How do you survive Thanksgiving dinner withkidsandonemaybetwofamilygatheringsinoneday?

My husband and I have the responsibility pleasure of eating an entire Thanksgiving dinner two times in one day since both of our parents live within minutes of each other. Gatherings such as these bring out the best, but more often, the worst in me as well as my children.

By the visit to the second Thanksgiving feast, the girls are full, bloated, cranky, tired, over-stimulated, and just plain rotten.Their pretty dresses are juice-stained and their braids are wilted and frumpy. My eyes are bloodshot from waking up at the crack of dawn to make the drive to the first dinner.My patience has worn thin, and I have to remind everyone once again that yes, I do hate sweet potatoes.

How do we make it?How do we survive?

·With a sense of humor.

·By chilling out about the juice stains

·Lots of coffee

·Not too much pie

·By remembering to be Thankful for the ones we love

·Avoiding any and all things that resemble sweet potatoes

These long days are getting easier as my girls are getting older, so if you are in the baby/toddler stages with your kids on days like these, hang on!It does get easier.Know that I will be thinking about you and your kids and their frumpy braids and juice stains on Thanksgiving too.

Make some memories.Remember when you are feeling frazzled to be thankful for those cute little cranky, frumpy, juice-stained kids.Hug them close and just be thankful.