Saturday, June 6, 2015

New Sunday Tradition




I have been meaning to write this post for a few days now!

I am a really huge sucker for traditions. I just love them. Every family has their own traditions, and while I have enjoyed using my childhood traditions with my family so far, I have also enjoyed making some new traditions with my kiddos and my hubby. One thing I have looked forward to for many years (like, from the day my hubby reminded me "you know, if you marry me, our future is living as a priest's family on a parish, right?") is having a family dinner on Sunday nights with a fancy roast or something really tasty that screams, "Sunday night." Sunday night is the culmination of two days of services for a priest, and it is so nice for him to come home and relax with his family after all of the standing on his feet. In addition, it really is the beginning of the following week and can really set the tone for the rest of the days to come that week.

So last Sunday, I set out to prepare an extra special dinner just for our little family. I prepared a roasted leg of lamb and potatoes (Greek-style with lots of lemon, oil and oregano), a side of mashed potatoes for the little ones who prefer them to the roasted, an overflowing bread basket, and a nice big salad. I set up the dinner table in the dining room because it makes things feel more special. We will definitely eat Sunday dinners in the dining room from now on. The kids enjoyed it and so did my hubby and I. I think it serves as a wonderful opportunity to remind them of manners, too, when eating at a big fancy table instead of our ordinary table.

Usually I don't serve dessert after meals simply because I don't have time to prepare one, but also mainly because I don't want my kids to view dessert as a necessity, (and somehow they don't ask for it much these days anyway). Plus, we are known for being frequent stoppers at our local ice cream shop! I think Sundays do call for a nice dessert, though! Last Sunday it was ice cream, but in the future I'd love to make a nice homemade pudding or something else yummy.

Some Sundays we aren't home just because that's the way that it goes, but all in all, I'd love to keep up with our new tradition every time we are home.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

On Teaching our Children...



I am quickly making my way through a book called, Large Family Logistics: The Art and Science of Managing a Large Family. It is turning out to be a really useful read (even though we aren't even a "large" family)!

This quote really struck me as something I would love to not only keep in mind but make a reality in our home more than at the present time.

"Do not swish your children away to be entertained by the television or toys; include them in your work instead. Give them a broom or a wet washcloth. Talk to them while you work, and tell them why you are doing what you are doing. Explain to them the value of work and the joy that comes from a job well done. Praise them and brag about your busy little workers to their father when he comes home. Do not allow them to whine!"

June!

Happy June, everyone!

This quote that I came across on Facebook today was just so perfect that I had to share it immediately. So. True.