I Got Sick

We didn't do some celebrating toward the beginning of December because I got sick again. It is tradition after all. Now that I'm feeling better (except for an annoying cough), I've got to play catch up on what we did do.

We've had some gorgeous mornings in December so enjoy this beautiful sky picture.

By the way, before December came, Nichole celebrated L.M. Montgomery's Birthday on November 30 by naming a piece of music after a character in one of her books.

Catch of the Day

I just love him so much. 

Superheroes

Jet declared himself a superhero one day so I let him know he was "Awesome Kid." Since he was awesome kid, I told him I was "Super Mom." So we went around like this for a while.

Jet: Awesome Kid!

Me: and Super Mom!

Jet: Awesome Kid!

Me: and Super Mom!

What?

 

Raking Leaves Fun

See what a difference a week can make?

 

Since the leaves of this tree decided to dump themselves all at once, Jet and I decided to rake leaves. I got everything ready to go. Gardening gloves for Jet and for me, bags to put the leaves in. I was prepared. We got the rake, brought it to the front and got ready to put on our gloves.

Now tell me... what is wrong with this picture?

That's right. They are both left gloves. That wasn't going to work. I couldn't find any more small gardening gloves, so I dug out some Winter gloves and Jet was happy with that. We weren't going to be doing anything too tough and halfway through he took off his gloves anyway, which was fine.

We did have some fun with the leaves for a while until eventually, Jet was ready to go in for some hot chocolate. We did mostly fill a couple bags (they are big bags and I filled a couple more later) and I'd say we earned that hot chocolate.

I appreciate my big helper and that bonding time.

Thanksgiving 2024

Thanksgiving. Food. Family. But not family as food.

Most of Jr. Jr. didn't make it into the picture and somehow part of me in the corner there did?

 

Jet helped me make rolls.

 

Nichole made deviled eggs (Lucky helped a little).

This is us making food in the kitchen while singing along to ABBA music. 

Nichole is fun to sing along to music with.

 

Jeremy and I prepared and cooked the turkey.

 

In the midst of the preparation, I had some ripe bananas that needed to be used up so I made Irresistible Banana Bread from The Fiction Kitchen Trio Cookbook. The bread turned out fine but I must not have greased the pan well enough because this is what happened.

But when life gives you lemons... er... bananas... we just picked at it while making Thanksgiving dinner. Why not?

Happy Birthday, Charles Schulz

The birthday of Charles Schulz was November 26. We thought about getting Red Baron pizza but ended up making homemade pizza instead. We also had "peanuts," and "Peppermint Patties," and lemonade.

Jet was once again a big kitchen helper, from stirring lemonade to poking holes in the pizza crust. I appreciate him.

We also danced around while doo doo dooing Charlie Brown music.

 

That evening I was able to participate in the Ultimate Book Club of Book Clubs online with Sarah M. Eden for her book, Snapdragons, which I was able to finish in time for the book club. I enjoyed it, both the book and the book club. I love to hear little behind the scenes things about her writing, books, and the future Seeking Persephone movie.

Jet joined me for a little while until he got too wiggly and the kids had to come get him. He does like to snuggle with his Mommy, though.

November 27 was Electric Guitar Day. We talked about Jr. playing his guitar but I can't remember if he actually did or not. I know he did one day recently. Sigh. He doesn't have an electric guitar, though.

Another Weekend

Another weekend, some more driving around West Mountain to the South side of the lake. Saturday and Sunday.

Beautiful weather.

One side of the lake and the other side of the lake.

Nature's cool, man.

November 23 was Fibonacci Day. We read a poem about the Fibonacci sequence that used the Fibonacci sequence.

It was Wolfenoot. We ate meat.

It was also Doctor Who Day. The kids did not watch the werewolf episode from Series 2 (because you know, Doctor Who and Wolfenoot). They watched the episode before and a few days later watched that episode. 

Gingerbread Cookies!

I found a gingerbread cookie recipe I like and want to keep using. It's one I used years and years and years ago but haven't in a while. There were quite a few years when I didn't even try to make gingerbread cookies. Rolling out and cutting out isn't my favorite thing. I've tried different recipes in the last few years but decided to do this one again this year and I've got to say, I was pleased with the results. Jet and I made them earlier on and I willingly made them again for National Gingerbread Cookie Day on November 21.

The recipe is from Family Dinner Cookbook by Debbie G. Harman and it's called "Gingerbread Friends." They taste so good to me.

