US Thanksgiving Week

I have really grown to love US Thanksgiving. Much the same as Canadian Thanksgiving except in late November instead of early October (funny, I often find myself explaining this the other way around...) There are some key differences though: the shopping, a football game and typically Christmas trees or at least decorations the very next day. Its not really a stand alone holiday in the US, but more of a "launcher." I feel a little bit badly for US Thanksgiving standing in the shadows of Black Friday and Christmas but it is kind of nice to have an official "here we go...." for the holiday season. Kind of like a prologue in a bike race. Kind of. Without the performance enhancing drugs. Although there is the turkey hangover. So maybe that counts.

I do like the 4 day weekend (although we missed out on that one this year, thanks submarine mechanics or engineers or whoever messed up this time - definitely not the PNS Detachment Repair Peoples). In San Diego schools close down for an entire week which is nice b/c it means no rushing the kidlets out of the door every morning. Nice to have a week off from that.

We kept pretty busy during our Thanksgiving holiday week with outings and visitors. Our Thanksgiving Day pre-turkey hike turned into a family run. Both kids took off at the start and didn't slow down for about 20 minutes. Well, Teia did after she got a stitch; but Kai kept right on truckin'. In fact, Daddy and Kai got so far ahead of us that I was rec'ing texts making sure we hadn't been consumed by a cougar. Yes, even just outside of San Diego there are cougar warnings.

Drink break in the sunshine. 

Brought along the backpack we thought the kids had grown out of. Not so. Teia LOVED it as you can see she is snuggled up with Daddy for a short break. 

Always adventurous!

And here she is looking for snakes which are probably much more likely on this trail than a cougar sighting. Having written that though, I just saw an OWL in my backyard! Who da thought? I don't think I've ever seen one in the wilderness and I look outside my window and there is a little brown owl! Wow. 

We had a much anticipated visit from some great friends. The kids loved having visitors, especially one their own size. We went to Seaworld:

Decorated a gingerbread village:

Enjoyed dinner with "fizzy juice" (a holiday requirement):

And had a sleep over with our friends. Both kids were very excited. When Teia woke up she immediately wanted to go and find our friends to say good morning. 

We also took in a very cheesy and overpriced drive-thru Christmas light show on Thanksgiving Evening. But you know what? The kids loved it. 

Teia and I enjoyed a great beach day with our friends and learned how to build a "drip castle." 

No Christmas tree up here yet and no Black Friday shopping but we did enjoy our second turkey and pumpkin pie meal of 2012. I think we will put on the pressure for Daddy to get those outside lights up though...time to get festive! And begin the preparations and anticipations for our next group of holiday visitors!!!