We do it big!

Well, the Thanksgiving holiday is over.  And, today we go back to work.  We all had Wednesday off, so Syd and I cooked and Rob and I ran errands and did a tiny bit of Cmas shopping for one another.  Thursday, it was the heavy lifting cooking.  Slowly, over the years, I've learned to scale it back.  But there's a certain amount of volume that just comes from us all having our traditional favorites.  And, we are good about throwing away very little when it's over.  A little stuffing, a bit of dressing, both wasted because I wanted to make them both.  Sydney's poor pie that didn't quite get done...and wasn't sufficiently stirred so that her slice was bland and mine had all the nutmeg in it.  We ate the rest.  I even hid the rest of the turkey in something that we are going to eat this week.  Sneaky!

On Friday, Syd and I put up the tree.  Rob and I had dinner with a friend and then went out.  We had a wonderful time.  Laughed until our faces hurt.  Next time, we're going to try going out later so Rob can dance.  I could tell he really wanted to, but nobody else was dancing.  My friend doesn't cook, so dinner was quite different from all my cooking we'd been eating.  But, it was all good. 

Saturday, we took the day off from decorating.  I quilted.  Nearly finished the gift quilt I've been working on.  More about that later.  We had Mexican food because that is, like, the antithesis of Turkey and stuffing.  It was delicious!  Our local restaurant might have changed hands or management or something.  None of the old staff is there anymore.  But, the cook must still be there.  She'd been there for 20 years or more and definitely knows her stuff. 

Yesterday, we hung the swag in the living room.  And, I baked cookies and washed dish mountain after cleaning out the fridge.  We had pizza for lunch.  Can you tell how tired my peeps were getting of turkey?  That's why I had to hide it.  Rob and I had breakfast for supper last night...my grandparents always had breakfast for supper on Sunday night, so even that felt kind of traditional.

Parenting an 18 year old is different than parenting a 17 year old.  Very different.  Now, it's time to teach her to have an adult life.  Teach her that people aren't going to be behind her, taking up the slack.  Teach her that just because she doesn't have anything to do, doesn't mean we are going to stay home with her, or entertain her.  It's a bit of tough love.  She's gotten so used to going everywhere with us.  Leaving her home alone on Friday, letting her make her own dinner, and eat it without us, those were hard things to do.  But, they were good things to do, too.  She didn't mind, I don't think.  I think it was just Rob and me that had trouble with it.  I've modeled the things I want her to do.  And done my best to model that change is possible if you want it on things I don't want to do.  Now, it's time for me to model a different behavior; how to have friends and enjoy them, and how to go out and have fun responsibly. 

Those are things she needs to see.  Things she needs to learn.  Just as important as how to do dishes or keep a budget.  And, it's my responsibility to show her what it looks like. 

Now, I need to go walk about six miles... because I might have enjoyed my own cooking a little more than I should have.  Everybody have a good Monday!! 

Lane