Let the baking begin

We started the pie yesterday with a number of local organic pie pumpkins, baking, pureeing, and draining them overnight. The smell of Thanksgiving all through the house...two days early.

So why, then, did I spend all of today thinking that tomorrow was Thanksgiving Eve?

Thanksgiving Eve. The biggest pizza night of the year. Even bigger than the Super Bowl. We had lasagna.

We started our day the usual way—with some reading, some exercise, then heading to swimming...only to find that the swim bag did not contain a swim suit. It happens to the best of us. Reschedule swimming, pick up the last couple of things at the store, lunch, and let the baking begin.

Calvin was a big help this year. He cracked eggs, he measured all the solids, he added all the liquids, he handled the mixer and ran the grinder. We baked the pumpkin pie, froze the leftover puree, made the cranberry relish, then drew mammoths, rhinos, caves.

Jon was home early—early enough to take Calvin to the swimming class make-up while I made lasagna for dinner and did the mountain of dishes we'd already created. And the house still smells like Thanksgiving.

The mammoths, rhinos, and caves were probably my favorite part.