Parents of the HS Class of 2009 (Part 1)

Parents of HS Class of 20xx
5881

<p>Thanks all. It was getting to me last night as I was trying to make sure that I had everything covered. MY family (H and kids) do appreciate it and know that I spend a ton of time making sure that there are things that everyone will like. Dinner this year consists of:</p>

<p>Appetizers: shimp cocktail (with homemade cocktail sauce), Lobster puffs, cheese and crackers and baked brie</p>

<p>Entree: banana bread, cranberry bread, brined trukey with herb butter, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with apple casserole, carrots with mandarin oranges, green beans with cremini mushrooms and pancetta, 2 kinds of dressing - one with cranberries and one with out, homemade cranberry sauce</p>

<p>Desserts: cupcakes (for the kiddies and anyone who doesn’t like pie), homemade coffee toffee pecan pie (I’m doing this one), bought apple pie, bought chocolate cream pie, bought pumpkin pie, some cake my SIL is bringing - not sure what it is.</p>

<p>I’m doing much of the main meal and one dessert. Rest the SILs are purchasing and that is just TOO stressful for them.</p>

<p>I’m trying to think of compliments so that I can have them at the ready. Luckily H knows how much this is a pain in the you know where and he is always helpful.</p>

<p>Just found out last night the 2 SILs that live closer than we do won’t be there until the appetizers come out so they can’t set up the dining room either. That is what set me off last night. They have volunteered to clean up IF I use disposable pans for cooking. I can do that but man do they sound rude…</p>

<p>Oh well this too will be over and I am enjoying the time that I get to spend with the kids. S’s plane got in on time last night and D decided to ride with me to the airport to pick him up so I was able to spend more time with her which was great. Tomorrow D and I are treating ourselves to a pedicure before the hassle of the holiday hits. Looking forward to getting some pampering.</p>

5882

<p>Looking forward to a nice bus ride. Don’t need to sit near Clooney – not my type – sorry ladies. I’ll take Harrison Ford (even though he has aged a bit) any day. </p>

<p>Looking forwar to the xanax. I’m saving it for the right moment. </p>

<p>Thanks all!! </p>

<p>And please have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!</p>

5883

<p>I have a friend who another friend accused of being a wine snob. Thing is, she was staying at her parents and so was using his cellar as store. She was quick to point out that among her goals in life is to find the best wine for the absolute cheapest price. My problem is, I can never remember their names!</p>

5884

<p>RM, the SIL thing really would have gotten me going! We have the same crowd coming for T’giving. They will bring the cranberry sauce and a pumpkin pie. I will make everything else. And clean up everything else. We’ve had the same routine for years. I got comment (meant to be in passing, but I caught it) about my not offering to send them home with leftovers. I didn’t play. IMO, I Earned those leftovers which entitle me not to have to cook (other than my famous soup) for the next week. And I send a lot home with my Dad who isn’t much of a cook and is super appreciative. Holidays don’t always bring out the best in people (including me). That said, am I looking forward to seeing them? Heck yes!</p>

5885

<p>I guess the SIL thing wouldn’t bother me as much except one is retired and the other works part time. Both of them have kids but their kids are grown, out of college and have houses/jobs so they DO have time – or at least I would think more time than I do. If they appreciated what I do it would be one thing but it’s just assumed that I’ll do it and they can complain about whatever they don’t like or that I didn’t do right in their opinion. I don’t get along very well if you couldn’t figure it out with H’s family but try very hard to not put him in the middle. Makes for more stress I think around the holidays. Luckily we spend Christmas by ourselves. On purpose I might add so that I can enjoy the holiday. :)</p>

5886

<p>Rochestermom- That is so unfortunate. I hope you enjoy your pedi - you sure deserve it.</p>

<p>Holidays can be so hard. We live far from both families and traveling did not work out, so we have our own issues with holidays.</p>

5887

<p>RM - your inlaws sound like a piece of work. Of course, my inlaws lived here for most of my children’s youth and she always insisted on hosting all holidays. We had to be there by 10am on Christmas morning with three young kids. And she had some Norman Rockwell complex in that if anything went wrong she was (and still is) incapable of adjusting. Did you ever try to get a three year old to put the feelings of a 60 year old ahead of themselves? Eating dinner at 8pm was always a race to see who would melt down last.</p>

5888

<p>After years and years of hectic holiday driving, we are having my relatives at MY house. I am really excited. DS arrives tonight or tomorrow morning.</p>

