In Case They Ever Wonder

Since Lucie decided to be our Thanksgiving turkey instead of our Halloween pumpkin, the holidays kind of snuck up on me a little! We didn't get around to reading all of my Thanksgiving favorites, but we did manage to make our hand print turkeys and at least read the Thanksgiving story! But even with our two-week old turkey, we had a very special Thanksgiving, celebrating Lucie and Zoe's very first Thanksgivings! Highlights of this Thanksgiving were: Sophie's Thanksgiving feast at FCA - We are just crazy about Sophie's school, and I am so thankful that even though part of schooling is at home, that she is able to experience more traditional "school" experiences like a Thanksgiving feast. She was an adorable pilgrim, and apparently the feast (prepared by the kids) was pretty good because Will couldn't get enough "friendship soup!" We brought two little native Americans of our own, not to mention an adorable pilgrim baby! The kids' Thanksgiving ...

We enjoyed a wonderful, though somewhat quiet for our crew, Thanksgiving, with just the White Family. Unfortunately, because my branch of the family tree experienced a week of the little-virus-that-could (first Will, then Sophie, then Matt, finally me - only the baby was spared), our favorite people from Birmingham decided they'd better not risk exposure. (The only thing worse than this virus would be missing the Alabama-Auburn game for this virus!) We missed everyone (not just Birmingham family, but LA and Chicago too!) like crazy, but it will make seeing everyone over Christmas all the more special! I guess he just couldn't handle a Thanksgiving without Mee-Maw, so Matt actually headed south late last night to go with Aunt Pam and Big Dad to the big game! Thanks to lucky Aunt Pammie, Matt is experiencing his first Alabama game with two of his favorite people, traveling in style, by limo with great food (Dreamland, of course), great tickets, and sideline passes! The final verd...

My girls are growing. (Actually my boy is growing too, but he's already so big, it's not quite as noticeable). But my girls, they are changing before my very eyes. For one thing, Lillie is gaining teeth while Sophie is losing them! Poor Lillie was toothless for ever-so-long, then finally got her two bottom teeth, but for months, she's sported huge swollen bulges where her two top teeth should be. All of a sudden, her two rather large (rather Will-looking), top teeth have broken through, and another top tooth is on its way! At this rate, she may have a full set by Christmas! And though Sophie's been claiming to have a lose tooth for at least six months, she finally lost her first tooth just last night! I can literally see how my girls are growing just by looking at their little mouths. And it isn't just teeth. My laid-back Lillie, who seemed liked she'd never sit up strong, then didn't seem to have much interest in crawling, decided she was ready to go mobile...

Our kids had a great Thanksgiving. Sophie loved staying up late, being around family and eating sweets. Will loved eating - well, just about everything in sight. This year his favorites were turkey, corn, "snacks" (homemade chex mix), and "balls" (sandtarts). I am so thankful for my two precious turkeys.

The end of November just about ended me. If I was the sort of person who kept a calendar (or who wrote down anything at all other than what I write on this blog), I would have had "x" marks through every plan and appointment on my calendar page. We started the change-of-plans trend in early November by canceling a trip to Franklin to celebrate Matt's birthday two weekends in a row. Little did we know that an extended time at home with no travel craziness would be just what we needed to make it through the last half of the month. The major change of plans began on Saturday the 14th when we got the call that my Aunt Jan would probably not live more than a couple of days. Aunt Jan passed away on Sunday night, not long after my parents arrived to be with her. Though we were very sad for our loss, we are so thankful that she is no longer suffering, and we know that for her it was truly a homecoming. We left soon after for Birmingham, and thus the craziness began. The miles log...

Our bedtime blessings include: - the sweet smell of squeaky clean kiddos - a sister wanting to rock, but having to settle for reading to her brother - Will savoring his last sips of milk till morning - reading wonderful stories to Sophie, a different set each night - Will choosing his favorite books night after night, occasionally allowing me to throw in a new one - whispering heartfelt prayers with each child - singing soft songs and rocking with stars on Will's ceiling - when Sophie wants to sing "You Are My Sunshine" with me - Will saying "night-night" to all the animals on his wall and giving me a kiss before pointing to his bed - getting kisses, hugs, and mooga-moogas (rubbing noses) from Sophie - Will falling asleep with his hand on an Eric Carle book - Sophie reading late into the night with her flashlight, then falling asleep (hopefully before we do) surrounded by dollies - tired parents resting and relaxing (after a little working and clea...

Here are a few of the latest blessings I'm counting about my boy. His favorite animal is currently a newt. (I just love that since he is the only reason I know what a newt is!) He is simultaneously the biggest thug and sweetest boy in the world. He loves his mama. His "lovey" is a coloring/sticker book. He says "shoo, shoo, shoo-ey" and then giggles when I change his diaper - even when it's just wet. He loves his bed and goes to sleep easily, and though not every night often asks me for "songs." His favorites were both written by me, "This Is the Boy That I Love" and "Wild Boy." He often sings along with "Wild Boy." He adores cars and trains. He has a near obsession with Eric Carle books. His favorites include Polar, Bear, Polar Bear , Brown Bear, Brown Bear , and Animals, Animals. Some of his other favorite books are Things That Go, The House That Jack Built, Charlie Parker Plays Be-Bob, I Love You Through and Throug...

Here are a few of the blessings I'm counting about Sophie. She has what must be one of the best giggles on earth. She is truly an amazing reader. She blows me away. As an added blessing, she is often willing to read to Will. She has a compulsion that I do not understand to create. Coloring, painting, gluing, glittering, cutting etc. Every day. She would way rather not eat than not have art time. She makes up beautiful songs and sing them loudly, without embarrassment. She is a wonderful big sister. She is funny, not just "kids say the darnedest things" funny, but actually funny. She is over-the-moon excited about having a baby sister. She talks to her nightly. She is passionate about her love of the color pink. She deeply feels all her feelings and shares them openly with us. She loves to plan parties, including themes, guest lists, activities, food etc. She appreciates a beautiful dress. She thinks in stories. She is my passionate, "little girl with a curl," an...

Thanksgiving is one our favorite holidays, but the one that seems to vary the most from year to year, especially with regard to where we spend the holiday. Sophie's first Thanksgiving was spent at Whitestone Country Inn (where Matt and I married) with my parents, sisters, Matt and me. Since then, we've either been in Birmingham at my grandparents' home or in Franklin at my parents'. Of course, we celebrate with the typical Thanksgiving feast and family gathering, but we've tried to incorporate a few other special traditions over the years... Special books - I feel like Thanksgiving could easily get lost in between the Halloween candy and the Christmas presents, so we spend time each year trying to be sure we are communicating the story of Thanksgiving. The Story of the Pilgrims , Squanto , 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving , and Thanksgiving: A Time to Remember are some of our favorites. This year, we've added a new favorite, Cranberry Thanksgiving , (from the ...