The First Thanksgiving (without kids)

So, for the first time ever, my husband and I will be kid-less for Thanksgiving. It feels kind of strange. And, if I weren’t so busy with my December deadline, I’d have time to feel really sad about it. Connor only has one day (Thanksgiving) off work, so he’ll be in Dallas. Anna can’t afford to come home, so she’ll be having what she calls a “friendsgiving” with her pals in Austin, and Mary is going to be at her boyfriend’s house. So we’ll be celebrating with my mom and my sister, which isn’t such a bad deal considering my mom is a fabulous cook — and Thanksgiving is all about food.

I can’t let this go, however, without a little whining. I remember walking over to the Lights On at Utica Square on Thanksgiving evening the day after I came home from the hospital with Mary, my youngest. She stayed home with my parents, and my husband and I walked over to see Santa turn on the lights with our other two kids. Mary’s birthday is on the 27th and I hate that I won’t see her on her birthday, but that happens a lot with all three of them. With Mary’s birthday falling right around the holiday (sometimes actually ON it), we could always celebrate during the break. This year, I don’t get to make her a cake.

Running in the Von Frankin Family Food Run on Thanksgiving morning will probably bring another little jab of sadness since we’re usually running with a kid or two home from college. But, regardless, it’s a great way to start the day on Thanksgiving, and it’s free! Just show up at 9 a.m. at 31st & Riverside with some canned or nonperishable food to donate and then run or walk with the group. Bring your babies, your dogs, your grandma….  It’s all very lowkey and fun.

While I would much prefer seeing my kids, I like the idea of having a couple of days to relax without cooking for a crowd. I may even get a head start on Christmas cards — that’s something that has NEVER happened, so we’ll see if I can follow through on that. Some years are Christmas card years, and some years just are not. Regardless, I have lots of things in mind to occupy my time that I enjoy.

However, here are some things I will NOT be doing over my long weekend:

1. Cleaning out closets.

2. Reading “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

3. Shopping on Black Friday.

4. Watching “Honey Boo Boo.”

5. Checking Facebook.

6. Putting up Christmas lights.

7. Tweeting.

8. Making playlists for my iPod.

9. Making a “bucket list.”

10. Worrying about what I need to be doing.