*Is this what our tables are supposed to look like?*

Expectations: Cozy car ride talking to each other and playing the alphabet game and singing Raffi songs. Delicious home cooked nutritious meals where children try new foods and eat yellow and green and orange things. Getting to that pilates class & long walks after meals. Playing board games and doing puzzles. Combed hair, none of it in eyes, all of it in a hairband and no squabbles over styles or washing. Wearing the fancy & nice clothes Nana bought, all of it ironed, most of it unstained. Loving and understanding relatives who honor, cherish and cheer for each other. Sleeping in, oh I'm not crazy, I read that other post, Expectations 101, just a couple of mornings of uninterrupted sleep will do.

Ruh Roh, is this what we are really doing?

Reality: Traffic, she is on his side, they don't like that song, every 35 minute bathroom breaks. Carbs, sugar, booze, caffeine, carbs, more carbs. More booze, caffeine, carbs, lethargy, complaining, fat pants. Begging and pleading and even crying to get them off screens and standing up. Lice. Wrinkled shirt, I took that darn PEP class and let them pack, they forgot their khakis and now there is no choice but sweats for Thanksgiving dinner. Snarky and gossipyrelatives who judge the kids, the parenting, the lice, the sweat pants. Four year old who wakes up at 4:30 am, urgent care, strep throat.

Expectations 101, Read it, learn it, try it, live it.

Originally posted November 26, 2014