Pumpkin Pie for breakfast

One of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions, aside from the After Thanksgiving day sales, is…wait for it… pumpkin pie for breakfast. What?! You’ve never enjoyed this treat? It’s better than cold pizza for breakfast (a college activity that turns my stomach now). My mom started this amazing pie-eating rule. I suspect it was to help clear out the refrigerator. I can easily justify it – pumpkin is a vegetable; whipped cream has calcium. The reality is pie might be better than some kids’ cereals – it definitely has less sugar than Cap’n Crunch…although to be clear, King Vitamin was my favorite (‘King Vitamin! Have breakfast with the king!“).

Every Fall, my sister and I have a laugh as we discuss our excitement for pumpkin pie for breakfast. It reminds us of happier, simpler times and our sweet, sweet, sweet mom. She’s been gone for almost a decade – really longer because dementia stole her from us prior to her body giving out.

It’s funny what you remember and what you forget.

After Thanksgiving day sales don’t mean as much now that we have the internet that makes shopping available all the time. I can’t remember the last time I got up early to drive to the mall for a deal. It’s a shame my nieces and nephews won’t have that experience. Sure there is black Friday and cyber Monday. But there’s nothing like setting the alarm for 4 or 5 am on Friday, waking up and hurrying to the mall to join the other nutters trying to get the best deal EVER. I still remember mom driving me over to Cumberland mall so I could buy a blue jean jacket from the County Seat.

Another oddball tradition – my parents took us the baby jackets vs bull pups (JV squad) football game for Thanksgiving for several years. Our Thanksgiving was eating at the Varsity, which was AWESOME, and enjoying the Shriners’ parade during halftime. No idea how mom and dad came up with this unorthodox activity, but as kids, we loved it. There’s no such thing as a JV squad anymore. I’m not even sure when the games stopped. Clearly this happy memory stayed with me.

I don’t have kids of my own. I hope I can help my brothers and sister create some unique family traditions that will in turn produce some nostalgic memories as we all grow up and go our different directions in life.

Here’s to pumpkin pie with whipped cream for breakfast!