An Unusual Christmas Wish List...

Yesterday while we were driving to the grocery store, Dylan started talking about music. The conversation went a bit like this...

Dylan: I want to learn to play music, Mom.

Me: Oh yeah? Which instrument do you want to learn to play?

Dylan: The drums. But I need a lot of instruments for Christmas to learn to play.

Me: Which ones?

Dylan: Well, first --- you know --- I need a stage. It doesn't have to be a big stage. I only need a little stage. And then I need 2 guitars, one piano, a drum set. I think I need some microphones and amp-uh-friers, too. May I please have that for Christmas?

Me: That's a lot to ask for. What are you going to do with all that stuff?

Dylan: I need it to play the "Oh No Song" and "O Praise the One".

Me (silently to myself): I guess I need to ask for a sound proof room for Christmas!

Photo of David Crowder Band found here.

First you make a roux...

Around here we have a golden rule: "No gumbo will be prepared in Mom's Kitchen until the daytime temperatures are mostly in the 40s." But today we are making an exception... It's Brian's birthday, and he requested chicken & sausage gumbo as his birthday dinner. So, on this very mild November day, a pot of gumbo is bubbling on the stove.

Most of you who read this blog, know what it takes to make a gumbo, and you've heard your Mawmaw tell you over and over again, "First you make a roux!" Here, folks have some strange ideas about what gumbo is, and they just don't understand how difficult it is to make when you are mommy to little ones. To get my gumbo started, I have to tether myself to the stove while I make the roux, and for chicken & sausage gumbo, I go for a seriously dark roux. This means I'm at the stove for about an hour before I can get the roux made and the gumbo back down to a slow simmer. So, a few weeks ago I invested in a "Gumbo Gate" to keep the kids out of the kitchen and away from the hot stove.

Thankfully today we timed it so that they were napping during that initial hour of cooking... and oh, the smell is so good. I almost don't feel like I'm in Ohio right now... And later tonight when Brian gets home, we will celebrate with our Louisiana gumbo chocked full of Manda Sausage, a chocolate cake from a local bakery, and some Texas Blue Bell Ice Cream... and we'll probably end our dinner with a little Community Coffee.

Why are all our favorite foods imported??

November nears it's end...

November comes
And November goes,
With the last red berries
And the first white snows.

With night coming early
And dawn coming late,
And ice in the bucket
And frost by the gate.

The fires burn
And the kettle sings,
And earth sinks to rest
Until next spring.
~ C. Watson

Happy Birthday Daddy...

Last week my dad celebrated his 60th birthday, and for months, we had planned a special trip. Mom was to bring him up to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, on a vacation intended for just the two of them. What he didn't know was that Lisa, Karen, and I (and of course Brian and the kids too) would also be there to celebrate... We surprised him entirely!

We spent a lovely week visiting with each other, watching the kids play, walking around Gatlinburg, and celebrating Daddy!

Nana, Pawpaw, and the Keikis

A heated game of checkers!

Stay tuned for another post about the sidetrip Brian and I made to visit the Biltmore!

First Flurries and Last Leaves...

The first flurries of the season fell yesterday... a little bit later than last year. We were on our way to CBS, and when Dylan realized that a light snow was falling, he was more than thrilled. He got out of the car at Bible School, and very loudly and energetically, he jumped up and down announcing to everyone in the parking lot that he loved snow.

I even needed to pull out my down coat this evening when I left on a brief errand... only a few leaves remain on the trees... fall is nearing its end... oh, but there are so many leaves still to rake up! More on that later...

Back to Mopeytown...

We're back from vacation... and living in "Mopeytown" right now. Trust me... you can spot a Buckeye fan a mile away just by the way they all seem to be moping around this week...

More on the vacation later...

Dylan's Coat of Many Colors...

Community Bible Study has become a real highlight of our week. Dylan and Brooklyn really enjoy their classes each week, and Dylan has been having a lot of fun with the weekly craft. They are creative and applicable to that day's lesson, and here's a glimpse of today's craft...

Dylan's Coat of Many Colors

P.S. And here's a question... just how young is too young to start reading John Piper?

Dylan, caught looking at the The Legacy of Sovereign Joy by John Piper

The Lion and the Astronaut...

Last night was pretty low-key for us. The kids dressed in their costumes, and we visited our neighbors. We did make it one street further than we have any other year! Just a couple of pics... The Astronaut costume seems to have become a regular part of Dylan's wardrobe... even if it's not dress-up day!