A Minnesota Baby... in DC: Thanksgiving!

It was a busy week that begin with me scrubbing my kitchen floor on my hands and knees and threats of a huge snowstorm. It ended with LJ having a 103 degree fever and a day of 60 degrees.

Tuesday evening, the Goodells arrived. Crysten joined us for dinner at our new favorite pizza place. We mainly love it because the olive starter is legit and Louisa could live off olives. Louisa didn't know who to cling to: Pia, me, Crysten, Tada. But the evening was long and she began to fade after about 45 minutes. What I didn't realize was it was probably due to a bug she was harboring, but I was really focused on our pepperoni and sausage pizza. The best part about Tina is she enjoys eating!

Wednesday, Tina and I sent the children and Shay and Amos away so we could bake and hang out. After a long day of cooking we decided it was time for a pedicure, you know, in case we encountered a beach anywhere. As I suffered through the leg massages (I'm really ticklish, I only like getting my nails painted), Amos picked up my mom. I had been nervous due to this "snow storm" threat but nothing had accumulated. The "snow" appeared to be more of a spring snow, fat, wet snowflakes that disappeared before they hit the ground. But because DC people don't know how to deal with any weather under 32 degrees, I was fretting about my mom's arrival. What if her flight was canceled? How would we make the turkey and gravy? I had conquered her homemade rolls, her pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes all before her arrival, but there is no way I could do gravy justice (and it appeared, the pumpkin pie). But she made it and we celebrated at an old pub in Old Town where I ate multiple corn muffins and Mom shared with me the drama of her recent middle school play. Note to parents: if your child is involved in an activity that has an end date, sports practices do not trump this end date. Also, sports aren't the most important thing in the world.

The next morning Sam arrived and Louisa's world was complete. Pia was a little miffed by Louisa's love of my sister since Pia is used to being the center of LJ's world. But she dealt with it and played the role she always plays with Louisa, giving her baths, picking out outfits, doing her hair.

My goal was to eat around 2:30, a normal time for Thanksgiving (although my coworkers claim 12 to 1 is a more normal hour, whatever). But the turkey was big and time got away from us so we ate much later than I had planned. My old roommate from London, Diana, joined us and she was great. She is so enjoyable and fun and kind and managed to charm everyone. After we ate our neighbors joined us for dessert and the house was full of dancing and singing, a loud evening that echoed Thanksgivings at the Tuttles growing up, but sadly there was no rice pudding to eat.

The next day we went to Mount Vernon, one of my favorite spots and a location appropriate to bring racing children on a sunny but cold day. I love it there. The house tour is brief and interesting. The grounds are beautiful even when barren and dry. And we ate at the restaurant onsite which provided much-needed sustenance after a morning in the cold.

That evening the Goodells left and Amos, Sam and I went to see Mocking Jay (annoyingly, part 1 - just make one movie, people). I liked it. I wasn't blown away but I was taken the entire time. Plus the Pitch Perfect 2 preview proceeded it which made it worth it.

The next day we could all tell LJ was a little off. I wasn't feeling 100%, but I'm never sure if it is late pregnancy or a cold or what. Sam took Louisa and our neighbor to the park and Louisa complained about being cold for most of the time, something she never does. Then she requested they return home so she can go to sleep. Again, this never happens. By the time they got home and were cuddling on the couch, Louisa was talking endlessly in her sick-girl, high-pitched voice. I said to everyone, this is how she acts when she is sick. Mom suggested we take her temperature with the new thermometer she just got us (we have, like, 50 thermometers, none of them work) and she had a whopping 103 degree fever. This was followed by all of us taking our own and each others' temperatures to test out the validity of the thermometer.

I should have known this would happen. From Wednesday night on, the nights had been rough on LJ. She went to sleep late, overwhelmed with the presence of her people, and with a stuffed nose. Unable to cope with a stuffed nose, she'd wake in the night, sniffle then sob with discomfort. This woke Sam, Mom and me up every night where we'd each take turns trying to comfort her, coax her to take some cold medicine or blow her nose and explain that a baba with milk was unnecessary at 3am. So basically none of us slept well for nights.

But it hit Louisa fiercely on Saturday and she was suffering. The only positive that came from this is that it prevented her from being devastated when Sam left. Usually, this is very tough on her, this time, she just wanted to lie down.

Sunday morning Mom left and we were left in the house on our own. I love hosting and was put on this earth to feed people. Amos has even grown to love providing sufficient food and meals for people and has come to understand the importance of providing good, nourishing food for guests, something that originally he had pushed against when we first starting hosting together. And I love a house full of people, children, laughter, and Michael Jackson dancers, but it was nice to have a quiet house on Sunday. And to put the house back together and let Louisa rest without distraction.

That said we are really looking forward to our Minnesota trips in December. LJ and I go December 12-14 for a good friend's wedding where she will be able to spend some time with her cousins as I light up the night at the wedding. I mean... I'm trepidatious about flying at 33 weeks pregnant alone with a toddler, but this is the one weekend during which Amos has a commitment. And I've done all this on my own, countless times since usually neither birth nor death are a legitimate excuse for missing soccer. After moving Amos across the country and back by myself and with a toddler, I feel like a two hour flight to God's Land will be doable. But my back hurts and the braxton hicks are numerous these days. Hopefully the kindle will distract LJ and I can spend my time on the airplane focusing on keeping it in the air. We then return to Minnesota the following week for Christmas and stay until the 30th. I'm assuming we'll have Happy Joe's multiple times.

Photos!