Crazy Thanksgiving Weekend

So like normal for us Thanksgiving weekend was crazy. It would have been nicer if I hadn't been sick the whole time, but who can plan a sickness?? I ended up staying home from work on Tues. and Wed. with a fever, all over body aches, and chills. It was a wonderful progression from there to a sinus cold complete with horrible headaches, to loosing my voice on Friday - Saturday, and finally settled into a wonderful case of chest congestion with a racking cough. All I can say is at least the illness is progressing through a wide variety of stages :-)

Enough about being sick. Thanksgiving itself was actually a bit milder than usual this year.We only had one set of grandparents to visit, since Lyle's parents are in Australia on vacation right now. So we messed around the house in the morning. Not much to do outside of home on Thanksgiving Day. We made cookies, watched "Franklin and the Green Knight", slew dragons, did puzzles, played Hungry Hippos, and many other things...all before lunch. Then we had a light snack and Keegan (and I) took naps. Then it was over to my parents' house for Thanksgiving dinner.

My mom did a great job making dinner, my dad fried the turkey in his fryer outside. It was super yummy. We all enjoyed it a lot. Although I don't think I ever expressed much enjoyment because I felt pretty crappy. Then we went bowling; something that is becoming a family tradition for us. Had a pretty good time doing that and then back to my parents' house for pumpkin pie. By then I was absolutely wiped out and it was time for Keegan to go to bed, so we went home.

Friday was another crazy day. Keegan woke up really early. So we made some muffins and then went to Super Target...because we could I guess. It opened at 5:30am so it was novel to be there by 7am or so. We bought a lot of junk we didn't need and some we did. Then met up with my parents again around 8:30am to go downtown to the Macy's Christmas Display. I had read it was going to be something with Mary Poppins but it ended up being the same thing as last year. Which was okay because Keegan didn't know any better. Below are some pictures of the display, a picture of me and Keegan (I look a bit, well, out of it) and Lyle and Keegan.









Then we went and got pictures taken with Santa Claus. Keegan was super about Santa, although he got a little shy. You should know he did manage to blurt out that he really wanted a "lawnmower" and a "Ride-on excavator". He has been talking about those two things forever. So Santa is well aware of his needs :-) Below are some pics of him and the big guy in the red suit.





Then we went out to the Crystal Court and hung out a bit. Keegan finished his huge green frosted cookie and we watched some guy doing work on the ceiling of the glass tower. Then Keegan drove his King car that grandma got him around the fountain for a while. Then is was time for phase 2 of the day...which involved eating.





We went to PF Chang's in Maple Grove. This has also become a tradition because it is on the way up to Albertville Mall. We ate...it was good. We left. Well not before mom and I hit Francesca's Boutique and scored some lovely necklaces. Suddenly with the prospect of shopping ahead of me, I started to feel less sickly and crappy..it could have been all the napping in the car too.

Then we drove to Albertville, phase 3. There is now a Charlotte Russes Outlet store there. I almost died of excitement. I scored a cute dress, some awesome cable knit leggings, and a flouncy little skirt. My next big score was at the Gap Outlet store. Me and the Gap Outlet always get along very well...too well. I ended up with a great pair of grey skinny jeans, some lovely straight legged trouser jeans, a pull over sweater, a ruffly sweater, and a plaid ruffle dress shirt. Yeah, I spent a lot. But I had so much fun. I keep telling myself I don't need more clothes...but it is kind of a hobby for me. I wish I could rent cloths sometimes...

Then we went to Axel's Bonfire for dinner. They now have a Gluten Free menu, so yeah for my mom! It was yummy. Then back to their house for more pumpkin pie. Kee went off to bed and we played Five Crowns with my parents.

Then Saturday was putting up the tree day! We did that in the morning and ran some errands. Then nap time. Then we met my parents at the Mall of America. For two reasons. One so I could use my $15 gift certificate to Express (I know like I need more cloths); two so we could use up the ride pass we bought last week. Keegan got to do a few more rides in the park and was very happy. Then dinner at Chevy's. Back home, Keegan to bed, and Lyle and I played "Borderlands" on the PS3. I *finally* got a gun that lights people on fire...it is awesome! Of course Lyle is in sniper heaven the whole time. Then to bed.

