Head Chef in Charge of Pepsi

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving. Honestly, it's the only holiday where it is not only okay if you stuff your face but it is practically expected of you. Usually we spend this holiday with the parents. But this year, being 500 miles from home, we are on our own. Which means, I'm cooking. Everything. Yeah, I'm head chef in charge of all things Thanksgiving.

We aren't having company or anything but all the kids are here for the holiday, which means there are ten of us. Two adults and eight kids. That is a scary sentence right there. Which means I have to make an immense amount of food cause some of these kids can eat twice what I can. It sounds like an exaggeration but I'm serious.

Last night I'm telling Mark that I have to start cooking today and he says, "Well just let me know if you need any help."

"With the baking?" I've gotta admit I was a little startled at the thought of my husband in an apron whipping up an apple pie in the kitchen.

He stared at me for a second like I was insane, which I mostly was, and said, "With the kids."

Ohhhhh. That. Yeah, that makes a lot more sense.

And speaking of kids. Have I mentioned that eight kids is A LOT. If we had them all full time we'd need a much bigger house. One with a sound proof room where I would store my Pepsi and Snickers and where I would lock myself into when I couldn't take anymore.

Don't forget to take my Carin' for Karen button(from the sidebar)....and don't forget the Jaden auction starts this week.

Post-It Note Tuesday - Stir-Fry and Karen Edition

<a href="http://carinforkaren.blogspot.com/"><img alt="Carin' For Karen" src="http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab220/kimjohnson80/karen.png" /></a>

Click the post-it to view my guest post

Hello Stir-Fry

Hi, I'm super excited to be guest posting for today for kys at Stir-Fry Awesomeness. Please head over and check it out and if you are not already a follower of kys then follow away. She is hilarious and not afraid to say anything. kys and I have bonded over family dysfunction and smelly pets. She is her own level of awesomeness.

Check out my guest post at Stir-Fry Awesomness



And be sure to read the post below this one if you haven't already and repost my Carin for Karen button (with the code). You guys are awesome.

Carin for Karen

I went to school with a very talented singer and actress named Paige. She was pretty and vibrant and full of life. And she still is. Even cancer hasn't been enough to kick Paige's butt. I was startled to learn of her fight with cancer when I happened to stumble onto her blog a few weeks ago. And I was touched to read her last posting, even with all her ongoing treatments and surgeries she is thinking of others.

I am reposting (with permission, of course) Paige's last post about her friend Karen. If you only read one of my blog posting this month, make it this one.

Paige's Post
"I am just trying to put the word out there....

Shortly after I was diagnosed, having a newborn baby and the stress of fighting cancer, I was being hard on myself. A few of my neighbors decided to hire their cleaning lady, Karen, to come and clean my home.

At my door I found one of the nicest people I had met in a long time. Karen not only cleaned my house that day, but continued to show up week after week, chemo after chemo, and clean. She wouldn't allow me to pay her. She told me if I payed her she would stop coming. I was so grateful for her. She was an answer to my prayers.

About 1 year later, Karen called me on the phone and told me she had Lymphoma. I was devastated to hear the news. I told her, of course, that it was contagious and she contracted it from me.

So far, chemo hasn't been working for Karen. I am not able to do much for her, so I am using this and my readers as a plea for help on behalf of Karen.She is having a 5K run/walk on November 28. ALL of the donations are going to her to help with the costs.Puh-lease! Help Karen. Even if you can't do the 5K you can click here. It will take you to her blogspot and you can donate through paypal. I will also post a paypal button on this website to the right and any donation would be kind. I may not be able to clean her home for her, but I certainly can rouse up some blog talk."

***

In an effort to help Paige get out the word about the various fundraising efforts for Karen, I've made this button and I would be super glad if you would copy the code below and repost it on your blogs. Clicking on the button will take you to a blog set up for Karen where you can make a donation via paypal...

<a href="http://carinforkaren.blogspot.com/"><img alt="Carin' For Karen" src="http://i865.photobucket.com/albums/ab220/kimjohnson80/karen.png" /></a>

Cause' It's All About the Food, Right -Weekly Column

Right now there is a twenty-one pound turkey resting peacefully in my freezer. My pantry is filled with a variety of turkey appropriate side dish fixings. My house is moments away from spewing Thanksgiving all over the place. And why not, right? After all if there ever was a holiday of excessive eating it would definitely be Thanksgiving. To families all across the country Thanksgiving is all about the turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pie. To my mom’s side of the family it is all about the Pizza Hut.

Pizza Hut, you ask? Yes, it’s true. Growing up I spent alternating Thanksgivings with my dad’s side of the family and my mom’s side of the family. One Thanksgiving would be traditional. The other…not so much. And I’ve gotta tell you, both were equally great in their own ways. One provided my Grandma’s famous pumpkin pie. Pie so good I could eat an entire one by myself. Not that I have or anything. I’m just sayin. I could. The other provided an unlimited amount of cheese and pepperoni goodness. Cause we all know Thanksgiving is all about the food, right?

Wait a minute… what do you mean no? It’s about what? Being thankful? No shiz? Ahhh well that changes things then doesn’t it?

Stop the presses people. I’ve just been informed that Thanksgiving is about remembering the things we are thankful for. Who knew, right? So I’m going to share some of my thankfulisms (I invented that word just for the occasion) with you.

I am thankful for my hubs, kids, and all my other family members and in-laws. I’m thankful for the love, the kindness, and the total dysfunction that provides me with blog and column material.

I am thankful for my friends. What a strange group we are. I’m thankful for odd discussions, mix cds, text messages, and grocery store chats. I’m thankful for the fact that we are all just strange enough to get along.

I am thankful for the caffeinated goodness that is Pepsi, for jeans that say they are a size 5 when really they are as big as the 7’s, for cell phones that work even after you drop them in a toilet, for cars that run most of the time, and for all the blessings in disguise.

I asked two of my boys what they were thankful for and they said…and I quote… “pumpkin pie” and “turkey”. So maybe I was wrong, maybe it really is all about the food.

The Melis Mix

Yesterday I got a package in the mail. I love getting packages. I mean, bills are awesome too *please note the use of sarcasm italics* but sometimes a girl just wants to get something in the mail that doesn't make her cringe and want to hide under the bed. And yesterday I really did get just that.

My amazing friend (who refuses to blog, but who I love anyway) Melis sent me a mix CD. I'm not even kidding. It was fantastic.

The mixtape is such a lost art really. Remember back in the day when everyone had about a zillion and half mix tapes labeled things like "Angry Mix", "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do Mix", "My Parents Are So Harsh Mix". It was good times right.

I have very random taste in music. To prove this I will shuffle my iPod and tell you the first four songs... Enjoy

Let the Drummer Kick by Citizen Cope
A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash
Clean by Everclear
Love My Two Times by The Doors

Nice right. I think the music we listen to can be very revealing. For example song one on my Melis Mix is Tricky by the Beastie Boys. I was sorta shocked and totally stoked about this selection. It shows how quirky and great my BFF is.

So here is the question...what music would the world be surprised to know you listen to???

Post-It Note Tuesday - Irritated Edition

Post-it Note Tuesday brought to you by SupahMommy. Stop by and check her out. Also check out this fantastic fundraiser she is putting together to support Jaden Duttine...

And now...my post-its