Thanksgiving to Remember!

The Turkey Rolls.  What you do when you are out of 9x13 pans (and you own 3, which seems like it should be plenty until you make pretzel jello, stuffing and a double batch of rolls).

We have a pretty predictable Thanksgiving.  My sis-in-law Maren hosts (lovely table settings, great atmosphere).  Her brother Clark (who lives with her) smokes a turkey on the big green egg.  The rest of us bring various sides.  I try (every year) to get the Nortons to like sweet potatoes (in varying forms).  They don't really like them.  I make a few pies, Brett (another bro-in-law) makes pies.  Geneva makes the rolls.  Hard and fast rule.  Well this year Geneva let me make the rolls.  Pressure!  I had to get it right!  So I made a test batch of these rolls from Our Best Bites on Wednesday.  Yummy!
Anyway, I, predictably, spent Wednesday afternoon making pies, rolls, and chocolate mousse and then exhausted from the effort realized I had nothing to feed my family for dinner that night.  (Lucky spaghetti sauce from the freezer night!)
Then Thursday, more and more cooking.  Normal routine for Thanksgiving.
We got to Clark and Maren's mostly on time.  We had to wait for one latecomer.  (Again, normal).  But this time we waited to take the family picture until everyone was there.  And we almost didn't notice that Clark wasn't in the family picture.  So we had to take another one.

We also invited some of our favorite friends from our ward/school.  This is Yukine.  Such a smart girl.  

Here is the family pic + Yukine and her brother Kanata...Oh wait.  No Clark.  

Ahhhh, here we are, all the Nortons/Barretts together.

Well what made this Thanksgiving different was that we finally all settled down to eat and forgot to go around the table and say something we were thankful for.  We were a little hungry and distracted.  But then we hear a small voice from the corner (yes, we put our baby in the corner).  Ben stood up in his chair and said, "Could everyone please stop chitchatting and go around the table and say what they are thankful for?"  He looked so adorable how could we do anything but stop chitchatting and say what we are thankful for.  So we went around the table.  Derek said he was thankful for Football..........and his wife.  Whew.  At least I made it in there.  2nd to football for a fan like Derek is pretty good.  Anyway, we made it almost all the way around the table to Sarah's seat.  She is missing.  So I holler.  Sarah hollers back (through an obviously open door upstairs) "I'm in the bathroom!"  We laugh and finish going around the table.  As we finish we hear Sarah bellow out her gratitude from the toilet, "I'm thankful for books!"  (One of which, I'm sure, was the reason she was taking so long on the toilet!)  Oh my kids.  For the record I said I was thankful for my kids because Libby was trying really hard to make sure Derek said "his kids" and he didn't.  So I didn't want to disappoint her. But in reality.  Yeah.  My kids are what I'm thankful for.  And my husband.  And football.  And also--the predictable unpredictable Norton life.
And I'm even getting over the fact that Maren won 3 out of 3 Rummikub games.  Seriously?

And the final change at Thanksgiving?  Clark introduced us to a girlfriend.  And we like her!  

Christmas Lists 2015

The electric cash register and the marble run were my idea.  Not sure how someone is going to give him "normal toy humans."  LOL!

This year I let the girls write their own lists.  They didn't ask for help with spelling or suggestions.  Ben came to me and rattled off this list of "electric" items so fast it was like a machine gun.  I have no idea if there is such thing as an electric toy Santa or electric toy monster.  But apparently that is what sounded fun to him.  Honestly, I have spent so much time cleaning up toys lately that I am going toy minimal this year.  Books and clothes from mom and dad this year.  

The girls both want "my Genorashon" (Libby's spelling) or "my genorashin" (Sarah's spelling) stuff.  My Generation is the Target brand of American Girl knock offs.  I love that they were smart enough not to even ask for anything from the actual American Girl store.  The last thing on Sarah's list is a Ukulele.  And they both asked for an iPhone.  It starts early, lol.  But they actually want old iPhones that they can use for games and imessaging.  This is going to be an interesting year.    

Ben's School Pic

Is this not the most delicious looking young man EVER?  He said his picture looked ridiculous.  But I think it is delightful and divine.

Here is what I have been loving about this little guy lately:

-While I was gone, he asked me EVERY day for a countdown of how many days until I would be home.  It was so sweet.

-When I got home he gave me the biggest hug.  

