Thanksgiving is one my favorite holidays because it's a time when my entire family gets together.  I look forward to the mayhem in our home with children running up and down the stairs and my brothers wrestling like teenagers in the family room.  We tell the annual family stories about Thanksgivings past and make new memories to reflect upon in the next year.

The highlight of our time together (besides the sweet potato pie and smoked turkey collard greens) is  the family game of  "Apples to Apples".  After everyone is sufficiently stuffed it's time to test our wit with the annual contest of who can be the most creative, humorous, and downright fun.  There has yet to be a time when I was not in tears during this game. Not crying because I lost (which I usually do), but in hilarity at the answers my family comes up with for this game. If you've never played, I recommend you get it today.  Any child that can read can play.  You choose a noun card from your hand to match the adjective card on the table. 

After our food digests we play the second round of "Dance Dance Revolution" on Nintendo Wii. After all of that cornbread dressing and cranberry sauce, we like to move it, move it to beat.  The kids go first then watch as their parents and grandparents try to stomp their feet to beat.  The sound of giggles and roars of laughter ring through the house and the most ridiculous dances are sure to be a topic of discussion the next year.

Thanksgiving weekend just wouldn't be the same at our house if the "Battle of the Sexes" didn't ensue. While the kids enjoy movie and popcorn night the adults play this board game to see exactly who is smarter-the guys or the gals.  Being the oldest, a girl with three younger brothers, I take particular pride in this portion of the weekend.  Of course, my mom doesn't play because she won't take sides.  So it's up to me and my sisters-in-law to show the guys just who runs the show.  We are undefeated. Why?  The object of the game is to see how much you know about the opposite sex. Hello, women know men way more than they know us.   This is quick game for a few laughs.

Black Friday has real meaning at our house.  This is the day that the entire family plays the Black History Trivia game- a board game in the manner of trivial pursuit. It's also the time when I realize how little Black history my children are learning for those big private school tuitions.  It's a great refresher for everyone to dive into Black History beyond Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King.  Though it is a fun time, it's also very educational.  True to the spirit of the holiday, we are all very thankful for African-Americans who paved the way for our current successes.  Most importantly, we're thankful for having our family together for another year.