Sometimes it is nice to not have family nearby.  Both sets of grandparents were here a couple of weeks ago for Chatterer’s birthday, and it was great having them here for the party and babysitting (MM was out of town and Rotary Christmas party was that week as well).  The Sunday after the party, we put up the Christmas tree (the rule is Chatterer’s birthday needs to be over before we get the tree, since there is enough time between the two events to do that).  All of the grandparents were here for tree decorating and I think everyone had a good time.  Everyone spent time together, but I didn’t need to cook the huge Christmas dinner.

More to the point, after staying up until 12:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve wrapping presents, it was nice not to need to cook the huge Christmas dinner at our house, since only two of us would be eating it.  Plus, the kids were playing with their toys and there wasn’t any pressure to clean up, or get the kids cleaned up or dressed because no one was coming over.  Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have family come over for Christmas, and in years past, we’ve had grandparents here for Christmas.  This year, it was just nice to have a break, especially after Thanksgiving and Chatterer’s birthday.  I think the grandparents appreciated not being here and being home for Christmas, too.

So, what did we have for dinner?  Well, the original plan was to make beef stroganoff, but we were both so tired that we’re having that tonight.  Last night was chips, clam dip, and buffalo wings.  Maybe it’s the start of a new tradition.

Chatterer sleeps with Elmo slippers on his feet at night.  This morning one of the slippers mysteriously ended up under his pillow.  The conversation went like this:

Me: “How did the slipper get under your pillow?”

Chatterer: “I didn’t do it.”

Me:  “Who did?  Santa?”

Chatterer: “No.”

Me: “The Easter Bunny?”

Chatterer: “Yes.”

Me:  “Really.  The Easter Bunny did it.”

Chatterer: “Yes, because he likes hiding things.”

Sounds perfectly plausible to me, and shows a creative thought process!

So, here it is: Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  I’d like to say it was the sentiment of being thankful for everything we have: a beautiful family, wonderful friends, and a warm place to live, for example.  And I am extremely thankful for all of these things.  Really my favorite part is the turkey leftovers, though.  Turkey is great Thanksgiving day, don’t get me wrong.  But turkey stuffing is definitely better in sandwiches the second day.  The flavors have more time to meld and there’s just something about putting stuffing on a roll with some leftover turkey that is just divine.

And then there’s the leftover turkey itself.  One of my favorite things in the whole world is turkey tetrazzini, a recipe I was fortunate to obtain from my mom, who obtained it from one of her college friends many years ago.  It’s a casserole, and perfect for the cooler nights of November and December.  Plus there’s usually enough to make at least two or three casseroles, which is good for when the family is visiting.  I think we’ll be having turkey tetrazzini when all four grandparents are here and MM is out of town and I have a meeting…