Happy Thanksgiving Everyone 2009

There's something that feels magical about being up late the night before a holiday cooking and baking goodies after everyone else in the house is asleep. Perhaps it's because that's the way my grandmother did it. She's a night-owl like me. The house is quiet and sweet smells waft from the kitchen as I brew, stir, baste, and clean up along the way. The TV plays softly in the background. I don't pay attention to whatevers on, I just like the sound of it from the living room. Tomorrow it will be maddeningly noisy and joyous with the family. But for now, there's just me, the TV, the mixer, and the oven; making magic in the kitchen during the night. Here are my creations.



2 pumpkin cheesecakes




Blueberry pie




Pecan pie




Banana cake

I wish everyone out there a very blessed thanksgiving. Take a moment to close your eyes, breathe deeply, and just bask in the wonder of everything you have to be thankful for. And when your family is driving you insane, just have a margarita and take a long hot bubble bath as soon as possible.

Now that my cooking is finally done, it's time for me to wake Adam up to make an entirely different kind of magic ;-)

Goodnight all!

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Happy Birthday Ben

Today is my brother Ben's birthday. He is 23 years old today. That makes me feel old considering I remember the day he was born. He is the youngest out of me and Michael (who will be 27 December 2nd). Don't ask me how old I am because I will lie.

Ben's always been the underdog of our family. To say that Michael and I tortured him is putting it mildly. Looking back, I sometimes feel guilty about it, but, hey, what are big sisters and brothers for?

For instance, our family has always enjoyed watching ghostly and paranormal movies and TV programs (Still do!). All of us except Ben, that is. In the days before DVR's, families patiently awaited the night of the week that everyone's favorite shows aired so they could gather together in the living room to watch, complete with a big bowl of popcorn to fight over. We were no different. (I miss those days...)

After our weekly night of ghostly viewings, Little Ben would be afraid to go to the bathroom by himself. (I know, Ben, I'm such a turd for posting this.) He would cry and beg one of us to stand vigil outside the bathroom door so he could pee in safety.

So what did Michael and I do?

"Sure! We'll stand in the hallway and wait for you!"

Ben: "Do you promise you won't leave me?"

Us: "Sure! No problem! (evil snickers)"

We would stand at the door and wait for the sound of pee hitting toilet water, then shout, "Oops, sorry, Ben, gotta go!"
And we would run back to the living room, giggling madly.

Ben would scream out the word he is still famous for, "Mamaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!"
And he would stumble out of the bathroom, desparately struggling to get his pants up and running for the living room at the same time.

Michael and I got in trouble everytime we did that to him, but we considered it worth it for the laugh.

Now I could tell you about the time Michael and his buddy Stephen duct-taped Ben to the side of the van, but that wasn't where I was planning on going with this blog LOL.

Now that I think about it, it's a wonder Ben didn't need therapy because of us. I must admit though, he has grown up to be a very good man. I am very proud of him and his wife Amy.

As mature as he's become, our mom still insists on doing the cake thing for him on his birthday. Probably because he's the youngest. I laugh about it now, but I will find out for myself in a few years when my kids are older. So here's a video clip of me, Mom, Amy, Adreine, and Jacob singing Ben Happy Birthday.

I love you, Beevo!



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Pumpkin Soup and Mele Kalikimaka

I know Thanksgiving is not quite here yet, but it's been chilly and cloudy outside which makes it the perfect day for soup. I've spent the past couple years now perfecting my pumpkin soup recipe. The first time I cooked it, I was so excited and invited lots of family over to try it. I'll admit it was terrible. Pumpkin soup is kind of an aquired taste anyway. I've now narrowed the spices down to just a little nutmeg and curry. I also make it creamy similar to tomato soup. The end result is that Jacob loves it!





He ate two bowls. I wish I could say the same for Adreine. She wanted to like it but she had pumpkin pie on her mind and she was disappointed that the soup wasn't sweet.

The soup obviously gave Jacob lots of energy and put him in a holiday mood.

Letters to the Boss

I love working on days when I'm at the office by myself. Everything is peaceful and quiet. All I can hear is the calming hum of the computers running and the printer doing its thing. I get so much done on these days. When I leave, the desk is neat and organized. I always take one last look at it before I walk out the door because I know it won't be that way when I return. I'm also famous for leaving a note on the front desk to let my boss what the latest is on everything. Here's an example:

Mr. "Boss",

I straightened up and checked the mail... *other business related news, phone calls, etc.)

