It's a brisk 22 degrees here on Da Hill!

Hey!!! We are cold chickens...can we come in??? They were pecking at the front door with requests of electric blankets and hot chocolate.

Turkey Day is Upon Us!

Gobble Gobble Gobble y'all! It's that time of the year....Thanksgiving! Kind of a lost holiday since all you really hear about this time of the year is all the "holiday" sales that are going on at the stores. I don't think anyone really takes a minute to think of the Pilgrims and the veritable Hell they went through to settle in this country, but I digress and shall now get off my plymouth rock soapbox.

Our family tradition here is to NOT have the traditional Thanksgiving meal of turkey and all the finxin's...mostly because it's a huge waste of my time since nobody really eats any of it. So why not just make stuff we DO like to eat! I know, crazy! Also, we do not under any circumstances get dressed up for this. It's a pajama day. End of story. We do watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade...or what we actually see of it since it's mostly commericals or stupid celebrities talking endlessly about the floats we can't see, the kids will decorate their ginerbread houses, watch a movie, make their wish lists. In years past the bowling alley in town has opened at 4pm and we have been known to go and bowl a few games....it's really fun...however you do have to get dressed, so it's up in the air as to if we go.

So while all you Pilgrim wannabees are eating your mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey and cranberries we here on Da Hill will be chowing down on some BBQ ribs, potato salad and probably some french fries. mmmmmmmmm.

My own personal turkey

9 years ago...the day before a Thanksgiving Holiday, I gave birth to my very own 9 pound Butterball Turkey! Hello Gavin!!! How the years have flown by! The most craziest, mind blowing, adorable, silly, sleepless years ever! But, given the choice I would go back and do it all over again!

Happiest of Birthday's little man, we love you tons!

Cody James....our own personal cowboy

Today Cody went on his first trail ride without his mother walking along side of him :) he and his trusty steed Mercedes hit the trail at Borderland State Park in Easton, MA...a most beautiful and family friendly place with miles of trails to hike, bike or walk your favorite 4 legged friend. They also have a very awesome disc golf course, I've never had the chance to play but I do like watching others, it seems fun! The air was crisp and the sun kept peeking out behind clouds. While he rode off into the sunset (well not really, it was the middle of the day but isn't that what cowboys do?) I parked my carcass on a nice bench in front of the stone "castle" and knitted and watched the birds at the feeders. It was a really nice day indeed.

I came, I froze, I peed in the woods.

This weekend I packed up the van, kissed 3 kids goodbye and headed to the woods with the 4th child. It was scout camping weekend and little did we know what an adventure it was going to be! Cody was super excited (seen pictured here with his fellow scout friends Jimmy and Sam..Cody is the kid in the middle sporting the "moose took" hat) and I was optomistic since this is my last camping trip before he makes the big move to Boy Scouts...where the mommies do NOT go camping (insert happy dance here). We decided to get some dinner on our own before heading down...which turned out to be a wise choice. So by the time we hit the camp ground it was PITCH BLACK and nobody quite seemed to know where our group was located. Cody and I carried our tent up and down the road for about 45 minutes before low and behold we found a couple of fellow scouts all set up, we put up our tent and got a good fire going. Life is good.

Or so we thought.......

I decide to head to the car for the last couple of items, and run into our big group a 1/2 mile down the road from my tent. uh oh...we got sent to the wrong place. It's now 8 pm, i'm exhausted, cold and irritated. They decide I must move my gear to their camp site...to which I said "NO" and stomped my foot and proceeded to burst into tears. I collected myself and used my smarts.."wait...I have double stuff oreo cookies and a whole lot of teeange boys at my disposal" so yes I bribed them with food and they hauled all my stuff down and set it back up!

Crisis averted.....but not really.

Somebody (a man!!! it was a man!!!) backed into a pipe and tore out the water main, we had no flushing toilets anywhere in the campground. It's now 9:30 and of course, I gotta "go" pretty bad. Thank goodness it was dark right...except the boys are all running around the woods playing the game Manhunt with flashlights...you never know when one will just pop up in front of you. I waited until 10 pm and then didn't care how many young men I will send into therapy from encountering me bare assed in the woods trying not to pee on my feet or get jabbed with a stick, I was going!

aaaaaahhhhhhhhh....relief.

30 degree sleeping weather, farting, snoring, food prepared by the boys (undercooked or just gross) mud, wind, and walking for hours from activity to activity. All forgotten, my son had a blast, made new friends, learned new skills, performed a skit in front of 300 other scouts/families and passed out cold in the car on the way home. Good times. I'm glad he asked me to go.

Cry no more Gavin...Mommy found you Mac and Cheese!

I'm giving a Shout Out to Amy's for coming up with a gluten free/dairy free mac and cheese that tastes fabulous and looks good too. I'd all but banned the other children from eating any Mac and Cheese product because watching Gavin cry at the dinner table because he couldn't have it near broke my heart. BUT NOW...oh he too can enjoy his favorite comfort food yet again without danger of belly aches or worse.

So Thanks Amy's....you rock!