A Week for Thanksgiving

I have so many things to do this week!  I want to finish my Socktoberfest socks (one to go), but first I am going to make a gratitude book for my family.  I bought the paper, now I just need to settle on the design (I'm thinking an accordion fold book, because I think it would look nice opened and displayed on future Thanksgivings), and make it.  This is going to be a book in which we write or draw some of the things we are thankful for on Thanksgiving day.  Something for us to add to each year and hopefully cherish for years and years to come.

Which reminds me of a dilemma I face now, as a mother of two, do I need to make two Thanksgiving books?  There are several things I do in duplicate now, for example, I keep a journal for each child that is just about the child and what's happening in their life and in our family.  I have one for each boy even though sometimes what I write in one is similar to what I write in the other.  These are not for them to read now, they are for them to read later, when I'm dead or at least a lot older.  But it would be strange to have separate Thanksgiving books.  And it feels contrived and weird to make two identical ones; I think that would start to feel like a chore.  I'm an only child so I've never had to wonder "will I get to keep that cherished photo/book/thing?" because there won't be anyone else to want it as much as I do.  How does this work?  Is it likely that one of them will want the Thanksgiving book and the other won't really care?

I have many other projects I'm working on as well; my older son and I are sewing an advent calendar and it is over half-way done.  I think it's going to be great.  I'll definitely show you pictures.  I'm knitting presents (no time pressure on those...yet).  And...oh yeah, Thanksgiving dinner!  It's easy this year, just the four of us (and the baby doesn't get to eat any) and we're substituting a chicken for the turkey.  We'll still do our favorite sides:  horseradish carrots, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, stuffing, pumpkin pie (from pumpkins!).  Hmm...I really like corn pudding too, maybe I'll add that in if I have time.

And, in the midst of this, I am trying to make some conscious choices/decisions about my plastic consumption.  I'm taking a fresh look around me as I go through my day and not just making the usual decision because it's what I've always done.  Tomorrow I'll show you one thing I've recently been trying in this regard and our morning OJ. 

So I hope everyone else is looking forward to Thursday with pleasure and enjoying this least commercial of the holidays.  It's such a nice opportunity to slow down and spend good time with those you love while eating all the rich delicious foods we deny ourselves other times of the year.

Comments

[rachel]

I think you can stick with one book (love the idea, by the way). When they are older and you kick the bucket, either they can split them up, or the more sentimental one with more storage space will keep them. :)