Over Thanksgiving this year, my brother came down. Instead of his always-growing-out hair that he only cut for donating, my little brother was sporting a military crew almost shaved cut. Lucas loved it. Lucas spent most of the time trying to climb on Buddy, so it really was only a little surprise when I came home to Lucas without any hair.
Louis had been trimming his & Lucas said, “Dad, I want an Uncle Buddy Haircut!”
Uncle Buddy is on the far leftLucas with his smile face
Mom would have tried to talk him out of total shaved, but Daddy was like, “oh yeah!” and buzz clippers made very short work of Lucas’ hair – that he had been “growing out” the last time we did haircuts.
Lucas seems to like it. One of the afterschool friends pets his head and says “good dog” – but Lucas just barks and laughs. Louis said, “maybe I should have left a little hair,” but it grows back.
The girls and Louis called him Aang (from the Last Airbender series) and I’ve got to laugh because there is a bit of a resemblance when he’s goofing off…
At least we are facing a Florida winter! I tease him that beanies will be his best friend!
We hosted Thanksgiving at our house for those who could come. It lasted from November 22 (our 20th anniversary) to November 27 (Sunday). This was our “vacation” from gym/work. It included lots of traveling (for me, Becky, Christina, Jaquline, Lucas, and Thea), lots of fun, and lots of food!
For my anniversary, we still had to work (thank you, Hurricane Whatever in September – I don’t commit names to memory) because we had school and a make-up day at gymnastics. This started our Thanksgiving Break because I started out just before midnight on 11/22 with Christina to go pick Becky up from college.
This car trip was super fun! Christina and I drove. Lucas and Thea went with us as Kimberly had early practice (Xcel Platinum) on the 23rd (a friend played taxi), Louis still had work like regular, and Jaquline & Jillian were cleaning and cooking with Grandma Tina.
We got home to take naps, help finish cooking, cleaning, and such. The table was set so pretty! (Yes, that is a marble chessboard that we use as a hot plate to set the turkey on! – Louis had it when we were dating and after some “accidents” happened to the pieces over the years, it was just too pretty to toss so was repurposed.)
Uncle Buddy came. Anastasia came. Gavin came. Aunt Becca sent yummy desserts! We had so much fun! Louis brought in new chairs. (our table was used when we bought it and was missing chairs – we originally used the piano bench, but since the piano & bench are in storage for lack of room…) We played games. Okay, yes, most were group video games or Frogger Challenge (two players, winner takes on next player…), but there were a few Boggle games and it seems we can’t have Thanksgiving fun without a campfire!
Uncle Buddy wanted to play Age of Empires with Lucas & Becky; even Louis and I joined in on a 5-person hot-seat Heroes 3 game that lasted all day (and we didn’t finish). The kiddos (will leave anonymous which adults joined in as well) did a super-multi-player Minecraft / Imposter with phones and computers. The shouted directions in the living and dining room had everyone else laughing!
My Angel Eggs were a different story. I made two platters. I love making food look beautiful but most of the time we are short on time so I can’t. (I used to even make everyone’s birthday cakes from scratch & even made two wedding cakes!) Today I made beautiful piped eggs.
One platter was gone in T-5 minutes! Jaquline did warn us she was going to eat more than the eggs she shelled! I love making food people enjoy.
Being around my family when we aren’t rushed always reminds me to be thankful for them! Uncle Buddy had prepped his head for military service (more on that next time) and Lucas thoroughly enjoyed playing video games with and snuggling with his uncle. I am super thankful for this life God has given me and I pray my home becomes the gathering point for family and friends always on any Sunday we have family day or any holiday. Food and good company is always a reason to gather together!
September 3, 2022 (Timewarp story from August 15, 2022)
Lucas was bouncing all over the house. “Mom! I repeated my oath!” “Mom! I went with Daddy to his meeting!” “Mom! I am part of Daddy’s meeting people now!” “I’m a cadet, look at my uniform!” “I get to go to the boom place with real cannons that blow up!”
And that was in the first three seconds after the door opened!
Anyone who knows Lucas knows that since he could talk he was excited about stuff. Anything he’s excited about, everyone else will know about within seconds. From “BIG TRUCKS” to dressing up in Daddy’s shoes to baby-surfing and everything in between; Lucas does everything with a full engagement and excitement that makes me smile.
Lucas became a cadet member of the SCV (Sons of Confederate Veterans) – Louis went on this discovery of our ancestors after getting Ancestry.com a couple years back and traced my father’s family back to Quakers in England who settled in Pennsylvania and refused on religious grounds to fight in any conflict until my Grandfather Pearson served the military as a baker and my Daddy joined the Air Force in the Vietnam War. Louis’ family, on the other hand, goes back to serious stakeholders in Florida culture and to Pvt. Gadiart W. Tart of Company D, 25th Division in the Florida military when it was under confederate leadership.
Lucas is super excited! Part of his “meetings with Dad” have been visiting battle sites, learning history, watching reenactments, and soon, (which Lucas is SUPER excited about) taking part in a reenactment – Lucas doesn’t know when, but “soon!” as he tells me. His idea of “taking part” is probably about the same as he and Landon “took part” in the last gymnastics meet they were both at: having a friendly hour-long wrestling match while their sister and cousins, respectively, competed. He does have a snappy uniform!
I’m looking forward to hearing all of the history he learns (even the girls remember the story of “the Flags of Florida” live presentation they saw at a family meeting where two ladies did a skit of two women following Florida’s return to the Union and they discussed each different flag that had flown over their land). I’m looking forward to the father-son excursions they will go on.
Meanwhile, he keeps coming in to our room to point out his paper that shows he’s a cadet member. (This sits right over Louis’ paper) So the usual comment is “see, I’m just like Dad!” and that, is what really makes me smile!
