Thanksgiving with the Littles

We had such a great Thanksgiving weekend with the Littles. They drove down from Virginia on Wednesday and the kids got right down to business playing in the backyard. While the husbands worked, Kirsten made pies and the kids made their own Thanksgiving feast in the mud kitchen. It was so fun to see all their creative dishes. Kirsten and I were served a multiple course meal and then the kids put on a play for us on the stage. We were so lucky to have such beautiful weather all weekend.

The next morning there was lots of Thanksgiving meal prep and the kids made "cookie turkeys." We all headed out for a 5k turkey trot. I didn't think all the kids would actually run the whole distance, but they did! Amelia cheated and rode her scooter and of course Ruby was in the stroller. Even Charlotte and Simon made it the whole 3 miles, alternating between running and walking and snacking. It's more fun when you can run with friends. Anna even pushed the stroller the last 1/2 mile. It helped to have a playground as a reward too. The kids got out lots of energy. We all came home and snacked on Kirsten's delicious cheese plate and then the dads kept the kids outside with soccer and football games while Kirsten and I finished up dinner. Amelia and the girls helped do all the place settings. We had a delicious feast with so much yummy food. We loved sharing it with such great friends.

We enjoyed Kirsten's amazing pies in the evening and the kids put on another play for us in the playroom. Their own version of Cinderella. Lucy and Elsa were pretty hilarious stepsisters. Charlotte and Simon were Cinderella and the Prince. They created their own cute bond over the weekend and were holding hands sliding down the mattress on the stairs and doing "cheers" repeatedly at dinner.

The kids spent all Friday morning playing outside. They built homes and beds for themselves in the pine needles and had some elaborate set up and story line. We finally dragged everyone out for a visit to Pullen Park. It was the most crowded I had ever seen it there. The line for the train was insane so we skipped that and just walked around the lake and played on the playground for a bit.

The kids put on one more play for us on the stage. It was a modern-day version of The Christmas Carol. Elsa played Amanda Scroogette and traveled back in time to the 80s when she was a child. It was pretty hilarious. I loved the dramatic scene when the Ghost of Christmas Future (Lucy) showed Amanda her grave and Amanda (Elsa) threw herself to the ground in horror. Oliver and Calvin weren't usually involved as much in the plays, but they were always off playing soccer or having fun together. I just loved watching all these kids play together all weekend. They are just a fun, imaginative group of kids.

We got pizzas for the kids that night, set them up in front of a movie (Kubo and the Two Strings) and then the adults went out for yummy Mediterranean food at Sassool. It was so nice to get away from the loud chaos of 10 kids and just enjoy some quiet conversation. We were sad to see them leave but are so grateful for the fun memories we made.