Thanksgiving 2011: Denison, Texas

Top 10 Reasons Why the McHales Love Texas for Thanksgiving:

#10 - The Setting and Scenery are Magical (the Baby isn't half bad either!)

#9 - You can relax on the deck at night and hear a symphony of coyotes singing and baying at the moon.  Very Twilight Saga!

#8 - You get to go into the woods to choose sticks for s'mores!

#7 - Pop will let you use his pocket knife and show you how to whittle those sticks into s'mores skewers.

#6 - S'MORES!!!!!!

#5 - You go shop hopping in downtown Denison and find a perfect pair of deer antlers (cheap!). Yes!!

#4 - TACO BANANA!!!!!

#3 - There are some really awesome abandoned train cars on Main Street that no one will stop you from exploring!  So Cool!!

#2 - Grandma's Unorthodox Wednesday Thanksgiving Dinner Was Amazing!!  Smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, spicy cornbread stuffing and our special cranberries (family secret).  Yummy Mom!!

#1 - Greggie was forbidden in the kitchen!  Thank you so much Grandma and Pop.  We love you!!

The Lulu Whisperer

There was but one person who could charm and beguile Miss Lulu into eating her meals in Denison, Texas.  T'was Pop!  Where Mama, Daddy, Grandma and Big Brother failed, Pop prevailed.  He's the Master of Distraction and the Prince of Playdoh and we love our Pop.

xxoo The McHales

Its All Fun and Games 'Til Two Kids Land in the Doghouse.

You go to Grandma and Pop's house and fall in love with their new dog (the recently rescued and appropriately named Luckie)...

and next thing you know she's taken your bedroom and you're in the dog's room!  How did this happen??

(Disclaimer: no children were harmed in the filming of this segment.)

Good times in Texas!!

xx

4th Grade!

Cavan says that he's "not a fan" of this picture because "people on the street will mistake the twinkle in my eye for me being nice."

A true New Yorker?

(P.S. he really IS nice!)

-xoxo Mommy and Greggie and Lulu

Musica Caliente!

Last week Lulu had her first music class and she loved it!  For the first several minutes she was unsure and tentative, preferring to hang back with mama rather than join in.  But before long she was cutting a rug and stealing the show!

The class, called Music for Aardvarks, is the same one Cavan took many years ago and he still remembers many of the songs.  The kids get to experiment with various instruments and of course sing silly songs with fun dance moves incorporated into them.

All the next day she kept talking about "class" and how she wanted to go back.  We're all excited to see what this week's session will bring.