Uh Oh - What do you do when your turkey's cooked too soon!?

So Tuesday night we cooked a turkey and had a family dinner with the Cottons!  I was all prepared.  Ready!  Until I listened to my husband who made me question my math skills!  Why do I question myself soooo easily!?  The result of listening to my hubs?...A turkey that was done two hours too soon!  Oh dear, what do we do, what do we do...

I called my mom.  Whose suggestion was one I really didn't want to follow.

I asked my husband.  Whose suggestion was one I also really didn't want to follow.

I googled it.  I thought...what the hell!?  Why not try it!

The answer...wrap your turkey in layers and layers of tinfoil and wrap in a towel!  Put it in a cooler if you have one!  I chose to put it in my microwave and randomly turned on the warming lamp.  The principal behind this was to keep the turkey on the bones while keeping it's heat.  My mom's suggestion was to carve, cover, and keep warm with some of the juices...which, from what I read, would likely lead to colder or dry turkey - not the same as the straight off the bone.  Trevor's suggestion was to keep it in the roaster on the lowest possible heat...which, from what I read, would lead to an over cooked, dry turkey with a tough skin.  So...the towel was the way I went.  It worked like a charm and I would recommend it to anyone whose ever miscalculated!  PHEW!

I told my friend Kim what my solution was...and her first response was...'you swaddled your turkey!?'!  I guess I did!

Can I just say that I had the best turkey sandwiches for dinner last night!?  To die for!  YUM YUM!

Dear Santa...

So today we hit up Santa Claus.  This wasn't our first kick at the can this year!  Our other experience ended in tears and in no photo...but Moose grew a whole few weeks older this time - and apparently that makes a difference!  The experience was so adorable!  We put him on Santa's knee and he was immediately not wanting to be there...but would not let ONE tear fall.  You could see on his face that he was using all his energy on focusing on not crying and to 'suck it back'.  Priceless.  In fact, so priceless that CTV was there and wanted to interview us after!  The kicker...we totally forgot to look and see if any of Moose's footage made it through the cut - didn't even turn the tv on all afternoon and remembered later in the evening!  Oh well...we have our 'sucking it up' photo to remember it by.  I'm so proud of him - - - he amazes me!  What a trooper!  And what a big boy!  Doesn't he look so grown up in this photo?!

Moose's Approval

Yesterday morning we took Moose down to check out the progress from the day before.  His reaction?  "Wow"!  He's so good for the self-esteem haha.  I will post the photos from the progress of tomorrow...we have to still haul out the garbage.  But we did do a lot of cleaning last night!  Big thank you to Caitlin who came and helped us clean up the basement this weekend a couple times.  We are very fortunate.  :)

Checkin it all out

Last time he'll be wearing these shoes...too tight!

Now he can sit himself on the pile! 

 He got really playful with the camera.  He likes to take his photo and see it on the screen now!

 Playing peek a boo with Dada as he came down the stairs and then flashing him his adorable smile!

 Going to give his Kia cuddles!

 Checkin out the new tool!

The boys started by taking all the steel studs out of the wall to replace them with wooden ones as the way it stood...the completed wall on the right was shorter than the 'new' wall and we didn't want to have a stupid little couple inch jut out when you came down the stairs...

Now the insulation gets to sit around until we run the electrical on that wall. 

Framing the Basement - Part 2

It's almost 10:30...and I've just climbed into bed!  As promised I took pictures of our progress!  We stayed up late cleaning up down there!  Makes a huge difference.  We ripped up the carpet at the bottom of the stairs, vacuumed, took out all the crap to Trev's truck, moved the tools to one area...and stepped back to take a look at the day's progress.  We're pretty happy with it.  Can't wait to see it tomorrow night :)

Kia trying to find refuge from the ruckus. 

Entrance to photo studio

View from coming down the stairs

The three entrances - 45 degree'd...as recommended by dad!

View into the tv room area

Spare Bedroom

Bathroom

Furnace Room

View from the tv area over to the craft/toy storage/play area

No more wall!  :)

No more carpet :)

View of little area outside studio

 Thanks for all your help Ryan & Casandra!  Hoping for another productive day tomorrow. 

Framing the Basement

We've been waiting for this weekend for a long time!  Probably too long as we are feeling antsy that this won't get completed in time.  But, life happens.  This morning was the start of it all.  We have begun the development of our basement.  Home to living space, play space, and most excitingly - my studio!  Our good friend Ryan came over this morning, tools and all, to lend a very knowledgeable hand in this endeavor...and man, are we grateful!  

Moose is LOVING this.  The noise, the tools, the adventure.  This morning we hung out down there as the boys took the wall that closes the basement in down - - - I'm sure Moose would stay down there all day...but lets be honest, its unsafe and messy!  We take him down for sneak peaks from time to time though :)

 All the lumber that Trev hauled down yesterday after it was delivered :) 

Getting ready to get rid of the wall - this part was exciting for me!

