Thanksgiving Fun

Thanksgiving is never the same after you have kids, is it? I remember just a few years ago when I would contribute a dish or two to Thanksgiving dinner but would otherwise relax, stuff my face and do what I want, when I wanted. It really was a vacation day, no school and no work. Now, with three kids, it is more like any other day in the Melker household that is filled with lots of diaper changes, entertaining, and policing of fights and temper-tantrums.

We did have a great Thanksgiving though and got to enjoy time with the kids and our Dallas family. After visiting my mom that morning we headed to my dads for a little playtime and last minute cooking. The kids had a blast picking up pecans from their front yard and putting them into baskets. It was like Easter all over again!

That afternoon we headed to my step-grandparents' home for lots of great food and playtime outside. Payson and Daddy had lots of green grass to rough house on.

"Ring around the rosie, a pocketful of posies..."

..."ashes, ashes, we all fall down!" The kids LOVE this song and game. We still don't know where they learned it but several weeks ago they were singing and doing it around our tree. It must have been in childcare at church because that's about the only time Keith or I isn't with them! The girls were both swinging around the tree and singing the song together. At first I watched them in awe, but by the time I got the camera they were losing interest. I did manage to catch Hayden singing the last half on video...



Mommy's turn...

There was a little hill in the backyard and Madison made up her own little game of going up the hill, turning around, and running back down it... again, and again and again with lots of laughs and giggles. It was so cute, and I love this photo of her in action.

The kids learned how to blow dandelions and they couldn't get enough! It was so cute to see them run to look for a new one to pick out of the ground and attempt to blow off the seeds. More often than not it just got stuck to their runny noses!

We had a second Thanksgiving at our house on Friday and Keith cooked up a yummy turkey while my SIL, Negeen, and I split up the task of cooking the side dishes. We love cooking our own turkey for Thanksgiving because then we have lots of leftovers for turkey sandwiches.

Thanksgiving dinner #2 with my mom and my brothers' family.

I just love this shot of Payson and Madison reading and sharing books together.

On Thanksgiving eve, while I was cooking dinner in the kitchen, I gave the kids a little snack and they lined up on the kitchen floor all by themselves.

Madison flying a helicopter on her arm, sound effects and all.

Reading to my girls.

This book makes me laugh... can you read the title? We checked it out from the library and the kids love it!

The week before last I planned a social for the triplet and quad moms in my local multiples group. We took a half hour of private group Salsa lessons before heading off to dinner. We were all talking about how humbled we were, especially those of us who consider ourselves as "dancers", and were giving props to the Dancing With the Stars contestants for having the guts to do the show.

As it turns out, we were dancing at the studio (and in the same room) that Michael Irvin would be practicing in for the DWTS finale just as we were finishing our lesson. We got the chance to meet him and get a picture with him and his partner, Anna. What a fun surprise!

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"I always pray that if God is going to give me twins that he give me triplets instead because people see twins and say, 'How cute!" but people see triplets and say, 'Oh honey, how can I help you?'"

(From an employee at Toys R Us. I was thinking, what, are you crazy?)