family night

Today, there was the regular stuff — work, studies, chores — but the best part was knowing that we’d be home for the evening, all six of us. These days, that’s becoming increasingly rare, and what with the upcoming whirlwind of a church retreat, Puerto Rican guests(!!!), pinchos and 16K doughnuts, plus birthdays and soirees and all the stuff in between, I was aching for a family night.

With an at-home evening to look forward to, the afternoon meandered most deliciously. I ran over to Mom’s so she could make me coffee and feed me candy and tell me stories. Then I hurried back home. My sister-in-law was coming over for an informal makeup tutorial, which is a hoot, considering how little me and my girls know, though the chicas certainly aren’t short on beauty supplies.

The girls arranged everything on the table and then we set to, explaining and experimenting. The kids joined us then, and the color palettes exploded.

Lots of giggling, dark eyebrows, and one little boy even got a ladybug-adorned cheek.

They left, and my younger daughter got busy with supper: spaghetti carbonara.

While she browned the bacon and garlic and my older daughter washed a minor mountain of dishes, the kitchen rocked — with hip-hop and (attempted) twerking and and shouted conversations. Also, the cup song.

My older son and husband walked in then, grimy and starving, my husband a little more ripped than normal.

Then supper. We inhaled it — sooo good — and my husband and older son had a muscle-making competition. As soon as I grabbed my camera, though, they stopped. 

“Oh, come on,” I huffed. “Just do it.”

Nothing.

I waited.

And then….

The meal over and muscles made, we all split: table clearing, laundry-bringing-in-and-folding, dish washing, chocolate cake making (I got a craving), and grape juice steamering. My husband disappeared to the barn to work on the island, and kids got showers and argued (and I yelled, though not as loudly as this morning when one child accidently smashed a quart jar of grape jelly on the tile floor) and played more music and did outside chores.

Now, off to read bedtime stories. Night!

This same time, years previous: the quotidian (9.17.18), the quotidian (9.18.17), black bean and veggie salad, historical fun, the big bad wolf and our children, baking with teachers, candid camera, when the relatives came.