Isaac started off with presents.  Here he is opening Lila’s gift.  He definitely tried to get to the actual toy before it was unwrapped.  Luckily, Lila was there every step of the way to “help” out.

After presents it was time for CAKE! Ever the responsible and conscientious parent, I made a pumpkin cake with caramel cream cheese frosting (hey, it’s healthier than chocolate with buttercream).

Then we sang “Happy Birthday.”  He got pretty excited about  himself halfway through.  And yes, our kid did blow out the candle by himself.  I think he’s just a heavy breather…

And the best part: EATING the cake!  I guess my kid isn’t all that keen on dessert…

Happy 1st birthday, Isaac!  I can’t believe how quickly this year has gone by, and I am so proud to be your mommy!

1. Who’s coming for dinner?

What started out small ended up being much merrier: my family, the Menkes, the Manns, and the Manns (that’s not a typo).  In total, 9 people (11, if you count the kids).

2. What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner?

Oddly enough, I usually eat more stuffing than anything else now, which is weird since I hated the stuff (sorry) all growing up.

3. What’s your least favorite part?

Dinner rolls.  Who needs all that filler?  Orange rolls, however, are an entirely different prospect…

4. Are you a stickler for tradition or do you like to mix it up every year?

I hate making the same thing twice, but I love tradition, so I end up doing different variations on the basics.  My mom definitely is a mix-it-up kind of gal.  One year we each had our own cornish game hen instead of a big turkey, and I could swear that fried rice has made it to our Thanksgiving table once or twice.

5. How many Thanksgiving dinners have you cooked?

Three, starting from when I was in college.

6. Who’s cooking this year?

It’s a group effort - me, Sheena, and Carrie.

7. What are you having for dinner?  (include any recipe links, if applicable)

• orange rolls
• mashed potatoes
• New England sausage, apple, and dried cranberry stuffing (in Favorite Recipes section)
• yams (mom’s old recipe w/ o.j. and maple syrup)
• cider-brined-and-glazed turkey (with some modifications)
• cranberry sauce with crystallized ginger (also in Favorite Recipes section)
• roasted carrots and brussels sprouts
• corn
• pumpkin pie
• mystery dessert

And now I tag YOU!  Yes, all of you!  What can I say?  I’m nosy and I want to know what everyone’s eating (in case I want to steal one of your recipes…)!

And sorry for all the lame puns, but I just couldn’t help it.  

Sorry for the pity party, but I’ve heard some people complain that blogs only highlight the fluffy moments in family life.  Well, kids, allow me to illuminate the darker side of parenting, your child’s sadistic schemes designed to keep you awake all night.  Yeah, well, at least Isaac has 7 (going on 8 ) teeth now.  Can’t wait for them molars!

And yes, he did all of this himself without any prodding from us - He head-butted the ball until it was under the seat, then he crawled around and helped himself up for a fun little ride. Collin got there just in time to catch him. The fun never stops around here!

Yes, that fluffy pile of white in the background is about half a box of tissues.  I’m still trying to figure out how he managed to get the box down from the table without my hearing it.   He can’t even reach the table!  At least he had a good time with it.

On a different note, here’s my delayed Halloween post.  We had so much fun taking Isaac and Lila trick-or-treating!  Lila was an ’80s rocker and Isaac was an ancient Chinese Kung Fu master.  Though he wasn’t exactly thrilled about the experience, he tolerated it well enough.  He just held onto his little candy bucket the whole time with his kung fu grip of death.

When we got home, Isaac set right to work sorting out his candy - he was so focused on moving his loot in and out of his bucket that he couldn’t be bothered to look up at us for even a second.  It was a perfect first Halloween for our little buddy!

“We engage in the election the same as in any other principle: you are to vote for good men, and if you do not do this it is a sin: to vote for wicked men, it would be sin. Choose the good and refuse the evil. Men of false principles have preyed upon us like wolves upon helpless lambs. Damn the rod of tyranny; curse it. Let every man use his liberties according to the Constitution. Don’t fear man or devil; electioneer with all people, male and female, and exhort them to do the thing that is right.” (Author: Hyrum Smith, Source: History of the Church, Vol.6, Ch.15, p.323)

And now a quote from Joseph Smith:

“…we shall have the satisfaction of knowing that we have acted conscientiously, and have used our best judgment. And if we have to throw away our votes, we had better do so upon a worthy rather than an unworthy individual who might make use of the weapon we put in his hand to destroy us. (Joseph Smith, Source: Times and Seasons, Nauvoo, IV, 441. Cited also in Roberts, Comprehensive History, II, 208-209)

Now Ezra Taft Benson:

“The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature.” (President Ezra Taft Benson, CR, October 1985, p. 5.)

