Thanksgiving Day With the Needy

Yesterday, for Thanksgiving, we volunteered at Trinity Cathedral for the Community Thanksgiving Meal. Actually, to be acurate, I volunteered as volunteer coordinator and Robert came along and took care of Isabelle. It's always a great time and I love doing it. We did it for the first time last year, and since I "took control" of places that needed to be and shifted volunteers around last time, they asked me to do it this time, too. And Kris, who will be taking over from Cynthia next year, asked me to do it again next year. Of course, I said yes.

Everyone loved Isabelle. I dressed her in her Gymboree bright red shirt and leggings with flowers and snowflakes, with bows of red and green with little bells in them. She was adorable and did really well with all the people. Lots of people wanted to hold her and she enjoyed that. She is such an outgoing baby that she loves to be around people. Luis, one of my favorite peope and from Cuba, held her. He was so tentative and then thought she didn't like him. I told him to hold her facing him (so she'd feel more secure and would concentrate on him). He did that, and she brightened right up. His fiance is 7 months pregnant, so he's going to get a lot more practice at holding babies.

I really enjoy all the different people, including all the people who volunteer to help and all the people who come to the meal. There are all different kinds, from people who are shy or stand-offish to poeple who want to be face-to-face talking to people. I like to make the people feel like this is a social occaision (not just a quick meal and they're outta there), so I like to put outgoing, smiley people at the door to greet the guests and show them down to the Morrison Room (where they hang out until the meal is served) while talking to them. When the guests were all lined up waiting to go through the buffet line, I grabbed a basket of pretzels and went down the line offering people pretzels and just gabbing with them.

I took Isabelle around at the end and talked to volunteers and guests and showed off my beautiful baby. She showed off how well she can crawl (like a shot, now, and so cute the way she wiggles her rear when she does it) and how he pulling herself up to standing. Carol Kudoku said it would probably only be weeks before she was walking. Whew, I'm not sure I'm ready for that.