Turkey Day Art

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Here's a show-and-tell of the kids artwork, actually it's more of a show and none of the tell, I'm too tired :-)

Thanksgiving Recipe

How To Cook A Turkey!

Step 1: Go buy a turkey

Step 2: Take a drink of whiskey, scotch, or JD

Step 3: Put turkey in the oven

Step 4: Take another 2 drinks of whiskey

Step 5: Set the degree at 375 ovens

Step 6: Take 3 more whiskeys of drink

Step 7:Turn oven the on

Step 8: Take 4 whisks of drinky

Step 9: Turk the bastey

Step 10: Whiskey another bottle of get

Step 11: Stick a turkey in the thermometer

Step 12: Glass yourself a pour of whiskey

Step 13: Bake the whiskey for 4 hours

Step 14: Take the oven out of the turkey

Step 15: Take the oven out of the turkey

Step 16: Floor the turkey up off the pick

Step 17: Turk the carvey

Step 18: Get yourself another scottle of botch

Step 19: Tet the sable and pour yourself a glass of turkey

Step 20: Bless the saying, pass and eat out

Turkey Dilemma

This Thanksgiving, my whole family (minus one brother who is an ER doc and has to work) will gather at my sister "S" house. There will be 13 adults and 17 kids (14 under the age of 6)! My job is to make the mashed potatoes and the manly buns.

The dilemma is that when I went to the store, I saw the most beautiful, exquisite, delicious looking turkey. I just had to have it. See for yourself if this isn't the most wonderful butterball you've ever seen:

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Scary Story

On Thursday evenings, Phil and I take ALL the kids for swimming lessons at the YMCA. Phil and I get in the pool with Eamon & Maggie, and John-Paul & Andrew each go to their respective swimming classes.

Throughout the lessons, I am able to keep my eye on everyone, and each class has an instructor, a lifeguard and five kids max. So I have always felt that the kids were very safe...until last Thursday.

At the end of the older boys' lessons, they get to jump into the deep end of the pool. I was still in the shallow end of the pool when I saw John-Paul getting ready to jump in. He told the instructor that he didn't need any help (he likes to jump in by himself instead of jumping into the instructor's arms), so she told him to jump. He did a nice twisting jump right in and then came up to the surface and started swimming to the side of the pool.

The instructor turned to the next student and had her get ready to jump in. Meanwhile, I saw John-Paul struggling in the water and start bobbing up and down. I yelled "Somebody help him, he's going underwater!" but nobody could hear me. I frantically turned to Phil and yelled at him to "GO HELP JOHN-PAUL" but he was holding Maggie and hadn't seen anything that was happening, so it took him a minute to process what was going on as he started to walk towards him.

It was the worst feeling in the world, I was helpless. I couldn't swim to him fast enough, and nobody could hear my screams. There were about 15 parents standing around the pool, two instructors in the deep end of the pool, and two lifeguards looking on, and NOBODY COULD SEE what was happening. It was only about 30 seconds but felt like slow motion, it was awful.

Finally, as I was running towards him, he started to go under, and his little hand popped up above his head and the teacher happened to turn his way and saw him and pulled him out. He sputtered and coughed for a minute and was embarrassed. I gave him a big hug and told him it was okay and that he was so brave.

Then I talked to the teacher, who obviously felt terrible about the whole thing. She thought when he said he didn't need any help, that he could do it all himself (including getting out of the pool). Next week, I will reinforce that she needs to make sure the child is out of the pool before the next child jumps in.

Thank God everything worked out okay, and thank God for Guardian Angels!!

Welcome Baby!

My little sister, "M" and her husband "W" proudly announce the birth of their second daughter, Abigail Grace.

She was born on Friday, Nov. 21 and was 20 inches long and 9 pounds (wow!).

She's beautiful, and her big sister, Lilly adores her :-)

This is the luckiest little girl in the world because she has the best Godmother EVER (me, of course!).

Congratulations little sis, ya done good!

Colleen's Cooking Class

Here's a great Moist MEATBALL Recipe

Crack two eggs in a large bowl

Mix with 1 cup of warm water

Add 2 boxes of this:

Add:

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

1/2 cup milk

Throw in 2 1/2 pounds of lean hamburger meat

Mix all together (get your hands dirty!!) and roll into balls.

Yell at two-year-old a bunch of times for trying to touch the raw meat, although I can't really blame him, it is fun!

Place in casserole dish (I made about 45 meatballs and used two dishes)

Top with tomato sauce (about a jar and a half)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with pasta (we use whole wheat).

Yummy, these are a favorite amongst all of my kids, even my picky 4 year old likes these, and it's the only red meat he'll eat!