Giving Thanks Kick-off

So everyone on face-book has been sharing what they are thankful for every day. I've seen these "thanksgiving tree" ideas on pinterest and decided it was time to get in gear and make November special. Last year at bedtime I asked the kids "What made you happy" (instead of what are you thankful for because that was too abstract) and I scribbled their answers down on a little notepad and put it in their decorative cookie jar on their dresser. Now I wish my handwriting was a little neater but I tried to write them down in the dark with just a little light from the bathroom shining through. On Thanksgiving we read through them. The kids liked that and wanted to keep going so you'll see we made it to Dec 1.

Orion - "drinking out of the agave container" (I let him use it as a water bottle for the day - kids are thankful for the simplest things!) Omega said, "When I got to hold "chicky-chicky" for my little baby" (She used to carry our Bantam chickens around and pretend they were her babies). I wrote that I was thankful for the fun I had taking pictures of them while they played.

 

 So I think I'm ready be be a little more sophisticated in my holiday celebrations :) Here is the tree we put together on Sabbath. The leaves are real leaves from our pecan tree. We wrote on them with permanent marker and stapled them to the branches. Not sure how well it will work since the leaves will begin to dry out. We may switch over to paper leaves.By the end of the month our tree will be full of leaves that represent all the things we are thankful for!

Orion was thankful that they were going to get to climb on the hay stacks in preparation for "Farm Day" (pictures to follow in another blog post)

Omega said she was thankful that Aimee sat next to her during potluck.  Whenever they share what made them happy that day, it reminds me that "The little attentions, the small, simple courtesies, go far to make up the sum of life's happiness, and the neglect of these constitutes no small share of human wretchedness." 

 To enter into the festive mood a little more, we had pumpkin pie sweet potato pie which the kids helped me with. I should have taken a picture once it was finished baking but I forgot. (Just a FYI - baked pumpkin tastes just like butter nut squash. When people think of the flavor of "pumpkin" what they are really tasting is all the seasonings that are usually in pumpkin pie - all spice, nutmeg, cardamom, ginger, etc.Therefore any orange colored vegetable in the squash family works well for "pumpkin" pie)

Orion's favorite is always licking the blender/spoon/bowl. Side note - aren't those gorgeous orchid's on the table? Julian gave me them for my birthday! I don't even have to water them for 25 days! I'm wondering why I don't have my entire house decked with orchids! Perfect indoor flower!