1. Should I dress cute or dress to eat?

This is more for us girls. You know we all want to dress cute for family pictures and it’s a holiday which means we dress up. But as you stand in your closet figuring out what you’re going to wear you have a flash back to last year’s Thanksgiving meal. How all you wanted to do was unbutton your jeans because you ate so much. How you were so uncomfortable while sitting trying to talk to your aunt that you haven’t seen in forever because you were so full. Go with the leggings or stretchy jeans. Be like Nike and just do it.

2. Am I more excited to see my family or the food they are bringing?

Now that I have my stretchy pants on I can start thinking about the delicious food. You know y’all have those certain dishes that you hope your aunt brings, or that dessert that your uncle makes that is unbelievable. Of course you are happy to see them but you are also happy to see what is in that casserole dish they are carrying.

3. Is this the year you finally graduate from the kids table?

You know as a kid all you want is to sit at the adult table. If you’re lucky, you never have to leave the kid's table. Now that you and your older cousins, that have been stuck at the kid's table with you, have grown up you now have your own young adult table. Who needs the adult table with their boring conversations?

4. Properly organizing your plate of deliciousness.

If you are one of those that cannot have your food touching on your plate, I feel sorry for you on this day of eating. There is absolutely no way to avoid food touching on Thanksgiving. Unless you want to be judged and have two plates, it’s inevitable. If you don’t care if it touches, you are golden. You can pile everything on top of each other. Let’s just hope Gram bought the extra durable plates.

5. Are seconds really a question?

You are already miserable but that squash casserole is calling your name. You only get this meal once a year (or in my family, we have it for every holiday). Go ahead and get those seconds. As you sit there debating whether or not you’ll be judged for getting more food, you look up and see another line forming for seconds. You’re in the clear. Go for it.

6. The dreaded clean up.

You and your cousins try to sneak out to the garage or outside before you hear your mom call your name. As you are opening the door, you hear your names called and you look at each other, sigh, and say, “You wash, I’ll dry.” If you are lucky, you have convinced your grandmother and aunts to use disposable pans and paper plates. After years of fighting my grandmother on this, we are finally making some leeway with her.

7. Dessert already?

Apple, Pumpkin, Pecan, oh my pie! Desserts are a must on Thanksgiving which is why you wore not only your stretchy pants, but a flowy shirt. It does not matter how full you are, there is no turning down dessert (not that Gram will let you).

8. Being thankful.

As you sit around the living room, all too miserable to talk, all you can do is be thankful for the people that are sitting around you. These are the people that helped shape who you are today. They are the ones that silently judge you when you’re getting seconds while they are right behind you waiting to get theirs. They may be crazy but you wouldn’t want to trade them for anything in the world.

9. Food Coma.

Now it’s time to go hibernate until Christmas. Or in my family’s case, a quick nap until you start Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving night.