Celebrating Mocksgiving

A few years ago I had strep throat during the third week of November. So rather than try to put together a Thanksgiving feast while running a high fever, I decided (with full support from my family) to push our celebration back a week, and just pretend that it was Thanksgiving once I was feeling better. Thus the term "Mocksgiving" was born.

And if you know me at all, then it should come as no surprise that our postponed celebration was just as festive and happy as it would have been had it been celebrated on the "right" day. Because my family has always subscribed to the "it doesn't matter what the calendar says; we can celebrate whenever we want to" philosophy. And it has served us well over the years.

Once again we found ourselves ignoring the calendar this year. Because of the way that our schedule is going to work out, the kids and I decided to have Grandma over for dinner this past weekend and give thanks a little early. And even though it was kind of a last-minute decision, it still worked out just fine. We were just as happy, we had just as much fun, and we were just as thankful as we would have been if we had waited until Thursday.

In fact, I got so into the celebration that I even suspended my "no Christmas music until after Thanksgiving dinner" rule and turned it on while I made breakfast. An impromptu dance party quickly ensued.

Dinner that evening was fairly simple (as my family tends to prefer.) And the kids got to help, of course.

We made most of our traditional Thanksgiving foods. Including the baked chicken in place of a turkey. Because that's what I do.

Because it's easier. And tastes just as good. And once you get it on the plate you can't really tell anyway.

And the result was exactly what I was going for. Because these two little smiling faces make everything worthwhile.

In the end, it never matters what the calendar says. We can be joyous and happy, no matter the time or the reason. And for that, I am incredibly thankful.

Volcanoes, Water Babies, and Frozen Concoctions

Yes, friends, it's Monday. And once again that means it's time to reflect on the things that made us happy over the past week. And of course now is also the perfect time to set the tone for a great week to come! 

If you missed my take on LML, you can find it here. If you missed the explanation of LML Monday, you can catch up here.


Volcanoes (and Great Views)
Our summer plans changed a lot this year, due to several unforeseen circumstances, so we didn't get to do most of the things that we had planned. (That's just the way life goes sometimes.) But since the kids will be heading back to school later this week, my husband and I decided to take a few days last week and squeeze in some fun.

We headed up to Las Vegas, where unfortunately the weather isn't any better than it is in central Arizona, but at least it was a nice change of scenery. And the views, as always, were fantastic.

We decided to stay at The Mirage this time, which was nice.

We had a pretty great view of the volcano. (It was impossible to get a good picture at night because of the reflections.) But we got to watch all of the "eruptions" from our room, which was cool. The kids got a kick out of it every time.

And during the day, the volcano's waterfall made a pretty nice background for a photo of some adorable children. :)

Water Babies (and Relaxing by the Pool)
Speaking of adorable children...

Most of the times that we've vacationed in Las Vegas, we've done quite a bit of sightseeing and exploring. We still did a little bit of that this time - Hershey's Chocolate World wasn't open yet last time we were there, so we had to check that out - but mostly this trip was more about relaxing and enjoying the end of summer vacation.

My husband and the kids (who are fortunate enough to not be allergic to the sun) spent a lot of time in the pool. And I (the one who is not so fortunate) spent a lot of time in the shade. But that was good too.

I had a nice view.

And plenty to keep me entertained.

Unbeatable Frozen Concoctions
Far be it from me to advocate overindulgence. But when I'm in Vegas, there's a pretty good chance that I'm going to enjoy the free-flowing alcohol at least a little bit. There are plenty to choose from, of course, but during the summer the frozen drinks are definitely the way to go.

And if you're anything like me, when you hear the phrase "frozen concoctions" you immediately think of wasting away again in Margaritaville.

A bit overpriced, perhaps, and it always takes forever to get a table. But it's still one of my favorite places to visit at least once while we're in town. If you're a fan of Jimmy Buffett, and/or the island atmosphere, you kind of have to love it there.


Ok. I shared mine - now it's your turn! Please leave me a comment and share some of your recent LML moments. 