And finally, John Quincy Adams:

“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.”

I think we take the power of voting for granted.  It’s not just about “beating the other guy” or the “lesser of two evils.”  There is ALWAYS a better choice.  I’ve tried being both a Democrat and a Republican, and I didn’t like either party.  Both pander to the lowest common denominator and get nothing done except bloat the government, increase our debt, and get us into wars.  This isn’t the America that I support;  I think we have the potential to be the greatest nation in the world, but not by way of economic or military power.  That is such a carnal and worldly trap - and it’s ruined our nation these past 80 years or so.  What makes a person great?  Their money, power, influence, or intelligence?  I think it’s fair to say that none of those things do.  When you really get down to it it’s character, wisdom, self-control, humility, and benevolence.  And I think our country has lost all of those things.  Consumerism and an obsession with diversion have crept into our culture and quickly tainted every last one of us.  We have transitioned from a production-based economy to a consumption-based one.  We lust after possessions and big ugly gas-guzzlers that do no good but only endanger others on the road and poison the air we breathe.  I find it ironic that in the hey-dey of blind patriotism after the attacks on the World Trade Center we as a nation rushed out to prove our loyalty by buying SUVs that gave even more power to our enemies through the choke-hold of our dependence on oil.  What hubris!  We then went and purchased homes we couldn’t afford because we felt “entitled.”  We actually believed we were deserving in our 20s and 30s of the same lifestyle our parents worked decades to achieve.  Okay, I’ll stop.  But I only rant to illustrate my frustration with the two major political parties.  All of these problems were brought on by ourselves but were also pushed on us by both sides of the political spectrum.  While Democrats fought for entitlement rights for poor people (trying to give them rights to buy things they couldn’t afford)  Republicans fought to increase our dependence on oil, gave tax breaks to humvee purchasers, and in every way tried to stymie any efforts to help our environment.  And that’s just an extreme generalization.  Books could be written on this subject.  But anyway, in addition to all the hoopla surrounding the big election, an even more insidious doctrine is trying to become mainstream and it has the potential to tear the Constitution apart.

If you’re reading this blog, you’ve probably heard of California’s Proposition 8 which will also be voted on next week.  It seeks to amend the California Constitution to permit marriage only between heterosexual couples.  Now this issue has always caused me heartache - I really want everyone to be happy and to experience all of the joys that come with marriage.  I can’t imagine being denied that because of something I couldn’t help.  But at the same time what’s even more heartbreaking is the thought of children being raised without both a mother and a father to teach them how to be properly functioning human beings with both a yin and a yang.  (the Chinese really nailed it with that concept - if the yin and yang are not balanced, neither are we.  But I digress….)   I can go on and on about why it’s important to keep marriage defined as it is.  What happens when a Church won’t marry a gay couple, give them counseling, or let them get married on their property?  They’ll get sued and forced by the courts to comply.  This would literally bring about the end of religious freedom.  (It’s already happening in Massachussetts)  By continuing to change the definition of marriage, we as a society show how unimportant the concept of marriage is to us.  Already it’s almost more common to have children THEN get married than it is to go about it in the traditional manner.  What does that say about our mentality?  That marriage is just a formality?  That it’s not important?  That children don’t need to be raised in a unified family unit?  That’s insane!  But what really gets my goat is the whole reason Prop 8 is here in the first place.  A couple of judges decided to go against the majority and change the law.  There was no legislation.  The Judicial branch (and the Executive for that matter) have decided to get rid of the checks and balances system our government is based on and have taken the law into their own hands.  Doesn’t that scare you?  They’re basically saying that the Constitution no longer matters.  If someone doesn’t like something and can get a sympathetic judge to listen, they can change the law by themselves.  If the President doesn’t want to answer for his mistakes, he can claim “Executive Privilege.”  The Congress, the only appointed “voice of the People,” has no power left.  That means that “We the People” no longer matter.  We have no say in how things are to be done.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease and the minority get their way at the expense of the rest.  Our hard-earned money is being taken from us against our will and given to others or used for causes we don’t believe in and we get no say in the matter.

