Old Bessie Comes Home!

The big exciting news this week is that OLD BESSIE CAME HOME! Michael has been working hard for the last year and half on creating an all electric car. We bought 'Old Bessie' as she was dubbed in June of 2008. We had such fun rumbling around in her for about a month before she was taken to a garage and her engine pulled.



So, in between all the traveling, household chores, being a super dad and super husband, my "Mr. Greenjeans" has been working very hard on this creation. The coolest thing about this car (aside from that it is convertible and totally retro) is that it makes NO SOUND. I didn't even hear Michael bring her home the other day. It's the stealth car.

Of course it is chilly and raining off and on. So, without a proper leak-proof top, we can drive her on those fair days. We bundle up in hats and coats and gloves and cruise off to school and errands. In fact, the other day I drove her to school so that I could totally brag about what my husband created. I said to a mom, "Well, I drove our electric car here!" She responded, "Oh, did you get a Prius?" I relished saying, "A PRIUS?? That's not electric. I drove our homemade electric car here. Want to see it?"

It's true. I'm a bit of a snot.

Here's a picture of the engine. How clean is this??



Michael and I even took her out on "date night" last night. We were going to have dinner and a movie. Well, we got dinner. We suffered through a few of those "previews" at the theater before being told we had to evacuate. I guess you're really not allowed to yell "fire" in a crowded theater. But, apparently the popcorn machine blew up. They say they'll give us a rain check. Like it's so easy for us to get out of the house. Michael said they should reimburse us the sitter too.

We are starting to sound like the cranky old couple who just took the horse and buggy out through the driving snow. Must be that "Fit Forever" class rubbing off on me.



In other news, I'm always pleased to see my kids sitting and reading. Of course, I don't know how I feel about the fact that they've taken to reading the parent manual. I mean, what kid reads "How to talk so kids will listen and How to listen so kids will talk"? Seriously?




And while I was pulling pix off the camera I found out that those varmints have been taking my camera and having a photo shoot with themselves. Looks like this was before the haircuts.






Speaking of hair cuts, Eily came over again the other day. No hair cuts! Eily whispered something in Amira's ear at one point and Amira said, "No. I'm not allowed to. My mom doesn't trust me any more."




Valerie has been socializing with friends from her new school and her old school. Natalie and Valerie enjoyed some homemade hot cocoa with fresh whipped cream. Yup, I went all Martha Stewart on those kids. I'm sure they didn't notice the difference between this and a cup of Swiss Miss.



Here you see Valerie and her friend Hannah posing at ninjas or something. Actually, this is one of the cloaks I made. The fact that it hasn't fallen apart yet makes me totally happy.



Speaking of not falling apart, I made another trip to Forever Fit this week followed by a pilates class today. I'm off to have Zumba tomorrow. Then I think the rest of the week I will spend in a wine and turkey coma.

How Hard Could It Be?

It has been a humbling week. I'm not saying the week hasn't been enjoyable. I'm saying that I learned a lot about myself in a short period of time. The tip that I'm about to learn a lesson usually starts with this phrase, "How hard could it be?" (I uttered this phrase before falling down a mountain on a snowboard, destroying a sewing pattern for an apron, deciding to keep chickens, choosing to have three children, getting a teaching credential, etc.)

On Saturday afternoon I picked up the phone to hear a child's voice that I didn't immediately recognize. "Do you want a turkey?" the voice asked. So many things ran through my mind. Is this a baby turkey that is looking for a home? Is it a full grown turkey looking for a home? Is it a Thanksgiving turkey that needs to go in the freezer?

Before I could go through all the scenarios in my head, I blurted out, "I'd love a turkey! Uh, who is this?" Well, it was my son's friend, Wyatt. Wyatt's dad is a hunter. In fact, we'd just gotten three duck breasts from him the week before. Wyatt informed us he'd be right over with his dad and the turkey.

Moments later a truck pulls up in front of the house full of men and boys wearing camouflage and three turkeys in the back of the truck. To be sure, these were very dead. Yes, ex-turkeys, if you will. After a quick photo shoot with kids holding up turkey tail feathers and posturing with the floppy, dead birds, we were offered some advice on how to quickly "breast out" the turkey.

I looked at the bird and thought it seemed like a shame just to split out its breast and throw the rest away. This bird gave its life so that we could live. (Okay, I know that's a bit over the top ... but it's really how I felt at the time). I said that I wanted to roast the whole thing. My naivete was met with chuckles and guffaws. I was told how there was no fat on these birds. They're working birds. They're dry and tough and gamy. I was even given a recipe for what sounded like wild turkey breast McNuggets.

How hard could it be? I'd just pluck it, have Michael clean it and roast that thing up and call it dinner.

So, like the white trash mom I am, I sat in the front yard plucking turkey feathers for quite a long time. I was amazed at how the body was still warm. This was fresh. As it started to cool down, I realized I forgot to "bleed" it. One thing I learned from reading Farm City was, you gotta bleed your game!




Yes, we strung that bird up, cut it's head off and it sort of bled into the bucket while I continued to pluck.

