I Never Thought I'd Say This...

...but there is such a thing as too much candy. We still have some Halloween candy over here.

In addition to the loot the girls brought home, we had some leftover because T refused to give more than one piece to any kid who looked over the age of 13 .

I think his feelings on the matter were that if you can drive your mom's minivan to our neighborhood to Trick or Treat and you look like you could use a shave, you should probably get a job and buy your own candy, thank you very much.

So we have some leftovers.

But not for much longer at the rate we're going. I'm not even sure I like chocolate anymore now.

Oh-my-gosh-I-did-not-just-say-that-I-TAKE-IT-BACK!

See what all those Hershey bars are doing to me? I think I need an intervention....

Here for the 27 Days of Thankful project?

I'm thankful for my love-hate (love) relationship with chocolate.

I'll be waiting for that intervention.

Giddy for New Moon

In 1998, I got sucked into the Titanic film craze along with every other girl in my high school. The music, the costumes, the enormous giant glittery diamond, and the Leo.

Oh, the Leo.

I had a Titanic movie poster, and I used to gaze adoringly at Leonardo DiCaprio's picture, wishing he'd pop off the wall and ask me to dance.

I'm clearly not in high school anymore, but that doesn't mean I can't have obsessive fantasies about movie stars and the fictional characters they play.

Enter the Twilight saga.

I've mentioned before how my friends (darn them!) got me hooked on the Twilight series written by Stephanie Meyers. Once you get over the fact that you are reading fluff geared to 14 year olds whose longest relationship lasted from homeroom to 5th period, you really get into the plot.

I didn't see the first film in the theatre, but my friend L told me that the room was a good mix of teens, their moms, and women our age. They were all (except for the losers "Team Jacob") crazy for this guy:

Robert Pattinson, Edward, or RPattz, as my friend Mom in High Heels calls him.

Who knew I'd grow up to have a thing for a dark, brooding, sexy vampire?

It's not that I don't love you anymore, Leo. It's just that Robert Pattinson plays a hot vampire with some kinds of superpowers.

It's not you; it's me.

If you are looking for me tomorrow night, I'll be standing in line outside the theatre with a million other giddy girls women, hoping to get the perfect view of Edward's first appearance on the screen.

I have been looking forward to meeting up with some girlfriends to see this for awhile. Girls' Nights Out are few and far between for me, so the countdown to 7 pm on Friday night is on!

Here's a trailer in case you've been living under a rock and haven't seen it:

It's Day #19 of 27 Days of Thankful. Click the link to find out what's going on here every day in November until Thanksgiving Day.

Today, I am thankful for any chance I can get to channel my inner teenager. (She's in there somewhere, telling me to go and do some sit-ups already)

{What are you thankful for today?}

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Quality Time

I thought I'd start today's post by thanking those of you who took the time to let me know you were thinking about and praying for Michaela Byrd and her big appointment with the specialist yesterday. That meant a lot to me. We received some good news...no surgery unless the gallstones multiply or give her trouble. Yay!

Before we received that good news, I spent a good deal of time fretting, because that's what I do. I'm really good at it. I knew when I was about ready to buy a one-way ticket to crazy town that I was in need of a little "Me Time."

credit: amazon.com

Thankfully, T was home last Friday, so I left him with the girls during naptime so I could go someplace where "everybody knows your name."

credit: panera.com

Well, they know my name anyways. 'Cause I like their mochas so much.

The line was almost out the door when I walked in from the freezing, pouring rain.

I didn't mind though because I didn't have two little ones running around trying to find a high chair, asking when it would be our turn, and licking the pastry window.

Doesn't it look heavenly back there?

They had a cozy fire going. I was able to enjoy it without Michaela Byrd pointing and shouting "Fire! Hot!" so the whole restaurant could hear her.

I settled in with a very-bad-for-me, comfort-food panini and a soda...and some magazines.

It was perfection to sit and flip through an issue of Southern Living without opening someone's yogurt or saying, "Please, won't you just take a bite of your cheese sandwich? Look how yummy it is!"

After lunch, I headed down the street to one of my favorite places:

My heart swells with love whenever I walk into Borders. I can't explain it.

I browsed the magazine section...

...ran into Robert Pattinson.

Y'all know about my love for Fluffy Books, so you know I couldn't resist a trip down the Fluffy Book, er chick lit., aisle.

By the time I was through looking at Christmas books in the children's section, I saw that naptime at home was nearly over. I hurried to the checkout and then through the puddle-filled parking lot to my car.

As I drove home, I thought about how nice it was to just get out and have some "quality time" with my own self. I didn't feel the need to dress up, think of conversation topics, or worry if the other person was having a good time. I had a chance to sit with my own thoughts and do what I wanted to do for a chance. It was wonderful!

Do you know what I mean? Do you ever start to feel overwhelmed and you just need a few minutes to escape? What do you do?

It's Day #18 of 27 Days of Thankful. Click the link to find out what's going on here every day in November until Thanksgiving Day.

Today, I am thankful for moments to myself.

{What are you thankful for today?}

If you link up, please include a link back to this post. Thanks!

27 Days of Thankful #17

The portable DVD player and magazines...

Every mother knows these are essential to any car trip longer than an hour.

I only hook the portable DVD player up in the car for trips an hour or longer. I can't handle prolonged periods of kiddie music, and The Berenstain Bears and/or Tilly's Tutu can only be riveting for so long.

So I let Elmo or some Disney Princesses do some heavy lifting for us on longer car trips. It's a sanity saver for us all.