Focus on the happy thoughts, and let's all have a great week!

When Things Don't Go As Planned

As I've said before, I am I firm believer in sharing my embarrassing moments, particularly so that others can feel less alone when they have their own. So even though I asked everyone that heard about this not to tell anyone else (so word wouldn't spread about how dumb I am) I realized that I still have to share it. Particularly because of the bright side that came with it.

Because... yum!

Last night after dinner, I decided to take my kids to the local McDonald's for dessert (to celebrate National Strawberry Sundae Day. Because that's the kind of thing that we do.) We're rapidly approaching the end of their summer vacation, so it seemed like a good idea to go out for some fun and enjoy a treat together.

Unfortunately our quick trip down the road didn't go quite as we had planned.

Because, displaying my incredible brilliance, I locked us out of the house. And the car. Yep. The kids and I were in the garage, with my keys hanging securely on their hook in the kitchen. It was one of my worst "I-Can't-Believe-I-Did-That" moments ever.

I felt terrible (and dumb) and of course my less-than-happy reaction upset the kids. But when they started to cry I realized that I had to show them that everything was okay. So first we called my husband, because getting his key was the only way we were getting back in to the house. Then we set about figuring out how to pass the time until he got there to rescue us.

And that's when my son decided that since we couldn't drive to McDonald's, we should walk there. It would be fun, he said. And a good adventure.  I was hesitant, because while the dust storm warning had been cancelled it still looked like there was a good chance of some rain moving in. But that was okay, he said. If it rained, we'd just get wet. No big deal.

I was just starting to consider the idea of giving it a shot, when what he said next convinced me. We needed to do it, he said, "because we should always try to make the most of our situation." As it turns out, he really does listen to me now and then, and he is apparently growing up with the "find a bright side" outlook that I can't ever argue with. It makes a mother very happy.

So we decided to go for it. It was a long walk, and fairly exhausting. But we made it. And we even avoided getting rained on. Plus there was the promise of ice cream to keep us going.

We ended up not walking the entire two miles to McDonald's, once we realized that there was a Dairy Queen on the way (and a half a mile closer.) So we stopped to rest, and wait for my awesome husband to come get us.

And we finally got our sundaes.

Mind-blowing Information

My daughter and I joined my son for lunch in the school cafeteria yesterday. As a reward for the school's great attendance during the recent state testing, the administration had hired a DJ to entertain the kids during lunch, and he was excited for us to share in the fun.

The kids were all having a great time listening to the music. It was fairly loud, as I had expected, and most of the music was kid-oriented, which I also expected. But it was cute watching the kids enjoy themselves, so it was all good.

Before we were done, the DJ (for some reason) played "Footloose." Of course none of the kids were at all familiar with it, or cared at all about it. But anyone who is old enough to appreciate eighties music like I do just can't help but love that song. Before I knew it, I was singing and bopping along with the music, much to the amusement of the second graders around me.

One of the boys asked me where that song came from, and I told them it was from a really old movie called Footloose. He just kind of shrugged, obviously dismissing it as an "old people movie." Then I did a quick calculation, and realized how long ago that movie was made. I know I'm dating myself here, but I asked the kids "can you believe that I was in kindergarten when this song came out?"

Jaws dropped, and the looks I got were priceless. For an eight-year-old mind, the thought of an old lady like me being in kindergarten is apparently just to much to process. :)

Those Trees! Those Trees! (Those Truffula Trees!)

Every March at my kids' school the kindergarten classes have their annual Dr. Seuss book report parade. The students all make posters, or costumes, or other props to represent their books, and they have a parade through the front office. And trust me when I say that it's just as adorable as it sounds.

This year it was my daughter's turn, and when the assignment came home she immediately said, with a very excited smile, "I want to do The Lorax! Can we make some truffula trees?!" Of course when your six-year-old asks if you can help her make truffula trees, you kind of have to say yes. So to the craft store we went.

 And as we wondered around the store, inspiration struck. (Several times, actually.) The plan and the supplies evolved a few times, but we finally came up with a winner.

