Because of our holiday travel and time with our families, I didn't get a chance to post my other thanks in honor of Thanksgiving Week. So here are all the rest of this week's days in one big post--what I'm calling a fast forward.
A Week of Thankfulness (Day 3):
I was thankful for a day off. At least in terms of my "school" work. It's been go-Go-GO(!) as the semester is coming to a close in two weeks, so a day of rest from that hectic schedule was much appreciated!
A Week of Thankfulness (Day 4--Thanksgiving Day):
I'm thankful for my families.
We spent the actual day with my family because it also was Hons' 60th birthday. (Happy Birthday, Hons!) We had a great time cooking as a family and hanging out, just talking and catching up around the dining room table. My sister Angie's birthday also is in November, and while at the Hallmark store getting cards, FD and I found Care Bear Jibbitz for Crocs! We gave those to Ang Thanksgiving Morning, and she freaked out! She kept pressing her hand over her heart and sighing like she was going to pass out. It was really cute! The whole day was a real treat to spend it with Mom, Ang, Pops, Hons, Ross, Holly, Grandma Rita, and FD.
We headed to FD's brother's for dessert to round out our day. I always have so much fun with my in-laws too. I'm really lucky to such a close relationship with them because I know most people aren't fortunate enough to get along with their in-laws, let alone love them! Over at A and T's we played Memory and Buzzword as well as Euchre, while we snacked on some turkey, crack potatoes, and pie! (One of these days I'll post the Crack Potatoes recipe! They are soooo good! And great for make ahead! The first time I had my mother-in-law's holiday potatoes I renamed them "Crack Potatoes" because I was instantly addicted to them!)
It was a Thanksgiving to be thankful for!
A Week of Thankfulness (Day 5):
I was thankful for Motrin and Coca-Cola.
After eating so much my sensitive body wasn't all that used to, especially the sweets and stuffing, I had a pretty bad headache and tummy ache Friday.
Despite my pain, I did help my mom-in-law, sisters-in-law, and nieces make Crisco Cakes.
And I did manage to play some Euchre and Memory before hitting the hay really, really early.
A Week of Thankfulness (Day 6):
I was thankful for online shopping, being an aunt, and sleeping in my own bed.
EJ, T, S, and I went shopping at Aurora Farms. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE shopping. However, being that we live kinda far away from malls, a Target, or outlet stores, most of my shopping is done online, through Hons who buys me clothes at the FL consignment stores, or at the Grey Colt when I'm out on the Eastside.
Needless to say, I forgot how crowded in-store shopping can be. Every store we went in there were seriously at least 60 people, and most of the stores weren't big enough to hold 60 people.
Of all the stores we visited, The Children's Place really freaked me out. The clothes it was selling to toddlers and young girls were slutty and cheesy. Henely tees with lace tanks under them. Gross layered shirts with lame graphics of a bratty girl or a rainbow splashed with The Children's Place. I quickly faded. Whatever happened to kids clothes with cute prints of birds, cherries, cupcakes, whales?
I've been thinking a lot about my back-and-forth between wanting kids and not wanting kids, so when I was confronted by The Children's Place, I was happy to be kid-free.
But then we went to Carter's and I wanted a kid really badly. The clothes at Carter's were delightful with their little embroidered owl on a fleece nightgown, their cherry-printed hoodies, their clearance summer dresses with a skort bottom and little embroidered whale logo. EJ started playing at the kid size Lego table, so I took a load off, sitting next to her in one of the kid sized chairs with my knees up to my chin. We hung out while S and T Christmas shopped. EJ and I always have a great time together. She tooted and blamed it on random customers who weren't even close to us. At one point, after we had played enough Legos, she said, "What the...? What the heck is going on here? I'm boring and ready to go." I laughed so hard my eyes were shut, and when I opened them, I saw 30 people staring at me blankly. Then EJ started laughing.
Kicking it with her makes me want to have a kid really badly. But she's not like other kids. She's not really a cry-er or bratty or whine-y, and with my luck, I'd have one of those kids who I would have to pretend to like when really I couldn't stand him/her. Oi! Also, she's my niece; I'm not really around her when she experiences crazy meltdowns. When I'm around, it's usually about us having fun. Being an aunt is pretty good times.
But I know FD and I have great genes, and I bet we'd have some really great kids and I know once I had my own kids I would love them with all my heart and be biased about them because I loved them so much. But I just am not ready to give up my shopping in my stores for shopping in obnoxious kids' stores. I know that sounds evil, but it's the truth. Why hide it?
Right now, I'm thankful to be a cool aunt. One of these days, maybe I'll be thankful to be a cool mom.
After so much shopping and time away from home, I was thankful to snuggle up to FD in our bed in our little house after such a busy holiday.
A Week of Thankfulness (Day 7):
Today at home, doing laundry, packing up Fall decorations and setting up Christmas decorations, I'm thankful for time. Simply time: to catch-up on lesson plans, begin decorating, go for a walk with FD on this crisp day. Write this blog post.
I'm thankful I'm starting to learn how to use my time wisely. The older I get, the more I realize life's too short not to be thankful for time.
Also, I'm thankful for realizing that sometimes my post endings sound cheesy like a sitcom/drama, like The Wonder Years or Doogie Howser, M.D. I need to work on that.
(The picture for this post was taken the day after Thanksgiving when Cleveland had their first snow.)
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