Holidays with eleven kids... Episode One
Holidays with eleven kids... Episode One
Oh, the weather outside is frightful and the fire insides delightful....
It is getting cold out there which means Thanksgiving and Christmas are nearly upon us.
My Mom would cook all day, use a beautiful white tablecloth and set the table with her finest china. This meal would take her hours to prepare with eleven kids plus grandparents. Eventually, she would take off her apron, and wearing a beautiful dress would call us to eat with utter pride in the feast she had created.
When we were little within minutes of the prayer, the tablecloth was soaked in gravy and cranberry sauce; we had devoured our mashed potatoes, turkey and rolls as we tumbled away from the table to play.
One year my grandfather looked at my Mom feeling sorry for her, "It was a nice effort, dear!" My Mom remembers this but what she doesn't know...my love for white table clothes, fine china, and fancy meals comes from her holiday feasts.
I would walk into that room with big eyes feeling as if I were a princess in a fairy tale. I didn't notice that someone had spilled cranberry sauce or the mess we had made. I only thought my Mom was magical for making this happen.
Memory is a funny thing...it plays tricks on us.
Remember this holiday season, as you fall onto the couch exhausted from your efforts...they will remember. You are creating a magical world and memories. Let the planning begin..the holidays are coming.
–Allison Ochs, Social Worker M.S.W. , Coach, Expat, Mother of three, Wife