Sushi and pizza

Since we were going to be on our own for Thanksgiving, I didn't really want to go to all the work and expense of a traditional thanksgiving dinner when it seems like the kids don't even like most of the food I make. I brought up the idea of making rolls and pies (our favorites anyway), and getting sushi and pizza to eat; sushi for RD and I, pizza for the kids. Everyone said yes!, and I thought everyone was excited about it.
I made rolls the day before Thanksgiving, and the kids all complained cause I had made them whole wheat, but I didn't have time to make another batch that day. We had a great day together wednesday, RD went fishing, hanging out together, going over to some friends' house for dinner, the boys all went to play laser-tag with the other young men at church, and then RD and I took the boys to see 'crimes of grindelwald' late at night.
Thanksgiving day we had the parade on, played some games, and I finished up the pies. I made a chocolate cream and lime pie, but I had accidentally grabbed a larger graham crust for the lime, and worried the filling wouldn't be enough, so I doubled it. When I went to bake it, it took forever to cook/set, and the crust ended up soaking up the filling and cooking into a weird mushy lime glob.
So rolls and one pie were out. 
Soon we went to the store to get our sushi and pizza.
All of a sudden there was a lot of complaining! Kids stomped around as we cooked the pizza and set the table. We sat down all together and went around saying things we were grateful for, said the prayer, and almost as soon as we were eating (without rolls) the kids started to say they missed the Beans, missed having a turkey, or mashed potatoes, or rolls, and that it didn't feel like thanksgiving , just another day.
I maybe exclaimed at the irony of complaining at THANKSGIVING dinner! and how we should be GRATEFUL for what we do have! Which would really inspire an attitude shift, right? ;)
The sushi was really yummy though, and the chocolate cream pie turned out great, so it ended ok.
So now I know that food = memories, and the traditional fixings are worth the effort to create a familiar, much-loved ambiance, and to invite someone over to share it with!