The Turkey Bowl

For the first time in several years, we went to my family's Thanksgiving celebration. Usually we travel out to Ohio where the children enjoy having Grammy and Tata all to themselves for a long weekend (well, there was last year when all 5 of the sibs and their families were able to make it and that was wonderful too!). However, since the whole family will be here for Christmas and since we took a long vacation this year (two weeks - yeah!) we opted to stay home for Thanksgiving. I must say I had a fantastic day and so did everyone else once they got over their disappointment over losing the year's major road-trip. The day began with mass which was a nice break from the usual since it was a bit shorter (good for the children) and I actually had my husband in the pew to deal with all the "issues".

Our first stop after arriving at Mom's house was the soccer field where we played the annual family Turkey Bowl Soccer Game. Now I must say I was a bit apprehensive about this game since the last time we participated in one of these events. On that day, Peter and Reid got to be team captains and it was a painful process watching my children be picked over one by one - almost as painful as the fact that Beth and I were the very last ones chosen (which brought on bad flashbacks of way too many childhood memories). So you can imagine my relief when those children of mine voted Most Likely to Not Get Picked opted to stay at Muffy's house out of the cold and play. With that out of the way, I was overjoyed to be on the field with my boys (and my new mittens made for Heidi and me by Beth after our last sister outing). This time, we had the blessed occasion of Alden and my husband being chosen as team captains which meant that Beth and I were PICKED FIRST!! This had to be a first in our lives which of course needed to be celebrated with high fives and lots of whoops and hollers. It also meant that Heidi, ever the one to excel in athletics and to dominate social scenes, was picked LAST. Also a first for her - not accompanied by so much whooping and hollering but more like an embarrassed sulk onto the field. This deflated creature was the same one who had simply shrugged and smiled when I expressed my sadness over watching my children be picked over at the last game. An important lesson was learned I think...

Well, we played through wind, hail, rain, clouds and mud ( it seemed Sam's goal had more to do with acquiring mud stains on his pants than acquiring goals scored for his team) and in the end, we won 3-2. It was great to see Dad on the field. He was pretty pleased with himself that he still has a good foot on him. I got to play goalie and I also got to learn a valuable lesson - large, flowing skirts make great ball-stoppers. I was wearing my new (50 cent find at a yard sale) bright orange, extra long peasant skirt and found that if I stretched it out from side to side I could triple my width, and, thus the amount of goal protected from the opposite team. That skirt saved many a score...

The rest of the day was filled up with turkey and the usual array of snacks, pies and beverages. I had made sure the night before that it would be an eat-fest for JT who rarely gets more than a choice or two anywhere we go. The boys had a grand time playing with their cousins (spent most of the afternoon engaged in a game of Vanished Planet) and once we introduced SWAP! to the crowd that became a fast favorite. I can't remember the last time I was just relaxed and not exhausted for a holiday. There was no rushing around, I wasn't pregnant, nursing or exhausted from lack of sleep or a 10 hour drive with way too many children in one vehicle and way too many hours of Hank the Cowdog. I hadn't been arguing with my husband and my children were all very well-behaved and old enough to be basically self-sufficient (once we got past the turkey-cutting event). It was the best Thanksgiving I can remember in a long time...just calm, peaceful and truly thankful for all the blessings of the year...