A Week of THANKSgiving

Goodness!  It's the first Sunday of Advent!  I have been so remiss at blogging it's not even funny.  I just feel like I am so much more busy now than I was 2 or 3 years ago, heck last year.  It's like I've had to adjust to kindergarten!  I have lots to say about kindergarten, but suffice it to say for now, it's going much much better than my last post.  Tate has settled in and made some friends.  He's much happier.  His favorite classes are PE, Computer and Religion.  Yes, religion.  I couldn't be happier.  

He just had a week off from school for Thanksgiving.  Since I sadly had to work the first three days of his vacation I wanted to make it fun for him.  I desperately wish I could have given him some family time the entire week, but as a single working parent that's just not going to happen.  Luckily for both of us, we have amazing people in our lives who can provide a family atmosphere when I can't.

Monday, I took him to his old daycare for half a day.  He was seemingly happy to be back, and the teachers welcomed him back with open arms.  Unfortunately, none of his old classmates were there as they were either not off school until Wednesday or out of town, but he seemed to make do.

I asked his nanny to pick him up after her lunch on Monday and Tuesday, so she could take him on a couple of playdates for me!  She is just fantastic!  I soooo appreciate her doing this for me, and I know Tate was thrilled.  They met his buddy Gavin and his sister along with their nanny at a pottery place and painted for a bit.  After that they went to a playground to let the kids run around!  Tate had an absolute ball!

Tuesday found me back at work and Tate back at his old daycare for the morning again with a smile on his face.  That afternoon his Nanny S took him to meet one of his kindergarten classmates at an indoor playground.  The boys had an absolute blast!!  Nanny S is just amazing!  We are so blessed to have her in our lives.  So blessed.

She brought Tate up to my office that evening at 5, so we could head off to my parents for the next few nights!

Wednesday I headed into work to finish off my work week.  It was a slightly shorter day as we worked 8-2 with no break, but allowed me to get off to meet Tate and my parents to see Santa Claus!!!!  My parents had taken Tate to the mall earlier to take professional photographs with my sister and her kiddos.  They had a bit of a wait, but apparently the boys did great and had a blast 'playing' with one another and goofing around.

I finally arrived and it was time to meet the big guy himself, a tradition we started when Tate was 1...seeing Santa Claus the day before Thanksgiving to kick off the Christmas season. I refuse to do anything related to Christmas before Thanksgiving.  And actually this is the only thing we do until the Friday after Thanksgiving.  Tate loves it.

He got to have a long conversation with Santa.  When I asked him what he asked for he said 'Cars 3 movie'.  I said there was no Cars 3 movie.  He replied that Santa Claus can do anything.

Oh the faith of the young.

We headed home grabbing me something for lunch on the way.  Tate loves loves loves hanging out with his grandparents, and why wouldn't he?  They play hide and seek with him...laying on floors between tables and chairs, hiding in bathrooms and closets and scooting around the house like they're 5 as well!  He even got them to play Chutes and Ladders with him as well as Connect 4.  My dad loves to spoil Tate and gave him an awesome Lego set to do as well that morning...I'm pretty sure it was supposed to be a Christmas present :)

Thanksgiving morning came early.  Yep my first day of vacation, and actually the next 2 mornings as well, Tate was up at 5:04am.  Ok to his credit he slept until 530 on Friday and Saturday morning, but STILL!    As always I am not at my parenting best at 5am, and many hisses and threats later, he dozed until around 645am.  Though I don't think he ever really went back to sleep as was evidenced by his whining and quick to cry behavior towards the end of the day.  

My dad continued his tradition of taking Tate to the Houston Thanksgiving Day Parade, so after the boys left I crawled back into bed and napped until 11am!!  Two glorious hours of deep sleep!  It was wondrous!

They had a great time, and Tate's favorite part was seeing the Thomas the train float.  Lindsey arrived while I was napping and brought goodies.   She also got conned into a game or 2 or 4 of Chutes and Ladders.

Kellie and her family arrived later that afternoon.  We took the boys to the playground to enjoy the absolutely gorgeous day!

