Thanksgiving Weekend Roundup
I, Shannon, will be taking over the weekend roundup this weekend to share with you my top ten things I’m thankful for from our long weekend. The kiddos have been out of school since Wednesday so we’ve had a five-day weekend. Without further ado, here’s my top ten list! I’m thankful…
10) …that we got to enjoy the company of 9 guests who joined us for a Thanksgiving feast on Thanksgiving Day. We enjoyed eating, laughing and hanging out with “Uncle” Tom; Doug and Lynda; Laurie and the Carlson Clan: Gordon, AmyLou, Lennon, McCartney and Sadie Lou Starr (can you guess where those kids’ names came from?)
9) …for getting to take some naps, I mean who doesn’t love afternoon naps? My kids, that’s who.
8) … that we got our Christmas decorations put up three weekends ago which was way early but was still better than having to put them up today!
7) … that I survived giving the message three times at church. Whew, I’m whipped and I’m really thankful I don’t have to do that every stinkin’ weekend. I really admire Rick for his stamina.
6) … that my friend Joy joined me for some Black Friday shopping at Wal-Mart, Target and Toys R Us (where we couldn’t bear to wait in that nasty long line). It was a great time and I was thankful to have a friend to keep me from going insane when I see all the great deals that I really don’t need!
5) …for Joy’s husband, Jimmy and their kiddos Jake, Sophie, Samie, and Zoe who joined up with my family for breakfast after our Black Friday shopping. I’m especially thankful for Jake’s prayer before breakfast which had us all cracking up. Jake prayed that “he loved Steven (my son); his mom and sister and that he loved when the stars come out at night.” I really, really love little kid prayers (Jake is just 5).
4) … for a very memorable and sweet evening with my family on Friday. We got dolled up and went to see Santa at Crown Center (a Horn family tradition) and watch the lighting of the Mayor’s Christmas Tree at Crown Center (something we’ve never done before). It was magical…don’t believe me-watch this awesome video the Priceman put together capturing the evening. We finished up the evening with a nice dinner in the Power and Light district. It was a magical evening.
3)…for my kiddos. Each unique and wonderful in their own way. I’m so grateful for them and time to share with them. I’m thankful they are healthy and strong and growing. I love watching them grow up!
2) …for my sweet and amazing husband. Priceman is truly a gift to me. He is always so loving and patient. He’s a great daddy, a supportive husband, a great friend and an all around loveable and godly man. I’m so very grateful that my life has been blessed with him in it for the past 15 years.
1)…for God who loves me and who has showered me with more blessings than I deserve. A great church, wonderful friends, a warm house, good food, a great chef;), a cute pug, a job I love, our parents, our families, the joy of living in the US, Steven, Maya and Price and so much more.
For all this and more, my heart is warmed at the end of this Thanksgiving weekend!
Hey Maya, what do you think of the holiday season so far?
Look on my Weekend Roundup, ye mighty, and despair
I gotta make this quick, because 1) I really want to watch 24: Redemption, which we DVRed tonight, and 2) I’m kind of sick of writing these Weekend Roundup things and I’m just looking for an excuse not to do it. I’m thinking of doing something different, and I think the Weekend Roundup will be the first to go. Maybe. Anyway, let’s run through the highlights so I can do something else and spare the rest of you my tired attempts at ironic, self-deprecating “humor.” I’ll use every technical writer’s favorite, the bulleted list:
- Friday night we actually did nothing much at all, the first Friday night in approximately forever that we did not have Plans. Well, we had Tom over, but that doesn’t really count as Plans. We watched Killers from Space, a horrendous ’50s sci-fi movie with commentary from The Film Crew (a bunch of former MST3K folks). Wicked funny. There are several Film Crew movie on Netflix, and we’re going to watch more of them.
- Saturday I took Steven to church to practice for the kids’ Christmas program. Part of the program involves singing and choreography… okay, basically doing motions while they sing… and because I help out some with the little kids, I had to learn to do the singing and dancing, too. So, yeah… all you have to do is picture me singing and waving my arms and jumping around erratically, looking like the fool I am.
- That evening I went over to my friend Jimmy’s house to watch the movie Frailty. I had never seen it before, and didn’t know what to expect. I have to say… not too shabby. Given that it stars Matthew McConaughey (I’m not even going to check to see if I spelled that right) and Bill Paxton, it was much better than I expected. Suitably creepy and surprisingly tricky.
- Sunday Maya made a bunny mask at church and would have worn it the rest of the day if we hadn’t made her take it off.
- Sunday night we met our friends the Kings for dinner at Tomfooleries at Zona Rosa. Do we end up at Zona Rosa every single weekend? If so, can we please stop? Don’t get me wrong, nothing wrong with Tomfooleries or Zona Rosa or anything, I am just wondering: is there nothing else to do in Kansas City? No museums? No parks? No professional sporting events? Well, I guess there are professional sporting events, but we’re all doing our best to try and pretend there aren’t.
- Also I did laundry and vacuumed the floors? Why did I even bother to include that? It’s not exactly a highlight. It’s just what I do… Every. Single. Weekend. God. Help. Me.
Weekend Roundup outline: Place self-aware and ironic title here
Note to self: Just outline the main points of the Weekend Roundup, then fill in the details later.
Make a joke here that references a tired ’80s pop song or an obscure literary work that only English majors would understand.
Talk about Friday here. Mention that you went to the Whiteford’s house for dinner and conversation. Talk about having a good time, but DO NOT bring up the jewelry that the kids took. It won’t look good in the inevitable court case.
