What I learned over Thanksgiving Break

[RootAnn]

1) I never have enough time for what I think I'm going to get done. (Checklist for the week barely touched.)

2) While editing (for grammar / punctuation) my dd#2 & dd#3's latest book, I've had to look up further vs. farther, leaped vs. leapt, toward vs, towards, and the usage difference between em and en dashes.

3) Legos provide enough diversion for two boys for several days, but not for three girls.

4) Having not grown up with TV  or cable, Netflix, etc. causes cultural-knowledge holes that are obvious to relatives. (E.g., Ds#2 doesn't know who Big Bird is? Ds#1 has never heard of Tickle-Me-Elmo? Dd#3 doesn't know Charlie Brown is from Peanuts? The shock! The horror! What kind of kids are you raising?)

5) I shouldn't click on ads for anything, especially homeschool curriculum ones, or watch Amazon's Lightning Deals. I didn't realize I needed or wanted the things that are now on their way to my house.

 

What did you learn?

 

[Critterfixer]

So far the only major discovery has been that having the DH home all week creates exactly one additional load of laundry per day. Other than that, not too much. I learned long ago to never make myself a checklist for all the free time I am *not* going to have.

[KrissiK]

I learned that I really really love Bailey's Almond Toffee Creamer and it's better to reheat leftover coffee from Thanksgiving in a saucepan on the stove than to microwave it. And that is all. I am dreading tomorrow morning with a passion!

[Chrysalis Academy]

Hmm, let's see: I learned that I'm not as good at jumping mountain bikes over curbs as I used to be, that the Soda Stream is the greatest invention of all time, and that contrary to my lifelong belief, I *do* like pumpkin pie, as long as dh makes it.  

 

It's been a pretty great week.  I am sooooo tempted to just take the next 3 weeks off, before our already scheduled two weeks off.  :leaving:   Must. Resist. The Urge.

[quark]

So far the only major discovery has been that having the DH home all week creates exactly one additional load of laundry per day.

 

That having DH at home = one additional laundry load and one additional dishwasher load here. And additional vacuuming and mopping. And the dining table constantly needs de-cluttering too.

 

That DS's cooking skills are bordering on fabulous!

 

That colored mulch fades pretty quickly (and that the certain someone who took charge of ordering it didn't research this or the dubious safety surrounding colored mulch! aargh).

 

That Patrick Rothfuss rocks! ETA: Scratch that...reserving judgement till I finish all of the Kingkiller books.

[8filltheheart]

That ds 18 has never changed a tire before and dh can talk someone through changing a tire on a cell phone.  Ugh.....(this is actually currently occurring and ds is still an hour away from campus.)

[momacacia]

That we should take Thanksgiving, Christmas and other holiday/school breaks for Mommy, if no one else.

[Garga]

That I'm like Sally from Charlie Brown and all I want are presents. If a holiday doesn't involve presents, I don't like it. Goodbye Thanksgiving...Hellooooo CHRISTMAS!!!

[OneStepAtATime]

That Thanksgiving is still a much easier Holiday to organize than Christmas.

 

That Monday still comes way too soon after Thanksgiving

 

That cleaning out my office and the office closet the day before we start lessons again is not conducive to prepping for lessons

 

That I CAN say no to sales if I just avoid clicking on all the links

 

(And good luck 8 with your son getting his tire changed!  :) )

 

 

[Storygirl]

I learned that DD12 is absolutely gorgeous dancing as Clara in the Nutcracker :001_wub: :001_wub: :001_wub: :001_wub: :001_wub:. I knew she would be!!!

[8filltheheart]

 

 

(And good luck 8 with your son getting his tire changed!   :) )

 

Thanks.  We learned that spare tires can blow.  He only made it a couple of miles on the interstate before it blew.  A tow truck finally showed up about 30 mins ago.  I am just giving thanks that he wasn't injured when it blew and that he is now safely not stranded along the side of the interstate.

[Kerileanne99]

Thanks. We learned that spare tires can blow. He only made it a couple of miles on the interstate before it blew. A tow truck finally showed up about 30 mins ago. I am just giving thanks that he wasn't injured when it blew and that he is now safely not stranded along the side of the interstate.

Glad he is safe!

[OneStepAtATime]

Thanks.  We learned that spare tires can blow.  He only made it a couple of miles on the interstate before it blew.  A tow truck finally showed up about 30 mins ago.  I am just giving thanks that he wasn't injured when it blew and that he is now safely not stranded along the side of the interstate.

Goodness that's a bit scary!  So glad he is safe!

[PollyOR]

• 12 hours in a car makes for a long day.
• New books made the return trip easier for the three people crammed in the back seat.
• Always, always check the weather when you know you have to drive through the mountains because it is nerve wracking to run into a snow storm without the proper equipment.  
• Unexpected snow makes the trip back home even longer.

