Pumpkin Pie

Lately, my oldest little guy has been asking us questions about Christmas.  As I tuck him into bed at night he will ask me if it will be Christmas when he wakes up, if we are going to "hang stockings on the chimney with care", and if he will get to go to Papa and Grandma's house.  Of course, his father is the spokeperson for this particular holiday, so his proudest moment will be when our kids grow elf ears, and start wearing green spandex, and pointy shoes that jingle.
One lazy Sunday evening, Daddy was helping Brayden put on his pajamas.  As he struggled to find the right spot in his shirt for his little arm to go, he turned to Brandonn.  An eager look on his face, Brayden asked if we could go get a Christmas tree now.  Brandonn explained that Christmas was still a few months away, and then continued with, ".....but when it gets colder we will go pick out a tree, bring it home, and decorate it.  You can count on it, buddy."  We then heard Brayden's soft, sweet voice, "...one, two, three, four, five!!  Daddy, I counted on it!!"  Kids.  So literal. 
I guess it's no surprise that our middle son (Gavin) now will occasionally exclaim with great anticipation, "YAY, Chwismas!!!" 
As for me, Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday.  It was always so special.  Mom would tell me to go outside and find some pinecones, and pretty fallen leaves to decorate the table with.  Or, when I was younger it was usually spent at my Grandparents house.  Mom and Granny would get up early, sip coffee and chat in the "white china" room.  Meanwhile, I would manage to roll out of the sleeper sofa in the office, and make my sleepy way toward to living room.  I would squish my little hind end right into the big, leather sofa and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, usually crunching on some crushed ice that had a little Crystal Light Lemonade poured over the top of it.  Then, the women folk would join forces to create the yummiest Turkey Day feast!  Everybody's favorite made it to the table somehow, right on time, nice and hot.  We would sit down at the table, heads bowed in prayer, while my Grandpa squeezed my hand playfully to try to get me to laugh in the middle of it.  He's always had a great sense of humor.  The desserts that followed dinner were not in any way indicitive of a family stuffed with food.  There were usually at least two pies, one pumpkin, and one apple, or cherry.  My Dad had to practically use a shovel to eat his whipped cream......I mean pie.  While he was emptying the can, the rest of us would just crack up....except Granny who was busy taking a new can out of the refrigerator.   :-D  Later that evening, after the feast and yummy desserts had been devoured, and cleaned up, we would eventually make ourselves a cold turkey sandwhich.  I know what you're thinking, but amazingly we did become a tad  peckish towards the days end.  Of course, no day was complete without a trip to the barn to give the horses a Thanksgiving Day treat.  The day was usually topped off with a quick trip down the cold, wooden steps to the basement to check out my Granny's collection of handmade doll houses, and miniatures.  I would walk around each one of them as my feet froze on the brown, tiled floor, peer inside, and imagine each one of the dolls going about their daily routines, completely unaware that someone was watching them.  This is something I did often during our trips to their house.  There was always something new to see, and Granny would come down and help me make something for the doll house she made me that had been left at home. 
Eventually, we moved farther away and new Thanksgiving memories were made, and I will return to memory lane again and tell more about those later.  For night now, though, I sit here at my hubby's bear of a computer desk and am reminded of all the time spent in front of a Flight Simulator game at Grandpa's house on a desk just as big.  Don't ask me how my mind made that leap, it's a tangled up mess in there, and if you dare venture in, I promise you won't come out! 
As I ponder on the memories of the holidays, I want to remember that it doesn't matter what you do, what you eat, or what you get.  You can make any holiday special with the right spirit.  It's in the details, like going outside and gathering pinecones, and pretty leaves to decorate the table.  I want my kids to have as many wonderful memories of the holidays as I do. 
I must go for now, but soon I will be sharing with you the funny experience that I am bound to have teaching my little ones how to carve a pumpkin!

Smile!