November 23, 2010

Home for the holiday

For many people, Thanksgiving means autumn turning to winter, colored leaves finally falling to the ground. It means football on TV and maybe a fire in the fireplace. Not for me. For me, Thanksgiving means a clear, sunny southern California day, 70 degrees and beautiful. Every year for as long as I can remember, it has been beautiful on Thanksgiving day in L.A.

We usually have Thanksgiving at my parents' house, joined by some family and friends. My mom does all of the cooking, though most everyone brings something. There is always a last minute scramble as we attempt the gravy. My dad carves the turkey with his electric knife, and one dish will inevitably get left in the kitchen. My uncle brings the pies: apple, pumpkin and chocolate, and sometimes even more. (In my family, we have trouble deciding so we always just get them all.) We always laugh a lot. It is a holiday just about eating being together, without any obligations.

This year, I thought it would be too difficult to travel to LA. Driving with two kids in holiday traffic down I-5 can be a nightmare. Flying seemed like it would be too much of a hassle and expensive now that we have to buy 4 seats. Moe still sleeps in his crib with a crib tent, and since he no longer fits in a pack & play we didn't know how to make it work. So this year my parents are coming up here and I am making Thanksgiving dinner. I'm excited because I've always wanted to make Thanksgiving dinner, but I am a little bummed about the break in tradition.

The silly thing is I keep thinking "if only Moe didn't have autism, we'd be heading to LA right now." But the reasons we're not traveling don't have a lot to do with autism. Sure, we might have the bed situation worked out, but otherwise, it's really just that we have two small kids. I have to stop blaming autism for everything that is challenging. The fact is, traveling is hard for everyone with kids.

So, despite the rainy weather, I think it is going to be a good Thanksgiving day. This year, I get to cook things my way and I don't have to worry that my kids are getting into trouble at someone else's house. And although it does mean I will have to do the dishes, I will also get to sleep in my own bed.

Hope you all have happy, relaxing holidays. I'm off to make the cranberry sauce!

1 comment:

  1. Traditions change a little bit over the years, as our lives change. The best news is that youll be with family!

    ReplyDelete

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