<p>thanks for the get well wishes for the girl all! </p>
<p>I called home: They spent their morning sleeping and watching Tivoed episodes of Friday Night Lights. The reports was that both are feeling much better. Well enough I guess to meet friends for milkshakes this p.m.</p>
<p>Anyone else crave pastries this time of year even though they easily avoid them the rest of the year? It isn’t just availability for me. I am obsessing about foods that are no where in sight</p>
<p>Client with the most pressing matter just emailed, “We’ll discuss this on Monday” so I’m free! Off to buy wine, then to start getting ready for Son’s arrival! </p>
<p>Know that I’m thankful for all of you!!!</p>
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<p>Aww, it does my heart good to hear it! Yesterday my own Ds spent much of the day in their jammies, catching up on things from the DVR. (It reached 91% of capacity so they’ve got to watch stuff.) Son will have to catch up on months of Heroes and House.</p>
<p>I feel like such a slacker! I’ve never hosted T’giving Dinner, which is fine with me! For the past 10 years or so we’ve gone to H’s brother’s house. It’s all of H’s family + all of his SIL’s family – about 25 people. Everyone gets along really well, the kids have all grown up together, and it’s just plain fun. Everyone brings something, and just recently our D and her “cousin-in-law” (same age) have completely taken over clean up duties. (There’s another cousin just a few years younger who could help, but doesn’t – and her parents don’t say anything. So, I guess that’s our “non-Norman Rockwell” moment! :))</p>
<p>I make an awesome guacamole to go with the pre-dinner Bloody Mary’s; H is in charge of all the wine. Everyone brings desserts – I gain 10 pounds just looking at them all on display.</p>
<p>We have the same arrangement as rrah, M hosts and we all bring stuff. I’m in charge of gravy (I do the make ahead recipe–so good & easy) and potatoes. My mom will make the turkey, lasagna and pies. Her slacker daughters have never learned to bake pies. Any other turkey and lasagna Thanksgivings out there? It’s pretty common among Italian-American families around here.</p>
<p>Well,I just did the shopping. I’m just doing the pies for Thanksgiving but D is bringing home a friend for the weekend and another d of a family friend will be staying with us. (Parents live in China.) Should be fun but I haven’t bought this much food in months!! Unfortunately S will remain in school - Canada. D and friend will arrive in Port Authority this evening, check out Times Square and then catch train home at Grand Central. Friend is from the midwest and has never been to NYC before! My nephew is a cop who works in Times Sq. - has offered to provide escort to Grand Central. D wouldn’t hear of it!!</p>
<p>historymom–glad to hear the girls seem to be on the mend!</p>
<p>This mom is doing the happy dance and making meatloaf. On the ride home D asked, “What’s for dinner?” I said I thought she might like meatloaf as it’s one of her favorites. She said that is exactly what she wanted to hear! She was a bit disappointed to learn we eat dinner later since DS has a practice until 7:00. </p>
<p>chintzy–no lasagna here, but we’ve always had a tradition of pizza the day after Thanksgiving. We always went to my grandparents for Thanksgiving so there were never any leftovers. </p>
<p>woody-sounds fun!</p>
<p>When I was at the grocery store for the second time in two days (and will be going back in the morning - and remember, I am only baking for Thursday), I got a text from Son saying, missed my bus but will take a cab to the airport. I was flabbergasted, not to mention a little ticked at the prospect of his taking an hour cab ride. Once I calmed down and thought, it is what it is (this is HUGE for me), I called him and asked him what time he was going to call a cab, etc. He said, I decided against a cab and since it’s only about an hours drive I am going to hitch there. He was wise when he quickly said, I’m just kidding, I’m already at the airport. Funny guy - he hadn’t missed the bus at all. Welcome to my world. My kids try to push my gullibility to the limits especially when they know I am already wound a little tight. :)</p>
<p>First leg has taken off without a hitch and should land in Cleveland in a half hour. This is such an INDIRECT route, but it’s a route and we’re glad he’s on it!</p>
