By Paula Schmitt

It’s that time of year again; time to hide the bathroom scale and plan a couple extra trips to your dentist office. By the time Halloween ends and your Thanksgiving meal has taken place, you’ll not only complain about snug jeans, but you’ll have devoured so much candy that you have rotted a few more of your pearly whites.

Oh, what to do?

I say, ENJOY YOURSELF!

This is the rule of thumb in my household where there are seven warm bodies swarming the apple spice scented kitchen on Thanksgiving afternoon. I spend my entire day wearing an apron, slaving away in the kitchen, only to have my boy’s nit pick their way through the meal. “What’s the green stuff, Moooommmmy? You know I don’t like green.”

Then there is the wonderful post-mortem aroma around the dinner table. No, not Mr. Turkey and not the apple pie. I’m talking smells from the male gender as they all begin to "express" their enjoyment of the meal! Pppppfffffffttttttt. Do we REALLY need to do that right now, it’s Thanksgiving?! Don’t even look under the table. After the meal, there is more food on the floor than there was on the plates. Well, except for the pies. (Hey, save some for me).

All joking aside, this mom is looking so forward to our Thanksgiving Day together. Even though this holiday is a simple time when we come together, eat a huge meal (this year our own home grown organic turkeys) and give thanks for all that we have, it is a special time for our family to talk together and spend quality time with each other – and that is something that doesn’t happen very often with our hectic schedules.

This year, our oldest son who has started his freshman year of college will be coming home for the Thanksgiving holiday. I’m sure he has grown another inch taller and that he is just as handsome as ever. Not only are his father and I anxious to see and hug him, but his younger brothers and little sister are just as excited to shoot hoops, play video games and just hang out with their big brother.

This Thanksgiving, make that special phone call to family, friends and loved ones whom you can not be with, just to hear their voice and say hello. Enjoy your time with loved ones near and far. It passes so quickly.

So go ahead, hide that scale and eat an extra helping of mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie…the way I see it, you only live once, right?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Paula Schmitt, author of Living In A Locker Room: A Mom's Tale Of Survival In A Houseful Of Boys, has been published in hundreds of publications. She has appeared on numerous radio talk shows and in print publications such as American Baby magazine, Adoption Today magazine, Adopting for Tomorrow magazine, The Chicago Tribune, Kids VT Family Newspaper and many others. She is the Founder and CEO of Mom Writer's Productions, LLC, Founder and Editor of The Mom Writer's Literary magazine
(2005) - "A literary magazine for mom writers who have something to say", and Founder and Executive Producer of her radio talk show, Mom Writer's Talk Radio which is to launch this coming fall of 2005.

When she isn't writing, editing, or taxiing her children to their sport events, she prefers to spend quality time in central Vermont with her husband and five children. To read more of her columns visit www.paulaschmitt.com  and for some much needed adult conversation email her at paulaschmitt.com

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