Friday, November 28, 2008

Giving Thanks and Other Announcements

I'm interrupting the holidays to bring you an important announcement. Or two. Or three. First, go to http://motherofallthinktanks.wordpress.com/ right now. Read "About" and the first articles. Then, participate! Tell me what you want to talk about. Talk. Link. Or else it will be way more boring for me. Soon, I will add some hot topics to get people mad at me, or rather to get people thinking.
Second, see this picture?

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek
I just found out that even though I was told my insurance would only cover 1/5 of this $5000 device, they just covered all but $466!!!! This is the hugest load off my mind!!!!!! Like how to find and extra $4000 off my mind. I don't know what we did to deserve this but we are SO THANKFUL! Whooopeeee!!! And I am so excited, I'm linking this one picture to photo story Friday so everyone can hear. SO if you're photo storying here, you don't even have to read about the Thanksgiving dinner that I didn't take pictures of and the best things got eaten before I got out the camera, so I gave up. You are excused. I won't be offended if you move on. But here's my chef and the low down on our festivities:Papi made his traditional Thanksgiving spread and we have enough leftovers to last us all weekend and maybe even beyond. We had some friends over and ATE! He made turkey and I nearly fainted that someone convinced him to use vinegar in his concoction this year. We do not like dry turkeys and as usual, it wasn't dry :) He made ham and shrimp in garlic butter and avocado cups and scallops with mayo, and rice and a mushroom sauce and potato salad and tomato salad and probably I'm forgetting something else. He bought a pecan pie and a caramel apple pie with nuts and chocolate drizzle and Enigma made some pumpkin rolls and lemon tarts. Then the guests brought Tiramisu and lemon meringue pie and more pecan pie. And we had that wicked sticky stuff called soda pop too. All I had to do was clean up and make some gravy. While I was tasting the gravy, the shrimp popped hot butter all the way across the stove and landed on my hand. I flipped the gravy all over my hair and the stove and screamed. I ran lots of cold water on my hand and then slathered it in aloe vera and I'm all good to go. Nothing really hurt but my pride. I don't know why I feel compelled to tell these embarrassing stories, but I can't seem to help myself. Can you imagine if I'd made the whole dinner? I'm thankful for Papi.

My THIRD announcement is, the infidels have taken over my home. That enigmatic one who is on the verge of jumping out into the big world of adulthood soon wanted to go join in that evil day called black Friday that I avoid. Passionately. I hate it. I think it should be canceled. I think we should sleep in till late and then bond all weekend. But, she, being the capitalist consumer that she is, thought she could get a really, really good deal on another abomination. One of those things that attaches to your boob tube and gets people playing games until they are totally oblivious of who they are and where they're at and who their mom is and that she is calling them to dinner, and also severs all ties to siblings whom they will squash like a bug if they try to take over the game. But at least they will move their bodies while using it. Can you guess what that thing that she wanted was? (I'll give you another hint. It rhymes with Pii.) So, I figured that the easiest way to brush her off was to let her try. I did a rash and foolish thing, I gave her some plastic with strict rules to follow or she would never make it to the age of 18. And I let her try. Because, I figured there was no way she was going to get it. She wasn't even planning to wait in line for hours ahead of time. And do you know what? for Pete's sake, she even slept in and got there late. And they were all gone. Then as she rounded the corner from where the empty shelf was, hanging her head in despair, a heavenly chorus sang and a light shone down on one last misplaced item. And she bought it. I'm in shock. And my whole Christmas and Christmas budget is turned upside down. I'm going to love every last minute I have with my children before they finally fall into that bottomless pit of gaming. And I'm making up great ground rules so they will still look me in the eye on occasion. :)

In a nutshell, so far we are having a great weekend. I am so happy we are having a great holiday with family events and gatherings coming up, and this time they're not funerals :)!!! Hope you are having a safe and happy holiday, too!! And now, back to cleaning offices and bedrooms (sort of) while watching videos with the family.

19 comments:

Unknown said...

How awesome they covered so much of his device. Happy Holidays to you and your family.

Susie said...

Congrats on the insurance blessing! I LOVE getting relief like that! I am over from PSF, but I did read about your Thanksgiving with only a picture of the chef and I will only say one thing: what time is dinner next year, and what should I bring????;)
It sounded amazing! Sorry about the butter burn-but glad you're OK.

One last thing: I think they should ban black Friday too. now people are literally dying-it's soooooo crazy!

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

What a wonderful surprise. How amazing to not have to find $4000!

And, yum on the food.

JenEverAfter said...

Great job with the insurance! You must've done something right!
Sorry about gravy in your hair. That's not so fun.
I only ever tried ONCE to participate in Black Friday. I got up early and pulled into the Target parking lot, and soon as I saw the line, I went back home and went to bed. Crowds are NOT for me!

Michelle said...

How nice to hear that so much of the device was covered after all!

And don't you just love Thanksgiving left overs? They are the best. :)

4boyzmdmom said...

Sounds like Frank is not the only chef in the family! Too bad they can't stay home and do all the cooking since they seem to enjoy it so much! Condolences on the infidels invading your home. Your life is officially over!

MERRIANNE said...

WOW! INSURANCE BLESSINGS!!!! you go girl~!

I hope you had a FABULOUS thanksgiving!

Unknown said...

That is such great news! I'm so happy for you!

RAQ said...

I'm so glad you get to keep the hearing device without having to find $4000!!! Huge tender mercy!!! I wish Gwen hadn't gotten sick so I could be at the family thing tonight!

Mommy Jo said...

Thanks so much for stopping in to visit my blog!
Lovely to visit yours!
Happy Thanksgiving from Canada.

latree said...

thanks to th insurance..
happy holiday!

Lijy said...

wow... what a spread? just reading about the food, my mouth is watering.

hope you had a nice thanksgiving :)

Mary Ellen said...

Way to go - an early $4000 insurance present! I'm releived for you. You totally deserve it - congratulations.

Anonymous said...

That is so great that they covered so much of his device. That is such a blessing.

Honey Mommy said...

Insurance can be awful, so it's great that they did well by you!

Hope you have a magical holiday season!

Burgh Baby said...

That is ABSOLUTELY fantastic! What great news to get just in time for the holiday.

Glad you had a great Thanksgiving!

Joanna said...

*hee hee* I bet you'll get addicted to the Wii too. I look at it this way - we can all do it together so it's still bonding.

Congrats on the insurance stuff!! Your dinner sounded yummy.

I'm with you - Black Friday should be banned. Especially when a Wal-Mart man was trampled to death just for opening up the doors.

Darla said...

Yay for the insurance company! And, even though I totally hear you on the losing your kids to gaming thing, for the sake of your daughter and for, I'm assuming, the good price, yay for your daughter's stroke of good fortune!!!

Carrie and Troy Keiser said...

happy to hear that things were better covered than you thought.
Yay for a good thanksgiving.
And watch out you might get sucked into the wii-zone!