Moose was so interested.  He just watched in awe.  One day he will learn a thing or two about power tools!

The lumber pile that, last I checked, has dwindled already :)

 Those who can't help...CLEAN!

Every time Ryan used one of his (loudest) tools, Moose would turn and look at me like this...

Do you not want to eat that face up!?  He cracks me up!  I love his enthusiasm and expressions!

Down she comes :)

Starting to open things up a smidge

 I will take some photos tonight on the progress. These were taken at about 10 am this morning...so we will see what these two busy beavers get accomplished on day one!  I'm very excited :)

Thanks for all the support! 

We had Trevor's friend, our electrician, back out yesterday...he's supposed to be here in the next two weeks so we can have the drywall go up early January.  If you know anyone willing to do an exchange of service (baby's first year, wedding, etc photography packages) and can help out - - - PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know as this has totally thrown a hiccup in our timeline and in our budget.  Ryan is going to help Trevor do some of it to get a head start...but it would be great to have the real deal whiz through here :)

I genuinely can't wait until this is done and behind us.  We constantly talk about how much time we will be spending down here once Baby arrives.  It will be so nice to have some more toy/play space and my own craft space, and the studio, and a place to throw our guests!  It will also be nice to have our main level back to normal; furniture in it's original home, toys in their appropriate place!  OH MY how I can't wait.

Car Accidents SUCK

It's been a busy week...and you could also interchange the word stressful in there as well!  We are really starting to feel the pressure to get the move on getting stuff done...the clock is ticking.  To throw a kink in the mix, we were in a 'car accident' Monday afternoon.  I use that term loosely as nobody was hurt and it was minor...but it sucks...and it sucks big.  We were in a parking lot of a condo complex and due to construction there were no parking spots and I had to back out vs. turning around and exiting.  I was shoulder checking and using my mirrors and at the last minute a guy (I almost used the word gentleman...but lets be real here...he's NOT a gentleman!) backed out of his parking stall and we kissed bumpers.  We have very different ideas of what happened...obviously.  I feel I have the right of way as I was in the 'feeder lane' and had no choice but to exit in reverse...and he simply is fighting that I hit him.  So insurance companies are at a stand still until they can connect with the witness.  Anywhos...it sucks.  The stress sucks.  The money aspect sucks.  It all sucks.

Can you believe that the little kiss on my bumper is over $2000 to fix.  What a piss off.  His car had pretty much no damage on it.  It's an older vehicle.  He said he didn't care about the hole in his tail light...but me, I care.  I care A LOT about my broken car :(

The good news it was such a low impact, nobody was hurt, and it could have been much worse.

PLEASE DON'T STEAL

I've been really on the fence lately about taking my blog private.  I don't want to do this...but I'm getting increasingly frustrated with things I see or hear from time to time.  The biggest concern I have is in regards to our pictures.  They are OUR pictures of OUR family.  If you would like a copy of a picture you see on OUR blog...please ask me.  I find it very invasive when I see people flaunting pictures that they could have only gotten from this blog.  If you are planning on posting or printing photos found here,  ASK.  Do not print or copy or alter any of our photos without permission.  I ask this out of the respect I hope you have for this blog, my family, and our privacy. 

Chalk-a-Doodle Update

Jackson's chalk drawing has become more popular...in fact, he now goes into the pantry and asks for the chalk then just plants his bottom and enjoys.  It's neat to see how he's learned that he's allowed to color there, where the colors are, and that he can't color on the door itself. 

Reading

Reading has been HUGE in our house lately.  Moose LOVES his books.  He will bring me several and back his butt up and plant it on my lap.  Lately, I've been listening to him read me more stories than the other way around...and I love it!  He is pretty funny...the other day, we were playing a game (Who Knows Whose Nose...so cute btw!) and when he came across the directions, he stopped playing, ran over to me with them, and sat on my lap for me to read them to him.  Precious.  I adore him.  I feel like lately every single day my heart grows bigger and bigger...it's been really a weird feeling.  I have used the word 'magic' a lot lately to describe him!

Lets hope his love for books, words, and reading is here to stay!  A big part of Christmas this year for Moose is books!

Check In

I made all sorts of promises this week to get back on track with blogging...and then life happened!  I'm going to blame it on the time of year...it's just so busy all the time.  Between Christmas prep, basement prep, a toddler, being pregnant, and all the rest of it...I'm POOPED!  However, tomorrow Trevor comes HOME - and he's home for three weeks.  Three glorious weeks.  They will be busy but great.  From now until baby we will all be chickens with our heads cut off running around trying to get the basement done, nursery started, and everything ready.  Man - time flies.

I haven't forgotten about any of you though...just finding it hard to find extra time lately!

We made a list of Jackson's growing vocabulary so I could make record of it; however, where I've placed it has totally escaped me right now!  So instead...I will share a video of his newest favorite word.  He can spot this word going on from far away...whether it's on tv, outside, or in a picture.  Cute :)