the "Hallmark" thanksgiving

What makes up a Hallmark thanksgiving?

For the Schwartz family, it requires a ridiculous amount of food and family members flying in from around the country. The travel was mandatory for another reason too....Jake's bar mitzvah would take place on Saturday.

Traveling with two children under two on the busiest traveling day of the year could definitely be fodder for a sitcom. When we left our house at 4:45 in the morning, we had one of those last minute crisis when the last things to go in our suitcases just wouldn't fit. So, we left the house with four suitcases, a backpack carrier, a stroller, a carseat, and three carry-ons. Packed in the middle of casual clothes, dressy clothes, diapers, and christmas gifts, I stashed homemade cranberry relish, cranberry bars, and cookies. We were most worried about Jack being a docile lap-child on a packed flight, which seemed like a recipe for disaster, but thankfully he fell asleep. The fact that the first leg of the trip was only sparsely seated helped too. The worst moment definitely came waiting through the long lines at security which tested Jack's patience. We made a game out of looking at other people's clothes. See that shirt, Jack? What color is that? "Lel-low" Yes, that's right yellow. What about the dinosaurs on the little boy's pants? "Pur-pel" Good. Those are purple. But the game wore out as we neared the security checkpoint. He melted down right as we were trying to speedily move through the x-ray line. He did not want his stuff to go through the x-ray machine, and as the guard waved him through the walk-through x-ray machine, he flopped on the floor with his high-pitched scream. Interestingly, we weren't detained and questioned. But they did take his sippy cup for extra testing, which meant we had to wait and try to pacify the screaming.

But we made it and the family brought two rides to the airport to pick us and all of our junk up.
Cousin Jesse flew in from Florida at the same time too.

That night, Dad Bill made his signature hot wings and Mom Sheila made her "garbage bread" (stromboli).












The family met Evelyn. Dave's friend Johnny came down to visit. The next day, we enjoyed a nice, traditional Thanksgiving meal with friends and family...which made the hassle very worthwhile.