For those of you who have been following the blog over the years (does anybody still READ blogs, or is it all just tweets and FB posts these days...?) you may recall that we usually have a Holiday Miracle to report.
This year the birds started early, just to keep me on my toes.
Daughter bird was an incredibly gracious hostess, giving up her room and ensuite bath so we could all stay with her over the Thanksgiving holidays. She printed out recipes ahead of time, cheerfully agreed to try a traditional Finnish carrot and rice casserole (for those of you keeping score at home, that counts as Vegetables AND healthy, AND new and different! woot!) and even did the dishes without being asked. That would have been plenty for me to be thankful for!
When the Boybird arrived, we got his suitcase unpacked and his clothes laid out, and started making out a LIST of what was going to happen over the four days he was with us. On Thursday, I put *football game* on the list, because we had been invited to share in a wonderful multifamily event that has been taking place for the last Thirty Years. I figured we'd have a nice walk over to the field, say hello to our friends and neighbors, check it off the list, and head back to get ready for the Turkey Day dinner.
We were already having a fine time, when the scheduled Football Game came up on the schedule. Boybird pulled on his handknitted hat (awww) and a sweatshirt, and we headed off with PeeWee poodle toward the field. Daughter bird declined the invitation, preferring to stay at home and read books. When we got to the field, the games were already in full swing. We greeted our friends, Boybird shook hands all around, and then proceeded to play soccer. Here was the child who was never going to model behavior, or catch a ball, or play team sports, happily kicking the ball, trapping it with his foot, mirroring the motions of the other player....I was absolutely amazed. He learned how to bonce it off of his knee(s) and then declined to model the *header* as demonstrated...that's my boy!
I was talking to some of the neighbors, and I noticed out of the corner of my eye, that the Boybird was now in a pickup game of basketball. He shot very well, and didn't even worry when he missed a couple of shots. Oh my goodness. I was one proud Mamabird! Then he watched the football game for awhile, which was getting pretty loud and argumentative. He declined to participate in that, but threw and caught a football with some of the other gys on the sidelines.
Absolutely Amazing.
He was ready to go bake French Fries (the next thing on the schedule), but took the time to say goodbye and walked back to his sister's house with us.
I have so much to be Thankful for....this holiday was the best EVER, truly miraculous in so many ways. Usually he cannot wait to get back to his house and his routine, and by the third day is already packing up his stuff and ready to go. Not so much, this year. In fact, we got back to his house two full hours later than I had planned.
I am so grateful for friends and neighbors who continue to invite us and include us in their holiday plans...
Hope you had miraculous holidays and lots to be thankful for at your house as well this year!
Namaste.
What a wonderful holiday for you and the Birds! So much to be thankful for and so many blessings, all richly deserved.
Posted by: Jane | December 02, 2012 at 09:54 PM