A Different Thanksgiving

A family US-ie on Thanksgiving by the tree.

All of our bags were packed and ready to go, literally by the door for when I returned home from work on Tuesday.  Our Richmond pilgrimage was set and the gas tank was full  Influenza A had a different plan for Sam and our family, though....as he caught it last weekend and has been battling a fever and symptoms since.  

It was difficult yet easy to make the decision to not travel to Richmond this year.  The pandemic has taught us that it is simply not worth risking health over anything else.  It was sad to have to inform people, but everyone was very understanding and empathetic.  Yet another reason I love our family so very much.

Turkeys

So we made the most of it and placed a grocery order and made all kinds of Thanksgiving foods at home, while caught-up in an endless cycle of video games, movies, TV, and sports.  Lots of memories of Thanksgivings past also flooded our minds and hearts...we could feel the love radiating from afar last night.  

It was not an evening of sadness or regret or missing family, though....but truly helped us realize again just how special it is when we are able to gather together and share time.  Time....there it is.  I realize more and more just how little of it there really is....and just how nice it is when we cross paths and wander down the same route for a while all together.   We are so lucky and it is easy to find reasons to give thanks this season.

Got the solo 10k Turkey Trot in...some strange looks when I gobbled at people.

A Sunday Check-In

 It is a beautiful, albeit frosty, morning.  Sam has joined the "Early Bird Club" with me on this Sunday morn.  He has developed a cough and warm temperature over the night, and we both now sit on the couch watching Scooby Doo.  There is something about weekend morning cartoons.  Saturdays were always my childhood memories of waking up and tuning into a variety of shows, both live and in animated form.  Now I sit with Sam, enjoying some old favorites!  Poor kiddo can't seem to catch a break with his health lately!  

We look forward, now, to a short week of school and work, as we prepare for our annual pilgrimage (pun intended) to Virginia for Thanksgiving!  I have already packed, and Sam designed the Turkey Trot medals for this year's run.  The rest of the family will pack today, and we will hit the road!  We have much to be thankful for this year.  Yesterday, as a way to give a small amount back, I took Audrey and Violet to volunteer a couple hours for Bags of Hope, a food distribution program for families in need.  We helped pack 80 boxes of Thanksgiving dinner items to be delivered to a variety of families and organizations throughout the area.  I was proud of both ladies, as they worked hard and helped beyond themselves.

So now that brings us to now.  The coffee is hot, the cinnamon rolls are about to finish in the oven, and another episode of Scooby Doo is about to begin.  We have plans to set-up the Christmas Tree and Hanukah items out today, which would be a nice thing to have done before break.  Anything this morning to keep a little kid busy and forgetting he has a cold.  Tis the season.  

-a

Low Sun

 Sam and I are curled up on the couch, enjoying some Saturday cartoons and a well-deserved rest.  The ladies are out shopping and having some time out...but the boys stayed home and cleaned and made cookies.  Now we sit with fresh blankets after a warm bath for Sam, savoring some quiet time together.  

The weather has turned.  After daylight savings, it has been dark and a bit depressing in the afternoons with the sun setting at what seems a ridiculously early hour.  I am ready for bed at 6pm when it is pitch black out.  It always reminds me of growing up in Juneau, where it was dark when we woke-up....when we went to school.....and when we got home at the end of the day....winters seemed so long.

I guess that is how I am feeling now...waiting for the first flurries of snow (anticipated in a couple hours).  As the years speed-up...I start to identify more and more with those who made the decision to retire somewhere warm for the winters!   I know that once we adjust, things will be fine and we will have another winter together as a family...it is just some adjustment.  

So now the sun is setting and we are ready to start dinner preparations and maybe a football game on TV...but most likely Ghostbusters.  :-)  While the darkness deepens outside, we keep warm and happy inside our home.  How lucky we are.

-a

Full House Sunday

 It is a full house this morning, with Kim's family visiting this weekend.  There is no reason better than company to actually get your house clean!  The last two weeks have been a lot of organization, planning, and picking-up!  Kim, especially, has been focused on bringing some of her "visions" into reality around the house in terms of new furniture and the arrangement of art and photographs on the walls.  Now that everyone is here, it has been nice to open the doors and let everyone enjoy the house!  The weather has been exceptional and we all attended Violet's final soccer game of the season before enjoying a fire each night as the sun set and the stars made welcome appearances.  

Now it is Sunday, and the kids are all waking up.  The coffee is thankfully hot and in my cup.  While the stifling blanket at times that is family can feel overwhelming and intense, it is also a time of laughter and relaxation and just being together and the river of time continues to flow.  We are all getting older...parents and kids.  We sit around the fire in wonder at hoe we have all made it to this point...and wonder still more about how we will continue forward!  Our children and not really children anymore (well..at least most of them).  