Fast forward to having gotten it all clean, washed out, stuffed with garlic, sage, rosemary and time and coated with olive oil, it looked like, well, TURKEY!

We stuffed about a stick of butter beneath the skin and doused it with red wine and vegetable stock. I also tented it with parchment paper.

Can I just say that it was amazingly delicious. Amira devoured an entire drumstick. I had a wing. We were told these extremities would be no good for eating. They were delicious. And I made a fine soup out of the rest of it.

We have to lay off for a few days as I'm pretty sure we'll be eating a more domesticated version next Thursday.

In other news, I've been continuing my Sunrise yoga and thoroughly enjoying everything but getting up while it's still dark out. Of course, this isn't really doing much to improve my bone density. So, I broke down and decided to try out a class at the gym.

By the way, the picture seen here was just too funny. I found it on the web while looking for yoga pix. Here is your basic Indian yoga and your basic Irish yoga:




Now, I am not known for my strength ... especially my upper body strength. So, I decided to take a "Forever Fit" class. This is a work out/strength/cardio training class for senior citizens. I figured I'd blow doors on it. I mean, how hard could it be?




OH MY GOODNESS!!! Now that was a humbling experience. These women who were clearly 20 or 30 years my senior (aside from being incredibly territorial about their mat space) could totally pump iron while keeping in step to this aerobic activity. I looked like a marching band reject (well, shhh! Don't tell anyone that I actually am!) That's right, I was out of step and having a hard time lifting that weight repeatedly. Lucky nobody got a concussion.

All those women have probably shot, plucked and cleaned their own holiday turkeys too. Well, they look like they could have.

Where I have been all these years? Some kind of fantasy land!

Well, off to my next caper: I'm going to sew some cloaks for the girls. I mean, how hard could it be?

Wahooo! Fall Is Here!!!

Truly, this must be the best time of year!



Amira is a leaf fairy


Jackson, Amira, Rex & Wyatt enjoy the "fall" of autumn

Sibling Support

I receive some very encouraging e-mails from those of you who follow the blog. Sometimes your messages really make me laugh. I have to share this one that came from my brother ... and since he had me as a sibling, he is wise in the ways siblings!

He can trade stories with Valerie when she grows up.


"Well...

When I need a good dialog to make me laugh at the beginning of the day, I go to your blog.

Thanks for the narration. Yes, words to live by, it doesn't hurt (ear piercing), I need a toilet, and why are my underwear in your purse. I am sure at Valerie's age the moment was over when the caper was figured out. However, the lessen learned is that you and your sister will be sharing clothes and sometimes you will not like what they do them (or leave in them); maliciously or not!

Yes, what a laugh... "... mommy, slow down you are walking too fast". Obviously not walking fast enough. I am sure if Valery knew whose underwear she was wearing, she would have been shouting "... hurry up mommy, faster ... faster!".

your brother...

scott"

Beauty School Drop Out

October has finally finished and I am so relieved! Way too many festivals, soccer games, parent meetings and fun, fun, fun. Poor kids. I felt like I was constantly leaving one party early to attend another party. Stick a fork in me, I'm done.

Here are pictures of Valerie & Amira from soccer (before Edward Scissor Hands took over).







Amira has taken to a self taught cosmotology course. One morning she showed up at breakfast with freshly shorn bangs. I tried not to overreact. I simply said, "Honey, please don't cut your own hair. If you need a hair cut, let me know and I will take you out to get your hair cut."

Later that day Amira shows up at dinner with ALL HER HAIR missing from the front. Naturally, this is the point where she got a reaction out of me. I confiscated scissors and told her I wanted her to find the pile of hair and dispose of it. Absolutely no more home haircuts! Scissors are for cutting paper only and you must check them out from me when you want to use them.

Incidentally, that pile of hair showed up under the couch a couple of days later. Looked like a dead animal.

Well, the day after Halloween Amira has a little friend over. She and Eily are playing in the bounce house (still left over from the big party the night before). Then they disappear up the hall to play in her room for a while. Suddenly Rex is tattling, "Mommy!!! Amira cut her hair again!"

What? Are you kidding me??

Amira runs up the hall with even more of her hair missing. She shakes her head and tells me, "Nooooo! I didn't cut it! Eily cut it!" Then Eily comes up the hall right behind Amira as she continues, "I didn't cut my hair. I cut Eily's."



Needless to say, I had to re-confiscate scissors and had some explaining to do when Eily's dad came to pick her up.

Once Eily went home, it was time to take Valerie to get her ears pierced. I told her that when she was 8 years old she could get her ears pierced. She was so excited.

Here's her ear before the piercing:


And here's the ear after the first piercing and Valerie's classic "doesn't hurt a bit" face during the second:



And Dame Edna came to watch her sister get pierced:





In other news, Halloween was pretty tame. As usual, it got us to clean up our yard! We complained and complained (like we do every year) that this is a big pain and we are never doing it again. But, everyone actually had a great time and we decided we are definitely on for next year.

Here are some party pix below. I guess we were too busy partying and didn't take half the pictures we should have! Lots more people were there ... we just didn't get them!

Cleetus & Fatima (hosts of party):