We spent Thanksgiving week at a rented beach house just outside of Charleston, South Carolina.
The beach house turkey tradition began three years ago when it started to be too much for my grandparents to handle the whole family.
This was our first Thanksgiving without either of them and that was hard.
Overall it went well.
Uh... unless you count the night where I got into a screaming match with my sister-in-law (in front of everyone) over whether or not it was right and just to put a single, beloved jumbo Lego in time out.
[Oh, hear the joyous holiday thunder of different parenting styles colliding!]
Weeeeeeeee! The fun.
The weather was beautiful and the house was lovely, but...
The Rooster, who usually considers Grandma Seattle the most special person, was a complete stinker towards her for the entire week.
I asked her why she was being such a grumpus and The Rooster said,"Well, there was... there was this... INSTANCE... of AHHHHHHH!!!!"
She shook her two-year old fists in frustration.
Oh, the dreaded Instance of AHHH.
We had two cars at the beach because the kids, Grandma Seattle and I left a few days ahead of K.
Driving out of Charleston we passed a paper mill."Mommy, you made a bad fart smell!" The Mayor accused.
"Mayor! That is a stinky paper mill! Mommy's farts don't smell that bad!!"
Just then my cell phone rang.
It was K calling from the other car.
"Was that YOU?" he laughed.
Click.
Last night as the kids were running in circles and screaming, Grandma Seattle looked at me and nearly burst into song,"I get to go home tomorrow! I get to go home tomorrow! La la la!"
I beat her with The Rooster's baby doll.
Putting the FUN in disfunction at The House of Joy.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Family Turkey
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54 comments:
Ah, family holidays. I think sometimes I can do without them. But I love the idea of a beach house Thanksgiving.
Oh I think a BEACH house would make up for all the rest right?!
Parenting styles colliding was very apparent during our week at a cottage with two other families - 6 adults and 6 kids under one (smallish) roof. Sadly, I fear it would have been me putting the Lego in time-out!
"Was that YOU?" I'm rolling right now. That's LOVE!
Great screaming joys - that Lego debacle sounds familiar.
(My sister grilled Zack, in front of family and folks I didn't know, what kinds of things do I say about her at home. Super fun times. I guess it was supposed to be funny and light hearted, but it gave me serious AAHHHHH.)
That begs the question...
What is a good fart smell like?
Well, was it you?
And we get to be home now - la la la.
Oooh ... I like THAT tradition! A rented beach house in S.C. - VERY nice! I think we might need to try that next year. But yes, the sweet, sweet conflicting parenting styles is always fun for me too.
Jess, YOU WON!
You are the winner of a brand spankin'new photo jewelry necklace!
http://fussypants.typepad.com/whatsmartmommiesknow/
Congrats!
Love, Alli
Yes, but who won the screaming match?
Great family tradition. I love beach houses in the winter (okay, Fall technically). This post made me laugh and laugh. Thank you!
I'm always envious of people who have big family get togethers for holidays. For about 3 seconds.
then I remember what my family is like. Instances of AHHHHHH? Too many to count. ;-)
This was a treasure trove of wit.
So: AHHHHHHHH! That, right there, summarizes all the complexities of family dynamics brilliantly.
And K! Calling you from the other car! ROFL!
The Ahhhh! Too true.
Beach house sounds lovely.
There is a great benefit in my family to ours being the only children - no parenting issues other than the occasional raised eyebrow when someone oversteps a line.
That K should call from the other car...priceless.
OMG, I love your husband. Hilarious!
that sounds like on hell of a holiday kick off.
I just LOVE the holidays!!! DON'T YOU?!!! (looking slightly manic over here)
"instances of AAHHHH" - that's exactly why I try to make it a rule never to spend more than a few hours in a row with extended family.
Jess,
I can understand your frustrations. K calling would be just what my R would do :)
your family sounds like fun to hang out with! I found you thru Scarlett. I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving!
Stacie
An instance of ... AHHH!
That is hilarious! Must start using it. Nicely vague yet emphatic.
Our family gatherings usually involve several "whisper fights."
You can always tell who's mad when the hissing starts.
Oooh, the thought of a week spent with family gives me shivers of terror. I am not built for that. LOL.
At least yours still puts the fun in it. I'm all for dysfunction as long as there is fun involved. My fam has forgotten the fun.
