Turkey Day

From Life with the Bjorks

Once again we hosted Thanksgiving. We enjoy hosting it and discovered just how nice it is to have it at our house with an active toddler. After spending almost the whole time chasing and supervising Rachel at a party we recently went to it was really nice to be able to actually visit with our family and know Rachel was safe even when she was out of sight. It seems to be becoming a tradition that something noticeable does not go according to plan. Last year it was the turkey not cooking. This year I created a baking soda volcano. While talking and attempting to make gravy I grabbed the baking soda instead of the cornstarch box. They are similar and size and located next to each other on the shelf. No one else noticed my mistake either until all the sudden the gravy bubbled over the top of the pot. Had I not been trying to get dinner on the table for 11 1/2 people it would have been very cool. Who know turkey juice and baking soda would create a volcano. Well luckily I had gotten tired of suctioning juice out of the turkey bag during my first gravy making attempt and there was enough left when combined with a little chicken broth to make plenty of gravy. Dinner was tasty and it seemed like everyone had a good time.

Raking Leaves

From Life with the Bjorks

Raking leaves seems like less of a chore when you are using them as a prop for a fall picture of your adorable child.

From Life with the Bjorks

Christmas Came Early (For One Of Us)

From Life with the Bjorks

Christmas came early for Rachel. Her grandma and grandpa bought her a slide. We opted to put it together earlier this month because who wants a giant box sitting in the living room for almost 2 months, and really Rachel is not going to sit, open, and fully appreciate all of her presents if she has to do all of them in one sitting.

From Life with the Bjorks

Putting together the slide took longer than we expected. I guess all the reviews on Amazon were correct when they said the slide was a. hard to put together, b. required power tools, and c. the pieces did not fit quite right. I kind of hoped maybe those writing the reviews were just lacking skills in the area of toy assembly unlike my fabulous husband. Wishful thinking. It took a couple hours to assemble, two adults forcing pieces together, one power screw driver (that doesn't sound like the correct name???), and an X-acto knife to shave down some of the plastic. Yes, my husband is very skilled in the area of toy assembly as well as other things, but quality control got in the way of what should have been an easy to assemble toy. Oh, and I forget to mention a toddler trying to grab everything and climb on the slide might have been a little less than helpful. When we were finally through Rachel had a blast climbing, driving, and sliding. Bedtime was pushed back a little so Rachel could enjoy her new toy.

From Life with the Bjorks

Disneyland through Rachel's Eyes

Well we're a little behind on our blog posts, so lets see if we can remedy that. Sometimes I feel like I am constantly playing catch up. I have felt this way since we left for Disneyland last month. Every weekend has been jam packed with activities.

From Life with the Bjorks

Anyway, we had a blast at Disneyland last month. It was so much fun to experience it with Rachel. It wasn't just about running from ride to ride trying to hit all our favorites at least two or three times in a single day. This trip was slower and more relaxed. We stayed at the Grand Californian and enjoyed the both Disneyland and California Adventure over two and a half days. It was such an amazing experience to watch Rachel take in everything for the first time. There was so much to take in she barely blinked or napped.

We experienced things we had never taken the time to experience before like Toon Town. Because we stayed on site we got to enter Toon Town an hour early one morning. Entering early made all the difference for Rachel being able to safely walk around and experience the character's homes. While everyone was at the town hall meeting we were able to explore the virtually empty homes of Goofy, Donald, and Chip and Dale. This was perfect for a toddling 13 month old because she had room to explore and fall without big kids running around and over her. Oh, and, did you know Disneyland has a goat petting zoo. I didn't until this trip. Big Thunder Ranch is located on the path between Fantasyland and Frontierland. Rachel enjoyed going from goat to goat petting each one. She loved that the goats just laid there while she petted them. This also wasn't that crowded.

Besides experiencing new places we also went on rides, rides, and more rides. She loved just about every ride we went on. I think her favorites were the Jungle Cruise and the teacups. That girl loves wild rides and animals. She also loved the characters. They were like life sized stuffed animal. It was precious to watch her hug them, pet them, and give them kisses. I think she could have spent hours with each one, but sadly she had to share them with other kids. Sharing can be challenging.

The trip was magical, fun, and virtually stress free. All three of us are ready to go back, maybe with the other grandparents next time?