Greatest Hits: Thanksgiving 2010

I imagine that our Thanksgiving was pretty similar to the countless Thanksgivings around our country yesterday; I frantically cooked, forgot to make pumpkin pie, turned out thin but yummy gravy and spectacular rolls while the rest of the adults argued about the new TSA regulations and and swapped catch-up stories from the last four months. Children darted in and out of our legs, snatching bacon and M&M;’s off the counter, throwing toys at each other and generally racheting up the chaos level. But there were a few highlights from our Thanksgiving that I thought I’d share.

• The roll recipe Rebekah left in my comment box was out of this world. They were like a cross between croissants and Parker House dinner rolls. They were carbohydrate heaven, and as such they were promptly devoured by everyone, including the notoriously picky Charlotte. 

• Our friends who came to visit us brought me an official facebook shirt! I can’t wait to wear it. It’s my new favorite article of clothing, even though it’s still wrapped in plastic. 

• I think few people have better friends than ours. The men took the kids to the park while I chopped and chopped and then chopped some more, and my lovely, wonderful friend V held cranky Liam and let him gnaw on her hand until I finally got the stuffing in the oven. She also saved the day and whipped up a delicious pumpkin pie in about ten minutes flat while the last of the dinner preparations were being made. Then after dinner she unveiled the four nightgowns she had made for our four girls (theirs being roughly the same ages as Sienna and Charlotte) and put them on the girls, who looked so cute. I would post a picture but we were all too tired to get up and get a camera. 

• Then they did the dishes. A heroic feat. 

• I threw caution to the wind and drank four whole glasses of wine. I felt so grown up. (Before you call CPS, they were spread out over six hours and interspersed with plenty of water and food.)

• Liam didn’t protest the wine. He just seemed a bit more cheerful than usual. Hurrah!

• I got the girls giant gingerbread man cookies to decorate while we cooked. There were two big cookies between the four girls. At one point I noticed an unusual level of concentration and care coming from Sienna, and about five minutes later she proudly announced that her gingerbread man was a boy. And he was, complete with icing detail and M&M;’s. This didn’t sit so well with her friend, who really wanted their cookie to be a girl, but at that point the anatomy was so well developed there was no sense arguing with it. 

• My turkey was not raw this year.

• I got to use a hammered metal pot that has been in the Ogre’s family for years that I’ve always wanted to use. I filled it with rolls, and it kept them perfectly warm, and it was pretty. 

• Did I mention that I got to drink four WHOLE glasses of wine? Not little sissy pours either; I know how to pour a glass of wine. Each and every single drop was delicious. 

• My siblings kept me entertained all day, all the way from Texas, via text messages and Facebooking. One of my favorite parts of holidays is bantering with them, so I’m glad I didn’t have to miss it this year. 

• The Ogre stayed up for the second night in a row to finish cleaning the kitchen while I collapsed into bed.

But the very, very best part of Thanksgiving was what didn’t happen. And what didn’t happen at our house was football. A perfect, chaotic, boisterous, delicious and football-free Thanksgiving was had by all. And it was glorious.