The beach at Thanksgiving sounds awesome! Every family has some sort of dysfunction in it, whether they'll admit it or not! Glad yours was still fun.
"Was that YOU?"
Are you sure it wasn't MY husband that called you?!
The beach house Thanksgiving sounds wonderful.
And I would give anything to see you in the screaming match...
Well, here it SNOWED, so beach house sounds pretty good. Except for the screaming match. And bad smells. Eep.
Bossy is beginning to understand why Grandma Seattle lives at the very tip of the country.
You couldn't have called him with the pre-emptive fart strike?
Give him a Dutch Oven.
There's some payback for ya.
Family holidays. Ahhhh.
You have to see it this way: One holiday down, another to go.
That's the way I see it at least.
Signed,
She who is filled with more anxiety than usual this time of year
paper factory smell is the worst. how do people work there? or live nearby?!?!
Oh my gosh - your family cracks me up... what a lovely husband you have to call and ask you that... LOL... Happy Thanksgiving J!
Oh yeah. We have some outspoken brother-in-laws who love to tell us how to raise our kids. Agh!
Laughed out loud at K calling your cell about the smell. That's something The Swede would do.
so what you're saying is that we essentially spent thanksgiving in the same place. great minds...
Was tha You?? I have passed many a paper mill in our treks to the in-laws in Texas, and let me tell you - if you smelled like that, I would seriously consider going to get checked out, something's just not right!! :)
"Was that you?"
holy crud, that is funny.
TOO FUNNY! Alright, what is the latest on your Park Ranger fantasy? Did your husband get a uniform? I will tell you, as the Park Wife, it is all that you can imagine and more! We have alot of the reenactors that come to our park, they are not even on the same playing field as the rangers. Keep your dream alive!!! ha
The Park Wife
Ah, paper mills. I've smelled them a time or two and accused someone of being "windy". Too funny!
Why are families so dysfunctional during the holidays? I know we all have a bit of a crazy streak, but come on. One aunt yells at grandma, and we all decide that we're doing Xmas someplace else the next year. Wow.
So what side were you on? Time out for lego, continued lego love affair?
Welcome to the holiday season, my friend.
It's not Christmas unless I nearly get into a fist fight with my dad and/or brothers. Because I'm classy like that.
Someday, I will move to Australia.
I am originally from the Charleston area and the idea of being at the beach for a holiday sounds just heavenly.
I love the comment about the paper mill smell. Some of the comments were about the smell of the mills and how could people work there....well, I have the answer to that being the wife of one of those people.....because they pay really well!
I'm sorry, I have to know.
Were you for or against putting the block in time out?
And I'm pretty sure that wasn't a paper mill you smelled, but my husband. Something is seriously wrong with that man.
I want to know - what did the Lego do?
lol at the fart jokes - I was V's alarm clock this morning...
My husband pretty much says the same thing to me, only it's when we're passing the local slaughter house and dogfood factory.
Somehow, I think you got the better deal...
:)
P.S.
I'm glad that I am not the only NabloME failure this month. It's a great line of defense: "Oh, YAH! Well...Oh, the Joys missed it, too! So, THERE! PPPPTH!!!!"
knowing Roo shunned the glorious grandma seattle has assuaged the memory of her screaming in terror when i bounded into your car a few months ago...:)
that sounds wonderful...I have told everyone who will listen how lovely ours was..just the three of us..youngest son hubby and me..but ya know..it stunk..we haven't been home for a holiday in about ten years but down to the last person no one would allow young son..and I for one felt abandoned..I know poor me..but ya know..he is a pain but he's human too so it stunk...sorry to dull the holiday mood.......mauniejames
Yay for family fun time!
LOL....I love the fact that your family is full of humour.
I love your family
Okay - I know which paper mill you speak of and it DOES smell like a big stinky fart! Glad you had a fun, um, full Thanksgiving! =)
hahahaha i love that they both brought up the mighty wind!
p.s. i still have the perfect book for you sitting on my bookcase!
I love that area! We used to go to Edisto Island every summer. I remember those paper mills. The Savannah ones are worse.
Parenting styles...YEAH!
Your husband is pretty damn funny.
Sounds like a wonderful way to spend Thanksgiving. Folly Beach is one of my favorite little places in the world.
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