Who says we can only celebrate Thanksgiving on one day a year. In our
house its like Thanksgiving everyday (okay now you know I'm joking). So maybe
I'm just trying to make myself feel better for not getting around to posting a
note on the actual Thanksgiving day.
I guess this way I'll be able to give a highlight of our Thanksgiving 2013.
While the weather here is now perfect, we started off our Thanksgiving holiday
outdoors. On the last day of school before break the boys participated in their
school's Turkey Trot.
It was a really fun event and we all went. Dad, Isabelle and I arrived to watch the boys. While Gabriel is now in second we are starting to see the "I'm too cool to say hi Mom and Dad" attitude arrive as we barely got a wave out of him when he saw us. Thank goodness Michael still loves to obnoxiously say hi. As he saw us, he waved and shouted all across the playground loud enough for all the kids and teachers to hear, "Ms. Thomas ---- THAT'S MY MOM AND DAD, AND MY BABY!!! " Isabelle is still his baby. :-) After the kids did some stretches to the song, "What does a fox say?" the started their trot chasing after their gym teacher who was dressed as a turkey. The trot was almost a mile and while the gym teacher told them to jog, to most of the kids including mine, they must have heard that as "spring as fast as you can!" because that's what they did. As they came around the side of the school after charging off, it was funny to see how many had slowed to a slow walk, bent in half grabbing their side. The kids upon seeing their parents though had to pick up the pace and started running again. As they came down the homestretch and raced with all their might, they crossed the finished line and started shouting what place they were in. Gabriel said, "I got third" another said, "I'm first." I'm tenth. It was clear, their announcements of place finishes had nothing to do with accuracy. It was really fun to be there and I think it meant a lot to the boys that Dad, Isabelle and I were there.
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| Doing the "what does a fox say" warm up song. |
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| And they were off! |
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| After they finished, they celebrated with water and a banana. |
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| Gabriel and his buddies! |
On Wednesday after the kids got home from school we went for a family bike
ride, which of course ended as quickly as it began. Isabelle and Jack did NOT
like sharing the pull behind cart. Actually Isabelle was NOT interested in being
confined to a cart and began kicking the safety netting to escape while Dad was
pulling them along. Needless to say in her fit, she kicked Jack who growled
back at her and minutes later we were pulling back into our driveway. Game
over. It was a nice idea. Things always appear to go so much smoother with
those ideas in my mind.
Thanksgiving day we spent with Jarrett's family. It was a lovely day spent
eating tasty food, followed by an active game of twister. I think the boys
preferred "falling/wresting" with their cousins on the mat more than actually
following instructions. We ate really yummy food and then ate some more. Have I
mentioned how wonderful the food was. Man I love Thanksgiving. Thankfully we
also had a stop at Nana and Papa's neighborhood park so the kids could burn off
some energy.
Friday was the first year in about 13 that I didn't partake in the black
Friday shopping festivities. I admit, it was so strange for me not to go and in
some way I think my body associates Turkey with shopping because I was up all
night thinking about all the good deals others were getting instead of me. I've
decided Black Friday isn't necessarily about the buying of stuff, but the game
of looking for deals, watching people go crazy for that one particular item and
standing in line. Oh doesn't it sound like fun?
Instead of going shopping on Friday Dad went to work and the kiddos and I
finished the inside holiday decorations. While I say the kids, I mean they
played, fought, tattled on each other and talked back. I'm wondering if that's
what they associate Turkey with?
On Saturday, I begged Dad to help me put up the outside decorations.
Thinking that it should take no more than 2 hours (a project we could get done
while Isabelle napped) instead turned into a whole day event. After realizing
our landscaping had grown out of control, we chopped everything back first.
Then we had to test the lights and we have just a few (30 plus) strands of
lights to check. As Jarrett started hour 4 with the boys outside "helping" (I
use that term lightly--- more like fighting, tattling, talking back) him, I
could tell Dad was cursing the idea of putting lights up. He said on more than
one occasion, I do this ONLY because I LOVE you. If this was up to me, we would
not have any lights. Isn't that so sweet? The things you do for love.
After he finally got the lights up (6 hours into the day) he decided our dead
ficus tree, the one that has been dead since last winter was finally going to
come down. While we were scheduled to go to some friends house for dinner, I
jumped in the shower only to hear a huge BANG, BANG, BANG. Thinking someone had
crashed their car through our block fence, I jumped out of the shower, wrapped a
towel around myself and went to make sure the kids and dad were okay. As I got
to the front room, there's dad swinging an ax with all his might, while our two
boys stood a safe distance away cheering on their dad like he was He-Man.
Jarrett was soaking up every ounce of the dad pride the boys were
emitting. Seeing everyone was safe I returned to the shower. After getting
dressed and heading back out front the eye-sore for the past year was missing.
Job done!
That night we went to a friends house for a pancake supper. It was so much
fun and the kids got to watch the Polar Express outside on an air mattress while
the movie played on a big screen. The kids were in Heaven while the first time
in a long time the adults actually got to talk and hold a conversation.
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| One of the benefits of living in Phoenix, watching a movie outside on Thanksgiving weekend was not an option as a child growing up in Iowa. I guess it was an option, but not one anyone would really enjoy. Our boys really enjoyed it! |
Sunday we went to have dinner with my aunt and her family. It was so nice to
see them and while we live just two blocks away, we don't get to see them as
much as we'd like. You've heard it before, the whole, life is so busy card.
Our Thanksgiving holiday was truly wonderful (fighting and tattling included-
my grandpa reminds me that if they didn't fight, they wouldn't be healthy and
that would be worse). I love this time of the year for many reasons, but
probably one of the most is that it is the one time when we stop, slow down our
hectic lifestyles and give thanks for all we have in our lives. I feel so
blessed with the life I've been given and while sometimes I remember to give
thanks daily for that, I really do have so much to give thanks for. We hope
also thank you and your family had a very blessed and happy Thanksgiving.
From our little Turkey to yours....
Happy (belated) Thanksgiving!
Until next time,
Angie
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