November 22, 2012-Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

(click here for today's pictures)

• Robby went out to mow the leaves as soon as he heard the kids this morning.  I tried to act like we didn't stay up until 2 and started to get up.  But soon Graham was dressed and laying in my bed drinking his milk so I cuddled by him and then as soon as he left, Campbell came in with her milk.
• I was recapping the day with her and her only questions was "do we have to do school today?"  Actually, Campbell is just full of funny things these days.  As I was putting on my clothes from my shower, I mentioned to her about how my stomach was getting bigger.  I asked if she remembered what was in my tummy.  She just stared at me and then I started to make the "b" sound to give her a clue and she happily replied "a bunny."
• Soon we were all in the kitchen and the kids helped me make our first fruit turkey.  We took a break for breakfast and then Reagan, Anderson, Graham and Campbell all went with Robby to the grocery store.  We had assumed that the store would be crazy but Robby said it was eerily empty-we needed bread for our meal.  Robby said that he was an expensive babysitter for me-because they were splurging on lots of things at the store-kiddie paper plates, orange juice, dips.  
• Meanwhile, Keaton and I were running around the house doing a few last minute things.  Before too long, the kids came back home and we worked on fruit turkey 2.  Reagan takes this stuff very seriously and has a certain way of how she thinks it should look (wonder where she gets that?) but Anderson does too and his way is often different than her way.  So I don't think that I can let them work together on any more turkey projects.  
• Around 10, everyone started arriving-Grannymom, Grandpa, Jason, Nonna, Pops, Lilly, Cash, Jenna, Dana and then Les, Shelley, Joshua and Zach.  The kids were pretty much beside themselves to see everyone.  Keaton was asleep when everyone arrived and I snatched her out of bed for a few family pictures.  She is usually thrilled to see her brothers and sisters when she wakes up but today she was just overwhelmed to see our house full of folks.
• Around 11:30, we had our delicious Thanksgiving dinner.  The kids were finished and heading outside to play by the time that the adults had finished loading up their plates.  Nonna or Grannymom (I don't remember who) asked Campbell if she knew what today was and Campbell gleefully replied "my birthday."  I guess I should have ran with that and got out a few candles for the child-that would have been one less thing to do in December.
• All of the cousins made a huge leaf pile-they worked for over an hour.  Jumping, raking and more jumping.  They spent pretty much all afternoon outside and were a smelly mess when the grownups decided to go and see a movie.  Les, Shelley, Dana, Josh, Jason and Robby went to see Lincoln and Zach, Lilly, Reagan and Graham went with me to see Wreck It Ralph.  Yes, I took one for the team and went to see a movie at the movie theater.  The kids were prefect and never moved-I guess, a dark room in a comfortable chair-it was an expensive but well worth it nap.
• Anderson wanted to stay at our house with Cash until he saw all of us loading up in the van.  But Robby told him that he would take him to the movies later so that was fine with him.  Keaton and Campbell stayed at the house with Grannymom and Grandpa.  Nonna and Pops delivered Beebee and Papaws food and then came arrived back for supper at the same time that the kids and I did.  
• So at one point this evening, Anderson got hurt and I tried to distract him by asking if he had eaten dessert.  He started crying even more and said "I didn't get a one of those turkey cupcakes." And then I remembered that we had not yet made our turkey cupcakes.  So I called all the kids down to make those cute little turkey cupcakes-which they all just ate the tops off of.
• Reagan ended up spending the night with Lilly, Campbell spent the night with Nonna and Pops and Cash and Zach are spending the night here.  So we only still ended up with 5 kids here.  The boys played while Shelley and I did a bit of shopping-actually we just went to one store and then didn't get out at our next stop since the line was long, it was raining and we weren't planning on buying anything.  
• After everyone had left, we let the boys watch a few Scooby Doos and then they all laid on the floor in their room to go to sleep.  After a few minutes of tooting sounds and giggles the room was quiet!  They were tired from this busy holiday!