Thanksgiving

We came, we saw, we conquered the bird!  Megan and family arrived on Wednesday evening.  Nathan shampooed my kitchen carpet while I visited with the grandchildren and otherwise made preparations.  The children, both sick with colds and having napped in the car, were wound up...so when it became bedtime, we had to hog-tie little Ryan to get him to sleep.  The method is fairly simple:  take him to bed and hold him down, thrashing and crying, until he finally conks off.  Unfortunately, he was sleeping with his parents, so they took the brunt of that.  I think we were all probably asleep by midnight.

Thanksgiving Day was bright and sunny.  Robin and I were up early.  Eventually, she was responsible for getting the rest of her family up (her choice).  First, she let the dog in the bedroom and closed the door.  When that only resulted in someone letting the dog out because she was scratching on the door, Robbie got more aggressive by going in and telling them it was time to get up.  (It really was!)  We breakfasted, got the turkey in the oven, and went about preparing the side dishes and setting the table.  When the rest of the crew arrived at the prescribed time, the turkey wasn't done!  I turned up the oven...and continued to wait.  When we finally sat down to eat, it was at least an hour later than I had planned!  (Meg is convinced that my oven isn't hot enough, and she may be right.  I'm going to get an oven thermometer and check it out.)

The tardy food was good (and plentiful) so we didn't have to send out for pizza!  I sent as much leftover food home with everyone as I could.  (There is still way too much here.)  Full bellies retired to the living room for a little football and conversation while I started a load of dishes in the dishwasher.  This is when the children began to explore other areas of the house--and this is when the pre-school shenanigans began.  At one point, I found both Robin and Ryan in the half-bath.  She was filling little Dixie cups, making a waterfall out of them.  He was systematically putting a long string of toilet paper in the commode.  At one point, I found that Ryan had hooked my mother's REAL pearl necklace over the knob of my closet door and was tugging on them.  Ack!  The children LOVE to play with pillows and blankets, making forts and nests, and yesterday was no exception.  (All children like cozy little places!)  Still, they were playing together--not hitting or biting--so it was okay.  My task today will be to find everything and put it back where it belongs. 

My sister called shortly after the children left for Muncie--about 7:00.  She had everyone but her great-grandchildren and their parents.  They were playing Yahtzee and winding down for the evening. 

My only regret in all of this is that my house isn't big enough for much of a gathering.  I've never had what's left of my own birth family here for the holidays.  That is partly because my brother-in-law has major back problems and simply isn't comfortable in my furniture/guest bed--and partly because they have their own extended family to celebrate with.  It happens!

So, what is left to do today is to put the house back together, then relax a little.  Am expecting the plumber sometime today because the newly seated half-bath toilet is still leaking.  <sigh>

Hope everyone had a pleasant holiday.  It sure was a pretty day!