Search Results for: blog bring a pad and pen to thanksgiving dinner

Splat Says Thank You!

How do you know if your child understands the true meaning of Thanksgiving? Before digging into their Turkey Day spread, many families go around the dinner table and share moments of gratitude. Kids are then put on the spot and forced to share one thing they are thankful for while a gaggle of extended guests stare them down. The end result: Typically, a long stretch of silence followed by a string of “ums,” “ers,” “ahs,” and more silence. If you are lucky, you’ll hear a barely audible, “toys” or a regurgitation of whatever the person ahead of your shy child … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Is For Family Fun

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and that means family time. For the genealogist in the family, it is a great time to hear family stories, both new and old, get the group together for some family photographs, and as always, listen for new family history facts that you can include in your research. You are probably even going to enjoy some of your family’s favorite recipes. This Thanksgiving, our Thanksgiving table will have something on it that is not usually a part of our menu. Because of where Thanksgiving ended up on the calendar this year, my son’s birthday cake will be … Continue reading →

Bring A Pad And Pen To Thanksgiving Dinner

This year, why not bring along a pad and pen to Thanksgiving dinner. There are a couple of reasons why it could come in handy. With the whole family gathered around the table, there are bound to be some great family stories being told that you won’t want to forget. Also, there may be mention of bits and pieces of information here and there that could help you in your family history research. I often hear very interesting things at family gatherings, things that I want to remember later on so that I can follow up on them. Since I … Continue reading →

Preventing Thanksgiving Meltdowns

It can be the best of times. It can be the worst of times. I’m referring to Thanksgiving. Or more specifically Thanksgiving gatherings with extended family… and a heaping helping of dysfunction. I once saw a greeting card that read: “Thanksgiving, bringing out the best in family dysfunction since 1863.” Hey, if you can’t prevent it, you might as well embrace it. In many clans, no Turkey Day celebration would be complete without some family drama. Still, you don’t have to let the feud between Uncle Larry and Cousin Stewart ruin your holiday. Nor should you allow meltdowns by your … Continue reading →

We Need More Food Holidays

I’m not a very good cook, I only cook enough to keep us alive, but if I have something to celebrate, then I love to cook! I love cooking for a crowd on Thanksgiving or Christmas. I actually look forward to it, plan it out and dance around the kitchen, excited for everyone to come to dinner. The rest of the year, not so much, cooking is boring! In an effort to make every day a holiday and motivate myself to cook I decided to take advantage of some of the lesser known holidays. So dust off your apron and … Continue reading →

Diffusing Family Drama during the Holidays

When my children were younger, it was so much easier to shield them from certain things…for instance, family drama. For the most part they weren’t aware of some of the “interesting” behavior that sometimes transpired between family members. Now that they are teens, well, they are more than aware of what happens. In fact, now they have an attitude of “So what is it going to be this holiday?” I really hate that. I mean, it grieves my heart that my children have to wonder what new drama will unfold. But family never lets them down…sure enough, our Thanksgiving started … Continue reading →

Ways to Make Thanksgiving Less Stressful for Kids With ASD

Thanksgiving is typically celebrated by spending time with family, and eating a big meal. This is a day that is going to completely throw off the schedule that your autistic child is used to. This can make things stressful for both the child, and his or her parents. Here are some tips to make coping with Thanksgiving a little bit easier on your child. Kids who have an autism spectrum disorder rely on there being a consistent schedule. When school is out due to a holiday, like Thanksgiving, this can cause your child to feel some stress. Suddenly, everything he … Continue reading →

The Expenses of Thanksgiving

Holidays are expensive, even holidays that don’t involve gift-giving. As we approach Thanksgiving, I’m noticing how expensive it can be to host a large family gathering. A large turkey, even on sale, was almost thirty dollars, and that’s just the bird. There are other foods to prepare, plus getting my house ready—it’s a little overwhelming. As I’ve looked over my preparations, I’ve come up with some ideas for how to keep the expense under control. Hopefully, these tips can be of use to you, too. 1. Pay attention to which grocery stores are offering free turkeys when you purchase a … Continue reading →

Pilgrim Party

When my daughter was a preschooler she would countdown to Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas by watching the Peanuts Holiday Treasury DVD. I’m pretty sure that’s why she suggested we skip the turkey, and instead dine on toast, pretzels, jelly beans and popcorn on Thanksgiving night. However, last year she added a new Charlie Brown video to her holiday repertoire: “The Mayflower Voyagers.” The animated show gives a kid-friendly overview about what the First Settlers endured to get to America and what it took to pull of the very first Thanksgiving celebration. Shortly after watching the DVD, my daughter started referring … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving Poems for Your Scrapbook

It’s time to scrapbook about your Thanksgiving Holiday! I find scrapbooking for holidays always the most exciting and rewarding. However, I always want to make sure my pages are perfect. There are a few poems that would be so adorable on your scrapbooking pages this year. Thank You For Inviting Us Thank you for inviting us To your Thanksgiving dinner. A day spent in your company Is invariably a winner. Thank you for the time you spent Preparing all the food; For making us feel welcome, You have our gratitude! By Joanna Fuchs Thanksgiving Feasting When the Halloween pumpkins are … Continue reading →