It was a really nice afternoon.  We hung out, ate, drank and let the boys play.  Tate even had a teeny tiny bit of turkey :)

I snuck some turkey in there with the cheese!

It's a bit loud with three boys, something my dad is not used to after having three girls, nor is my mom :).  But we all survived.  

Friday morning Tate was up with the birds as I mentioned.  Again I made him stay 'asleep' until a little after 6, then I let him go off to bother his grandparents.  We took our time packing up our stuff and headed home.  Once back home I got our tree out of the garage and Tate and I decorated the outside of the house.

My mom arrived, and she helped me put the tree together.  We made sure all the lights worked and then we got ready to go to the Zoo Lights!!!  We loaded Tate up along with his stroller...because yes my almost 5 1/2 year old still LOVES his stroller.  The lights were just gorgeous!!

Tate also met an elf!

Tate's favorite part was the walk-in snow globe.  He was just giddy with joy and excitement!

And as soon as he had done that he was ready to go.  It was just after 7!  However, I know my kid.  I knew he would get tired.  So I had brought along his pajamas, his hippo and his stroller just for this circumstance.  I got him changed, lowered the stroller all the way back and had him asleep by 7:25.  My mom and I were able to enjoy the rest of the lights until we finished the stroll at 8!

Tate was raring to go and play with his beloved grandmommy as soon as he woke up at 530 on Saturday.  I held him off until 6 then let him go.  I slept until 7 and came downstairs to find them happily cuddled in bed watching her iPad.  We worked on decorating the tree a bit, then Tate and I then headed back to the zoo for the 4D Polar Express experience and to ride the zoo train.

Ready with our glasses! 

Then we came home for some lunch and finished decorating our Christmas tree!

We listened to Christmas music, Tate watched a Thomas movie and I worked on my sedation CE.  It was a great Saturday!

We made it to church this morning for the first Sunday of Advent.  We have a new rector who just started at the beginning of this month, though we hadn't had the privilege of hearing him preach, as we only go to the children's service, and he had been preaching at the concurrent Rite 2 service.  But today he preached at the children's service!!  He was simply inspiring!  His joy and enthusiasm were contagious and he had the kids entranced.  I love our children's service...it's a place where the kids can move about, talk, and just be a kid without fear of dirty looks from others in the congregation.  It is totally child-friendly.  They do a 'gospel processional' before the reading of the gospel where the priests walk down the aisle and around back to the front and invite the kids to follow them.  Some, like Tate, follow on their own and some have their parents walk with them.  Tate's been going by himself pretty regularly for the past year or so.  They then have the kiddos sit on the floor at the front while the gospel is being read, and the children stay up there through the sermon and the Nicene Creed.  Today Father Clay asked for volunteers to act out part of his sermon.  

Guess who volunteered?

After the service was over we made our way with the other kids to the parish hall to decorate our Gingerbread Nativity characters.  Tate had a blast, and I was so impressed that he understood that he couldn't eat any of it, since we didn't know what was in any of it.  My sweet boy is just amazing.  Here's his Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the star and an angel.

We came home, and of course I let him have a couple of safe chocolate chip cookies!

We hung out at home, went on another bike ride, I finished my CE course, he watched a movie, played with his trains and then we were off to visit a friend in the hospital before heading off to meet some other friends for the lighting of the Christmas tree at their club.

Tate is loving Christmas music making my heart so very happy! 

So it was a wonderful week of love, friends, family, joy, fun, happiness and more blessings than I can count.  To say we are blessed is an understatement.  Tate and I took some time last week to make a turkey out of construction paper and for a few nights we each added a feather with what we were thankful for written down on it.

My first feather stated My Family.

My second said My Many Friends.

My third feather said I was thankful that God Gave Me a Healthy Son.

Tate really got into it and usually added two feathers at a time.

His feathers of thankfulness are Christmas, Snow, My Family, My Mom and Jesus.

At the table at Thanksgiving we asked each of the grandchildren what they were thankful for.

Tate said Jesus.

As we go into this season of Advent full of joyful preparations for the birth of Jesus I couldn't be more thankful.