Reasons to be Thankful

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.

I feel a little lost to be honest...I'm seasonally confused. When did Halloween and Fall end? There are still Fall like decorations and pumpkins in people's gardens. Leaves are still falling in their zillions. So does Fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas all roll into one? Festive lights are glowing everywhere and Christmas trees are popping up all over the place. What's the difference good American people? Does it all combine into the 'Happy Holidays'?

It was hard to find any sign of Christmas in India, so let's just say that it's certainly alive and kicking here - it just seems to be a tad too early. The radio station I listen to in the car to-ing and fro-ing to school began playing 24/7 festive songs 10 long days ago. It proudly announces every few minutes that it is the 'Triangle's Official Christmas Music Station'. I really wasn't ready for that amount of Christmassy stuff so soon. The kids are going to be in space orbiting Jupiter with the excitement by the time Father Christmas begins his journey. In a panic and in desperation thank goodness I found, purely by chance, BBC Radio 1 on a 5 hour time delay on my car satellite radio - Chris Moyles never sounded so good on the school run.

Having said that the new festive playlists do have their advantages and make some journey's easier and quieter...an argument or tantrum can quickly be diffused with a deft flick of a switch and there a couple of 'new to us' festive favourites that Ellie and I are enjoying listening to, Luke's easy as long as he can bop along to something...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihW56Xa3XGQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtqIM_bPTws

The day after Thanksgiving Day is called Black Friday and marks the start of Christmas shopping with sales and bargains galore to be had apparently, wish I'd known that before I began the Christmas shopping. Imagine our Boxing Day and January sales BEFORE Christmas, I mean how much could you save? Only drawback is (I think?) these amazing and spectacular sales are just for one day only, shops open as early as Midnight, 2, 3, 4, 5am and it's the biggest US shopping day of the year apparently....I don't think I'll be going anywhere in any desperate hurry.

So, these are my totally shallow reasons to be thankful at this very precise moment in time...

• Ian finally gets home tomorrow after a very long, almost 3 weeks away.
• Luke only had two full scale tantrums today.
• Ellie has stopped throwing up and is feeling much better.
• My car 'scrape' has been fixed by a very nice man and thanks to Ellie I didn't do any damage to Ian's car as I was driving it in/out of the garage. She really is the most thoughtful daughter and diligently reminded me that damage was a distinct possibilty each and every time I drove out or reversed in. Once upon a time I had some confidence in my abilities!
• 3 days off school. How I thank you Pilgrim Fathers...No 6.15am alarm. No mad hair raising, teeth cleaning, uniform finding, hair faffing, face scrubbing, toddler negotiating, nappy changing, pyjama peeling, egg wiping, milk mopping dashes, no red lights at every turn and therefore hopefully no speeding tickets.
• The chance of a full dress rehearsal for cooking Christmas turkey and all the trimmings.