Thanksgiving is for being thankful

I admit it.  I totally and completely stole this idea from here. She’s someone I went to high school with and who I am in awe of because she has four kids, home schools, and seems to do it well.

No matter how much I want to be the type of mother who wants to home school, I have realized that I am not. I am not patient enough and I am not selfless enough. 

Erin wrote a very thoughtful and loving post on her Thanksgiving Tree, and what she hoped to accomplish with it, and her words really made me stop and think.  Also they may have made my heart hurt a little, in a good way.

I’ve been searching for something Sebastian and I could do together to mark the holiday, other than discuss turkeys and pie, and this seemed fitting.  It was simple enough that he could help without being overwhelmed, but occupying enough without him getting bored.  Or it would have been if I’d followed my own advice and gotten everything ready ahead of time. 

I attempted this on Monday, trying to jazz him up for it.

‘We’re going to print out leaves!  And CUT THEM OUT!’

He was okay for about 4 and a half minutes – which was basically the amount of time it took me to find a leaf that was easy enough for him to cut out without my help.  So by the time I’d gotten everything printed out he was cranky and bored and refused to participate and also refused to allow me to participate. 

‘You can’t cut that out! DON’T DO IT!”

And so I gave up.  It was supposed to be something we both enjoyed and I knew if I forced the issue we would both end up irritated and possibly crying. 

But by Tuesday we were sufficiently excited enough to make our own version of a Thanksgiving Tree. 

We cut out the leaves, then I wrote what we were thankful for on the backs of them.  I took six, he took six, and when Chris got home from a run I made him do six as well.  He was supremely excited, as you can imagine.  Especially when he got to his last leaf.

I’m not sure, but I think this means he may be a polygamist because I don’t think this refers to me.

I figured we could keep these and add to them each year.  And Adele will be old enough to participate next year, so that will be more fun. 

I punched holes in the leaves with a little sun paper punch I had since I can’t find our hole punch. I had Sebastian cut some yarn (since I seem to have an over-abundance of it) and put it through the hole and I tied a knot.  We both put the leaves on the branches we picked up in the back yard that we had stuck in a jar.

And he was really excited about the entire project.  And he was so thankful.  About everything.  His family, his cat, his soccer picture.  It really made me feel good.  I’ve said it before about this boy, but he’s just so incredibly sweet. Every time I do something for him, be it letting him watch TV or putting his cup of milk in the fridge, he tells me “That’s very nice of you!”  And he means it.

I just want to squish him so hard.  And also put him in a box and never let him lose that side of himself. 

Of course, this is the face he gives me when I make him stand by his Thanksgiving Tree so I can take a picture after I’ve refused to allow him to watch another TV show.

Win some – lose some, right?

Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy your day.

(P.S. I am thankful for you.)