Toast 2 Mom

Away from home - does not equal a vacation

The girls and I are in Illinois this week. We've done Thanksgiving. We've done two Christmas's. We have one more to go. Whew. Many people mentioned before we left for our trip, "oh it'll be nice to get away." While this is true - it is nice to remove oneself from the same surroundings. However, do not mistake that for being a vacation. In fact, I may go as far to say it's the opposite of a vacation.

We're having a very lovely visit with my family. And the girls, for the most part (more on the "most part" later), are behaving wonderfully. It's just still a challenge to be away from the norm. The routine is different. The sleep environment is different. The toys are different. The...everything is different.

And as far as the girl's behavior, well, Daddio and I really have very little to complain about. Our girls are brilliant travelers. They have established pretty good manners, especially for ages 2 and 4. They are good sleepers. They are good girls. 

But........just to add to some excitement this week, while being away from home, while being away from the norm, and while being spoiled rotten, my baby has decided to really start to explore the age of two (and all that being two can bring...if you know what I mean). This week baby Cheekers has remembered all of the buttons that her older sister doesn't like to be pushed...and she's been pushing them...and in public. To be honest, she's remembered all of my buttons too.

It's interesting, entering this new phase of age two. It's been awhile since I've managed this age. And while many refer to it as "terrible twos," Hubby and I referred to it as "terrific twos". Let's hope we can keep our optimistic view. Because this go around is completely different than with our first two year old. And all the rules and methods that worked before...don't...work...any...more. This is the beauty and gift of having multiple children, right?!

So, we will continue our trip away from home this week, and I'm sure there will be more delightful, challenging, head-scratching, "been there, done that," "glad I'm not in your shoes", parental stories to be continued...

Interstate Turkey

Not a big fan of turkey, but oh how I can smell and almost taste those wonderful sides. The buttery potatoes, the sagey stuffing, the crunchy Frenchs onion topping on the glorious green bean casserole.
No other year have I been more eager for Thanksgiving than this year. I haven't celebrated turkey day with my family in years. When my husband and I married and lived in Omaha, we celebrated mostly with his family. While it was lovely, nothing beats the tradition you grew up with.
Our journey to embark in this gobble fest was supposed to be a 16 hour drive. Our first leg yesterday, suppoed to be 7.5 hours, ended up being just shy of 10 hours.
Today is a different story though. We have an open highway. The sun is shining. The tunes are happily getting us down the road.
Though it's quite a trek, and yesterday presented some challenges, there is much to be thankful for.
I am thankful for two of the best traveling children ever!!
I am thankful for a husband that is an excellent driver (while I blog and read celebrity gossip magazines).
I am thankful for Diet Coke - the perfect beverage after a less than average night of sleep in the hotel.
I am thankful for Vanna the van. Though I resisted buying her, I love her for all she provides, especially on long turkey trips.
I am thankful for Disney soundtracks and Chicago soundtracks for providing entertainment.
Lastly I am thankful in just a few hours we will be greeted by loving family, a warm home and delicious food!
Happy Thanksgiving!

That Darn Clock...

Uh, I've had so much to say this week but not a bright eyed moment to share. The clock has been my enemy. I'll have to catch up on my thoughts soon.

We're heading to Illinois, via Vanna the Van (road trip). The girls (and I) are probably in for a rude awakening of what November air should really feel like. We've all adjusted quite quickly to our warm temps. My Sydney is made for sleeveless clothing. I told her I'm packing all long sleeves AND a coat...she's not too happy with me about that.

It's going to be a holiday bonanza where we're going. We'll be doing Thanksgiving and three Christmas's in one week's time. I only think our van is loaded today for the drive!

But first things first, Thanksgiving. Well, I am thankful for so many things....but I'll plan to make my list and share tomorrow. I'll have lots of quality time on the road to put it all together.

Until then...

All I Want for Christmas...is a decent portrait of my family!

Seriously is it too much to ask to get a decent photo of the four of us? We have tried again and ....well, we'll try again. This time the photo ended up being the best it's ever been; but why is it so exhausting!

No one tells you before you have kids the anxiety that comes along with getting their pictures taken. I take pictures of the girls all the time, and I realize there are good times and bad. But something happens, and has happened since my first daughter's first photo session at three months old, when we walk into that photo studio - it always ends up bad!

One kid looks up, one looks down. One has a crooked bow, one has a crooked smile. One is laughing, one is crying. I could plan the photo first thing in the morning or at the end of the day....and it is never the right time. Then you add the Hubby and me into the mix.....forget about it! Sighhhhhhhhh. Maybe next year.

So, dear family if you're reading this, you'll get a picture, we're all in it....and let's just leave it at that.

Polly Pig Pink Cupcakes

Remember yesterday how I was mentioning that we're in high gear here getting ready for the holidays. Well today we took a break from that. It was rainy here all day. Yesterday Sydney told me she wanted to make cupcakes. As I've several times before tried to recruit my girls into the kitchen with me for a bake-fest and failed, I was all over this proactive suggestion.

Today the cupcake party was brought up again, so I knew we were on. After lunch, the girls and I gathered around the kitchen island to measure, pour and mix. Natalie watched while Sydney and I whisked eggs and poured in milk. The hard part was getting them to realize that they had to bake and cool before the decoration could begin. That's when nap time came in handy.

During their nap, I baked the cupcakes and made the frosting. Sydney decided she wanted it to be pink frosting, like her latest favorite animal, Polly, the pig. So we made Polly Pig Pink cupcakes. When Sydney woke, everything was ready to go. I did the frosting and she did the sprinkles. Some had way more sprinkles than others, but we evened them out. And below is the result.

It might have thrown our holiday preparation schedule off a bit, but it was well worth it!!