Insert a picture here of the Whitefords awkwardly smiling as you make a fool of yourself. Again.
Say something here about going to bed late, playing up the “oh I am getting so old” angle. That never gets tiresome.
Okay, now talk about Saturday here. Say something about the awesome meal of pancakes and bacon and eggs you made, but act all humble about it, like it’s no big deal. That makes it sound like a much bigger deal than it already is, trust me, and people will think you are so cool and won’t it be great when someone likes you for a change?
Talk about doing laundry and vacuuming the house and doing other household chores. You don’t talk about that enough, and I think people really connect with it.
Insert some kind of visual of the dog’s bath. Hmm… probably a good idea to use the photo, not the video. I don’t think YouTube will allow that kind of language.
Here you should say something about taking the kids to the indoor play area at Zona Rosa (make sure to link to the Zona Rosa so people outside of Kansas City will know that it’s basically a prefab New Urbanist shopping area). Talk about the fun Maya had running around, etc., but DO NOT tell the story about the funny thing that little black kid said. It’s funny, yes, but when you imitate his voice you sound kind of racist.
Mention the awesome homemade macaroni and cheese you made Saturday night. Play it up, too. People need to know the full extent of its awesomeness. It may well change their lives.
Insert a family picture here. DO NOT use the one where Shannon is crying softly, shoulders trembling, as she contemplates the mistake she made in marrying you. Save that one for the Christmas letter.
Give a short review of Get Smart, the movie you watched with Shannon and Tom. Talk about how great Steve Carell is, and kindly mention that there are several funny scenes in the movie. Basically try to make it sound like it was much better than it really was.
All right, talk about Sunday here. You’ll have to get creative here, as this Sunday went pretty much like every Sunday goes. Mention that you got to act as the “lead teacher” for a large group of four- and five-year-olds. Try not to bring up the fact that they found your delivery patronizing and infantile. In fact, try not to use the word “infantile” at all. It makes you sound pretentious.
End the Weekend Roundup here with a schmaltzy meditation on the beauty of fallen leaves or how the kids are teaching you how to love or some garbage like that. People eat that crap up.
Last thing… whatever you do, make sure you finish this thing before you click the Publish button.
Weekend Roundup In Review II
Hey, remember this? That worked out pretty good, right? So what the heck, let’s do it again.
Dinner with the Crows Friday night
Pros: A Southwest-tinged sausage-and-egg strata, with cinnamon rolls and fruit salad. A delicious brunch, any time of day or night.
Cons: One of our kids is remarkably, embarrassingly picky. I won’t humiliate him by telling you his name.
Rating: 
Staying up late playing a role-playing game
Pros: An adventurous glimpse into a fantastic world of magic, swordplay, and wondrous creatures.
Cons: I am not very good at any of this stuff, almost getting the entire party killed by mindless, shambling zombies.
Rating:
Decorating the house for Christmas
Pros: The tree is up, the house is beautiful. Tinsel and snowmen and candles and nativity scenes warm the heart.
Cons: It’s three weeks ’til Thanksgiving.
Rating:
Dinner out with the Crows Saturday night
Pros: Dinner at Cascone’s–a Kansas City institution–was fabulous. Spirits flowed freely while a jazz duo provided the perfect soundtrack to a night out with friends.
Cons: We made pigs of ourselves, eating so much that we kind of felt sick afterwards.
Rating:
Swimming with the kids Sunday afternoon
Pros: There’s nothing better than splashing in an indoor pool with your kiddies when it’s a cold, gray day outside. It’s a little taste of summer in the middle of autumn.
Cons: We only got to swim for about half an hour because we got there so late. We all smell like chlorine. People had to see me without a shirt on.
Rating:
Curled up in the fetal position in a darkened room, alone and in the grip of crippling depression
Pros: Better than writing the Weekend Roundup.
Cons: None.
Rating:
“BOO” to the Weekend Roundup pt.2
Saturday
Saturday was more productive than Friday. In the morning, we (including Nana and Papa) went to Roxanne’s Diner. We ate like pigs. After that, we went home. We did alot after that. Me, Nana, Mom, Maya and I went to Penguin Park and had fun times. Oh yeah! Dad wanted to see how far he could get on my scooter without pushing. Once he got to the grate he flipped over! After that and many other shenanigans, we went to Corner Cafe and stuffed ourselves. Then, we all went home and watched Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
Stay tuned for pt.3!
“BOO” to the Weekend Roundup pt.1
Friday
It’s the day of Halloween. Kids dressed like Hannah Montana and Scream ring doorbells, hit the mother load on candy, and get sprayed by insane teens with shaving cream. On the day of, I got up, got dressed, ate breakfast, brushed my teeth, and played Kirby’s Adventure until David (my best friend) got here and we left for the bus stop. There, we discussed our curent Bakugan status. When we got to school, it was nearly time to leave for the field trip to Watkin’s Wool Mill. Mom was coming to chaperone. We soon left to the Mill. It was like a 45 minute drive, so me and David talked. A lot. When we got there, it took Mom a few minutes to get there. After a lot of gazin’, learnin’, and hamstring pullin’, it was over and was time for lunch. We had to eat lunch on the bus because we were running tight on schedule. Here’s a weird chicken:
After our little trip, we had our Fall party. I didn’t converse a lot, though, because I read Diary of a Wimpy Kid most of the party. When I got home from school, my Nana and Papa (Mom’s parents) came. We ate dinner then it was a treatin’ time. David dressed up as Scream, and I dressed like a pirate. After many trick or treat adventures, the day was done and we got some 50 cent corn dogs and ice cream.
Stay tuned for part 2!