Sunday Supper

So, for a while now, I've been thinking about trying to develop a new tradition in our home of having "Sunday Supper." As the kids grow, I would like for them to be able to count on a warm, home-cooked dinner every Sunday. My hope and dream is that when they are in high school, college, married, have kids, they will always know that "Sunday Supper" is always warm and inviting in our home.

So, tonight was our "official" first Sunday Supper. I made lasagna with garlic bread and raw vegetables and Anna and Ryan made brownies for dessert. I tend to be rather idealistic by nature, so honestly, I was quite disappointed by the end of the meal. The meal did not go anything like what was in my mind. First, I forgot to buy lasagna noodles, so I ended up using spaghetti noodles in the lasagna. Rich was home from work later than I expected, so we were finished by the time he got home. I forgot to heat the garlic bread, so Anna was full by the time it came. Ryan filled up on celery and almond butter and hardly touched the rest of his dinner. I was feeding Sara while distracted with the bread and the kids, so by the time I started to eat, the kids were gone from the table and Rich wasn't home yet.

One thing that I have learned in over a decade of being married and having kids, is that things take time. When Rich and I were in the early years of our marriage, I would become extremely discouraged when things didn't go the way I envisioned them in my mind. I felt like a failure and would become very frustrated. Tonight, there was not even a hint of that discouragement. I viewed dinner tonight the way one would view the first step of a marathon: a starting point. Disappointed? Yes. Discouraged? No. I look forward to our next Sunday Supper, and after several months of the special table cloth being on the table on Sundays (did I mention there was a special table cloth?), I believe that a new tradition will be established.

The best part of the evening was after dinner: the kids got out Trivial Pursuit, Jr. Edition and we all played, even Sara rolled the die for us! Rich won the game. Yippee. I'll get him next time!