Stay at home mom . . . vintage style!

One of the memories that my husband has shared with me is that he always loved was when his mom would take him and his sister down to their dad’s office to have lunch.  So, in honor of the 60’s and Martin Luther King Jr. day yesterday, I decided I’d try to have an old fashioned stay at home mom day for my husband.  Complete with doing the laundry and having dinner on the table when he got home. 

And where did this whole “vintage” thing come from?!  Well, this morning one of my fellow Rotarians (who is 33) talked about her “vintage 1970’s watch”.  I point that out because apparently having been born in the 70’s, I’m vintage!  Not even going to mention what that makes my husband who’s much older than me!  I think he’d say he’s a “classic”. 

Here’s what I learned about being a stay at home mom “vintage style”:

1)   While you're doing the laundry, the children may shock you when they begin reading about MLK Jr. on their own!  I didn't even have to prompt them . . . Ms. Superego just started reading!  That was a highlight.

2)   If you need to be at your husband's office by 11am, you MAY NOT want to decide at 10am that morning that it's time for the children to take a shower so they don't look like ragamuffins.  As any mommy knows, this is a process that alone can take an hour and 1/2 (times 3)!  I had good intentions, but the children ended up going out in wet hair.  They did, however, dress up in their best - you know, the Id (the baby) had on a formal gown from the holidays; the Superego (the oldest) had on a sundress from last summer (thankfully she agreed to wear a jacket); and the Ego - bet you all will NEVER GUESS what the Ego had on. . . oh yes, you guessed it . . . SWEATPANTS!!!  She did put on the nice Guess ones, but she packed a backpack to change her clothes after lunch.  That child is going to be the death of me!!!

3)   If you tell the children that they can bring their dolls to lunch, they will think that means “yes, you may bring a friend for each of the dolls as well as every piece of clothing, shoes, strollers, baby car seats, diaper bags, toys and any other thing you can think of to go along with the doll.”  I have got to learn to watch them more closely when they load the car.  I should have known they were up to something when they went so willingly.  When we piled out of the car at the restaurant it looked like a Ringling Bros' clown car.  The other guests at the restaurant must have been dying when they saw the entourage and spectacle that was the Dugdale trifecta.  We even had to get a bigger booth!  Thankfully we didn't have time to go up to daddy's office so all his co-workers could enjoy the insanity that is his home life!

Can you tell which are the dolls and which are the children?!  Daddy was such a good sport.

4)      When you try to have dinner on the table by 6:00, you may want to start dinner before 5:10.  Oh, and also you may NOT want to involve the children in the process.  D@MNIT!  I need more practice at this making dinner thing.  I thought it would be so great to involve the girls.  We could all work together on the project and it would be wonderful.  Lets just say that we were lucky not to have a trifle “Friends style” – you know, the one where the cookbook pages stick together and Rachel makes a trifle with ground beef in it?!  I kept bouncing between recipes and a couple times almost told the child making the pecan pie to put in cornflake crumbs and told the child making fried chicken to add corn syrup.  Hmmmm, now that I think about it, maybe that would have been really good.  J

5)      Just leave the cooking to Husband from Heaven.  There’s no reason to mess with a good thing! 

Recommendation for today – find a reason for a great southern dinner, Paula Deen (and southern California “watching your waistline”), style (all these can be found at www.foodnetwork.com):

Rosemary Potatoes
Unfried Chicken
Green Beans Almondine
Pecan Pie (MLK Jr.’s favorite)