Tuesday's Thanksgiving.

The Jazz Night last night was amazing! The best way to describe it that makes it meaningful for me is that it was very "grown up." It had little resemblance to the recitals of Emily's 5th and 6th grade years when she barely played a few notes on the cello. So now she is playing piano for the jazz band and the piano is her passion. Grown up because of the style, the atmosphere, the attire, the sophistication of the music, and also of course because the kids are older. She did great, even with her mini-solo. One of her fingers was taped up because she jammed it in basketball practice earlier in the day but that bothered her none. Emily's Jr. high ensemble played four songs then the high school jazz band played four and I was fully in awe of the talent and the maturity of these high school kids! It was amazing to see. Jazz is so much fun because the musicians really are free to express themselves, with their instruments and also with their selves. Some of them were so into it, it was very inspiring all the way around.

So today is the official start of our holiday week since the kids get out of school early. It's raining and cold and cozy! I am home alone and I almost made a fire this morning after I returned home from dropping kids at school.

This morning, Eva reminded me that she is going to be an Indian for her celebration party today. She had a choice between a Pilgrim girl or an Indian. But this morning she told me that she didn't want to be an Indian and I told her that she had already decided and it was too late for her teacher to get another costume [paper and yarn and such] ready for her to decorate and for the glue to dry and so on. Honestly, she is very much into costumes and yesterday when I was in her classroom helping the boys make their Pilgrim boy costumes, the girls were making their Pilgrim girl ones and she liked the way they looked, all white with red yarn and that cute pilgrim bonnet thing.

As she brushed her teeth I asked her how she wanted to wear her hair. She said "two braids because I am an Indian." Then she said, "why do I have to be an Indian?" I told her again about the choice she made. I also told her that I thought we had Sarah's girl Pilgrim paper costume in the attic, and then I realized I hadn't reminded her of the obvious!

"Because you ARE an Indian Eva! You're an American Indian, it's in your blood on both sides of Mommy's family." I reminded her that Paw Paw [my dad] has lots of Indian in him and that makes us Indians too. At the mention of blood, I noticed her looking down at her arms and the veins in her hands. She didn't question it again, and she went off to school a proud little Indian princess. That's what I'd like to believe anyway. We'll see how it went when she gets home, she'll be happy, it's party day whether you are a Pilgrim or an Indian.

After all the P + I conversations between Eva and me, and because we were miraculously running ahead of schedule this morning, I had the brilliant idea to ask my three wee ones [each separately] about this holiday and here is what they told me:

Me: What is Thanksgiving?
Eva: When we go see our far away Grandma's and Grandpa's. I do NOT like turkey, turkey is gross!

Me: what is Thanksgiving?
Sarah: when we give thanks to God.
Me: what for?
Sarah: for the food on the table and cause we get to be with Nana and our cousins.

Me: what is Thanksgiving?
Wyatt: a holiday, well duh!
Me: [after I cracked up] but what's the holiday for?
Wyatt: the Pilgrims gave food to the other Pilgrims and the Indians.
Me: did the Indians do anything for the Pilgrims?

this is where Wyatt lost interest and Eva jumped into our conversation and I am not kidding she really said all of this, and she is a Kindergartner.

Eva: they helped them hunt and grow food.
Me: why did they do that?
Eva: cause they didn't have food and were about to die and they ate the bad kind of berries.
Me: how did they know the berries were bad?
Eva: cause the Indians were famous to know which ones were the good berries.
Me: on Thanksgiving what did they do?
Eva: they had a big feast.
Me: what did they say when they had a big feast?
Eva: thank you for all the Indians to help us.

Then came my school morning battle cry, just as respectable as any drill sergeant: SOCKS! SHOES! BACKPACKS! JACKETS! LET'S GO! IN THE CAR! MOVE IT! MOVE IT!

I know I'll be making a fire sometime today. Happy Thanksgiving.

Late November 2010.

It's Thanksgiving week, already! I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving at my mom's with my sister Renee and brother Jimmy, but will be missing my sister Alicia and brother Brad too. The kids have had minimum days since last Wednesday and no homework this week which puts so much anticipation in the air. We have also had some rain and some stormy windy nights that have been stripping our trees pretty good leaving their beautiful trash all over the ground. All things are looking pretty and freshly bare as they cycle out.

I didn't get my room painted before Thanksgiving like I thought I would, but I did get lots of organizing and clean up done. So not a complete fail, progress is progress.

Although it rained a lot the last few days, it let up just enough for Emily's soccer tournament Saturday and Sunday. It was beautiful out on the soccer fields, and cold. Emily's team won all the games they played and came in 1st place! She has never been on a first place team before and it is sweet for her and fun for us. The last game was a nail biter, with Emily's team playing the best team in the league, but they won 2-1! My heart was beating out of my chest for the last few minutes of the game and I kept whispering to myself "blow the whistle."




