Turkey Day (and the days before and after)

So as my previous post mentioned, I had the kids at home while Grant was already in the Panhandle.  They were soooo ready to see Daddy.  I was just hoping for minimal stops and decent behavior on the drive.  We left a little later than intended but not too bad.  The DVD player was in the car and ready to go.  I thought I would have the 1st movie on for both, 2nd one on for Alexis and then they would both sleep the rest of the trip...  I was soooo wrong about them sleeping on the drive, but they were very very well behaved, so I was happy with how it turned out.

We started off with Finding Nemo.  We drove until the Love's just before Wichita Falls like always, to top off the tank and for a potty break.  Both kiddos did well...and considering Alexis' aversion to going when we tell her to go, I was impressed with her behavior.  She definitely got a marble for that!  She was very good about walking with me and not touching all of the goodies that this truck stop has to offer (seriously for those of you that haven't been there it has every thing from Subway to all the camo hunting gear you could want to candy to dolls and doll clothes - it's like bass pro shop, the american girl store backwoods version, Subway and typical convenience store all rolled into one) while I carried a shoeless footie pajamad Andrew.  We got Rapunzel started while I took a few sips of energy drink, distributed a small car snack and got on our way.  The only other stop was to change the movie later and when I thought I was going to turn off a movie because I thought they were sleeping.  They perked up when the car stopped and we went on.

The most humerous moment of the trip was driving through Hedley, TX (home of one of those lovely smelling feedyards).
Alexis: Mom, I think I smell the bad robot from the movie's butt.
Me: Alexis are you supposed to say that word?
Alexis: No, but he's a bad robot and it stinks in here.
Me: Alexis, it's just because where we are driving is a smelly town.
It's quiet for a little while
Alexis: Mom, I smell Andrew, he stinks and it's a  really bad diaper.
Me: Alexis, it's not Andrew either.  Just wait a few minutes and we'll be through the town.
Alexis: making a frustrated noise.  This is gross.

So we arrived with awake children that we convinced to go to sleep.  Wednesday was supposed to be cooking day for me, but it also took a different turn.

Wednesday, Andrew's schedule was all out of whackk (hmm).  So he took multiple naps.  Alexis played with Riley, the neighbor's granddaughter whom she met this past summer while I was in Mexico.  Then she went to cousin Sarah's basketball game, we took Andrew to the game about the time Sarah's big sis, Rachel, was bringing Alexis back which we found out after we got there.  Andrew wanted the basketballs more than anything so we left after he tried to climb through the railing and went back and the kids (Alexis, Andrew and Becca) played for a while.  Then after lunch and a short nap, we took Andrew to get his first haircut with Sherry Winegeart (she did my hair for our wedding)while Alexis was napping with Daddy.  All in all he did pretty well, though a little wiggly.  Then we had more play time with the neighbors.  Riley's little brother came over to our place to play for a little bit and then when she was ready she came over and we went back to their place so that they could play with dress up clothes and trains.  Then it was time for dinner, chilling out and bed for them and cooking for me. 

Becca, Nana, Andrew & Alexis

Fairy Alexis and Rapunzel Riley

 

Pre-haircut: Andrew took a nap on a very fuzzy blanket and the dry air caused a very staticy bed head.

haircut

Thanks, Sherry, for making me look like a boy again.

 

pushing Mimi's wheelchair

Look how tall my tower is!

I decided the cookies would be first.  I gave the Avacado Green 1973 Sunbeam stand mixer the appreciation it desired after being tucked away under it's cover in a cabinet for quite a long time.  It enjoyed every second of it's glass bowl spinning with the sweet smell of Spice cake mix mixing with egg, ginger and orange marmalade.

Then I started the first Orange Tree...I realized quickly that it was a good thing that I bought two sizes of the foam cones because I didn't have enough oranges to use the big ones.  So I got the Oranges attached to the first one, finished the cookies and called it a night.

The next morning we were up fairly early.  I added cloves and tulle to the first orange tree.  Then we had some kid-wrangling to do before we sent them with Aunt Nancy and Uncle Windy over to the Urbanzcyk's to play with the cousins.  I worked on the Sweet Potatoes, second Orange tree and odds and ends.  Thanksgiving lunch was great.  The kids ran off the food while the adults rested in their food comas throughout the day.  Becca, Alexis, Brooklyn, Leisl, and Afton had a slumber party in the Urbanczyk basement with Lori braving it as their chaperone.

Orange "tree"

Mark the Pony with Brooklyn, Leisl & Alexis

Garett, aka Dad in training, with Brooklyn, Alexis and Leisl

Alexis finally eating after all of the other kids have left the kids' table

Back Row: Jerry, Carolyn, Sheri, Mark, Byron, Bradley, Chandler, Windy, Nancy Ruth, Garett, Stephanie, Lori, Grant, Andrew, Luke
2nd Row: Marvin, Rachel, Ivana, Madeleine, Shawn, Nana, Ronda, Me
3rd Row: Alek, Mason, Emerson, Becca, Jocelin, Leisl
4 yr olds in front: Afton, Brooklyn, Alexis

The girls had their picture done in the tutu's Nana gave them for Christmas last year...I think Shawn got a better pic.

 Friday the boys went shooting for a little while, the kids ran around playing and we packed to leave.    We left right before the birthday fajitas for Rachel and Chan.

The ride home involved a few more stops.  We stopped for gas, then for a snack, then because a little one REALLY REALLY needed to go, and later for another snack (though the kids could reach the cooler, they couldn't open it) and so on, but we made it home.  They slept more on the way home too and Saturday was a very low key day of collecting Sadie and relaxing at home.