Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving! I'm taking five minutes before the inevitable, crazy run-around of packing my family, including a semi-incontinent dog, for a day at someone else's house to tell all of you how grateful I am for this blog. Although I had already started it at this time last year, I was still to engulfed in the up-all-night-nursing-haven't-quite-figured-out-how-to-manage-three-kids fog to really write with any regularity, and thus, it really hadn't made an impact on my life yet. This year, one of the things I am most grateful for is having this place to sound off and to test the waters writing-wise knowing I have a supportive group of followers who don't think I'm crazy, or crazy enough to call Child Protective Services...yet.

So Happy Turkey Day to all (a phrase I semi-hate, but find myself using anyway). One of the traditions Mean Mommy and her brood will be partaking in is the annual writing in the "Thanksgiving Book". This is a plain, hardcover sketch book I bought the year my first was born and each Thanksgiving we all get a page to write what we are grateful for that year - specifically that year. We know each year we are thankful for family and our health, etc., but keeping it specific to the year that is coming to close has made this book a chronical of our lives.

The first year we had just had #1, so we both obviously went on and on about her, but also about the bout of unemplyment we were going through and how thankful we were to have each other and how strong we felt as a team. As soon as they could hold a crayon my kids joined in and it's so sweet now to read their contributions. #1's entry last year, despite her brother's arrival, stated she was most thankful for her sister because she always has someone to play with. This year, #2 returned the favor by listing her sister as her biggest blessing. This is the part of the day I most look forward to and it made my day when my oldest asked me, "When do we get to write in the book?", with excitement in her voice.

I remember the days when Thanksgiving was a day to endure my annoying uncles and trying not to gag while eating my Irish aunt's terrible cooking, or, years later, a day to drink mass amounts of wine with my husband and assorted siblings watching the "real" grown-ups do all the work. And while the workload has increased with time, so has my love for this day.

I hope you all have a wonderful day and get to partake in traditions that bring you and your family joy.