belated thanksgiving

So today Dave and Mel hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for their families which required us to make a trip to Peterborough. We actually haven't been to the Pete in some time. Not to pin the blame all on one person, but Maya isn't the greatest traveling companion. It's just so much easier to stay home with her. So when we decided to go we thought it best to come home the same day instead of spending the night. I mean Maya doesn't sleep at home and I really didn't feel up to the struggle of four of us sleeping in one room.



The big turkey dinner was to be held at my brother's church since there was a lot of us and their house is small. Being at the church gave the kids lots of room to run around. This is a new space for the church, much larger than their old gathering spot. So in addition to the hall/kitchen area the kids had a huge basement to chase each other around in and a nicely equipped play room upstairs. Then there was the stage that Abby couldn't stay off of. She also couldn't stop thrusting herself through the curtain and breaking into song either.



Maybe those threats of being a rock star when she grows up will come true. So we had planned out the two hour drive to be right at Maya's nap time with the hope that she would sleep most of the way there. For Abby we had borrowed a portable DVD player which very well may be the greatest invention in the world. Prior to Saturday Abby had no idea such technology existed, so the act of watching TV in the van, well it just about blew her mind.

Now Maya did sleep a good two thirds of the way there. She started getting very antsy with about 15 minutes to go. It was around this time I noticed that she was beginning to gag periodically and mentioned to Mike that perhaps she was prone to car sickness. So I continued to keep my eye on her while attempting to navigate Mike through the crazy street layout that is Peterborough with the somewhat vague directions I had received from Dave which was, "when you get to the Home Depot turn left instead of right". Mike was just reaching his frustration point with Peterborough's non-grid system when, unbeknown to us, we arrived at our destination. Well the intersection of what was to be our destination. Apparently the very large church directly adjacent to the stop sign we were stopped at wasn't enough to tip Mike off, even with me saying, "I think that's it right there." So he turned left when he should have turned right into the parking lot just as Maya spewed the entire contents of her stomach all over herself, the car seat and whatever was on the floor in front of her.

So Mike pulled a u-ie or a three point turn or something. I'm not really sure as I was pre-occupied with all the Exorcist-like vomiting that was going on and before you knew it we were in the parking lot. Poor Maya was a little hysterical and a whole lot covered in barf. Dear responsible Abby was concerned about how to shut the DVD player off. Now I had thought to bring changes of clothes for the kids, but not for Mike and I. So getting her out of her seat without getting anything on either one of us was a trick I'm happy to say I did manage to accomplish. I then stripped her down to her diaper right there in the parking lot and thanked the Lord that Linus (Maya's beloved blanky) had managed to survive barf free. Despite my offer Mike did end up cleaning up the disgusting mess that was Maya's seat while I cleaned up and changed Miss Maya herself.

After all that hoopla the rest of the day was lovely. Mel's family is great, but for the shy and socially awkward girl that I am it was a bit overwhelming. The ratio of us to them was way out of my comfort zone since it was just Mike, the girls and I representing our side. My Mom just couldn't get out of work, much to her and our disappointment. Especially when Dave announced that his photographer friend was coming to take some informal formal family portraits after dinner. Something Mike was less than thrilled about or so he said. It seemed to me that he had a good time with it once it got started.



I think Abby was a little uncomfortable with the ratio too. My poor pathetically sweet little girl. For the record, that is Mel's parents having their pictures done with their grandkids.

So we ate, we visited, we laughed and before we knew it was time to head for home. Not before we dosed Maya up with some children's Gravol, courtesy of Uncle Dave. Oh and four hours, not long enough to dissipate the stench of vomit I'm sad to say. The ride home, despite the smell was a dream. The Gravol did it's job and knocked her out and kept her from tossing her cookies. The DVD player also upheld it's end of the bargain and kept Abby entertained the entire way home. It was actually kind of nice. Abby and I in the back row, in the dark with the blanket watching Flushed Away while the highway whipped past us and before we knew it we were home. All in all it was a great day. Thanks so much Dave and Mel for having us. Love you both!