 

After the stress of finding a sitter for my pet chickens, renting a car, and spending two days in the car, I'm pretty sure I want to stay home next year. I enjoyed spending time with family, but I really would like to relax a little and enjoy the holiday.

[abacus2]

The Tickle-Me-Elmo craze was in 1996. The kids born that year turn 18 this year. No current children should be expected to know about it. Your relative's expectations are not in this century, if it makes you feel any better. :)

 

I met my youngest nephew this week and learned he loves to eat.

[Tree Frog]

I learned when dd makes bread that isn't rising quickly enough not to put the plastic bowls in the oven, turn it on, and ask ds to count to 60 and tell me when he's done because I know I'll forget to turn the oven off. Ds will count to 60 and immediately go back to whatever he's doing and I will have 2 partially melted bowls in the oven. (Dd's second batch of rolls didn't rise, either; she killed the yeast when she added hot water. We had biscuits for Thanksgiving. Even those didn't rise!)

[Sdel]

I've learned that it is nice to be done with B-day/Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving/Black Friday.  I also learned that I'm glad we don't spend more time with the cousins.....cuz "Grandma laid an egg".

 

[Tanaqui]

I learned that if I work my little butt off, and do everything I planned to do for the holiday (and then some) I will twist my ankle and half the family will get sick on the big day and we'll be living off leftovers for a month. Next year we're having pizza for dinner. Because whatever!

[Nicholas_mom]

I had these great expectations of planning the rest of my school days until Christmas and January for the Thanksgiving week.  That went out the window :)

 

I learned I rather spend a week in bed watching tv or reading a book every second I wasn't cooking or cleaning to get ready for Thanksgiving and for the Christmas Tree.  More company means more cooking complicated meals for the week, instead of cooking for me and my son only.  I hate to cook.

 

 

[FloridaLisa]

That after 6 consecutive days off formal schooling, my kids (and I) need a lot of grace to get our brains back into top condition. 

 

Lisa

[FloridaLisa]

That after 6 consecutive days off formal schooling, my kids (and I) need a lot of grace to get our brains back into top condition. This mostly showed up in math facts. 

 

Lisa

[jennynd]

Not to go to New Hampshire during holiday if there is more than 8 inch snow.. No power on thanksgiving day and restaurants that usually open during holiday having no power makes holiday super nice...

[Southern Ivy]

I learned that being on pain pills makes my mil's visits tolerable.
Also, I learned that I am very happy paying for a gourmet Thanksgiving buffet, especially when it's the best food I've ever eaten and I don't have to clean the kitchen after the feast. 

[Penguin]

That I can cook a turkey. DS usually does it, but we were on different continents.

 

And that vegan green bean casserole is not just doable but good.

[TheAttachedMama]

I learned to never take the kids to get hair cuts a few days before the holidays.   It just isn't worth it.

 

We went to some children's hair cutting place that was probably riddled with germs.  About 2 days later, all of the kids are puking their brains out.  (But their hair looks good. lol) 

 

We missed thanksgiving...and had to eat at a fast food place that was open because we didn't have any food in the house.   We missed cutting down our christmas tree.  (We have gone on the Friday after thanksgiving to do this since before DH and I were even married!)   It has just been a bummer.

 

The week before Christmas I am locking us all into quarantine.  ;)   I don't want to miss another holiday because we have the flu. 

[JennyD]

The Tickle-Me-Elmo craze was in 1996. The kids born that year turn 18 this year. No current children should be expected to know about it. Your relative's expectations are not in this century, if it makes you feel any better. :)

 

 

 

 

I had this same conversation, but not about Tickle-Me-Elmo.  It was about .. wait for it. . . . the Lone Ranger.  

 

I know, you are all genuinely shocked! shocked! to learn that my three children, the oldest of whom was born in 2005, are not familiar with this particular cultural touchstone.  And worse, they identify the William Tell Overture as simply, the William Tell Overture.  

[RootAnn]

I know, you are all genuinely shocked! shocked! to learn that my three children, the oldest of whom was born in 2005, are not familiar with this particular cultural touchstone.  And worse, they identify the William Tell Overture as simply, the William Tell Overture.  

 

Wasn't what's-his-face (Edward Scissorhands, the pirate dude, and the horrid new version of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory guy) Tonto in a movie adaptation within the last five years? Did they think your kids saw that? I didn't see it so I don't know if the music would match the old TV show. I know my relatives thought my kids would know Elmo & Big Bird from Sesame Street.

 

Totally shocked :laugh:  that your kids know the WTO as the actual WTO. I'm afraid my kids would recognize famous guitar riffs before cartoon theme songs.... And weirdly, they were probably the only kids in the local children's theater who recognized part of a Styx song during the finale of A Swiftly Tilting Planet.