Birthday/Thanksgiving

This is the beautiful sight that greeted me when I woke up. Adessa was determined to make me breakfast since John was at work. A cookie and diet Pepsi was the breakfast prepared and happily eaten :)

It seems like this year more than any I have started to feel my age. I am one of those Peter Pan people that still thinks they are 21. This has been the first summer teaching dance that my hips and knees have started hurting, and I have become frustrated with my body. Physical ailments aside....let's rock! (ps, I learned from my mom that unless you take a picture of yourself at the event, 20 yrs. from now your kids won't think that you were ever there.)

All that I wanted for my Birthday/Thanksgiving was one of those awesome strawberry nutella crepe's in Covent Garden. When John got home from work we loaded the kiddo's up and braved the crowds. As we walked from the station this is what we saw, a giant Rudolph. The Garden had been decorated for Christmas.

Adessa climbed up onto Rudolph's platform and danced for a minute before John was too hungry to linger any longer.

John headed off to get his Cornish Pasty while Addie and I waited for him at the Marketplace. Apparently he told me to go and get my crepes, but my awesome new earmuffs seemed to hear him tell me to wait for him right here. We waited and waited. Finally I found him hanging out against a wall enjoying his food, so off I went to get my Birthday crepe. I am sure you can see where this story is going, when I got to the crepe's the guy had just turned the lights off and was clearing everything away. Closed. All I wanted, gone. I couldn't even stand to look at John while he thoroughly enjoyed his meal on my Birthday/Thanksgiving, as I stood crepe less. I'm over it. Okay maybe not :)

This beautiful tree lights up pink when 2 people kiss under the mistletoe. Of course Adessa thought this was the coolest thing EVER. So we donated some change and Adessa planted one on her Dad's cheek. I was still a little too ticked at him to plant one on him. Maybe another time.

Adessa turning the tree pink.

When you kiss under the mistletoe you each hold onto a wire and the heat from your hands and the contact of lips to skin causes the tree to light up. Adessa kissing her daddy's cheek. Willie and I were just along for the ride.

When we went to leave, the chip in my Oyster card failed and I couldn't get through to the train. I had to wait in a line and then another 45 minutes to have them re-issue me a card after filling out a horrifically long form. Finally I got 1 new card, 1 crying boy, 1 whining girl, and Willie. Okay, not Willie, but John (obviously over it, right). We finally got home and instead of cake we had sticky toffee pudding, an English specialty. It was AWESOME. However, I made the mistake of reading the nutrition label after eating it, get this 1,784 calories and 18.2 grams of fat. Times like this I wish I could be bulimic.

All in all, this Birthday/Thanksgiving wasn't too bad (optimistic). John bought me some speakers for my ipod and the kids let me sleep in. I can't say that it was even close to what it would have been hanging out with family and pigging out. Thanksgiving has always been my favourite holiday, you get all of the family togetherness without the commercialism. I love my family and have so much to be grateful for. This year I am most thankful for the places and people who have blessed my life and prepared me to be able to have a sucky Birthday on Thanksgiving in the UK rather than an awesome one in the states ;) I survived. Next year, Thanksgiving at my house and I expect a crowd.