Bagels, Brownies, and Thanksgiving Prep

We had quite a busy day yesterday, and though we had to forsake certain things, we managed to get a lot done, and the kids had fun. Before I get too far, I just wanted to mention that I did find some contact information for the Valley News Parent section, and found that it is a quarterly pub and that explains why I've had such a hard time finding it.

We were supposed to go see Gary and Tori and of course we were running late, so we didn't get to our all important homeschooling exercises, but we've been doing well, so it's not the end of the world. But before we left, I figured we needed to get some things done on the food front. I got some bagels started because we've been making them and liking the result. One thing I love is that Audrey and Nicholas really love to help out in the kitchen, they love to cook, and I think it's a good experience for everyone, especially me.

I've been working on my temper and being an asshole, and I've found in the past that you can change undesirable behavior with a lot of thought and effort. I've done it before, and I'm determined to do it this time because when it comes to your children, you've got to pull out all the stops. Either way, I'm much more conscientious about my anger, so we'll see where this goes.

We were running late, always a good time to confront stress and anger, and I knew we weren't going to pull of workbooks. I had an ambitious plan to make bagels, pumpkin pie, brownies, and dinner all in one fell swoop, but it was going to take some serious prep. I made the bagel dough in the AM and let it ripen in the mud room while we were away.

We went to Gary's and it was good to see them. I was curious to see their cats and was blown away by how large they've gotten. They were so big, and I have to confess that I really though the opposite would be the case. Gary mentioned that he thought they were feeding them too much, but whatever the case, they looked huge. Maybe they are fat, but I couldn't see that at first.

There are times I think Gary just seems resigned to things he doesn't like, and I wonder if he might benefit from being more assertive and putting his foot down. They got a satellite dish, and now I know it's all down hill from there. They're going to be locked into watching TV, it will consume their lives, especially Tori. It's a joke how people justify watching TV by saying they watch Discovery Channel, a complete joke. I'm trying not to judge, to each their own, but it is interesting how hard it is to avoid the long reach of the media. It rules our lives. Also, the cats seem to run around as they please even though he doesn't want them inside. I understand, Gary has a lot on his plate and he can't spend his time putting out little fires around the house. I did get to meet his folks and enjoyed talking with them.

Our plan was a little thrown off, I figured we were going to have lunch over there, but that plan fell through and Audrey and Nicholas were hungry, but we had a small snack and I figured we could have something later. Audrey and Tori had a lot of fun, though, and spent most of their time outside shooting the chickens with their bow and arrows. It was pretty amusing. Nicholas wanted to just hang out inside and was a little clingy, but that's how he is these days and it's cool with me.

We came home and cooked up a storm, managing to pull off our big plan. I made them a quick snack, finished the bagels, cooked up the stuffed pumpkins, made pumpkin pie, and then brownies. It was pretty impressive, all the more so because I let Audrey and Nicholas help out. Pretty amazing. I'm glad we can do things together.

I've been hearing more grumblings about our friend's situation with his wife, and I'm struck by how hard it's been on him, but he's a super sensitive guy, and he really got screwed on this one, even if everybody's shit stinks, if even just a little bit. I honestly had no idea any of this was going on and wish I could do more, but he's got a good support network and he'll be just fine. He's the kind of guy who you just wish the best for, and his circle of friends is a testament to that.

I brined the chicken last night, and today we'll make our Thanksgiving feast. Should be good. Until then, thanks for reading.