things I am thankful for... and not

Yesterday here in Canada was Thanksgiving day. For most of the day I was at work, cooking a meal for the students who don't go home over the long weekend. While I was away my spouse cooked up a dinner for us.
We have a tradition at the thanksgiving table to take rice grains from the bin and for every rice kernel we take we say something we are thankful for. The rice (not so mysteriously) got mixed in with sunflower seeds earlier in the week and ended up as bird food and so we had no rice kernels last night.
A few weeks ago my boy Max had surgery on his ears. He has had profound hearing loss since birth and although he is three, he doesn't speak. He does have a few words in his repertoire (like "ma"and "ya") and so I thought I would test out his hearing skills and ask him what he was thankful for. Our conversation went something like this:
Me:"Max, are you thankful for mashed potatoes?"
Max: "Ya"
Me: "Max, are you thankful for mom?"
Max:"Ya"
Me" Max, are you thankful for your cd player?"
Max: "Ya"
Me: "Max, are you thankful for your little brother?"
No response.
So I figured he was just tired of playing the game, but thought since he was digging his mashed potatoes I would try again.
Me: "Max, are you thankful for mashed potatoes?"
Max: "Ya"
Me: "Are you thankful for your gravy?"
Max: "Ya"
Me: "Are you thankful for your little brother?"

Crickets chirping.

Apparently in our house, spuds and gravy trump little brothers!