It's not that they're so unique. It's just that we make a big fuss about them and even if I miss one element, Jake will remind me to do it. That shows you how much the little things really mean to your child or grandchild.
We start the weekend before Thanksgiving by deciding what will be on our turkey day menu. Obviously, turkey is always there, but the side dishes change and we like adding a twist here and there - sweet potato casserole or pumpkin bread - whatever we're in the mood for that year.
My family all lives out of state. So, to have a table full of our own pilgrims and Indians, in the tradition of the original Thanksgiving, we invite several friends over. Jake types up the menu with some fancy script on our home computer and we print out 6 to 9 copies to make our own fancy menus, just like in the restaurants. Then we either roll them up and tie them with an orange or yellow ribbon, or we make menu covers out of construction paper with turkeys on the front modeled after Jake's hand. We put one decorated menu at each person's place setting so they'll know what to leave room for and to keep as a souvenir. It's a lot of fun!
The Tuesday before Thanksgiving we bake 2 pumpkin pies together and make some chocolate chip cookies using my mom's recipe. Jake has become a master at mixing up the pies and pouring them in the graham cracker crust (that's our own preference…my mom likes the traditional crust.) Two hours later the kitchen smells heavenly, so we slice one pie and smother it in a mountain of whipped cream to reward ourselves for the hard work. Of course, we keep one for the big meal.
The day before Thanksgiving we do the turkey and some of the side dishes. I always work on Thanksgiving Day doing the 5pm news, so this way it's not a rush to get the meal going before the guests arrive. The day before we peal and mash the potatoes, bake the casseroles and snap the green beans. We put the finishing touches on, homemade gravy, fresh crudite and bread, the day of.
On Thanksgiving Day, we always get up early and go to a wonderful breakfast before the fabulous WPVI/Ikea Thanksgiving Day parade. The 7 a.m. breakfast is for clients of the station, sponsors and some of the parade guests, so it's not open to the public. But it's a fun way to start our day. We always get to see Mickey and Minnie, Goofy, Chip and Dale and other characters before they go on their floats for the parade. Then Jake and I jump on the Channel 6 float for a magical 2-hour ride around the city.
He was too shy to be in the parade until last year. But he decided when he saw the cool pirate float to finally try it... and what a ball we had! Maxine Nightingale was the guest singer. So, we lip synched along and danced up a storm. It was a sunny, warm day and couldn't have gotten us more in the holiday mood! I'm hoping we're just as lucky this year. Plus it's so delightful to see crowds of you guys lining Market Street, Love Park and the Ben Franklin Parkway to wave your big "hello." We love it just as much as I hope you do.
That night when I get home from work and we have our Thanksgiving dinner, we light pumpkin scented candles, put out a homemade centerpiece of pumpkins and squash with colorful fall leaves, and serve our tasty meal. Of course, we hold hands and say a prayer before we eat, with each person saying one thing they are thankful for. It's so special to hear my son's little voice when he comes up with something cute that he's grateful for too. Priceless!
This year will have an even more special meaning. Jake has been going with his school class to volunteer at a warehouse for the needy, packing boxes of food, and bagging up fruits and veggies. I've been there each time as a parent volunteer, and it was a great experience. It's wonderful to donate cans of food, which so many of you do every year for our Boy Scouts canned food drive. Jake and I bring cans of food each year to the parade site too. But at the SHARE warehouse, it takes it to another level. We see the list of food that each family will be getting (and to know that will have to last them for the week), to see the forklifts carrying pallets of cardboard boxes, crates of fresh produce, and how much time and energy it takes to organize an effort to feed our neediest is so humbling. Most importantly, Jake sees how many hundreds of hungry people are going to receive the boxes we just folded and taped, then filled with food. It makes a big impact and reinforces how lucky he and I, and most of you, really are.
So, I expect this year's prayer to be even more poignant and adorable from Jake than ever.
And that's what makes Thanksgiving incredible for us.
Hope you enjoy it with your family and friends too!
