Picture taken from http://envision-hotel-boston.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/happy-thanksgiving.jpg
Now that all the ghosts and goblins are out of the way, it’s time to focus on the turkey and pumpkin pie sure to come our way in the next week. It’s time to focus more on family and less on the creepy little monsters coming to our doors and saying, “TRICK OR TREAT!” To be prepared for the Thanksgiving spirit, here’s a short list of ideas to get behind you so you’re not left sitting at the kids table again this year.
1. Snag your spot at the “adult table” somewhere in the middle so you’re not stranded on the end or worse… “the kids’ table”
This is a skill I just learned last year after my mom and I – yes, my MOTHER and I were stuck at the kids’ table. Sit in the kitchen while the rest of the women of the house are in there cooking and grab a plate as soon as the food is ready. No mercy. Then, hightail it to the dining room, grab your seat, and enjoy in the fact that you made it this year.
2. Brush up on the local news
It never fails that after my family’s main dinner, dessert takes an extra 2 hours due to all the talk of things in the news – something that I don’t get up early enough to watch. Regardless, I always get lost in the conversations and end up sitting there not saying anything, while seeing how a painting on the wall moves when one eye closes versus when the other one closes. Don’t be this person. Brush up on the local news so you can voice your opinion and engage in what the adults are talking about.
3. GRAB THE PIE BEFORE IT’S GONE
Pie is something that everyone wants, but after such a filling meal, all anyone wants to do, is sleep. Something that is quite common for most people after a ginormous meal (guilty as charged)… But before you know it, all the pie that grandma makes once a year, is gone and you’re left with the chocolate chip cookies your aunt brought and it’s just not the same as grandma’s pie. Do yourself a favor this year and grab a piece right after the meal – save your spot though by throwing a napkin down or if you have jacket or cardigan, throw it over the spot. Grab your piece and just save it for when you feel a little less like you’re going to explode after such a large meal.
4. If you have a significant other, make sure you don’t let your family share any embarrassing stories about yourself in front of them
The best way to prevent this, is to just make sure your significant other is deaf. No, I’m totally kidding. One way to get out of this is to ask them a question just as embarrassing to them. That one works every time. Especially on a brother or sister trying to embarrass you because you know that you have just as much dirt on them as they do on you, but let’s be serious, you have just so much more than they realize. Another tactic is to call them out and say something like, “Why are you asking me that? You know how sensitive I am about that!” They’ll back right off after you drop a fake tear too. One of the last tactics you can use is to just answer with as little information as possible. It’ll leave them feeling dumbfounded and not really knowing what to say next.
