I used to be so stubborn about keeping Thanksgiving separate from Christmas (why? Why was that so important to me? I can’t even remember). Now I happily embrace the Thanksgiving/Christmas vibes!
Today was quite a day. When I left for work, my daughter was busy dyeing her hair pink (she bleached it blond the day before). In the middle of my workday I checked my phone and saw that I had about 17 texts.. this can’t be good.
The first series were from my daughter, who decided she hated her pink hair, thought she wanted to dye it black instead, and then
The next series of texts were from my son… telling us his flight from O’Hare was so delayed that he would miss his connection in Orlando. He would either have to spend the night in Orlando, OR, maybe one of us could drive up there to pick him up?
GAH. Orlando is three hours EACH WAY. We had planned to spend the evening cleaning the house and doing some cooking, and it’s telling that my husband and I actually argued over who would drive to Orlando- “I’ll go!” “No, I’ll go!” Driving for six hours was preferable to staying home and doing all the cleaning alone.
The crisis was averted! The airline rerouted my son through Nashville, and he got to Ft. Lauderdale at midnight (ha ha… we didn’t argue over who would go to the airport- I told my husband “You can go!”) But it was better than driving to Orlando.
Since no one had to drive to Orlando, we tackled the house together- vacuuming, mopping, scrubbing… and we had some furniture moving to do! We need to move things around to accommodate the Christmas tree- I was very glad I didn’t have to do all this by myself.
I also made pumpkin baked ziti! It’s a recipe I make every year from Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Veganomicon cookbook. We ate some for dinner tonight, and will also have it tomorrow night so I don’t have to cook a dinner- I’ll be busy enough cooking other things tomorrow.
The reason why one corner is so weird and lumpy is that I had to differentiate a portion for my daughter that has no caramelized onions- otherwise she won’t eat it.
And, I put up my Christmas card display! I had to do this because I have received the FIRST OFFICIAL CARD OF CHRISTMAS!!! Someone reading this will recognize their card…
Coming up tomorrow: pie baking day!
Are you baking pies for Thanksgiving?
Do you have Christmas decorations up yet?
Top photo by Hanna Balan on Unsplash
27 Responses
Oh I’m so glad no one had to drive to Orlando! Six hours is a lot of time in the car.
I’m jealous you got all that cleaning done. I want to steam clean my floors so badly, but with the cat puking all over them, it doesn’t seem to make any sense. Boo. They are getting so gross… I hope pie baking day goes great!
Yep, that’s one of the things my husband did last night- steam cleaned the floors. We also really, really needed it. Muffin is a big puker, but somehow she manages to do it on the few carpets we have (ARRG!)
I would not have wanted to drive 6 hrs during pre-thanksgiving day/road. I’d prefer baking! 🙂
her pink hair looks so festival!
Yes, I think her hair looks festive! I think it’s going to have a dramatic change to black soon, though… sigh.
I know who sent that card!! 🙂 I am glad that Paul made it ok and you did not have to drive to Orlando to get him! That is such an odd connection! That would have been the shortest flight from Orlando to Miami! Alls well that ends well, though!
No pie baking for me. My mom bakes the pies and she makes 2 small little ramekin sized pies of filling for me. I don’t love crust and it’s not worth it for her to make an entire Gf pie for me. I am making fall shaped sugar cookies today for the boys to decorate with their cousins. It’s a new GF sugar cookie recipe so I hope it turns out.
We woke to a couple of inches of snow so it’s looking quite Christmas like here. We were supposed to get up to 6” so I am glad we got less. As you know, all my decorations are up! I need the glow of Christmas decorations earlier in the month as it gets dark so early here and we’ve barely seen the sun this week.
Yeah, that was a weird flight. Everything was so expensive and it was cheaper to make that stop in Orlando (or, s it worked out, Nashville.)
I could see how a crust-less pie would be good- but I would want something for texture. Could you put a little crumble on top of them, like toasted pecans or something? Or maybe you don’t need a crunchy texture like I do.
I don’t need the texture so filling alone works for me! I really do not love pie. It’s fine but pie crust has never been my thing! And my mom is like a master pie maker so she makes excellent pie. They just never were my thing!!
I also know who sent that card 🙂
No pies for me because Thanksgiving is very far in my rearview mirror. We have some pies in the freezer, though, for Christmas.
I’m so glad you didn’t have to drive 6 hours. Yikes! And you must be so glad that Paul is home. Sounds like some very busy days ahead for you, but also lots of wonderful memories of great food and time as a family.
I also know who sent that card 🙂
I really need to up my game this year in terms of displaying Christmas cards. I don’t have a good system in place and it feels like a missing piece in my Christmas decor.
No pies for me because Thanksgiving is very far in my rearview mirror. We have some pies in the freezer, though, for Christmas.
I’m so glad you didn’t have to drive 6 hours. Yikes! And you must be so glad that Paul is home. Sounds like some very busy days ahead for you, but also lots of wonderful memories of great food and time as a family.
Yes- that card is getting the place of honor on the display! And a lot of attention since it’s our only one so far.
And yes- I’m so happy Paul is home! But I stayed up way too late last night, oof. Oh well- I don’t have to work for the next two days, all I have to do is bake!
I would have driven to Orlando in a heartbeat to get out of cleaning and moving furniture!
