'Most every Sunday we pick up Chinese and head over to Nanny and Papaw's (David's parents) house. Sometimes we get sick of Chinese and opt for fried chicken from the grocery store.
After we (usually) eat too much dinner, we somehow find a way to stuff in some tasty treat Nanny has made for dessert.
Coming from a broken family, I enjoy this tradition very much. I grew up with this myself, going to my Grandma's house, and it's quietly comforting. Being part of the Sunday dinner tradition as an adult is different than it was as a child. I help to set the table, or make side dishes if we're having chicken. I help clear the table after, and after dessert, do dishes. As a child, I ran around and played after dinner while my mom and grandmother sat and had coffee and rolls, and my two big sisters did all the dishes by hand.
I found it interesting to watch how the whole transfer from dinner to dessert was done. Because of my family situation growing up, I missed some of Housewife 101. I had some fine tuning to be done. At first, I thought I was supposed to clean up all the dinner dishes, and then set out dessert, as this was what I thought was "right." But my mother-in-law would say, after we cleared the dinner plates and serving dishes, "Just leave those dishes for later - let's have some dessert!" So I have learned to pause between the two courses, and enjoy dessert with others.
After dessert, Nanny and I get the dishes done. While we're doing this, the menfolk scatter: David and Josh to TVs, Papaw out to the open garage to smoke his pipe, and Ben and Noah off to some activity, usually outside. Soon, a few of us are around the little kitchen table playing Candyland, knock rummy, Sorry, or Battleship.
If it's nice out, someone usually rallies a group to play crochet. Papaw is very good at this. I'm not too bad myself. By the time someone's a "stinger," we all know the game will end in 5 minutes or less, and it'll be time to head in for a second round of dessert and coffee or Cokes.
By late afternoon, Noah is falling asleep on a Lazy Boy while watching a kiddie movie. Papaw might have slipped into his bed for a cat nap as well. David is fully involved in a history or military show. And Nanny is heading out the door for choir practice before the evening service. Within half an hour, I'm rounding up the gang to head out, knowing that someone has homework waiting.
We go home, and after getting Noah's homework, cello, and bath out of the way, I try to catch Cold Case. And then I crash...
After we (usually) eat too much dinner, we somehow find a way to stuff in some tasty treat Nanny has made for dessert.
Coming from a broken family, I enjoy this tradition very much. I grew up with this myself, going to my Grandma's house, and it's quietly comforting. Being part of the Sunday dinner tradition as an adult is different than it was as a child. I help to set the table, or make side dishes if we're having chicken. I help clear the table after, and after dessert, do dishes. As a child, I ran around and played after dinner while my mom and grandmother sat and had coffee and rolls, and my two big sisters did all the dishes by hand.
I found it interesting to watch how the whole transfer from dinner to dessert was done. Because of my family situation growing up, I missed some of Housewife 101. I had some fine tuning to be done. At first, I thought I was supposed to clean up all the dinner dishes, and then set out dessert, as this was what I thought was "right." But my mother-in-law would say, after we cleared the dinner plates and serving dishes, "Just leave those dishes for later - let's have some dessert!" So I have learned to pause between the two courses, and enjoy dessert with others.
After dessert, Nanny and I get the dishes done. While we're doing this, the menfolk scatter: David and Josh to TVs, Papaw out to the open garage to smoke his pipe, and Ben and Noah off to some activity, usually outside. Soon, a few of us are around the little kitchen table playing Candyland, knock rummy, Sorry, or Battleship.
If it's nice out, someone usually rallies a group to play crochet. Papaw is very good at this. I'm not too bad myself. By the time someone's a "stinger," we all know the game will end in 5 minutes or less, and it'll be time to head in for a second round of dessert and coffee or Cokes.
By late afternoon, Noah is falling asleep on a Lazy Boy while watching a kiddie movie. Papaw might have slipped into his bed for a cat nap as well. David is fully involved in a history or military show. And Nanny is heading out the door for choir practice before the evening service. Within half an hour, I'm rounding up the gang to head out, knowing that someone has homework waiting.
We go home, and after getting Noah's homework, cello, and bath out of the way, I try to catch Cold Case. And then I crash...
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