I had the joy of hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year and it truly was such fun. The best part of preparation, of course, is the decor. So, after years in storage, my ten vintage turkey figurines came out of hiding and were dispersed around the livingroom, diningroom, and kitchen so Vera Rose and Liliana have daily marches around the rooms to spot and point out the turkeys.
Food preparation (and every task) always takes a million times longer than I think it will since my toddlers are constantly underfoot and desiring attention so I decided to set the Thanksgiving table and finalize the seating chart four days in advance--and I'm so glad I did! Midway through placing the newly ironed tablecloth and cloth napkins, and setting the plates, one of the diningroom table's legs fell off with a very loud crash. The table didn't collapse since the table (a cherished inheritance from Brian's grandma) has eight legs (it's a double dropleaf). The table had been excessively wobbly for a month and I blamed it on bad storage conditions and wondered whether I'd have to have the table repaired somehow. Well, after the leg detached itself, I went underneath to investigate, only to find that every leg was missing its wingnut and washer. Each leg was simply propped against the table with only the screw sitting loosely through the furniture. Everytime I repositioned the table (which I do a lot), the legs would slant at 45 degree angles and wobble and twist. Hmmm, have my little darlings been untwisting wingnuts when I thought they were sweetly playing house beneath the table? I believe the answer is YES. About a month ago, I spotted a number of washers and huge old wingnuts on the floor, but since I'm often using tools to put up curtain rods, etc, I just blamed it on my own carelessness. I fetched the missing parts from my tool basket, and tightened the legs and yay: sturdiest table ever! (at least until the next time my girls play beneath the table). 
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