Happy Thanksgiving!

So, another Thanksgiving has come and gone. . .and this one was really great!

Pat had to work, a fly in the ointment, but he was off at 3:00 and arrived home, with his parents, to the smell of roasting turkey with all the trimmings in the air. Our neighbors came and shared in our festivities, which was really great, especially becuase my sister-in-law and her husband couldn't make it this year.

We enjoyed good food, good company, and had lively discussions about how wonderfully blessed we are here in Leesburg, Virginia.

Added to the greatness of the day, I got a call from our dear friend Lori Jerger. She and her family were enjoying an unusual Thanksgiving day at home--last year they were here with us! Our memories of last year are ones to be held close to our hearts forever!







And, now, we begin to get ready for Christmas!!!

Difficult Conversations about History

Being an Historian is interesting at times. I know many of the truths about our collective history but continue to go along with the popular myths we have created about it all:

White people came and settled America. White people good. . .Indians bad. . .

George Washington was a hero who created our country and then passed it on to us. . .George Washington good. . .English bad. . . (Yes, George was amazing, but he was not alone and he was human).

The North won. . .the South bad. . .

You get my drift.

I had wanted to be as truthful as I could be with Aidan about history. But, I may rethink that. . .

This is the Court House in downtown Leesburg:



Yes, that is a Civil War soldier. . .actually, a Confederate Soldier. Leesburg was a Very Southern Town during "The War." In fact, the President of the Virginia Seccessionist Committee was a lawyer from Leesburg, John Janney.

Anyway, we live about 1/4 mile, or maybe a little more, from this statue--straight up the road. We pass this twice a day: on the way to day care and then on the way home. And twice a day we have the following conversation:

Aidan: That guy has a gun in his hands.
Mommy: Yes, he does. He's a soldier.
Aidan: What is he going to shoot?
Mommy: Well, he's going off to war. (trying not to say he's going to shoot people!)
Aidan: Is the other guy a bad man?
Mommy: The other guy?
Aidan: Yea, the one this guy is going after.
Mommy: (My ruse didn't work) Well, no, the other guy isn't a bad man.
Aidan: Is this guy a bad man?
Mommy: Well, no, this guy isn't a bad man either.
Aidan: Why, Mommy? Why is he just standing there with a gun in his hands if he's not going after the bad man?
Mommy: Look, Aidan! There's geese at the park today!!
Aidan: What do the geese say??? Honk! Honk!
Mommy: wipes sweat from her brow and sees our house. . .Look Daddy's home!!!

And, thus ends my first really hard conversation. . .but it repeats every day. . .Maybe I should find a different way to come home. . .

2 years of Mommy bliss. . .

I lost my heart, two years ago today, to this little boy we met in Sosnovoborsk, Russia. It became his forever on that day. . .In reflection of those two years of loving life as a Mommy, I realized that Aidan isn't the only thing to have aged two
years!


Aidan: November 22, 2007


Aidan: November 22, 2009


Kitty Cat: November 22, 2007


Ktty Cat: November 22, 2009

I don't want to talk too much about the extra lines on my face or grey in my hair. . .like Kitty cat, they are showing major signs of being well loved and these added features to my appearance are all because I gave my heart to my son. I became his Mommy on November 22, 2007, even though he didn't come home to live with us for another 4 months. I can't imagine my life without him!

When is the Penalty Box a Reward???

For the past several weeks, I have been taking Aidan to his Ice Skating Lessons at the Ashburn Ice House. He really loves it and has actually been counting down the days of the week for the number of days left of school before he can skate again.

Funny thing, though, is that he'll skate for a bit and then make a beeline for the Penalty Box. It's all I can do to re-direct his attention: step step glide. . .step step glide. . .okay do a circle. . .okay step backwards. . .okay do a hop. . .okay throw the beany baby. . .no! Aidan! Not the Penalty Box again! No!! Don't you realize you're probably going to spend a lot of time in here when you get bigger??? : )

So, today, I hit on a new idea. . .use the Penalty Box as a reward! Yes, that's the ticket!

Okay, Aidan, go all the way across the rink doing step step glide and then you can go in the Penalty Box for a couple of minutes. YEA!!!!!!!

Okay, Aidan, that was so good, let's go all the way across the rink going backwards and then you can go in the Penalty Box again for a couple of minutes. YEA!!!!!

It worked so well that he actually was happy to do a few hops, too.

On the way home, Aidan informed me that when you chew gum you're not supposed to swallow it. Only the gum juice. . . Hmmm. . .gum juice. . .sort of makes chewing gum seem a little less appealing, doesn't it? ?

Settling down. . .some. . .

After as crazy as the last few weeks have been, this week was relatively quiet.

On Monday evening, my husband finally came home from his sojourn in the woods. After he was cleaned up and settled, we ripped up the carpet in our Living Room. Nice thing to do when you are ready for some quiet time! : ) Tuesday saw us repainting the baseboard trim and setting out a few of the boards for the new floor. It's going to be really beautiful! I'll post pictures when it's done.

Wednesday was Grandma's birthday and we happily spent the evening celebrating: dinner at Blue Ridge Grill and then home for cake and presents. Aidan wanted to help so he got to blow out one of the candles. He's really growing up in that he is now understanding that other people, besides him, have birthdays. In fact, he now knows that after Grandma's birthday, then it's Nana's, then Jesus' birthday, then Daddy's, then Grandpa's, then Grandpa Dave's and then it's Aidan's birthday!




We made the wrapping paper on which he put A H on several times. . .I just love that he has learned his initials! I think we'll try to make some Christmas wrapping paper too (brown paper and some finger paint is all you need. . .plus some space to let it dry!)

Pat picked up Aidan yesterday and I was able to go to the grocery store to do the major portion of shopping for Thanksgiving. I have so many really awesome recipes planned! A few hundred dollars later, I was ready to head for home where Pat had built me a fire in the fireplace (even though it was nearly 60 outside, but how sweet is that?) and we spent a quiet evening.

Tonight we're supposed to pick up the remainder of the wood for the floors and tomorrow the Living Room will be started. Aidan has ice skating tomorrow and I will try to get some prep work done for Thanksgiving this weekend.

Other than Thanksgiving itself, next week should be even quieter. I'm really looking forward to a little time off work, cooking on a largescale and the beginning of a wonderful holiday season. . .only a week till Advent begins!