American Thanksgiving 2013

This is what our Thanksgiving looked like this year …

…. I picked Leighton up from school on Monday and he was worn out and cold.  We figured he was just exhausted from not sleeping very well over the weekend due to a bit of a cough and cold.  We got him in bed on the early side (but I stayed up crazy late decorating Thanksgiving cookies!) and he seemed ok when he woke up on Tuesday, so off to school he went.

…. Riley and I met him for lunch because the school had a family Thanksgiving feast at lunch on Tuesday (and I wanted to give his teacher some cookies).  His appetite was low but his head wasn't hot and he was in good spirits.

…. I picked up Leighton from school later on and his teacher came out with him to tell me that about 20 minutes prior she noticed his eyes looked really sick and his head felt hot, but she figured with 20 minutes to go, there was no point sending him to the nurse and calling me.  After I dragged the poor kid to his old school for a mandatory cookie delivery, we headed home to plug him and his sister in front of the TV while I tidied the kitchen before Roy came home early to BBQ steak for dinner.  Charlie also stopped by to collect their cookie order, too.

… And then the fever really kicked in and we gave him some medicine in the hopes that it would take effect in time to eat dinner.  While Roy & Riley braved the elements (it was only 40 degrees and rainy and windy) at the BBQ with the flashlight for great entertainment, I cuddled Leighton on the couch.  He was clingy to me, didn't want me to leave the room (mostly I was able to do this), and asked me to carry him to the table (man that kid is heavy!) and for him to sit on my lap for dinner (um, no … can't do it giant kid, no matter how sick you are!).  After eating (thank you medicine!) he begged for more medicine and to go to bed because he was cold.  Usually Roy does Leighton's bedtime and I take Riley duty, but Leighton wanted me to stay with him to read.  It was so strange to see him like he used to be as a wee little guy totally wanting Mommy.

… Wednesday was full on fever day for Leighton.  No fun activities for us on his first day off school :(

… Thursday was Thanksgiving, and sadly we had to cancel our plans to have dinner with Naomi, Brian, and Hannah and their families again.  We knew on Wednesday this would be the case, and after a quick look through the fridge, freezer, and pantry, we realized we had everything to create a makeshift Thanksgiving meal without needing to brave the crazy grocery stores on Thanksgiving Eve.  Roy roasted a chicken, and I steamed and roasted some brussel sprouts I had in the freezer (lovely roasted, but too mushy steamed for me, but the kids liked them!), mashed us some potatoes, and baked a pumpkin pie.  No stuffing or cranberry sauce or gravy or turkey, but it was delicious and felt festive (although, that may have been the two glasses of wine I had while mashing those potatoes!).  Riley doesn't like pumpkin pie, so I made her some pumpkin pie cookies instead (and I tried apple pie ones, too - neither were my best work, but I was just using some leftover icing from the other cookie orders and mixing and matching to make the right colors and consistencies that I needed … and I was tired … but they were still cute!).