Our family

Our family

Friday, November 27, 2009

Thanksgiving

The Brilliant idea that going to the Macy's Day Thanksgiving parade would make a perfect Thanksgiving morning hit me all at once as most great ideas do. I run the idea past Steve and he agrees it is a great idea to head into the city with the 5 kids on Thanksgiving. This is why we are married lack of clarity on the definition of fun.

Well we hit the road at 7:45 and sailed right into that glittering city. Driving down 80th st. Matthew shouts "there's Andrew!" what? oh yes it is the other branch of the Bo family. The kids and I jump out of the car and Steve drives off to find parking.

My SIL is a pro at this parade thing and she takes off. I am trying to keep up, crossing streets at dizzying speeds. Mark loses a shoe and is forced to hop across a street. We reorganize and look up to see that they have already crossed an Ave illegally. I ditch my coffee grab the kids hands and like a high stakes game of Frogger, we manage to cross the street avoiding both the police and the speeding cars.
We snake through the yard of the Museum of Natural History. Past balloons feet away from us completely inflated and lying on the street, 2 stories high even prone. We make it to CPW and single file walk though throngs of parade participants dressed to the nines in costumes of clowns dalmatians, flower pots, princesses. Smiling and stopping for pictures with the kids! We are the only civilians for a block.

We have a clear view from the steps of the museum to the street, there is only about 2 dozen people in this whole area. The kids have confetti dropped on their heads from floats, participants come to shake their hands. They can stand on the steps for a better view or sit on the curb.

But where is Steve? Finally he calls I am on 81st and CPW. We are only 2 blocks away but alas here comes Santa, and we all know this means the end of the parade! He missed the whole parade.

At the close of the parade, SIL say lets go and she hops on the end of the parade and we all follow it down to 72nd street when we exit for the park. A great walk in the park and we head back out of the city to enjoy the thanksgiving feast!

A brilliant idea after all!

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet! " If you say that one m ore time...."





Happy Halloween. This is the big day. With 5 kids under 7 now, this is a reverent holiday. One to be honored, dreampt about, prepared for. It is not a joke, It is time to bring out the power tools.
Yes. That's right the power tools, well you just go ahead and carve by hand, 5 pumpkins.

The kitchen floor covered in newspaper, Steve and 5 pumpkins. Two choices: Scary or happy. Matthew designed his on paper and each of his little foot soldiers wanted his design.

The walk looked amazing with five pumpkins aglow, lining the edges. Ending in a scary talking skeleton head, and a bloody door saying keep out. We played Halloween music in the background. I think it was pretty awesome if I do say so myself and I will, only because no one else will, otherwise I would just nod demurely and insist it wasn't enough, but since that opportunity is not presenting itself, I am put in the awkward position of self-congratulations, which honestly is whose fault?

Carving was followed by the baking of pumpkins seeds, lunch, costumes, anxiety while waiting to trick or treat, then finally ahh the trick or treating! 2 vampires, 2 ghosts and 1 bloody skeleton head out the door, quickly joined by a which and a transformer or was he a power ranger?

And put so succinctly by Cara 'this is so excitin'" oh and was it, house after house, would they answer the door? What would they give us? Tentatively knocking at first then bolder with each house, the routine down pat. At 4 and 7 they have the stamina for block after block, candy bags brimming with forbidden junk, junk and more junk food! Enough sugar to fuel and entire 3rd world country, and it is their's in their own bags, free flowing from the heavens through people's front doors and into their bags. It is impossible but yet true, true so true!

Back into the house bags are spilled onto the floor, piles of candy and the search for illegal candy carried out by Matthew begins, then all of the Reece's peanut butter cups and almond joys are handed over to their parents as payment for their security duty on Halloween rounds.

Then the trading begins, emotionally charged accusations flying, rumors starting, alliances formed and broken, tears shed and finally calm as one of the brighter ones realize that maybe they could do more then admire and fuss over the candy, maybe we can eat it!

Now it's moms turn to begin the weeks of negotiations ahead, 1 piece now, 2 after dinner. Not 2 big pieces, okay then one big and that's it. Alright 1 big, 1 small, don't ask again or the candy bags go away for the day.

This may be one of the best Halloweens on record, but our Halloween record is woeful so that isn't a rave, which perhaps this day was worthy of. The family had a fun time together which is the overarching goal of the weekend days no matter what the theme or the events it contains. So we put away the costumes of this year and turn toward the hectic Christmas season, time to dust off the cookie recipes, make the wish lists and plan the celebrations!