The little girls had a special after-school snack today, fresh baked brownies, hot tea, baby carrots, Doritos....they were pretty thrilled when they got off the bus and found their little table all set for them.
After their snack, they bundled up to go out and play in the snow with Jonathan, and the puppies. They sledded down the slide, and slid pretty far across the back yard. They stayed out long enough to get nice and cold.
Dinner is in the oven, all finished and ready to eat. Roasted chicken thighs with southwest marinade, baked brown rice with butter and pepper, and veggies. And sweet potato soup, thank you Mirielle.
We are waiting a bit for Paul to get home from work. Nine of the kids are here in the living room. I caved and broke my No Decorating For Christmas Until After Thanksgiving rule, and put clear lights in the living room windows. It makes it cozy and festive in here when it gets dark out.
Yesterday I shopped for the Thanksgiving meal which we are having on Friday, and the brunch for Thanksgiving day. Brunch: homemade waffles or crepes with rasberries and whipped cream, honeydew, cantaloupe, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, cinnamon rolls, orange juice, and of course coffee. Emily will be working a 12 hour shift, but we will save her a plate.
So we are all prepared to be together for this holiday except for Benjamin and Ashley and baby Anya....it made it easier to bear Thanksgiving without them knowing they would be home for Christmas...but it is looking less likely. The Army hasn't given Ben firm Leave dates yet, so he hasn't been able to purchase tickets yet....and the tickets are $1200 each now. And, he says he needs one for Anya, which I find hard to believe, she is only 6 weeks old. I am really hoping they can make it home. And wondering why the Army can't just be a bit more helpful to these poor guys. If he had known a month ago, he could have just bought tickets for three or four hundred dollars. rrr.
Anyway, I am still hoping they make it home so I can see that baby, and spend some time with Ben and Ashley.
And...it is time to get that food on the table now.
3 comments:
Aw, I'm sorry to hear that travel plans for your boy and his family aren't settled. I think army families ought to get special airline deals at the holidays, especially when they are stationed so very far from home.
I do love your little tea party! The girls are just beautiful!
I know the frustration of the Army and their leave/deployment schedules. My brother is at Fort Irwin in California and is also just now booking their tickets to come home for Christmas.
As a parent who flew MANY times with a child under two, they do NOT have to have a ticket for the baby. However, she will have to fly in their lap. If there are unsold seats, they can put her in her carseat in an extra seat. They will shift people around, or what we did was to book the window and aisle seat, leaving the middle seat open as those are the last to be chosen (and easiest to get someone to swap with you for). They can use a baby carrier/sling, except for during takeoff and landing. We flew with our son for the first time when he was six weeks old, to the Cayman Islands! We took advantage of the 'free' ticket as much as possible before he turned two and then had to have his own ticket.
My brother's first year in California, they told everyone they were not going to be able to make it home. Then the day after Christmas our doorbell rang after dark and we found a big cardboard box with a bow on it. My husband was cautious, and nudged it with his foot, then my nephew jumped out of it! We had fun the next day pulling the same surprise on my parents and got that one on video too.
That's too bad you'll be missing your son for the holidays. I know the feeling... my oldest is away at college and working and won't make it back either. But you have such a lovely family, what a blessing! So nice to read about your little ones. Thank you for being so supportive and kind. It means a lot to me.
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