Fat Kid in a Little Suit: Thanksgiving Redux

I originally posted this in 2009, and it's still my favorite Thanksgiving story of all time.  Happy Thanksgiving-- I hope it's the best one yet.

Thanksgiving, circa 1985-ish

My brothers and me-- I was 7; Ben was 3, and Jon was 2.

Shortly after this picture was taken, I pushed past a houseful of guests to be first in line for the Thanksgiving buffet and heaped my plate high with turkey, chopped liver, stuffing, cranberry orange relish, sweet potatoes, green bean casserole-- you get the idea. I marched into the library where the folding kids' table was set up, delighted that I didn't have to waste time talking to my brothers or any guests, plopped both my plate and my fat little self down on the bench, shot my cuffs, picked up my fork, opened my mouth, and raised a heavy, quivering bite of buttered roll and gravy-drenched meat to my eager lips. And then the table collapsed under the weight of me and my leaning tower of flesh and carbs.

Happy Thanksgiving. May you eat like no one's watching.

I am not really writing this

You know what I'm really doing?

COOKING ALL OF THE THINGS.

Check out the always-awkward school pics (except Dorothy-- Dorothy looks adorable)

 HOW DID I NOT BUY THIS HAT?!

 Taking her flat lays to an awkward new level

Also WHY can the kids not have schooooooool todaaaaaaaaaaaay?

New Hair: A Story Told (Mostly) in Awkward Selfies

My hair was getting gray at the roots and frayed at the ends, and even though it went midway down my back, it didn't all go midway down my back.  A lot of it snapped off before then.

 So.  I got it cut and colored FINALLY (my stylist told me to come back the first week of OCtober, and here it is mid-November.  Oops)

I really liked it when I left the salon

 But then.  The next morning.

I woke up looking like Snape.

But actually?  It has been a week on this same shampoo, and it's still going strong!

Another TJ's product rave

The turkey gingerbread kit!

So fun!  Not very messy!

 Easy enough for these 3 (home early because of a teacher prep afternoon) to do by themselves.

 Hard enough to keep them occupied for a little while.

 And!  NO FIGHTING!

 This turned out pretty cute.

 And then Harry came home and they ate it without ceremony or even a cute picture.

What We're Eating This Week 47/52

THANKSGIVING!

It's Thanksgiving week!! 

Here's the menu we are working on:

Relish tray
Chopped liver with tiny rye bread
Meat, cheese, crackers

Matzoh ball soup

Turkey
Ham

Sweet potatoes
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Cheesy potatoes

Cranberry orange relish
Fluffy jello

Rolls

Cabbage rolls
Stuffing

Roasted Brussels sprouts
Roasted carrots

Trifle
Pumpkin pie
Peanut butter blossom cookies

I am not making green bean casserole this year (I KNOW) because normal roasted veggies are so good and so much healthier.  Soup in a new addition, but Jack will be happy because that soup is his fave. The trifle is also something brand new, but it was on the cover of Better Homes, so how could I go wrong?

It's bundle season.

Oh, you guys.

It's that time of the year again.  When the it takes an hour to get everyone out the door because they have to bundle themselves so aggressively.  The good news is, this time of year only last for about seven months.

Jack, by the way, has already lost a coat.  A North Face coat.  I tell you that to provide context for these pics:

Why buy Jack one pair of snow pants when I can buy him 2.  AT WAL MART.  Because they will probably both get lost.

All bundled:

Am Writing

I went back to the basics, you guys, and I forced myself to open my book doc everyday, even if I only write a paragraph or two.  The result?  Bye-bye shame spiral.  Also, I am relearning the truth I figured out in grad school:  YOU CANNOT WAIT FOR INSPIRATION TO STRIKE.  You have to write everyday, no matter what, even if you really don't want to.  And!  There is no perfect place to do it.  I mean, sure.  I wish it was all scented candles and soft music.  BUT that's never going to happen.  EVER.

Instead, I am writing at Whole Foods while I eat a quick curry chicken wrap before my adjunct class.

I am writing in my office.

 At home while the kids play cards.

 In my room while I do a TJ' face mask.

 At night when I would rather be watching a movie with the kids.

 At hockey practice while I wait for Harry to get off the ice.

A work in progress.  Again.