The Tree is Up!

Something I enjoy about being an adult is making my own traditions.  One of my favorites is decorating for Christmas the weekend after Thanksgiving.  I am not down with Christmas before Turkey.  But once Thanksgiving is officially over it's game on.

We do a fake tree.  I know I know. Bad bad bad.  But it looks so good, good, good and is oh so easy to take care of....  Our current tree is more than 5 years old and is starting to show its age.  After an exciting start to decorating, we discovered multiple parts of the tree would not light.  We did what we could do decorate the rest of the house while Dave tried to fix the tree.  Eventually, we retreated to the living room to watch a Christmas movie while we waited.

Dave worked for a looooong time.  He never gave up, even when his back did.  The tree is now mostly lit.  One would have to really scrutinize the tree to notice. Thanks Dave.

With the tree in mostly working order, the kids wasted no time.  This is the first year I didn't put a single ornament on the tree.  I didn't even have to separate them out.  Sure some of the ornaments I might hide are out front and center, it is unevenly decorated, and the top is bare, but hey--the kids did it themselves!

With the tree done.  Linus decided to compose his Christmas list.  He discovered the magic of Google docs this fall.  His list is 51 items long.  At least 8 of them are sports cars so....  Robin decided he needed to make his own Christmas list.  He took it very seriously.

Another Christmas tradition I instituted is you get Christmas jammies the day the tree gets decorated.  This means the special Christmas jammies get a whole festive season of wear. 

I love the face Eileen is making.

With the house all decorated, I retreated to my room.  It is ridiculous how happy my bedroom makes me.  I need to find someone into interior design to really help me take the room to the next level.  My room is my sacred space where I decompress.  I love to be cozy.

An accidental tradition is going to the Seattle Center the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  Most years we are at the Seattle Children's Theater.  One year it was McCaw Hall for the Nutcracker.  Either way, the traffic is always crazy due to the Seattle Marathon.  Will I never learn?  Today Eileen, her friend, Lillian, Robin, and I saw Mr. Popper's Penguins.  It was so fun to watch the three of them giggle their way through the show.

And so ends the start of another holiday season.

Turkey Day Achievement Level Unlocked

I've finally recovered enough to blog about Thanksgiving.  It was an off year for the Dimocks, meaning we all go to our other family/friends.  Last year I got to get away with bringing canned cranberry sauce (the good stuff with the rings) and some rolls.  This year I hosted for the second time.

There was no school this week.  Instead I had 3 days of parent/teacher conferences.  During down times between conferences I furiously planned my upcoming units, all with the goal of bringing nothing home.

I pride myself on being organized.  A couple of days before Thanksgiving, I opened up my binder of recipes and pulled out the Thanksgiving sleeve.  The clear plastic sleeve contained most of my recipes for Thanksgiving, a menu plan, and timing for the big day--what to put in, at what temperature, and when, and what to prep the day before.  It made it a lot easier to not have to expend mental energy.  I invited family and extended family via Facebook events--off loading the bringing of drinks, desserts, and rolls (gluten-full and gluten-free)

Thursday morning I managed to take it slow, slept in, drank coffee, and showered.  We took away i-pads, video games, and computer screens from the kids at the beginning of the week.  The result was kids who slept in and then played nicely all day.  Weird right?  I borrowed the electric turkey roaster from my mother-in-law and then impulse bought buffet warmer at the checkout a few days before Thanksgiving.  These simplified the whole day with the goal of food ready at 4 pm.

Growing impatient for my mom to arrive to help me with the turkey, I decided in that moment that this would be the year I learned to roast a turkey.  Last time I hosted, my mom handled the turkey.  I was too intimidated.  Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I cobbled together a recipe I thought might be good.

Charlotte Roasts a 15 lb Turkey, step by step instructions.

1. Don't brine the turkey.  Preheat roaster to 450 degrees.
2. Clean out the sink.  Put turkey in sink.  Be brave and reach into turkey to pull out neck and giblets.
3. Call for help (Dave!) when you can't find the giblet packet and are ready to cry because you are getting a little grossed out digging around the cavity of a large bird.
4. Have Dave come to rescue.  Then rinse turkey, pat dry, and sprinkle kosher salt inside turkey.
5. Put turkey in roaster.  Shove fresh poultry seasoning herbs, 2 carrots, and 2 celery stalks into bird.  Put additional 2 carrots and 2 celery in roaster.
6. Rub 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup melted butter on bird.  Add a little more oil to wings just for good measure.
7. Make a rub of 2 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp pepper, 2 tsp dried thyme, 2 tsp dried rosemary, 1 tsp dried sage.  Rub all over outside of bird.
8. Wash hands for the millionth time.  
9. Pour 1 cup white wine over turkey (plus a little more for good measure).
10. Cover cook for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 350.  Cook for another 2.5 - 3 hours.  Then pour another 1/2 cup of melted butter over bird.  Quick baste (so bird is good and drunk).  Then continue cooking for another hour.
11. After 4 hours, check temps.  If done, put on giant Christmas cookie platter you have lying around and let rest of 30 minutes.