<p>DH will do all the shopping, planning and cooking. He’s a great cook and whatever he comes up with will be delicious (I sent him the corn pudding recipe and there is a big turkey in the fridge already). There will be no candied yams or jello salad, which I despise and my mother still tries to make me eat. </p>

<p>Afterward, my relatives will leave and DH will sit down for an evening of intense college football (hint UT v A&M).</p>

<p>All I have to do is get the serving dishes ready on the front end, socialize with mom and sis’s family and clean up afterward. I consider this a very fair trade-off as my cooking gene never developed properly.</p>

<p>Happy holidays all!</p>

5889

<p>Modadunn boy to I understand. I did however set down the rules on both sides (my mom was still alive then) and said that once I had kids I would not travel at Christmas time and that my kids would have Christmas in our home every year. H backed me on this and the house was always open to who ever wanted to visit. However the kids set the time scale and my in-laws could not adjust to this and decided after a very few years to not come here for Christmas. Worked for me :slight_smile: I always felt that Christmas was for kids (not that I don’t enjoy it) and that my kids would be “in charge” of the day.</p>

5890

<p>Rochestermom, your menu sounds delicious. Don’t you DARE clean up a thing, and you can choose your fantasy man on the bus!</p>

5891

<p>I have hosted Thanksgiving at our house for 24 consecutive years, so you would think I have already made every mistake it is ever possible to make but I can usually surprise myself! I have the menus, recipes and even accompanying grocery shopping list on my computer, so just make the incremental changes and save as a new file–Thanksgiving 2009. A decorative looking menu is posted on the frig, so I don’t inadvertenly forget something–lesson learned early on–and I don’t cook anything too complicated. </p>

<p>My mother, bless her heart, comes out on the Tuesday before (so getting in tonight). I always take Wednesday as a vacation day. She doesn’t cook but cleans continuously which really helps and likes to do things like polish silver and iron tablecoths. My 90 year old aunt brings homemade cranberry sauce and H makes the pies the night before. We never have a really large group (anywhere from 6-10). I do save little tupperware containers in a grocery bag all year so the single folks (which everybody is other than our immediate family of four) can bring home leftovers. I cook an 18-20 pound turkey even if only feeding six.</p>

<p>My favorite part of this holiday is doing the flowers. H’s brother used to do our flowers every year from cuttings in our yard and his arrangements were just spectacular. His brother unfortunately can’t travel anymore, but I think of him as I go through that part of my Thursday morning ritual and H always raves over my effort even though we both know it could never compare. </p>

<p>I hope everybody has a wonderful stress-free holiday. I make a big bowl of punch and put a bottle of rum close by, which seems to put everybody in a good mood.</p>

5892

<p>

</p>

<p>Seems like a staple to me!</p>

5893

<p>Hey hey hey hold on now!! Now look I’m sure rochestermom is feeling unappreciated but does that mean she gets to sit next to George the whole way?! Can we clone him??
Modadunn from your description of mother-in-law, we must be related but I know my H is the only son in the family.
Re: being there with kids 10AM Norman Rockwell-style. It was so unvelievably stressful for me as a new mom with 2 under 2 to make sure sure they were well-behaved, etc. In fact, it was so beyond well-behaved; they were expected to ooh and ahh over every knick knack in the house, appreciate the “good silver” - how absurd!! I’ll never the uproar over the the damn pickle fork!! It was so not about the children - all about her! Good lord, I feel so guilty for putting my 2 through that exercise. What hell for all of us.
Oh well, d is coming home tonight - so I’m happy!
EDit _ Just read Rmom likes harrison - OK by me!!</p>

5894

<p>Rochestermom, I hear ya! I can’t imagine going to someone else’s house to have to cook! My high school boyfriend’s family used to go to relatives’ about 90 minutes away for Thanksgiving…what were they assigned to bring every year? The turkey!</p>

<p>I’ll take tomorrow off from work to cook all day. H will get his precious pies in the oven just in time for him to drive to choir practice and me to have to babysit them to cook them just right. Everything will be well planned and well timed. My personal meltdown always comes at cleanup time. *Has no one but us ever heard of the cook not having to clean up!!! *One year when MIL actually got off the couch to help, H saw that as HIS signal to be off duty. Still need to buy a few more bottles of wine. </p>

<p>Son will arrive this evening. I found a pork tenderloin in the freezer that I’ve already done with a rub, so I’ll be able to throw together a good welcome home meal without too much trouble.</p>

