Time Machine Thanksgiving Review

 



Thanksgiving was a bit different this year. My parents were out of town. One brother was in Michigan and the other works the night shift and his girlfriend had to work at 4:30. We didn't have any real plans so we decided to make this a fun Thanksgiving, as the historical tradition is nonsense. So, we thought why not do a Time Machine Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving morning was spent baking pie and preparing a time machine. We then dressed up. Eric went as an 80s rocker. I went as a 50s housewife. Cordelia went as a princess. Elise did her own thing... Sam inexplicibly dressed in our father's coat and hat. His girlfriend Alaysha went as a modern girl.


The time machine











Sam and Alaysha


This is the outfit Elise carefully chose. Note the shoes, flag, helmet, pirate dress.


We had food too.


Tofurkey

Thanksgiving 2013 Recap

Last year we started a new tradition with our friends the Wolfpack (read here). We were two young families with tiny babies and preschool girls, it just made sense. Last year we had a good time in between the absolute chaos that goes with all of those small children, but this year we were excited to celebrate with kids who are a smidge more independent.

This year Sarah and Josh decided to up the ante and they invited other people, people without children. Brave. We broke up the cooking responsibilities and made it easier on everyone. I ended up making a big salad and dressing, two pies, a Gardein roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, and spinach artichoke dip. Everyone brought a ton of food and nearly everyone had gone out of their way to veganize the meal for us! I can't tell you how much that meant to us! Usually Thanksgiving, with a crowd, is pretty tough on vegans and this was fairly painless with regard to food and/or vegan questions (don't get me wrong, vegans love to answer questions, but Thanksgiving is never a time to get into that kind of discussion---it is totally depressing).

Anyway, the house looked amazing. The food was delicious. There were great conversations happening all around. It was loud, it was a little wild (kids) and it was so much fun!


Sarah, Elise, Me

The kids were totally bananas, but it was much more manageable this year. We had a fantastic evening with friends and ate more food than we should have.



Sadie


Me


The dinner table


Eric, possibly concerned that he will be forcibly fed chocolate.


Sarah, tending to the needs of her guests


The kid table


Checking in on the kid table


Pie


We are so thankful to have found ourselves at this place and time where we have a beautiful family and dear friends with whom we share our lives. I am thankful every day, but always happy to celebrate my gratitude with a crowd! Read Sarah's take on our night here.

Happy Thanksgiving

Good morning and happy Thanksgiving! We are spending the day with family and friends. I will give a full report tomorrow.

In Her Theatrical Debut

 Last night was Cordelia's Thanksgiving play. The weeks leading up to the play led to more than a little investigation on my part. Eric and I wanted to make sure that the play didn't go against our vegan values. Thankfully the play was about a little girl who didn't like turkey, we thought maybe it was because she was vegan... Anyway, there was a bunch of food and Cordelia played bread.

For weeks she has been practicing her songs. Last night, before the play, she practiced her bow. On the drive over she asked if the whole crowd was coming for her. I told her that we were there to see her and her grandparents would be too, but the rest of the people were there for their own kids. Cordelia's reply, "Yes, but it will also be a little bit of the Cordy show too."

When we arrived we dropped the girl off to put on her costume, something she appropriately described as a bread necklace, and we scouted out our seats. We were ready for the show to start!


Elise and my father wait for the start of the show



Cordelia in her first role ever, bread.



Singing her heart out, she later told me she did her very best. For the record, her very best included many improved twirling solos and hugging her friends and making them laugh.



My dad watching the show.



Oh, and then there was this....



She made a fashionable exit at the end of the play, waving like a queen.



I think we may need to sign this girl up for some drama classes as she already has the bug.



My parents with the girls, and the turkey ball above them.

Thanksgiving 2012

Hi. How was your Thanksgiving? Ours was wonderful. Here is the run down...

Normally we would spend the holiday with my immediate family, but they had traveled to visit family in Gillette. Why didn't we go? Well...Elise hates riding in the car and we just weren't up for hours of baby screams, so we opted out. Sam stayed back with us.

Yesterday morning we woke up and lazed around the house until about 10am. I then realized I should probably get a move on. I  made pumpkin pie, peanut butter cookies,a salad, a tofurkey, a big mess. I cleaned up myself and the girls. Eric got himself in order. Sam arrived around 1:50 and we made a family caravan over to the Wolfpack's house (wolf den?).


