I got to sing in the Junior Choir this week for our Remembrance Day Assembly. Mommy, Daddy and I had our own Thanksgiving on Saturday. And we started to decorate the house for Christmas.

He said

One of the things that I missed being away for three weeks, that I don’t think really registered until I got back was Thanksgiving. Yes, it was partly that I missed a turkey, mashed potato, cranberry dinner, but I also missed being with the two people I am most thankful for: Danielle and Emelia.

So with this weekend off, we set to correct that with our own little Fake Thanksgiving on Saturday. As much as I would have preferred to attend the one that my entire family was at, as well as recreate that, knowing that would be a lot to ask, we decided to have it at our house, with just the three of us.

Friday night, as soon as I was done work I ran home to pick up Emelia and Danielle and head back out to the grocery store to buy our Thanksgiving bounty. One of the things I had not considered was just how available turkeys would be in the four weeks since Thanksgiving. I had just assumed with it being a little over a month to Christmas, that every aisle would be loaded with precisely just the Fake Thanksgiving supplies I might need…

Sadly that was not the case… We had to settle on a Butterball turkey breast loaf. You know the kind: a football shaped orb of turkey meat, held together – tenuously at best – in what can be best described as a hair net. After some digging and rooting around in the supermarket we managed to find all that we needed and headed home ready for our feast the next day.

After a much-needed hair cut and Emelia’s swim class Saturday morning, we were back home with the goal of spending the rest of the day ensconced in the house, with each other and all that we love about being a family. We started with getting the eaves cleaned and getting the Christmas lights on the troughs. After that we retired inside to cook and listen to some of the backlog of records in our collection.

The meal itself could not have been more perfect. I realized just how much while I am not a heavy eater these days, there is just something so homey about filling yourself on turkey and mashed potatoes. And after the meal as I relaxed on the couch over a snifter or two of whiskey with my feet up, I realized that I felt a little more complete heading into the whirlwind that is the Holiday Season.

The other thing this week worthy of documenting here is Emelia’s singing in her Remembrance Day Assembly at school. She happily joined the junior choir with a couple other school mates, and has been telling us about it each week with great enthusiasm. Luckily for me, I had last Monday off and I was able to attend their school assembly. I was amazed at how comfortable she was and just how great the choir sounded too. There’s no greater feeling than seeing her get the same joy from music that I do, but taking it a step further at such a young age and wanting to make her own music.

Today was another day off for me which was great because we got to be a weekend family once again. But, the even better part is that I have next weekend off too. And even better than that is we are going to take an overnight trip down to Frankenmuth to properly kick off the Christmas Season. Danielle and I haven’t been in at least 20 years, and this will be Emelia’s first trip. I can’t imagine how exciting it is going to be for Emelia to see an entire town dedicated to Christmas… let alone her two parents that probably react just the same!

She said

Earlier this week it certainly looked much more like Christmas than it does right now. Much to the delight for every child we had our first snowfall. We had a blanket of the white stuff for a few days until Thursday when the temperatures started rising and the snow started melting.

With the unseasonably warm weather this weekend we took full advantage of it and took care of the last of the end of fall chores in the yard and to the delight of Emelia we took care of one big project while the weather was in the plus temperatures. We got the outdoor Christmas lights up. Every year we swear we are going to get them up early before the weather turns nasty and we never get it done. This year with John having the weekend off (for the most part) we got it all up.

Another traditional that gets the holiday season going is one that changed a bit for me this year. The annual Samko toy sale was in town starting this weekend. And for the first time in 5 years I am not working it. With John’s work schedule, his recent return from California and our Emelia in school full time now we decided the little money I would be making at it was not worth the effort and giving up my rare weekend home with my family. So I passed on it this year, and for the first time I went as a customer not an employee and it was a nice change of pace.

This afternoon John, Emelia and I went to the sale, we seemed to hit the sale at a quieter time because the lines were manageable. And although I did not have a ton that I wanted to purchase I did manage to get 4 of the 5 daycare kids done their presents and even got a couple things for Emelia as well. So Christmas shopping is certainly well on its way.

Speaking of Christmas we are certainly going to be in the festive spirit this time next week. During Thanksgiving the conversations started about potentially going to Frankenmuth with family. Greg had asked if John and I would be interested. Well you don’t have to ask John twice about going to a village dedicated to Christmas more than once. We were in. At first with the hotel costs we were finding we thought it was going to be a day trip but after a bit of work a great deal on a hotel was found and we decided to make a weekend of it. Added into this now Helen and Doug because we found hotels close are also going to come on the trip.

Emelia is over the moon excited, she is getting to the age where Christmas is beyond exciting for her, she is counting the seconds until the big day. I have a feeling she might make me a little coo-coo over the next 6 weeks with all the anticipation but they are only this age once when the excitement of the holidays is so extreme you can almost taste it.

So I am sure by this time next week we will have a little girl who will be on Christmas overload and loving it. So until next week…