Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays.  I have wonderful memories of celebrating with my family, enjoying the company and the food.  This year my husband and I have chosen to celebrate at home.  The Babe does not know what it is like to be at a large Thanksgiving gathering.  Her first Thanksgiving was before we knew of food allergies, and she was only an infant, so she has no memory of the event.  The second Thanksgiving she got ill right before we were supposed to travel, so it was just the three of us at home in Arkansas (many miles from any family).  Her third Thanksgiving we attempted to join my side of the family.  It was supposed to be a safe celebration, but we had to leave thirty minutes after arriving when she sprouted hives.  That was after driving over an hour to my parents house, and before we were even able to eat.  Hence, our reluctance to join a large family gathering. 

Earlier today while on the phone with my mother, the Babe looked like she had a light bulb moment.  She told me that we should have my family (as in my parents) over to celebrate on Thanksgiving.  Sounds like a good plan, but my mother is hosting our extended family at her house.  After all the prep, cooking and hosting, I know my parents will be too exhausted to drive the hour to us.  I don't want to disappoint the Babe, but its going to be a quiet day.  We'll probably watch the parade in the morning, and I'll be cooking all afternoon (and perhaps shopping a little on the internet). 

While I try to celebrate holidays with the Babe, its not like how it was when I was a child.  She doesn't get to experience the wonderful craziness of chasing and playing with cousins while dodging relatives sitting and chatting.  There are a lot of memories she's not making because we are protecting her.  Over-protecting, perhaps.  We're doing our best to keep her safe, but we're also missing out on a lot at the same time.  We know it, although I hope for now the Babe doesn't, happy in our little bubble.