My mom was happy to have us at her house, but too weak to participate much. My uncle, her baby brother, suffers from Parkinson's and he was having a bad day, punctuated by uncontrollable twitching in his eyelids and his left hand. It was sobering and sad to see the siblings interact, though it seemed to mean a lot to them to be together on the holiday.
Still, it wasn't
all sobering and sad. My niece handled her first family dinner with aplomb. Her menu: Glazed ham, mashed potatoes with herb butter, crescent roles, broccoli with cheese sauce. It took her hours, but she seemed to enjoy her labors and did a wonderful job.
Her kid brother behaved very well. Age 9, he still believes in the Bunny and was up at dawn. Because my mom and uncle were moving so slowly, the festivities were over until almost 8:00 -- his bedtime. He made it through this long and exhausting day with no whining, no crying, no pouting. He was helpful as can be, pleased with his baskets, and an all-around champion.