So now I finally get to my point.  I don’t like McCain - he’s done some very underhanded things these past two months and he has shown a great weakness of character.  I can’t support him with my vote.  As for Obama, in many ways I think he can do a lot to heal our country and our environment or at least help our tarnished reputation with the rest of the world, but he’s inexperienced and doesn’t really appear to have any substance to his platform.  I have no idea what he’s even for and I’ve looked.  I don’t trust smooth-talkers who don’t actually say anything.  I think the job of the President belongs to the experienced statesman who has garnered a lifetime of wisdom and character and has the courage to stand up for what he believes.  It’s been a long time since our country has had that.  I felt (and still believe) that Ron Paul was our best option and the best man to fill that role.  In his decades of service he’s never once voted against what he stands for.  He’s shown a 100% fully undeviating course towards what he really believes in.  But since he’s not running for president, I’m voting for the man he endorses, Chuck Baldwin.

I’ve chosen my side and I’m completely with the Constitution.  Parties change over time and go in and out of style, but the Constitution is our anchor and will always be right.  I’m sticking with the Constitution party.  Chuck Baldwin supports greater border defense, non-aggressive/non-stupid foreign policy, limiting federal government (reducing/eliminating the IRS and Federal Reserve), and giving more power to Congress as the voice of the American people.  Supporting McCain, Obama, or gay marriage will only continue to erode our freedoms and destroy this once-great nation.

And that’s why I support the Constitution, Chuck Baldwin, and Proposition 8.  In the end, these things mean more freedom for us.

If you’re still with me, thank you for listening to my tirade and now enjoy some pleasant posts about Tim-Tams and Isaac in a monkey costume!

It’s a cookie/biscuit/digestible that’s really popular in Australia and New Zealand.  Two malted chocolate biscuits sandwiching a layer of creamy chocolatey goodness, all surrounded by even more chocolate.  Glorified dipped Oreo, you say?  No, my friends.  This is to a dipped Oreo as Ruths Chris Steakhouse is to McDonalds.

Why is this such a big deal, you ask?  Because until now, you could only find these delectible delicacies in specialty shops (like Cost Plus, certain British stores, etc.), and you would generally pay too much per package. Apparently, Arnott’s (the company that produces Tim Tams) has been purchased by Pepperidge Farms and as of Nov. 1, Tim Tams will be sold exclusively at Target stores under the Pepperidge Farms label (for about $3/package).  If you’re not already jumping up and down for joy, you should probably start now.  These things are AMAZING! Do yourself a favor and go out to your local Target store this instant, buy a package, take it home, and slam a Tim Tam today.

How to slam a Tim Tam:

1. Prepare a hot beverage of choice (we like hot cocoa).

2. Bite off each end of the biscuit (some bite off opposing corners, but I find you get better control if you just bite off a small portion of each whole end)

3.  Insert one end of Tim Tam into hot beverage and use as a straw.  The insides will melt.

4. As soon as you feel the biscuit soften, put the whole thing in your mouth and enjoy the burst of chocolatey overload.

Enjoy!

(P.S.  I know I just posted last night, but this was too good to wait for.  Make sure you look at the other post because Isaac is super cute.)

I’m prone to the occasional implulse/panic purchase, especially when it involves really cute Halloween costumes.  For nearly two years now (pregnancy plus post-pregnancy), I’ve been dreaming of what kind of cute little torture I would subject my child to for this holiday.  I love all those poofy little animal costumes at Babies R Us.  You know the ones - my kid could be a cute little lamb, or a cow, or a lobster.  Providence seemed to hit when I saw the monkey outfit on sale at Old Navy.  Alas, on sale is still more expensive than free.  When we realized that we already had a perfectly good costume for Isaac sitting in his closet, I couldn’t justify keeping the monkey suit.  So, here are the pictures to prove just how darling it was.  I might still pretend that this is what he wore on Halloween.

Isaac started off loving it (surprisingly).  Why, I believe that’s a thumbs-up you’re seeing there:

He didn’t even mind the mittens over his hands, though it did make it a little harder for him to grab anything:

Things started to go downhill when he realized it was hot and stuffy in there and he couldn’t really do a whole lot:

He finally gave up after about 15 minutes and just went limp:

Then he got excited about himself and started clapping:

Here’s the costume we’re actually going to use.  Isaac is going as… A FULL Chinese kid!

More on Halloween…