While the skin didn't get crispy and brown, the turkey was beautiful and the meat fell off the bone.  I'm feeling pretty proud of myself.

I rounded out the meal with roasted balsamic brussel sprouts (done in a crockpot), my serious labor of love stuffing, lime ginger roasted corn, vegan mashed potatoes, and a carrot souffle (Trader Joes).  Appetizers were fancy crackers, gluten free (but surprisingly delicious) foccacia, bruschetta (Trader Joes) and my amazing ricotta parmesan thyme dip.  My brother brought his A game with pumpkin flan, pumpkin pie, and salted caramel pumpkin pie.  And dinner was ready right at 4 pm.

After eating ourselves into oblivion, everyone carpooled over to Sally and Gino's new place (about 5 minutes away).  I used the opportunity to slowly clean up a little and have some quiet moments to myself.  The excursion was just long enough to allow our stomachs to make enough room for dessert.

The kids played quietly by themselves most of the day.  Robin has recently taken to playing for hours with his duplos.

My dad, Linus, and Dave played Snake Oil.

We celebrated Thanksgiving this year with a total of 14 people, a completely manageable amount. Robin picked off the outside of a roll and ate a bowl of vanilla ice cream.  Not surprisingly he had room at the end of the night. 

I conquered Thanksgiving taking a slow and steady pace.  However, I was exhausted by the end of the night.  The kids weren't in bed until 10 pm.  2 days later I feel like my self again, but better.  Why?  Because I am a complete and total badass who roasted her first turkey.  I am so an adult now.

And Then She was 7

Yesterday the Schnitzel turned 7.  We were both still a bit jet lagged from our trip to Nebraska. It was another low key birthday celebration in the Dimock house.  Eileen woke up and had breakfast in bed (as requested).  She didn't ask for a special breakfast or lunch. Eileen didn't even take advantage of the opportunity for free dress since it was her birthday. The teachers at school (even the ones who aren't hers) did a great job of making her feel special.

She only asked for hot dogs and watermelon for dinner. Okay. Super easy. I almost feel a little bad because of how little was required of me.  I baked a cake the night before--gluten free, dairy free funfetti.

Eileen was pretty dirty (and knowing she had a doctor appointment the next day) I made her take a bath before cake and presents.

Eileen got the official age 7 present -- a Kindle.  She got a Kindle Paperwhite (no Kindle Fires with apps here!).  I got her a really pretty cover and pre-loaded a few books.  I got her Binky the Space Cat and the Imaginary Veterinary Book Series.  Later in the evening I showed her how easy it was to borrow books from the library.  She was amazed but the way books instantly arrived on her Kindle.

She quickly curled up in her favorite chair for some light reading.

For her birthday I finally caved and downloaded an app for the Ipad that she has been begging for, Unicorn Glitterluck.  Eileen was so revved up from her day and so enthralled with her Kindle that she had trouble falling asleep.

Eileen at 7 is a joy.  She is currently obsessed with cats --reading about them, drawing them, making puns.  She still loves unicorns, fairies, and rainbows.  Eileen likes swimming and art, especially painting.  She is very aware of how others are feeling and wants to do things that she thinks will make others happy.  Eileen loves Robin.  The two of them have so much fun together. 

She is generally easy going except when she is tired--and then oh my God the whining.  She has finally started letting me play with her hair after a 2 year hiatus.  Her hair is still so thin and baby fine.

Eileen is still the least competitive of the three kids.  She is happy to do her own thing and isn't motivated to do the best, but rather pursue her own passions and interests. 

This morning in the car Eileen asked me if I missed Baby Eileen.  I told her yes, but I liked this version too.  She asked if her birth was the happiest moment of my life.  I was almost taken aback by my body's visceral response.  Her birth truly was one of the happiest moments of my life.  In the moments after her birth, I was so struck by her beauty and my love for her.  That awestruck feeling has never left.

One of my co-workers told me the other day how much she loved Eileen and informed me, "You got a good one." Yeah. I did. She's pretty great. 

Happy Birthday Eileen.

Somewhere in the Middle America

Apparently, if I need to get away from it all there is not better place than the middle of nowhere.  And if you want to go to the middle of nowhere, the Counting Crows sang it best when they suggested Nebraska.  I extended my 3 day weekend by a day, took Eileen as my companion, and flew to Omaha this weekend.  Then Eileen and I rented a car and drove 2.5 hours to the small farming community of Central City, Nebraska (which is not centrally located despite its name).

