This was an exciting Thanksgiving, as we got to spend the holiday in Damascus with Grandma, BooPa, GG, Uncle Rob and Aunt Kelly - and then the weekend after in New York City with Jane and Greg, Taylor and DeeDa and BaBop. So much wonderful family time, plus the stark contrast of beautiful, quiet, rural Pennsylvania with the chaos of one of the most exciting cities on earth.
Isaac was excited. He entertained himself pretty well on the airplane, and when he started to get bored, I pulled out some pipe cleaners. Of course, I'd been creative enough to bring them but was at a loss for what to do with them when the time came...Luckily, Adam used them to build a super cool propeller plane that Isaac flew all over our little row.
We picked up GG at her retirement home outside of Philly, stopped for pizza, then drove to Damascus in our rental car. We pulled up the driveway in the dark after a beautiful moonlit drive through the eastern Pennsylvania hills and farmland.
Inside the house, Margie and Bob had created a special room just for Isaac. They told him he was "camping out," and so he had an inflatable mattress to sleep on, a child-sized tent set up nearby, and a little projector that shone stars on the ceiling to brighten up the dark rural night. Isaac adored it.
The boys worked off their traveling energy by rolling around on the mattress and in the tent, giggling and squealing, and so the first night's sleep away from home went well.
The boys loved GG, and though she couldn't often understand them without some translation, Isaac always had a lot to tell her. The two of them read books together on the sofa, while Jonah provided comic entertainment for us all.
On Thanksgiving night, Isaac was ready to run around the house when GG called him over to read. At first he said he didn't want to, but I told him that we were leaving tomorrow and would have to say goodbye to everyone, and could he go sit with GG and give her some snuggles since he wouldn't see her for a long time. He listens to us less and less lately, and I thought it was a lost cause. But our dear little man walked over to the sofa and snuggled against her and stayed for probably half an hour while she read him books. It's no chore to spend time with GG - she's a fun, energetic and overall amazing lady - but Isaac is only 3, and I was proud of him.
The boys loved to play together in Jonah's bed too. We caught them in a quiet moment as they were both sitting in the pack-and-play, reading books to themselves.
It was one of the best Thanksgivings we've had as a family. The boys were adorable - affectionate, talkative, alternating between crazy excited and sweetly mellow - full of antics. Isaac spent almost an hour one night running the circle around the downstairs of the house, saying "CHOO-CHOO!" - he was the "fast train."
The food was homemade and delicious. Rob made onion soup, I made my sweet potatoes from home, Kelly did pies and we made dressing together. Margie did the turkey, mashed potatoes, spinach, red cabbage. GG made her special gravy, and she pulled out two old bottles of good wine that she'd found in her storage compartment. We opened one with dinner, vintage 1993, not knowing how it had aged, and it was incredible - pure Bordeaux with that unmistakable earthy undertone and ferrous tint to the liquid.
Both boys LOVED the sweet potatoes. I was proud. Isaac asked for more, and later when I asked what he liked at dinner, he said "sweet potatoes, peas." Jonah stuffed in one bite after the other, even before I let him have some of the topping too. I had to get a heaping second serving to feed him more and still get enough myself. I must say, they were extra good this year.
Isaac ate: sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, a few bites of turkey (forced), peas, lots of applesauce, and pumpkin pie.
Jonah ate: sweet potatoes, 1 bite of mashed potatoes, some peas, applesauce, a good serving of butternut squash, and later 1 piece of apple pie and some bread.
GG is pretty amazing. 93 years old, with matter-of-fact optimism and such energy in her voice. And as always, bustling in the kitchen, cleaning up anything you set down before you can blink. If you want to save your cup, you'd better hide it. And clearing the table after dinner, washing dishes, putting things away. I don't know how she does it. We adore her.
This trip has been so much fun. One of the best times we've had here. It's been so easy. We were so touched by how Margie and Bob set up Isaac's special room, and he was so excited to sleep there because of their efforts - rather than trying to come sleep with us, as he has in other new places. And besides that, the house was filled with toys and books of the classic, quality kind. Big bright cardboard blocks, Legos, that awesome red vinyl tunnel on the living room floor, children's stories and magazines, a xylophone. There was even a bag of trucks that we didn't get to until the last day - including some treasures like an old John Deere tractor that Margie had played with as a child. And Margie isn't tied to her house at all - if something would be easier a different way, she has no problem rearranging the furniture. Again and again, if need be. It's like a big playhouse.
Bob has a beautiful ease with the boys. He scoops them up and carries them around, and I've seen Isaac sitting in his lap and leaning on him while they play. He and Isaac were laughing and having a great time playing ball on the kitchen floor yesterday. Isaac loves him, and Jonah will too, though for now he just finds him very interesting.
Thanksgiving night, as we lay in the dark, I told Isaac I'd be sad to leave here tomorrow. He said, "I'm going to keep you safe. I'm going to take care of you." The beginning of a dear habit - since then, that is his response whenever I tell him I miss someone or am feeling sad.
After telling me out of nowhere, "I'm KIND of not nice to rattlesnakes" (ha - but huh?), we moved on to what a lucky boy he is. I told him that he was lucky for so many reasons, but one was because he has so many people who love him. I said that Mama and Dada and Jonah love him so much. He said "I love Mama and Dada. And I love Jonah." And then he said the same about GG, Grandma, BooPa, DeeDa, BaBop, Jane, Greg and Taylor.
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