As promised, here are our very non-traditional Thanksgiving plans: Super Dad will awake early to run a 10K whose proceeds benefit a local food pantry, cleverly named “Gobble Jog”. After that we will dine on the non-traditional Thanksgiving brunch of French toast casserole, eggs, sausage and mimosas (yummy). The older children will arrive between their huge meals elsewhere for an afternoon of the one Thanksgiving tradition we plan to observe – playing Cranium. Supper around here will likely be homemade soup, as Kay, sans wisdom teeth, will be most comfortable with foods as soft and liquid as possible.

Beyond that, we will watch football and clean the house a bit to start dragging out the Christmas decorations. Being the evil taskmaster I am (and since LuLu has missed so much school while being in the hospital), I’ve led LuLu to believe that Thanksgiving is only one day off of school for her this year, meaning that we’re doing a full day of school work today and again on Friday. This is truly one of the advantages of virtual school, the flexibility to schedule it as you want. Since Kay is moaning on the sofa and not having “fun”, LuLu is more likely to not complain about missing out on vacation.

Friday morning I will caffeinate myself before heading out for some quick bargain shopping. I thought I’d avoid the madness this year, but learned that something I’m getting for Super Dad is on deep discount in the wee hours of Friday, and I have a coupon besides. That’s enough motivation to make me pull out of bed for sure, especially since I won’t be tired from all that turkey prep the day before.

And, because all moms dispensing advice on the need for self-care should follow said advice, Friday night I’ve arranged an impromptu scrapbooking crop at our church. (So I don’t even have to clean my house!) It will be a much-deserved “me” time.

Super Dad (who does want the house clean) has invited friends over on Saturday night to watch the “big game” (Kansas and Missouri) – yes we’ll probably be the only ones in Georgia glued to the TV. His invitation puts a decided “deadline” on house cleaning and Christmas decorating. And he knows us well enough that the only time we clean house is under pressure. He also knows that I have long given up the “need” to have the house clean just to have friends over. If our days unravel and the house is still a mess, then the friends better have come to see us, not our house!

So there it is -- our plans. They are highly flexible though, so if LuLu has rough days and needs to “skip” school, we haven’t really lost anything. Kay already has a steady stream of friends in and out of the basement TV room to check on her and bring her jello. And other than getting in the Cranium game in the afternoon, whatever else happens…happens.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Photo Credit: Three of my favorite women -- my mom, my sister and Kay playing Cranium, Thanksgiving 2005.