Early Thanksgiving

Part of the kindergarten mass

Cooper and Cade

Mrs. D and Cooper

Cooper's kindergarten program was this morning. About 140 5- and 6-year-olds stood on risers in the cafeteria and sang and recited Thanksgiving poems. My favorite:

Turkey, turkey

Gobble, gobble

Eat too much

Wobble, wobble

After the 5-minute performance, the kids broke free and received congratulatory hugs, posed for photos and played with friends.

Cooper, as you can see, was a Native American. There were also plenty of pilgrims.

Katie loves interacting with Cooper's friends -- she was wiggly!

Moving service

Our church is one of a handful of area United Methodist churches sponsoring a new congregation, Christ Foundry UMC, a predominately immigrant congregation in the Bachman Lake area. Last night Christ Foundry hosted a Thanksgiving celebration for all the sponsoring churches. We met at Walnut Hill UMC in North Dallas, the first church I ever attended.

Mel and I would walk a couple of blocks on Sunday mornings to attend Sunday school. I sang in the children's choir. I attended Mother's Day Out there. I haven't been back since I was 6! It was so comforting to return. Cooper and Katie stayed in a nursery during the service. It was the same room as my MDO class! Of course, the toys, carpet and furnishings have been updated in the past three decades, but I remembered it just the same.

The service was simple and beautiful. Ministers from different churches participated by reading Scripture, serving Communion, leading prayers. Christ Foundry's minister preached in English and Spanish (and another minister signed in American Sign Language). We all met downstairs after for a potluck dinner. Unfortunately, it's unusual for us to worship and eat among such diversity -- ethnic, socioeconomic, theological. I loved it and hope the service becomes annual.

Trying to get healthy

Ugh. We Damms have been sick off and on for the past three or four weeks now. Somehow we've still managed to go to work, school, church, stores, etc. But the laundry is about to defeat us. I'm pretty sure Katie is out of clean socks. That will force me to dive in tomorrow!

Steve & I are escaping to Manhattan for a couple of days. There is just too much to do there! So, we're focusing the trip on modern art museums -- Guggenheim, MoMA and the Whitney. (As a bonus, MoMA is hosting a Brice Marden exhibit. Marden is one of Steve's favorite artists.) I've made reservations at Blue Hill for a nice dinner and at the Bar Room for a fancier-than-normal lunch.

I'd also like to visit some Harriet the Spy spots. Last time we were there, I drank an egg cream to celebrate Harriet, one of my favorite fictional characters. I'd like to visit Carl Schurz Park, which is near Gracie Mansion, which I've also never seen. The park is the setting of a pivotal moment in the book, which I first read when I was 8 and continue to read every year or so.

Watch Cooper read

Cooper's reading skills are improving so quickly! He brings home one or two guided reading books from school each day. (You should hear him read a question or exclamation -- very dramatic!) Here he's reading a card from Grandma and Papa.