First Holidays

Faith's first Thanksgiving was very nice.  We started the day by dressing her up in a new dress (thanks Karen C), black tights and black shiny shoes -- Kevin and I both got choked up when she toddled away from us.   She even left her barretts in until we got to church.  She was well behaved in Church, until Fr. Joe mentioned her during the Prayer of the Faithful, and she as if she KNEW, decided to be a nutcase, grabbing my glasses, wiggling around like the squid she is :)   Attending Mass on Thanksgiving has been a long standing tradition, and it felt wonderful to be able to continue it with our newest member.  There was so much to thank God for this year - being home, being safe, being with Faith, His blessings in 2009 were definitely more than a 1/2 hour mass could hold!!!

It really is still amazing beyond words how well she is adjusting to her new life.  She was  like a princess at Kevin's aunt's house - being doted on all day long.  She was entertaining, sweet, a LITTLE crazy as she got tired (no nap), but all in all, a delight.  We are so lucky that even if she misses her nap, she gets a little more rambuticous but doesn't melt down.  Last night, she feel asleep on the way home and actually stayed asleep until the morning.   It was so sweet, to see her nestled between her 2 big brothers for the ride to Fitchburg - it seemed so appropriate that we'd be back there for this Thanksgiving.  It was 2 years ago at Thanksgiving dinner, that Ian let slip that we were adopting!!

Today began our first Christmas season with Faith.  We put up our Christmas tree, she was napping, when we brought the tree down from the attic (yes we do the fake one, I like it up from the day after thanksgiving to the Epiphany!!).  She was so funny pointing at this TREE in the middle of our livingroom.  Even when she was playing, she'd stop now and then, and looking behind the couch, at that TREE thing in the middle of the room -- at this point it had no lights or decorations.  Kevin had to run to Big Lots to replace some lights, so while we waited Faith and I had chocolate chip cookies...No silly not homemade -- slice and bake -- nothing better :))

There is nothing like the face of a child eating their first fresh from the oven, HOT, gooey chocolate chip cookie.  We sat on the floor together, just inches apart, sharing this very special girl moment!!  Her face was priceless - a grin that filled her whole face, and she kept signing 'Yummy', rubbing her belly and smacking her lips together lol!!   She even 'toasted' me with her cookie - it was one of those moments I dreamt about having with my daughter!!  Someday we'll actually MAKE the cookies together, baby steps.   While we waited for the men to return, I brought out THIS HUGE box of board books I found in the basement today (we cleaned the basement - yeah!! I LOVE holiday cleaning!!) -- the teacher in me got excited to sit and look through book after book, beginning that language explosion that I know is just lurking below the surface.  yeah, well not so much --- Faith is definitely a girl with a mind and agenda all her own!!   She lined them all up, covering most of the floor, meticulously and busily placing them end to end.  I love that every day has a new discovery for her, and for us who are watching her!!

Finally the boys returned from the store, and Kevin strung the lights. She climbed on the couch to get a closer look, she leaned against the back, face in her hands, and watched mesmerized!!  We then took a break from decorating to eat Kale soup (she is still not a portagee -- no go on the linguica or kale lol).

After dinner, the ornament hanging began.  We have a tradition of mom unwrapping or opening each ornament, and then together we tell the story of where it came from, and any back story that goes with the ornament.  Our tradition had a little twist this year, a very EAGER helping beaver, who sadly wasn't hearing the stories, and just wanted to get the little pretty shiny thing on the light tree in the middle of her livingroom!!   We still managed to get each story out, but MUCH quicker than previous years (ha ha).  I was hesitant at first to let her handle the ornaments, not so much because they might break, but that once she new they were 'touchable, we might spend the next month wrestling them out of her paws.  The quick learner, realized they were to go on, and that no one was taking them back off.  She was totally bummed when the decorating was over, and when she saw me hanging the candy canes, flew over to help not happy until she had one in each hand -- wait til she finds out those are FOOD too, and REALLY yummy!

Tomorrow we are off to the Christmas store in Abington, we are so excited to see her reactions to everything about the holidays.  In the next few weeks, we'll be taking her to LaSallette, to see the lights, and to continue our exposure to Christianity, and all the wonders that knowing and loving God holds for her.  We know that at 3, most children are unaware of Christmas is more than presents, lights and decorations, and sugary treats.  Heck, there are adults out there who still don't realize its more than those things - we know that all we can do is continue to cover all that this journey is in prayer!!  Knowing that every day, every year will hold more firsts, and we can't expect all things to be revealed and clear overnight.   Its the same as watching her line up books instead of read them, each day is filled with firsts, discoveries, and LOTS of surprises!