Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

This will be short since we have just a little time left until we have to head back to the kitchen, but I wanted to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving!  Big S had a very interesting assignment at school this week.  They were giving the writing prompt of "even so, I'm  thankful..."  it was fabulous!  They had to take 10 things that they "dislike" and "complain" about and turn them all into positive statements that go "Even so, I am thankful for ...complaint... because it reminds me/shows me that I..."  They were really wonderful!  Things like I am thankful for homework because it reminds me that I am able to get a god education, I am thankful for having to eat foods I don't like because it reminds me that I have parents who feed me "nutritious" foods...  I think that today we should all reflect on the things that we complain about but really should be thanksful for!  Happy THANKSgiving everyone!!

At least I'm not the turkey!!!!!

You Are The Stuffing

You're complicated and complex, yet all your pieces fit together. People miss you if you're gone - but they're not sure why.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

I got this quiz off Amazing Grace's blog "Still Crazy After All These Years" at    www.ccdmom.blogspot.com and it's a fun little couple of minutes!!

And at least I'm not the turkey... are you?

Try this at home....

OK, Little S came to me the other day with an interesting statement.  She said "Mom, did you know that it is impossible to put on mascara without opening your mouth?  I read it in a book!"  So I tried it and sure enough, it can't be done - at least not easily!  Try it!  Let me know if you are more adept than I am!!

 

Dia de los Muertos

As I promised, here are pictures of some of the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) alters at the Indianapolis Arts Center's annual Dia de los Meurtos celebrations!  The alters are made by local artists, some individual, some collaborative, some in honor of people in their lives who have passed away, some in honor of people who were an influence on their lives from a distance.

This alter is in honor of John Lennon

This is a close up of one of the decorations from the alter below - a knitted skeleton - how cool!

This alter is a collaborative effort by several mothers in honor of their children who passed away early in life

these sculptures are part of a collaborative effort (see below) by students at a local school

the collaborative alter

This alter was done by a woman in honor of he niece who died at the age of 2 after battling cancer for more than half of her little life.  The photographs were heart wrenching and the paintings - esp the one at the very top - were beautiful

I believe that this shrine was done by the hispanic population at one of our local churches

This is the flagship alter by the front entrance - on the floor is a sand skeleton sculpture - just amazing traditional Dia de los Muertos artwork

This alter was done by the students of a local middle school in honor of a boy who had cerebal palsy.  It was so touching and the only interactive alter - at the bottom were paper leaves where they encouraged you to write something about someone who is your hero or someone who inspires you and attach it to the tree on the alter

very cool alter by an artist about an artist

They really do a great job at IAC honoring this amazing holiday that so many of us don't know anything about!  Check them out at www.indplsartcenter.org !!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

BOO!!!

Did I scare you??  I love Halloween!  Not as much as my sister mind you - she is Halloween crazy!  We have discussed the possible need for an intervention when she heads for the Halloween department at Target!  Every year she throws this fabulous Halloween party for her son, his friends (and some of hers!) and she goes all out (or so I hear - we're too far away to actually attend ;( )  Anyway, I love it too, but I pale in comparison!  This year my kids are even more into it than usual - don't know why but Big S was about to jump out of her skin on the way to school today!  We had the Kid's Bop Halloween CD playing and she was rocking out!

Anyway, I am looking forward to the fun of the day!  I will have LOTS of pictures later, stay tuned.......

Girl Scout camping trip

So, Big S's girl scout troop went camping last weekend (cabin, not tent, let's be clear on that!!)  and one of the tasks in front of them to earn one of their badges was to build a fire...

  
it looks promising!

 

the beginning of something... will it catch??

the moms have earned the fire starter patch!!  yea for us!!!!  

next season's winners...

I enjoy Dancing with the Stars but don't often get a chance to watch it, so if you hate spoilers don't look at the picture below!!

I got this picture from "still crazy after all these years" at www.ccdmom.blogspot.com and thought it was so hysterical I had to put it on my spot too!! I am refraining from making political comments because it has gotten so ugly that I can't stand to hear all the back and forth anymore - this on the other hand I enjoy greatly!!