Thanksgiving Recap

 Our Thanksgiving was quiet but enjoyable. My sister and her kids, myself and my crew and my Mom were the only guests. Compared to the crowds and the chaos that have been hosted around her table in years' past, the house felt spacious and relaxing.  It was nice to have a relatively low-key day.

Just because we didn't host a large crowd, our Thanksgiving wasn't without activity. On Thursday morning Timmy and my sister bundled up and ran a Turkey Trot. While I'm not a runner, I am an enthusiastic cheerleader. I had a surprisingly fun time cheering on all of the trotters.

In addition to all of our Thanksgiving activities, we did manage to fit in some professional photos and some shopping. (I try to snap some professional photos of the kids with their Nana and together every few years.) I am delighted with the photos and I know that they will be cherished for decades to come.  

Today we are back to reality, and back to work. I think the transition is going to sting a bit, but hopefully it won't take long to get back into the groove. Right now, all eyes are moving towards Christmas!

Early Arrival

Yesterday was busy and long, but hearing the kids laughing with their cousins into the night made it worth the effort. We decided to gain another day of Thanksgiving fun by heading to PA a day early. Per tradition, Scott will meet us here after work today. (We always drive separately so that Scott can fill his car with the Black Friday discovered surprises and ferry them home without being noticed by the boys.) The kids were ecstatic with the prospect of coming here early.

Today Timmy has school (at Nana's, which he finds hilarious) in the morning. I'm hoping that we can set him up in a quasi-quiet location so that both he and his classmates and teachers are not disturbed by the chaos of the Cousin Crew. They do tend to get rowdy when they are together. 

While the kids are playing, I'll be helping my Mom get ready for the holiday. If you are driving today, be safe!

Thanksgiving Ready

My weekend aspirations came to fruition and my house is slowly being transformed into a holiday wonderland. The temperatures dropped quickly, keeping us inside and cozy around the fire. It was a fantastic weekend to watch Christmas movies, bake cookies and decorate the house. The Christmas spirit is running high in our house this morning!

While I adore Christmas, I am ridiculously excited for the Thanksgiving holiday. While we aren't doing anything extravagant or grand, the Cousin Crew will be united and I'll be able to spend time with my Mom and my sister. We are only hosting immediate family this year, but I know the house will be overflowing with the mischief and the squeals of happiness. 

Timmy, Robby and I will be heading to PA after school today. We want to miss the traffic and spend some extra time with family. It wasn't hard to convince them to leave early with me. Once they heard that their cousins are off of school all week they were ready to pack their bags. Scott will head up tomorrow after work. 

Let the Thanksgiving holiday begin!

Decorating

 I can't believe we are approaching the final weekend before Thanksgiving. It feels like I only recently brought out my 100 day Countdown To Christmas Snowman. Now we are approaching the full swing of the season. After such a difficult and heartbreaking autumn, I'm looking forward to a lighthearted and happy Christmas season.

I've begun decorating the house (the inside only right now), but I have a lot of work to do. This weekend I plan on lighting up the fireplace while I stream Christmas movies and decorate the house. Hopefully my living room will be transformed into Santa's Workshop by the time I'm done! 

While I'm busy decorating the boys will be tackling the final assault of leaves. Robby has become skilled at driving the lawnmower which has been extremely helpful. Now Rob mulches the leaves while riding the mower while Scott uses the blower to clear the flowerbeds. (Timmy usually grabs a rake and makes some piles to jump in with Friend.)

Whatever you are doing this weekend, I hope it brings you a smile.

Chills

 Yesterday I made a seasonal mistake that I will try to avoid for the rest of the winter. I grabbed my liner and rolled it on without consideration of the ambient temperature. The temps dropped overnight, plunging us from summertime temps to flirting with snow within a few hours. Like it or not, winter is here.

Pulling your limb out from under warm covers and slipping on a chilly liner is a shockingly miserable way to start the day. Talk about a jolt to your system; it feels like my limb is being wrapped by an ice pack when the liner is chilled. Typically I pull the liner under the covers with me for a few minutes to remove the cold that settles into the silicone overnight. Yesterday I didn't realize it had become so cold and I didn't prepare appropriately. I definitely won't be making that mistake again this season!

Dealing with a cold liner requires some necessary planning, but the effort is worth it. I've tried towel warmers and heating pads but I quickly discovered that both of those options require more planning and time than I am willing to invest. I found that bringing the liner under the covers for a few minutes makes donning the liner tolerable with the least amount of effort. It turns out I gravitate towards the solution with the minimal amount of effort.

Mr. Bill

While our new neighbor his kind, I still miss Mr. Bill. I used to visit with him daily, just chatting while sitting in his glider.  Without his company and friendship, this neighborhood has become very lonely. For the most part I've adjusted to the solitude, but I continue to miss him. I hear from Mr. Bill every few months. We call each other to chat and to check-in. Phone calls are nice, and our rare in-person reunions are always too short for our conversations. 

Last week I heard from Mr. Bill. I hadn't spoken with him in several months and I was beginning to worry. When I saw his number pop onto my caller-id, I felt a surge of relief. After catching up on the kids and my work, he started into his most recent adventure.

 It turns out that his first ex-wife, with whom he shared a volatile yet passionate relationship, moved down to Florida and ended up living in the community about 15 miles from his house. He ran into her at the grocery store and, according to him, almost knocked over a whole display of pineapples trying to scurry away without being seen. She saw him and, because she "has a nice rack for being in her 80s," he gave her his phone number.  She apparently calls him all the time, inventing reasons for him to visit.

Then at the beginning of September Mr. Bill's second wife (the mother of his children) moved down to be closer to the kids. For some background, she cheated on him so he slept with her sister. They are not friendly although he does try to remain cordial. She now lives down the street and he sees her daily. 

Fast forward to three weeks ago when his third (and final) ex-wife Charlotte showed up at his front door, begging him back.  Charlotte is the ex-wife who used to send her panties to him in the mail. Those unboxings were fun! I remember little Robby pulling out the panties and Bill saying, "Well buddy, let me tell you. They used to be a lot smaller." Charlotte and Mr. Bill dated again before he moved to Florida, but he broke it off because she wouldn't kiss him in the parking lot of Bonefish Grill.    

According to Mr. Bill, the scene unfolded in the following order.

He heard the doorbell so he put on pants to answer. 

He opened the door and saw Charlotte standing in front of him, wearing bright red lipstick and a very low cut shirt. 

She announced that she missed him and moved in down the street. 

He realized that she is now living in the same community as his first ex-wife.  

He began to feel light headed. 

His daughter made him sit down. 

Mr. Bill was then rushed to the hospital.

He is recovering from a minor heart attack. 

He assured me that he is fine and, aside from dealing with the ex-wives from his youth, he is doing well.

Snoopy Painting!

Timmy has a newly discovered love of art. We searched the internet and downloaded coloring sheets for 100 great masterpieces in galleries around the world. With his coloring pages in hand, he spends hours studying and trying to replicate the Great Masters. Zooming in on the images on the computer, he does his best to copy the colors and the shading that each artist used. Of course, it is a little harder to do shadows with Crayola markers instead of oil paints, but that doesn't stop him from trying!

Using his love of art as inspiration, Scott and I surprised Timmy with a trip to the painting studio on Saturday. We joined the class and we each created our own Snoopy Thanksgiving masterpiece. Timmy, paint brushes in hand and concentrating on the instructor, was truly in his element. He worked throughout the two-hour class, painstakingly following each step and trying to replicate the instructor. At the end of the class, he was delighted with his work. 

I suspect that more art classes will be in our future.