The boys both loved the pancakes as did Doug & I. Tavin is really enjoying experiencing solid foods. He ate a whole pancake on his own! By the way, it seems that dairy and wheat were not the cause of his allergic reaction the other day. We have yet to try spinach again, but I don't think that is it either. So, that leaves an allergy to amoxycillin. Hmmm...After breakfast, things went downhill fast. Koen was a basketcase. Absolutely bouncing off the walls. It was sideways raining outside and in the cool 40's, so some outside time to run off energy was out of the question. Thankfully, our gym was open from 10am to 2pm, so Doug took him there for some gym time and then an hour in the pool. It totally did the trick. He came home happy and ready for a nap. He has been napping like a champ lately. 2 and 1/2 to 3 hours each afternoon. He must be going through some type of growth spurt right now as even when he sleeps this much he often still seems tired and gets cranky easily. Thanksgiving Day was no exception.
Here's a glimspe of the look of the table before everyone came (and messed it up, ha!, well, I can be honest, adding people to the tablscape, totally ruins the perfect effect).
The afternoon was low-key. The turkey cooked, friends arrived, we snacked, played with the babies on the floor, the adults played games and watched football. It was a pretty relaxed afternoon (prior to when our boys woke back up, dinner was ready and the chaos could begin).
The bird turned out great. I brined it for 24 hours prior to baking and it was totally worth it. The bird was moist and it produced a ton of flavorful juice for a gravy base. Yum! I think everyone was pleased with it.
Koen's assignment for the meal was to help make the spinach salad. He did a great job and was very excited about the meal (unfortunately he only ended staying at the table for about 10 mins.). It was one of those times as a parent that the teachable moment is totally over-ridden by trying to let your guests enjoy their meal plus trying to cut yourself a break. Koen did well entertaining himself in the living room with toys throughout the rest of the meal though.
Doug did a great job carving the turkey for the meal (he cut thick, juicy steak-type pieces, nice approach babe!). He also totally picked apart the turkey after the meal so that I didn't have to deal with it after laying Tavin down. Thanks, Douglas!
I think our spread was very nice. Simple, not overdone or a grotesque amount of food, but enough options and plenty for everyone. We had turkey, stuffing, gravy, sour cream/cheddar/chive mashed potatoes, cinnamon & cranberry butternut squash bake, spinach salad and a fruit salad. 
This was definitely one of those years where I didn't really feel like I got to enjoy the meal as much as I would've liked to, but that was pretty much all due to Koen. I was also suprised that Tavin didn't have much of an appetite, so that kept my hands full too. We did have a lovely time going around the table and sharing what we were thankful for. I'm always overwhelmed and humbled by all I have to be thankful for. Plus, it was absolutely precious that Koen shared as well and he was thankful for Mommy, Daddy, Aunt Abbie and Tavin. It is just so cute how he includes Aunt Abbie as part of our immediate family. Precious!
After the meal, I went upstairs with Tavin. We were soon joined by my friend Kara and her little boy, James. James & Tavin are about a month apart in age. They really enjoyed being up in the playroom where they could freely explore (as opposed to hanging out downstairs with lots of "no's" and boring adults). Koen came up to join us (thankfully with Aunt Abbie in tow to help keep him occupied). Koen got into the storytelling mood again. It was really cute. He totally led us through Kidz Church again and acted out the story of the Tower of Babel and Noah's Ark. 
After our playtime we bathed James & Tavin (it was so cute!) and the babies went to bed. Koen was soon in bed as well and we adults got to unwind and play some games (and basically act like kids ourselves) for a few hours. I think between that and the opportunity to reflect on our thanksgiving those were my favorite parts of the day. Happy Thanksgiving!!
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