Giving Thanks

Now that the post-Halloween letdown is over, the murmur of Thanksgiving and Christmas has made its way to Cael's ears.  As I was preparing his breakfast yesterday, he had a few questions for me and as usual, I humored him for much too long.

"Mommy?  Is it Christmas yet?"

"Nope, not yet.  We haven't had Thanksgiving yet."

"Is Thanksgiving Daddy's birthday?"

"Not this year, but you're right that Daddy's birthday falls on Thanksgiving sometimes."

"Will Daddy open presents for Thanksgiving?"

"Thanksgiving isn't an 'opening presents' kind of holiday."

"What do we do, then?"

"Don't you remember last Thanksgiving?  In the morning we watched the parade on TV with all of the big balloons.  At supper time we ate a big turkey, lots of stuffing, corn and potatoes and had pumpkin pie for dessert."

"I like pie."

"Me, too!"

"Does Santa eat the pie, too?"

"Santa doesn't have anything to do with Thanksgiving, honey.  We celebrate Thanksgiving to remember how the pilgrims had a BIG feast with the Indians."

I knew that one was going to go over his head.  But at this point, I'd committed to it, so I thought I'd see it through.

"The pugrums ate the Indians?"

"No, the P-I-L-G-R-I-M-S had a great big dinner with the Indians.  They were the people that lived here way before we come across the ocean and found America."

"They lived here in my house?"

"No, not just here.  Lots and lots of years ago, there were no houses and streets here.  It was just grass and trees, but more and more people liked it here and decided to stay."

That seemed to satisfy him, and he scampered off with his eye on a small wooden train.

"Mommy, did the pugrums like to ride a train?"

"Honey, when they first came here there were no trains.  The Indians rode horses, but that was the only real way to get around.  There were some wagons, but no trains.  They came a little later."

"Did you like riding the horses?"

"Me?"

"Yeah."

"I haven't ridden a horse, Cael.  All of this stuff happened SO long ago.  I wasn't born yet."

"But who watched me and Graham before you were born?"

"Nobody, Cael.  You weren't around yet.  Daddy and I hadn't made you yet."

"Did Papa watch me?"

Cael's first Thanksgiving, 2007

"I just told you, bugger.  You weren't around yet."

"But did Amy watch me?"

"Nope."

"Did the pugrums watch me?!?"

I give up.

"Yep, Cael.  The pugrums took good care of you."

"Yeah.  They were really nice."

Houghton-Mifflin should be coming out with Cael's revised version of History just in time for the holidays.