Family Traditions

 We've started a new *thing*, we all get together on Tuesday nights, one week at my nephews' and one week at my mother's house for dinner.  We had the first one, dinner at my nephew's house, he cooked chicken on the grill and we played BINGO, the kid version as he has two kids.  It was fun!  Doing it has many benefits:  the kids see us and we see them on a regular basis.  I know it's kind of cheesy to quote the line, but "it takes a village".   If they need a sitter, it makes it easier if they're used to us, being used to coming to one house or another.   And it's good for Mom to keep up relations with her grandson, and great grand kids.

So the next week, it was dinner at my Mom's.  I headed over after work.  She was cooking up spaghetti, her grandson's favorite meal when he was a kid.  We never heard from them, time passed.  At 5pm, she finally texted them, and OH!  They forgot!  

Since it's only 5 minutes' drive, they hopped in the truck and headed over and we all had dinner.  Dessert was Valentine cookies!  Always a hit with kids if there is sparkly sugar on a cookie!

Family traditions.  People sometimes laugh about them, but they work, they're good for kids.

Eat Dessert First!

Today I reminded myself (yet again!) that I should be writing down all the crazy-wonderful things that have been going on.  

On New Year's Eve, my mom moved into her new house, I helped her unload and unpack what we could -- just enough so she could spend the night.   We found all the bedding and bath towels, so she figured she was good enough!  I had to work the next day (as usual!!!)  but after work I stopped over to help unload and unpack.  

After seeing how much stuff she had for kitchen cupboards, and how much less kitchen cupboard space she now, she decided that a china hutch was needed.  My cousin Karen too her out shopping to some furniture stores, with no luck.  I think what she had in her mind was so old fashioned that she couldn't see that the more modern looking stuff might work.  So I hunted down some of the more established furniture places, such as Bassett .  Nice stuff!  But again, more modern, and now that she could see what was there in an establishment where she felt was geared toward her and not a younger more modern generation, she started adjusting her mindset to be more open to a sideboard type, rather than an old fashioned type.

Being me, I saved the best for last, and I took her over to an Amish Furniture store because I knew they would have things more to her liking.  We walked in and she fell in love with what was technically being called a "library" but nice shelves, glass doors above, wood doors below.  I knew we wouldn't leave until we made the purchase.  We wandered around and she found a console table and bookshelves also!    *whew*  I was SO happy she was pleased with her purchases.   They delivered them 2 days later :) 

Slowly but surely we're getting the unpacked stuff hung on the walls, arranged around the house, and even some of the yard art got unpacked and settled around the yard --- with the help of mom's great granddaughter, Jo.  She's 2, and we were babysitting, so of course, meals are Grandma's choice, right??  Pizza, Gatorade and some applesauce topped with whipping cream!  YUM!  Eat Dessert First! 

The other thing we've started is family night.  Every Tuesday we get together with my nephew and family, either their house or Mom's.  We share a meal, we might play some games, etc. Just a little something to keep the family bonds strong with the little ones.  Jo is 2, Zane is 5.  Cute ages!   We had spaghetti and the kids were showing off how they slurp in those noodles.  

Family time is precious.  Spending time with any person you care about, whether they're related or not, is very good for a person's well being.   

Love is a many splendored thing.