<p>And I just want to second Missypie… I am very thankful for this group here. Am looking forward to hearing all the news and if our kidlins have been giving us accurate info the last few months. We’re a relatively early rising family but I imagine tomorrow S will be sleeping closer to noon. Seriously, we’ve spoken, but we haven’t really had an opportunity to talk. And like Woody, this is the most I’ve spent on groceries in months but we’re taking one boy (albeit a very solid one). </p>
<p>Unfortunately, my stomach is really bothering me. Please let it only be something to do with my salad at lunch and not something far worse. Mothers are not allowed to be sick over major holidays.</p>
<p>“Mothers are not allowed to be sick over major holidays.” amen to that, modadunn. I hope you feel better fast. all of a sudden within the last hour I started to sniffle and I have a headache. uh oh. D is flying to Chicago to meet us at the in-laws and I WILL be in that car driving to Chicago tomorrow, no matter what. </p>
<p>Very funny about your S and his text trick. D really did sign up too late for the airport shuttle from her college, so she is taking a pretty expensive taxi. if it’s up to me, that will come out of her own spending money - a teaching moment if I ever saw one. but DH will probably cave and cover it ;)</p>
<p>hmom - I’m glad the twins are feeling better - jammies and TIVO in the comfort of their own home seems to have done the trick.</p>
<p>rrah - nice that your meatloaf will be so appreciated tonight. don’t you love that you can still anticipate her needs and desires?</p>
<p>let me add my thanks for this group. I treasure your wisdom, support and humor. I too look forward to our collective first Thanksgiving debrief - I’m expecting some Evidence of Dawning Maturity (EDM) with a few instances of “you did what?!”</p>
<p>Well said, PRJ. Thanks to all for support, advice and wonderful stories about these terrific kids. Enjoy them while they’re home. I’m checking out for a few days…Happy Thanksgiving to all! We will debrief next week, OK?</p>
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<p>Agreed, except that I reserve the right to stop by and vent, if need be. Plus… as has been pointed out, I might have to stay up way later than I have gotten used to with Son away. I am sure he will want to get together with his friends which has a tendency to go late.</p>
<p>HAppy T-Day all
Have to admit, it feels kind of empty here (sniff)
I just wrote a poem - first one in I’d say 9 months (Coincidence? I think not) about this empty feeling (I may not have revealed I am a painter and a poet - often better at one or the other depending…)
If anyone would like to read it I can send it to you IM - I would not call it uplifting tho</p>
<p>Have a wonderful time all</p>
<p>We picked D up at school on Sunday because she had to stay for the Big Game which was Saturday (and the massive parties that go with it). Too bad they lost but it was a very exciting game none the less. Turns out one of her classmates was going to her grandmother’s house two exits away. D asked if we could bring her with us. It was very interesting to listen to their conversations on the 2 1/2 hour drive home. We probably learned more about D’s life on that ride home than we would have during the whole week. Sounds like they study very hard and play just as hard. Based on how much she is sleeping at home, I don’t think she is getting enough sleep at school. Oh, well, I guess you can’t have it all. </p>
<p>It’s nice to have her home even though she really doesn’t consider this home. I asked her if she was looking forward to sleeping in her own bed. She told me that we just drove away from her bed. She wasn’t trying to be mean and I actually took it as a positive. She has transitioned to life at college. It’s her home now. She says it’s still a 25 (on the 1 to 10 scale). What more can I ask for?</p>
<p>Oooooooh, sooooo far, so very very far behind! But I have read the last six? seven? eight? nine? pages, all bus trip (yes! Count me in; I’ve been baking for it!) and Thanksgiving and holiday angst and joy and children home or nearly so or not coming home and missed and crazy families and loving families and crazy loving families and loving crazy families, and sick children and best wishes for good chemo and moms-who-canNOT-get sick-but-might-be and Norman Rockwell, not to mention all the food and traditions!</p>