We had parent teacher conferences for my three youngest today and they went great, all my doubts, little though they were, are dead. They are all doing well, I couldn't be more content with their performance at school. All the blessings I have, I'm counting sincerely appreciating them one by one.

Tonight I cooked this pork chop recipe with roasted veggies and it looks and smells amazing, I can't wait for Tony to get home to see his face when he sees and smells! I'm not the greatest in the kitchen but once in a while I do OK.

Emily has a jazz band concert tonight at the high school. We are looking forward to it and although it's not a holiday or even a seasonally themed concert, it feels like something of a holiday kickoff for me. I can't wait to break out the Christmas everything this weekend! With only about four 1/2 weeks until Christmas, I want to savor every moment of the sweet season that it is.

Sweet Inspiration and Random Stuff.

And excellent advice[s] in quite an attractive form from Holstee.



For my own indulgence I know, random things that are passing through my head, which is all I seem to be good for lately.

Tomorrow my three soccer playing kids play their last soccer games! It's been fun but I am ready to have our Saturdays back.

I am really really looking forward to Thanksgiving.

I am ready to break out my Christmas music even though I know that Thanksgiving is still almost two weeks away. I am just feeling it already. Probably pushed along by the fact that my girls have been playing their Christmas songs on the piano for over a month to get ready for their recital.

I have a burning desire to make stuff but I can't make myself get going on anything. So much for that burning desire!

I might miss my self imposed deadline of painting my bedroom and bathroom before Thanksgiving. Or maybe I'll somehow find the will and the energy to do it this weekend!

I have been walking/jogging for two weeks on a regular schedule. I am determined to keep going. Funny, you don't hear the word jogging much anymore, people say running now don't they? I think I probably look more like a jogger.

I am wondering how it can already be the middle of November. What is that about? Our leaves are just barely starting to fall.

Also wondering how I got so dang lucky in life. My husband Tony is the tip top of the cream of the crop. The best ever at everything known inside and outside all the way to way out there and back again. I am not just rambling off here people, know it. I gotta remember to work hard every single day to make sure he knows how I feel.

Who knew 7th grade girls basketball could be so much fun? The only video I took of this game happened to be during Emily's best moments of the game, you can tell that she has an awesome team right here, she is #22 with her back to you in the beginning of the video. [Don't have your speakers turned up too loud or the screams and shrieky squeals of all the jr. high kids will give your heart an attack. Maybe you should just play it safe and turn your speakers off all together! Seriously.]

It was very close through the half but they ended up winning this one against the cross-town rival. It was sweet.

With the holiday yesterday, it doesn't feel like a Friday to me. Which makes it even sweeter when I remember that it is Friday! So far today that has been happening about once an hour which makes me all happy on the inside, and on my face too. Happy weekending.

Everyday.

Funny, one thing said by one of my kids can inspire a whole overdue post. Just like Kris did today with her poop post!

Eva and I just made rice krispy treats [my favorite ones with the peanut butter] and she we made a really big mess. Lucky for me it was a dry mess and I asked Eva to sweep the floor to clean up the mess. She did a wonderful job and I told her so. Her reply, "can I sweep everyday?" My thoughts were exactly as follows:

everyday!
every...day?
EVERYDAY!!!
I gotta write this one down!

I love my Eva, she is a dream and a doll, everyday. Well, there was that tantrum in Target this morning, hmmm. No, definitely a dream and a doll nevertheless.

Did you hear about my surprise birthday party? My sister Renee was the main conspirator followed closely by Tony, my mother, my father, my brother Jimmy, and Shawn who so graciously opened up his home to us and to my friends and family that he didn't know before party day. Wow! It was such a wonderful treat + everybody was dressed up for Halloween and it was a whole lot of fun. Thank you Renee! Thank you mom & dad & Jimmy & Shawn! Thank you Alicia for the wine you sent me! I've never had a surprise party before, thanks a million zillion for making me feel so loved + special. I love you guys!

To any of you who know my dear friends Nena + Victor + Emma: there's a baby on the way...and it's a boy! I cannot wait to meet him! Thanks for being there too and spending Halloween with us!



It's Veteran's Day and it's been a nice, easy fall day. I took the girls to piano lessons this morning, did a little shopping, hence the previously mentioned Target tantrum, and just enjoyed having the kids at home for a day in the middle of the week. Nice + sweet day.

I finished The Help and it was such an amazing book! I wanted to reread it as soon as I finished, you know to pick up on the details in the beginning that are overlooked on the first reading, but it was due/could not be renewed and I have supported my library by paying my share of library fines this year already. I haven't started another book yet. I have been reading samples and short stories on my Kindle. So, I don't know what my next book is yet but I'm taking recommendations...

I got our family pictures! They are really nice, and soooo fun. I want to show you but first I have to decide which one to use for my Christmas card, don't want to steal my own thunder you understand? So here are a few non-contenders that I think are pretty fabulous in their own right. Look! Emily is nearly as tall as us!







Ah, yeah, that would be me with the hair falling in the face on picture day!