In the twelve Thanksgivings that Andrew and I have been married, we've never once stayed home for Thanksgiving dinner. We're always off to his mom's or my parents' or a huge extended family gathering. They are nice dinners. I have always loved them.
But they're also a bother. We have to prep our culinary offerings, travel with them to wherever we're expected, keep our kids entertained and out of trouble, and then we have to go home with half a pie. Which means that the day after Thanksgiving is always spent cooking a turkey with all the trimmings, just we we can enjoy the "leftovers". Most especially The Seven Phases of Turkey.
This year, Andrew and I find ourselves an hour away from him mom, twelve hours away from my parents, and within reach of a solitary, no-travel-involved Thanksgiving. We're staying home this year. We'll be all alone. No transporting food, no begging children for good manners, no "take-two cooking marathon" on Friday.
We've been looking forward to the simplicity and hominess of this opportunity for months.
And now that it's a week away, I'm worried I'm going to hate it.
I'm worried I'll miss the hubub of family, the excitement that only a large group of rowdy people can inspire, the noise.
I'm afraid I'll spend all day in the kitchen, alone, while the boys play video games upstairs and Andrew watches football - completely ignoring those of us who aren't speaking to him from a television screen.
I'm worried that I'll be lonely.
It's a hard one. We did Easter alone this year & it felt like any other day. The Kid's were sick on Halloween & so I put together a lot of this for us to do together. New Color books, Board game, a movie & popcorn, a puzzle. We had an all family day and it was great. I think that's what I'll do next by ourselves Holiday.
ReplyDeleteDo those boys do dishes?
ReplyDeleteDid you regret it? I hate staying home for Thanksgiving. It's just too dang lonely. HOwever I, like you, am thankful that I didn't have to come home from vacation and cook another turkey just for the leftovers. That's a drag.
ReplyDeleteDay 5 of turkey sandwiches and I'm still loving them. :)
I know you loved it. :) My first Christmas away from family was very, very hard. But I also learned something - holidays and traditions are what you make of them, no matter what your circumstance.
ReplyDeleteSo how'd it go?
ReplyDelete