Happy Thanksgiving!

Well it's Thanksgiving here in Germany. It doesn't feel like Thanksgiving, despite the luncheon for Ellyn's pre-school and a Thanksgiving potluck with friends last Sunday. I think it is just too early this month AND I'm not hosting anything. When we are at home we are helping dad all day and when we've been away I've always had lots of people over. This year we are going over to some friends for dinner and all I have to make are the rolls. I'm a bit nervous because I've only made rolls about 3 times in my life, maybe four. That is the thing I've always had someone else bring. I'm making Aunt Paula's potato rolls and so if they turn out they will be delicious. I guess I'm just not used to not spending the day slaving in the kitchen. What's Thanksgiving without being frantic about whether or not the turkey will cook and you'll be able to get the stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, etc...all done at the same time? I wish I could say it doesn't feel like Thanksgivng because Mike isn't here but I think he's missed about half in the past few years. We miss him regardless.

Guess What?? Yesterday we mailed out 165 very stuffed stockings to soldiers. THANK YOU so much to everyone that made this possible. I am so grateful. I have such an amazing family. I am so relieved to have it done. It took 15 boxes and four two hour stuffing and packing sessions. We loaded everything up in one of our wive's trucks yesterday and drove over to the post office. We found out that on Wednesdays they close at 4:00 and we got there at 3:50. We had to cross out all advertising and brown tape over labels and address and fill out customs forms for everything. There were 5 of us and two pre-teens and the postal workers that helped us and we got it done in record time. What a relief.

Well we still don't have Sawyer's passport. I say still but it would be a miracle if it got here this week. That is what we were hoping for though. Luckily we now have everything done that we need to so that when it gets here we can start trying to get home.

The girls are doing well. Jane has become well acquainted with the ways of the world thanks to middle school and the bus. The things she has told me that she has heard on the bus the past few days makes me sick to my stomach. I just have to remember that I heard the same things at her age and the rest of us probably did too. It is just too bad. I had Sadie's parent teacher conference the other day and her teacher couldn't say enough about how much she loves having Sadie in her class. She said she is so smart, a real leader, kind to others, and very helpful. I guess she does all her helping at school so that when she gets home she can ignore any job request made by her mother or sister. She's cute but she's a stinker. Ellyn is at a tricky stage for me right now, as far as dealing with people in public. She is so tall (she wears size 5 pants) and more and more people are talking to her when we are out and about. She just looks at them. Telling every person we encounter that she is autistic just sounds so melodramatic, plus not their business. Also, it isn't obvious really when we are running errands. The other day we had to go into Jane's school to sign a permission slip that Jane had forgotten to give me. The office is tiny (temporary trailers while they are building the real school) and Ellyn starts pulling papers out of the little cubbies. Then we go over to the registrar and she grabs a handful of paperclips and shoves them in her mouth. So I just look like a mother that has not taught my 4 year old how to behave. Oh, she also likes to steal food from random people whenever she gets a chance. It's a treat. It's kind of funny but can get stressful. A little added pressure with four kids because then you definitely get "the look."

Sawyer is doing great. Kind of fussy the last few days, but he has been doing better at night. He has a heat rash/baby acne all over his face that I think I made worse by putting on some ecsema lotion this morning. Poor kid. He is cooing and smiling at us on a regular basis now and it is so cute. Man, we love this kid.

Well I need to go make rolls. I love you all. Happy Thanksgiving. Monie, I loved your quote as well. Everyone puts their kids in the German pre-schools here at two. Crazy!