November Closing

It's Monday morning and back to the normal routine again. The break was wonderful, and wonderfully spent. Thanksgiving was fun and full and tiring and, well, satisfying in many ways. The days following were a chance to relax (or recover?). I think the days after Thanksgiving are some of my favorites of the year because everything is in place, yummy leftovers take care of meals, and the days are wide open to just be together with Jon and the kids. We took walks in town and on the pier, we had late nights piled on the sofa watching silly videos or a movie, Jon made us breakfast one lazy morning, and we did some yard work on Saturday. Sunday was Andrew's birthday, and celebration for his life was sprinkled over the course of three days. We are certainly entering a season of celebration, and, considering the events on my calendar, constant baking!

Today I am making little notes for myself in my binder of recipes. They will come in handy for the next Thanksgiving I host- memos for menu ideas, what worked, what could be improved, tips for timing and portions for a given number of people, etc. Things went well last week, which was encouraging to me and showed me just how much I've learned in the past few years; however, I'd like to have fewer instances where I cross my fingers and hope for a good outcome with a particular dish, or roasting times and cooking methods. In short, I hope to become a host (and wife and mother!) that is calm and collected, and mentally present to enjoy people! I want to be the type of host that can make quick adjustments for unexpected guests, happy to serve all types of people. I believe it is possible, it just takes practice.

>>:<<

The very end of November is for Andrew. He arrived on the evening of the 30th, now 10 years ago. Apparently, the 30th is also St. Andrew's Day in Scotland, a celebration of a patron saint and national day. It's a funny thing to see "St. Andrew's Day" printed on the calendar each year.

For his birthday my Andrew wanted to go ice skating, so we did that last Friday with some of his friends. His actual birthday was on Sunday, so after church he wanted to go to one of his favorite restaurants. Then his plan was to come home to open gifts and play, then have chocolate fondue and an evening out in the jacuzzi. So simple. His best friend couldn't join us that day, so we are still planning a time for them to be be together.

My pictures are a disappointment; with the sun hidden behind clouds all day, even the outdoor shots are blurry. Oh well.

The buffet is the first place any of my birthday kids look to in the morning. This was taken by early morning light.

Lunch with a Mexican "Japanese Chef"

Trying on new football gloves

A brother testing out the remote control car

Fun for boys of all ages

Then off to the field to test the walkie-talkies, football gloves, and car

Andrew is such a special kid. He stands out to me in his tender heart, his generous spirit, and his industrious nature. He is reliable, goal oriented and determined, and thoughtful of the people around him. He makes my job as his parent so pleasant, and I just love being his mother and friend.

Andrew is fairly quiet until he starts to laugh, then he cackles in an incredibly loud and distinctive way. It's kind of a laugh and a shout intermingled. Sometimes he does it at the most inconvenient times, too. I often know if he is playing in the upstairs hallway of our church after services. I'll be talking to some sweet lady when suddenly I hear that familiar sound. I never know if I must excuse myself to run upstairs and stop my son from laughing. Sometimes I think to myself, "He's just a boy laughing. I'm glad he is enjoying his time at church." Other times I see the disturbed faces of certain older gentlemen, and so I run up before they do!

At the age of 10, Andrew still wants to be an architect. He especially loves small houses and structures, clean lines, and simple design. In fact, he loves all things "tiny," including cars and technology. He enjoys any type of material he can build with, such as Legos and blocks. He still appreciates interesting paper designs, though his love of origami has waned. Given these interests, it's no wonder he would play Minecraft all day if only he could!

He is still afraid of being married, and he thinks that his wedding day would be the most embarrassing day of his life. The kissing business is too much for him. He would like to have kids, however, and figures he could just adopt them.

He loves to play football, and would love to practice everyday if he could. He is doing well in school, and completes his daily work in less time than it takes some of my other kids to get started! 

He is an interesting guy, and I hope to learn his mind and heart in greater detail.

~Katherine