I love being a Mom. I mean, seriously! It amazes me, however, how truly UNglamorous this life is. When I was a little girl, my Gramma took me to the department store and had me pick out a silverware pattern. OK, not SILVER, but a stainless flatware pattern. When I got married, she BOUGHT me the placesettings, for six. Then, many years later, she bought me another six settings because she noticed that, as our family grew, we had to ask the grandparents to bring extra silverware for Christmas and other get-togethers. (I LOVE my Gramma!) She has since given me her actual silver set, complete with personal salt & pepper shakers, etc. It sits in a cupboard.

My dishes are Corelle (glass, but virtually unbreakable). My glasses aren’t glass! They are the frosted plastic tumblers (in three sizes) that you see in restaurants. I buy them at the Cash N Carry restaurant supply. They’re very sturdy, withstanding many meals, drops, and spills, and many, many children.

“Do you want to host a crystal party?” HAHAHA I laughed out loud when a friend asked me that! I don’t even GO to them any more! I just can’t bring myself to spend that much money on something that will sit, unseen and unused, on the top shelf in the cupboard! (Right next to the china set my sister in law gave me, and my Gramma’s silver set.)

I’m not complaining, please don’t get me wrong. I just giggle when I hear new brides talk about all the fancy stuff they got, and how they want “to have kids right away”. Kids? Now you’re talking my language! Oh, and that china your gramma bought you? Honey, use it while you can. Tupperware is definitely in your future. Eventually, I’ll get out the real silverware, the china, and maybe even buy some crystal. For now, it’s plastic all the way baby.