NORMALCY

With these four babies in my belly I've been prescribed varying degrees of bed rest for the last few months. We've had incredible help from new friends, and family who've dropped what they're doing to look after Charlotte and I, but if there's one time you really don't want to be laid up- it's 'the holidays.' I'd been trying to keep things as normal as possible despite all of the very abnormal things going on. As Thanksgiving approached, though, it finally dawned on me that our normal is a thing of the past. Big changes are afoot; maybe they've already begun. 

Our very own little Pilgrim

This year I wasn't the one to do the crafts with Charlotte. Since I was stuck in bed, her Auntie Becky stepped in for me and together they made a thankful tree. Charlotte was thankful for Mummy, Daddy, Jesus, Candy,  Dragons and Buccaneers. We weren't entirely convinced that she knew what a Buccaneer was, but when questioned she informed us without hesitation, 'they're like Pirates.' I guess she told us! Thanks to preschool she got even more Thanksgiving crafts in- the Pilgrim hat she's sporting above, an Indian vest made from a paper bag, and a paper plate turkey. I'm also fairly sure she now knows more about the history behind Turkey day than I do, since my entire education comes from the pageant in the Addams Family Values. Something tells me Wednesday's portrayal of the Indians isn't entirely accurate...

'I have decided to scalp you, and burn your village to the ground.'

Normally I'd do the Thanksgiving cooking while Ryan watched the Football, which always worked out fine since I enjoy cooking and have less than zero interest in whatever game is on. But these aren't normal times and, since standing for more than 20 minutes causes major blood pooling in my ankles, the little wife in the kitchen wasn't going to be an option this year. We'd resigned ourselves to eating sandwiches when Ryan volunteered to take over the kitchen and rustle up Thanksgiving dinner, while I put my feet up. Literally.

And what an amazing job he did too. He brined the turkey which, as Charlotte pointed out, was 'so big! Bigger than (her) face!' He baked rolls, basted in extra butter just the way his Grandma taught him. He put together green beans, home-made cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy. And to top it all off he made pecan, and pumpkin pies from scratch. There was freshly whipped cream too. In short, I think he did a better job than me. 

So we're embracing a new kind of normal around here; It's about time too, since next Thanksgiving there won't be three people sitting around our family table- but seven! I wonder what normal will look like then?