Sound of Science

Today was Thanksgiving morning. Mom had been preparing the feast since she woke up. The house was hustling and bustling, preparing for my relatives from France to fly in this afternoon. We had been cleaning, deciding table settings and decorations. My brother was arguing with mom about if Uncle Jacque was going to sleep in my room or his room, and I have been arranging the table setting name-cards. We had Uncle Jacque, Aunt Chloe, Aunt Genevieve, Grandma Eloise, and cousins Frances and Claude, plus my brother, mom and dad sitting at one small table. All of the French relatives were on my mom’s side of the family and she hadn't seen them in years.

We went to the airport at 3:00. Their flight was coming in around 3:40. I brought a book to read while we were waiting. Then far in the distance of the airport, we saw the clan of French relatives looking confused, excited and keeping an eye out to look for us. Everyone’s eyes connected and I had to prepare for many hugs and pecks on each cheek. I was the youngest of all of my relatives from France and my family here in Oregon, at the age of eleven. Aunt Chloe came up to me and greeted me with a big hug. She was ranting about, I'm guessing, how much I'd grown, how much older I look, and how I looked just like my mother. I have not learned how to speak French yet, but my mother and brother do. After all of the greetings, we piled everything in mom's minivan and placed everyone in both of our cars to ride home.

Now it was time for dinner. I had been listening to my relatives talking to me for three hours, then escaped into my room once they had finally given up trying to communicate with me. We all took our seats, and mom and dad had already put all of the food on the table. There was all the traditional food that you would have on a typical Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone was passing the food around and talking to my mom. I was guessing that they were complimenting her on the food she had made. My mother did go to cooking school in France, but rarely cooked food for us anymore. This is why tonight was such as special night, apart from it being a holiday. Everyone was hungry, they had been taking so much food on their plates, and I couldn't imagine how they would be able to consume all of it in one night, nonetheless, about one hour. The eating instruments were clanking together and everyone was gabbing with each other. Then mom got up to get the dessert. She had made about three pumpkin pies last night and was excited for her big accomplishment.

It took about an hour and a half for everyone to get ready for bed. I had eaten so much food, that my head nearly hit the table from being so sleepy. I went up to my room, changed into pajamas, and as soon as I tucked myself into bed and gotten comfortable, I fell asleep right away.