Eileen and I took the light rail to the airport and had an easy flight into Omaha.  We got a nice free upgrade.  They asked, "Chevy Impala or Toyota Camry?"  Like that's a hard choice. I then proceeded to take the world's longest, most boring drive past corn fields to Central City in a sweet 2017 Toyota Camry.

My friend, Heather, and her family live there.  Being a good friend, I try to make it out there occasionally.  It's been a ridiculously busy school year.  I figured the best way to slow down was to spend my weekend in a place that had no wi-fi and I couldn't do any grading or lesson planning.  Heather has two little girls, ideal playmates for Eileen.  

I had the most chill weekend that I've experienced in a long time.  We swam at the local fitness center (had the place to ourselves due to the Huskers game).  The girls swam.  Heather and I lounged in the hot tub.

We attended the town Veteran's Day assembly.  Lots of tractor viewing.  The candy haul was impressive.  I think it had something to do with being shortly after Halloween.  Heather located a nice spot and it was not crowded at all.  I "may" have been heard yelling, "Get mama the good stuff! The Reeses!"

We spent a lot of time lounging/sleeping.  The girls played upstairs while the adults watched Law and Order SVU and reruns of Friends.  We baked brownies.  In preparation of our visit, Heather scoured stores across several towns to find gluten free, dairy free food for Eileen.

The girls quickly became best friends.  Even with the whole couch to themselves, all three would opt to sit squeezed together.

We attended a healthy kids fair one afternoon.  

Heather's girls, Brooklyn and Teagan, have insanely long, luscious locks.  Teagan has more hair than anyone I have ever met.  I was in heaven playing with their hair.  It was the ultimate girls weekend.  Being in the middle of nowhere means that getting anywhere takes a long time.  During one car trip the girls were bugging one another so I offered them each a dollar to fall asleep.  I stand by my decision.

I made sure to sample the local cuisine.  As luck would have it, a Runza just opened in Central City this week.  It is a uniquely Nebraskan food chain.

It reminds me of food made by grandmas everywhere -- ground hamburger, onion, and lots of pepper.  The Runza also has cabbage in it.  It's a little like a Piroshky if the good old Betty Crocker red plaid cookbook tried its hand at one. Still, it's satisfying.

On my final night, Heather and I went and saw Bad Mom's Christmas and finished our evening with slices of pie at a Perkins diner.  While I was gone, TJ (Heather's husband) assembled a bed for me (I had been sleeping on a futon).  Not only did he put it together and make it up really nice, he put out breakfast in bed for me--a Twix since he saw me grab one that morning while I drank my coffee--and turned on the TV to a liberal news channel.  It was incredibly thoughtful and I slept awesome.

I slept frequently and with abandon on my trip.  With no responsibility, no place to be, I truly was able to let go.  It was awesome.  I even read two books.  I had to fly all the way to Nebraska to manage to fully relax, but it was well worth it, especially since I got to spend time with Heather.  Eileen and I both miss everyone so much already.  Robin wants to know when it is his turn to go to Nebraska.  

Heather and I don't talk enough.  We are both incredibly busy people and separated by two time zones.  Grown up friendships are awesome.  Just because you don't ever talk to someone doesn't mean the love isn't still there.  And when you do see them, it's like no time has passed at all.  Thanks Heather for a wonderful weekend.  I hope we don't have to go so long again before seeing each other.  Tell TJ I plan to learn how to make a Runza just for him.

The Requisite but Belated Halloween Post

For shame, I'm two days late posting about Halloween.  I love Halloween.  I do.  I like spooky, but not horror.  Disney from the 1960s/1970s is totally my cup of tea.  "Child of Glass" anyone? 

Working full time seems to cut into my celebratory tendencies.  I did decorate the house.  This weekend I made allergy friendly Halloween cookies.  I think having 3 birthdays in the month kind of does a number on me, on the tails of back to school September crazy, sort of wipes me out.

Luckily, it takes a village and village helped make the month festive. 

1.  Early in the month I needed childcare while it was teacher in-service.  In addition to my mother, my brother came and took Linus out for the day.  The went to the pumpkin patch and corn maze and came home with 3 pumpkins.  Eileen's first grade class went to the pumpkin patch and she came home with a pumpkin.  I went to Thriftway to buy groceries, and the cashier gave me a free pumpkin. 

2.  Dave and I needed a date night.  My sister and her boyfriend offered to babysit.  Even more, they were super interested in the idea of carving pumpkins with the kids.  My friend, Natalie, gifted us with tickets and parking to go see "Ragtime" at the 5th Ave!  My sister did not realize what she was getting herself into.  Obviously, Dave and I did and cackled vigorously when she originally agreed.  We came home to some very nicely carved pumpkins and roasted seeds.