We sat around devouring appetizers. The girls would occasionally parade through, wearing Sadie's plastic princess shoes, stop for a bite, then off to 3year old world.


Josh and Ari showing off sitting up skillz...Ari...well, both of them I guess.


Cordelia made herself right at home and started putting on Sadie's headbands, fairy wings, the aforementioned plastic shoes, etc.

Sarah prepared an awesome vegan feast for us. Mouthwatering rustic mashed potatoes, a perfect (for real) stuffing with golden raisins and pecans, cranberries cooked to perfection, savory baked sweet potatoes, vegan gravy, olives, etc. My only regret was not having a larger stomach capacity.





We had a dinner that was disjointed and full of conversation that would pick up and drop off as we wrangled 4 very little children. I think Sam probably won't want to have kids, but overall it was really the exact meal we had hoped for. Family time and all of the crazy that goes along with it. Josh even counted a 45 minute stretch of time where all of the kids were content!



We ate, we talked, we tended to the needs of our offspring.


Meanwhile...the girls did this to the living room.


Eventually Elise hit a wall and it was time to call it a night.



We had such a lovely evening!

Thanksgiving Interview

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the U.S. I think this is the first year that Cordelia really has a sense of what it's all about. I thought it would be timely to have a little interview with my sweet 3 year old girl and see what she makes of this holiday. So I set up at the breakfast table (she takes fooooreeever to eat) and I asked her questions while she lingered over her breakfast.

Me: What day is it tomorrow?
Cordelia: Sunday!
Me: Um no, not Sunday.
Cordelia: Monday!
Me: What holiday is it?
Cordelia: Thanksgiving!!!(You may notice a lot of exclamation points, she was feeling exclamatory)
Me: Yes, and what is Thanksgiving?
Cordelia: It's where we give something to everybody who needs something.
Me: That's nice. What are we going to do to celebrate?
Cordelia: (Here she zoned out on a W related craft project that was sitting on the table) Well---a W, it goes up and down, up and down.
Me: What are we going to do to celebrate Thanksgiving?
Cordelia: We dress up!
Me: That's right. Do you remember who we're having dinner with?
Cordelia: Sadie!!! Sadie and the Wolfpack! (Here she begins chanting "Sadie and the Wolkfpack")
Me: Yes. Do you remember what we call it when we eat a lot of food?
Cordelia: Snack...um...uh...feast! Feast, fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh feast (she dances in her seat)!
Me: Will you help me make some food?
Cordelia: Yes momma, I will help you prepare some food.
Me: So... what kinds of things are you thankful for?
Cordelia: You and you (points to Eric)
Cordelia: What are you thankful for daddy?
Eric: My precious daughter (giving her a hug and a smooch).
Cordelia: Write that on my list. I am thankful for my daddy.
Me: Sweet. What other things are you thankful for?
Cordelia: Oranges, orange juice, pants, Elise, trees, a star, a cup, burritos, a plate, Bumblebee, Ophelia, Mia, and ME! I love my family. I love Grandma, Grandpa, Sam, Ben, Sara, the cats, Bode-----and my family who lives in another house.
Me: Happy Thanksgiving Cordelia.
Cordelia: Happy Thanksgiving.

I hope you have a thankful holiday tomorrow!

Thanksgving 2011

Yesterday was Thanksgiving here in the U.S., a holiday whose origins we collectively choose to ignore and instead focus on family time and gratitude. The day was super laid back. I didn't start cooking until early afternoon (tofurkey only takes 1 1/2 hrs to cook).


Bumblebee had to enjoy the view from within a cone, she just has a small wound not to worry.

My mother had to work a night shift at Hospice (she's a nurse) the night before and spent her morning catching up on sleep. So I made dinner and invited the family over for a feast.

On the menu: tofurkey, butternut squash stuffing, rolls, potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, corn, olives and pickles (family tradition), some roasted veggies, pinwheels. For dessert my mother had made a couple of pies the day before. It was a vegan feast with plenty left for today!


Cordelia smiling(?) for the camera


The dinner table.


Cordelia was a bit more interested in the candles and pumpkins on the table than in eating the food.


Little hands are so busy


My parents


Sam


Cordelia and I

I assure you that Eric was present as well, but he was behind the camera and I forgot to steal it to take a picture of him...so you'll just have to imagine that part.

We had a lovely day with family and now I am ready to start decorating for Christmas.


Hope you had a great day also!