<p>coming late to the party: Prayers for AK’s mom and kinder mom.</p>
<p>@Shawbridge: we always give a big party on Boxing Day, but after a while realized we needed outside help with 50-70 people in the house. We were lucky: a friend of ours was in the process of setting up a catering business, so she took over the kitchen (I had made/bought most of the food, but she took care of heating, making trays, cleaning up) and hired the kids - her S & D in college, later my D in HS and some of her friends - to do the carrying and serving. The kids loved having some authority and a real place at the party, plus getting paid $ for taking coats and passing hors d’oeuvres to people they usually have to take care of for free. Everyone won. Of course, a sit down family event has a different dynamic, but I would think about delegating to your kids and any cousins(?) with some reasonable payback could be a win-win.</p>
<p>@amanda: so glad to hear that Dad is improving. @shawbridge: ShawD does sound like someone whose happiness is contagious. What a joy she must be for you. @amanda(again):butternut squash souffle sounds very tasty. Is it difficult to make?</p>
<p>Sending one last care package to DS before we see him for Thanksgiving (I don’t want the poor child to <em>starve</em> to death, after all!). I wanted to send him something to bake but almost every mix I found needs eggs and I didn’t want him to end up with a carton of eggs aging away in his tiny fridge. I found a brownie mix at Trader Joe’s that’s a pouch of ready-to-bake brownie mix–just squeeze it into a pan, no additions needed! So I sent that along with a note to swipe a pat of butter from the dining hall to grease the foil pan I sent. We’ll see how ambitious a baker he is.</p>
<p>Harmonious, relaxing thoughts to you all as Thanksgiving approaches–I’m thinking the casual menu approach is going to work for us this year with my folks arriving Tuesday morning, DH heading off Wednesday morning to get DS and bring him home Wednesday night, and a Sunday morning trip back to drop the kid off. Hors d’oeuvre buffet, I think!</p>
<p>Catching up on a few days’ news. Hoping for speedy recoveries of AK & Kinder’s parents. Very interesting reading about all the different traditions in everyone’s families. No two seem alike. Us…we have a teeny, tiny family on my side so no hassles. Never invited to DH’s family as all live out of state or out of the country. Friends have become family over the years.</p>
<p>Prayers for speedy recovery of Amanda and kinder’s parents.</p>
<p>I totally understand the stress and worry when it comes to health of parents.</p>
<p>All this talk of Thanksgiving prep reminds me all that I had in my house for Diwali. My H side of the family joined us for 8 days and although I well prepared, did lot of pre work 2 weeks prior to their arrival. But trust me looks like I am getting old, totally exhausted in the end. So cleaning and scrubbing before and after and the meals plus celebration and decoration for Diwali was like going to the water park and enjoying all the rides and then coming back home and you hear your body creaking. But it was fun. I do have help around but I guess when you get past 46 there is only so much one can do. Also menfolk and MIL are not expected to help.</p>
<p>So all the best to everyone here. Have a great Dinner and cheers to all whose kids are joining them. Enjoy them and your time together. Have a great time !!!</p>
<p>Ak~ Glad to read that your dad is recovering, aother nice day today should help.Sending good vibes for promt total recovery
Your souffle sounds wonderful…how hard is it to make would you share the recipe with us Please :)</p>
<p>Waving back at you 2edu!! The coffee is on everyone! :)</p>
<p>Amanda, so very glad your father is showing improvement. I’m hoping it continues and he is back to his old self quickly. You could really use some stress free days (what are those, right?!?).</p>
<p>Kinder - Keep us posted…thinking of your mom as well.</p>
<p>Shawdad - So glad for the good news for ShawD!! She really does sound like a ray of sunshine. I’m sure you and Shawmom are breathing a sign of relief that she was able to resolve the stressful roommate situation. We ALL preform better in our lives when we are living in an environment that makes us comfortable.</p>
<p>Long time Lurker here - I pop in every once in a while to see how everyone is handling freshman year, and I have enjoyed all the postings about Thanksgiving preparations. It reminded me of a hilarious post called “the Thanksgiving Letter” on a site called “Awkward Family Photos”. Here’s a link to the original source, enjoy, and have a wonderful Thanksgiving (I’m thankful that my D who is 350 miles away has the whole week off!):
[Back</a> to San Diego: The Thanksgiving Letter](<a href=“http://www.californiakara.com/p/thanksgiving-letter.html]Back”>http://www.californiakara.com/p/thanksgiving-letter.html)</p>
<p>AK glad dad seems to be doing better, Better living through Chemistry!
