I love Thanksgiving!! I love the traditions that we started when we had a bunch of little kids. I love that it's a day we hang out with just our kids, no work, homework or other life's busyness gets in the way. We watch the Macy's parade while the kids go through the paper changing or adding to their Christmas lists. I love most that it's just a day that we can all just shut down and enjoy each other.
When I was a very young kid I decided that I would cook with my kids and always have them join in on Thanksgiving cooking. My mom was an amazing cook and liked her space in the kitchen. When I'd offer to help she'd let me get stuff out of the pantry and that's where my help ended. This didn't turn out very well for my poor husband. I'll share that story in another blog. It's a favorite of his and our kids love to hear it so they can openly laugh at me.
For today's blog I thought I'd share what I've learned along the way and traditions that we unknowingly started. You do something one time and if it's a hit with the kids, we've found out that it becomes a tradition. We're now a bit choosy about new ideas we want to try at the holidays. :)
Last week we sat down with the kids and decided what we wanted to eat for Thanksgiving dinner, if anyone wanted to try a new recipe and what desserts we wanted to have. Then we decided who wanted to make what. THIS is one of my favorite traditions. I'm not even sure when it started but every child makes something for Thanksgiving dinner. Courtney is about to leave for college and has wanted to go grocery shopping with me and make all my grocery lists lately. This week is no different. I've loved teaching her about how to shop on a budget and spending time with her before she leaves for her first year of college.
The Wednesday before Thanksgiving I have all the kids get their ingredients out that will be needed, except for refrigerator items, and help them put all their items in the dish they will need to make or bake with. My counter looks like a mess for a day or two but it's so worth it in the end. I try to keep it an organized mess but I wouldn't want it any other way.
We tape our recipes on the front of the cabinet doors at their eye level. This keeps them from getting water and food all over them. Again, not sure when that lightbulb idea came on for me but so glad it did. No more, "where did my recipe go?!" or "I can't read it! I just spilled stuff on it." If they can make their side dish the day before I help them and if not then we figure out a way to coordinate it so everything is ready at the same time. My dad told me that he loved watching mom cook. "She is so good at it and every single thing for the meal comes out at the same time. She amazes me!" This was something that took me a few years to figure out how to do but yeah...it's pretty cool to have it happen and look effortless. My mom was really good at it.
I hate putting my hands in places I can't see. You know the game where you put your hand in the bag and describe what you feel to see if it can be guessed? I hate that game so much!!! I still have a hard time reaching in blindly to get anything. Jim is a very sweet husband and every year offers to do the turkey. I never say no! Several years ago he asked Hunter to help him, now it's a thing all 3 boys do together. I help with spices but everything else is "a guy thing." I love watching them do their magic in the kitchen together. It's always a time of sweet laughter and guy chats.
When I was a kid my job after Thanksgiving dinner was to do the dishes. So not a fun job when you ARE the dishwasher and you can hear laughter in the rest of the house that you're missing out on. My sweet Uncle Steve would always come save me. Some of my fondest memories are the chats Uncle Steve and I would have while we took turns washing and drying dishes. He always had perfect timing too! Just about the time I'd be getting really irritated with this lovely tradition, he'd walk in and say, "Hey Tisk. Scoot over" as he grabbed a towel. I remember the Thanksgiving of my senior year, I'd quickly blinked tears away because I'd realized this would most likely be our last year doing this together. (It was. I'm glad I was wise enough to cherish that time) Now that I have kids AND a real dishwasher we do them together. Along with deciding I'd cook with my kids, I also decided they'll not do the dishes alone. There's always a huge pile of dishes to do and it takes several loads...who wants to do that alone?
I love that our kitchen is the hub of our house but my favorite time to be in the kitchen is the week of Thanksgiving. I hope you have a very happy Thanksgiving and that you make new fun memories. Some of the just may end up being new traditions.
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