Musings

Why is it that I can fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon while playing "Go Fish" with Nikki, but at 10 pm when the house is dark and silent I lay awake with my mind running at warp speed? This summer I got into the bad habit of staying up late and sleeping in, but this first week of school has forced me to get myself back into a more healthy routine. After I'm awake for about 20 minutes in the morning I don't mind it so much. Nate even made me laugh before I ate breakfast this morning!

In my online BYU class, my current lesson is about transmitting culture and traditions to our children.When I think about it, there are really tons of little things that we can say "in our family we do it this way." That can bring about a wonderful feeling of belonging. One thing I thought about was our spaghetti sauce. I think most of my brothers and sisters would probably still tell you that Prego is the best out there. My mom bought almost every generic product available, but she would never skimp on the spaghetti sauce. Spaghetti was her favorite supper, and there was no other option but Prego. I used to think Julie was crazy when she had supper with us and only wanted noodles with no sauce, but then her mom made her own spaghetti sauce and the Littles will tell you it just doesn't get any better than Eileen's homemade sauce (which I do happen to like very much and can't seem to make it just like she does). Anyway, in my own house I usually buy the cheap stuff. At the grocery store I always tell myself that one day I'll be in a position where I can buy the luxurious Prego, and then my family will have the best spaghetti around. But here's the sad thing -- I've realized that my girls are growing up liking the cheap stuff and won't appreciate the Prego when I do get around to buying it. That thought almost feels like I'm breaking a family tie that they could have to their Grandma Brenda. Kind of a silly thought, but then again maybe I'll buy Prego next time I'm shopping for spaghetti sauce.

So I'm starting to think that this whole episode of having our house up for sale is just to get me to be a better housekeeper. That's about the only result we are getting because the house sure isn't selling. It is really nice to have a clean kitchen, and I don't worry that when Nate gets home he'll wonder what I've done all day. I'm afraid, though, if we leave it on the market too much longer I'm going to rebel and refuse to do any dishes before bedtime. One chore that my mother would be so surprised to find that I really don't mind doing anymore is making my bed. I know, I should have mastered that by the time I was seven, but I figure getting good at it twenty years too late is better than never.