Thanksgiving and a Book Review

About 5 years ago we were heading into our first Thanksgiving after filing our adoption paperwork with China.  The big kids were still small at the ripe old ages of 3 and nearly 5. Our days were a mix of pre-school drop offs, arts and crafts at home, and fun events at our town library. It was that year that I went to check out a few Thanksgiving related books and came home with a really nice surprise.

I hadn't flipped through this book before I checked it out of the library so I was caught by surprise as I read the pages aloud to the kids.

That year I had wanted the kids to start recognizing what they were thankful for and I thought this book might be a good introduction to going around the table voicing our tokens of appreciation. We had already made construction paper hand turkeys and wrote things we were thankful for on the tail feathers. But I wanted the kids to be able to say something at the table on this Thanksgiving Day in 2006.

So one pre-holiday afternoon, the three of us snuggled up on the couch and started to read this book. And just a few pages in, I am hit with this.

I immediately lost my composure and frantically tried to wipe the tears off my face while the kids are chanting in their little voices, mommy mommy what's the matter?

At that time I was still so hopeful and excited about our impending adoption but was starting to become fearful that the process might take longer than expected. I knew I was crying out of the love I had in my heart for the daughter I hadn't yet met but was also crying because the wait was continuing to lengthen and I didn't think I could bear the thought of a possible two year wait.

And now after having waited half a decade, I finally get to read this book to my new daughter on Thanksgiving Day. Even if you don't have someone special from China at your Thanksgiving table, this is a really cute book for little kids. And if you are so lucky to have flown through the night for your child like we did, you must rush out to your nearest bookseller to add this to your book collection.

**and tomorrow I will be sharing our menu and my game plan for Thursday!!**