Thanksgiving 2013

Paul and I love hosting Thanksgiving--this year was our 5th out here in PA!!  We have perfected our turkey making over the years and have discovered not only the perfect market from which to purchase it, but also the best way to prepare it.  We like to assemble a brine and soak the turkey for 48 or so hours. This makes it SOOO juicy and tender.  Here we are, two days before the big day, preparing our turkey and the brine...

This is what we feasted on for Thanksgiving 2013.  It was so yummy!!!

In addition to our usual, beloved turkey day guests--Mimi, Auntie Joey and Koa--we had an extra invitee at the table this year!  My beautiful cousin Whitney, who is modeling in NYC now, took the train over to feast and hang with us.  It was nice to have a little piece of Holden at the table with me for a change!

We served the kids sparkling cider in wine glasses.  They called it "kids wine" and enjoyed toasting along with the grown-ups...

The day after thanksgiving we took the boys to an indoor trampoline center where they had fun bouncing and jumping into ball pits.  Then, that night we went to Longwood Gardens to check out their  famous Christmas display.  It did not disappoint, and was a memorable way to get into the Christmas spirit!

We had dinner at the eatery there and all of the boys were arguing over who got to sit by Whitney.  Poor thing had to sit at the kids' table because they were all mesmerized by her.  It was super cute...

Other November Stuff

We still had quite nice weather in Novemeber (which seems like a blur as I am writing this in the middle of a snow storm during the coldest winter ever!!), and we were able to meet up at parks with friends on quite a few occasions.  We were regularly hanging out with two of Max's kindergarten friends and their little brothers (who just so happen to be Sam's age!)...

Look how big Jack is getting--he just fits right in with those big brothers...

Jack is really starting to enjoy "dressing up."  But, he is pretty insistent that someone else accompany him and he will usually bring a mask or cape for Paul or I to don along with him...

Here is Jack in his Luigi cap trying to assemble Max's birthday lego kits...

All three of the boys have developed quite a love for sushi.  This is really cool because how many 2, 4 and 6 year olds are brave enough to even try such an adventurous delicacy let alone enjoy it.  (In fact, most grown-ups I know aren't even brave enough to try it...).  However, while I am proud that my boys love one of Paul and my favorite foods, it makes them really expensive dates when they push aside the noodles and chicken and broccoli for the much pricier sushi...

While running errands a few days before Thanksgiving, I brought Jack and Sam with me to the market where we order our fresh turkey.  There were these huge pickles in a display near the counter and both boys unquestionably had to have one.  I figured maybe Sam would eat most of his while Jack would eat a few bites before throwing it on the floor.  Well, both boys at ALL of their pickles.  In the pic below you can see that Jack has half of his pickle left and it is still practically bigger than his head!

Max turns 6!

Wow!  How is it that this little guy who fit in the crook of our arms only a short while ago is now a huge six-year-old?  When I think about how quickly this seemed to happen I remember all of those well-wishers (neighbors and acquaintances  with teenagers or grown children) who said to Paul and I, "Enjoy it while it lasts--they grow up so fast!", or, "Don't blink--they will be teenagers before you know it!"  We just nodded an obligatory "yeah, yeah, yeah," thinking that all we cared about at the moment was that we needed to get a good night's sleep.  Gosh darn it--they were right!  I blinked and now Max is 6!  I hate those people.  I love my Max as a 6-yr-old, but I just really want him to slow down.  He is sooooo big.  He doesn't even like to hold my hand any more or give me a kiss--he is way too grown up for that (sniff, sniff).  

Right now Max's favorite food is sushi, pizza and cow meat (aka a medium-rare, nice cut of steak).  He likes "peanut butter and jelly but without the jelly, opened and cooked" for breakfast (aka peanut butter toast). Max's favorite restaurant is still "California Tortilla." He loves his motorcycle though he doesn't get to ride it much now that it has gotten cooler and wetter.   He is into legos and any "guys" that are really small.  He also likes stuffed "cool toys" like superhero's and build-a-bears dressed as star wars characters.  He is reading and is so smart!  He can draw amazing masterpieces that decorate our refrigerator and cabinetry.  Max loves to have playdates with his buddy's of which he has several. He is the fastest kid in his class (as several of the other parents have told me their kids have told them...), and he is the best big brother ever--Sam and Jack are LUCKY!! 

For Max's birthday this year we invited his classmates and a bunch of his friends to a "Superhero Training" party at "Pump It Up" (a party place with  a bunch of rooms full of inflatable bouncy houses).  Since he turned 6 on a Saturday this year, we held the party on his actual birthday.  Before we headed to the venue, however, we managed to squeeze in the opening of a few presents...

Here is Max (with Sam and a couple of his other friends) practicing their superhero moves before the party starts...

This was some sort of a "wind tunnel" that the kids just loved...

After the kids were done bouncing and jumping and climbing and sliding, we all headed to the party room for pizza and cake.  Here is the cake (made awesome by the Giant Bakery) before we cut it...

Paul is checking out the throne...

Max got to sit on the throne while we sang "Happy Birthday" and he blew out the candles...

After Max's party ended, I took him to one of his friend's birthday parties for some more celebrating.  Then we came home for a special birthday dinner of...

Cow Meat!!

Followed by more cake and candles--this time everyone got to blow one out...

What fun!  I am so glad our birthdays are done for the year.  Now I can relax for a while (Yeah, right...)!!!