I always love spending Thanksgiving with my family.  It has changed over the years, but it is always meaningful and special.  If for no other reason than I love my family and cherish each member in their own way.  This year, we all gathered on the Sunday to celebrate Thanksgiving together.  It was a brief gathering--we were weary post-travelers--but I love that we did all get together in the spirit of the holiday to come together and appreciate each other.  That is the kind of family that I have, and for that I am so very thankful.  I would not be there person and mother that I am without all of these wonderful people, and it is because of this family that I am continually trying to be a better person and parent.  It means everything to me that their unconditional love and support is with me always.  There are so many things I want to give Franny, Cole, and Delaney, and many of them are out of my control.  But, I do know that, if nothing else, I can give that to them.  And, for that I am thankful.

I wish I had a picture that truly reflected what a wonderful Thanksgiving Day we had with family in California, because it was a very special day.  But, when I look at this picture I can name more than ten different things of which I am so thankful.  It was more than brothers together, kids with their grandma, or a reunion of cousins.  Around this table of delicious food so many relationships came together and it had that feeling of something special.  I love moments like that.  As quickly as we all came together, the next day we were all headed back to our everyday lives.  I don't know when we will all be together again, but I am definitely thankful that for this day we were. and the memory of this day will stay with me for a long time to come.

It's amazing what a long day a simple plane ride to California can be.  We left the house at 11:45 and didn't arrive at out our hotel until 8.  The kids were so excited but did really well.  Once we reached the hotel, however, their anticipation proved to trump any hopes of an early bedtime and a good nights sleep.  But I can't blame them.  For these three it just doesn't get much bigger than Disneyland.  What a time they will have--I can't wait!

This week, Cole and his classmates celebrated Thanksgiving with a Harvest Feast.  As we proceed through some of these annual events with Cole (this is his second, in addition to the three we attended with Franny) I try to give it the same enthusiasm as we did the first time we attended, even when my first impulse is less so.  I’ve always liked the Harvest Feast and last year Cole was very excited about it, so this year I signed up to bring turkey; and, to make a big deal of it for Cole, I roasted a turkey as if it was Thanksgiving Day (minus the stuffing).  I think Cole was pleased I made the turkey, although he never saw the pre-carved turkey, but that was as far as his enthusiasm went.  I know that he liked that we came and he had a good time eating his feast with us and his good friend Nikki.  But, there just wasn’t a festive feel to the party.  Maybe it was the low parent turn-out, and even a number of kids seemed to be absent, as well.  Maybe it was my turkey that took up to the last minute (not the way I like to do things).  And, maybe it was because it was an extremely busy day for us, with a number of other commitments and activities.  Whatever it was, I was initially disappointed.  But, when our busy day was done, I sat down and tried to pull some meaning—and perspective—out of the day.  I am sincerely thankful every day for so many things.  This day was for Cole—I am thankful that we are able to send him to this school where he is happy and thriving, having wonderful experiences and making amazing strides academically.  He is truly an extraordinary little boy, and I am blessed to be able to call him my son. 

Cole goofing around with his friend

The kids and I had a great time watching the Ducks-Stanford game this evening.  Of course, they didn't watch the whole game, but we had fun eating a 'picnic' dinner on the Ducks blanket, cheering for the Ducks, as well as discussing next year's Halloween costumes (Cole--Chip Kelly, and Franny--Ducks cheerleader).  There were a few tense moments as the game got underway...

We gave Cole this train table for his birthday.  At the time, I thought it was the perfect gift for him to set up trains, play with cars, or do projects on.  Unfortunately, it just didn’t get much use.   Once it started to accumulate random toys my low tolerance for clutter started to be tested and I was on the verge of putting it in storage.  But then, Cole asked if he could have it in his room, along with his legos and all his future batman stuff (he has high hopes for Christmas).  So, I moved the table, and I bought these lego boards to fit right into it.  They were all that was needed to breath new life into this under-used table.  When I ordered them, I didn’t realize that they were two sided, which turned out to be one of the best things about them—Cole’s little legos fit on one side, and Delaney’s larger legos fit on the other.  Since they arrived, Cole and Delaney have spent hours with their legos in Cole’s room.  They love it!   And, I love that the table is finally getting used, there is more room in the playroom, and the clutter is gone.  Definitely a win-win!

I love the one-on-one time I spend with all of the kids.  Anytime I have just one, even if it is just for an hour, I make the most of that time. This works out regularly with Delaney and Cole, but to have any time with Franny I have to plan it.  It is always worth it, because we always have a great time and we both see it as extra-special time.  And, today, was our day!  Months ago, when I saw that the Oregon Children's Theater was putting on the musical Pinkalicious, I knew I had to take Franny.  She has always loved this series of books, including Silvericious, which she picked up at the school book fair a couple of weeks ago.  As much as I cherish my one-on-one time with Franny, I knew this was the kind of outing that would be even more fun with a friend, so I invited one of her friends and her mom to join us.  I am so glad I did--they sat and held hands, giggled, and whispered through the whole production, loving every minute of it.  After the musical, we walked down to the Starbucks at Pioneer Square and the girls enjoyed hot chocolate and a doughnut.  They never stopped talking, which gave me a chance to catch up with her friend's mom.  Even though I shared my day with Franny with others, it was worth it--it was one of those days where she glowed and smiled the entire time.  And, those are my favorite kinds of days. 

At Cole's school, one of the things they focus on is reading 'sight words', to complement their phonetic studies.  The students have a list of 54 sight words they are to learn by the end of the year, and they work on them daily, adding new words every week. Students that are able to identify the current list of sight words get to pick out a prize from the Treasure Chest.  For the kids, it's a big deal.  Today, Cole read the current list (about 20 words) and got to pick out a prize.  It was a silly little toy, but to him, it was something very special.  He was so proud, as he should be!