While our gathering would be small by some families terms, it would be just right for us. The Marx family would come from LaGrange and I would bring Papa out from Georgetown and Claude and me. Just enough to fill up the house nicely.
The Marx family were to arrive late Wednesday evening. Heavy rain was predicted, Andie had a cold, Michael was working late and the decision was made to wait and come Thursday morning. This was the right decision. Hayden sent me a text message to tell me they wouldn't be coming until Thanksgiving morning and said, "I hope you understand." Bless his heart! I texted him back and assured him I understood and it was a wise decision. Two parents who were very tired driving on heavily traveled very rainy roads is just not a great combination.
Thanksgiving morning Andie called to ask me to record the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. It was on two channels so I recorded both so they could pick which one they wanted to watch. It was fun to see the Mini's still enjoy the parade.
Bailey and Michael wore Capri length pants. I thought it was cool inside and outside our home. You know that old saying that you wear a sweater because your mom is cold. It is true!! I went to my bedroom and found my Soft Kitty knee length socks and asked Bailey if she wanted to wear them. Bailey loves all animals and was tickled pink to wear them. I never asked if she was cold. I just found a way to make me feel better about how cold I was sure she might be. Silly Ma!!
Claude smoked a brisket on Wednesday. That would mean brisket sandwiches for the Marx family whenever they arrived Wednesday evening. They became lunch on Thursday. It was an excellent smoked brisket. The man knows how to smoke a brisket.
Thursday morning he put the turkey in the smoker for Thanksgiving dinner. To that we added mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing and cranberry sauce, moonshine corn, tossed salad and rolls. I was majorly amused that many families dress in their very best, use their best china and crystal and truly have a dining experience. Not so much in our family. Claude looked at me as we were setting up the buffet in the kitchen and asked if we should use paper or glass plates. Everyone came in their comfortable, lazy-around-the-house clothes. We did all sit at the dining room table so I give us points for that. Michael paused the football game so they could pick up where they left off and we all enjoyed a nice dinner together.
Everyone wanted to know what was for dessert so they knew whether to have seconds. We wouldn't tell until everyone was finished eating. Then Claude brought out the ice cream cake. Everyone was happy for an ice cream cake but they didn't quite get the reason for a cake with a spider. Then I explained and the Marx family all burst out laughing.
Here is the story: Andie has a very nice big mirror over the mantle in their family room. Over a year ago she put a cling-on spider web with a spider in the web on the top fourth corner of this mirror. It was great Halloween decorations in their home. However, Andie took all the Halloween stuff down and put up fall stuff but forgot she had the spider web and spider cling-on still on her mirror. Once she realized she left it, she just decorated the spider for the fall, then a Santa hat at Christmas, a celebration hat for New Year's and the list goes on. It was a fun running joke for all of us to see how she would decorate that spider in the spider web. Fast forward to preparing for Thanksgiving. Claude and I had been wanting a taste of ice cream cake and knew that purchasing one was too much for us. Thanksgiving seemed to be the appropriate time since many people could help eat that cake. There happened to be this ice cream cake with a spider on the top and a web left from Halloween. I mentioned to Claude that I could make a band with feathers for that spider and we could have a little fun on Thanksgiving with the Marx family. It was great fun and got many laughs and we all enjoyed the ice cream cake.
After dinner, the boys went back to their football games. Bailey made for our bedroom. She loves our bed. And I love that she loves our bed. There is something quite comforting to go to your bedroom and find this bundle of energy snuggled up in a nest of pillow listening to music on her iPod. Love this girl.
When it was time to take Papa back to Georgetown, Hayden quickly brought out his birthday gift to show Papa. It is a VR. Basically he connects it to his cell phone and plays YouTube videos that are now 3-D and 360 degrees. It is just great fun and it was fun to see Papa's reaction. Here is Hayden with a thumbs up for Papa's experience with his VR.
Bailey is our little hyper-active cherub. I had a chocolate chip cookie mix so we spent some time burning a bit of her energy by making chocolate chip cookies on Friday.
I told her the instructions said to place the balls of dough two inches apart and I had been using my finger for her to find that placement. She has had a little cooking class and wants to do things just right. After we did one cookie sheet full and put it in the oven, Bailey's brain started to whir. She quickly found a sticky note pad and a ruler, measured off two inches on the sticky note, cut it to size, and...assured me she didn't need my finger to measure any more. Very resourceful.
Bailey and I love to make puzzles. We found a new one that was 100 pieces of a deer and set to work putting it together in the basement. Then we found some wooden games that needed to be painted and we each painted one of those. So, I guess, we also share a love of crafting things.
The Marx family would leave Saturday afternoon after some more football games. In my quiet times during their visit I was able to crochet a Christmas stocking and start a crocheted baby afghan. Finished that up yesterday. These are both items I will have on hand when the need arises.
This was a very relaxing Thanksgiving. Not any pressure to get things done. A nice break from reality. Bailey finally learned I have a grid with what things are available for each meal that we can tweek as needed and she was greatly impressed. I shall train this little one up right I tell you! Now we are back to the two of us. The holiday season rat race is beginning to unfold so we are off to the races to get all the things that entails accomplished. May even get a start on decorating the house tomorrow. Maybe...
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