Turkey Feast

Our turkey weighed 21 lbs before stuffing and cooking.  We still have lots left, but we ate more than 21 lbs of dinner.
Here is how much dinner we each ate:
Kenneth 3.6lbs
Megan 1.6lbs
Christian 3.4lbs
Truman 7.4lbs (adjusted to 3lbs after he removed the weights from his pockets!)
Sydney 1.2lbs
Abby 2.4lbs
Rebekah 1.6lbs
Nate 2.0lbs
Hazel 1.2lbs

Grand Total 20 lbs!

Thank you Hazel for making the Turkey napkin holders!

"Can you help me make the marimba seem natural in my living room?"

I had a very nice friend come over to help me figure out what to do with my living room.  I had two BIG problems: 1. too many books  2. the marimba.

My friend was really helpful and I think that the results are favorable.  There is still a bit of work to do, like make different curtains, recover the wingback chair, and hang the artwork back up.

I refinished the entertainment center.  Kenneth built me some new bookcases.  I painted the walls a color called "Shagreen".  I really like the darker wood with the green walls.  Rebekah tells me that it is very "soothing".  I also got rid of a couple pieces of superfluous furniture.

Before

 After

Before

 After

Before

After

Abby Strikes Again

More funny writing by Abby:

This is a piece of paper I found on a clip board.  Abby and Rebekah had been out and about interrogating their siblings about the pile of leaves that had bee spread across the yard. (Yes our leaves are starting to fall)  It appears that the inquisition was conclusive. Truman and Hazel are guilty of leaf spreading.

There is a little space in our rearranged living room where I often find little clusters of rubber animals.  I was informed that this area is protected and I must not vacuum up the inhabitants.  This is who is living in our Nature Corner today.

Then I found this notice posted in the hall.  I am not positive but I thought I heard a moth bumping at the front window...

Rebekah Turns 10

 Kenneth braided Rebekah's hair the night before her birthday and he did it so tight that they went Pipi Longstocking on him.

 Hazel gave her some little pink bunnies...

 Abby mader her an apron.

 Nate and Syd gave her some beads.

 Hugs from big brother.

 The crew!

 The Bigger Brother.

I always wear my shinguards to a party! 

Birthday  Spankings.

Chocolate cake and peppermint ice cream.

You Know you need a hair cut when...

All our boys need hair cuts a lot.  I think that boy hair is actually more trouble than girl hair!  Truman was the photographer and so we don't have a pic of him, and Kenneth had his hair cut after Truman went to bed, so no pic of Kenneth.  Truman and Nate combined their pile of hair and challenged Christian to try to have more hair than them.  Somehow Nate and Truman's pile took on the shape of a small dog!  Christian's hair cut produced a pile only a little smaller than The other two boys combined.

It's a bird! It's a Plane!

No!  It's TUBAMAN!

Our friend called and said that Truman would probably want to come see what she had at her house, it involved Tubas.  This is a "costume" called Tubaman.  It is made from Sousaphone bells and bungee cords.  Weird but cool in a tuba player sort of way.  Truman did indeed want to see it and try it on.  Syd went to take pictures of the occasion (and outfit).  Truman said it wasn't very comfortable.

Real Life Returns

Saturday found us watching the State Marching Band Finals.  Dobson looked great.  We really enjoyed watching all the shows one last time.  I love seeing a show at the beginning of the season and then again at the end.  These kids work so hard and it is great to see the improvement over the season. Nate and Hazel are seasoned judges by now, however they are a bit tired of the performances so Kenneth brought Uno cards and they played between performances.  The rule was that as soon as the announcer said "you may take the field" they had to put the cards down.

Veteran's Day Parade

 We went to the parade for two reasons. 1.I love parades. 2.My boys were in it.

The new uniforms look sharp!

 Here is Truman in his Sousaphone. (He is the one on the right.)  "What would Sousa do?"

 Christian, feeling the pain of being in pit, walked along behind.  He is the one right in the middle with a little of the blue streamer in front of him.

 I like the bagpipe players.  I asked Abby if she would still love me if I played the bagpipes.  She said yes.  I think that maybe if she weren't my oboe learning daughter, she might not think bagpipes seem sane.

This little dog was the other highlight of the parade. The dog looked away but it is wearing pink goggles.  Too funny!

Pink is Best!

We made applesauce this weekend from Jonathan apples.  It makes the applesauce pink and yummy!

Just a Little Music for the Sabbath

In case you don't recognize the song, it is I Love to See the Temple

The Costumes

 The little Witch

 Abby the absentminded mad scientist

Nate the Monk

I have gotten lazy and the kids are more independent these days. Nobody wants me to make costumes, and I don't feel too bad about it.  Here are the kids who dressed up and would allow me to photograph them.  Sydney did trick-or-treat but she has decided that she is too old and is planning to pass out candy next year.

Old Fashion Fun

We had a Taffy-Pull at our house.  I wasn't sure how many kids would think it would be fun and actually come.  13 Priests and Laurels came.  We pulled taffy and then they played board games.

 Ligretto

 Apples to Apples

 Here is the taffy.  Blue Raspberry and Cinnamon.

The game in the distance is called Things in a Box.  The taffy in the foreground is honey taffy.