Another weird, but good Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is usually a weird holiday at our house and this year is no exception. While the rest of the country feasts with family and friends, the three kids and I... do something else, and feel a little bit weird about it.
You see, having a hubby who's a college soccer coach means that if his team gets past the second round in the NCAA tournament, chances are good he'll be gone over Thanksgiving. He left for California early this morning for UVa's game against UCLA tomorrow. The whole team was over at our house yesterday for Thanksgiving dinner, which was nice because I didn't have to cook it, but the catered food wasn't the same as a home-cooked dinner with the stuffing made just the way we like it, etc. We're planning to have our family Thanksgiving dinner (the kids don't like the big team dinners, feel that cheats them out of a family Thanksgiving with all their favorites) on Sat. when we can all be together again.
So today we didn't feel like eating turkey, and daughter #1 made a delicious beef stew she'd seen Paula making on TV and has been wanting to make. It was a balmy day in the 70's, beautiful and spooky and windy. So while my daughter cooked (she also made a homemade yeast coffeecake for breakfast), I had the day off to take a walk in the falling, swirling leaves, and to help my son get started on some of the Christmas presents he wants to make (today was birdhouse day). I offered to take the three kids to a movie to help it feel like a little bit more of a holiday, but none of them were interested in going. Which surprised me; I remember years past when they would cry because they knew all of their cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents were gathered together and we were alone, many states away from them--without even a daddy to eat with--and I would have to try to distract them from those lonely thoughts all day. But I guess they have grown used to it, too, and they know we'll have our Thanksgiving come Saturday.
So it's a nice relaxing Thanksgiving, and I'm thankful for such warm weather that I could take a walk in shorts and a t-shirt. I'm happy my husband is away from us for a happy reason (they are one of 16 teams still left playing in the country) and am excited for tomorrow when they get the chance to continue in the tournament. I'm happy we get two Thanksgiving feasts this year. I'm happy we're all healthy. I'm thankful for my daughter taking over the cooking chores today, and the delicious stew she made. I thankful the kids are content and realize that we have absolutely no reason to be down today. I'm thankful I've become calmer about my writing and that I'm just enjoying it whenever I can, no longer forcing it, no longer feeling bad about not having made more of a "career" out of it by now. Daughter #1 is off to college next year and, seeing how quickly that time has flown, I know that in the blink of an eye #2 and #3 will gone, too. My uninterrupted writing time will come sooner than I think and I will probably even wish for a little of that noise back in the house.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
You see, having a hubby who's a college soccer coach means that if his team gets past the second round in the NCAA tournament, chances are good he'll be gone over Thanksgiving. He left for California early this morning for UVa's game against UCLA tomorrow. The whole team was over at our house yesterday for Thanksgiving dinner, which was nice because I didn't have to cook it, but the catered food wasn't the same as a home-cooked dinner with the stuffing made just the way we like it, etc. We're planning to have our family Thanksgiving dinner (the kids don't like the big team dinners, feel that cheats them out of a family Thanksgiving with all their favorites) on Sat. when we can all be together again.
So today we didn't feel like eating turkey, and daughter #1 made a delicious beef stew she'd seen Paula making on TV and has been wanting to make. It was a balmy day in the 70's, beautiful and spooky and windy. So while my daughter cooked (she also made a homemade yeast coffeecake for breakfast), I had the day off to take a walk in the falling, swirling leaves, and to help my son get started on some of the Christmas presents he wants to make (today was birdhouse day). I offered to take the three kids to a movie to help it feel like a little bit more of a holiday, but none of them were interested in going. Which surprised me; I remember years past when they would cry because they knew all of their cousins, uncles, aunts, and grandparents were gathered together and we were alone, many states away from them--without even a daddy to eat with--and I would have to try to distract them from those lonely thoughts all day. But I guess they have grown used to it, too, and they know we'll have our Thanksgiving come Saturday.
So it's a nice relaxing Thanksgiving, and I'm thankful for such warm weather that I could take a walk in shorts and a t-shirt. I'm happy my husband is away from us for a happy reason (they are one of 16 teams still left playing in the country) and am excited for tomorrow when they get the chance to continue in the tournament. I'm happy we get two Thanksgiving feasts this year. I'm happy we're all healthy. I'm thankful for my daughter taking over the cooking chores today, and the delicious stew she made. I thankful the kids are content and realize that we have absolutely no reason to be down today. I'm thankful I've become calmer about my writing and that I'm just enjoying it whenever I can, no longer forcing it, no longer feeling bad about not having made more of a "career" out of it by now. Daughter #1 is off to college next year and, seeing how quickly that time has flown, I know that in the blink of an eye #2 and #3 will gone, too. My uninterrupted writing time will come sooner than I think and I will probably even wish for a little of that noise back in the house.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!