Today’s festivities didn’t disappoint. There was time to catch up with relatives we haven’t seen in a few months, time to help mom set up the new MacBook we (including my brother and his wife) got for her 65th birthday, time to cuddle with my little Sophie while watching “Chicken Little,” time to play dominoes with my big Chloe, and of course, time to eat and eat and eat until the buttons everyone’s pants started to burst.

I feel a little nauseous right now and I didn’t even eat as much as I have at past Thanksgiving meals. That was because I was busy chasing my girls around my mom’s apartment. In some cases it was just for fun. In other cases, it was because one or the other was upset about something (hey – when you’re at someone’s house for 8 hours, the kids are bound to go a little stir crazy). And when they are upset about something, I know that at least one positive thing will come of their consternation. In such cases, I almost always have the opportunity to tell them how much I love them and give them lots of hugs to prove it. And that, I must say, is priceless.