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.