Turkeys and Toes

So tomorrow is Thanksgiving.

This is our year to spend with hubby's family. All 40 or so extended family members - aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.

The great thing is - we get to see family we haven't seen in a long time.

The drawback to that is - they go out to eat at a true Pennsylvania Dutch Family Restaurant.

Turkey, sausage, ham, potatoe filling, dried corn, boiled sweet potatoes, and homemade applesauce and pies. (That last part is my favorite part of the meal)

Miss M has been questioning hubby about why his family doesn't cook. She wants REAL food, or so she says. See Miss M has finicky tastebuds. She doesn't eat turkey unless it is really moist white meat, without gravy. (No such luck for that at this restaurant)

She will only eat real MASHED potatoes - no filling with celery and onions for her (that would be eating veggies!)

And the dried corn - well one word sums that up - YUCK!

And she is not a pie person. At All.

Add to the fact, we eat with the family as noon - and she wanted to know how we were going to have any leftovers - since she will be hungry by 5 or 6pm and the restaurant does not do doggie bags.

Well, crockpot to the rescue!

I have decided I am cooking a turkey in my crockpot while we are out with the family. I can make the mashed potatoes, and CANDIED yams, and real corn once we get home. Along with biscuits and gravy. Not a Traditional Thanksgiving meal, but a meal we will be Thankful for - with leftovers too!

Miss M is very THANKFUL about having a second chance at Thanksgiving Dinner.

Now you may be asking yourself - where do Toes come into this post.

Well....in all my poise and grace, I stumbled (or actually fell) down the last three steps in our house yesterday morning. In my socked feet. As I was on my way out the door - after I was able to see straight - I shoved my foot into a pair of shoes and went on my merry way.

I was babysitting my nephew while my brother-in-law and his wife had an ultrasound of their twins. I took my shoes off when I got to their house. And kept them off for 2-3 hours.

I couldn't get the one back on. At. All.

I hobbled out to my van and drove home. Took off my shoes and socks, and guess what greeted me? An ugly, swollen, black and blue toe. 4th toe, right foot. (Yes, driving home was quite uncomfortable)

So I called my foot doctor and he could see me today. So in I went, along with Miss M and Drewby, because they were off from school.

3 x-rays and an exam later - it has been decided my toe is NOT broken. It is badly sprained with a torn ligament.

In other words, more painful than a broken toe.

So, I have been hobbling around with one sneaker on and one slipper on - because no shoe will fit over my toe.

Oh, and please recall I have hubby's 20th year reunion this weekend. Yeah right. I am really hoping the swelling goes down so I can at least get my foot into a pair of heels to walk into the reunion, and slip out of them once I sit down.

I can hope anyway.

But I will enjoy my Thanksgiving - both dinners, and the time with family.

I hope you all have a wonderful, blessed Thanksgiving.

Til next time, I'll still be...

Being Brenda

Tree Competition

Healthy competition is a good thing, right?

The school hosted a Holiday Breakfast with Santa over the weekend, and it raised almost $3,000 for the school. YEAH!

One of the decorations was that each grade had a Christmas tree to decorate as it chose. Drewby is in 1st Grade and Miss M is in 5th Grade. All in all there were 10 trees decorated by kids in grade Pre-School through 8th Grade.

All of the trees were absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

And each patron to the breakfast received a ticket to vote for their favorite tree.

Well, Drewby's class decided - with some help from some moms - to do a "Visions of Sugar Plums" tree. It was all decked out in CANDY. Real Candy Canes, candy canes the kids made from licorice and mini-marshmallows, gumdrop balls, applesauce-cinnamon cut-outs, glass ornaments filled with Skittles, Nerds, Sweet Tarts, and a hand-made gingerbread man as a topper! Then each 1st grader made two ornaments from a sugar, water, and glitter mixture, which once hardened - one was hung on the tree and the other will be a gift for the nuns at the Villa.

Miss M's 5th Grade class decided on a Natural Tree. They dried orange and apple slices, covered pine cones with peanut butter and birdseed, strung popcorn and cranberries, and filled in with poinsettias and berry sprays. Their tree SMELLED wonderful and looked professionally done. (I am SO glad the teacher steered them toward this idea because one of the other ideas were a Video Game tree)

Well, the votes were counted, and the results are in. Drewby's grade won with 120 votes. The prize, a Pizza Party in class!

Miss M's class came in 2nd place with 93 votes.

I am VERY happy I was a volunteer working at this breakfast and not an attendee - I would have only had one vote and not been able to choose between the two!

My kids are not yet aware of the results. I know my kids love each other - but they are both certain that their tree was the best. And, as siblings often do, they have a competitive streak between them.

SO - I am hoping the school waits until AFTER Thanksgiving break to tell the students the results.

Til next time, I'll still be...

Being Brenda

How Quickly Time Flies

Hello again!

I cannot believe I've been away from BloggyLand for SOOOO Long!

We've had quite an interesting 6 weeks or so.

I'd love to write about it all, but there is just no way - so I will highlight for you:

Halloween was uneventful - my Darth Vader and Rennaissance Princess trekked around the neighborhood with DH and I stayed put to hand out candy.

We found out Miss M not only needs braces - but needs this strange contraption called a Herbst Device placed in her mouth. More on that in a separate post.

Hubby started a new position with his current employer. He is now working a "normal" shift - permanent 3rd shift: Sunday - Thursday nights 10:45pm - 6:45am. This is a good thing - but has taken some adjusting to.

I have successfully made it through yet another HUGE school fundraiser - we served over 600 breakfasts this morning.

And finally - back full circle from where I last left off - Drewby is sick again. I can hear the doctor now...Back to the ENT specialist for another set of tubes in the ears! (I really hope not)

Anyway - I am hoping to be back on-line and posting and checking in with all of you on a more regular basis now.

Til next time, I'll still be....

Being Brenda