-Then he started sharing all the terrible jokes he learned from Spongebob while I was gone.  (He isn't allowed to watch it while I am around).  Thanks Derek.

-A few weeks ago I put up signs to help encourage the kids to USE the shoe racks I put up in the laundry room.  It is easy to just turn into the kitchen and leave your shoes there instead.  (Making your mom crazy!) So, there are now signs warning you are entering the NO SHOE Zone.  Ben makes an actual physical barrier and forces us to go back in and put our shoes away (yes, reminding me too).  Love it.

-I also heard him telling Sarah (who wanted to wear her shoes from the wedding), NO white shoes after LABOR DAY!  This adorable kid loves rules.  Just ask Derek how many pushups he had to do while we were gone for forgetting to say excuse me!

-I want to cut his hair now, it needs a trim.  He wants me to leave it longer so he can do a mohawk.  

An 8 Year Old's Adventure

Over spring break, Libby overheard me telling Rachel that I didn't think our family would be able to come out to FL to meet her new baby in October.  I didn't think it would be fun for a mom with a newborn to have so many of us there, and, and, and....but maybe I could just come.  Libby got really sad that she wouldn't be able to come meet baby X (the name wasn't determined at that point).  So, I decided maybe I would go and take Libby.  We had plenty of miles on our Southwest card (if you want to see why you can go back to the master bath post, haha) and they no longer fly to SLC (the only other place we fly) so Libby and I flew to FL for $22.
When I bought the tickets, I wasn't prepared for how much I would want to be there with that baby!  I really wanted to hold him and help my sister.  So I was so excited!  And so was Libby.  A week without school or siblings?
Then, we prepared to leave.  I was kind of freaking out.  How was Derek going to do my job?  And he had so many preseason wrestling meetings, and a home Husky game....and Libby realized she was going to miss her siblings very much.  I was asking myself what in the world was I thinking when I decided to do this?
But, we left, with lots of tears from Ben and Sarah and headed to the sunshine.

My favorite thing was when we got to Orlando, it was dark.  So in the airport Libby put on her sweatshirt.  I told her she probably wouldn't need it.  She said, "it's dark outside!  I'll be cold!"  Then we walked outside.  Into the heat and humidity.  She was so shocked.  And even more shocked when she took off her sweatshirt and it was still hot!  We climatized pretty well except for my neck.  The skin on my neck was inflamed and itchy the whole time we were there.  Maybe a heat rash of some kind.  It calmed down after a few days back at home.

Anyway, I wasn't sure what to expect in Orlando.  Would the baby be the fussy kind that keeps everyone miserable?  Would we be spending most of our time taking care of baby needs?  Would the apartment be big enough for all of us?

Well I was VERY pleasantly surprised.  Baby Devin (name finally determined!) was FAB!  He let us spend about 5 hours at Epcot one day when we thought we would only spend 1 or 2.  He also let us spend like 10 hours on a Disney Adventure day (Animal kingdom and then Magic kingdom).  He blissfully slept and observed.  He went on Target trips.  He let Libby help with his baths, feedings, and playtimes.  He slept in the stroller while she went swimming.  Seriously, he was in a good place.  And so were we!  My sister is a great mom!  The transition is so hard and she is doing it gracefully.

It was really fun to spend time with just Libby too.  I feel like my attention is always so fragmented, so it was good for both of us to be able to be together without distractions.  We watched episodes of Murder She Wrote together in the evenings and munched popcorn.  I felt like I actually listened to her in a way that I don't often.

Airport Selfies

Cheesehead selfies

Devin's Tubby Time (and yes, she sang him the "Tubby Song")

Devin's present to me.  It's amazing how  you forget little things about having a baby.  Like how you should always change their diaper before feeding since they often poop while eating.  If they start out clean, it can often stay contained.

Our surprising Epcot day.  It is such a cool place.  I love the World Showcase.  I could have spent a long time here!  Libby coined a new phrase after this day.  You already know hangry, right?  Hungry and Angry?  Well Libby said she was Tangry.  A mix between tired, hungry and angry.  Or you could be Tungry.  Just tired and hungry.  I only got 8,000 steps at Epcot that day, but it was really tiring!  

Brad, my brother-in-law is a Disney employee. So we enjoyed the parks with his guest passes.  Amazing!
He works a lot, and long hours.  He was complaining though, about having only 8 hours between shifts.  I laughed.  During Mariners Derek usually only has 2 or 3 hours.  Perspective I guess.  But working in the FL heat would be exhausting!  

Libby's favorite thing was the pool in Rachel's complex.  We went there 3 or 4 times.  I got in once.  Libby is a splasher!  

Libby's favorite night was when my cousin Nancy drove up from south FL with her son Joshua.  Together Libby and Joshua created Walter's Ice Cream Parlor, complete with written menus and money for us to buy stuff.  It was awesome!  Libby just got a letter in the mail from him and is SO excited!  I also spent a long time chatting about education with Nancy who is a passionate homeschooler.  It was fun to hear about her perspective about encouraging kids to love learning.  It made me look forward to being in the classroom again someday and helping my students get excited about learning.  

Devin seems a bit concerned.  

We went to a baptism for one of Rachel's adopted nephews.  Libby was helpful so I could lead the music and Rachel could play the piano.  After the baptism we went to hang out with the family and friends.  There were two girls there who were really mean to Libby.  She tried to befriend them and they were nasty.  Turning their backs on her, asking her to go away.  But I was proud of Libby for remaining kind to them and ignoring their rudeness.  I was so mad I wanted to punch them both.  

Our Animal/Magic Kingdom day was a long one.  But Libby was a trooper.  She loved seeing the sights, going on the rides, eating ice cream sandwiches and cheeseburgers to fuel her.  

Libby with Russell and Doug.

EVEREST!  Libby was a little scared to go on this ride, but she did it.  And she loved it.  TWICE.  Me, not so much.  I did it once and that was enough!  

It was a pretty slow day at the Animal Kingdom.  So we didn't have to wait long for anything.  Except to see Pocahontas.  It was a short line, but a long wait.  Libby thought it was worth it though.    

It's already Christmas at the Magic Kingdom!  I would have loved to have spent an entire day there.  Guess we will have to go back next year!

The castle all lit up!

Derek asked me if the experience was making me baby hungry.  Hungry to hold other people's babies?  Yes.  Having my own again (and having the bathtub, bouncy set, play mat, stroller, changing table, diapers, bottles, binkies, etc), NO WAY!  I was delighted to come home to my 4 yr and 7 yr old.
 

Halloween 2015

I am telling you the moral of this post up front.  I need to have more fun with my kids.  We are all much happier when I do.

What we did for fun:

-Carved pumpkins (Derek told them we could on a night he had to leave!  I was a little miffed at first, but they were actually helpful and it was fun.)

-Watched episodes of Murder, She Wrote--good clean murder solving fun.  Netflix now has all 22 seasons.  And the kids love it.  

--Went to class parties.  I ran Libby's little party.  My favorite idea:  Grave walk instead of cake walk.  They made the grave stones (gray construction paper) and then we walked on them to Halloween dance tunes.  We also did a mummy wrap with toilet paper (yes, reusing the idea from the bachelorette party) and the kids loved it.

-Trick or Treated the neighborhood.  I offered them a movie and popcorn instead.  Libby and Ben were considering it. Then Sarah ruined my plan to stay out of the weather with her logic, "Libby, we can watch a movie any night, but only once a year can we Trick or Treat."  She won Libby over.  And it wasn't raining the minute we were out.  

-Wore our matchy theme costumes (and working together to figure out the theme is one of our favorite things.  Tonight at dinner we had a lengthy discussion about next year's theme.)  I only dressed up officially once, since a cold descended on me on Friday, but it was fun.

The kids got to visit the giant pumpkins at Central Market with Grandma Geneva and Grandpa Brion

Libby got to go twice.  Once while Ben was at a birthday party and once while Sarah was at Nutcracker rehearsal.  

Farmer Ben

The family theme this year was once again based around Ben's desired costume.  He wanted to be a pirate.  Then he wanted to be Captain Hook.  Perfect.  A cheap costume on Amazon.  Oh wait, it didn't come with the hat or the hook.  So it ended up being the most expensive.  I added the curls to his hat using a technique I learned in a YW activity when I was 12.  Wrap the yarn around a metal knitting needle and bake.  20 min at 300.  Perfect.  He did find it hard to hold a candy bag or bucket in one hand and get candy with his hook, or vice versa.  Luckily he had adults around to help him, until he developed the technique of sticking the hook between his legs while he grabbed candy.  