3.  Eileen went to a Halloween craft party and had an amazing time.  Messy Halloween crafts got checked off the list.

4.  The primary school had parties and Robin participated in the trick or treat parade through the school.  In middle school, we did Halloween math. 


Halloween as a teacher is always a little crazy making.  Kids are beyond excited and pumped up on sugar.  This year the staff also got to get flu shots during lunch! Fun times.  The shot gave me a headache and made me a little nauseated (which wasn't helped by the copious amounts of sugar I consumed).  I was feeling pretty exhausted and not awesome by the time trick or treating rolled around.  Dave took one for the team and took the kids out while I graded math test corrections and answered the door.

We only got about 10 trick or treaters this year.  Kind of sad since it's not like our house is hidden or anything.  It's also a little sad since it didn't rain for the first time in 11 years.

These guys were still happy with their haul.  I would like to congratulate our neighbors on the candy selection -- mostly Twix, Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Kit Kats, and assorted gummies.  There was not a single mint or Brachs butterscotch or even a Dum Dum.

This year we had quite the variation in costume.  Meet Pikachu, Snow Leopard, and the Grim Reaper (or the Ghost of Christmas Future for you literary folk).

Happy Belated Halloween!  I swear.  Next year I'm going to rally.

Fantastic Number 9

"Nine nine nine
Fantastic number nine
It’s perfectly consistent
It works out every time
Nine nine nine
That crazy number nine
Times any number you can find
It all comes back to nine." --Square One Television  (And yes this math trick works, I use it all the time in long division.  Thank you Public Television.)

My boy is nine! Nine!  Every time I say it, I start singing the above song.  Today was Linus' chillest birthday ever.  He didn't have a lot of requests.  In fact, even just a week before he didn't really know what he wanted other than breakfast in bed, Kraft mac n cheese for dinner, and dirt for dessert.

Despite his lack of enthusiasm, Linus woke up in the best of moods.  He had a great day at school.   Back home there was free screen time.  Free screen time? Best.Day.Ever.  

While waiting for the noodles to cook we opened presents.  Linus was shocked/elated that I picked out the just right deck builder set for Magic the Gathering.  Somehow Robin went shopping by himself and bought Linus a LEGO set...  My favorite gift I got him was a Feisty Pet.  The moment I knew these I existed, I felt Linus needed one.  I'm happy to say he feels the same way.  Do you see the pure joy?

We ate Kraft mac cheese, I graded some papers, Eileen did her homework.  My mom came over and brought Linus a card and gift--a gift card for books for his Kindle.  We dined on Linus' favorite seasonal treat--dirt.  Linus did the "RIP" on the gravestones himself.  I'm pleased to announce that vanilla almond milk is a pretty good substitute for regular milk in pudding.

We finished the night ordered books on Amazon.  There was the perfect amount to buy all 3 Dogman books as well as pre-order the newest Dogman book and Diary of a Wimpy Kid book.  Linus rushed off to bed to read.

At nine years old, Linus is full of drive, feelings, and stubbornness.  He loves school, except when he hates it.  He loves his family, except when he hates it.  He loves pretty much any activity, except when he hates it.  

No matter what Linus loves babies and small children (he is so good with them), drawing, swimming (but not so much swim team), boy scouts, Magic the Gathering, and soccer.  He has a good crew of friends.  He likes being able to just hang out, relax, and get cozy.  Linus understands why blustery, rainy days are awesome and is a great partner for movie watching.   He has an incredible sense of adventure.

Linus is star student this week.  One of the days is read a letter from your parents about why you are a star.  Normally, I'm the one who gets to do this sort of thing, but I decided it was finally Dave's turn.   He whined at first, but then wrote the best Star Student letter in the history of 3rd Grade.  

Happy Birthday to our sometimes smelly Star.

From the Mouths of Babes in October (and a few pics)

Eileen is at the table.  She realizes she forgot something she needs.  Eileen gets up, goes, and gets it herself.
Eileen:  Look! I'm being my own problem solver!

Robin: (whispers) I'm going to tell you something.
Me:  Okay. What?
Robin:  I'm going to poop.

Robin: How we gonna do this?  (getting out of the car and it's pelting rain)

Eileen:  Everyone knows vampires grow fangs when they're five.

Eileen:  I love you Mama.  I encourage you to give me hugs and kisses.  (a constant phrase said by me is "Don't encourage him!)

The Official School Pics 2017-2018

Pre-3

1st grade

3rd Grade

6th Grade

Other Random October Pics

Robin learned to play board games.  He destroyed them in Monopoly.

3rd grade soccer

New couch snuggles