So now Sunday is upon us...the windows are open and the fresh air blows through the main floor.  We are munching on bagels and sip coffee and milk as the responsibilities and obligations of our daily lives begins to stir in the recess of our subconscious.  We are enjoying the time, but recognize it is finite and soon we must all part ways....sigh.  I am thankful for these days and this time.  The fall is falling...and leaves are constantly fluttering to the ground...the warm rays of the sun feel like a final caress before a long goodbye.  

-a

Life Changed

 And just like that, we are in the fall.

This blog is on my mind, but rarely these days do I make enough time for it.  It makes me sad, and I am hopeful that I will find interest enough again to meet-up on those early weekend mornings....like visiting a friend for coffee.  

The summer has now come and gone.  A trip to Juneau was the ultimate highlight, although there was a lot of time to just be and think and breath, too.  On one of the very last days of the trip to Juneau, Sam broke his femur and it has now been just over two months since.  We spent four days in the hospital, including surgery, and many days on the couch in our house.  I have even grown accustomed to it now, and prefer it many times over my actual bed!  Sam was...is....so brave.  He went through the emergency room, an ambulance, the hospital, surgery, recover, physical therapy....and started kindergarten in a wheelchair.  Now he is walking (running mostly) again, and back to "normal".  We are so thankful that he has made such an amazing recovery.  

The days are just packed now that school is back in session.  Life moves faster, too.  Both Audrey and Violet are completely independent...save for the occasional round of laundry or needing a ride somewhere.  Kim works hard as ever, also.  Speaking of work, I have left my position in Homer Glen and now work as a 5th grade teacher in Plainfield!  It is wonderful but exhausting learning the job over again and all of the new systems and teaching all of the subjects again.  It is still thrilling each day, and every day is different.

Maybe more soon...some pictures for a tired blogger perhaps?  

It feels good to be in this space again...if only for a few paragraphs.

-a

Into Summer

 Too long has it been.  We are into our first week of summer vacation/break.  The school year was a success for Violet, Sam, and Audrey.  All are moving forward in their academic careers, and doing very well.  We are so proud of them!  Life continues to move at an outrageous pace, with Violet continuing her sports and athleticism, as well as deep dives into science and technology.  Audrey is focused on friends and the endless battle with cleaning her room.  Sam is learning to read, graduated preschool, and loves to accompany me to the park and play during Violet's soccer practices.  Kim is working as hard as ever, and looks on longingly as we all get summer break.  She gets some time, and will be able to have some adventures, too, as the temperatures climb.

The first week of summer is always one of transition.  The COVID pandemic is over in terms of public fear, and it is nice that the government has taken away most mandatory regulations.  Currently we are having the late night, eat junk, no rules first week of break.  It is like the Wild West for the first few days around here.  Next week will bring something resembling order with mandatory activities such as walks, hikes, the library, zoo, etc. 

For now, we get to just float on the early summer current and let it take us all out to sea for a while.  I am enjoying not setting an alarm clock, and have actually made it to 6am sleeping!  Coffee and a little quiet time are always appreciated on these summer mornings.  Lots of little projects await around the house.  It's not a negative, just recognizing that my time can now be given to such things without feeling a strain or taking away from sleep.  

A soccer game awaits us this morning.  Violet's team, the Terminators (they voted it), are undefeated and today is the final game of the season!  I am proud of how far Violet has come as a soccer player in her first attempts.  It is nice to see her as part of a team.  Time for some more coffee...then the adventures of the day!

-a

Get Moving

 Today is one of those Sundays where it already feels like the pressures of the day are bubbling-up in my mind:  Laundry, dishes, general cleaning, grading papers, lesson planning, exercise, dogs, kids, etc.  I do appreciate having some quiet time in the morning, but also it feels like I am taking away from my productivity sometimes.  I know that things will pick-up shortly as the rest of the house starts to wake-up...but the hardest thing sometimes is just sitting still.

Today should be a quiet one, as Sam seems to have a cold and the girls were all up late last night.  The dogs are looking at me expectantly for a morning walk,  Luna keeps pawing at me for more pets and Oskar keeps a watchful eye on me, in case there are treats involved.  

Well, the sun has risen and the day is awaiting.  I think another cup of coffee and then the laundry and cleaning begins before lunch then lesson planning and grading.  Yes, the day has been set and we will attack it now with vigor!  Hopefully an excellent soundtrack will accompany the day!  

-a