The past several weeks have been, to say the least, busy. Between my sister and her family coming last weekend, a surprise visit from Sumie's mother, Thanksgiving, and Sumie being on call, downtime has been a very precious, and very scant, commodity. Perhaps that's why, despite the sunshine and it being unseasonably warm, we've yet to leave the house this Saturday.
Last Thursday was my first time to have Thanksgiving back at home for 10 years. I'd missed it. My mother's side of the family had always made a rather grand production of Turkey Day and the tradition has continued. It has also grown. With the expanding family, it's no longer just my mother's siblings and my cousins. Chatting with my step-brother, we both remarked that it was now nearly impossible to point out the exact familial relationships. There was no, "That's your cousin, so-and-so," or "Say hello to your great uncle what's-his-name." We were all simply on a first name basis. I suppose that's what happens when the dinner party reaches 50+.
The event was held in "The Cabana," the neighborhood recreation hall that is part of the community pool. My mother and her husband Randy had helped to upgrade the building years back and, with all the improvements and the growing Thanksgiving attendance, shifted Thanksgiving from the home to the hall while I was back in NYC. I still don't know how my Mom and Randy pulled off cooking for over 50 people, but they did it. And in fantastic fashion.
Mimi enjoyed the food. I think she even got a bit of a "Turkey High."
She finished off early, though, and then demanded her bottle. Here she is sucking down some milk while mowing the tile. Sumie, who had been on call, sneaked in shortly after this picture was taken. I wish that I could have gotten Mimi's reaction. For Mimi, Mama showing up was definitely the highlight of the day.
There were three highlights for me this Thanksgiving. First off, it was wonderful to finally connect with my cousins again, after so many years on the east coast. I'm not sure why it had been so hard to do so before, but this familiar family gathering - a shared experience for all of us going back even further than we can remember - made it happen. Secondly, this was Mimi's first Thanksgiving with my side of the family. And she did pretty much the same thing I would've done at her age in the past: play with cousins, eat a little, and make a mess.
Lastly, there was nothing more entertaining that evening than watching Mimi, along with the rest of the little-girl-cousins, play horseshoes with her great Uncle George.
Mimi was particularly adept at the game - partially because she owns it, partially because she'd been practicing, but mostly because she cheated. Mimi found that setting horseshoes down was far more accurate than throwing them. Here she is celebrating her victory.
She was so excited, in fact, that she had to run over and tell her Mama all about it. I wonder if there's a professional horseshoe league. Ah, I see that there is. The NHPA (National Horseshoe Pitchers Association). Thank you, Google. (Oh, by the way, "Google" is one of Mimi's new words. I doubt that would've happened ten years ago).
By the time we got home from Thanksgiving we were exhausted. But there was no rest for the wicked. Friday was still a work day for Sumie and I, refusing to brave Black Friday with a manic toddler, despite the deals, became captain domestic and tackled the laundry, shopping, and cleaning.
And so it is that we find ourselves on this sunny Saturday refusing to go outside, or even get off the couch. Sumie is contemplating a run to Ikea this afternoon, but I'm not sure if it will happen. Shifting my reading from the bed to the living room this morning has already taken a lot out of me. And then Sumie asked me to take her phone into the kitchen to charge it. That resulted in at least 20 full yards of walking.
No matter what we do this afternoon, we've all earned a little rest. So, as soon as I sign off, I'm going back to my book and back to bed. Sometimes, despite the sunshine and the shopping, that's what Saturdays are all about.
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