The Thanksgiving Feast

We all do it. We plan (a lot, but sometimes it feels like only a little) and wing the rest. We endure the chaos. And the students have the time of their lives.

I woke up at 3 am, wondering what I am forgetting to pack for today's Kindergarten and First grade feast. I managed 105 more minutes of sleep, but then started my day.

The biggest question of the day was how to get everything cooked and ready to eat by 11:00 (our regular lunch time)?

Naw, no worries. Cook, and eat when it's done. Just like the real Thanksgiving day.

We split the kids into 5 groups and rotated them through all the cooking and prep stations.

1. Baking bread.
2. Chopping vegetables for the soup.
3. Making Pumpkin Pie (in a cup)-- this was my station.
4. Coloring placemats for the table.
5. Making turkey trail mix holders out of empty school milk cartons.

It was chaos. Several times in the morning my good friend the bread baker said to me (I think I'm the only one she said it to, am I the only one who doesn't handle this type of activity very well?) "Yes, it is chaos, but look, the kids are really enjoying themselves."

OK. It was worth it.

Only 1 kid got cut with a knife. A sweet boy from my class. What was he doing with a table knife anyway? Do you know how dangerous those are? Fortunately our nurse was on site today. She checked him out, no stitches needed, just a couple of bandaids and he was back at it.

When everything was prepped and we just needed to wait, I pulled out my trusty stand-bys. Books.

I read 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving (and we made text to text connections), then I read Balloons Over Broadway (and we learned some history), and then I read Gracias the Thanksgiving Turkey (and we learned some Spanish words).

And while I was reading to all 80 kids, the grown ups were downstairs putting the food on the table. What an awesome sight. It was lovely. When I saw those tables, that is when I got my festive spirit, I knew the chaos was worth it.

Lunch was late. We ate at 12. But I did not care.

 The table setting before food was added.

Tables after food and children were added.

The food was so delicious.

Soup.

Cranberry salad, bread, and pumpkin pie (I really do not like pumpkin pie).

As I was vacuuming after everyone had left I tried to remember the 2 servings of soup and salad that I ate, and that it was ok to exercise (push the vacuum). But I had visions of my couch and a soda while my kiddos were at PE.

Crazy teachers, we are already talking about how to make this feast better, more efficient, more festive, and more organized (especially the clean up) for next year.