I love Thanksgiving!! I love the traditions that we started when we had a bunch of little kids. I love that it's a day we hang out with just our kids, no work, homework or other life's busyness gets in the way. We watch the Macy's parade while the kids go through the paper changing or adding to their Christmas lists. I love most that it's just a day that we can all just shut down and enjoy each other.
When I was a very young kid I decided that I would cook with my kids and always have them join in on Thanksgiving cooking. My mom was an amazing cook and liked her space in the kitchen. When I'd offer to help she'd let me get stuff out of the pantry and that's where my help ended. This didn't turn out very well for my poor husband. I'll share that story in another blog. It's a favorite of his and our kids love to hear it so they can openly laugh at me.
For today's blog I thought I'd share what I've learned along the way and traditions that we unknowingly started. You do something one time and if it's a hit with the kids, we've found out that it becomes a tradition. We're now a bit choosy about new ideas we want to try at the holidays. :)
Last week we sat down with the kids and decided what we wanted to eat for Thanksgiving dinner, if anyone wanted to try a new recipe and what desserts we wanted to have. Then we decided who wanted to make what. THIS is one of my favorite traditions. I'm not even sure when it started but every child makes something for Thanksgiving dinner. Courtney is about to leave for college and has wanted to go grocery shopping with me and make all my grocery lists lately. This week is no different. I've loved teaching her about how to shop on a budget and spending time with her before she leaves for her first year of college.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving I have all the kids get their ingredients out that will be needed, except for refrigerator items, and help them put all their items in the dish they will need to make or bake with. My counter looks like a mess for a day or two but it's so worth it in the end. I try to keep it an organized mess but I wouldn't want it any other way.
We tape our recipes on the front of the cabinet doors at their eye level. This keeps them from getting water and food all over them. Again, not sure when that lightbulb idea came on for me but so glad it did. No more, "where did my recipe go?!" or "I can't read it! I just spilled stuff on it." If they can make their side dish the day before I help them and if not then we figure out a way to coordinate it so everything is ready at the same time. My dad told me that he loved watching mom cook. "She is so good at it and every single thing for the meal comes out at the same time. She amazes me!" This was something that took me a few years to figure out how to do but yeah...it's pretty cool to have it happen and look effortless. My mom was really good at it.
I hate putting my hands in places I can't see. You know the game where you put your hand in the bag and describe what you feel to see if it can be guessed? I hate that game so much!!! I still have a hard time reaching in blindly to get anything. Jim is a very sweet husband and every year offers to do the turkey. I never say no! Several years ago he asked Hunter to help him, now it's a thing all 3 boys do together. I help with spices but everything else is "a guy thing." I love watching them do their magic in the kitchen together. It's always a time of sweet laughter and guy chats.
When I was a kid my job after Thanksgiving dinner was to do the dishes. So not a fun job when you ARE the dishwasher and you can hear laughter in the rest of the house that you're missing out on. My sweet Uncle Steve would always come save me. Some of my fondest memories are the chats Uncle Steve and I would have while we took turns washing and drying dishes. He always had perfect timing too! Just about the time I'd be getting really irritated with this lovely tradition, he'd walk in and say, "Hey Tisk. Scoot over" as he grabbed a towel. I remember the Thanksgiving of my senior year, I'd quickly blinked tears away because I'd realized this would most likely be our last year doing this together. (It was. I'm glad I was wise enough to cherish that time) Now that I have kids AND a real dishwasher we do them together. Along with deciding I'd cook with my kids, I also decided they'll not do the dishes alone. There's always a huge pile of dishes to do and it takes several loads...who wants to do that alone?
I love that our kitchen is the hub of our house but my favorite time to be in the kitchen is the week of Thanksgiving. I hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving and that you make new fun memories. Some of the just may end up being new traditions.
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
TEACHING NEW DRIVERS TO DRIVE IN WINTER
This blog serves as my tips for new teenage driving parents. I hope this helps someone find the courage to take your new driver out on snowy roads. Two days ago we had our first snow fall and yesterday we had blowing snow through the cornfields and over the roads. For those that haven't experienced blowing snow across the open fields it makes for ice rink type road conditions. There were several cars and even a semi truck jack-knifed in ditches around out town. Not all of them were teenage drivers but a few were. The adults knew how to handle it, while teenagers may not have been as equipped for this to happen. It's happened to almost all of us, and quite often it happens so fast your reaction time is only a second before you find yourself in a ditch.
My dad had me pass His test before I could get my license. The stories you've heard about driving with an egg on the dashboard, are really true with some of us. At the time I thought he was cruel and mean but now I'm so glad he was a bit more strict. I had to be able to turn, stop and start without that egg rolling off the dashboard. He told me the egg wasn't hardboiled and he did not want an egg mess in his car. I did roll it off the dashboard one day and found out he was much wiser than he let on...he had it hard boiled after all. I also needed to call out the color of every first car in line at an intersection I was either approaching or sitting at a red light with. My kids have the similar rules before they get their license. Winter driving lessons by mom is mandatory.
When our kids are learning to drive they 1. have to learn drive our most difficult car first, 2. They cannot get their license until they've learned how to handle a car on ice and snow...if they get it before winter, then they don't get to drive on ice or snow until they've passed my test. 3. They have to pass "my test" first before getting their license. I found out that my dad wasn't only right but wise in making me do those "ridiculous things."
We have a Suburban that I love to drive so very much. It's big, roomy inside, it carries everything we ever take with us anyplace and I don't worry about getting stuck in a ditch or about kids driving it. In the winter it does fishtail quite easily, donuts are super easy to do and the brakes are a bit softer than a car. So when the kids learn to drive the big white monster they get to move onto a car. They find the cars much easier to drive and park and are then comfortable driving any car that's available to them.
