Happy Thanksgiving

 Happy (belated) Thanksgiving. 

Our holiday can only be described as weird. It felt awkward staying home, preparing a big dinner for my small little nuclear family.  I was flooded with memories of Thanksgivings past all day, but especially when I was cooking. I did my best to put on a happy face because I didn't want to bring anybody else into my holiday funk.

Even though we weren't together, we were able to share the meal virtually. I sat our Alexa at the end of the kitchen table, with Nana's cardboard cutout behind the device.  My mom, my niece and my sister all video chatted with us as we ate our dinners together. It was different, but it was nice to see everybody!

I hoe everybody had a wonderful holiday! Stay Merry- and Stay Safe!

Prepping

It is amazing how one single dinner can take so much preparation. Between creating lists, timelines and prepping, I spent an inordinate amount of time getting ready to make Thanksgiving dinner. I always knew it was a lot of work, but I don't think I appreciated the scope of the effort until this year.

Today Robby is going to use the Alexa to virtually make the stuffing with my Mom. I have all of the ingredients (I think) and she will be making hers at the same time. While it isn't the same as being there in person, I know that Robby is really looking forward to it. Hopefully, with her guidance and Robby's hands, we will end up with a stuffing that is at least similar to my mom's. 

Timmy has called dibs on pie preparation. While I would like to think that it is because he likes to bake, I know my little Hamlet too well. He loves Cool-Whip, which is slathered over our chocolate and vanilla cream pies. I know he is hoping for multiple tastes during the assembly. He has been eyeballing the Cool-Whip in our refrigerator like a dog coveting a steak. 

Between working and preparing for Thanksgiving, today will be busy. At this point I would rather stay busy because it keeps me from becoming too sad. I miss being home with my Mom, but I am trying to make the best of it.

Staying Home

 After a long conversation with my Mom and carefully weighing the risks against the benefits, we made the difficult decision to celebrate Thanksgiving together virtually this year. This is the first Thanksgiving I will not be in Pennsylvania with my Mom and the decision to stay home was heart wrenching. 

The decision, although heartbreaking, was clear when I learned that every body in her household has not been practicing the same levels of social distancing. From sleepover play dates, visits with friends, and a plethora of leisure community exposure, we just couldn't justify the Covid risks. I would worry for weeks about a potential exposure, sapping any holiday spirit that we have been able to muster.

I recognize that not everybody views social distancing through the same lens and that the risk/ benefit scale is different for everybody. Scott and I have remained vigilant about following all of the CDC and government recommendations. I don't feel like this is the time to go against those standards. Like everything else this year, Thanksgiving will look and feel very different.

Holiday Fun

Our Christmas tree has been retrieved, transported home, unpacked and set up. It is definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas in our home! Timmy and I spent the weekend decking our halls and our tree. Even though the majority of the decorations are hung/ placed at four feet and below, I love how everything turned out.

Our tree is one of the largest we have ever had, which necessitated us rearranging our furniture to make it fit. After a lot of trial and error, we managed to fit both the tree and all of our furniture in the living room. The flow of the upstairs has been altered and, although it isn't my preference, it is definitely worth it. Our tree is grand and beautiful!

While I was busy moving furniture, Timmy took his decorating and stacking skills into the bathroom. He carefully crafted a toilet paper tree, which feels appropriate for 2020. After he proudly unveiled his creation, I helped him add some lights and tinsel to create a more festive touch. I think he did a great job!

Tree Pick Up

And just like that, we're back to Friday. These weeks both seem to simultaneously drag on and pass in a flash. Pandemic life is creating a perpetual look with everyday feeling identical. Weekends, which are still non eventful, are anticipated simply because they provide variety.

Last month we went to the tree farm and tagged our tree. Because we took advantage of tagging, the farm is allowing tree pick up the weekend before Thanksgiving. This early pick-up is being encouraged to help the farm comply with social distancing during what is traditionally a very busy time of year. 

On Sunday, we are going to pick up our Christmas tree. Yes, I realize that it is early and that we have not yet celebrated Thanksgiving. Spending so much time at home and having had to give up every other seasonal activity, I'm determined to enjoy the holiday as much as we can. For us, that means having a bright and tall tree. 

Because we tagged such a large tree coupled with the ongoing pandemic, we opted to pay extra to have our tree cut, drilled, shaken and bound before we arrived. (In all honesty, nobody really enjoyed getting on the ground with wet pine needs to struggle to cut down a frozen tree.) Now all we have to do is drive up and the tree will be tied to our car. If things go as planned, this should be easy and stress free.

Have a great weekend, and I'll post tree pics on Monday!

Tranquility

I woke up this morning to see the grass glistening with frost. Everything is so pretty when the world is still and covered with frost. Instead of grabbing my laptop and beginning to work, which is my normal routine, I quietly  sipped my coffee and just absorbed the serenity. My mornings are typically hectic, so it was nice to wake up slower and more relaxed.

My quiet didn't last long. Timmy came hopping into the living room on his big red jumper ball when I was only half way done with my coffee. The television was quickly turned onto cartoons and my living room was filled with the normal sounds of my morning. Even though it was fleeting, my calm wake-up was amazing.

Today is busy with schoolwork and meetings. I feel like I'm always busy, but the chaos is now organized and manageable. Here's to a great day.  Here's hoping that the morning meditation will hold me through the day.

Hot Chocolate

Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed or depressed because of mounting Covid anxiety, I can count on Circle Time with Timmy to provide some levity in my day. It isn't that Circle Time is terribly entertaining for me (although Timmy now loves it), but my entertainment comes from not knowing what will come out of my little cherub's mouth. Yesterday did not disappoint. 

As the students were busy cutting, painting and gluing their turkey crafts, the teacher felt the need to keep the dialog moving. I get it. I used to be a teacher, and the desire to keep talking is strong. While the kids were crafting, the teacher was asking each student questions. 

While Timmy was working on painting rainbow legs on a paper turkey, his teacher asked him what he eats on Thanksgiving. Timmy responded, "turkey." Then she asked, "What kind of turkey do you like to eat Timmy?" Timmy stopped painting, put down his colors and looked directly at the camera. "Dead turkeys." Then he picked up his paints and continued working.  

In a separate class (he has two Circle Time classes on Tuesday, each one themed differently), the class read a book about hot chocolate. The teacher then asked each student what they like to put in their hot chocolate. As she was polling each student for an answer I knew that Timmy was going to struggle. He doesn't drink hot chocolate, and we haven't exactly offered him a selection of toppings for a drink he doesn't enjoy. 

The teacher went through the class, asking each student what they liked in their hot chocolate. The first student said marshmallows. I saw the look of disappointment wash across Timmy's face. That was probably his only answer. The next student offered whipped cream as a topping. Sprinkles and chocolate were then blurted out by the other students. By the time the teacher called on Timmy, I could almost see the wheels turning in his brain as he frantically tried to think of a topping in hot chocolate.

"Timmy, what do you like in your hot chocolate?"

Hmm. "I don't know. Maybe whiskey?"

I almost spit my coffee across the table.