11 Things I’m Thankful For This Thanksgiving

Our family hosts Thanksgiving at our home each year. In addition to saying a prayer before the Thanksgiving meal, one of our family traditions is to go around the room and say what we are thankful for. Since this tradition takes place right before one of the hugest meals of the year and everyone is somehow incredibly and suddenly ravenous even after snacking on cheese and crackers, veggies and crab dip all afternoon, one of the big trends everyone is thankful for seems to be food. Other typical things people are thankful for year in and year out include good health, family, a roof over our heads, freedom, living in the United States, our livelihood and our children. All wonderful things to be thankful for, no doubt. But here are 11 other things I’m really, truly thankful for…

1. I am thankful for children who sleep in ‘til 8 am at least. Even more than that, I give props to children who not only sleep in ‘til 8 am, but who, when they do wake up, go directly to the family room, turn on the TV coverage of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade, pour themselves a glass of chocolate milk and do not wonder where the hell I am until at least 9 am. So grateful.

2. I am thankful that we are NOT a family who participates in any kind of Turkey Trot or 5k run on Thanksgiving. I think it’s awesome that people actually want to jog, run and be generally active on this holiday that is basically all about eating and turkey comas. I wanted to sign up for a local Turkey Trot last year. Then I sat back down on the couch.

3. I am thankful for wine. The big bottles.

4. I am thankful for family members who come to our Thanksgiving holiday and play football, wii, xbox, Uno, board games or otherwise entertain our children while I prepare and assemble a huge meal for everyone. These folks could be teaching my children how to start fires or shoot off rockets in our backyard for all I care. As long as the kids are far away from me while I am lifting a fifty pound turkey out of a four hundred thousand degree oven, in my book, these people rock.

5. I am thankful for getting through the holiday without my kids fighting with each other. (Ha!) This rarely happens.

6. In a similar vein, I am thankful for getting through the holiday without any grownups fighting with each other. (Double ha!)

7. I am pretty much thankful for any day that I do not have to wear a bathing suit, especially when large quantities of food are being consumed. Fourth of July sucks in comparison.

8. Did I mention wine?

9. I am thankful for people who, as soon as the Thanksgiving meal is over, clear every single plate, utensil and glass from the tables and set up an army-style cleanup crew in my kitchen. These people are machines, and when all visible pieces of dirty dishware have been washed, dried and put away, I feel like hugging them and twirling them around the family room in appreciation.

10. I am thankful that we don’t host any other holidays at our house.

11. Oh yeah, and for leftovers.

Related post: 9 Things Moms Are Not Thankful For