<p>Cheers--another great idea. We used to have a tradition of a Thanksgiving morning hike in the hills(in preparation for overeating in the afternoon :) ). It might be a struggle to revive it with teenagers, but it's worth a shot.</p>
<p>I think alot of people prepare for the overeating with exercise. As the screen name implies, I'm a regular runner, and I sometimes see another runner or two out there on my regular runs. But I see more runners out there Thanksgiving morning than any other day of the year - at least 10 times the normal amount. I guess it's sort of Sparta in morning and Rome in the afternoon.</p>
<p>D won't be coming home until Christmas break. She's planning to spend Thanksgiving with friends in NYC, which probably sounds much more exciting than yet another family turkey to a gal who had spent all her life up till college in SoCal.</p>
<p>we trek through the zoo then see a movie.
The zoo has few visitors on Thanksgiving and the natural habitats make a it a great place for a casual walk plus my mom can go sit in the car when she is beat.
For several years we had been seeing the new Harry Potter movie, but now have to find one that the whole family ( including grandma) can watch together.</p>
<p>She's planning to spend Thanksgiving with friends in NYC,</p>
<p>She will probably also be one of those up and out at the crack of dawn to get a good spot to see the parade. Hey an opportunity to see Spongebob up close and personal :) then she go back take a nap and wait for dinner</p>
<p>Well, my son's gf's family tradition is to have their teeth cleaned!! I guess that is what happens with a dentist in the familiy LOL</p>
<p>We, too, have been catching the Harry Potter flicks during T-Day! It was usually part of D2's birthday...on the 17th. Haven't given it a lot of thought this yr. H's grandfather is in failing health...has lived a fulfilling 94 yrs! That has preoccupied most of our time...our children have been lucky to have known 4 great-grandparents over the yrs...we are very thankful.</p>
<p>What a heart-warming message board! We all should be authors of Hallmark cards! BTW, my D can't wait for home-cooked food! Guess mom's cooking isn't that bad after all! You never know what is going to stick...who would ever think that my cooking could be the only thing she misses since being away! And I thought it was the TV and her two entertaining brothers. Go figure.</p>
<p>And I thought it was the TV and her two entertaining brothers.</p>
<p>Sgiovinc,</p>
<p>You gotta remember that one of those entertaining brothers ratted her out about using using the smoothie machine to make margeritas ;) ;)</p>
<p>SYBBIE719: thank you for appreciating my sometimes BIZARRO sense of humor! Welcome to our world of college angst! ( PS She doesn't know she was ratted out. We need to keep SOME family skeletons in the closet! HA!)</p>
<p>What a nice thread and such enjoyable comments!
Dulce, are you Italian? The most incredible parent/child relations exsist among Italians.Maybe this is true with many types of people but I spent some time in Italy and I swear the Italian parent/child relationship is something very incredible indeed. I don't know how one could send their child so far away to college. I think many would endure the most passionate angst doing so. Songs could be written.</p>
<p>My daughter also went a great distance to college. She did not come home Thanksgiving. It was too short a break at her college so she went with different friends each Thanksgiving to their homes.At Christmas when she came home we have a tradition of going to see the historic Fairmont Park Houses, all decked out in their Colonial Christmas decorations. Just me and my daughter.It was so nice and very cold! We also did necessary shopping together.Also went to some antique shops together, which we enjoyed- good fro some laughs!Family dinners with relatives and family dinners at the club.And she wanted to see friends too so it was a joyous, busy occasion!</p>
<p>Now I will have to adjust to having her visit with HER HUSBAND when she comes to visit during the holidays! I don't know what to make of this. I am in shock.</p>
<p>D</p>
<p>BHG, hi! The marriages and progeny and geographical distances do complicate things. I have just finished emailing with brother and father about who is going where. Bottom line is some will be at brother's daughter's house, some at our house, and nephew who is a medical resident is probably stuck in Los Angeles (but with fiancee so is not suffering). </p>
<p>Although it may be hard for us as parents, I have wonderful memories of the Thanksgivings I spent with friends at their homes during college, and also of the group Thanksgivings we had in grad school. I hope that those children who are away, are happy and not too homesick. At least the winter break is on the horizon.</p>
<p>My son won't be coming home until winter break...the tickets are too pricey. He's about 1600 miles or $350 in airfare away. He can visit my sister if he chooses over Thanksgiving, or leave with a friend. I am looking forward to seeing him since the last time was in mid-August. I hear he's only been to the barber once...hopefully I'll recognize him!</p>
<p>Backhandgrip--no, I'm not Italian, but my posting name is of course Italian. Most music terms are Italian, so as a music teacher I chose an Italian music term for my name. This may sound arrogant...."dolce" means "sweetly"; when I first came to this site a couple years ago there was a lot of ugliness and nastiness going on (not so much in the parents forum thankfully!), and I wanted to be a sweet voice of kindness!!</p>
<p>Texastaximom--at least your son has been to a barber once! Mine still hasn't had his hair cut since summer!!!! I keep reminding myself that I absolutely MUST keep my mouth shut about his appearance when I see him! I know he will look quite different. He has extremely curly hair. He's white, and he told me that recently a black guy on his campus (someone he was walking near; not someone he knows) told my son that his 'fro was bigger than anything he'd ever grown! Oh my gosh!!!</p>
<p>May was the last official haircut. Apparently a dorm friend tried to cut the back a little (he said it was looking a little "mullety"), but it was her first time and it didn't go well. He says he's saving money he can use for books!</p>
<p>So I am not alone in the fuzzy head boat! I didn't think about dorm experiments on the hair though....eeep! Although mine has just survived the "great flood" .....which is why you should not play football inside the dorm near the sprinkler heads. Thank goodness he was not involved, but he did have ankle deep water on his floor to contend with. The kids one floor under got "rain" instead. We will have some great dinner conversation.</p>
<p>Patient,
I thought of your words last night when S hinted that he had not invited anyone to T-day, and "in fact, had been invited to a friend's house'. So, I will be in CA, ready to cook for large group, but I think he'd rather go with this friend. I realize that may be part of college experience, great he has friends, and I can cook for him Fri or Sat night.
Dolce,
I keep quiet about the hair too. S and I both have THICK hair, but his is curly whereas mine straight. He's got a BIG 'fro' too. I think its part of his identity.</p>
<p>My mother, may she rest in peace, made me so crazy, for so many years, about my hair that nearly the only thing I was sure about as I planned to become a parent was that my child's hair would be his/her own concern, especially as nothing they do to is is irrevocable.</p>
<p>texastaximom- the flood? Sounds intriguing!</p>
<p>My S decided to go for the fuzzy head look a couple years ago--couldn't be bothered going to the barber. I usually mow it back a couple inches every few months. He's also very curly haired, so its quite a mop. He added the scruffy beard thing, too. He's definitely been happier with his persona since he went this route, and none of us have any problem with it (his dad's pretty scruffy, too.)</p>
<p>Ah...this talk of hair got me into this thread! I do so wish my son had more hair on his head. I think he will be bald by the time he graduates college. Says the genetic probability is between 75% to 100% depending on what he inherited from my side. His scalp already shows sometimes to my despair (he couldn't care less). And such a handsome boy too if I may say so myself. :(
(Well, you know, at least to me, his mom. Don't know if it is based on real facts that he is handsome).</p>