Thanksgivings

This past weekend in Canada was Thanksgiving. Being Australian, we haven't sat down with a turkey in October specifically cooked to enable us to give thanks. But, given that Hubby is the paid worker of the household, we were thankful enough for the long weekend and so I found myself cooking a turkey. 

Last year, when I cooked the turkey for Christmas I was super organised. As per Jamie Oliver's instructions I had made my gravy the week before. I had every possible ingredients. I even found somewhere that sold clementines in Summer. It was a success. 

This turkey cooking event was somewhat more relaxed. Thankfully my oven has a cooking timer on it, so although I did still get up at 5am to put the turkey in the oven, I was up for all of 2 mins.

I was missing a few ingredients and I didn't make the gravy a week before. Thankfully, Jamie Oliver is wrong, and I was not stressed out by making my (packet) gravy 5 mins before serving. It was a success.

Well, the food was. Not so much the company of our littlest child. 

The Youngest had a major 2 year old meltdown just before lunch was served. One of those horrible two year old tantrums they usually reserve for packed public places (maybe the glamour of my meal tricked her into thinking we were in a fancy restaurant??) and it was with a great deal of thanks that we were not out in public, and therefore able to put her to bed and have lunch without her. 

Proud of my (fancy restaurant) table decorations bought for 80% off, a turkey well cooked, crispy baked potatoes, the opportunity to drink red wine at lunchtime, and apple crumble in the oven, we sat down to eat. 

The Eldest, calmly pushing food around her plate, enquires "is this Thanksgiving?"

Us: Yes.  

The Eldest: Ok, well let's do our thanks. Daddy what are your thanks?

Hubby: That your sister is asleep and not screaming anymore. Oh, and that the Eagles got up yesterday. 

The Eldest: Oh. (with a shake of her head - obviously the football comment was being brushed aside). Mummy, what are your thanks?

What are my thanks? I have so many it would be impossible to write them all down. There are the obvious ones: family, friends, health. Right now, I feel pretty darn thankful for everything. But here are a few at the top of my list at this moment...

I am thankful for my Phil and Ted's Double Explorer Stroller and for all of its hard work over the past ten weeks. I appreciated you back in Australia, but my love and appreciation for you has quadrupled over the past few months. You gave me the freedom to leave a 2 bedroom apartment, in a foreign city, catch the bus and get around all while carrying my 2 children, their assorted out and about paraphanalia and my handbag. I could not have gotten The Eldest to school without you, as the service you provide in enabling me to harness the wanderings of The Youngest is invaluable. Do not worry about the new chariot in the garage. When it snows, you will understand why it is taking the children out and about. 

I am thankful for the inventor of penicillin Alexander Fleming, and it's wonderful antibiotic ability to take away horrible horrible tonsillitis and bring me back to functional living. 

I am thankful for my nespresso machine. Before we received a shipment of pods, I was thankful for Starbucks. Really, I am just thankful for coffee in general. I just wish coffee over here was as good as it is at home.

I am thankful for the amazingly generous parents that I have back in Oz and the home they have suddenly had to give to my puppy. I have been so worried about him over the past few weeks, and miss him so much. I am thankful he is in a place with two people who love him and will care for him for the next 22 months. 

I am thankful for the Indian Summer that we are having, and that it is not cold cold cold yet!

I am thankful for my wonderful new friends here in Ottawa, who have made me feel at home here, and who without them, I would feel homesick and lonely. For their wonderful friendship, children and laughs, I am truly truly thankful.

And I am truly thankful for that gorgeous hubby of mine and my two nutbag children. For every and all reasons. 

So many many many other things I could say thankyou for.

My answer to The Eldest? That I am sitting here in Ottawa, eating Thanksgiving dinner with you.

And so the conversation went on. The Eldest dragged a great deal of thanks out of us, as we sat there, wondering where this grown up four old came from, and whatever happened to that little child we birthed 4 years ago.  It was one of those lovely meals, where without the up and down from the table antics of The Youngest, we were able to sit still and talk, thankful indeed that our tantrum throwing 2 year old was blissfully asleep. 

I do have lots of thanks to give, but just now I am going to go and eat apple crumble and say thanks for butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Jen xx