A Thanksgiving Story

Originally posted: 11/27/2008
To start my story out....a little quick side story.....My son, for some reason has this habit of picking his own nicknames. One day he sat at the table and said, "Mommy, what's my nickname? Is it Big D?" I ask him why on earth that would be his nickname as no one has ever, ever called him that. Well, it seems he just liked the sound. The neighborhood thought it was so funny that in fact it did stick with a few of the neighborhood families! Now he's decided that he thinks he wants everyone calling him DJ. He told his class at school that everyone can call him DJ, certain days he tells his sister he'll only answer her if she calls him by his nickname....DJ. I mean the kid is really trying and it's just not sticking. So for the purposes of our Thanksgiving story, I'll give him the honor of calling him DJ. He can't read yet so he'll never know, but oh well.

Yesterday was First Grade Feast Day at DJ's school. Oh it was wonderous with homemade placemats, a plate full of food including pumpkin pie with Cool Whip, full cups of cider, and a huge piece of long yellow paper down the entire first grade hallway laid out with each child's placemat and plate of food. Darling, just like the first colonists. So one of the first grade teachers finds a microphone and announces what he's thankful for and says that he's going to give the microphone to the first child and have them pass it down so that each and every first grader can announce one thing they too are thankful for. DJ's eyes lock with mine across the yellow paper, he knows. He knows exactly what he's thankful for and he's ready. And so it begins:

Child: I'm thankful for my family.
Child: I'm thankful for my dog.
Child: I'm thankful for my sister.
Child: I'm thankful for the Lord.
Child: I'm thankful for shelter.
Child: I'm thankful for the baby my mommy had last night.
Parents: Awwwwwww.
Child: I'm thankful for my school.
Child: I'm thankful for my teacher.
Teacher: I'm thankful for my entire first grade class:

And so it goes readers, to nearly half of the entire first grade class of 75 students, until finally we get to DJ. He takes the microphone stares down at it solemnly, and speaks very clearly, "I'm thankful for my Gameboy." Readers, he's not to be swayed by all these do-gooders, he knows what he's thankful for and it's his Gameboy, the only honest one of the bunch I tell ya. The only one to get a laugh as well. That's my kid, always wanting to be the center of attention and he surely was. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!