Sunday was the least eventful. We ran lots of errands. Went to Whole Foods, went to Best Buy, went to Super Target...mostly finishing up the last of our Christmas shopping. Then Keegan napped and Lyle and I wrapped presents. I also had a lot of blogging on my book blog to catch up on. Then Keegan woke up. We played for a bit. Lyle was a dragon and Keegan and I fought him *again*. Keegan's rocker was a boat and it crashed like 5 times. Soon it was time for dinner. We went to IHOP because I really wanted their gingerbread pancakes and I am sick so what I want matters. After that off to Pet Smart to get kitty litter, drove around some and looked at Christmas lights; there are a ton of lights in our neighborhood. Keegan went to bed, I worked on the 2010 family calendar, Lyle left for hockey, I finished the calendar, I read "Kin" a graphic novel by Holly Black, and then sat down to summarize the weekend for all you folks.

On a side note, I am thinking of participating in some reading challenges for 2010. We will see, I think I will keep it to 3 or 4 reading challenges since I am new to them. So keep an eye on my book blog and they will show up there.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends and family! Just writing to let you know we are very thankful to have you all in our lives.

We will be doing the normal, kind of, today. Lyle's parents are in Australia on vacation right now so we will only be hitting my parents for Thanksgiving this year. Then on to some Thanksgiving Day bowling :-)

Tomorrow we will do the usual and run down to Macy's to see the Christmas display, go eat at PF Chang's and hit Albertville (after it's been decimated by the midnight crowd).

The Saturday is putting up the tree and fun stuff like that :-)

Hope that you all have an excellent Thanksgiving and a wonderful weekend!

On the road

Okay so I am out in good ole' Medford, OR again on a trip for work. We are coating at the pilot plant for the new product I am working on. Not a bad trip; only 2 days at the plant. Unfortunately it takes almost a whole day of travel to get out here. I started driving to the airport at 9am our time and got to the hotel at 6:00pm there time.

Now, I find myself in a rather strange situation. I have nothing to do. I have my computer, everything in Medford closes around 6pm on a Sunday, and I read two books on the plane on the way over here...so for once I am a bit burnt out on the reading thing.

So, then why not update our blog that has been sorely neglected this last year.

My trip out was good. Travel went well, no delays. I got a nice car, I got decent seats on the plane..I didn't have to sit next to anyone who stank, oozed outside of their seat, or babbled the whole way...no screaming children or kids kicking my seat. So I really can't complain.

I don't know how many of you have been to small airports before. Medford has two terminals for prop planes. You get in and there is one baggage claim, five feet from that is the car rental. Not too tough to get around; not all that interesting either. But, I can get off my plane and be to the hotel in 15 minutes...so it beats the Minneapolis airport from that aspect.

Tomorrow will be the true test as I am the only engineer sent out for this run; at least we are only scheduled for 10-12 hour days...so no 16 hour days I am hoping.

Anyway, back to family. Keegan got his stitches out and did wonderful. A little over a week later and he has a small read line with a little slight scabbing on one side. I can't believe how fast that kid heals.

We did family pictures on Sunday and they turned out really well. We told Keegan he was getting his picture taken like a Rock Star. He was a bit shy at first, then he started really hamming it up for the photographer. She got a real kick out of him :-)

The Daddy, daddy, daddy thing has switched track. This week it was mommy, mommy, mommy. Suddenly I wondered why I was worried about Keegan preferring daddy. I also wondered why I didn't appreciate the stage more while it lasted, because now I am on mommy, mommy, mommy duty way more ;-) Seriously though it makes me feel good he wants me again. Of course, he made this switch just in time for me to go out of town.

I hope he doesn't get too upset, we explained it to him and he seemed cool with it. I promised to bring him a toy; which I went to Toys R Us and acquired when I got here.

What else...I, at least, am preparing for Xmas shopping. This takes a lot of mental preparedness to spend all that money and figure out who is getting what. I took Keegan to the toy store on Friday and have since concluded that he really wants everything for Christmas.

Christmas with an almost three year old is much cooler than Christmas with a almost 2 year old. The toys are awesome! I want to get him all of them so that I can play too. The next big age jump is 5-6 years...then we can start in on those cool Lego sets and the K'nex!

Keegan continues to make us laugh and come up with funny things. He is such a goofball. When I tell him that he says "No mommy, you're a goofball." and I say "No you're a goofball." We argue back and forth until Lyle says "You are BOTH goofballs!"

Anyway, I am sure they will do fine without me. But I will be happy to go back home. The silence is novel, but the novelty wears off quickly. I hoping to hit the Medford Macy's and use my $10 gift card while I am here. Other than that I am hoping things go decently. Maybe for once progress at the plant will go faster than molasses and we will get done early...okay I hear people laughing from here...it won't happen but you never know.