For the trees: pencils, black paint, yellow ribbon, and feather ornaments. (I had planned to make tissue paper flowers for the tufts, but just happened across these feather things, and they were perfect.)

My daughter loves to paint, so this was her favorite part.

Of course we needed something to hold the trees. So for the base: a plain flower pot, green paint, and a styrofoam insert. (Bonus for me - all of the supplies were fairly inexpensive.)

More painting. (With such concentration!)

And of course we're very proud of our work.

When everything was dry, I helped wrap and glue the ribbon on the pencils.

And used a Sharpie to write the famous quote from the book onto the base.

And with a little bit of hot glue to attache the tufts, we had our truffula trees!

Of course after we were done, we decided that the trees needed to be growing in the grass, and my daughter thought that there should really be some brown barbaloots playing under the trees. So back to the store we went for some shredded paper and chocolate Teddy Grahams. But the extra trip turned out to be totally worth it, because it just made the whole thing that much cuter.

And the end result was one happy little girl and her truffula trees.

Things My Kids Say

Unless you've been completely out of touch with popular culture for the last several months, there's a good chance you've seen this video.

And probably at least one or two of the countless parodies. Like this one. Or this one. Or this one. Or (possibly the best one out there) this one from Saturday Night Live.

Not surprisingly, because they aren't out of touch with popular culture (even though I'd sometimes like them to be) my kids have seen this too. And several of the parodies. (Their favorite is the Annoying Orange.)

So the other day my daughter came in and asked me what time it was. I was where I couldn't see it, and she knows how to tell time, so I said "I don't know. What does the clock say?" And without missing a beat, she sang

          "Tick, tick, tick, ta-tick, ta-tick tock!
          Tick, tick, ta-tick, ta-tick tock!
          What's the clock say?!"

It was a beautiful moment.

More Great Misunderstood Christmas Lyrics

My kids are getting older, and are gaining  a little better grasp of the world around them, so I wasn't sure if I would have any lyrical treats like I did last year. (And if you missed that one, you really should check it out.) But just as I was starting to think that there wouldn't be any new ones this year, they both got me.

My son's was "Holly Jolly Christmas," which, because they have been singing it in music class, has become one of his favorites. But apparently his music teacher didn't quite get all of the lyrics across to them. His version includes the line:

Oh, ho, the mistletoe

Hung where you can see

Somebody waits for you.

"Yes sir!" once for me.

And my daughter's was "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." She was humming it to herself, when she suddenly asked me "Mommy, what's a love bug?" Wanting to put it in the proper context, I asked what she was talking about. She responded with the line:

There'll be much mistletoeing

And hearts will be glowing

When lovebugs are near.

Yes, it's definitely the most wonderful time of the year. :)

Mammals do WHAT?!

For the most part, my kids are both incredibly mature for their age. But every now and then I receive hilarious reminders that they are, in fact, still kids.

My son is working on a second grade writing assignment. He chose to write about mammals, which they recently learned about in science class, and which he found quite fascinating. And apparently he was sharing some of his new-found expertise with his little sister yesterday.

She suddenly came running into my room yelling "Mommy-mommy-mommy-mommy!" and gave me a very serious look. (The look that clearly says "Don't BS me here, woman.") Then she lifted up her shirt and asked "Is it true that when animals get big, they feed their babies milk out of THESE?!"

When I confirmed that yes, that it what mammals do, she gave me the most adorably horrified look, followed by a very dramatic "Eeeeeeewwwwww!" and ran away.

And in the background I hear my son triumphantly yell "See?! I told you!"


It can't just be me, right? I know some of you have had great parenting moments like this too. Please share them! I think we could all use the laugh.

Phoenix Zoo, Fluffernutters, and Lucky Nails

It's Monday once again, my friends. And as always that means it's time to reflect on the things that made us happy over the past week. And of course now is also the perfect time to set the tone for a great week to come! 

