The Continuing Adventures of Alex and Cati*

Halloween was a lot of fun.  We adults were preoccupied with all we had to do to prepare for the move, but the girls had a ball.  Trick-or-treating was actually rescheduled by our town due to the storms and snow and power outages.  Some of the homes we visited had been without power for a week.  We didn’t care though– we SAID “Trick or treat,” people– now cough up the candy OR ELSE!”  Just kidding.  We skipped any houses that didn’t look festive.

We went to my folks’ place for the week of Thanksgiving.  We had been without furniture for about 3 weeks in our home, so we were particularly looking forward to this visit.  The weather was great and the girls had a blast.

We went to a small scenic beach and the girls played until the sun went down.

The girls think they own the farm– or at least that it was built solely for their enjoyment.

Natalia wants to get closer to the llamas.

I was on bird duty in the kitchen.  I used the ATK method and it came out great.  This was the third time I’ve made it this way, and it worked out well again.  The trick is to cut the turkey into pieces before roasting it to ensure even heating of all parts– and no dried out breast.  Check out the link above for a better explanation than I can (care to) give.

We kept it simple and had a great holiday meal.  The focus was the turkey, the gravy, and the stuffing, and little else.

Another glimpse into pure spoildom.

Note my two daughters’ different approaches to ice-cream.

Natalia; all fun and games.

Nina; serious business.  It must be that extra 20 months of wisdom and maturity she has on Natalia.

On a related note, about a year ago I heard a story on NPR on a common problem many of us have as we age (no, not THAT problem).  I’m talking about the feeling that time is rushing by as we get older.  It’s a real measureable phenomenon.  Well, the best thing we have to combat this is (drumroll): new experiences.  Apparently doing new things makes you notice more things around you rather than just floating by on cruise control.  So when I was offered a ride on an airboat at a party recently, I thought of the NPR story and I accepted the invitation.  I must say, the experience was certainly new.