1. Black Friday: The morning after Thanksgiving, my ex and I used to sit and go through the ads, deciding if there was anything worth battling traffic to obtain. Now, I wake up on Black Friday without the kids and spend the entire day writing. The kids come home in the early evening just in time to have dinner.
2. Rocking Around the Christmas Tree: While decorating the Christmas tree was once something my ex and I did with a bottle of champagne and Frank Sinatra after the kids went to bed, now it’s a free for all, child friendly event. I suppress my inner Virgo and let the tree be as lopsided and mismatched as the kids make it while downing sips of hot apple cider and playing the Glee Christmas album.
3. Christmas Shopping: Even with avoiding the Black Friday crowds, we do a little shopping over Thanksgiving weekend. As a single mom, my budget is tight so we do of homemade gifts after spending a few hours pouring over craft websites and Pinterest. The kids pick out what they want to make for their teachers and we make our lists of supplies, hitting up the craft store sales after the crowds have gone home.
4. Eat Pie: Come Thanksgiving, we give in to the temptation of pumpkin and apple pie for dinner. We don’t even justify it with talk of “fruit filling” and “vitamins”. We enjoy big slices with glasses of milk and share what we’re thankful for.
What are your Thanksgiving traditions?
