Family Fun Days

What a week! I love this picture of Andy and his mom and gramps at Multnomah Falls. Having lunch at the lodge was only one of so many great things we all got to do together. It was a really extraordinary week and we feel so privileged to have had our family come to stay with us for this holiday. My sister Susie unfortunately leaves today, the last houseguest, and tomorrow Hallmark magazine comes for a photo shoot (yipes) so I'd better go and clean something. I'd like to take a nap.

Filling Santa Lucia kits turned into a family affair. The paint arrived at the end of a long day last week, Tuesday I think — we got home from the brew pub at 9 p.m. and several big boxes were waiting on the porch. I nodded at them in approval — good, got here — then immediately put one foot on the stairs, headed for bed. But my industrious husband and mother-in-law had already dragged the huge boxes in, opened them, and efficiently set everyone up at the dining-room table with a paint-filling station before I stumbled back downstairs, incredulous in my pajamas — We're fa-fa-filling them now? Such employees I had never seen! It is in my very nature to be a party pooper and the first to hit the sack, but how could I refuse the free help, and with such enthusiasm to boot??? Grandpa T. came down in the cutest red flannel nightshirt you ever did see, the Rice-Krispie treats came out, and by 9:30 p.m. all four of us were deep into the rhythm of squirting colors into thousands of tiny plastic pots — each kit needed ten different pots. Those babies got filled by midnight. I could not believe it. It was such a fun night — I'll always remember it. Thank you Mom P. and Grandpa T. and Andy!!! You're all hired, effectively immediately! Or, retroactively!

Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday was delicious, and afterward we had enough people to split up into two teams and play Charades. Each team thought of five movies, songs, books, TV shows, and animals for the other team to act out for its members. While we offered up charming options for our opponents to portray for each other, assuring success for even the smallest participants (song: "Walking in a Winter Wonderland"), the other team, led by Capt. Andy Paulson, whammed us with such classic family favorites as "Screaming for Vengeance" (a suggestion contributed by said captain who, incredulous when we later protested that we'd never heard of this song, insisted that "everyone knows this!!!" heavy-metal hit). The funniest was my sister Julie trying to act out The Bourne Ultimatum by pantomiming giving birth (a tremendous whoosh from between the legs — she did this several times while her teammates watched silently because they could not figure out what in the hootenanny she was doing as our team fell off our chairs laughing) followed by lots of finger-pointing and foot-stomping (as in "right now!" and "come here!" — the "Ultimatum"). Our moms won the prize for our team, however, when my mom successfully led Andy's mom to The Shawshank Redemption. I embarrassed myself completely by running around in a circle, occasionally sticking my bum out and pretending to "sting" several things while flapping my "wings" to suggest a "bee," the third syllable of the first word of TV show Barnaby Jones. Rematch, next year.

Comments

[Briana]

Lol! I love holiday family shenanigans. The. best. GOod luck getting your house clean for the photo shoot! I have no doubt it will look picture perfect. You always manage somehow. Happy holidays!

[Angie]

Don't you just love those kind of family holiday's? The unexpected moments that turn into the most memorable! It sounds like it was fabulous.

[buttercup]

Alicia, you are such a gracious host and a loving person to your family - an inspiration. The kits are now even more special knowing how they were assembled by all. Cheers to smooth holiday sailing to everyone who reads this wonderful blog :)

[heather]

you guys are super fun! what wonderful memories... especially those paint pots. how exciting about hallmark! i didn't know they were writing about you (why would i know)but i do love their photography, i'm sure your home will look beautiful. can't wait to see it!

[katie]

I've been on pins and needles waiting for the report about your holiday. And here it is! Makes me long for my own family. . . happily, we will be together (mostly) for Christmas up in Michigan. Sigh. Smile.

[Leigh]

It sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving! That was so nice that your family helped you with the kits! Your sister giving birth is just the funniest.

[Alice]

Sounds like you had a great 'family' Thanksgiving. Isn't it great to get together with family and friends?

[Kathleen]

What a great week! Families are such fun in that way. Hallmark! I recently received something from them and it looked like a magazine. I missed out on the last magazine spread someone did on your house never did find that one. Hope everyone else had a great Thanks and Giving!

[Krista]

Please tell Andy his mom is gourgeous!!!

[Paula]

How wonderful! Wish I had been a fly on the wall! It is so nice to have such a great time and good memories!

Have a great week!
Paula :)

[Carolyn]

Wow! Alicia you are a great picture taker! I am in awe everytime you post one. Good to hear your Thanksgiving turned out so lovely. You inspire many people with your blog ... me included. *Smile* Wow, can't wait to see your Hallmark spread. Will you be posting from it? xxoo

[Bobbie Duran]

Congratulations on your Hallmark photo shoot and I can't wait to see it. Great to hear that you had a wounderful Thanksgiving and how did Miss Clover do? Her first Thanksgiving.

[Rosemary]

What a blessing to have such a wonderful family! I am sure Clover was the Belle of the Ball!

[Susie]

I LOVE your expressions! I hope you don't mind, but "...what in the hootenanny..." is officially going into my own personal lexicon.

Glad you had such a lovely Thanksgiving!

[downwritehappy]

Hallmark magazine...how cool are you? Good for you, and good luck.
Your family sounds great, how cute are they all helping you out like that...that's great.
Don't stress the shoot, you rock.
All the best to you...

[Holly C]

Andy's mom looks like Paula Deen. She's so pretty.

[erin]

i was just gonna say that a's mom looks like ms. deen holly c beat me to it!! she has fab hair, and her son rocks the plaid and the stripes like it's his job. glad you had fun. enjoy the glamma-shoot tomorrow. i was cleaning last week saying to my self "i am pretty sure this is the cleanest this house will ever be without the help of professionals. or some major photoshopping." seriously. xoxoxo.

[Veronica]

Your interpretation of a bee would have been the ONLY one I would get! Sounds right on the money to me. Wouldn't have got the title..but the bee part for sure!

[Colleen]

Every square bit sounds as wonderful as it must have been!

[kate]

yay! you're back. i've been checking your blog obsessively for updates (hmm... that makes me sound a little more pathetic than i actually am). now i can get down to my own work.

[Marnie]

Oh we've gone hiking near Multnomah falls a bunch of times. I love Horsetail falls and it's so doggy friendly. I have some pictures here from right after we adopted our second pup http://flickr.com/photos/missmarnie/sets/72157600214777936/

Congrats on getting such an efficient work crew so cheap! We should all be so lucky, but where's the cute night shirt?

[amy h]

OK, your charades description has been my entertainment for the afternoon. :)

[h.]

Hey hey, my St Lucia kit arrived! It is so well done! Thank you!

[Morgan]

Cute photo- I didn't know Andy's Mom was Paula Dean! LOL! They are cutie-patooties!

xoxox

[colleen]

now i really can't wait to get my lucia kit! i know that all those wonderful family vibes will come along with them. what a wonderful picture -- i wish i had a gramps like that.