Kinder hope that everything works out for your mom.</p>
<p>ShawD-Glad your daughter got the roommate situation sorted, its horrible to have roommate issues and it sounds like she handled the situation brilliantly!</p>
<p>Anialways-46 people, inlaws for 8 days, I think you deserve a medal for hostess of the year!<br>
Thanks for the coffee blueiguana, looks like its going to be a beautiful day around here. Daughter is busy with “operation Save Thanksgiving” trying to get all her work done so she can relax on her week off. Had a Calc exam last night interested in hearing about how that went. Looking forward to having all the kids home for a week at Thanksgiving, plus a few extra friends who live too far to go home. </p>
<p>Anialways - Hats off to you, I can’t imagine how much merlot it would take for me to stand my family for 8 days! </p>
<p>Burke - thanks for the early laugh today, I hadn’t seen that before but that is funny.</p>
<p>If you would like the butternut squash souffle recipe PM me - no it isn’t hard and I am not sure if technically it is or isn’t a “real souffle” - but it is good. </p>
<p>I’m with Proudmomof2, when you start hearing about everyone else’s family, you start to think you are lucky right??</p>
<p>You may remember my recent posts about S2’s messy (an understatement!) roommate. I have been talking to S2 about how he might approach the situation – but did not want to tell him what to do about it. His problem, but I really did feel for him. Anyway, yesterday I received a photo from him of roommate’s side of the room – neat and clean! I’ll admit that I felt proud that he had approached the roommate and had gotten such a good result. I texted him back – Wow, looks great! What motivated him? – thinking he would text back about the discussion he had had with roommate. Nope, he texted back: Darned if I know what motivated him, but I’d really like to find out so I can make it happen again.</p>
<p>So, a clean room – at least temporarily – but no idea why.</p>
<p>Ohiomom - Thank goodness for all blessings, no matter where they come from, right? Perhaps a girl? lol Young men have been known to clean up dorm rooms to avoid letting potential dates know what real slobs they are. Hopefully your son will learn the motivation so he can arrange for this to happen on regular intervals!</p>
<p>Welcome Burke! Thanks for posting. The holiday memo always makes me laugh and puts my own family in a much better light! Have some coffee, hang out, and post more often if you like. We are a great bunch and love when ‘lurkers’ decide to join us!!</p>
<p>Hahaha… 46 is my age. Oh my God 46 people …nooooo…</p>
<p>Actually we are a family of 3 and after my D left for college just the 2 of us. Technically with my H away at work 9 to 9 and beyond I have the house to myself. </p>
<p>Any more that 4 adults in the house for more than 4-5 days with 3 proper meals per day, with taking care of crockery, linen and bathrooms and non stop tea sessions seems like a big celebration. And we were just 6 adults and by the 5th day I was like hmmm… because I am a bit of clean freak and that can be tiring. And I get super stressed because I need everything picture perfect.</p>
<p>There is definitely difference in stress and prep levels in having in-laws over vs. one’s own sister or parents.</p>
<p>Thank you ALL so much for the prayers, kind wishes and good thoughts. Heart doctor was okay with the results from the heart monitor test for my mother. However, Mom is still struggling to come back from some other health complications, and either just understood what someone told her (some cognitive impairment), or heard for the first time, that she has emphysema. She was a smoker for almot 50 years so this is not surprising. But we take it one day at a time.
I am so grateful for your support- it truly touched me. Thanks.</p>
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