On Sunday mornings, as per my Mommy Contract, I make a breakfast that involves some kind of cooking. Cooking isn't really my thing and I prefer to do it as little as possible (which is why I am so happy we have things like cereal and Jimmy Dean microwavable sandwiches). I also insist that my children eat healthy (like 88% of the time), so they will eat fruit through out the day as well as string cheese or applesauce. But on Sundays, I break out the cast iron skillet and heat up the oven and create a breakfast that makes us all want to go back to bed after eating it. This morning, I did just that. I made eggs (sunny side up), sausage patties, biscuits, hashbrowns, and toast (which is mainly used to soak up the yolk of the eggs). I never complain about this even though I would much rather be laying in bed while the girls munch down cereal. So, this morning, when Emilee got all pissed off at me, I was surprised.
She said that she was tired of always having breakfast on Sundays. That we always have the same things on Sundays. Always eggs (accompanied by their entourage) or french toast (when I am feeling lazy) or pancakes (when I am feeling really lazy... or hungover). The reason for this argument was that I wouldn't let her have cereal. If I have to cook, then they are going to eat. So she slithered off to the living room to pout and I continued with my culinary escapades. About ten minutes later, Amanda is making toast and I am setting the table. Emilee comes back out of the bedroom and stands by the fridge trying to look pissy. But I can see her eyes wandering to the hashbrowns. She is trying to figure out a way to get some without withdrawing her previous complaint and looking silly. How like her mother she is. Rather starve than apologize, lol. I catch her eye and ask her if the hashbrowns look good and she smiles. I ask her if she would like some and she says ok and heads over to the table and sits down. She also took some eggs, a sausage, some bread (she doesn't like hers toasted), and a nectarine. I knew she would.
Sunday morning breakfast is one of my favorite times of the week. The girls and I get to make plans for the upcoming week and talk about whatever has been going on in our minds over the last few days. We barter allowance pay and I finagle chores out of them. It's very lackadaisical. We aren't in any hurry because we aren't going any where. We can just sit and eat and talk. And they always clean up afterwards, which is nice.
Since I have become a parent, there have been many traditions that I implemented that were never a part of my childhood. Every year for Thanksgiving, we go to Aunt Tempest's house on the coast, every Christmas we stay home, every Sunday we have breakfast as a family and it seems like our newest one is every July Fourth we go to The Cake Lady's for a BBQ and fireworks. I wonder how many of these traditions will be carried on by my children... Will they sit with their families and eat breakfast on Sundays or will Amanda take her children to her best friend's houses for various holidays... Am I helping them form healthy relationships by feeding them breakfast on Sundays? Or by loading them up in the car to head for the coast to have turkey every year? I hope so.
~Kate