If you missed my take on LML, you can find it here. If you missed the explanation of LML Monday, you can catch up here.


The Phoenix Zoo (and the Circle of Life)
We started off this past week with a trip to the zoo with some friends from school. It was tiring (as the ginormous Phoenix Zoo always is) but we still had a great time.

It was still kind of warm out, so we didn't see a lot of the animals, but we were still able to see some of them.

The most interesting one, though, had to be when we stumbled across this guy preparing his lunch. Yep. He was busy ripping the feathers off of the bird that he had just caught. It was a bit startling at first, but it made for a good discussion about the circle of life.

National Fluffernutter Day
Tuesday (October 8th) was National Fluffernutter Day. And since I had never actually had a fluffernutter before, it seemed like something that we just had to try.

It's just like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but you use marshmallow fluff instead of jelly.

My daughter was just a tad excited about it.

I love my son's expression here. Like it's so good that they must be getting away with something.

Yep. That's some pretty gooey deliciousness.

Another parenting win!

Lucky Dice (and a Surprise Trip to Vegas)
I decided to try something a little different with my nails last week. My husband and I were planning to surprise the kids with their first trip to Las Vegas for the last few days of Fall Break, so I figured I'd bring some lucky dice along.

As usual, my daughter wanted her nails done to match. (How adorable is that on those little fingers?!)

They were SO excited. Within about ten minutes my daughter had declared it to be "the coolest city ever!" They loved seeing all of the cool sights along the strip, and watching the Bellagio fountains from our room.

And of course I had a blast showing them all of the sights.

Of course it was exhausting, but we had a great trip.

And we were sad to say goodbye.

Some of us sadder than others.

At least her nails looked good, though, right? ;)

Ok. I shared mine - now it's your turn! Please feel free to leave me a comment and share some of your recent LML moments. Focus on the happy thoughts, and let's all have a great week!

Candy Corn, Telescopes, and Afternoon Walks

It's Monday once again, my friends. And as always that means it's time to reflect on the things that made us happy over the past week. And of course now is also the perfect time to set the tone for a great week to come! 

If you missed my take on LML, you can find it here. If you missed the explanation of LML Monday, you can catch up here.


Candy Corn Art (and other Fall fun)
This week is Fall Break at the kids' school, which meant that all of the classes had their Fall Parties this past Friday. Now that both of the kids are in school I got to do double party duty, which was exhausting, but I loved it.

The timing worked out so that the older kids' parties didn't start until after kindergarten was released, so my daughter got to go to her brother's party too (which made them both very happy.)

A Night With the Stars
I know I've mentioned it before, but in case you haven't caught on yet, I'll tell you once again that the Arizona Museum of Natural History is a really awesome museum. If you ever get the chance, you should really check it out.

This past weekend they had "A Night With the Stars," a special event focused on astronomy. There were plenty of great activities for the kids - everything from art and puzzles to a portable planetarium brought in by the local university and telescopes brought in by one of the local astronomy clubs.

My daughter had a great time talking space exploration with everyone, and telling them all about how she and her brother are going to be astronauts when they grow up. As usual, everyone who met her fell instantly in love.


Afternoon Walks by the Lake
Now that it's finally getting a little bit cooler around here (and by that I mean in the 90s instead of the 110s) I can be a little bit more agreeable when my daughter begs me to take her to the park. (I always want to say yes, I just can't do it when it's dangerously hot.) So it really makes us both happy when we can finally be outside for a little while.

For my daughter, one of the best things about the park is all of the birds, and her reactions whenever we see them are just priceless. This was one of her favorites from our most recent walk this week. We had to stop and watch it for several minutes, while she smiled and waved and looked at it with so much love that it just melted my heart.

It was still a little warm out, but it was a really nice afternoon. And walking around the lake with my daughter is always entertaining. All I can say is, thank goodness we finally got all of our ducks in a row! :)

Ok. I shared mine - now it's your turn! Please feel free to leave me a comment and share some of your recent LML moments. Focus on the happy thoughts, and let's all have a great week!