Thanksgiving at the Toddler House

THIS IS A POST FROM THE TODDLER HOUSE REGARDING HOW THE CHILDREN CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING:

Most Thanksgiving’s the kids enjoy a little change to the menu and an extra large portion of some great turkey. But in previous years I don’t think they’ve really gotten it. This year we celebrated the Wednesday before American Thanksgiving. The wonderful ladies in the kitchen at the main house cooked & carved two beautiful birds for us on Tuesday, so we were all set to go. Joyce and I explained the traditions behind the holiday to the staff and the kids several times over Monday and Tuesday, and by Wednesday morning the house was hopping! Even the staff got excited telling us what they were thankful for. Joyce got everyone to work decorating in our regular Toddler House celebration apparel, balloons, streamers, and homemade construction paper signs designed by our kids exclusively for the day. Ghislaine, our head cook, prepared garden rice and fried plantain, while Joyce and I put together some fresh dinner rolls, snow dusted cupcakes, and fall leaf jello jigglers. Dinner was set for 12:30pm. Rose Mitha, Chalinda, and Peterson proudly finished off the last touches to the dining room decor before we kicked them out to begin serving. In an attempt to prevent a stampede and keep all the plates from meeting and untimely demise on the floor we dished all the food up before letting the kids inside. As six of us went about this the hand washing bucket was carried out to the play yard, thus the time had come. We began to hear chanting and realized that we were in over our heads, the excitement for the meal and the surprise of the decorations was too much for them to wait any longer. We hurriedly put the last spoons on the table (everything here is served with spoons) and began to let the kids in four at a time to go find a place at one of the five tables. With eyes ever so wide the first dozen walked in scoping out the plates, knowing they had the best pick. Everyone had their own top priority, they wanted the larger pile of rice, the meat with the bone, the orange sucker topped cupcake, or the seat on the end (minimal elbowing!). Finally everyone was settled in and though Daralyne and Cindy Love were sure they could sneak a bite before prayer without anyone noticing they were caught red handed and everyone had to sit with arms folded to keep from being tempted. Prayer was said with such enthusiasm by all, I have no doubts they were thankful for what God had blessed each with this year, and especially for the special meal He had provided. It was one of the quietest Toddler House meals in my memory. Seven year old, Ermithe, holds the new record for turkey consumption, thanks to many children not being able to finish and sliding their portion over onto her plate. The smaller children conked out soon after lunch and slept soundly until woken up around 3pm. But there was no stopping our older 20 children, who were too excited to settle down and played games, made crafts, and chatted about “Danksgivin” until late that night. I am so blessed to be a part of the Toddler House family and all its inhabitants. If space permitted, I would love to list them all here, because to group them all together seems to diminish in some way the importance of each individual person that makes us this family. But I fear it would bore many or perhaps amuse them in trying to pronounce the rich Creole names that so many of our children possess. In any case I hope that if you will be encouraged to know that your prayers, your love, and your encouragement to us help to make this house a home and a family to these amazing children for the time however long or short that God blesses us with their presence here.
Molly