Thanksgiving is by far the hardest holiday for me. Not because I have nothing to be grateful for, but it seems to be the one holiday hands-down that makes me desperately homesick. My family gathered for an early Thanksgiving on Sunday and I spent the entire day moping around, thinking of them gathered and playing games, eating, and poking at the sweet new baby. For me, Thanksgiving IS family and we have none of that out here and it is too hard and expensive to travel with two small children for such a day. Plus, who wants to make ALL that food for just 4 people? Not me. But I was otherwise persuaded this week by my dear hubby that it was important to him, and so I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.
The funny thing? I ended up loving Thanksgiving this year. Don't get me wrong, I missed my family still, and I hated standing around the kitchen for 5 hours cooking and cleaning and trying to stay on top of that monsterous task. The one who saved Thanksgiving this year was Lily, and so I dedicate all of my gratitude to her on the special day for making it, well, special and entertaining too.
Conversation between Uncle Bryce and Lily on Wednesday before Thanksgiving:
Uncle Bryce: Tell me about Thanksgiving Lily.
Lily: The people came across the big sea in a boat and then they didn't have food so the aliens shared with them.
I laughed and explained to her that aliens didn't feed them, it was Indians. Today, I wanted to see if she would have the same response so I asked her again.
Me: Lily, why do we celebrate Thanksgiving?
Lily: Well, those people they came on the boat and they didn't have food.
Me: What were those people called (we had taught her the word pilgrims on Monday).
Lily: They were astronauts and they were hungry so they didn't have any food.
Me: Who fed them?
Lily: *glares* I don't know. The other people. (I guess she didn't want to make the same "alien" mistake again).
So there you have it folks. The astronauts came over on a big boat and ate dinner with the aliens. Thanksgiving according to a 3 year old.
I set the table all pretty for the day and Lily thought it might be fun to dress up. I agreed! I have some gorgeous dresses from weddings that I never get to wear, so Lily and I put on our bling, and she was thrilled with the table settings. It was her first lesson in how to put a napkin on her lap while eating and which utensil to use. She was thrilled with our candlelit dinner, the sparkling cider, and that big bowl of marshmallow covered yams sitting next to her. She was in heaven and spent the longest of everyone enjoying every bite of her meal and asking for thirds (mostly of marshmallows and rolls).
Lily was grateful this year for: Jesus, Alice not to move, chicken nuggets, our new lamps, love, Daddy, Mommy, Sawyer, Eliana's baby, and her blankie.
While I was prepping the turkey Lily wanted to help, so I let her butter the outside of the turkey. The rest of the afternoon we had various conversations about turkeys that went something like this:
Lily: Mommy, is that a turkey?
Me: Yes it is.
Lily: Why isn't it alive?
Me: Um, it well, why do you think it isn't alive?
LIly: *thinking* It would be hard to cook a turkey that was moving, huh?
Me: Yup.
Lily: Where is the turkey's head? And his feathers?
Me: Well, they took them off.
Lily: When they KILLED him?
Me: I think so.
Lily: They killed the turkey, huh mommy?
Me: Yes, they did. (I started to feel a little sad for the turkey at that point and my eyes welled up with tears.)
Lily: Did you kill the turkey?
Me: No.
Lily: Did Daddy?
Me: Sometimes it's okay to eat meat, that is one of many reasons God put it on the earth.
Lily: I'm glad they killed it.
Me: Why?
Lily: Because it would be awfully hard to eat a turkey that is moving all around!
I have to say, that Lily isn't the only funny one in the house. For family night we sat down to make some fun turkey hats. They were supposed to look like this:
Instead, while we were making them Keith secretly put his together under the table. When he pulled it out both Lily and I lost it.
Presenting: Dark Meat.
Happy Thanksgiving 2011 from the Kahmanns!
