Turkey Day

Thanksgiving was perfect. Relaxed and laid back. No company, just Clint and the kids and I. Clint, Rhiannon and I spent the morning cooking companionably, while the other girls played GameCube together.

An early dinner, a meal of all the traditional favorites, voted on by the family so that everyone got to have what they most wanted. Turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry apple stuffing, rolls, fresh green beans with bacon, sweet potato casserole, fruit salad, pumpkin pie and dutch apple pie.

A game of Apples to Apples over dessert, followed by a family movie and an afternoon doze. Who could ask for anything more?

November's Project

As if I don't already have enough to do, I made a promise to "make over" Rhiannon's bedroom for her next birthday. I know she would let me put if off if I said I was just too busy, but I figured I just needed to get it over with, or it would be yet another project hanging over my head.

Painting paneling is soooo much work. It takes 3 coats of primer to cover the wood stain, then 2 coats of the color coat. Plus, the ceiling hasn't been painted in 45 years or so, so it takes several coats to cover that as well. To do a truly good job, the base trim has to be removed and painted separately, then replaced. Then there is the edge trim that hides the panel edges at corners and ceiling. Plus, you can't forget the closet, which has to be completely dismantled to really get in there and cover all the surfaces.

On the positive side...it's done! She is now moved back in to her very pink bedroom. I wish I could say the job is over. But painting is just the beginning of a room "makeover". Next we painted her dresser and hanging shelves, purchased and installed a closet organizer, spent several days sorting through her old stuff, deciding what to keep and what was not "new room worthy", and finally, set out shopping for bedding and accessories. Here we have run into a snag; the style of bedding she wants is nowhere to be found. We will have to either figure something else out, or (horrors) sew it ourselves.

To make things even more challenging, Rhiannon and I often butt heads about the best way to do things, or what we think will look or work the best. So while in theory I believe that it's her room, and she should be able to do what she likes with it, in practice I'm only willing to shell out the big bucks for something I also feel comfortable with, which means I get lots of unhappy vibes from a diva who feels I'm messing with her groove. Ouch.

It's tough to take after working so hard painting a bedroom, while my bulbs languish in the laundry room because I don't have time to plant them.

Pastry Chef

More goodies baked by Rhiannon.
This time she made homemade cream puffs. Sooo Yummy!

Baking has become the activity of choice for this girl when she's bored.

It makes keeping to a low fat/sweet lifestyle challenging. It's hard to eat just one!

Truffles

Thursday was an in and out day for me. One child to the dentist, another to dance class, another to driving lessons.

Somehow, in my absence, my resident chef and truffle fairy, Rhiannon, managed to make chocolate-covered, coffee liqueur-flavored truffles. The process involved a number of stages of cooking and cooling, yet she managed to keep it all a secret until the moment when I walked into my bedroom to find a wrapped box of the little delights waiting for me, with a note that said I'm the sweetest mom around.

Of course, moments before, I was telling them, in an irritated tone, how uncool it was that they all kept looking at me, whispering, and giggling. I felt like I was in high school. Then I found the box, and the note, and I cried. I so rarely feel really appreciated, even though I know they all do, that I was just overwhelmed, especially since I had not been at my most loving.

The truffles were amazing and delicious. I can't believe Rhiannon whipped them up by herself. She is so confident and adventurous with her cooking, it amazes me. Tonight she made a cheese souffle for dinner. I've been meaning to make a cheese souffle for 12 years, and still haven't gotten around to it. She's got talent.

Halloween with Friends

I am so lucky to have such a cool bunch of people to hang out with on Halloween. It's more fun every year! I enjoy Halloween as much now as I did when I was a kid. The creative costumes, the spooky houses with elaborate and scary decorations, walking around the neighborhood after dark, warming up afterwards with hot apple cider and conversation...what's not to like?

Oh, and just check out the spoils of the evening. It's enough to open up a candy store!