Thanksgiving 2014

I have cooked something new for Thanksgiving for several years now.  I had the convenience of a stove and oven and running water.  These are things we didn't have when we made reservations this year to attend the Thanksgiving buffet at The Army and Navy Club in DC.  As the holiday approached, however, I did get the hang of our one-burner propane stove and our new grill that works as an outdoor oven.   But I wanted to try something new for Thanksgiving:  not cooking! 

The entrees were glorious!  Slow-roasted duck with cajun rice, Pan-seared salmon with butternut  risotto, shrimp and squash casserole, chicken breast with creamy grits, green beans almondine, mashed potatoes and turkey gravy, a smoked fish tray, shrimp cocktail, turkey and prime rib.  I ate so much of the first things that I never had turkey!  That's ok because I'm not a fan.  

We dress nicely when we go to the club, but we wanted to step it up a notch for the holiday.  Max and Simone had a lot of fun shopping for their outfit and had equal excitement dressing up.  Michael got Max a proper necktie that one has to assemble (i.e. not a clip-on or rubber band tie).  Max was so eager to put it on but Michael was still in the shower by the time the tie was the next step in Max's ensemble.  To pass the time, Max asked me, "Mommy. can you take a picture of me?"  Of course I could!  After I prepped the camera I looked through the peephole and found a very sophisticated son posing for me.

He really knows how to work it!  I don't remember showing him that this is how a man poses.  It must be a natural talent he possesses to look so cool and composed.

Before we started the buffet, I took a quick picture of the kids on the lobby staircase.  Again, Max posed his arms himself without instruction.   This kid is smoooooth!

Simone was very excited to wear her first bolero.  Being in a more frosty city, I wanted Simone to wear a long-sleeved formal dress.  The problem is there are none to be found!  So many dresses are short-sleeved if there is any material at all to cover a little girl's shoulders.  The couple of warmer dresses looked too casual and didn't have the sheer and sparkly fabric that makes a fun holiday dress for a little girl.  We thankfully found a pretty dress that came with a long-sleeved sweater.

Ah ... the travails of fancy garb.  Living in a bus really does complicate upscale vestment.  Michael doesn't have the room to store his uniforms nor his suits in our narrow space.  He has to retrieve them from his office wardrobe or from storage.  For me, I have two dresses I'm just going to recycle every other time we go out.  It's ok because it's not as if I'm being photographed and cataloged for a fashion magazine.  Even if I were, I would start a shocking trend of wearing the clothes I've bought more than once.   Sacre bleu, such audacity!

Michael commented that this was the best Thanksgiving he had ever had.  I'd have to agree with him because when we returned home, he and I took a 2-1/2 hour long nap while the kids quietly played.  It was a gluttonous day for which I am thankful.