Thanksgiving Notes

• While preparing Thanksgiving food, I taught Luke "God Bless My Underwear." I told him he is not allowed to sing it at school.
• I signed up to bring mashed potatoes to the school's Thanksgiving feast tomorrow, but refuse to bring mashed potatoes without also bringing RICE, the PROPER starchy accompaniment to turkey. (Can I get an amen from the Echols family, please?)
• I am, of course, missing my family this Thanksgiving. Reading others' plans to gather in Gainesville tomorrow makes me nostalgic and sad. It makes me miss my Grandmom and Gran'dad. It makes me miss being little--sitting with Sally at the bar at Grandmom's house, eating her cranberry sauce for her--marveling at Richie's "Richie-sized helpings" of food--laughing with all my cousins and thinking how cool they were--and then drifting in to the dining room where my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles sat around the mirror-top dining room table to hug my parents and peek at the desserts. I can still hear the after-turkey snoring accompanying the Cowboy game... I appreciated how special our family was even as a child, but I still wish I could rewind sometimes to soak it all up a little more.
  
• I don't like when my food touches, but I don't mind when rice gets on my cranberry sauce. Canned, please.
• We spent the last two Thanksgivings with the Simons. Tonight I am really sad that we won't be getting up in the morning to have breakfast at their house, followed by Thanksgiving dinner at ours. (Followed by Christmas movies and naps.) Our little short-lived tradition was very special to me, and I miss our friends dearly.
• Today Luke's little class had a Thanksgiving feast. Each child brought a food from their country. I baked cornbread, Luke's favorite. He was excited to share it with his friends. I got to pop into his class for part of the festivities. He's fitting in just fine in Kindergarten. His teachers love him, and they are wonderful with the kiddos. I met a few other moms, as well as his favorite little friends.
• Fifth grade is bringing food to share tomorrow at lunch time. After school, we're having a faculty and staff feast at 4:30. Then on Saturday, we have two MORE Thanksgivings to go to. I'm going to be all turkeyed out!
  
• This year I am thankful for Jesus, my sweet husband, my precious son, my family, my friends all around the world, my school, my sweet students, my fellow teachers, the beauty of the country in which I live, fresh air, hymns, and chocolate chip cookies.
  

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!