Tending to Your Side of the Street

* This was written back in May and not published until now.

We have a nightly routine here . . . they say, whoever they is, that routines make life easier . . . WHATEVER!  My husband is very routine oriented and truth be told I hope at some point my children will be also . . . I am a lost cause!

Back to the routine . . . we do baths for the boys, brush teeth, and in bed by 8pm . . .  we TRY to do this by 8 pm.  My husband and I then sit and watch maybe an hour of TV.  We move to the bedroom and maybe catch 14 more minutes before he is done!

My job at that moment is to tickle him to sleep.  I usually give him two minute and he is out . . . a freight train couldn't wake him and I either watch "my" tv or go about doing other things in the house or things I want to do!

Tonight I elected while tickling my 2 minutes to watch Bethanney Ever After . . . and it was during this show I got this pearl of wisdom "Tending to Your Side of the Street.  In this episode Bethanney was talking about her family, or lack there of . . . of the estranged relationship with her father and that her mother is really helpless. 

Sunday Supper and Swim . . .

For as long as I can remember we have always done dinner with family on Sunday.  Back when I was a kid, it would happen immediately after church.  On the rare occasion we went out for lunch, it was either Wyatt's Cafeteria in Red Bird Mall or La Mancha for Mexican, but we usually would meet up with the extended family for lunch at my grandparent's home.

1974 - Easter

My grandmother was the best cook ever!  Her Sunday meal rotation was limited and so very typical southern food:

1 - Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, okra, green salad and banana pudding

2 - Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, green salad, carrots, and banana pudding

3 - Salmon croquettes, Le Sueur green peas, they were my grandfather's favorite, green salad and banana pudding

I have so many fond memories of us playing with my cousins while dinner is being prepared . . . climbing their trees . . . hopscotch on the patio . . .and helping set the table.  The sounds, smells and taste of those foods takes me back to being a kid.

Holiday Whore . . .

Not literally, I don't put out just around the holidays or excessively during the holidays.  I am however, a confessed Holiday Whore.  I love the holidays, any and most all of them.

Clearly you understand loving the big one - Christmas.  The day after Thanksgiving the bins come out.  Bins, not as in 2 but as in 12!  12 bins of holiday, sorry, Christmas joy!  Every nook and cranny gets a little bit of Christmas cheer.  Later in the year for this - here is one of my favorite decorating pics from Christmas 2011.

As soon as Three King's Day is over, January 6, down come Christmas and up goes Valentine's Day. 

Organization . . . Can it be taught?

WHY can't I be Samantha from Bewitched?  I can do the nose wiggle, and no doubt I have the nosey neighbor. I'm a stay at home mom and he goes off to work.  My husband is tall with dark hair, I am blond and our first born is a blond also.  See - I am a perfect fit for her life!

Samantha could fix any situation, Darren's meeting going bad - wiggle wiggle- everything is great!  Nosey neighbor Glady, thinks she sees something that is out of place - wiggle wiggle - nothing out of place.  Darren calls to say he is bringing home clients - wiggle wiggle - dinner in a flash! How I wish I was Samantha.