<p>And whatever else I missed (but I did not miss Harrison Ford, and I’d like him next, please; thanks!)!!</p>
<p>Thanksgiving here will be a little different from the last several, since the cheating husband (who is so lost, it’s sad) is out and the kid is HOME, wahoo!! At his dad’s at the moment, but my Owlet went to a concert with me on Sunday night. :eek: And wants to go to a concert tomorrow! ::falls over from the shock:: Owlet will have Tday dinner with his dad’s family, and I will spend the day biking (weird, I know, but I am SO looking forward to this!) and then will have filet mignon, asparagus with Bearnaise sauce, a salad (either spinach/mandarin orange/almond with sweet and sour salad dressing or mixed greens/pear/gorgonzola/walnut), and baked potato, with a nice red wine, and then I’ll finish off the day Christmas shopping online!</p>
<p>Owlet and I will have our Thanksgiving dinner on Friday, which will include chestnut stuffing, potato/cauliflower/cheese pie, salad, more asparagus (the “pee smell funny” vegetable; can’t have too much of it!), and that corn dish that appeared some pages back! Oh, and a broccoli dish he likes a lot which involves more cheese. Appetizers for our dinner include spanakopita and an onion/cheese mix in mini pastry shells. Yes, more cheese; what can I say? He’s a pescetarian, so no turkey this year!</p>
<p>I drove up to the college last Friday and brought the kid and one of his high school buddies who is also a Rocker home on Saturday. So nice to have him home! </p>
<p>He tells me now that perhaps Simon’s Rock is not the right place for him, but he will finish out the year and possibly next year, too. (So how bad could it be?! 
) He is not unhappy there, enjoys his classes (except for First-Year Seminar, which is typical!), likes all of his teachers, has had some very positive (completely amazing) interactions with administration folks (never ever would have happened in any of his previous schools!), has advocated for himself when he needed to, and has grown tremendously. He is missing computer science courses, though; SR is small and doesn’t have a lot in that area, though what they do have is very good. </p>
<p>He is more thoughtful (though he can’t remember to take his retainers with him to his dad’s), more insightful, more grown-up. I like the man he is becoming. He is thinking ahead more than he used to. He will probably take summer classes, calculus and maybe a comp sci course, and I’m exploring the possibility of his taking these somewhere other than Flagship U (UChicago, maybe) so that I can suggest this as a way of getting to know another school to see how he likes it.</p>
<p>But enough about that; I’ve got cookies, truffles, chocolate pumpkin cheesecake, and a light lemon tart to share. Anyone want some?</p>
<p>::hands #theorymom a cupcake and a champagne truffle::</p>
<p>::gets out the bourbon just in case… ::</p>
<p>Thanks for the bourbon Owl :-)</p>
<p>You’re welcome, #theorymom! I hope it helps!</p>
<p>Lemon tarts, yum!</p>
<p>I’m at Big Brother’s house. Tomorrow we bake, then tomorrow night at midnight we pick up Fang Jr at the train station.</p>
<p>Going for a bike ride on Thanksgiving sounds right to me, Owlice. It’s what I’d be doing if I were home.</p>
<p>S called to say he suddenly has the chills and sore throat. He is very dramatic when he is sick. He rarely is so talkative and descriptive (“I am shaking all over”). But sweet that he called. Of course mentioned that his paper is due at noon and he still has two pages to go. (I was so anxious that my papers were done days ahead of time). So–I hope he is better in the morning. Only an hour away but would be about 4-5 on the day before Thanksgiving. His ride leaves at 3:30.
Hey–does anyone know how many the corn casserole serves? Trying to decide if I should make 2.
Great hearing about all of your plans. Still torn between the formal table but have only formal service for 8 and there are 9 or the bright cheery table with bold orange and gold linens and bright white dishes. Oh dear…I have always done “formal” but the odd placesetting is throwing me. Maybe it is too late for these thoughts…</p>
<p>I’ve had no kitchen for 3 weeks, so was feeling envious of all this talk of cooking and children visiting. The I decided that when S and g/f visit during winter break, I will cook a T-day meal then.</p>