I'm so excited

I know Thanksgiving is a few days away still, but I am so excited. I love the whole experience. Italians don't just have the traditional turkey and stuffing. We also have foccacia, Grandma's salad, ravioli, prime rib, and veggies galore. My favorite though is the antipasto tray my grandma always arranges for the appetizer. It contains (pardon my spelling) spicey salami, hard pepperoni, fontina cheese, burschutto (a finely sliced ham), and the best crusty Italian bread that I've ever had. I literally am full by the time the actual meal is served. MMMMM..

The scenario is as follows...all of the women are generally in the kitchen preparing the meal. I am no Suzie Homemaker, so I try to sneak to the basement during this time to hang out with the guys. Someone always catches me, captures me, and brings me back to the kitchen jail. I'm typically assigned a task that does not require the cooking gene. I'm the cheese grater, the veggie peeler, or the silverware arranger. The men usually "watch" the children and the game while feasting on the above mentioned appetizer. After the meal is served, the mess is cleaned up. I try my hardest to busy myself by clearing the tables before anyone else, because I HATE being delegated to the chore of having to wash, dry, or put the dishes away. When the duties end, we begin the game playing. There is our traditional game of musical chairs, a few rounds of painful (for the audience) karaoke, Scattegories, and then a new board game is introduced every year at this time. Desserts follow, and we then conclude the evening by picking names for the Christmas grab-bag.

The facts of an Italian Thanksgiving are as follows : There is never a moment of silence (we all talk at once, at the top of our lungs, but miraculously can understand and be understood), one of the aunts laughs so hard they wet their pants (seriously), and there is enough food left over to feed the entire Osmond family. Erik has admitted to needing an Asprin after being with the "Italians". We're loud, crazy, and energetic. I love every minute of it, and I can't wait.