I needed a couple of days to digest the whole Thanksgiving thing before writing about it. I was less than enthusiastic this year. Partly because I have been consumed with worry over B, partly because I am taking time to exercise and putting off other things like house hold chores and feast planning, and partly because my sister wasn't coming, that is a let down, and my SIL was coming and that is stressful for me. I have had my couple of days so here I go...
First I'll begin with my dear friend HRM. HRM was my college house-mate. No one not related to me by blood enjoys my kids more, come to think about it, he relishes them more than some blood relatives... (The surest way to my heart) HRM showed up with the perfect gift for the kids, a PS2 game that they wanted! What a perfect guest. The kids were happy and occupied as I finished up the cooking while chatting with the adults. I love you HRM!
Then we sat down to eat, and Matt suggested we all say what we are thankful for. (If you are my liitle sister who thinks I portray my kids as too perfect on my blog, you may want to skip this next paragraph.) The adults were all, "stutter... stutter ... Ummmm..." at this impromptu suggestion until someone said Matt should go first. Well, he started off saying how thankful he was for his loving caring mother and his great father. Then he said he appreciated his brothers, even though he sometimes seemed like he didn't. He said he knows they always mean well.. even if y'know.. Then he said he was thankful for his other relatives, some of which were there that night, and named his grandparents and the others at the table. Then he said he was thankful for good family friends who came to our house for thanksgiving every year, and then.....AS IF I WASN"T FIGHTING BACK THE TEARS OF JOY ALREADY, he said he was thankful for the priveledged life he had been given, and he wanted us to know. He recognized his talents as blessings. He ended with "I gotta say, this life isn't half bad." And everyone chuckled. I looked around and my mom was all teary too. Then someone suggested I go next and I declined saying there was no way I was going to follow that, and Evan took a stab at it. And he gave a speech modeled on his brothers, also elegant and appreciative, but completely different because they have to be opposites.
Then we ate, and the only thing that wasn't perfect was the bizarre shit coming out of the mouths of my SIL and her husband. Well, the shit and her comment to me that she was glad to be here where she knew it was OK to let her toddler make as much mess as necessary to keep her happy, and then set the baby down to wander the house with a corn muffin in her fist. Uh, like, NOT OK! The SIL has two clingy kids and along with her husband said disturbing things to them throughout the meal. They said things like "Go away, I don't want you." "Go away. You have no parents. You are an orphan." "Don't bother me now, I am going to have to see you all day tomorrow." "Can't you find someone else to whine to?" "I can't stand your voice." Oh, it went on and on. My heart was breaking for the kids, I feel like they need to be rescued. I wanted to shoot the adults and cut out their vocal cords, or at least video tape them, make them watch it and give them a wake up call. Finally around dessert I asked the adults to stop being so mean to their kids, but I am sure they had no idea what I was talking about. Luckily my mother noticed too, was rightfully appalled, and now there is another witness to the abuse. (validation)
Then my mom got all OCD about doing all the dishes when I wanted to sit and chat at the table some more, but I am used to that. She is turning into her mother, another compulsive dish doer and, naturally, she is reluctant to admit it.
All in all it was a good Thanksgiving. My step sister who is off getting married by the Dali Lama didn't come with her fiance. So my step-cousin didn't come either. My aunt just had a knee replacement so she and my uncle didn't come. We were down about 5-7 people and it was nice to be smaller and quieter. We had 15, which is still comfortable in our dining room, and the food was good, my timing was right on and we ate on time for the first time ever. Also, the husband picked up some really good wine, and by the time I sat down after a day and a half of cooking, I was totally needing some really good wine.
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