Thanksgiving Feast

 We had been preparing for our Thanksgiving feast.

The turkey went on at 7:20 a.m.

We had our Friday groups...with the cooking group finishing the dishes for our feast...we had extra mom-help, too...

 As we were waiting the feast to begin...those not in the cooking group helped set and decorate the tables.  They also colored some turkeys to be used as placemats.

 

Mr. S was busy carving our turkey.  He's an expert.  He told me his family cooks a turkey about once a month!

 Jayden and Sawyer were guarding the kitchen. 

 Debbie is THE queen!  She let us invade her kitchen...thank you, thank you, thank you, Debbie!

 Rachel and Sonja were a bit warm in the kitchen...but what troopers they were/are!  We couldn't have done this without them...no way!

 

Everything was ready to come out of the oven...

 Our waitresses:  Sabrina and Isabella with Cameron hiding in the back...were bringing all the food to

 room 5.

 Here comes some of our waiters!  Jason, Sawyer, and Jayden..

 The cooking group wanted to also serve the food.  I was so, so proud of them...for everything!

 Let the feast begin! We went around the room for each Room 5er to say something they were thankful for.  Family was #1!

I wish I had taken a good picture of the room.  We had tablecloths, candles, and decorations on the tables.  There was some classical background music...it was so sweet!

 Hannah, with her Auntie Beth and brother Connor

 Aliya with her grandmother, sister Tamia Ruth, and Aunt Cheryl

 Micah with his mother, April, and his twin sisters...twin identical sisters!

 Cayden and his dad

 Elaine with her mom and little brother...who didn't want to look at the camera...but, he looks 

JUST like Elaine!

 Sawyer with his parents, Matt and April

 David and his father, Levi

 Jason and his mother, Holly

Ian and his mother, Shirley.

 Phoebe lived in Room 5 last year...she's also Isabella's sister!

 We were fortunate to have Michelle join our feast, and of course, Mr. C!

 I know Rachel and Sonja must have gone home exhausted...

 Mr. S, our principal, came back and joined us for awhile!

 Trenton definitely dressed for the occasion!  It was a special day for a special group of 4th and 5th graders!

Karli was telling Zoe how incredibly good everything tasted...and that she had 7...SEVEN...pieces of pie different foods to eat!

I hope all our families are enjoying a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Friday groups on November 16, 2012

 Mr. C gathered his group together and talked about different types of wood...

He told them differences between deciduous and conifers...  between soft wood and hard wood....

Mikayla was taking notes...

as was Zoe...

and Trenton... (doesn't he look great in his dress shirt and tie?)...

Ian was concentrating on exactly what Mr. C was saying...

and so was Cayden!

In the meantime, the cooking group was starting to peel potatoes...20 pounds of potatoes...

Potatoes for our Thanksgiving feast that was happening later in the day!

The crocheting group was hard at work.  Look at those guys!

and the ladies, too!

Here's our purple girl...aka Aliya!

Lauri was giving her a few pointers...

while Ms. C was doing the same for Cole...

While some in the cooking group were peeling potatoes, Ashlynn was chopping up ingredients for the stuffing/dressing...

Caleb was chopping up the peeled potatoes...

Uh, Jason?  What are YOU doing?  I think he must have been taking a break.

Look at this group, hard at work, on the peeling.  Looks like Jason is over his break...

There was a lot of chopping to be done...celery, onion, bread, etc....  Sonja and Cynthia came to help this group today...

Looks good, Isabella!

Sawyer did a great job on cutting the celery...

Back outside, Ian was going to town on his woodworking!  Mr. C even commented on how fast he was working...

Alex, Mikayla, and Elaine were keeping an eye on Ian...

while Mr. C was helping Jade with the belt sander...

Zoe, was still sawing away...

Trenton was also sanding, but he was using a palm sander....

Measuring where to drill the holes was what Mikayla was doing ...  Lura was there to help..

Oops!  Looks like Cayden made a mark in the wrong place!  But yee-haw that he discovered it on his own before he drilled!  Carpenters need to double check their work...good job, Cayden!

Do you know what this tool is called that Mikayla is using?  It's an awl... We were fortunate to have Michelle come out and give her assistance!  Thanks, Michelle!

Elaine also used the awl...

Alex was measuring...

Maybe I should mention that today was "HAT DAY"... I don't want readers of this blog to think Mikayla always wears this type of head gear! 

Ian...hard at work again...

Elaine was pretty excited about the progress of her hat rack..

I told Trenton to come stand in a certain spot...I loved the light...
The same with Cayden....what a GREAT picture of him!  Even with safety goggles on!

Back to the cooking group...and look inside the oven!  The bird was almost done...

Isabella was bringing in the supplies for the dressing/stuffing...

Sabrina was bringing some too!

Look at all that celery that Cameron is bringing in!  Oh boy!

It took both Sawyer and Ashlynn to carry the pot of potatoes...

Sawyer

Jayden had the bread cubes...

Rachel is the chief of this group of culinary students!  Hey Room 5, do you know what 'culinary' means?

Erica was with us today...um?  Starbucks?  I didn't get a Starbucks! 

Gretchen was being followed by Jason...both on their way to the kitchen to start the actual cooking!

Isabella was stirring the gravy while her mama, Sonja, and Rachel were deciding what they should do next.

Jayden, Sawyer, Jason, and Caleb...4 of our chefs!

Our turkey was out of the oven...oh, it smelled so so so good!

Karli was examining her work in the crochet group....isn't she doing a great job? 

David is too!  I love this picture...the concentration, the hat...

Austin had finished a little pot holder for one of his 3 sisters!

Our purple girl has definitely made progress, too!

Now, Micah wanted to make a long, long, long, long string.. that IS crocheted, just one row.

Ms. C had printed out some directions to give a visual for how to hold the yarn and the hook...

"Mrs. J!  Take a picture," demanded said Elaine.

Mikayla was working so diligently, I don't even think she knew I was there...

Zoe is happy with the way her hat rack is turning out....

Well, looks like things are coming to a close since Ashlynn and Cameron are cleaning up.

It must be feast time!