Pumpkin baked ziti with caramelized onions? Sign me up!
I’m going to make apple pie bars instead of apple pie because I feel like “individual” desserts will move better than “whole” desserts. I’m not going to bake anything until Thursday because that way we’ll get all of the good smells in the house when everyone is home. Today I’ll finish cleaning and I’ll mix up the chocolate chip cookie dough (because it’s better if it sits overnight) and I’ll get all of the apple pie stuff measured out so that I’m ready to rock n’roll tomorrow.
Yum… cookies and apple pie bars sound great! I HAVE to get those pies baked today, because we have so much other cooking tomorrow. But our house will still smell good- one thing I’m making tomorrow morning are the rolls… yum.
So glad you didn’t have to drive 6 hours to get your son, that sounds awful, especially this week with all the holiday travel! I have to drive 2 hours tonight after work to my parents’ and I’m not excited about it, though I do the drive all the time and it’s usually fine but I’m guessing it might be more congested today.
I like your daughter’s pink hair!
My Christmas tree has been up for a few weeks now because I’ll be out of town the last two weeks of December so I wanted to enjoy it longer. I have a few other pieces of decor I haven’t gotten out yet but will do that when I’m back next week!
Yes- your drive might take a little longer tonight. But that’s okay, you’re heading off for a fun holiday weekend! I hope you have something fun to listen to in the car.
I’m so glad your son made it there and no one had to drive six hours! Airline connections are SO stressful and it feels like around the holidays it’s just a free-for-all. Like, who knows who will get anywhere and where they will be. It’s almost like the airlines pull destinations from a hat and pass them out. “Close enough!”
I’m with your daughter on the onions. Onions make me full-body shudder. And don’t get me started on celery!!!
Oh that’s funny because she doesn’t like celery either! Actually what she objects to the most about celery is the smell- raw celery has a smell that lingers forever.
In retrospect it was a very bad idea to have a connecting flight on such a busy travel day- but it was way cheaper, and these tickets were expensive enough already.
Veganomican is a great cookbook! I haven’t looked at it in years, but remember using it in high school when more of my friends were vegan. Hope you enjoy the time with your family, and I’m so glad your son will make it in time!
Yep, he’s home! And- I used to cook out of Veganomicon all the time, but don’t use it as much nowadays- mainly because I just don’t like cooking anymore. But I still have some tried and true recipes in there (it’s also what we use for a Christmas Day lasagna).
I also would have preferred driving for 6 hours, 3 of which would be with my kid, rather than clean. UGH. I’m glad he is home now! I love your daughter’s hair, I hope she enjoys it.
I have some cooking to do today as well, and yes, it’s either leftovers or takeout. We have a lot of food in the fridge, so I’m thinking leftovers. Plus a full day of work (I hope they let us off early today, but who knows. We have a new manager, and I don’t know his thoughts on the issue.)
Happy Thanksgiving!
Oh, ouch. I’m very glad I have today off of work because I have so much to do! In addition to the cooking we’re also getting our Christmas tree, so it’s going to be a busy day.
Hahaha your text exchange with your daughter made me laugh! And PHEW on the flight being re-routed! (your exchange with your husband also made me laugh, lol! Agree it sounds nicer to just drive in the car and listen to music or a podcast than do “all the prep”!)
I will be making an apple pie tomorrow morning, and I also decided this year to try out a pumpkin “dump cake”, instead of pie. Only some people in our family like pumpkin stuff, so I often just buy a store bought pumpkin pie (ahem, for my mom, mostly). But I remembered a long time ago I made this really delicious pumpkin cake/ crumble type thing, so I decided I’d switch it up and make that. It was easy and also keeps well for a couple days, so easy to make ahead. We’ll see what people think!
Mm, that sounds good! Honestly, pumpkin pie is kind of weird. I don’t love it (which is why we only have it once a year!) But it’s a Thanksgiving tradition, so we’re having it.
No Christmas decor up yet. I’m hoping to get my Christmas houses up this weekend, but I’m trying to get cooking done for tomorrow and my Christmas poem finished. Mini wanted to go shopping, and who am I to say no? So that was a time suck.
Reg’s flight got delayed last night, but he made it. I was annoyed with the people who drove up alongside the line of cars that was a mile long to enter the airport arrivals – those drivers were clearly more important than the rest of us, because they butted in line. People! Ugh. Ed and Tank will be home from the train station where Reg is grabbing them any minute.
Oh good- everyone got home safely I assume! Thanksgiving cooking takes priority over Christmas decs- you have the rest of the weekend to decorate if you want to.
I’m still adamant about separating Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I’m going to spend Friday doing the Christmas stuff. Yay! We already have three holiday cards, though, which is crazy for before Thanksgiving!
I hope you have a great Thanksgiving and that everything turns out perfectly!
Hooray for Christmas cards. I love to see your wall fill up 🙂
I am glad your son arrived although with a little bit of a delay, but without someone having to drive to Orlando!
I am not baking pies today but I’ll be putting up Christmas decorations this weekend.
OMG, driving to Orlando on Thanksgiving week would have been a NIGHTMARE. I’m glad you didn’t have to do that!
Your daughter’s hair is SO pretty.
I have had my tree up for a week and the decorations have been out for longer, haha. I love decorating before Thanksgiving!