Thanksgiving (thangks-giv-ing)

What a difference a year makes. One year ago on Thanksgiving Day Jenson was sucking down breastmilk and I was giving thanks I hadn't had another bout of mastitis in about four weeks. Oh, and my family house also caught fire a week before Thanksgiving so it was indeed a year to be thankful for. But this year we really got to show him what all the fuss was about and why Americans go gaga for piles and piles of white and brown food. 

Because I work Saturdays and we were already going back to Chicago for Christmas, we decided to stay put and head upstate to Woodstock for a Friendsgiving. And lets be honest, sometimes those are more fun....but I am keeping that to myself lest Jenson get any ideas for when he is older. 

Appetizers started on the couch next to Remy, who is nine months Jenson's junior. He tried in vain to impress her with his half-a-front-tooth-cracker-eating skills but she was woefully unimpressed. He even picked out his best Tupac onesie for the occasion but she did not so much bat an eyelash in his direction. And we all know how rejection can fuel the inner ego in all of us and my then 15-month-old was not immune to this. They went outside in the snow and I'm afraid any second chances Jenson had of impressing Remy with his agile, toddler snow skills melted pretty quickly. What can I say, snow is not his thing. 

But on the upside, all that crying did built up an appetite so I loaded up his plate with lots of monochromatic foods.  Every item was a grand slam. We had a few wobbles when I attempted to give him some spinach and he burst out in a fit of anger in his high chair. I suppose that was pretty cruel of me to even suggest he eat something not doused in butter and lard. Shame on me. So I then let him sit in my lap and get spoon-fed pumpkin pie and whipped cream. And I'm happy to report, Remy did eventually glance in his direction for a few seconds that night. Now that is how you cap off your first proper Thanksgiving.  

LOCATION: Woodstock, NY