<p>One of my friends is having her whole large family come to her house for her first post-divorce Thanksgiving. She just found out that the ones from Boston have a flight that arrives Wednesday at midnight. And she’s expected to pick them up. If the flight is on time and all goes well (what’s the chance of that at the end of the day on Wed?), she’ll get home at maybe 1:30 am. I can never convince her to take Wednesday off to cook.</p>

5895

<p>I have always done a very formal sit down dinner for Thanksgiving. This year I am serving buffet style and then sitting at the formal table. Wine is definitely a staple at our gathering. Usually I have a nice specialty cocktail to serve with the appetizers when everyone first arrives. Everyone’s favorite so far has been a combination of limeade with Prosecco(sparkling wine) served in a champagne flute with a slice of lemon or lime. It is very light, refreshing and I usually don’t make them very strong. This year I am making a Apple Brandy and Cider (Martha Stewart recipe). It has apple cider, apple brandy, dry vermouth, and bitters. Serve with orange twist. It is yummy! For dessert I will serve Warm Vanilla Cider with whipped cream and honeyed walnuts. It has apple cider, brown sugar, nutmeg, vanilla bean and bourbon in it (or not). Top with whipped cream and honeyed walnuts. Again very yummy! Thanks for the flower reminder!!!</p>

5896

<p>Woody… I feel the same way? Had I been the age I am now, I would have been more straightforward in what was best for the kids. It’s still very much like that and sadly, the kids have all kinds of little quips about “Nana” that tells you that while there is respect there is also a small little bit of contempt. However, she is the way she is because of how she grew up. She grew up with no grandparents - the depression having killed them - and her mom herself was wound a little too tightly into a society that they were now on the fringe of in name only. That changes a person deeply and it’s all about what it looks like from the outside. Makes for a lot of insecurity. I try to keep this in mind when she’s driving me nuts. :)</p>

<p>Son’s room is ALMOST clean. I started cleaning it out in the fall and gave up. Since then D16 has been regularly raiding his closet, especially when it comes to dress up days at school. I hung some pictures that have been in frames since last year - teams, etc - and now wish I had really started this sooner. As it is, all I am going to do now is shake out his comforter, plumb his pillows, dust and vacuum. Not necessarily in that order.</p>

5897

<p>Modadunn: Around here the Beaujolais is a nice inexpensive alternative. The local BevMo has the Noveau at 7.99, and the Julienas is at 6.99. Any Beaujolais is a nice light red perfect for turkey. Just remember to chill first :)</p>

<p>Here we are going a different route for celebration. Thanksgiving will just be W, D and S for a small repast (smoked duck, smoked turkey breast, mashed potatoes and veggies) early to bed, then we split into teams for Black Friday. On Sat my SIL will be by with her family and the family of my S’s roomie at UCB (smoked turkey legs, smoked pork roast, chicken curry hot links and sides)</p>

<p>unfortunately S cannot commit to anything past thanksgiving dinner. Well literally he is an adult now, and we cant try to monoplize his time. And time goes on.</p>

5898

<p>I cook almost everything for dinner with Ds help…appetizers,turkey, stuffing, veggies, cranberry salad, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pies. I ask MIL to make dinner rolls, relish tray and fruit pies. SIL brings beer and wine that she likes ( don’t ask), and also salad of some type…that’s about all she eats. H and I will clean, I set table and serve. Many years ago I said the guys had to do clean-up. H was fine with it but you should have seen the reaction of his brothers and father AND his mother!!! Anyway I shamed them in to it and the tradition was started. They clear and wash and dry everything that doesn’t fit in the dishwasher. They actually have fun in the kitchen and it is riot to hear them banter back and forth and see these giant men, all over 6’ 3", with their dish towels. Hilarious!</p>

5899

<p>We host Thanksgiving every year. H started cooking the first year we were married (MANY years ago) and still does all of it except the pumpkin pies which I make. We have some very close friends who have been coming over on Thanksgiving for at least 12 years (maybe more, I have lost track) and some other close friends who will be joining us for the second year. There will be seven teens (including D’s friend from school) and six adults.</p>

5900

<p>A few years ago we had our British neighbors over. You should have seen them gazing at the jello mold, trying to figure it out. I guess that you can live in the US for years, but if you never go to someone’s house at a holiday, or go to a church potluck, you’re unlikely to encounter a jello mold.</p>