T and I are driving Michaela Byrd down to Richmond this morning to see a pediatric gastroenterologist. I don't expect to get many answers today. I think doctors like to get as many co-pays as possible out of you.

I suppose today's visit will go like this:

Him: Hello. Nice to meet you.

Us: (smiling)

Him: (looking at ultrasound) Why, yes, she does have gallstones.

Me: (internally) No S*&^.

Him: Well, schedule an appointment for a week from now and we can discuss this further.

Grr.....

I hope the DVD player doesn't break when I throw it at him.

Please keep us in your prayers today.

It's Day #17 of 27 Days of Thankful. Click the link to find out what's going on here every day in November until Thanksgiving Day.

Today, I am thankful for distractions on car trips that keep us all sane. (Except for T...as Designated Driver, he is expected to keep his eyes on the road at all times!)

{What are you thankful for today?}

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DIY: Throw a Girlfriends' Thanksgiving Brunch (with the Kids)

credit: Country Living

I love any excuse to get my friends together for some girl talk. (Even if it means getting to the theatre an hour early to see New Moon this Friday!)

I had plans to throw a little Thanksgiving brunch this month before the Christmas season rolls around and everyone really is too busy to get together. Unfortunately, some things came up, so I'll be saving these notes for next year...or maybe tailoring for Christmas.

The major underlying themes for me this year are simple, inexpensive, and casual.

If I had the time, I'd make some cute invites like this:

credit: Tinyprints.com

But time is short these days, so I'd stick with good old Evite.

If you haven't tried Evite before, it's incredibly easy to sign up, create a cute invitation, and track your guest's responses.

There would be no fancy tablescapes.

credit: Paula Deen

This guest list is made up of the juicebox and crackers variety. I think the beauty of my Dining room centerpiece of "sugared" pumpkins, apples, and pinecones would be lost on them.

I love this simple kids' table from Country Living.

The crayons as a centerpiece give the kids something to do while the moms dole out snacks.

I have a small child-size table, but it only seats two and the last thing I need is a rumble over which preschooler gets to sit at the table.

An easy alternative is to create a little picnic area in your Living room. I found these cute plastic Table cloths in Target's $1 bin section, along with the doilies.

You could use the doilies as "coasters" for each child's juice box, and the leftovers can become decorations or craft projects elsewhere.

Speaking of food...if money is tight and you can't afford to feed 8 moms and their kids, make a note in your Evite that this event is a potluck. Each guest can specify in her reply what she'll be bringing so you don't end up with 5 quiches. Think fruit salad, bacon wrapped scallops, mini-quiches, hash brown casserole, muffins....

One of my additions to the buffet table this year would be a new recipe for Pumpkin Spice Muffins that my sister gave me recently. I'll be posting the recipe soon, so be sure to stop by!

Kids are usually fine with goldfish and juiceboxes. Their final course of the morning could be these adorable Turkey Cookies from Pillsbury. I am so trying these!

credit: pillsbury.com

To keep the kiddos occupied while the moms enjoy brunch, visit websites like Family Fun or Kaboose for fun and easy printable Thanksgiving-themed coloring pages. Hand out some crayons from The Dollar Tree, and you're guaranteed at least 30 seconds of chatting/eating time with your friends.

When the bebes tire of artwork after those 30 seconds, put on a Thanksgiving video like "Garfield's Thanksgiving" (my girls love it!). If you have Verizon's digital cable, you can find free cartoons saved by theme/current holiday.

If you are a good mom ambitious, you could also visit the aforementioned sites for supervised craft ideas. Me, I tend to crave grown-up time...any grown-up time, and I know my girls would be fine playing with their friends or (gasp!) watching a short video so Mommy doesn't go bananas.

When the moms have scarfed down all the delicious food they brought to share, have everyone gather together for a game of "Pin the Hat on the Turkey."

I found this game last year in Target's clearance section, and saved it for Natalie's preschool Thanksgiving party. You could easily make your own with some white poster board, brown, red, and yellow crayons and a bunch of different colored construction paper "feathers."

Give the winner (or each child) a lollipop or small prize (Dollar Store necklaces are great), or just let them play until they are exhausted. Then you can sit them down for a story while the moms clean up and get diaper bags and empty platters in the cars.

Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving is super-cute. My girls love the rhymes, the illustrations, and the story of the family gathering to celebrate. We also enjoy The Story of the Pilgrims, which is a great history lesson for little ones. Although now Natalie (almost 4) wants to know if the Indians will be dining with us next Thursday.

I hope you found some fun ideas today. Please visit Kimba at A Soft Place to Land for more fabulous Do It Yourself project ideas!

The Christmas season will be here all too soon...check back in here at Serenity Now for more fun!

It's Day #16 of 27 Days of Thankful. Click the link to find out what's going on here every day in November until Thanksgiving Day.

Today, I am thankful for opportunities to gather with friends.

{What are you thankful for today?}

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27 Days of Thankful, #15

It's Day #15 of 27 Days of Thankful. Click the link to find out what's going on here every day in November until Thanksgiving Day.

Today I am thankful for bedtime.

credit

Mine, the kids'...just...bedtime.

“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” -Ovid

{What are you thankful for today?}

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27 Days of Thankful, #14

It's Day #14 of 27 Days of Thankful. Click the link to find out what's going on here every day in November until Thanksgiving Day.

This Saturday morning, I am thankful for *new* toys that occupy my kids for a few minutes. (Check back next week to see what bargains we found at a church yard sale)

{What are you thankful for today?}

Please include a link back to THIS post if you link up today. Thanks!

Happy Saturday!