Now that Halloween is over we have those couple weeks to enjoy some free time to ourselves before the next holiday occurs. For me, it is one of my favorite holidays. Gobble, gobble!
Every year since I can remember my family has made it tradition to go to my Aunt's house for Thanksgiving. Not only do we have dinner and dessert together, we even dressed as Indians and pilgrims one year. We have my Uncle's side of the family, my Aunt's side of the family, and a couple family friends. This is one of my most favorite times of the year. Everyone gets ready around 2:00 - 3:00 PM to hang out and pick at some food.
We have two tables; we have one long table that's for the adults and then a table to the side of it that fits about ten kids. You are so lucky if you get to sit at the adult table. Every year there are always at most 3 extra spots at the adult table. My siblings and I are becoming that age where we might get that opportunity to sit there, but we choose not to.
Growing up, I dreaded sitting at the kids' table. We were/are a pack. Same people at the kids' table every year. When we gave thanks or gave a toast, the adult table lifted their wine or beer while we lifted our apple cider. The adults get the food right in front of them, but the kids' table has to get up to refill their plate. So every year, as much as I love Thanksgiving, I never wanted to be at the kids' table. No kid wants to be told they are just a kid, and not one of the "big boys".
Going back for Thanksgiving has had me realize that to this day I am still at the kids' table, but it is now semi by choice. I say semi because there still is no room at the adult table and I choose to stick with the same girls at the kids' table. We have been at the kids' table every year, so why stop now? From lifting plastic cups of apple cider to some of us now lifting glasses of wine, we will forever be a kid at the kids' table.
The kids' table used to be just eating, a lot of getting up, not really talking because we were so young, what was there to really talk about? Now I can't wait to get ready early to eat some food, drink a beer and hang out with the family. Then when it is time to eat, we get our apple cider AND wine and we all sit down with our plates of food talking about college, parties, friends, and catching up on our lives.
I will always be a kid at the kids table. I can say that I enjoy the wide range talk of the kids from ages 14 through 21. Sneakily eating food during the prayer because we just can't wait to eat. Or, getting tipsy because we are so happy we can finally publicly drink. Being a kid has its perks, whether we are kids or not, we are kids at the kids' table and I love it.