Originally when Ben wanted to be Captain Hook, we all choose characters from Peter Pan.  Except Libby.  She wanted no part of that.  She wanted to be Mother Gothel from Rapunzel (Tangled).  So, we realized that Captain Hook and Mother Gothel are both villians.  I already had the Maleficent costume from the dance recital.  And DONE.  Theme decided.    

Sarah wanted to be Ursula.  And it would have been perfect.  But I couldn't find a ready made costume.  I knew with the wedding I wouldn't have much time for costuming.  So, we found a queen of hearts costume and she agreed to go for that.  Perfect.  It is awesome that we have one accommodating child around here or we would never be able to compromise.  (Her Peter Pan idea was a mermaid, btw.  That would also have been cute.)

Their Jack-O-Lanterns.  Geneva gave Ben a kit to make the center one.  He brought it to me after they went to see the Giant Pumpkins and Grammy bought him a pumpkin.  As big as his hand.  And he was already to carve it up.  He didn't see why we couldn't carve the tiny pumpkin.  He helped me choose these bigger ones at the grocery store so we could do the carving.  

Our official pics from the photographer in our ward, Kim Barlow.  She is amazing.  

Derek was at a coaching clinic all weekend.  He came home for the ward party so we could get pics.   I told her that if she wasn't doing pics, I would let him stay over at the clinic in SeaTac and skip the party.

Sarah's class.  They were hilarious.  

Trick-or-Treating with Grammy.  Ben was having a moment at the time we tried to get a pic.  

Uh OH!  The croc is after Captain HOOK!

One of our favorite poems:

Captain Hook must remember
Not to scratch his toes.
Captain Hook must watch out
And never pick his nose.
Captain Hook must be gentle
When he shakes your hand.
Captain Hook must be careful
Openin' sardine cans
And playing tag and pouring tea
And turnin' pages of his book.
Lots of folks I'm glad I ain't--
But mostly Captain Hook! 

Shel Silverstein

We met up with some of our favorite super heroes at Spiros for our annual dinner.  

My Halloween pancake.  (We had brunch after church cleaning). 

The actual Trick-or-Treating...notice Ben is now the Hulk.  I was beyond caring at this point.  My favorite was when we went to our neighbor's house that has a dog named Jojo that he loves.  He took off the Hulk mask "so Jojo will recognize me." Also, Libby is hiding in the car because Aunt Maren's house is too scary!  (Clark came out to the car and carried her in.)

We came home to some candy eating and an episode of Murder, She Wrote.  I put the kids to bed and watched the Huskies stomp their opponent while I took down Halloween and put up Harvest decor.  A perfect end to a delightful (if draining) holiday week.  

School Pictures, Windows to their Personalities

Here are the school pics.  And here is what they say to me.  My girls are adorable, amazing and...full of personality!

Libby has a little vain streak.  She really wanted her hair straight for her picture.  My condition for straightening it was that she let me braid the front of her hair.  AND THAT SHE LEAVE IN THE BRAID UNTIL AFTER THE PICTURE so that her hair wouldn't be in her eyes.  When I picked her up after school and the braid was out, I asked if she did it before the picture.  "I'm not sure." was her response.  Did she think I wouldn't find out if she lied?  Seriously?  I have photo evidence that she did take it out before the picture, and I'm sure she was sure that she did it before the picture.  But, on further reflection, who is the vain one?  Maybe the mom who wanted her daughter to look the way SHE wanted her to look without considering how the daughter might want to look?  So, I'm trying not to be frustrated.  She looks pretty amazing and you don't even recognize the braid remnants unless you know about them, right?

Libby is the student council rep for her class.  She decided in class, on her own, to run.  She made up her own speech.  A vote for Libby is a vote for Luck.  (Reminds me of Make a Wish and Vote for Trish...6th grade Governor?)

And then there is Sarah's picture.  Until about 3 hours before this picture, there was another tooth hanging out there in the front of her mouth.  And I mean hanging.  By a thread.  And she wouldn't let me touch it.  Until finally that morning I begged and pleaded and she finally let me give it a little push.  Out it popped (well actually it popped into her mouth if you want to be technical about it)!  The second one hung on a similar amount of time.  It was turning gray by the time she finally pushed it out with her tongue on the way to school.  She is careful, cautious.  And she left her braid in.

They are so different, I have to think from a totally different direction in order to parent them.  I love them both so much.

Both teeth gone!