Turkey...and Thanksgiving

Yesterday Benjamin enthusiastically remarks

"Mom, I want a turkey"

to which I absentmindedly replied

"Okay dear, you can get some tomorrow at dinner."

"No, mom, I want to kill a turkey!"

What?????????

"How do you want to do that?"

"I want to shoot it"

"Where do you think you will find a turkey..."

(I am amused at this point)

"In the woods!"

"Ben, I don't think that is going to happen..."

"Will dad take me?"!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Benjamin is thankful for

turkey

and food...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am thankful for:

smiles

hugs and kisses

warmth

a full belly

a kind, understanding husband

heat in my home

running water

electricity

my home

a cup of hot tea with milk and honey

a good cup of coffee

chocolate

friends to share it with

my eyesight

to see the rain

the snow

the mountains

the ocean

flowers

shooting stars

rainbows

my hearing

to hear birds chirp

waves splash

the wind whip

laughter

me

Do you think he is my son???

One day last week Benjamin
was at a neighbors house
playing with their sons.
One of the kids
was eating a bowl of ice cream
and the parents asked him if he would like a bowl.
He said "sure!"
Then after taking a bite of it he asks
"Does this have High Fructose Corn Syrup in it"
After checking the father says, "yes it does..."
"Oh, then I can't eat it..."
"Oh, no? Why not? Are you allergic?"
"No, ... see this body-
I am strong and healthy
because I eat healthy!"
and he gives the bowl back...

Let the Holiday Season begin...

Ben and I baked a Banana Bread Cake last night.
With this cold weather
warm baked goods
sounded so good
and since I need to lose 80 lbs.
it needed to be healthy,
so we baked a banana bread
with whole wheat flour, applesauce and pineapple chunks.
(and bananas too, of course!)
It was really good.
I am calling it a cake
because Benjamin wanted to bake it
in the bundt cake pan.
Okay-why not?...Banana bread cake it is!

After it was done,
we sat with our IKEA plastic plates
and
HUGE forks and dug in...
even though Ben liked it
I think he likes the cooking/baking part
better than the
eating part
of it all...

and Ben says..."Want cake? Gotta Bake! Right mom?..."
Mom: "Right!"

Monday Madness

Things one should never do:

Punch Start

after you accidently hit 666

on the microwave

Result:

A cracked plate

your sister painted for you

~~~

...Note to self...

Never, never, never

take a kid

to the store

in the afternoon

without a snack

and a nap

~~~

*********************************

Adding to the list of things Ben does...

Soup of the day...

Ingredients:

water

salt

pepper

pumpkin seeds

celery tops

apple peel

Microwave on High for 137 seconds

Mom:...NO, No, no...

not that long...

how about just 37 seconds...

Chef Ole': OK...

Handmade ghosts



I love my life...
even on the hard days
~I love my family~
more than I ever imagined possible

I love that I can post all this here...

Tommy turns 4 mo and Mom gets Down Time

Tommy

4 months old

November 16, 2008

Well, after an emotional Saturday, we had a lazy Sunday. Tommy was 4 months old and slept most of the day...from 1:30 to 5:00. I layed down about 1:30 as well...and slept until 4:00! It was great! Bob and Ben went to Connie and Stu's to watch football so I was HOME ALONE for the early evening and it was nice, nice, nice. Just what I needed.

A Day of Remembering...

IN MEMORY OF

ANNICHEN H. THOMASON

SIT, TENK, OG SMIL

(SIT, THINK, AND SMILE)

A Day of Remembering...

Flashback:

November 15, 2007

I found out I was pregnant with Tommy

Tommy

November 15, 2008

Flashback:

November 15, 2002

My mother passed away

Mom, as a teen


Mom, twenty something...







Mom, In her 40's



When she passed away

her wish

was to have her ashes

spread on Aerø,

our family island in Norway

and because we can't go there often enough

my siblings and I decided to dedicate

a bench

in her honor

at a park

behind our house on Napoleon

in the middle

of a circle of houses

My siblings used to play back there

when it was thick woods...

We put the plaque on the bench

today

Tommy and I drove to Louisville

in the rain

The weather was fitting

it fit my mood

it fit my feelings



Here is a trip through the park



I hope you enjoy it

and

if you get a chance

go visit

her bench

and

Sit, Think, and Smile

Tree Face

Bike Rack /Sculpture

path leading down into the park

The Gazebo where her bench is located

Sitting on her bench looking out

Sitting on her bench looking up

Moms Bench

Looking out from the gazebo

Our old house

is a straight shot up

from the trashcan

The water in front of the cabin

Our cabin in Norway

The sunset

in front of the cabin

love you mommy

wish you were here...

The things we take for granted...

I got to go out and run a few errands today without the kids and I have to say...
it made me realize all the "Before Kids" things that I took for granted...
- going to the bathroom alone
- running in and out of a store really quick
- going into a store without getting distracted because of saying "No..."
"No, you can't have that..." "No, Don't touch that!" "No, don't do that..."
- bring able to play "my music" in the car...
- the sound of silence

"Mom, will you marry me?"

Saturday night Benjamin comes up to me with this bouquet of flowers...and the conversation went...

Ben: Mom,..will you marry me?

Me: Well, Benjamin, moms don't usually marry their kids, but we could pretend to get married...

Ben: OK! I have to go to my room to get dressed nice and I'll meet you at the dining room table where we have to have a talk.

..........................................

Comes back out wearing jeans and a Cincinnati Reds T-shirt

Ben: Ok, I got dressed nice, I wore jeans because I know you like them

Me: Thanks Ben, you look great!

Ben: Thanks! Okay, we have the flowers, now we need the rings...

Me: Where are we going to get rings?

Ben: You have lots of rings mom, get some of those...

Me: Uhh, I don't think we should use any of my jewelry...

Ben: I know! (Comes back with a spider ring) Perfect!

Okay-let's go to the dining room to talk...what do you want to say?

Me: Well, I love you very much and I am honored to marry you.

Ben: (I forgot what he said-and it was really cute...totally off the subject! so I am going to hope to remember and fill it in)

ok, now we are married! so, we have to kiss!

(We kiss)

Ben: Okay, now we have to get a table with lots of food and set it up in my room for the reception, and invite lots of people-my room is the church.

It's getting late, so we will invite to come over tomorrow.

Me: Ok

(Me: I love you Benjamin!)

He's getting so big...

Benjamin is getting so big...

He was going to school yesterday

and he looked so grown up

that I had to take a few pics...

It is so exciting

and so sad

at the same time...