Thanksgiving 2023 is over…
Category Archives: Katie
Thanksgiving Day 2023
Friends of ours—Scott and Wendy—also joined us this year as she was visiting from Seattle and they didn’t have other plans! She loves Thanksgiving and cooking so she brought most of the sides to go with Tom’s smoked turkey and smoked ham!
Thanksgiving tip? Gravy in an insulated pitcher! Pourable plus it stays warm!
The evening was spent watching football, playing cards, puzzling, and visiting!
It was all fun and games until…
It took longer to check out than we anticipated and consequently we didn’t have enough time to go to a restaurant like we had talked about (in order to make it back in time for her parent/teacher conferences). So she was pissy. We still went to Panera for takeout but she still wasn’t happy. I can’t wait for this stage to be over.
A girl and a snuggly dog
Katie’s pancakes
After a rough instructional pancake session last night that ended with both of us upset, she did these all on her own today!
Pre-cheer pizza party
Making Katie take a turn.
We are having the whole family here for Thanksgiving and need the kids’ rooms for guests, which means Katie’s room needed SERIOUS attention. Like more than just being cleaned up…because it smelled. So once it was picked up and cleaned out, we cleaned the carpets. I made her take a turn so she learns how much work it is and will hopefully (?) try to keep it clean. (Yeah I’m not holding my breath.) She was less than thrilled.
When Katie gets Snapchat on my phone.
I want them back, please.
One starts today and one finishes today!
Congratulations Owen!
Katie can only use Snapchat on my phone…so today we did some filters while waiting for the orthodontist. It’s making memories, right?
Our cheerleader
Halloween 2023
The kids are growing up—they each went trick or treating with friends in other neighborhoods.
Owen and friends are all going as Men in Black and Katie was going to be Barbie until the weather turned so now she’s Angel from Lilo & Stitch.
Katie makeup throwback
Katie’s officially a cheerleader!
Their first game was tonight! They looked pretty good! All the videos are from the balcony because fans are not allowed on the floor.
Homework
Just a Barbie girl!
The high school had a trick or treating event so I took Katie. It was mostly for younger kids but she played some games and came home with some candy so she was happy. And she was thrilled that lots of the high school girls knew she was Barbie and loved her shoes!
She also learned a great lesson—heels suck.
Homework drama
This is an all too familiar sight these days…
Two kids one outfit
She cleans up well when she wants to.
I attempted to straighten her hair plus did her make-up. I don’t like how old she looks.
Our last full day in Maine!
Our last fresh lobster dinner—2+ pounders! We couldn’t even finish them so we have leftovers for lobster quiche in the morning before heading to the airport and back to real life!
Marshall Point & Owl’s Head Lighthouses
Today’s adventure in Maine…So happy it was sunny today! We started at Marshall Point Lighthouse in Point Clyde, ME. This is where the Forrest Gump scene of Tom Hanks running was filmed.
Read the book? Check!
Visited the lighthouse? Check!
Another day around the house
It started out rainy and overcast but eventually the sun came out. We went out for lobster rolls for dinner.
It rained all damn day
I sat across the couch from Owen and read a book.
Everyone else played many hands of Buck Euchre (Katie learned it and loved it), Tonk, Kings Corners and others I’m surely forgetting. Katie was a card-playin fiend.
Lesson learned and Pemaquid Point
Last night we had asked Owen to take out the lobster waste and set the bucket inside the garbage bins (because it was too dark to go too the beach and dump in the water—but it couldn’t stay in the house or be left out where animals could get it.
Never underestimate the non-listening power of a teen brain. This is what we found in the morning. He somehow missed that we said to put the lobster shells IN the garbage bin and just left it on the porch. So then he got the glorious job of cleaning it all up! We all had a good laugh.
Then it was off on another adventure—to my mom’s favorite spot: Pemaquid Point!
You’ve seen the lobster dinner, now see our dessert! Everyone loves strawberry shortcake!
Lobster, lobster, lobster!
When in Rome…
When vacationing in Maine, fresh lobsters straight from the dock are mandatory. You’re looking at nine lobsters coming in at 18-ish pounds!
Our beach, Mount Battie & food!
There were LOTS of rocks between us and the beach.
Heading back up to the house to get ready for the day’s adventure!
On top of Mount Battie.
Then it was off to the surprise for the kids—Uncle Willy’s Candy Shoppe. They each got $10 to spend there ($5 from Grauntie Rose and $5 from me) and Katie spent all of it plus some of her own while Owen didn’t spend a penny and saved it instead.
This was one of the things she got—fruit flavored if you were wondering.
And this was what I got—it was interesting.
Then we went to mom’s favorite place for dinner—The Happy Clam. And of course I had to try their infamous Blueberry margarita!
Katie was enthralled with the old school playground so she spent most of her time out there! After dinner we took pictures!
Then Owen got involved!
She wanted WTHS devil horns…
Finally wearing a back to school shirt
The cheer squad
We walked into Penzeys…
And Katie’s first words were “It smells like Gramma Jean’s!”
And then she drew this while Tom and I were shopping.
