts and shown in our attitudes all year long too!  Thanksgiving Day, in my opinion, is the culmination of the Thanksgiving season.  Just like Christmas Day is the culmination of a month of Christmas celebration.  Brian disagrees and basically thinks that Thanksgiving begins the day before and continues all through the weekend.  I've tried to explain that I spend the WHOLE month of November teaching about Thanksgiving, making mind maps of turkeys, making tiny cornucopias and Pilgrim hats, comparing children from long ago with children today, making Venn Diagrams of wild turkeys and domestic turkeys, etc, etc, etc....you get the point.  By the time Thanksgiving Day comes and goes, I'm done.  By that point, I'm mostly just thankful that I don't have to look at another snood or wattle. 

Why does this matter you ask? BECAUSE EVERY STINKIN' YEAR WE DISAGREE ABOUT WHEN TO DECORATE FOR CHRISTMAS.  The way I see it (and of course I'm right), no Christmas decorating shall occur on or before Thanksgiving Day. After that, all bets are off.  It just makes sense that we should decorate sometime during the rest of the weekend because we are already off of work/school not to mention the fact that Thanksgiving is OVER so why not?! If it doesn't get done during Thanksgiving weekend, AFTER THANKSGIVING DAY, then we will have to wait until the next weekend because we are generally just too tired and busy with activities/homework during the week.  That's a whole week I miss out on enjoying the Christmas tree! Plus it means that the earliest the tree can go up will be December 3.  That's two days late! It also totally screws up my advent calendar! AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

But apparently I am part of the "Thanksgiving is under attack" group, so every year I give in.  I let him have his way because I love him and I'm thankful for him.  Not to mention, I've learned through the years that when my husband feels strongly about something, there's just no use arguing. 

NO JOKE! As I was typing this, Brian just walked into the room and said the following:

"I think they ought to take the Johnny Depp version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and burn any master copies, confiscate every personal copy, launch them into space, and wipe every mention of it from the history of the world so that it never existed.  They've made the world a darker place by releasing that abomination on it.  They've desecrated the memory of a beautiful, perfect, innocent masterpiece that was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder."

Apparently, my husband has some opinions people and today is the day he has decided to share them.  Watch out!

Black Heels to Tractor Wheels

I recently read Pioneer Woman's Black Heels to Tractor Wheels.  I really enjoyed finding out more about her background since I have read her blog for a long time and enjoy her cookbook and new cooking show.  The book tells her love story with her husband.  It was quite interesting!



She's Got Legs, And She Knows How To Use Them

It's a good thing I bought her when I did because she's obviously in high demand.  I'm talking about Myrtle the Giraffe of course.  I'm thinking maybe it's her long, skinny legs or maybe her beautiful long neck.

Somebody recently visited my blog from a google search for "home goods giraffe".  I feel sorry for the poor person when she undoubtedly did NOT receive the information that she was searching for in my Myrtle the Giraffe post of silliness.  I am quite curious though if she was actually in the market for an at least nine feet tall giraffe for her home. Where exactly do you put a giraffe that large in your home?

(Someone please tell me because I still have Myrtle out back in the yard under a tarp.  I'd love to bring her in for the winter.)

(The whole Myrtle experience was actually sparked from a blog that someone wrote about finding and purchasing a giant rooster.  It was hilarious, but I couldn't link to it because of some bad language.  Oh well...)

I'm Ashamed

I am so very ashamed of myself for letting so much time pass without posting here.  I have some things on my mind that I want to share, so I'll be back soon.  Please stand by...

Not Quite An Extravaganza

I made a new recipe tonight.  My family (believe it or not) loves Hamburger Helper.  I actually don't mind it myself every once in a while, but Parker would list it in his top three dinner favorites.  I wish I were kidding.  Anyway, I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to give it a try.  I really thought the kids would enjoy it! In fact, Parker should have loved it since it's like a fancy smancy Hamburger Helper. 

The plans were all in place in my mind to rename it Hamburger Macaroni Extravaganza since Macaroni and Beef with Cheese sounds so boring.  Unfortunately, Parker and Claire really didn't like it at all.  Claire hardly likes anything these days, so no big surprise there.  I was shocked, SHOCKED, that Parker didn't just L.O.V.E. it.  He tolerated it, but would be more than happy if he never had to eat it again.  I think it was the tomato flavor that got him.  Brian and I both liked it, but I doubt I'll make it again since Hamburger Helper is easier and cheaper (even if it does have chemically enhanced cheese products which I'm sure can't be healthy).  For now, the name will also remain the boring original because I choose my "extravaganza" recipes carefully.  Here is the link:

http://ruhlman.com/2010/05/macaroni-and-beef-with-cheese-%e2%80%94-childhood-love/

It really is pretty good, and chances are your children would like it.  My little people are just quite picky.  I can't imagine who they get that from...

* I cut the recipe in half and just layered the noodle mixture with cheese and cooked it for about 20 minutes. 

Currently

I copied this from another blog and decided to write down some of my current stuff.

Current Books:  Finally starting The Hunger Games, spending a lot of time on my current Bible study Breaking Free. I'm really enjoying it, and I'm hoping to write more about it soon.

Current Playlist:  Why, Jason Aldean of course!

Current Color: ORANGE!

Current Drink: Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi (Brian accidentally bought me a 12 pack of Diet Coke a couple of weeks ago, and I was in major distress.  I forced myself to drink them so I wouldn't waste money, but yuck!)

Current Food: Pizza ~ it's always my favorite!

Current Wishlist: rocking chairs and swings for my front porch, mums & more fall weather   

Current Needs: I'm currently out of my makeup and "the only thing that keeps me from going totally bald" shampoo

Current Triumph: Surviving six weeks of first grade ~ I'm enjoying it but still trying to figure out what in the world I'm doing!

Current Bane of my Existence: My alarm clock ~ I really hate that thing

Current #1 Blessing: Family & Health

Current Excitement:  Fall, My birthday is coming soon, a few little trips we have planned 

Current Link: http://www.pinterest.com/ I AM SO ADDICTED!

Well, I have bad news and good news...

The bad news is:

Lisa found out about the picture...like 3 1/2 minutes after I posted it.  Something to do with, "You know I read your blog, blah, blah, blah".

BUT!

The good news is I found the PERFECT shirt to wear to my next country concert: