Archive for » November, 2009 «

Kids in the Kitchen: Thanksgiving Edition

November

Kids in the Kitchen was a feature on my old blog that I hadn’t implemented here on The Pirate Mom Dot Com yet. I like to have my kids with me in the kitchen (sometimes). I like to teach them new skills (sometimes). I enjoy when we can all pitch in together and get ‘er done (sometimes).

When I was a child, I spent most of my Thanksgivings watching the parades in my PJs and being really hungry until about 3:00pm when we could finally eat. All the while my mom and grandma slaved away in the kitchen, working to put a feast on the table for our family. Not that I want to rob my own children of those same experiences, but I see value in their helping prepare the annual meal. It doesn’t have to be complex or even very time-consuming. Here is how my children helped this year…

Bonny Annie is usually in charge of the desserts, and this year was no exception. She always makes pumpkin pie, but this year she also wanted to try apple pie, and both creations were very delicious.

Dirty Harry made the green bean casserole (with a little help). And, as you can see, hair cuts are optional for being able to help in the kitchen.

When your kids help, I’ve discovered they eat more. Harrison had three helpings of his casserole. The only thing he’s ever eaten three helpings of willingly is perhaps Laffy Taffy.

Cap’n Jack Henry helped with nothing. He did, however, manage to be cute enough to inspire creative dessert concoctions.

Here are some other ideas to get your kids involved in holiday meal preparation…

Help to prepare Jell-o salads. They are really hard to mess up, but I actually managed to do so this year.
Arrange veggies and dip for an appetizer tray.
Set the table.
Pour drinks.
Bake the rolls.
Make a salad.

The possibities are endless, depending on what you and your family traditionally have on the table. Just make sure to involve the young ones. It will guarantee happy, thankful faces!

Category: Grub, My Crew Tags: green bean casserole, kids, pie, Thanksgiving 7 Comments

If You Miss the Peanuts Thanksgiving Special…

November

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….you could just watch this instead.

But, of course, it just isn’t the Peanuts without Snoopy, so here ya’ go…

Ummm…okay….I realize that one is going to require a bit of imagination. Just work with me here…

I hope you’ve had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope that you’re full. I hope that you’re warm. I hope that you are surrounded by your loved ones. I hope that someone else washed the dishes. I hope that there are only 5 calories in your second third piece of pumpkin pie. And most of all, I hope that you know the peace and comfort that comes from knowing the Savior.

Category: Bonny Annie, Clara-Beard, Dirty Harry, The Pirate Mom Speaks One Comment

Over the River and Through the Woods…

November

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…to Grandmother’s house we gooo-oooo!

Okay, so I wasn’t going to Grandma’s. And well they weren’t exactly woods. I did cross a river once, the Harpeth River.

A couple of weeks ago I left the house at 8am to take Annaleigh to her tutorial. After I dropped her off, I found myself heading back home despite the fact that I needed to run a boatload of errands that day, because I had forgotten my cell phone. As I sat in the driveway, watching Dirty Harry run in to retrieve my phone, I decided to roll down my window and holler at him to also get my camera.

“Why?” he yelled back.

“Oh, I don’t know, ” I yelled back.

But the real answer is that I decided to photograph another fall drive like I did last year here. I love the fall, and I enjoyed risking my life last year in order to take pictures of it and all of its grandeur last year, so I thought I’d do it again, and if I can remember from year to year, make it an annual event here on my blog. And you know what? I think I’m better at it. I stayed completely on the road at all times this year!

Okay, ready? We’re off…

Good-bye house, for the second time today.

Jack Henry has already fallen asleep…. (Photo by Dirty Harry)

…before we even leave the neighborhood.

And we’re cruising along our hilly street into town…

Our first stop was the vet to replenish Clara’s heartworm tablets.

Now through the rest of our small town…

At this house, there used to live a man who was in his late 90s, who used to sit on his porch and wave at the passer-bys. He always liked it when people honked, and so I always did, but he passed away about a year ago. I miss seeing him.

Here’s the school bus I almost flagged down to put Dirty Harry on.

He’s been driving me crazy lately on car trips because he’s gotten very interested in car makes and models, which could be reason #427 of why I don’t understand boys. I don’t know when he’s going to stop asking me if such and such a car is a Ford or a Chevy. Or who produces more cars, Mitsubishi or Isuzu. Or how much a Dodge Viper costs. The answer to each and every question is, “I don’t know.” The only difference is the volume in which I use. It gets decidedly louder each time.

A quick stop at the ATM…

An impulse stop for coffee at McD’s…

I really wanted to stop HERE but decided to save two bucks.

And then we were on our way out of town and toward the next bigger one to get some errands accomplished….

(Someone hit that stone fence about three or so years ago….and they have never repaired it. It kinda drives me nuts.)

Vultures…

Now we’re finally getting into the neighboring town, complete with quaint little houses and tree-lined streets…

Our church…

The Carter House, a Civil War site…

Here’s an area of town called Five Points, and then we continue through the town on our way to Costco…

(Rumor has it that the founder of AmWay lives at this farm.)

Now we’re getting closer to the shopping area where I’m heading today.

If we took a right here, we’d be very near Big D’s office…

…but we take a left to get here to order Big D’s birthday cake and do a little Christmas shopping…

And then we stop here for a bit. More Christmas shopping.

And then we get stuck in this for a bit, where I bit my hangnails and sigh a lot…

At this point, Dirty Harry lets me know that he’s going to faint dead away if I don’t get him something to eat. So we pull into the drive-thru of our second McDonald’s of the day.

I pull over in the parking lot so that we can all eat. I make Dirty Harry share his yogurt parfait with Cap’n Jack Henry.

Next it’s almost time to pick up Bonny Annie…

Here we are!

Got her, and now we head toward HOME!

We pass Indiana Mimi’s workplace on the way…

Here’s the entrance to our subdivision…

We’re back to where we started: Home Sweet Home!

Whew! Well, I hope you at least mildly enjoyed this 2009 edition of The Pirate Mom’s Fall Drive. If not, you can lodge your complaint below, and the management will be informed.

Thank you.

Category: The Pirate Mom Speaks Tags: Costco, Fall, McDonald's 7 Comments

Christmas Toys on a Budget

November

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Before you go out and spend hundreds of dollars this Christmas on play things for your children, it’s important that you read this post. It’s important for your sanity. It’s important for your finances. It’s important for world peace.

Almost everyday I place Jack Henry on a blanket and place several store-bought toys around him. He plays there for about ten minutes before he’s bored, and I replace the toys with my cell phone or measuring cups or some other household item. So, I ask you, why do we buy our children toys?!

The following are some ideas of cheap and long-lasting entertainment for your little ones. Just wrap them up, put them under the tree, and you’re done. Just sit back and enjoy the holidays….

1. Laundry basket

You probably have one or several in your house already, but if not, they are available at your local Wal-mart for about $5 or less. It will provide hours of entertainment for your toddlers and your older ones, who do the pushing. If you’re a homeschooler, you could also count it as PE. I even have a demo…

You’re pets will also enjoy a ride…

Or not.

2. Fall leaves

Now, this is just about as easy as they come….and FREE. You know you probably need to rake anyway, so just put your piles in some giftbags and you have instant fun!

And if you’re really into saving, after a while of playing, your small child will more than likely turn your gift into a high fiber snack.

3. Tissue paper

It’s a long known fact that children under about the age of three are far more interested in the packaging of gifts than the gifts themselves. So save yourselves a lot of trouble, buy a 99 cent package of tissue and let your kids go crazy on Christmas morning.

They will smush and crinkle to their hearts’ delight, and you’ve just saved a ton of money.

4. Party hats

Again, you can probably pick up a pack of eight or so for about a dollar. Give them to your kids, and you’ve just occupied them for the whole afternoon. Go get a pedicure.

They will pretend to be bees…

They will pretend to be from the pages of Where the Wild Things Are…

And if your child doesn’t happen to like party hats, you can strap one on them for a punishment, a sort of creative time-out…

This is just the beginning of this concept, folks. If we can pull all of our ideas together, we can really turn this economy around this season. Maybe we’ll all win the Nobel Peace Prize! Post your own economical toy solutions below and let’s all be frugal!….or rednecks!….I’m not sure which.

Category: My Crew, The Pirate Mom Speaks Tags: Christmas gifts, laundry baskets, party hats, tissue paper 10 Comments

Cap’n Jack Henry Turns One!

November

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Last year, on this date, my to-do list looked like this…

Go to the hospital and have a c-section.

This year, today, my to-do list looks like this…

Pack for our weekend trip to Big D’s parents’ house.
Make 4 dozen cookies forBonny Annie’s Shakespeare production’s reception tonight.
Slice two bags of apples for the same reception.
Make fruit dip for the same reception.
Show up and watch the actual production.
Don’t forget to pick up Dirty Harry from Tae Kwon Do class.
Don’t forget to bring the props for the play that Bonny Annie forgot.
Feed the two children that I’m responsible for today.
Get off the computer and start accomplishing some of the things on this list.

So, I really don’t have time to blog today, is what I’m trying to say. But it’s Jack Henry’s birthday, for crying outloud….I had to commemorate that somehow today.

We actually had our family celebration last night, since as you can see, there was no time today. We’re also celebrating with more family this weekend in NC. I think it’s safe to say that the Cap’n has no clue what is going on, but I think he’s enjoying it all the same.

And you’ll just never believe what he said to me this morning…

“Mommy, the one thing I want most in the world for my birthday, is for you to win the Funniest Home School Blog Contest. I know it’s a long shot since the voting ends in two days and you’re like 70 votes out of first place. But that is what would me the happiest baby in the world.”

Okay, so he didn’t actually say it with words, but I could see it in his eyes. Click the icon to cast a vote for me, The Pirate Mom…

The Cap’n and I will be eternally grateful!

Category: Cap'n Jack Henry Tags: birthdays, c-section, one, Shakespeare 8 Comments

Surprise!

November

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Last Thursday evening, I threw a surprise party for Big D for his 40th birthday. Over forty of our friends gathered at the local Chuck E. Cheese to help us celebrate. It was crazy, loud, and fun….just like Big D! It was the perfect way to bring in another decade.

Here are a few shots from the mayhem that ensued….

Big D and Chuck E…

Just arrived…

With some of the crowd…

With Cap’n Jack Henry, who is really, really close to being a birthday boy himself….

With some of his co-workers…

Friends…

Whew! It makes me tired again just looking at all of that F-U-N!

Now, I won’t have to pull anything like this off for the next ten years, right? RIGHT?!

And speaking of surprises, wouldn’t it be surprising if I came from behind….waaaaaay behind…and won the Funniest Home School Blog contest?!? Click here to vote…

Category: Admiral Big D Tags: 40, Chuck E. Cheese, surprises 6 Comments

Big D is the Big Four-Oh!

November

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I am posting this much, much later than I intended because today has been cuh-razy! But I couldn’t let this day pass without wishing, Big D, my partner in crime life, a very happy birthday! How blessed I am to be married to him! He is forty years old today, and he has no desire to buy a cherry red Mustang or quit his job to walk barefoot on a beach collecting seashells. There’s no indication that he’s ready to trade me in for a newer model, and he doesn’t golf, hunt, fish or gamble. The only semi-radical thing he’s mentioned lately is the possibility of a new tattoo. He’s a keeper! Even when he dresses like this….

Happy birthday, Big D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS-Do you know what Big D would like MOST for his birthday? He’d like for you to vote for me for Funniest Homeschool Blog, of course. He really does….he told me….sorta….through telepathy…or something like that. Just click the icon below and give Big D his birthday wish. He’ll be sooooo happy.

Category: Admiral Big D Tags: 40 years old, Big D, birthdays, telepathy 6 Comments

Third Time A Charm?

November

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Probably not. But we’ll give it a go anyway.

I have been nominated for the Funniest Home School Blog Award at The Home School Post. You can click on the icon below to go vote for me, if you are so inclined.

A little history here…

I have been nominated for this award in 2007 and 2008 (both for my old blog, Hilltop Academy) , and I lost both times. In 2007 I lost by four votes. Yes, four votes. Truth be told, I’m not really sure how I did last year because when the contest ended I was in the hospital having just had Cap’n Jack Henry, and I was busy monitoring his progress in the NICU and praying that he could come home soon. I assume though that I didn’t win since I never received any prizes.

I honestly have no aspirations to ever win this contest. It’s kinda like when every year Peter O’Toole is nominated for best actor or best supporting at the Academy Awards and never wins (eight times, to be exact). It isn’t going to happen for him. He’s the token nominee, and so am I. I’m the Peter O’Toole of the blog awards.

It did not add to my enthusiasm at all when I looked at my fellow nominees yesterday and saw her name listed there….

Mrs. New York Times Bestseller List herself?! Mrs. Queen Bee of the Internet?! Are you kidding me?! I can’t compete with that kind of fame.

However, I will take your vote, if you care to cast it. Here are a few things you should know…

You don’t have to be a home schooler to vote.
You can tell other people who don’t know me to vote for me.
You can vote only once from your personal computer.
You can vote again from work, the library, your grandmother’s house, your neighbors’, or the stranger’s computer at Starbuck’s.
You don’t have to think I’m funny to vote for me.
You don’t even have to like me to vote for me.
But if you don’t like me, please don’t tell me, okay? I’m pretty fragile.
You could let me know in the comments, on facebook, by e-mail, or by telegram accompanied by a bouquet of flowers that you voted. It might make me feel a little better.
Voting ends on November 21.
Stop reading this list, and go vote.

Help me end the curse of Peter O’Toole! Vote for The Pirate Mom Dot Com!

Category: Contests, The Pirate Mom Speaks Tags: Contests, humor, Peter O'Toole 10 Comments

The Babysitter

November

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One of the distinct advantages of spacing your children out to the point that you have a teenager and a baby at the same time is that you have spur-of-the-moment-free-babysitting.

Bonny Annie is great with Cap’n Jack Henry.

They watch TV together…

She helped him trick-or-treat…

She taught him to dance on our kitchen table…

She even takes him to Tae Kwon Do class…

Yes, she is an attentive, patient, careful big sister, and I’m thankful to have her, and she can never go away to college or get married or leave me in general.

However, if I were her, I’d leave this photo out of my babysitting resume…

Of course, you may be wondering why I’m snapping pictures instead of rescuing my baby who could, at any moment, fall off the sofa.

I think he may be wondering that too.

Category: Bonny Annie, Cap'n Jack Henry Tags: babysitting, dancing on the table, TaeKwonDo 9 Comments

Two-For-One

November

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Over the weekend, I bought this coat for Dirty Harry….

Old Navy was having their outerwear sale, and all of their coats and jackets were 50% off. Despite the fact that it was an unseasonable 74 degrees here on Saturday, I knew that he had outgrown one coat and broke the zipper on another, so he was in need of a warm coat. The jacket that he picked out was normally $69.50. I also bought Bonny Annie a bubble vest that she has been eyeing. So, I only paid half-price for both, but then I also had a 15% off-your-entire-purchase coupon, so I only REALLY paid around $50 for both items. Cha-ching!

But do you know what’s even better? Dirty Harry’s coat is doubling for a house robe on chilly mornings after he’s not had enough sense to wear any clothes to bed.