There's a half empty coffee cup on Scott's desk with cigarette butts floating in it. It's gross and I'm not touching it with a ten-foot pole. I cleaned up everything else though.

Sincerely,
Vickie Heully

So there's a glimpse into my workday.

Until next time...

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Hungry Jake

Here is a picture of Jacob this evening patiently waiting for dinner to be ready.





He took offense everytime I tried to convince him to get out of my way. Eventually I had to tickle him to distract him out of the kitchen so I could finish cooking.




I know my blog's have been short, but I haven't had time to write a long one lately. Hope things are going well for everyone out there.

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Making Memories

This short video of Adreine is not really a big deal, but it's one of those moments that I will remember forever.

Brushing her hair is a big ordeal around here because it is so long. We fuss every morning with snags and tangles. Today I coached her through brushing her own hair for a change. I realized that it's the first of many steps she will take in becoming a woman someday. A bittersweet moment for mommy.



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Info-mercials for Six-Year-Olds

Adreine wakes me up this morning, calling out from the recliner with the remote in her hand,

"Mom! We really need to get a Shark Steam Pocket Mop! It really does clean like no other mop! It's double-sided! Come see!"

I groan and pull the covers over my head.

Bonfire Birthday Party

This evening the kids and I went to a birthday party for their friend Noah. They had a really good time. They went on a hayride and roasted marshmallows. I took lots of pictures, but they were very hard to see because it was dark. I did get Jacob roasting a marshmallow and us singing Happy Birthday to Noah.



When we got home, Jacob was so tuckered, he fell asleep on the floor.




Goodnight all!

Dinner Blog: Red Beans and Rice

I can't make this dish nearly as well as my mother-in-law can, but mine doesn't turn out bad at all.

This evening was the first time I put tomatoes in it. I liked how it turned out.

Have a virtual bowl and enjoy.

Potty Talk Over Dinner

It's mind-blowing what kids will talk about at the dinner table. While eating this evening, Adreine chimes in with,

"My friend, 'name omitted for privacy reasons' said if you eat too much cheese, you'll get constipated. I told her that's not true."

Me: "But it is true."

Confused stare from Adreine, "It IS?!?"

Me: "Yes."

Adreine thinks on this for a couple of seconds.
"Yea, but not if you put it in a taco."

Me: "What difference does that make?"

Adreine: "Cause Daddy says tacos give him diarrhea."

Her perception for bodily functions is appalling.

Me: "Everything gives your father diarrhea."

Adreine: "Well he should eat more cheese then!"

The iPhone Can Do Anything

My AT&T contract recently came up for renewal. I'd been dropping small hints to Adam about the new Samsung Jack in hopes that he would see it as an early Christmas gift. About a week ago, he makes an unexpected suggestion.

"Why don't we both get an iPhone?"

I narrowed my eyes. One of our cousins has one and gushes over how much she loves it. Even though I was curious about it, I always felt the need to defend my beloved Blackjack. To me it made perfect sense: Windows PC + Windows smartphone = easy, organized, and efficient. To hear how much I love the Samsung Blackjack, go back and read my earlier post about it http://www.vickieheully.com/2009/06/i-love-my-phone-samsung-blackjack.html

To me iPhone users seemed like some sort of ridiculous cult. So the phone has a big-ass touch screen, so what? Even the app store sounded like nothing more than an excuse to play video games on a cell phone.

So I decided to do a google research first. They say the iPhone has improved since it was first released. Hmm. 3 megapixel camera. Sounds nice. It can upload video clips directly to YouTube without the need for a computer. Copy and paste features. Now my mind is starting to form the possibility of blogging exclusively from my phone. Now I'm intrigued.

But the Samsung Jack has a good camera too and Windows Mobile 6. Decisions, decisions...

So I go to the AT&T store the next day. As soon as the sales lady hears that I'm eligible for an upgrade, she smiles, "We have an iPhone available for $99 with an upgrade."

I was prepared to be unamused,
"But I can get a new Blackjack for only $79."

It was then that I glanced at the sales lady's belt clip and noticed an iPhone.
"Oh no," I thought, "Another member of the 'Church of iPhone' congregation."

And as expected she launched into her "personal testimonial" about how iPhone is the greatest phone ever created. I listened politely and silently reminded myself that the only reason she sounded so convincing is because she's brainwashed like the rest of them. After listening and asking questions for over 40 minutes (sales people hate me), I asked again for a Samsung Jack. She went to the stock room to get one.