My favorite thing to do with them is to take them to an open parking lot or abandoned building lot and not tell them what's going to happen when I tell give them certain instructions. In the parking lot I let them experiment with speeding up and stopping on snow and telling them to never fight the car. It causes the tires to overcorrect when they get control again and an overcorrection causes another spinout in the other direction. After my "lesson"; my fun begins. The first time I did this with Kara was on a slick, snow packed parking lot after hours. In the middle of a turn I told her to speed up a bit, as soon as she accelerated the car started to spin in a complete circle. She panicked, yelled but controlled the car completely. Immediately after the car stopped she smacked my arm. I allowed that because, well...I may have deserved it. Then I did the reverse and had her stop fast. She slid and fishtailed but again kept the car under control. I've done this with both older girls and they're pretty good winter drivers. In fact, the first time Kara drove the Suburban she was trying to stop at a downhill intersection and did a complete 360. She called me after it was over and she'd pulled off the side of the road to calm down. "Well, I survived my first donut and with traffic all around me." Her voice was still shaking and felt so bad for her but was so proud of her too. She said as she was sliding and spinning she saw 2 trucks doing the same thing and one was heading toward her.
Our oldest son gets his Driver's Permit in February and he knows no fear. and I do worry about him enjoying doing the donuts and fishtails too much but he will go through the same steps. Though I've had him on back roads already (ssshhh) and he handled the suburban pretty well for a first time drive.
Even if you don't like driving in snow and slick roads, find a way to get your new driver out in the snow. Ask a friend, ask a neighbor, find an extra driving class for winter...there are options. You'll be doing them and others a service. While you're at it, tell them what do if they do end up in a ditch. Tell them when to keep the car turned on, when to turn it off. Keep emergency blankets in your car, tell them where your insurance and registration is kept. Most importantly let them know not to be afraid to call you. They're more important than the car. We know this but their fear often makes them forget that. I stopped to help 3 cars of kids that had been in a fender bender. All three drivers said through tears, "I don't wanna tell my parents. They're gonna be so mad." I assured them they'll be happier knowing they're okay than they will be mad about the car.
Enjoy the adventures the snow brings. Take extra steps to keep your babies safe while driving and give them a dose of confidence. They can all use that.
My dad had me pass His test before I could get my license. The stories you've heard about driving with an egg on the dashboard, are really true with some of us. At the time I thought he was cruel and mean but now I'm so glad he was a bit more strict. I had to be able to turn, stop and start without that egg rolling off the dashboard. He told me the egg wasn't hardboiled and he did not want an egg mess in his car. I did roll it off the dashboard one day and found out he was much wiser than he let on...he had it hard boiled after all. I also needed to call out the color of every first car in line at an intersection I was either approaching or sitting at a red light with. My kids have the similar rules before they get their license. Winter driving lessons by mom is mandatory.
When our kids are learning to drive they 1. have to learn drive our most difficult car first, 2. They cannot get their license until they've learned how to handle a car on ice and snow...if they get it before winter, then they don't get to drive on ice or snow until they've passed my test. 3. They have to pass "my test" first before getting their license. I found out that my dad wasn't only right but wise in making me do those "ridiculous things."
We have a Suburban that I love to drive so very much. It's big, roomy inside, it carries everything we ever take with us anyplace and I don't worry about getting stuck in a ditch or about kids driving it. In the winter it does fishtail quite easily, donuts are super easy to do and the brakes are a bit softer than a car. So when the kids learn to drive the big white monster they get to move onto a car. They find the cars much easier to drive and park and are then comfortable driving any car that's available to them.
My favorite thing to do with them is to take them to an open parking lot or abandoned building lot and not tell them what's going to happen when I tell give them certain instructions. In the parking lot I let them experiment with speeding up and stopping on snow and telling them to never fight the car. It causes the tires to overcorrect when they get control again and an overcorrection causes another spinout in the other direction. After my "lesson"; my fun begins. The first time I did this with Kara was on a slick, snow packed parking lot after hours. In the middle of a turn I told her to speed up a bit, as soon as she accelerated the car started to spin in a complete circle. She panicked, yelled but controlled the car completely. Immediately after the car stopped she smacked my arm. I allowed that because, well...I may have deserved it. Then I did the reverse and had her stop fast. She slid and fishtailed but again kept the car under control. I've done this with both older girls and they're pretty good winter drivers. In fact, the first time Kara drove the Suburban she was trying to stop at a downhill intersection and did a complete 360. She called me after it was over and she'd pulled off the side of the road to calm down. "Well, I survived my first donut and with traffic all around me." Her voice was still shaking and felt so bad for her but was so proud of her too. She said as she was sliding and spinning she saw 2 trucks doing the same thing and one was heading toward her.
Our oldest son gets his Driver's Permit in February and he knows no fear. and I do worry about him enjoying doing the donuts and fishtails too much but he will go through the same steps. Though I've had him on back roads already (ssshhh) and he handled the suburban pretty well for a first time drive.
Even if you don't like driving in snow and slick roads, find a way to get your new driver out in the snow. Ask a friend, ask a neighbor, find an extra driving class for winter...there are options. You'll be doing them and others a service. While you're at it, tell them what do if they do end up in a ditch. Tell them when to keep the car turned on, when to turn it off. Keep emergency blankets in your car, tell them where your insurance and registration is kept. Most importantly let them know not to be afraid to call you. They're more important than the car. We know this but their fear often makes them forget that. I stopped to help 3 cars of kids that had been in a fender bender. All three drivers said through tears, "I don't wanna tell my parents. They're gonna be so mad." I assured them they'll be happier knowing they're okay than they will be mad about the car.
Enjoy the adventures the snow brings. Take extra steps to keep your babies safe while driving and give them a dose of confidence. They can all use that.
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