Speaking of that cookbook, that same day I used the recipe for "Chicken Croissants" in it because Stephanie gave us some croissants when she came over and I love chicken salad on croissants. I scaled the recipe back because it's meant for a crowd and I substituted apples in place of grapes because I had apples but not grapes. #shelfcooking

The croissant sandwiches went well with stuffing for National Stuffing Day that same day.

Quesadillas with a Friend

My friend, Stephanie, and I got together again to cook. Last time I taught her to make Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken. This time we tried a couple new recipes together, Black Bean Quesadillas and Easy Peasy Spanish Rice, both from A Season of Family Meal Plans, volume 4, from Jordan Page. Oh, there was also a recipe for a zesty quesadilla dipping sauce that we made.

We had fun again and both had meals to eat. That helped me a lot because that afternoon/evening was so busy it was nice to already have food ready that just needed to be reheated.

 

This is the picture she sent me later that day. 

Her husband told me that he really enjoyed the food, too.

Birds and Food

One Saturday morning, Nichole, Lucky, and I got out in the cold to go birding with Utah County Birders at the Provo River Delta. It's open now. Woohoo. Jeremy and I loved going there to celebrate our anniversary back in May so I've been excited to take the kids.

It was certainly cold but fun to see the birds and spend time with those two. I love nature.

That evening we made homemade Panda Express food for National Fast Food Day, November 16. Sweetfire Chicken, white rice, and chow mein. Mmmmmm.

 

November 17 was Homemade Bread Day. I made bread with the intention of letting us tear into one loaf and slicing the rest. Jet had other ideas apparently. Ha Ha. I did get three sliced loaves out of it, though.

 

November 19 was International Men's Day, Have a Bad Day Day, and Carbonated Beverage with Caffeine Day. Jeremy was tired enough at work that he had to celebrate. Poor guy.

We're Thankful For... Jet

"When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way From your first bassinet to your last dying day."

 

We love Jet. He is a huge blessing in our lives. Huge. He is funny, smart, clever, and fits right in with our family.

This year, Jeremy was out of town on Jet's birthday so we celebrated twice. Once on his actual birthday and once on a later day when both Jeremy and Nichole could be there. Jet didn't complain.

He got birthday dinner twice (different each night) and "cake" and ice cream twice and he got to open presents twice. He did not complain.

Since he usually skips the cake and prefers to just eat the ice cream, I decided to make brownies instead since I know he likes brownies (and I could make those twice very easily). He still skipped the brownie and just ate the ice cream. I guess he's just an ice cream kid at birthdays. We can't put the candles in the ice cream however. Brownies worked. He did enjoying singing "Happy Birthday" and blowing out the candles twice.

For dinner on his birthday, we had cheeseburger pasta, corn, apples, bananas, and milk. We didn't blow bubbles in our milk this year.

It has become a joke in our family that the boys taught Jet early on to say, "Eyeball soup." I don't know why they did that but they did. For his second birthday dinner, we had eyeball soup. I made more "eyeballs" like we had on Greasy Food Day and Picasso's Birthday (and Pasta Day and Breadstick Day) and put them in tomato soup. He was happy with the Eyeball Soup.    

Jet loved Halloween so much, he is often asking to go trick or treating. For his second birthday this year, we let him. He went to different doors in the house to trick or treat and got cards and presents. It was cute.

 

On his actual birthday, he got to open a rubber chicken because he really liked the one Jr. Jr. got for his birthday.

On his birthday with Nichole and Dad, Jet got to open LEGO Duplos and a little stuffed penguin.

Jet really wanted a balloon Spinosaurus for his birthday so Jeremy made him one. Unfortunately I didn't get decent pictures.

 

Besides the birthday party stuff, Jet and I had a special day with just the two of us. Jet's been wanting to go to the "dinosaur museum" (Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point so while the boys were at school, we went. Afterward he told me we went to the "brachiosaur museum."

He even got a souvenir squished penny for his birthday.

We had so much fun that we went again a couple days later. 

"Hi, sleeping crab."

 

A while ago, Jet wanted to use a cookie cutter so we made gingerbread cookies so we could cut out shapes. We had a good time. Jet is my baking buddy after all.

One day we went to pick Jr. up from school and Jet saw someone carrying a box of donuts. He wanted donuts. I told him we could make donuts together like we made cookies. He got very excited about that idea and said, "Say goodbye cookies and Helloooo, donuts." So for his birthday we made donuts together.

Jet had some fun his birthday(s) this year.

 

Jet, we love you. Thank you for being part of our family. You are such a treasure.

Happy Thanksgiving!