While she was gone, I got bored and wandered over to the iPhone display area. If it really does all the things the lady says it can, - "NO!" my mind screamed, "Dont give in!"
I picked up one of the tethered display models and absently played with it. The lady came back and saw me with it in my hand. I dropped the iPhone and flushed like a kid caught stealing. She had a big smirk on her face,
"Im sorry. We don't have any Jacks in stock right now. We will have to order you one."

Salespeople love to use the modern trend of instant gratification against us. Dammit I wanted a new phone! I noticed she had a small box in her hand. It was an iPhone.

I chewed my lip nervously and looked around at all the other people waiting behind me. I'd already taken over an hour of this womans time. Then she launched her last ditch sales pitch.
"You can return it within 60 days if you don't like it and get your Jack."

"Ok," I whispered.

Seriously I thought that woman was gonna jump up and down and shout hallelujah! She had me set up and ready to go in less than 15 minutes.
"Just give it a day." she said reassuring as she passed my new phone to me, "I promise you will love it."

So the verdict?

I guess I can consider myself a new convert. I really do love it except for the fact that I hate the iTunes software you have to use with it. Everytime I try to sync my phone, I accidently delete all my music. I miss Windows Mobile's drag and drop.

I found out the app store is more than just games. I'm a stickler for schedules and to-do lists so I went straight to the productivity section. Not only did I find a great to-do list app, but I also found a recipe organizer, a sleep tracker, a moon/sun phase clock, a calorie counter, Blogger mobile, MySpace mobile, Facebook mobile, etc, etc, etc. Within 24 hours I had 3 pages of apps. Admittedly I don't miss the Samsung as much as I thought I would.

Still don't believe me that the iPhone can do anything? I saw an app call iMassage. It activates the phone's vibrate feature and keeps the phone vibrating till you touch the button to stop it. It's supposed to be to soothe sore muscles on business trips, but think about this for a moment, fellow ladies! Lmao!

Now if Apple can create an app to cook dinner, do laundry, and mop floors, I'll be all set!



- This blog was posted from my iPhone Lol

Halloween 2009

This year was the most I've done for halloween in my life. First I made the kids help me clean the house. (Thats what inspired Adreine's punishment letter yesterday.) Then it was off to Walmart to buy groceries and supplies. In hindsight, this seems like something I shouldve done during the week, but I couldn't because I worked all week.






The kids were very good in Walmart though. The store was crowded but it wasn't so bad.

Unfortunately, the shopping trip took the better part of the afternoon. By the time we made it home, I was racing to get everything unloaded and head to the kitchen to get started brewing up spooky treats for the Halloween party later. I cooked BBQ bat (chicken) wings, chocolate covered spiders, corpse cupcakes, and kitty litter cake. Here's a few pics.





See the body parts on the cupcakes? Good thing it's supposed to look gross. I don't have a talent for cupcakes.



Jacob was a transformer and Adreine was an angel. I took them trick-or-treating, but it sucked. It seems no one really likes to participate for trick-or-treaters anymore. If I'd had the time, I would've gotten my revenge on all the dark porches with lots and lots of toilet paper. Hey I might start a new tradition with the kids next year, hmmm....

My parents' house was the most decorated in the neighborhood. My brother Ben went as far as to make a black tunnel-like area that the children had to walk through to get their candy. It was dark and they had it rigged with spook music and strobe lights. They were all hiding inside to scare the kids as they went in.














After that we went back home so I could finish cooking and change into my costume. I dressed as a witch (aka myself) like I always do. I'm not very savvy at taking pictures of myself with the new phone. But I managed to get my feet.



We went to a Halloween party some very good friends invited us to. We had an awesome time. I wish I had taken more pictures there but I was too busy visiting and dealing with two children both of whom had eaten enough candy to keep them awake for 3 days. We played a DVD board game called Atmosfear.



In all, I would say it was an enjoyable Halloween. The only change I would have make would be for Adam to be there for it.

I'm always a bit sad when Halloween is over. Partly because I love it so much, but also because it marks the fact that the rest of the holidays are coming fast whether we're ready for it or not. I vow not to let the procrastination monster get me this year!

So that's my halloween blog. I know it's been awhile, but what can I say except life happens.

Until next time.

Kids Halloween Activities
Printable kids Halloween activities to make Halloween more fun than ever before. Includes puzzles, mazes, Halloween games, math worksheets, coloring pages and much more. Ideal for home or school.