Thanksgiving Turkey Toes

I thought about it for all of about 2 minutes before I drove out to the store to buy some candy corn.

I mean, turkey toes...on the Thanksgiving kids table, at each of their spots, is just, well...festive.  Right?

It gives kids that immediate excitement of something special sitting right in front of them...that moment of this doesn't happen every day. And I can check off my try to give them another good childhood memory box--just as was done for me as a kid. I mean, thinking back to Christmas in Toronto, one of the fondest memories I have is of my cousins and I picking chocolate ornaments off of my aunt and uncle's Christmas tree and being absolutely thrilled. I still remember just being in awe of the fact that chocolate was actually on their tree. Nothing better. Or when my mom would make chocolate bark with almonds for Christmas, and let us sample as much as we wanted. Simple, no fuss things...that kids always remember.

So turkey toes it was, this Thanksgiving. And some sparkly pumpkins too. Because happiness is definitely having something to look forward to. The process, for me, is usually just as much fun as the event itself. So I was in the works with my mom this Thanksgiving about table decor and decorations for the big day. I told her I wanted to create a scene similar to that feeling you get at Christmas--where there is sparkle, candles, decorations...that feeling that this is no ordinary dinner.



And maybe it's my crazy brain that is obsessed with trying to make sure that their childhood is full of memories that they can hold onto--traditions and all of the little things that I hope they'll remember when they're older (when life starts to really throw them the hard punches and when the reality of adulthood starts to set in for them). I want them to look back and have something to feel good about in their childhood--and it won't be perfect--it won't be unrealistic...but it will feel good to look back on when they're older. Hopefully they'll forget the days when the laundry was piling up, when the baby cried all day and it was grilled cheese for dinner or when mornings were a struggle to get everyone out the door and when their mom's patience was wearing thin. Maybe they'll remember the turkey toes.  Right??  Sure, let's just go with that and keep our fingers crossed.



So napkins were wrapped in cute little printables...which ultimately makes everyone feel a bit happy as they sit down at their seat and realize that someone is grateful for them specifically--and the kids loved seeing their names in print of course (found here if you want to print your own)...

And as my talented mom whipped up this cute burlap table runner with lace just days before, (since it's impossible to find a runner to fit their massive table)...

I filled glass candle holders with dried corn (from my sensory bin from my kindie class of course!)

and my mom surprised the kids with these cute little rice krispie pumpkins (recipe found here).

So with a little kid chaos, a lot of noise, a lot of fussing over babies and little people, a lot of hot corning wear dishes, and lots of wine and juice...our Thanksgiving was complete...



even though it's impossible to get everyone sitting or even in the same vicinity at once.

And with Carter's birthday falling on the same day, we celebrated big time...

and I made him the cake that he requested--a chocolate bar cake, drooling in chocolate ganache. 

He opened mail from loving relatives a plane ride away...and was thrilled to bits as he ripped through wrapping paper and dug through tissue paper filled bags to find the toys hidden within.



So I'm trying to hold onto these moments...these moments in time. Because life can get hard. Life can get rough. Life can sweep you under the current at times and take your breath away. So maybe, just maybe, when it happens to them as they grow up and face the real world, they'll have a bit of hope from the memories that we're trying to make for them right now.



Just maybe.



I hope.

Erica xo