The Thanksgiving Nap and other traditions (Day 330)

We have several Thanksgiving traditions in our house. My kids love traditions and they hold us accountable--there is always a Thanksgiving puppet show put on by some of the children, there is always a turkey (brined, wrapped in cheesecloth and basted), sometimes there is football, always there is wine and of course, the day is not complete without the butter shaped like a turkey. 

One tradition we do not have is the tradition of the THANKSGIVING NAP. 

I AM EXHAUSTED.

I am the kind of exhausted that makes seeing hard. We've cooked last night until 10pm and began the day at 8am for the town flag football turkey bowl. . and then it was a whirlwind of tradition and family Zoom calls and drinking and eating and drinking and watching plays and eating more and thinking about napping and being interrupted by very loud people (my children). I am not complaining, exactly, I am just explaining the level of tired I feel. 

And it is only 7pm at time. 

Anyway, here are 4 of our Carrington-Adkins Thanksgiving Traditions:

1. Cooking until Midnight on Thanksgiving-eve.

The night before Thanksgiving we gather in my kitchen to cook. The kids all help make all the side dishes and complain about which side dish they are assigned. Someone (Nicholas) often disappears to take a "break."As a result, the cooking takes until midnight. 

2. The Dramatic Puppet Show

Each year my kids put on a lovely puppet how that is sometimes politically incorrect and often approximately 40 minutes too long. It is adorable. I bring coffee because of the exhaustion thing. 

3. The Thanksgiving Sangria 

Years ago on the Today Show, I saw a recipe for Thanksgiving Sangria. Now, I make it each year. Sometimes people eat the fruit. After eating the fruit, they immediately need a nap and they don't care where they get that nap-even if it is in the middle of the table. 

4. The After Dinner Yelling.

As a result of everything above, there is the traditional after dinner yelling. It often starts small, but then intensifies as someone breaks something or eats whipped cream directly from the can or messes up the 47 minute dramatic puppet show.